Change

This is the variant of the N-320 that promises to change Cuatro Caminos

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Passing through Cuatro Caminos at rush hour is an experience that, if you can avoid it, the better. The problem is that the people who cross its road every day have been waiting for decades for a solution that does not come. The good news is that the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has approved provisionally the informative study of the Guadalajara bypass and the conditioning of the N-320 highway. An administrative step with which the Ministry hopes to soon relieve traffic in one of the most saturated accesses of the capital of Alcarreña. What has been approved. The document contemplates works for an estimated amount of 103.7 million euros, VAT included, as reported by the Ministry itself. Of course, it should be noted that the provisional approval is not the only thing that remains, as can be expected, since the next procedure will be the release of the project to public information in the Official State Gazette (BOE). What the project consists of. The works will be divided into three main actions: The first is the Guadalajara variant itself, 6,626.55 meters long, which will run from kilometer 269.480 of the N-320 to the Cabanillas del Campo junction with the A-2. Of the four alternatives that have been studied, the Ministry has finally opted for this route, somewhat shorter than the other options. The second action is the splitting of the N-320 between kilometers 290.02 and 295.68, a section that will become a highway. And the third is a new Eastern connection, by conventional road, between the Fuente la Niña junction, on the A-2, and the existing link between the N-320 and the N-320A. Added to all this are several new links and the remodeling of others, including the crossing of the variant with the N-320 itself and the semi-link with the CM-2004. relief for Four Paths. The Cuatro Caminos roundabout is, according to has recognized on several occasions the City Hall itself, one of the most critical points in terms of traffic in the entire city. In March 2023, when the study was presented for the first time by the then mayor, Alberto Rojo, together with the Secretary General of Infrastructure, Xavier Flores, it was explained that the set of actions linked to the N-320 (including the South and East roads) could reduce traffic pressure on that junction by up to 50%, according to Nueva Alcarria. The variant does not solve the problem of Cuatro Caminos by itself, but it would remove from that point a considerable part of the through traffic that today crosses it. ccriticism from the City Council. Not everyone in Guadalajara has received the news with the same enthusiasm. And the second deputy mayor, Alfonso Esteban, has asked to the Government to definitively expedite the processing and recalled that the Ministry submitted this same study to public information already in February 2023, then committing to approve it that same year. “Three years later, the only known news is the provisional approval of the aforementioned document, it has been three lost years,” declared Esteban. The mayor has insisted that this provisional approval does not imply the start of the works, since there are still procedures such as a new public information period, the Environmental Impact Declaration, the final approval of the study, the drafting of the construction project and the issue of its budgets. Four Paths, a separate debate. The Town Hall maintains that the variant and the solution for Cuatro Caminos are two related but different issues. As declared by the City Council in November 2024 to the State Highway Demarcation, the definitive solution for this junction involves the total or partial burying of traffic, while “any other action would be provisional,” the City Council itself states. Esteban explained that a system of elevated pedestrian walkways was discarded due to lack of consensus between the institutions involved, due to accessibility and safety problems, and that the General Directorate of Traffic proposed as a provisional alternative to place traffic lights on pedestrian crossings and accessibility improvements. Cover image | Ministry of Transport and Asqueladd (Wikimedia Commons) In Xataka | “We have six kilometers that have melted due to the heat”: in the face of extreme temperatures, France needs to Spanishize its roads

Climate change has a lethal side effect that we are only just discovering: it locks us in the house and prevents us from moving

