closest

The Congo River has been an insurmountable barrier for the two closest capitals in the world for decades. Until now

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For decades, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been living in a peculiar situation: although they have the nearest capitals at the geographical level of the entire planet (with the exception of the Vatican and some cases special, like Nicosia), both metropolises live behind each other’s backs. At least as far as communications are concerned. Today to travel from Kinshasa (RCD) to Brazzaville (Congo) you need get on a ferry to cross the river that separates both countries or even a plane which covers the journey as long as it takes you to have a coffee and read the headlines in the newspaper. Now that’s about to change. Capitals just a stone’s throw away. The story of the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire) has been anything but quiet. This has ultimately contributed to both nations sharing a particular condition, beyond the similarities between their names: their capitals are a stone’s throw away. Between Brazzaville (RC) and Kinshasa (DRC) there are a handful of hundreds of meters and a river, the Congo. Depending on the reference we take, between both metropolises there is between one and three kilometers in a straight line. If we except the even more peculiar relationship between the Vatican and Rome (and some curiosities historical), Brazzaville and Kinshasa are often considered the closest capitals. However, despite this proximity, those who want to travel from one city to another right now do not have it easy: they must take a ferry that covers the journey in half an hour or even (if they are in a hurry… and more money), fly over the limited airspace that separates both capitals. What if we build a bridge? The situation is sufficiently anomalous that the authorities have considered on several occasions building a bridge between both banks. The idea can date back at least to the 90s and has been rescued several times since then. Without much success. Whether for political or budgetary reasons or simply because the fear As infrastructure reduces commercial traffic in some influential ports in the DRC, the Kinshasa-Brazzaville viaduct has failed to make it past paper. Coming out of the box. That could change soon. In February the finance ministers of the DRC and the CR reached a bilateral agreement to establish a special tax regime that clears the future of the construction of the viaduct. It may seem like a minor issue, but the infrastructure is expected to be subject to a toll and, beyond the traffic of individuals and tourists, every year moves trucks loaded with thousands and thousands of tons of merchandise. “We have a harmonized tax and customs framework. We also have a bilateral pact, which will allow us to relaunch the call for tenders,” celebrated after the technical meetings Caddy Ndala, from the Brazzaville delegation. An agreement… and something more. If the bridge seems to see (finally) the light at the end of the tunnel, it is not only because of the tax agreement between both countries. The project has also attracted the attention of Africa50an investment platform founded by the African Development Bank (ADB) and African states. The entity is presented in fact as the “main promoter” selected by the DRC and RC to drive the public-private partnership that will shape the infrastructure. Global Highways precise that part of the investment to shape the viaduct will also come from the ADB, which has already financed the feasibility studies. And what will the viaduct be like? The main infrastructure will consist of a short bridge more than 1.5 km which will pass over the Congo River and allow the passage of vehicles and railways. It will also have sidewalks and border control posts. The idea is that the viaduct connects further with the roads that already exist in both countries, facilitating communication between the capitals. “The idea dates back to the mid-19th century,” recognized years ago the president of the ADB, Akinwumi Adesina. To clear its roads, the technicians have selected the narrowest point on the border. In an attempt to put an end to the misgivings that the infrastructure arouses in several commercial ports in the region, it has also been agreed to carry out complementary works of improvements in them. Hunting for goods. The bridge won’t exactly come cheap. In 2017, the ADB estimated that the project would require 550 million dollars, an estimate that has since risen to exceed 700 million. In return, the structure promises to completely change the relationship between both capitals. In 2020 the Africa Investment Forum pointed out that the forecasts involve both triggering the flow of people and goods: the former (people) would go from 750,000 annually now to more than three million; As for the latter (merchandise), it would rise from 340,000 to two million tons. Images | Google Earth and Africa50 In Xataka | A 2.5 billion-year-old geological wonder: Zimbabwe’s Great Dam seen by NASA from space

