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The patch to avoid another massive blackout is going to cost us 731 million euros. Iberdrola has already begun to collect it

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The blackout on April 28 did not come free, and we consumers are going to pay for it. Iberdrola has confirmed that the extra cost caused by the “reinforced mode” that was activated after the massive blackout. And everything indicates that the rest of the electric companies will follow in their footsteps. what has happened. They tell it in The World. Until now, the impact of the blackout on the bill had been limited because the CNMC intervened so that the electricity companies could not modify the price for customers who have contracted fixed rates. FACUA also issued a statement warning that rates could not be raised if it did not appear in the contract. The blackout was more than six months ago, more than enough time for many free market contracts to have been renewed. This has given Iberdrola the opportunity to introduce clauses that allow them to pass the cost on to customers. Reinforced mode After the blackout, the so-called “reinforced mode” was activated. This adjustment involves intervening in the market to incorporate more conventional energy (gas, hydroelectric and nuclear) and limiting the entry of renewables with the aim of avoiding voltage failures. And of course, these energies are more expensive, in addition to requiring more auxiliary services to stabilize the network. The problem is that this It started as a patch after the blackout, but it has become the new normal which remains half a year later. The cost. It covers from the blackout until September and amounts to 210 million euros distributed between Spain and Portugal. Of this sum, Spain assumes the majority, with 180 million euros. Iberdrola regrets that the change in the system by Red Eléctrica is entailing an extra cost that “affects our results” and they hope to transfer 70% of this amount to their clients before the end of the year. Not just Iberdrola. Nothing prevents the rest of the electricity marketers from following in Iberdrola’s footsteps. According to El Mundo, the total cost of the reinforced mode in these six months amounts to 731 million euros and it looks like it will remain active for longer, so this amount will increase. The CNMC warns that any change in contract prices must be communicated transparently. From one pocket to another. In the Iberian Peninsula there are five nuclear power plants, 1,300 hydroelectric plants and some 200 gas plants. These conventional (non-renewable) energy plants are providing more energy as long as the boosted mode remains active and they are receiving more income for it. What is striking is that they mostly belong to private companies such as Iberdrola, Naturgy either Endesawho are the ones who will end up increasing the price of the invoice. Images | Wikipedia In Xataka | Five months later we continue to discover things about the blackout in Spain. And the news is getting worse for Europe

Let’s say goodbye to Google Assistant a decade later. Google has begun to delete its code to leave only one option: Gemini

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It’s not official but as if it were: the end of Google Assistant or the classic Google Assistant, is scheduled. An analysis of the latest version of the Google app for Android carried out by Android Authority has revealed his almost definitive goodbye. The Mountain View company is eliminating the code that, for the moment, allows us to choose between Gemini and the old assistant. It is the chronicle of a death foretold that ends an era within the company. Where before we saw the Assistant icon and dialog window, we now have the Gemini one. Image by Iván Linares for Xataka Android failed promise. Launched in May 2016, the Google Assistant was going to be a revolution. On paper, it promised full voice control of your cell phone, car and home. In practice, like many users have experiencedits use ended up being “despairing” although the “Okay, Google” It became popular in smartphones and speakers. Your inability to understand the context or natural language and the rise of AI models, has finished burying it. The future belongs to Gemini. With the rise of generative AI, Google has bet everything on Gemini, but it has had a rather confusing rollout. For months, the American company maintained a curious mess with several duplicate names, apps and services… Bard, Assistant with Bard, Project Astra… In practice, two assistants live on the same mobile phone. In February 2024, its “transmutation” began: that was when Google launched the dedicated Gemini app (Bard was left behind) on Android, which when installed was offered as a replacement for Assistant. As we tested in its day, the new AI took over of the invocation with the famous “Hey Google” command. A more mature replacement. The problem with the Gemini assistant is that, at first, it was quite green. It was a powerful chatbot, but a not so useful assistant: it could not execute the basic tasks that the previous one could do, such as routines or orders for home automation. However, Google has spent the last year making Gemini absorb the features of its predecessor. The turning point came at the end of last year, when Gemini Live – the conversational voice mode – finally landed in Spain and in Spanish. Already approaching 2025, Gemini learned a basic function that it was missing: making calls and sending messages without having to unlock the mobile. The last big feature inherited from Assistant, the «Scheduled actions»arrived in June of this year. Google’s plan. At the same time that Gemini was learning the old Assistant tricks, Google has been dismantling the latter, removing useful functions. The objective is more than clear: Gemini is the future and will be everywhere. Now you can act like the “all-seeing” assistant thanks to Project Astra (integrated in Live mode), it is coming to Google Home speakers and its landing on Android Auto is imminent. The last step remains. And that is eliminating the escape route: Google has already consolidated the transition. Gemini is the default assistant on new mobile phones and can be installed on old ones without major impediments. The analysis of the APK of the specialized Android media only confirms that the last step is very simple: eliminate the option to go back. The king is dead, long live the king. Cover image | Composition with Google images and generated with Nano Banana by Pepu Ricca In Xataka | How to create Gemini Gems to have your personalized version of artificial intelligence