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The increasingly frequent heat waves are not harmless for the population as they cause thousands of deaths each year, with vulnerable people being the most affected by this unwanted effect. But beyond this, which is what impacts anyone the most, we are also seeing how the increase in temperature is causing let’s reduce our physical activitysince when the street becomes an oven, sedentary lifestyle skyrockets. It is studied. The first major published work In this regard, he appeared on the scene in March of this same year and analyzed data from 156 countries collected between 2000 and 2022 to identify the “thermal frontier” in which our behavior changes radically from having good physical activity to moving to a sedentary lifestyle. With all this data, the limit was placed at 27.8ºC average temperature, since, according to the study, for each additional month in which a country exceeds this average temperature, global physical inactivity increases 1.5 percentage points. And it is not a simple summer anecdote, but stopping walking, running, cycling to work or playing in the park has direct physiological consequences. In Xataka The El Niño numbers are so strong that they are beginning to make half the world nervous. We have to be able to differentiate risk from hysteria Looking to the future, The figures are chilling, since if we continue with the current trend in an inactive manner, physical inactivity caused exclusively by excess heat will cause between 470,000 and 700,000 premature deaths additional each year around the world. Added to this is the economic impact, since lower productivity and increased medical spending will mean annual losses of between 2,400 and 3,680 million dollars. Spain, Due to its geographical location and its tendency towards desertification, it has been identified as one of the European countries most affected by this phenomenon, along with critical regions such as Central America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Because? To understand the reasons that reach these extremes, we have to look at another study that analyzed 74 years of hourly data, combining temperature and humidity to coin the concept ‘limiting heat’. With this term we talk about those environmental conditions in which the human body cannot carry out physical activity outdoors without its core temperature reaching dangerous levels. The most alarming thing about the study is the speed at which we are losing “working” hours per year. The annual time we spend in conditions of “severe livability limitation” has doubled since the 1950s, and it is not something that affects only the elderly. It affects us all. In young adults, historically there were about 25 hours a year of heat so extreme that it prevented them from moving safely. But today that figure has shot up to 50 hours annually and continues to increase. In the case of those over 65 years of age, their tolerance threshold is lower and they have gone from suffering 600 hours of climate confinement per year to more than 900 hours per year. This means that they spend more than 10% of the year in restrictive environmental conditions. In Xataka The map that splits Europe into two when the heat arrives: where there is air conditioning and where there isn’t He pushes us to the couch. The WHO itself has been warning that climate change acts as a “threat multiplier.” Here we have the perfect example, since heat not only makes us directly sick, but also enhances other modern pandemics such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes by promoting a sedentary lifestyle. The solution is not just to tell people “go out and do sports earlier” or “join a gym with air conditioning.” Pass byrethink citiessince if the streets do not have shade, if the parks are cement slabs without climatic shelters, and if urban planning does not adapt to the new temperatures, going for a walk will cease to be a medical recommendation and will become a risky sport for four months a year. In Xataka | The networks are filling up with maps that promise the end of the heat. One thing is what we would like and another, very different, is what we know (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news Climate change has a lethal side effect that we are only just discovering: it locks us in the house and prevents us from moving was originally published in Xataka by José A. Lizana .

How to change your doctor to choose another depending on your autonomous community

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Let’s explain to you how to change your GP through the Internet, and without having to do any in-person procedures. This way, if you are not satisfied with the attention that the professional assigned to you is giving you, you can make a change. The process depends on each autonomous community. Some will allow you to do everything online, and in others you will simply have a page explaining the necessary documentation and how to make an appointment to make the request in person. This procedure is called Right to free choiceand all autonomous communities allow it to be done. Of course, in almost all of them it is a purely in-person procedure, although some already allow it to be done online. Change doctors in each autonomous community Let’s tell you the links for the doctor change process that each autonomous community has available. Thus, depending on where you live, you will know the page where you have to make the change. On the pages where you can complete the procedure online, the first thing will be to identify yourself using a digital certificatelike the FNMT certificateor alternatively be registered in the Cl@ve system. Then, each page will guide you through the steps you need to take. And on the pages where there is no online procedure, what you have is information about everything you need to be able to do it in person. You will be told the requirements, where to go and the papers you must provide. In Xataka Basics | News about My Citizen Folder: everything new you can do after its March 2026 update

“In Spain we are not immune to the effects of climate change, we need to intensify conservation”