It is the closest thing to Mario Kart that we are going to see

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We are also going to see the eccentricities that Saudi Arabia has accustomed us to in its new Formula 1 circuit, carrying as its flag its architecture of the impossible. a few days ago came to light The latest images of the Qiddiya Speed ​​Park, showing that the construction of its most spectacular curve (an elevated straight that exceeds 70 meters in height) has already begun. The project aims to host its first F1 race in 2028. New F1 circuit. On the outskirts of Riyadh, the Saudi capital, it is taking shape one of the most ambitious circuits never designed. The Qiddiya Speed ​​Park is part of Qiddiya, a new city that is rising in the middle of the desert and is still under construction. The Saudi government finances it as part of its Vision 2030. The latest photographs already show the support structures of its first curve, named The Blade. What’s special about it. This corner will be the first in motorsport history to be built on an elevated platform. According to the project specifications, will reach more than 70 meters high (the equivalent of a 20-story building) and is designed with an inclination of 10 degrees. A concert hall will be located below it. The total gradient that the drivers will face along the route will be about 108 meters, something unprecedented in the F1 calendar. Some they are already comparing the circuit with the Mario Kart Rainbow Trail and everything (no wonder). Who is behind the design? The circuit has been designed by Hermann Tilke, the 71-year-old German civil engineer who designs most of the championship’s modern layouts: Jeddah, Las Vegas, Singapore, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Austin and Shanghai, among others. In this project he also had the collaboration of former F1 driver Alexander Wurz. The result will be a 21-turn circuit that promises to surpass the current Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps as the longest on the Formula 1 calendar. The project. The circuit’s construction budget is around $480 million. The works began in 2024 and the initial objective is for the track to be completed in 2027 to debut in the championship in 2028, although some sources they point that the premiere could be delayed until 2029. It would not be the first time, since the circuit has already accumulated several delays compared to its original date (it was initially set in 2024). Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will continue to be held at the Jeddah Street Circuit. What’s around the circuit. Qiddiya is not just a circuit. The complex will include theme parksa soccer stadium that will host 2034 World Cup matches and a Six Flags theme park. A Mercedes “World of Performance” will also be built near the Speed ​​Park. It is, in short, part of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to turning this new city into an international tourism and entertainment hub. “That’s what Saudi Arabia does, so all due respect to them coming up with such crazy things and trying to make it as cool as it looks. There are a lot of places that aren’t nearly as lively or fun. If you want to attract people to the sport, you don’t want it to be just a circuit in the middle of nowhere that no one goes to,” declared Lando Norris, current F1 world champion, told Express. What’s missing for it to be official. Before Qiddiya Speed ​​Park can host an F1 race, the circuit will need to be inspected and homologated by the FIA. If it also aspires to host the MotoGP, it will also need the approval of the FIM. There is still some time left and the actual schedule of the project will depend largely on how the works progress in the next two years, so it seems that we will have to sit and wait. Images | ahmed baokbah In Xataka | Madrid has committed to having an F1 circuit in September: at the moment it has an open field and four streets of a PAU

The US Navy already knows what is going to happen to the planet. The mission to open Hormuz is the closest thing to a suicide operation

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In the world there are only a dozen maritime passages capable of altering the global economy if they are blocked. Some are so narrow that, at certain points, they barely exceed 30 kilometers wide. However, millions of barrels of oil, huge ships of liquefied natural gas and a good part of the planet’s energy trade circulate through them every day. When one of those places goes into crisisthe impact it doesn’t take long to feel in markets, governments and homes around the world. And the Strait of Hormuz points to a unprecedented scenario. The impossible mission. Yes, the Strait of Hormuz has become the point most dangerous on the planet for global energy trade. Some 20 million barrels of oil daily (around 20% of global consumption) in addition to one fifth of liquefied natural gas that supplies numerous countries. The conflict with Iran has transformed that corridor into a war zone where attacks on oil tankers, drones, missiles and sabotage have paralyzed much of the traffic. But what is most revealing is not only the violence of the incidents, but Washington’s reaction: even the world’s largest naval power just recognized which is not prepared to escort oil tankers through the area. That delay is a clear sign of the magnitude of the problem, because if the US Navy needs weeks to organize convoys, and that is exactly the words they have usedthe implicit message for the markets is that the Gulf energy blockade may last much longer than many imagined. Convoys under fire. To understand it we must imagine the scenario. The idea of ​​accompanying oil tankers with warships seems, on paper, a direct solution. In practice, it is one of the riskiest missions that a modern navy can face. The convoys would need frigates and destroyers protecting the freighters while specialized units They search for mines and drones in an environment saturated with threats. The ships would be exposed to anti-ship missiles launched from mobile trucks off the Iranian coast, swarms of explosive speedboats, kamikaze drones and possible mines hidden in the strait. To completely eliminate these threats, some analysts they even propose something Washington would prefer to avoid: a ground operation to control the Iranian coast that dominates the sea passage. This scenario explains why military planners speak of a “very complicated” situation: reopening the strait does not depend only on naval superiority, but on neutralizing an entire ecosystem of asymmetric warfare. Iranian missile boat moments before being attacked The cheapest weapon to paralyze commerce. And among all the threats, one stands out for its effectiveness: naval mines. We are talking about simple, cheap and extremely disruptive weapons that can transform a maritime corridor in a death trap. Even a few mines in a narrow spot are enough to paralyze traffic, because shipping companies and their insurers simply refuse to take the risk. Iran has several types of these devices, from floating mines to models anchored to the seabed capable of detonating charges of more than one hundred kilos of explosives upon contact. Not only that. You can also display them in ways difficult to detect: from small boats camouflaged as fishing boats or by divers who attach them to the hull of the ships. History, in fact, has already demonstrated his powerbecause mines have damaged more American ships than any other weapon naval since World War II. Hence its true effect is not to sink ships, but to sow enough fear to block traffic. Map with the strategic location of the Strait of Hormuz The invisible lock. The paradox of this type of war is that it is not necessary to mine the entire strait to close it. In reality, it is enough the simple suspicion. The reason is simple: in such a narrow channel, the presence of a few mines requires inspection every meter of water with sonar, underwater drones and specialized ships. A slow and dangerous process, especially if the enemy continues to lay new mines or attack demining units. Plus: recent experience in the black sea has shown that even uncertainty about their presence can keep commercial ships away for months. And in the Persian Gulf the same thing happens: Thousands of ships wait for instructions while the risk of mines, missiles or drones turns each voyage into a gamble. Oil as a geopolitical hostage. There is no doubt, all this gives Iran a strategic power of large dimensions. Before the conflict, about a fifth of the world’s oil passed through Hormuz daily. With this altered flow, energy prices react immediately and governments release strategic reserves to contain the impact. The strait thus becomes a colossal geopolitical lever: Even if the war were to end soon, something that is currently a utopia, an Iranian regime still capable of launching drones, missiles or mines could keep threatening maritime traffic when it suits you. That means oil and gas can stay hostage of Gulf stability for a long time, something that worries both the markets and Washington’s regional allies. There is no easy way out. Under this scenario, the dilemma For the United States it is evident. Stopping the war too soon could leave intact Iran’s ability to blockade the strait and put pressure on global energy markets. Continuing it could require a major climbincluding land operations or prolonged naval campaigns to ensure the security of the sea passage. Meanwhile, the conflict has already demonstrated something truly disturbing: even in the face of a military power like the United States, Iran retains enough tools to disrupt the global energy system. That is why the real alarm signal is not only the closure of Hormuz, but the realization that opening it may be much more difficult (and expensive) than many thought at the beginning of the war. Image | US NAVY, Oils & Fats international In Xataka | China has just found a hole in the US’s quietest weapon: an algorithm has hacked its B-2s in Iran In Xataka | The great paradox of war: the … Read more