The race to put a humanoid robot in our house has begun. It’s an absurd race

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A robot that walks around the house picking up what we have left lying around, loads the dishwasher and even starts the washing machine. It is not a science fiction movie, it is the advertisement of the Figure 03 and it is not the only company interested in sell us the idea that soon we will all have a home robot. Detective Spooner doesn’t like this. Robots for everyone There are people convinced that in a few years Humanoid robots will be as common in homes as robot vacuum cleaners are now. One of those people is Elon Musk, who assured that In five or six years we will all be able to afford a personal robot. Peter Diamandis, well-known writer and “futurologist” predicts that the first humanoid robots will reach homes as early as 2026. It is not an obsession of the West, In China they are also obsessed with robotics, although from a different approach. The government wants robots to have transformed the industry by 2035, but it also contemplates creation of robots as accompaniment within the home. We do not know if this future will materialize or if humanoid robots will end up being an eccentricity for a few. Regardless of whether they succeed, These are the companies that want to make it possible. Figure AI Figure 03 Based in California, it is the company that has shown the most progress in creating a humanoid robot for the home. Its latest model, the Figure 03, is presented to us as a kind of robotic butler that does all the housework. Until now the previous models did not go much beyond the “wow” effect of the video, but this time it is different because Figure has a plan to mass produce them. The first year They hope to produce 12,000 robots a yearalmost nothing. Figure is the spearhead of robotics in the United States. Its valuation is 39,000 million dollars and among its investors are NVIDIA, Salesforce, Qualcomm, Intel, Microsoft and Jeff Bezos himself. At the moment it is not for sale nor do we know the price it will have. tesla Tesla Optimus Gen 2 No introduction needed. The first time we learned that Tesla wanted to make a humanoid robot it was in 2021. In 2022 they had a functional prototype and in 2023 they presented the Optimus Gen 2. Although we have not seen him doing household chores, they did show how he was capable of handling fragile objects like an egg. According to Musk, the Optimus will be cheaper than a car (between 20 and 30,000 dollars), but the reality is that we are in 2025 and The promise has not yet come true. Musk continues determined to build “an army of robots” and just showed your worry about who will control him. In Tesla’s latest earnings call, he stated that he wants to maintain strong influence over this hypothetical army. 1X Technologies Neo Gamma It is based in California, but it is a Norwegian company. 1x’s goal has been the home from the beginning and its goal is a robot that does cleaning, organizing and even running errands. A year ago they presented the Neo Beta robot and in February of this year they presented the Neo Gammaits most advanced model. It is capable of interacting with humans, can manipulate all types of objects, and is covered in soft materials. 1X’s plan is to start deploying its robots in homes this year, but in a pilot project. The company has been set as a goal manufacture 100,000 units in 2027 and “millions more in 2028”. We don’t know anything about how much it will cost, although 1X says it is “expected to be priced competitively within the home robotics market,” whatever that means. The company is valued at 10 billion dollars and between your most powerful investors There are OpenAI and EQT. Unitree Robotics Unitree H2 Based in Hangzhou, it is one of the companies that form the ‘Six Little Dragons’ and leader in robotics in China. We knew her for her quadruped robotsbut recently they have moved on to humanoid robots. Its most advanced model, the Unitree H2was announced just a few days ago and is capable of dancing and even doing kung-fu, but it is not as focused on the home as other proposals. In China, spectacular demonstrations of robots that dance or box have become very fashionable, but for the moment They are not showing practical applications for these humanoid robots. Of course, it is the only one that already has humanoid robots for sale and at very competitive prices. The Unitree G1 costs $16,000, but the Unitree H1 costs 131,000 euros. Deep Robotics DR02 It is also a Chinese company and part of the ‘Six Little Dragons’, which are the six most cutting-edge companies in the country in AI and robotics. Like Unitree, they also launched quadruped robots and recently switched to humanoids. Its focus is the creation of resilient models so that they can work in sectors such as industry, logistics or public services. Their latest model is the DR02, a robot resistant to water and dust and is designed to work outdoors. In the future the company also wants to expand to other areas such as the home. What is the point of a humanoid robot? There are other voices at the opposite end of these visionaries, such as that of Rodney Brooks, the co-founder of iRobot. Brooks believes that humanoid robots are a fantasy and they are a format that is anything but practical. Keeping such a robot standing requires a lot of energy and can be a huge risk if it falls. Furthermore, he states that Imitating the dexterity of a human hand is practically impossible. For Ehsan Saffari, robotics engineer, There is no point in making human-shaped robots. At least not if we want them to be efficient. To illustrate this, he gives a very good example: “Imagine that instead of building a … Read more