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Europe has lived an inconceivable heat wave until very recently beyond the Pyrenees and the consequences have been dire. France attributes heat as the main cause of more than 1,000 deaths and in the windows they have come to see thermal blankets to reflect the sun’s rays and reduce the temperature in homes that lack air conditioning. The consequences today have been devastating in much of Europe. Melting roads and trams that drag the materials that stick their tracks to the ground. Firefighters who water the bridges so that the steel does not fracture. Trains canceled because the temperature was too high inside. The situation has been so dramatic that more than half of Europe is already looking south. Portugal, Spain and Italy are now the benchmarks when it comes to building new infrastructures, aware north of our borders that these episodes of extreme heat will be more and more recurrent. But Spain doesn’t have it that easy either. Although we have obvious experience in dealing with extreme heat when building our infrastructure, our country also has to remain alert to other episodes of climate change. Although in recent days the discourse has become popular on social networks that Spain has many lessons to teach northern Europe, the truth is that we have our own problems. “We share the same resilience challenges as the rest of Europe,” he warns us. Cesar Francopresident of General Council of Industrial Engineers and director of master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the UAX. Our own challenges While the videos accumulated, the morality lessons piled up on social networks in southern Europe. If you have entered spaces like Or that their infrastructures do not have expansion joints. “It is an inaccurate statement. Joints exist and are essential in bridges, viaducts and concrete structures throughout Europe”, assures César Franco who points out that, in addition, “the use of Via Seamless (continuous welded rail) is an international standard” and is also used in Spain. “The difference is in the calculations. In central and northern Europe, resistance to extreme cold, frost, freeze-thaw cycles and the use of melting salts have historically been prioritized. Now facing prolonged heat waves with records typical of Mediterranean latitudes, the materials and neutralization temperatures of their pathways are subjected to compression stresses outside their historical design ranges,” explains the president of the Council of Industrial Engineers. The question, therefore, is not not knowing how to build an infrastructure, the question is what climatological effects they face. “Today, climate design is no longer limited to the asphalt-steel binomial. The real challenge is the concurrent risk. In addition to the heat, Spain must face episodes of torrential rain, DANA, storms, floods and associated geotechnical phenomena. This forces engineering to focus on general geotechnical stability: the behavior of the slopes, the capacity of drainage works to avoid scours on bridges, and the monitoring of clearings to prevent landslides that interrupt circulation,” explains Franco about our country. That is, while Europe now has problems with extreme summer heat, Spain must be careful with cycles of strong and recurring rainssomething for which, as we found just a few months ago, we are not prepared. “We have very robust regulatory and technical know-how in high temperature scenarios, but we share the same resilience challenges as the rest of Europe,” the General Council of Industrial Engineers emphasize. And the temperature can dilate the tracks of a train until causing the so-called “lateral buckling”. It is not, they explain to us, a structural failure, it is really “a collapse due to elastic instability of the entire system (track-fastening-sleeper-ballast).” The asphalt binder can also lose this stability, which “if it exceeds its softening temperature, it loses viscosity. The mixture loses rigidity and resistance to deformation, and under heavy traffic ruts, undulations or exudations (sticky surfaces) may appear,” explains César Franco. We do not have these problems in Spain because we are adapted to them, but the General Council of Industrial Engineers warns: “We have very robust regulatory and technical know-how in high temperature scenarios, but we share the same resilience challenges as the rest of Europe. Our network faces challenges linked to the aging of assets and the need to intensify preventive conservation. Spain’s advantage is the experience in the behavior of materials under heat; the common European challenge is the financing and speed of adaptation of existing networks to the new climatic normality”. And Spain and Europe face the same problem. Both have to find ways to make their infrastructure suitable during extreme weather events for which they were not designed. The European Union, César Franco reminds us, “requires that the main networks be fully operational and resilient against natural risks with horizons to 2030, 2040 and 2050” but the problem is that, everything indicates, we are not moving fast enough. Photo | Julian Hochgesang and General Council of Industrial Engineers In Xataka | AEMET asks that we prepare because “starting on Friday” a rise is expected that will put Spain “eight degrees above normal”

Samsung is ahead of the presentation of the Galaxy Z Fold8 by showing the design change of the foldable. At last