Neptune’s closest neighbor is Mercury

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There is information that we have stored in our heads since we learned it, such as prepositions or the planets that make up the Solar System. And that has its handicaps: having to enumerate the list to get to what interests you or if you are already a few years old, finishing the string of planets with Pluto. Old spoiler: Pluto was demoted in 2006, despite the fact that there are scientists who they question the definition of a planet and therefore, its appearance or not on that list. What is the closest planet to Earth? Faced with that question and with the temptation to recite the burned-in list, many people will probably say Venus and just as many will say Mars. Reality has its substance and although the situation changes frequently, it is generally considered that the correct answer is Venus. In fact, taking a look at the distances between each pair of planets We would reach that same conclusion. Well, yes, but no. Mercury is the winning horse. To NASA It refers to Venus as “our closest planetary neighbor” and although this is true if we stick to which planet is closest to Earth, it is not true if we are interested in knowing which planet is closest on average. Here things change and have a new winner: Mercury. Mercury is the innermost planet in the solar system, but on average it spends more time near Earth than Venus. What’s more, Mercury is on average the closest planet to all the other planets in the Solar System. How is the proximity between planets considered?. The usual method is limited to subtracting the mean radius of the inner orbit from that of the outer orbit. Thus, the average distance between Earth (1 AU) and Venus (0.72 AU) would be 0.28 AU. When they are furthest away, Venus is 1.72 AU from Earth. Although it is intuitive to consider the average distance between each point of two concentric ellipses as the difference of their radii, in reality that difference only determines the average distance of the closest points of the ellipses. A more precise mathematical method that considers time. The average of both scenarios above improves the calculation, but is still imprecise, they explain scientists Tom Stockman, Gabriel Monroe and Samuel Cordner. So the American Institute of Physics devised a more precise mathematical method that averages the distance over time of the planets and in this scenario everything changes and not only for the Earth, but also for all the planets. The method in question is called point-circle (PCM) and models orbits as concentric and coplanar circles. Since the planets spend the same time at each point in their orbit, the average distance can be calculated by integrating all possible positions. Using this method, Venus is an average of 1.14 AU from Earth and Mercury is only 1.04 AU. As they explain: “We observe that the distance between two orbiting bodies is minimum when the inner orbit is the smallest. That observation gives rise to what we call the whirly-dirly corollary (a reference to an episode of the series Rick and Morty): for two bodies with approximately coplanar, concentric and circular orbits, the average distance between them decreases as the radius of the inner orbit decreases.” The checks. This research team ran a simulation that calculated the position of the eight planets over 10,000 years and recorded their distance. The results differed by 300% compared to the traditional method, but less than 1% compared to the point-circle method. Mercury is the closest to all. This discovery not only affects Earth. In fact, it can be generalized to any pair of bodies with approximately circular, concentric and coplanar orbits. With this method, the average distance between two bodies depends on the radius of the inner orbit and the smaller the inner orbit, the smaller the average distance. In short: Mercury is the closest planet to Earth, but also to Neptune and even the degraded Pluto. This finding, beyond changing the paradigm of how to consider distances between planets, may also be useful for estimating communications with satellites. In Xataka | Poland and Spain are the European countries that have increased their contribution to space the most. For very different reasons In Xataka | A planet has just disappeared: NASA’s Hubble telescope has captured a violent cosmic event that changes everything Cover | NASA Hubble Space Telescope