Spain has more and more problems with the drought and criminal networks have begun to realize it

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This story begins with a civil guard couple in civilian clothes chasing a tanker truck. They have been following trucks for months, they have checked thousands of livestock farms and, finally, they are about to find something. With 50 million liters of something. The initial track. More than a hundred residents of a district of Lorca denounced last year that there was an entire network selling water tanks to supply agricultural operations. It is nothing new: the Civil Guard has numerous investigations underway into the inspection and control of water use. Therefore, SEPRONA started to investigate the matter. And what have they found? The surveillance device located the tanker truck filling point: it was a well without authorizations for use and without a volumetric counter or any other type of measuring instrument. It seemed difficult to know the number of liters extracted. However, as the company pretended to be legitimate, the Civil Guard has been able to document that, during the last 18 months, 56 million liters of water had been sold for a value of at least 275,000 euros. This is only in the last 18 months: the armed institute believes that the illegal use of the well may have lasted several decades. Just one case out of a million. Over the last few years We have been talking about dozens of people investigated, detained and convicted due to illegal irrigation: in 2023 alone, hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water have been extracted illegally. The problem is real: so real that the Malaga water company has even hired private detectives to monitor employees, suppliers and customers. However, the key to this is not what has already happened. The key is what is going to happen. The list of threats is enormous. Climate change, overexploitation of aquifers, intensive agriculture, inadequate water management, forest fires, deforestation and population growth… Spain has a problem with water and that problem is not going to stop growing and growing. In this context, robberies are going to become more frequent and common. And that’s saying a lot: according to WWFthere are more than 500,000 illegal wells. But no one can be surprised. After all, there is a high financial incentive and relatively low penalties. Most cases they end, in fact, in fines and that is an excellent breeding ground for a huge problem. Image | VD Photography | Elentir In Xataka | Spain is facing a brutal drought and there are farmers watering avocados irregularly. A prosecutor wants it to be a crime

In Spain, eating chocolate is becoming a luxury. And that has begun to take its toll on your consumption