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There are a few days left to see Samsung’s new folding phones, but the South Korean company has decided that the speculation is over. In a series of videos, they have begun to show what the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 will be like, but they have done so in a rather peculiar way. Instead of showing the design like others do (Google with the Pixel before presentations, for example), they have decided indirectly show the most important change of the new folding: the form factor. With phrases like “A new way” and strange videos, Samsung makes one thing clear: we must welcome passport-style foldables. As a curiosity, one of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and the foldable iPhone It seems like they will have quite a bit in common. And I say “one of the Galaxy Fold” because everything indicates that we will have two versions: the true successor of the Galaxy Z Fold7 and the one who for a time It was known as Galaxy Fold Wide. The design change of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Of all the videos that Samsung has shared, there are three in which this idea of ​​design change is clearly explored. From a traditional elongated format since the first Fold, it seems that we will move to a more square one both when the mobile is folded and when we unfold it. There are three videos that show this design change and they are quite revealing: There is another one cutting out a photo and another in which instead of a puzzle it is a chocolate bar. As I say, the three explore the idea that we are preparing the body for a design change, and the leaks have not been long in coming. While it is expected that there will be a Galaxy Z Fold8 with an elongated format (surnamed Ultra, perhaps), these Samsung videos seem to confirm that we will have a simply squarer Fold8. The leaks talk about a mobile phone with a 7.6-inch interior screen with a more square aspect ratio of 4:3. The external screen will be compact, with 5.5 inches and a 16:10 aspect ratio. To get an idea, the Fold7 had a 6.5-inch external screen with an 8-inch internal one with aspect ratios of 21:9 and 6:5 respectively. The translation is that the Galaxy Z Fold8 will be much more compact when closed, and when opened, it will practically be square. Very similar, as we say, to a passport. What has been leaking about the supposed iPhone Fold (or whatever it ends up being called) is very similar, with a more compact format that would share lines with Samsung’s. Obviously, neither one nor the other has been presented, so this is all speculation, but what we do know is that, in 2025, Apple chose to Samsung as the supplier of flexible OLED panels for its foldable iPhone. Thus, and as happened when the iPhone made the leap to OLED screens, there will be two competing mobile phones that will have the same screens and the changes will be calibration between one brand and another. It makes perfect sense for Samsung to take advantage of the fact that it has developed a panel with a new aspect ratio for Apple to create a third foldable (the other would be the Flip) that would mount that panel to compete, directly, against its historic great rival. In the end, it will be up to the consumer to decide whether they prefer Android or iOS, but they will have to choose two foldables with a very similar (if not identical) form factor. And it seems like a change that makes complete sense to me. ‘Passport’ foldables = the best foldables Now, this design is not new and, in fact, has been in place for years. In Spain, the book-type foldables that are most seen are those that share a form factor with Samsung’s: elongated when folded, small tablets when we open them. They are not the most comfortable to use with one hand when they are folded and we are walking down the street, really. It’s not official, but this is supposedly what the iPhone Fold will be like But then there are the Pixel Fold with an external aspect ratio of 17.4:9 or my favorite of all foldables: the Oppo Find N. The screen of the latter is 5.49 inches 18:9, and they are form factors more similar to what these two new folding devices from Samsung and Apple are estimated to have. The translation is that using a mobile phone like the Oppo Find N on the street is extremely comfortable because, in practice, It is as if it were a compact mobile. In fact, if the leak that the external screen will be 5.5 inches is true, we would be talking about diagonals that we have not usually seen for years, when the Zenfone 10 With its less than 6 inches it was considered a compact mobile. It’s already a few years old, but if you want to imagine what this new batch of foldables will more or less be like, take a look at the video we published about the Oppo Find N: That one-handed operation was the detail that we highlighted the most at the time and what represents a real change compared to the rest of the foldables on the market because we still have a large screen when opening it, but if we don’t want to do so, we have a very manageable external one in which the thumb covers the entire diagonal with ease. Now, will the market accept that design? In the case of Samsung, if the rumors are true, the consumer will have three options to choose between the Flip and the Square Fold8 and the more traditional Fold8 Ultrabut in the case of the iPhone, Apple will only have one bullet. In any case, as we have already mentioned, they are rumors (especially in the case of the … Read more

“Will I notice much of a change when going from a Galaxy S23 Ultra to a S26 Ultra?”