We already know when the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will be closest to Earth and so you can try to see it

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One of the great protagonists that we have in the sky right now is the comet 3I/ATLAS that has received attention both from science and from fans of everything that surrounds us beyond the atmosphere. And what makes this comet be very interesting It is precisely its origin that does not belong to our environment and also that after its passage it will never return. This makes seeing it from Earth be something unique and that no one will ever be able to repeat again. Getting closer. Right now we are on the verge of its peak moment with us: its closest approach to Earth will occur next week, and this makes many people want to have an idea of ​​how to witness its passage. The appointment will be next December 19. An impossible trajectory. To understand what we are seeing, we have to look back a couple of months. Orbital calculations placed this comet at its closest point to the Sun at the end of last October, passing slightly inside the orbit of Mars. And this was where we had the first big meeting. On October 2, the HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) managed to photograph to the comet from a distance of about 30 million kilometers. It is not common for us to have “eyes” on another planet watching for comets, but the geometry was perfect to capture and visualize it. And all these images have been fundamental to know exactly how and when it will reach our environment. How and when. The date to mark on the calendar is December 19, 2025. A Friday that will be historic since it will be the moment in which 3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth, being at a distance of 270 million kilometers. Something that removes any type of risk of impacting the planet. The eyes are useless. Looking up and seeing the comet will not be possible, but you will need to be minimally equipped since it does not have colored tails or anything similar. That is why you will need to have a medium or large caliber telescope that is capable of capturing a lot of light. All this accompanied by dark skies, since light pollution in cities makes its detection impossible due to its low brightness. In addition, it is important to have tools such as mobile applications that can guide us where to aim in order to know where we will see it. Although it is also important to have the NASA information about its location. The best sites. In the northern hemisphere, which is where we are, the comet will be visible before dawn. But to do this it will be necessary to also find the best places with dark skies and no light pollution. Traditionally in Spain we can have different characteristic sites such as the Teide observatory or mountain ranges that are very high like in the Pyrenees to be in optimal conditions to see it. Likewise, online monitoring through large observation centers can also be an option in the event of not having the appropriate equipment or location. Images | THAT In Xataka | It went from a supposed alien ship to definitely a comet. Now 3I/ATLAS surprises again with another possibility

Less than 150 kilometers from Taiwan, the US does not stop accumulating missiles. It’s the closest thing to preparing for war.