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Despite price swings And that the tablets no longer take the deficated rhythm of A few months agothe chocolate market continues to cross turbulence. The latest IPC data show that eating chocolate today comes out 19% more expensive that a year ago, which threatens to convert the chocolates and chocolates into (almost) a luxury. Consumption is not falling to the same extent in which prices rise, but the industry begins to understand a reality: demand, even the very very chocolate, It is not immune to inflation. The big question is now … Will prices continue to upload? A percentage: -13%. They do not run good times for cocoa and chocolate lovers. It is something that We have been saying. Your crisis responds to A mixture of factors that transcend Spain, but still the data that are coming from the national market help to better understand its evolution and perspectives. One of the last clues is the INE in your price index August. It shows that both chocolate and cocoa powder continue to make more expensive. The first is today 13.1% more expensive than in January and 18.8% more than a year ago. In the case of the second, the product that is marketed in dust, the percentages are respectively at 10 and 11.8%. They are not as strong increases as those of a few months ago, when the interannual chocolate climb touched 25%but still far exceed General Food CPIwhich barely grew 1.8%. Consumption, in retreat. The price is not the only clue we have to understand the chocolate situation in Spain. Moreover, there is another equally important (or even more) indicator that is directly related to the evolution of costs: demand. And this is also far from moving in positive values. As the price of chocolates, tablets, nougat and other cocoa products rose, its demand was contracted. And what, how has you denounced Facua, at least part of the sector attempted to compensate for raw materials through a strategy of “Redouflation”which basically consists in reducing the size of the product without touching its price. At the end of 2024, for example, the organization detected that practice in Christmas sweets. And how does demand evolve? If we talk about chocolates, cocoa and their derivatives, the data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food draw a negative curve. Your study ‘Food consumption in Spain’prepared with data from 2024, shows that last year we buy less than the previous one. The fall was 4.4%, although in the specific case of per capita consumption the setback was higher, 5.6%staying at about 3.03 kilos per individual and year. “In the long term, the purchase of these products by Spanish households decreases, because 4.7% less chocolates/cacaos are bought than with respect to 2008,” Precian From map, which clarify in any case that this setback does not affect the entire sector equally. In fact, it is concentrated in derivatives, which retreat 10%. Chocolates grew 6.2%. Four of the 2024 food report published by the Government. Are there more updated data? Yes. And although the figures change the sign, negative. Updated data The Ministry on Food Consumption shows that in the mobile year at the end of the first quarter (March 24-March 25) the demand for chocolates and cocoa in Spain had reduced 6.1%, leaving per capita intake by 2.96 kg. A year earlier that indicator was greater: 3.19 kg. Now, that fall leaves a positive reading for the industry: chocolate is enduring the price increase well. Or at least he is not suffering as much as he could. It is reflected by another report published in July by Nielseniq, which esteem That the demand for sweets in general has contracted 2.6%, that of chocolate 3.2%and that of cocoa 1.7%. It may seem a lot, but it shows an amazing resistance of the product if one takes into account that in a few years it reached take up 30%. Less consumption, more expense. The Data from the Ministry of Food They show a curious trend in the chocolate sector, one that is probably explained by that decoupling between the rhythm to which prices rise and to which demand lowers. In 2024 we might have bought less chocolate, cocoa and derived products, but if we talk about the money moved in the market the data is superior. “In terms of value, the category closes with an increase of 6.4%, which means a gain of 86.5 million euros for the industry,” Confirm the mapwhich has also found the increase in ounces throughout the year 2024. “The average price of these products is € 10.11/kilo, a figure that is 11.3% greater than last year, an increase of € 1.02/kilo.” Year (Tam March) Consumption (kg/per capita) of chocolates/cacaos/dirt 2O25 2.96 2024 3.19 2023 3.21 2022 3.54 2021 4.03 2020 3.57 2019 3.57 Millions of millions (which). The Photo of the year included between the months of March 2024 and 2025 is similar. The millions of kilos of chocolate that moved in the industry fall, but the millions of euros of billing rise. To be precise, the first indicator retreated 6.1%. The second grew by 7.1%. In fact it is one of the greatest increases between the categories identified by Map in its latest report. Only the prepared dishes (10.8%), olive oil (11.8%), frozen potatoes (11.9%), some fresh fruits (8%) and part of the wine industry, although with lower billing levels, are exceeded. How does the industry respond? Recently, coinciding with the World Chocolate DayEfe published a balance that shows that (despite everything) the chocolate industry is maintaining its sales and enduring the guy. It does so in thanks to exports. According to the data it manages, in 2024 consumption grew by 7.5% in value while its volume was reduced by 3.9%. I wish They stand out That data and remember that in 2023 the difference between spending and volume was more pronounced. “There is an effort, since profitability is reduced by the cost of raw material.” For the Spanish industry … Read more