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How often do you change your mobile phone? This is a question that we all ask ourselves on more than one occasion, because if we are going to spend a good amount of money on a new high-end device we like to notice a changean evolutionary leap between the previous mobile phone and the current one. In this direction was one of the questions that a xatakero asked us in our Discord who decided to take advantage The Officeone of the advantages of Xataka Xtraour subscription to access exclusive newsletters, raffles, promotions and other exclusive advantages. In this case, what we offer is a direct line with us to resolve questions like this. The xatakero told us that it came from a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and he wanted to know yes I would notice a lot of change when passing to a Galaxy S26 Ultra of 1 TB. We are going to tell you what our colleague Alex Alcolea, an expert in hardware, image and sound, and who precisely made our Galaxy S26 Ultra review. The question How do you see the purchase of a 1 TB Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra coming from an S23 Ultra? Will I notice much change? Thank you. Our response Photo: Xataka Updating your mobile phone is a notable investment, which is why many of us are interested in measuring the extent to which we are going to notice a radical change. The more time passes between one mobile phone and another, the greater the jump you will notice, but those who use their mobile phone very actively are often tempted to update it sooner. Very good! This is Alex from Xataka… and whoever is with the S26 Ultra. Complicated request because it is already part of a spectacular mobile. My opinion after trying it at the event and at home these days is that you are not going to notice a giant leap, but you are going to have a better mobile phone in practically everything (except for the Bluetooth functions of the S-Pen, which are not in the S26 Ultra). You’ll have more years of updates and both the telephoto and wide angle are better, but if you’re happy with the S23 Ultra, maybe I wouldn’t make the jump just yet. Of course, have you considered other options within the premium segment? I’m thinking about an OPPO Find X9 Pro or an Honor Magic8 Pro. Brutal cameras, very good screens and more battery, which I see is important for you. If you say no because you are happy with Samsung, and if I had an S23 Ultra… I would stay with it. In the end, we are talking about premium ranges and it is much more difficult to notice the change than between an S23 and a non-Ultra S26, for example, or between two mid-ranges from the same years. Do you have more questions like this? The subscribers of Xataka Xtra You can send us your questions and our team will respond personally. And if you are already a subscriber, remember this advantage and that you can ask us whenever you want.

Spain has 15 million pets that cannot set foot on a good part of its beaches. That’s something that’s starting to change.

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It comes with going to a park or taking a walk through any city in the country, but in case there were still any doubts, the Government recently provided definitive proof that Spain is a land of pets. The first official census has counted neither more nor less than 15.2 millionof which 7.6 are dogs. With such figures it is better understood that, as summer approaches, more and more people are asking themselves a question: Can we go to the beach with our four-legged friends? The answer is: it depends. Reviewing the figures. We mentioned it before: in Spain there are many (many) pets. It is something that we intuited thanks to the censuses carried out by feed manufacturers, companies dedicated to the care of pets or the Companion Animal Identification Network (REIAC), but which has been confirmed by the first official study of the State. It details that in Spain there are 15,171,569 pets, of which 7,562,893 are dogs. They represent, respectively, 14.1 and 9.6% more than in 2021. Beyond the raw data, the census confirm that in Spain there are now more pets than people under 30 years of age or who live in the country almost double of dogs than small children. Hence the pet economy this awakening the appetite of more and more companies (from feed manufacturers to insurance companies and venture capital) or that, when planning their summer vacations, they have already many families looking for accommodation (or even destinations) pet friendly. To the beach with the dog. Proof of this enormous interest is that every year the blogs specialized in pets (and also some other generalist) publish maps and online guides to dog-friendly beaches during the bathing season, which usually runs from June to September. Their ‘photograph’ does not always coincide, but usually includes more than a hundred sandy beaches. Some place the total count around 130 beaches. Others raise it to more than 150. That disparity is not surprising because the list can change from one year to the next and not all sandy beaches that accept dogs do so in the same way. Fine spinning. Last year, in fact, RTVE published a map in which he differentiated between three main types of beach, depending on the freedom that the dogs had on each one. The most comfortable for pets would be the ‘complete’ beaches, those to which they can freely access all year round. In second place would be the ‘partial’ sandbanks, which tolerate pets, although with small print. For example, the presence of dogs can be restricted to only a defined stretch or a certain time slot, such as at night, when the number of bathers is reduced on the beaches. Finally there would be what RTVE calls ‘nearby’ beachesstretches of coast close to urban areas in which access is allowed in at least part of the sandy area. Why so much complication? Basically, because the Coastal Lawthe framework standard that regulates the maritime-terrestrial public domain, leaves a wide gap that have been covered by the regional and local administrations. And that challenge has not been faced in the same way everywhere. What’s more, sometimes the topic has generated intense social, political and institutional debates. One of the latest examples has been left by Gijón on account of his new ordinance municipal on animal welfare: in March, during the allegations phase, the Principality he was reluctant to the presence of dogs on the city’s beaches, although later nuanced that the decision depends on the City Council. From the beaches to Change.org. Another interesting case is found in A Coruña, where it has been activated a collection of signatures in Change so that the Consistory allows dogs on the beaches in summer in night timefrom 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. Right now the local ordinance prohibits pets on beaches between June 1 and September 30, with the only exception of the Bens sandy area, which is considered a “dog beach”. Along the Spanish coast there are many more With these characteristics, which are added to other sandy areas where dogs are allowed during the summer, although at night. One figure, two conclusions. let there be between 100 and 150 beaches that can be considered (to a greater or lesser extent) dog-friendly) leaves several conclusions. The first, as recently reported on the Sr.Perro blog, is that the number of sandy areas in which there is a clear regulation that allows enjoyment with dogs is very small. In general, it is estimated that Spain has somewhat more 3,500 beaches. That the proportion is so low is explained, in part, by the requirements that all those sandy areas must comply with opt for the badge of ‘Blue Flag’. The “Guide to Blue Flag criteria” of 2025 states that “the prohibition of domestic animals on the beach must cover the entire area of ​​the candidate beach, including the bathing area.” “Local regulations must prohibit the presence of domestic animals on the beach during bathing season, even outside bathing hours,” the document insistswhich cites WHO studies on “microbiological risks” associated with the presence of excrement on beaches. Gaining weight (little by little). That is the second conclusion that the sandbank map leaves. dog-friendly. Although they remain a minority, some sources they specify that their number has been increasing due to the increase in the pet census and citizen pressure, which sometimes results in campaigns like the one activated this year (also in 2025) in A Coruña. A quick check on Google shows that Sanlucar de Barrameda, Marin, Vila-seca, Cadiz, Punta Umbria either Almeriaamong other populations, have taken steps in recent years (or months) to make it easier for people to enjoy the places of a dip. Image | Nathalie Anfuso (Unsplash) In Xataka | Your cat asks you to cuddle and then bites you. It’s not evil, it’s that you don’t understand its signs