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For some time now, the Taiwan position in it strategic balance global has become one of the main axes on which power competition is articulated between the United States and China. The island not only represents a point political identity for Beijing or a symbol of democratic commitment for Washington, but also a decisive geographical node in the military architecture of the Pacific. and then there is a narrow between both. The distances. Maritime access to the island, the air routes that surround it and the narrow strip of water that separates it from the Philippines and Japan define a good part of the board in which it is decided how far project Chinese strength and to what extent it can be contained from the outside. Thus, the crisis that is emerging is not made solely of declarations or doctrines: It is made up of specific islands, narrow maritime corridors, and political decisions made in small communities that suddenly become geopolitical borders. The war strait. It counted on a extensive Reuters report that the chain of continuous military exercises and the missile deployment anti-shipping in the northernmost islands of the Philippines reveal a US strategy that assumes that control of the Western Pacific straits is decisive in preventing the Chinese navy from operating freely in the open sea. And at that point, the province of Batanesuntil a few years ago a quiet territory dedicated to fishing and subsistence agriculture, has become a point of critical importance, due to its position in the extreme south from Bashi Channelthe narrow sea lane that connects the South China Sea to the western Pacific. Bashi is located between Mavulis Island and Orchid Island The arrival of an arsenal. The establishment of a rotating military presencebut practically permanent, with deployments of mobile missile systems capable of blocking the passage of surface ships, has transformed this territory into an essential component of the so-called First Island Chainthe containment line that the United States, Japan and the Philippines intend to maintain to limit China’s ability to influence beyond its coastal waters. Local populations, aware of the historical precedent from 1941live in fear of seeing how their daily lives can be suddenly interrupted by the logic of deterrence or escalation. Liaoning exercises in the Pacific The uncertainty of the Philippines. The Manila government operates in the paradox of a country that does not want to be dragged into a war, but that recognizes that geography makes inevitable any implications in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has unambiguously reopened military cooperation with the United States, granting expanded access to bases in Luzon and reinforcing the number and duration of joint exercises. Given the possibility of an attack or a blockade on Taiwanthe Philippines is preparing not only for defense operations, but for the forced return of tens of thousands of Filipino workers from the island. The prospect of a sudden influx of refugees, disruptions to supply routes and the need to operate under conditions of scarcity have led provincial authorities to raise contingency plans agricultural and logistical processes that return daily life to a state of cautious alert. China and reunification. For Beijing, the Taiwan question is presented as an internal matter which does not allow external negotiation. The Chinese leadership maintains that reunification is a historic address that sooner or later it will come to fruition, and that any foreign intervention constitutes an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty. Hence, the US military presence in the Philippines, the deployment of missiles and the intensification of exercises are interpreted by China not as defensive measures, but as deliberate attempts to restrict their margin of action and condition their ability to respond. The increase in Chinese naval operations through from Bashi Channelthe presence of aircraft carrier groups in the western Pacific and low-intensity pressure tactics against Philippine patrols are part of a carefully calibrated game of signals. Washington’s ambiguity. This week, Donald Trump has reiterated that Xi Jinping knows the consequences of an attack on Taiwan, while refusing to specify whether the United States would intervene militarily. This gesture of opacity, faithful to the doctrine of strategic ambiguity, seeks to simultaneously maintain deterrence against Beijing and the control over decisions of Taipei, preventing the island from declaring formal independence that could accelerate the clash. The difference with respect to the previous government’s approach is one of tone rather than substance: if Biden tended to explicitly verbalize the defense of Taiwan, Trump shifts the emphasis toward risk perception by Chinese leaders. Ambiguity not only preserves diplomatic margin; It also avoids automatically locking the United States into open war if an unexpected escalation occurs. Key islands. As it is, preparation for a possible conflict over Taiwan is not happening in abstract power centers, but in island territories where daily life depends on supply ships and where every Pacific wind brings with it the memory of past conflicts. The expansion of presence US military in the Philippines, Chinese pressure to break the limits imposed by the island chain, and Washington’s calculated ambiguity form an unstable balance that is already changing life in those communities. The future of the region will not be decided only in great summits diplomatic, but in the capacity of a few narrow territories to become a barrier, access or trigger for a greater change in the global order. Image | PiCryl, BORN, rhk111, Army Map Service In Xataka | China has asked Russia for an airborne battalion and training. That can only mean one thing: they are preparing a landing In Xataka | The US studied what would happen if it went to war with China: now it has begun a desperate race to duplicate missiles

Ukraine has updated the nation’s bloodiest game. Eliminating Russians is now the closest thing to “ordering an Uber”