The Chinese brand has begun to make its cars in the continent

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The Chinese brand of electric vehicles has launched Your first local production line In Europe, marking an important step in the industry, as it is placed as one of the first Chinese manufacturers to produce local vehicles in the continent. The company has chosen Magna’s facilities in Graz, Austria, to start the assembly of its most successful models in the European market. A key movement. Xpeng’s decision of manufacture at the local level in Europe Respond directly to Tariffs imposed by the European Union to electric vehicles manufactured in China. The tariff tax can reach up to 35.3% for some manufacturers, a percentage that adds to the 10% base tariff. In the case of Xpeng, considered A “cooperating” entity In European research on subsidies, the additional rate is only 20.7%. Xpeng G6. Image: Xpeng The choice of the perfect partner. Magna Steyr It is not any manufacturer by contract. Its Graz facilities have produced vehicles for brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota. The plant specializes in flexible production of low volumes to media, and is recognized for its ability to assemble multiple complex models in shared lines. Currently, it is where the Mercedes-Benz class G. and the BMW Z4. The numbers speak. Between January and July 2025, Xpeng registered sales abroad from 18,701 vehicleswhich represents an interannual increase of 217%. In Europe specifically, more than 8,000 units were recorded in the first half of the year. The G6 monopolizes 67% of the brand’s total sales in Europe, becoming the star model of the region. More than a factory. Xpeng’s European strategy goes beyond production. The company has recently opened Your first center European research and development in Munich, Germany. This installation is designed to support technical collaboration and the adaptation of products to local markets. Although, like Explain The president and CEO he Xiaopeng, the center also focuses on conceptual prototypes through “an ecosystem driven by the focused on intelligent electric vehicles, humanoid robotics and flying vehicles.” The time factor. Xpeng has advanced to his rival byd in the race for local European production. While serial production in Austria should be in full operation next month, ByD plans to start Your production in Hungary Towards the end of the year. And now what. The company Plan Expand local production to other models in the future, including the new Xpeng P7+, described as its “car with AI”. The firm already has a presence in more than 46 countries and regions worldwide since its entry into Norway in 2021, being an example of the hunger that the Chinese automotive industry has by conquer other regionsnot only by export, but also through local manufacturing to grow the brand towards international markets. Cover image | Xpeng In Xataka | From Byd to Xiaomi: all Chinese cars that are already sold in Spain, Europe and those who are coming

Latin America has begun its railway rebirth and there is someone very interested: China