The biggest problem for Spanish olive trees is neither costs nor climate change: it is ‘ghost oil’

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Something smells bad in the olive oil market. We knew it for a long timebut it is now with the collapse of prices at source (almost 46%) that everyone has become nervous. The figures do not add up and the bill will not be paid by the large olive oil groups, but by the small producers. For this reason, on June 15, a COAG representative stood in front of the microphones and reported that 81% of olive oil Tunisian was entering Spain undercover. But how do you put 65,500 tons of oil under the radar? It has not been easy to determine, the truth is. But if the organization is right, the oil ship has more than one leak compromising its future. But it doesn’t have it. Always according to the COAGa good part of that oil comes from Portugal. But the ‘Portuguese way’ does not add up: with the data from the 2024-2025 campaign, Portugal produces between 160,000 and 195,000 tons of its own and imported only 3,406 of Tunisian oil. Those 3,406 tons cannot explain the 131,877 that it re-exports to Spain. Some part yes, but not all of it. And then? The problem seems different. It looks like ours, in fact. Because what COAG does seem to be right about is that a good part of the oil that entered the country did so under a special regime: that of active development. It is a formula of the Customs Code of the European Union that allows the importation of non-EU merchandise without tariffs or VAT as long as it is transformed and exported again. What the producers point out is that a good part of the oil that arrives in Spain to be “perfected” ends up being sold in the country without appearing in the statistics (marked, in fact, as community). The consumer does not notice it substantially in the price, but it is noticeable at the source. And a lot. But there is more. A few years ago, honey became a problem. Nobody really knew what they were eating in Europe. The key to this was to mix it up. Above all, because with completely insufficient regulation, it was enough to put “mix” so that there was nothing more to ask. This was attempted to be resolved with Directive (EU) 2024/1438 (the “Breakfast Guidelines“) which has not come into force in Spain until June 14, 2026. Among many other things, Brussels demands that the package states where what is inside comes from. Easy, clean, effective and… …non-existent for oil. The big problem, as almost always, is traceability. Not that we have problems, but that there is almost no real interest in doing it. As we have said many times, the Spanish agricultural market is a giant with feet of clay and now is the time to think if we want it to be something else. In Xataka | Something strange is happening with the price of olive oil and farmers have just denounced it: there are up to 2.8 billion at stake