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In the month of May, a unprecedented merger between military technology and video game logic. Ukraine had launched a reward system which awarded its soldiers points for killing Russian troops or destroying their vehicles, as long as these acts were verified by drone video recordings. That system, a kind from “Amazon military”has been updated with drones as protagonists. A real shooter. The now called “Army of Drones Bonus System” that has emerged in Ukraine presents itself on the surface as a incentive platform which includes the aesthetics and mechanics of video games (scores, ‘leaderboards’, online stores and rewards) but at its core is an operational transformation: an institutionalized scheme that quantifies casualties, observation successes and logistical achievements to translate them into real resources (drones, autonomous vehicles, electronic warfare systems) through the internal store call Brave1. Born a little over a year ago and accelerated in recent months until passing from 95 to 400 units participants, the system already exhibits strong effects on combat (according to official figures, 18,000 Russian casualties attributable to actions linked to the system in a single month) and has expanded its radius of action beyond the air attack to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics missions, incorporating into military practice notions of competition, internal market and performance metrics that were previously foreign to the art of war. Mechanics and logic. The program architecture works with clear and convertible rules– Each credited action (from eliminating an enemy combatant to capturing a prisoner to destroying a drone operator) awards points that can be exchanged for materiel in Brave1which creates a feedback loop where operational success is transformed into material capacity to continue fighting. The update of the score table (for example, doubling points for killing infantry or setting 120 points for capturing a prisoner) reveals the system’s ability to reorient incentives based on strategic priorities and political needs, and at the same time evidences a commodification of efficiency: life and death pass through a technical-economic threshold that converts lethal decisions into a cost-benefit function. This internal economy alters the microdecision of the combatant and resituates logistics and acquisition within the tactical space itself, with the Brave1 store acting as a war market that prioritizes allocation by competitive merit. Screenshot of the rewards system Automation and AI. The system is not limited to accounting, integrate tools technologies that change the very nature of target selection and engagement. Drones partially controlled by algorithms that suggest targets and correct the terminal phase of the trajectory represent a step towards lethal automation, while practices such as “Uber targeting” They demonstrate how consumerist and geospatial interfaces have been converted for war uses. Thus, marking a point on a map and triggering a remote impact is the operational translation of the everyday gesture. to request a transport. The video proof requirement To obtain points, it also generates a vast operational database that feeds institutional learning: what objectives were achieved, with what platform, from what distance and how the enemy defense behaved. That visual and metric file facilitates dissemination of techniques between units and accelerates innovation from below, with real effects on tactics and doctrine. Psychological effects. The Guardian said that, beyond the material and the technical, the system produces a kind of emotional breakdown: Senior officials recognize that the process of assigning a numerical value to human life has ended up turning violence into technical, “practical” and “emotionless” work. At the same time, gamification produces camaraderie effects and competition that, according to the commanders, are healthy and encourages discipline and learning between peers. However, this same dynamic can generate operational biases (prioritizing high-scoring objectives over tactically relevant objectives, or the temptation of operations with low effectiveness but high cumulative performance) that distort strategic coherence. Implications and extension. The Ukrainian experience shows that incentive principles can be transferred to other areas: artillery that receives points for valid hits, reconnaissance that earns rewards for identifying targets, and logistics that scores the use of autonomous vehicles instead of human convoys. This extension transforms the war ecosystem into a set of internal markets where tactical-technological innovation is quickly monetized and scaled, forcing planners a double urgency: exploit the immediate advantages of the system without losing strategic coherence and design ethical and operational countermeasures that prevent internal competition from fragmenting the priorities of the military effort. And ethics? It’s the big question. Ethically, the commodification of violence raises profound questions about responsibility, proportionality and war crimes: Who responds when a score induces an action that violates humanitarian law? The appropriation of AI for target selection also introduces the question of attribution of responsibility between human operators, algorithms and the chain of command. Strategically, converting equipment gain into the primary source of replenishment aims to create dependency loops that, in logistical wear and tear scenarios, discourage long-term wear and tear operations that are necessary in the short term for larger objectives. Score the violence. The “Army of Drones Bonus System” represents a mutation relevant to the way motivation, acquisition and innovation are organized in contemporary warfare: it incorporates market logicpoint economies and automation technologies that increase lethality and efficiency, while eroding moral frameworks and opening new vectors of risk. Its contribution is undeniable in terms of capacity and adaptation, but its expansion urgently claim a framework that does not yet exist at national or international level. In the background, a long doubt in this species Amazon military: that what is celebrated today as tactical innovation can tomorrow become a structural source of insecurity and lack of moral control on the battlefield. Image | Ministry of Defense Ukraine, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine In Xataka | An imperceptible hum is wreaking havoc in Ukraine. When it arrives there is no turning back: the Russians are already everywhere In Xataka | The Ukrainian army has been asked what it urgently needs. The answer was clear: no missiles or drones, just cars

Hidden for 43 years, this Mercedes-Benz 500 SL is the closest thing to a toy preserved in its packaging: it still smells new