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The appearance of the railroad and the Expansion of your infrastructure It marked a point and apart. It was the beginning of a new era of mobility for people and, above all, for goods. However, it did not develop at the same speed worldwide. The US prioritized goods against travelers, while Europe, Japan either China They focused on the population movement. In Latin America, history is somewhat more complicated, but they want to catch up with dozens of projects and billions under their arm. It is already considered as the railway reborn in Latin America, and China has a lot to say. Difficulties. Talking about Latin America as a single entity is wrong, but there are elements that many of their countries share, and one is the topography. They are territories that have great natural obstacles such as mountains and jungles that would have to be overcome. They also have a geographical dispersion Great, raising costs when connecting farther and more isolated regions. It is a very different situation from that of the great European or American plains. Priorities. There are not just problems Logistics: The priorities when developing the first networks were not the current ones. Instead of thinking about ways of bringing people from one place to another with ease or creating large merchandise nuclei that nourish with a large railway network, many of the lines were born with a very concrete objective: connect agricultural or mining farms with export ports. The priority was to move the material outside the country, so a comprehensive network was not designed (in many cases) that moved goods and passengers between large cities or countries, leaving unconnected systems that are not very useful for internal transport. Obviously, the privatizationpolitical conflicts and state weakness fragmented all plans, causing a long -term lack of vision, in some cases, which prevented optimal development of networks. Change of course. For example, Argentina, Mexico or Brazil lived the railway boom at the beginning of the 20th century, but once that period spent, many systems came into decline and succumbed to disconnection. However, things are changing. One of the greatest examples is Mayan trainthe great tourist project of Mexico that, using old tours, sought to create a tour of some of the country’s largest archaeological treasures to put them in value and Promote tourism Without heating your head with trips. It is not the only project. Recently, the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum said he plans to launch some 3,000 kilometers of paths for passenger transportconnecting the main cities of the interior of Mexico with Texas and Arizona. In other countries such as Argentina -16 billion dollars in modernization of roads with financing of CAF and Chinese companies-, Chile and Peru -with the corridor of the Peruvian coastal network and Metro and Tram- or Colombia projects, steps are also being taken for that modernization, but if Mexico handles one of the largest projects, that of Brazil is not far behind. Latin America is dreaming big. There are multiple rail initiatives. Most countries seek to improve and modernize their rail systems to build non -pollutant networks, “Héctor Varela, CAF Transport Specialist Colossal. It is estimated that the Latin American giant has 50 planned projects for those who will need 81,600 million dollars and, in addition to Metro projects, highlights the expansion of its passenger network and something that compared to the Panama Canalbut of the trains. The first, the country wants to expand its transport network of 2,007 kilometers up to 4,500 kilometers by 2054. Bioceanic Ferrovia. On the other hand, we have a project that has become One of the most ambitious of South America. The Bioceanic Ferroviaor bioceanic rail corridor, It will be a line which will unite Pacific and Atlantic connecting the port of Santos in Brazil with that of Bayóvar in Peru. It will cross key territories from Brazil, Bolivia and Chile with a total of 3,700 kilometers of roads and with possible ramifications to Paraguay and Argentina. The objective is to transport more than 10 million tons of goods per year (with the focus on agricultural product and strategic goods such as minerals). It is that “Panama Canal by train ”that will help reinforce trade between these countries, but also allow China to move rapid merchandise to and from Brazil. In fact, China plays a role central both in financing and in the conception of megaproject, since it is a form of position themselves strategically in the region. Challenges and pocket. In total, it is estimated that Latin America has 155 rail projects on the table, with an estimated investment of 384,000 million dollars until 2050. As we read in BnamericasIn addition, this need for money is distributed quite equitably among the different countries: Brazil would need 81,600 million dollars. Colombia 74.2 billion dollars. Peru about 63.9 billion dollars. Mexico another 63,200 million dollars. These are the estimates of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, but also of money, land and climatic conditions will be a challenge. In recent months, in one of the segments they had to paralyze The works due to rainfall that exceeded 1,000 milliliters, but in addition, very mountainous areas that will make construction will have to go through, although some sections are estimated They will start to work in 2028. Likewise, taking into account that it is an unprecedented work, colossal interstate coordination is also required that can be affected if there are changes of government and a last minute revenue. Images | Terra Chillán, The Guille! In Xataka | If something has taught us summer is that Spain does not need more trains. Simply need to work

Japan is saturating from the hordes of foreign tourists. So in the country they have begun to give them free flights