Taking too long to change the timing belt is “a death sentence for the engine”

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At this point, it is clear that a car that has all its maintenance in order will end up giving us fewer unpleasant surprises during its useful life. That does not mean that it is not susceptible to failures, but if it is in our power to anticipate its maintenance, the better. And in this aspect there are certain critical elements of our vehicle in which it is preferable not to take risks. One of them is the timing belt, which is perhaps one of the most ignored or postponed parts in car maintenance, and which It can ruin your engine from one day to the next. if not changed to the proper frequency. What exactly does it do? The timing belt is a toothed rubber band that synchronizes the movement of the crankshaft and camshaft, the two main shafts of the engine. Thanks to it, the pistons and valves move in coordination, since the valves open and close at the exact moment when the pistons rise and fall. If that timing fails even slightly, the engine loses efficiency. If it breaks completely, the disaster can be total. Why is its breakage so dangerous? When the belt fails in motion, the motor stops dead without warning. In most modern vehicles, what happens next is that the pistons, which continue to move by inertia, violently collide against the valves. “It is a catastrophic event that can spell the death knell for the engine. The dull sound, followed by the absolute silence of the engine, is the beginning of a mechanical and financial nightmare,” they count from the specialized workshop C3 Care Car Center. When the tragedy ends, we can find bent valves, damaged pistons and, in more serious cases, a cracked cylinder head or a fractured camshaft. And of course, the price multiplies many times when it comes to repairing all that piphostio. Mileage. Most manufacturers set a change interval in kilometers, which depending on the model ranges between 60,000 and 240,000 km. But it is not the only number we should pay attention to, since the time of use also counts. From Rodi Motor they claim If there is no maximum date set in the owner’s manual, the usual recommendation is to check the belt every five years even if the kilometer limit has not been reached. The reason is that the rubber on the belt ages even if the car is stopped, and a dry or cracked belt can end up becoming a time bomb for our car. It will depend on the type of vehicle and car distribution system, but to have a universal reference, Juan José Ebenezer, mechanical expert and content creator, advises change it every 100,000 kilometers or every five years, whichever comes first. If we are already talking about oil-soaked belts from the Stellantis group, Ebenezer points out that “with 60,000 km you are already late”, and that it is normal to change them after 50,000 km. Normally, the workshops will change the complete kit, which includes the belt, pulleys, tension rollers, the water pump and all the hardware for installation. But if you prefer to make sure, it is best to tell them to change the complete kit. When to get ahead. There are specific situations in which experts recommend reducing the change interval between 15 and 25% compared to what is indicated by the manufacturer. Alejandro Pais, managing partner of Pais Automoción and Spanish champion of Group N in 2013 explains that “driving in an urban environment usually accelerates the deterioration of the timing belt. If this is your case, calculate between 20% and 25% earlier than recommended by the manufacturer.” In the end, it is not the same for a vehicle to be constantly exposed to cold starts, slowdowns and constant gear changes from exclusive use in the city, to taking it out more or less frequently on the highway. So if you can afford to change the timing belt in advance, the better. The climate also wears it out. High temperatures are another enemy for the belt. Precisely from Volkswagen Canarias, the brand’s official network on the islands, warn In areas with intense heat and suspended dust such as haze, they recommend advancing the visual inspection, even for engines whose official interval reaches 210,000 km. The same logic applies in areas of extreme cold or high humidity. The Midas chain of workshops also recommends advance the maintenance of this component in vehicles that regularly circulate in extreme climates. Better not to risk it. A preventive change of the distribution kit in Spain ranges between 300 and 1,000 euros depending on the vehicle and the workshop. The repair of an engine damaged by a broken belt can start at 1,000 euros and easily reach 6,000, according to they count from Rodi Motor. In more serious cases, when the damage affects the pistons, cylinder head or camshaft, it is possible that the failure is so serious that the entire engine has to be replaced, and then the cost ends up being exorbitant. So do your car a favor and take care of it. In Xataka | 2,000 million euros and 3,000 stations: BYD’s plan so that charging your electric car takes the same time as stopping for gas