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Who They collect toys and dolls They know that preserving a piece in its original case for decades is a precious achievement, a symbol of care and respect for the history of the object that also increases substantially its value. Now, imagine that same experience, but with a car. It is something much more difficult to achieve because, if only to give yourself the pleasure of drive it from time to timeand compensate the money that has been paid for it, it is easy and understandable for the vehicle owner to fall into temptation. However, that is precisely what SL Shop, a workshop specialized in repair and restoration of Mercedes-Benz and They tell it on their blog. The most surprising thing – and what makes this find so unusual – is that the owner’s intention was never to drive it, but rather to preserve it intact as it left the factory and without the slightest wear. If cars were sold in a blister pack like toys, this would be the equivalent. The dream piece for any collector It is common for a legendary car stored in a barn to appear from time to time. under decades of dust and rust. However, this Mercedes-Benz 500 SL R107 from 1982 has been discovered after 43 years carefully stored in a private garage in the United Kingdom, with just 68 kilometers on the odometer and in an absolutely pristine state of conservation. It has only traveled the 42 miles that were done on it at the factory and at the dealership before delivery. It is a true time capsule on wheels, which seems to have just rolled off the assembly line a few days ago. Sam Bailey, founder of The SL Shop, a classic Mercedes specialist who took delivery of the vehicle, said: “This 500 SL is the truest reflection of the original R107 plans.” In fact, as he himself acknowledges in a video they have uploaded to his YouTube channel, the car It even keeps the smell of new. “You could almost bottle it. It’s just heaven,” Bailey said. This example was purchased with all the original extras available on November 30, 1982 by a local watchmaker, who decided never to register this Mercedes-Benz 500 SL. In fact, even the delivery of the vehicle it was done in a truckso it didn’t even travel the distance between the dealership and the owner’s home. Since then, the 500 SL has been in storage under controlled temperature and humidity conditionsavoiding any deterioration. The Blue Green Metallic paint remains intact and rust-free, and the original dealer stickers are still attached, something very rare to find on collector cars. The car shows amazing conservation details: Waxoyl protective wax still covers the engine and exhaust, while the Michelin XWX tires remain. without having traveled even a kilometer. The interior preserves the leather, the original woods and even the authentic smell of the 80s. Among the factory options it has air conditioning, heated seats, ABS and metallic paint, valued in 1982 at more than 2,746 euros. The car has all its original elements and is in an impeccable state of conservation except for one detail. The Mercedes-Benz badge on the hood is not the original: it is a faithful reproduction that was made by the owner in solid silver. It was put up for sale: it will never be sold As Bailey tells it, he learned of the existence of this gem more than fifteen years ago, when during an exhibition, its owner approached them to tell them the story of his little automobile treasure. When Bailey asked if he would be willing to sell it, the owner responded with a firm no. But life takes many turns. In August 2025, Bailey received a call from the owner of the 500 SL offering it for sale. Knowing its history, the businessman has decided to buy it and He has promised to never sell it. To maintain the legacy of its first owner, the 500 SL will remain in an exhibition space open to the public and air-conditioned for conservation, where it will serve as a reference for future restorations. After all, there is no other car like this outside the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. That makes it a collector’s piece with incalculable value. The Mercedes-Benz 500 SL R107 was at the time the pinnacle of luxury and power German, with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that delivered 240 horsepower and a four-speed automatic transmission. Its design, technology and comfort rivaled sports cars from brands such as Ferrari and Maserati, but with an outstanding reputation. for its reliability. This model is recognized as a symbol of German engineering from the early 80s, capable of combining performance, elegance and durability, values ​​that are evident in this unique example, practically new after more than four decades hidden so that four decades later, whoever has the privilege of being able to sit inside, can smell the new smell of the first day. In Xataka | One of the largest collections of cars in the world has an unlikely origin: the shift system of fishmongers Image | SL Shop

Google has just announced the closest to the holographic science fiction: Project Beam

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Videollamar have been useful for years. A solution that works, although with obvious limitations. See and hear the other person is fine, but the Sensation of real closeness It is still far away. Google has been trying to solve that problem for some time, and now has decided to take a more determined step to get it. That step is called Beam. It is the new name of a technology that we already knew as Project Starline, an experimental proposal that sought to recreate the experience of a three -dimensional face -to -face conversation, and that we had the opportunity to try last year. Now, that idea evolves in the form of a platform. Beam was born as a communications system designed to integrate into real environments, supported by the infrastructure of Google Cloud and enhanced with advanced artificial intelligence models. A conversation with volume, not only with image. Google Beam’s key is in its volumetric video model. A IA -based system that transforms a 2D video signal into a realistic three -dimensional representation, visible from any angle. When combined with a type screen Light Fielda sense of depth is achieved that allows to maintain visual contact, interpret expressions and generate more natural communication. According to Google, this helps generate trust and understanding as if the conversation were face -to -face. The objective declared by the company is to create more significant connections between people, wherever they are. To achieve this, Beam relies on two fundamental pillars: the reliability and scalability of Google Cloud, and his experience accumulated in artificial intelligence (AI). Everything designed to integrate without friction in existing workflows. Real -time translation without giving up naturalness. Beam not only focuses on the image. It also wants to facilitate understanding. One of the most striking functions is real -time voice translation, now available today in Google Meet. It allows to maintain a fluid conversation between people who speak different languages, retaining the tone, cadence and expressions of each interlocutor. The result is a more natural conversation, where technology is perceived less and connection between people, more. For Google, this functionality is just the beginning. His long -term vision is clear: to ensure that anyone, anywhere in the world, can be seen and understood with total clarity. Beam arrives at work. At the moment, Beam points to the professional environment. Google has announced an agreement with HP to launch the first compatible devices, which will reach selected customers this year. It should be noted that it does not work with any configuration. These devices will have several cameras to capture the subject from different angles. In addition, the company is collaborating with companies such as Zoom, Diversified and AVI-SPL to integrate this technology into different corporate environments. Great organizations have already shown interest, including Deloitte, Salesforce, Citadel, Nec, Hackensack Meridian Health, Duolingo and Recruit. From Deloitte, for example, they emphasize that Beam is not only a technological advance, but a way of rethinking how we connect in the digital age. A clear promise. Be there without being. This is Beam’s central idea. It is not just a technical improvement, but an evolution in the way of communicating. Beam wants to talk to someone at a distance does not feel like a video call, but as a face -to -face conversation. Images | GOOLGE In Xataka | Google has put a price on the future of AI: $ 250 per month