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Japan is filling with tourists. Only during the first half of the year added 21.5 million of foreign visitors, 21% more than during the same period of 2024. There are many. Many. Enough to he overwhelming It has become a Debate theme priority and be giving wings to the formation of extreme right Sanseitō, who managed to stand out in the July elections with the motto “Japan first”. The problem is that, far from being distributed in the country, that tide of visitors is concentrated in certain mass points. There are those who want to solve it giving flights To tourists. What happened? That Japan Airlines (JAL), one of Japan’s main airlines, has had An idea peculiar so that foreign tourism becomes more bearable to the country’s mass destinations: give tickets. Literally. The idea is that foreigners visiting Japan have free flights that encourage them to go beyond Tokyo or Osaka and explore less known corners, such as Sapporo, Naha either Hakuba. The goal is double: relieve pressure at the busiest points in the country and, incidentally, give a small push to foreigners to visit places that would never include in their itineraries. What do they propose? The first thing to clarify is that it is not a new campaign. Aviation Wire I already talked about her in October 2024but with mass tourism in the center of the debate and Japan turned into one of the most demanded destinations in the world, the campaign has gained popularity again. In recent weeks, media have talked about it as Soranews24, Time out or the specialized website Travel and Tour Worldconfirming that the initiative was launched in autumn without completion date. The idea too He has echoed in Spain. What are your details? The campaign consists of giving national flights to foreign tourists so that they can move through Japan, although (as usually happens) it has a small print. It is not available for all visitors and even those who can opt for it must meet before A series of requirements. From the entry the offer is available to users of certain countries, such as the United States, Canada, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam or the Philippines, inter alia. In addition, the beneficiary travelers must reserve on their own the international round trip from their country of origin. Once in Japan it is when they can opt for one of the national tickets of JAL promotion, which must include in the same reserve. TTW precise An extra detail that demonstrates how the campaign aspires to relieve pressure in the most busy cities in the country: those visitors flying from the US, Canada, Mexico or China and decide to remain more than 24 hours in the city where they land (usually tokyo) must pay a rate of $ 100. Why is it important? Beyond the details of the campaign or if it really goes on account or not foreign tourists, Jal’s idea is interesting for another reason: it shows Japan’s attempts to make tourists’ avalanche more assumed and do not saturate its most popular destinations. That the initiative has had so much impact is also explained by who spears it: Japan Airlines is one of the main country airlines and on its website presume that your group has a total of 133 national routes and 66 international connections. This wide network of domestic connections is what intends to take advantage of foreigners explore places in the country less popular than Tokyo or the Las Geishas neighborhood of Kyoto, like ski slopes of Nisekothe reefs of Okinawathe mountains of Hakuba either Tomamu or the natural landscapes of Hearbetween a long (very long) and so on. In his favor he has the Encrying From Japan Rail Pass (JRP), which makes the plane win attractive in determining routes. So much tourism in Japan? Yes. The latest official statistics show that during the first half of the year he received 21.5 million of foreign tourists, a surprising fact for two reasons. The first, because it is a record for the country. The second, because it represents an increase of 21% with respect to the same semester of 2024, which gives an idea of the accelerated rhythm to which the sector is growing. Only in June the flow of foreign visitors grew by 7.6%. That boom has come accompanied by the arrival of Millions of dollarsbut has also submitted to the country (especially the most massive destinations) to A pressure that has electorally fed the formation of the extreme right Sanseito, which relies on A speech antituristic and antimigratory. The clearest example of that overwhelming It is located in three busy places: the Fuji, where They have started to charge a rate; The neighborhood of the Geishas de Kyoto, where They have prohibited to “paparazzi tourists”; And Fujikawaguchiko, who has had to cover his views to avoid the hordes of tourists to hunt the best Selfie. Does it work to give flights? It does not seem. As the statistics demonstrate, Japan continues to win tourists and Tokyo remains in The lists of the busiest places. The director of JapaneseLaura Tomàs, acknowledges in An interview with The confidential that the campaign also has some clear weak points. “The routes do not always fit the schedules, the information is not clearly communicated and in many cases the tourist ends up opting for the known.” Images | Matt Cramblett (UNSPLASH), Nomadic Julien (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | Japan will copy Venice to stop mass tourism. Two levels of transport price: the tourist pays more

China has already begun to install the largest hydroelectric turbine of its kind. It is a technical pulse in Himalaya

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Imagine to move a 32 -ton steel piece by a mountain road, fit it in a rock excavated and fix it with a tolerance of just a few millimeters. That is the challenge that China has just assumed in the Tibet (Xizang): mount the turbine IMPULSE more powerful ever built. A month ago we already counted how this machine was designed and how it was transferred to a remote enclave. Now it starts the really difficult: the assembly, with gigantic cranes, digital simulations and millimeter precision in a confined space. The first major component is already in place. As Global Times collectsthe assembly began with a key piece: a section of the water distribution ring, the structure that will channel the flow to the turbine. The installed section weighs 32.1 tons, is 3.1 m in diameter and 95 mm thick wall, and was placed with millimeter precision in the machine pit by a 400 -ton crane. That first lace marks the formal start of the installation and opens the nucleus nucleus assembly phase. A giant turbine, designed with watchmaking precision. The turbine of Datang Zala project It is an impulse unit of 500 MW – the most powerful of its kind. According to Xinhuahas been developed entirely in China by Harbin Electric Machinery. Integrate 21 hydraulic “spoons”, 6.23 m of outer diameter, 1.34 m thick and about 80 tons of weight. Altitude, space and steel. Move and fit each element in a large -altitude cannon forces fragment structures. The distribution ring (28 m × 25.2 m × 4 m) sE divided into 13 sections for transport and assembly. The equipment uses BIM/3D modeling, 1: 1 scale models in the highlands and a welding process with high strength steel developed with universities, to reduce maneuvers and ensure structural integrity. A key piece in the country’s energy strategy. Datang Zala is Tibet’s first hydroelectric project at 1 million kW leveland will be integrated as a relevant node of the network in western China. Its construction seeks to strengthen the renewable energy offer in the region and integrate a complex geographical area into the national system. Official data indicate that China adds More than 94,000 dams and 436 GW of installed hydroelectric capacity. The annual generation is 1.42 billion kwh, 57% of all its renewable production. Datang Zala fits that pattern: large infrastructure to ensure supply, reduce coal and stabilize the system with managerly hydraulics. Much work ahead. The installation of the turbine is only part of the process. Critical components, hydraulic connections and height operating tests are still missing. It is expected to start working in 2028. Of course, assembly and rehearsals will continue during the next months, and any deviation can delay the schedule. Images | Dongfang Electric | Datang Xizang Energy Development In Xataka | In Europe, gas and disused coal plants have unexpected suitors: technology companies