the two pharaonic African gas pipelines that want to change the energy map

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The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 dynamited the foundations of European energy security. Before the conflict, Russia supplied between 40% and 45% of the European Union’s natural gas imports, injecting more than 155 billion cubic meters annually into the continent. Faced with the urgency of disconnecting from Moscow, Europe was looking for a place to fill its reserves again and the answer was in the south. To understand the magnitude of this shift, just look at what is happening on the ground. According to The Africa Reportunder the scorching sun of southern Algeria, the energy ministers of Algeria, Nigeria and Niger officially inaugurated the works of the gigantic Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP). It is not a project on paper; the pipes are already being welded. As detailed Al-Monitorthe Algerian state company Sonatrach has begun building a critical 1,210 kilometer stretch in the Aoulef region, which will connect Nigerian gas to the immense Hassi R’Mel field, a node that already has direct arteries to Europe. A question of survival. The European Union plans to end its dependence on Russian gas at the end of 2027. The arrival of a new corridor that provides 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year is a strategic lifeline. But for the African continent, the meaning is even deeper. It is about resolving a historical paradox: being a continent rich in energy but with serious deficiencies in local electricity access. According to an investigation published in the Journal of Geo-Energy and Environmentthe rival project, the Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), could generate about $75 million annually in transit revenue for West African countries. Furthermore, these projects are designed so that a part of the gas stays in the transit countries, promoting their electrification, their industrial development and reducing the use of polluting biomass. The battle of the megaprojects. However, this energy awakening has unleashed a fierce geopolitical rivalry. As highlighted The Africa ReportAlgeria and Morocco are competing aggressively to become the exclusive “gateway” for Nigerian gas to Europe, spearheading two colossal megaprojects competing for international funding and European favor. On the table are two titans of engineering that promise to change the world map: The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP): Led by Nigeria, Niger and Algeria. Business Insider details that it will measure 4,128 kilometers in length. It will cross the desert and it is estimated that its cost ranges between 13,000 million dollars and the 19.5 billion. With the works already started in Algeria, the Minister of Petroleum of Niger has confirmed that his country will begin to build its section of 720 kilometers at the beginning of 2027. The Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP / NMGP): The Moroccan alternative is even more pharaonic. With a length of between 5,600 and 7,000 kilometers, it will border the entire Atlantic coast, crossing 13 African countries. Its estimated cost amounts to about 25 billion dollars. How to finance infrastructure of this magnitude? academic research concludes thatAfter analyzing multiple strategies, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is the most robust and viable path. This model makes it possible to mobilize the gigantic private capital necessary, transfer the risks of construction and operation, and at the same time ensure that local governments maintain fiscal benefits and employment development. The small print. Despite the euphoria, the obstacles are formidable. As you remember Al-Monitorthe trans-Saharan gas pipeline was conceived in the 1970s and has suffered decades of paralysis. Academic analyzes warn that the viability of the project is threatened by historical security risks in the Niger Delta, northern Niger and southern Algeria, coupled with political instability caused by recent coups in the Sahel region. Furthermore, there is an “elephant in the room”: the energy transition. Natural gas is seen as a transition fuel. So that these gas pipelines do not become stranded (obsolete) assets in the long term in the face of European climate policies, experts point out that they must be designed with operational flexibility. This includes “reverse flow” capability to redistribute energy southwards when Europe doesn’t need it, and even adapt infrastructure to transport green hydrogen in a decarbonized future. A new axis of power. The center of gravity of world energy is falling southward. Europe, cornered by geopolitics, desperately needs the stability of new suppliers; Africa, for its part, demands the investment and infrastructure it has historically been denied. The success of these thousands of kilometers of steel tubes, buried under the burning sands of the Sahara or submerged off the Atlantic coast, will decide much more than the temperature of European homes in the coming winters. The true historical challenge is not to demonstrate that the continent can turn on the northern lights, but to dare to invent a model where Africa stops exporting its wealth to import dependence. The ultimate goal is for African energy to belong to and transform, once and for all, its own people. Image | Unsplash Xataka | The first natural gas that does not depend on fossil sources is already a reality in Europe: it is manufactured in Extremadura by combining hydrogen and CO2

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