The precedent closest to the great blackout of Spain was lived in 2003. And it also began in the interconnected network

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Few events show our electricity dependence as a mass blackout. And few blackouts have been as extensive as the one that has affected all of Spain today. But there is a precedent of similar characteristics that still remember in neighboring Italy: the great blackout of 2003. The day Italy was dark. On September 28, 2003, practically all the Italians (57 million people) were left without light. The ruling began in the Swiss Alps, demonstrating, as has happened today, the fragility of interconnected networks. It all started at 3:01 in the morning in a high voltage line that crosses the passage of Lukmanier, between Switzerland and Italy. A storm whipped the area. According to subsequent investigations, the branch of a tree hit the wiring, causing a short circuit and its automatic disconnection. It all started with a tree. The fall of a tree should not have been catastrophic. Electrical networks are designed with redundancies to avoid it. However, the demand for energy in Italy at that time was high, and the country depended significantly on the imports of electricity in Switzerland and France. The loss of the Lukmanier line increased the load on the other interconnections. In less than half an hour, a second crucial line, that of the Paso de San Bernardino, also failed. The exact reasons were subject to dispute (Switzerland said there were overloads not communicated by Italy, Italy blamed Swiss management), but the result was overwhelming: Italy lost suddenly a huge capacity to import energy and went out. The domino effect. At 3:27 am, the country remained dark. The almost simultaneous loss of these two great energy arteries had been too much for the Italian network. The frequency of the network began to fall dangerously below 50 Hz, and automatic protection systems, designed to avoid higher damage to generators and equipment, began acting in cascade. Electric centrals throughout Italy began to automatically disconnect from the network to protect themselves. This self -defense mechanism, however, aggravated the problem: the more centrals they disconnected, the greater the imbalance between the remaining little generation and demand, accelerating the collapse. In a matter of minutes, the Italian electricity grid was completely fragmented and collapsed. The blackout affected the entire Italian Peninsula, from the Alps to Sicily. The exception? The Island of Sardinia, which has an independent power grid and not connected to the continental system (as the Canary Islands here), as well as some small border areas that received a direct supply of neighboring countries. The biggest blackout in the history of Italy. The blackout surprised Italy in the early morning of Sunday. Although this mitigated the initial chaos compared to the blackout of Spain (fewer people in public transport, in factories, locked in elevators), the impact was deep and durable throughout the day. Thousands of passengers were also trapped in trains in the middle of nowhere. Hospitals and emergency services activated their diesel generators, but the situation tested their abilities. The meters of cities like Rome and Milan stopped working. The traffic lights went out, complicating traffic. Although many mobile phone antennas had batteries, overload affected communications in some areas. In Rome, the blackout coincided with the “Notte Bianca”, the annual night in which museums open, there are concerts and night activities. Everything was interrupted, plunging thousands of citizens in unexpected darkness. The lack of electricity lasted for hours. A delicate recovery. Restore the electricity supply after a total collapse (the now famous start From energy zero) It is not as simple as pressing a switch. Italy showed that it is a slow, complex and gradual process. Many of the large thermal plants needed external energy to start their own auxiliary systems. As the centrals generate energy again, they have to synchronize perfectly in frequency and voltage with the incipient network. An error can cause new disconnections. Demand must gradually reintroduce as the generation increases. Connect too fast load can overload the newly restored network and cause another collapse. It is a delicate dance between supply and demand. Between four and 18 hours. For these reasons, the recovery was unequal. The regions of northern Italy, closer to European interconnections and with greater capacity for their own generation, began to recover electricity in about 3-4 hours. However, the center and south, especially Sicily, took much more. Some areas remained without electricity for 18 hours or more. Finally, electricity was restored block to block, city to city, in a process that extended during almost all of Sunday. The Italian blackout of 2003 remains a case study on the complexity and fragility of our energy infrastructure. A reminder that small events like a fallen tree can turn off a whole country. Image | Victor Romero (Flickr, CC BY-C-SA 2.0) In Xataka | What is the “energy zero” and why the supply can go suddenly but it takes hours to recover

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