Now the war for attraction parks has begun

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The consumer’s struggle to introduce food into closed enclosures in which he had paid to enter I was in theaters. Then we go to the Music festivals. And finally, the Attraction parks: Facua has denounced several for preventing entry with food and drink from outside its customers. After this decision there is a constant struggle between companies that seek to maximize their benefits and consumers who claim basic rights. Do not introduce food. Magic Island, Warner Park, Port Aventura and Terra mythical are the Spanish attraction parks that have received the complaint of Facua-Consumenores in Action before the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 for preventing entry with food and drink. The objective of this prohibition is clear: to force visitors to acquire in establishments and vending machines inside the enclosures, usually at much more expensive prices. The objective, says Facua in its statement, obeys “economic motivations and the eagerness to obtain greater benefits.” According to the association, these practices violate the Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007 of November 16which approves the consolidated text of the General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users and other complementary laws. The reasons. Some of these parks use reasons for the ban. Warner alleges “hygiene and security reasons” From its websiteand mythical terra It also refers to reasons of “health” and “food and safety hygiene”. Magic Island and Portaventura do not detail the causes of the prohibition. Facua states that in all cases these reasons are “unjustified” And they remember that the prohibition “does not occur in Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix, in France; in Europe-Park, in Germany; in Legoland Windsor Resort, in the United Kingdom, or in the Park of Los Jardines de Tivoli, in Denmark. In all of them it is allowed to access with food and drink.” Facua’s reasons. The reasons why Facua has filed the demand are the same as he presented (and won) Before movie chains like Yelmo. According to the Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights, the main activity of these companies is “recreational establishments”, in its variant of attraction and thematic parks. The restoration service is a complementary activity and is not part of the price of the entrance that consumers hire when paying it. It is, contrary, the imposition of accessories not requested by the client. 30,000 euros. That was the amount of the fine imposed on the Yelmo cinemas for prohibiting the entry of food and drink from outside in its rooms. The sanction comes from Kontsumobide, the Basque Institute of Consumer, which considered the prohibition as an abusive clause, for the reasons detailed in the previous paradfo. It was not the first time that judicial resolutions were produced against this type of practices. There were already a history In Huelva and Zafrawhere he declared illegal or fined rooms for preventing entry with outdoor food. The company tried to justify the measure, covering in the right of admission. In festivals it is not so clear. In the case of music festivals, the situation is similar but more complex. Many festivals prohibit entry with exterior food, arguing commercial and security motifs. However, the Ministry of Consumer opened sanctioning file to a music festival for this practice – an important precedent – claiming again that “the main activity of these events is not the restoration, but the musical show.” However, there are discrepancies in The interpretation of the law: Some experts consider that when Food sale is a relevant business part From an event of several hours or days, it can be part of its main activity. Variable regulation. The regulation in the festivals ultimately depends on each autonomous community, which produces notable differences: in some regions (Like Asturias), the right to access with exterior food is guaranteed if consumption is allowed in the enclosure; In others this access can be vetoed when the promoter markets its own products. The debate also extends to sporting events, where food is usually allowed only in plastic containers and small volumes, with the strict prohibition of alcoholic beverages and glass or metal containers. Header | Portaventura In Xataka | Abu Dabi’s Disney Park will not look like any other. For a hot reason

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