cost

Renfe already calculates how much it will cost to leave its workshops to Iryo

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Renfe will have to give up part of its workshops so that Iryo can carry out its heavy maintenance. It is the decision that the CNMC has imposed on the Spanish company and that it will have to comply with until, at the earliest, the National Court rules. But it will have its consequences. What has happened? When Ouigo and Iryo entered to compete in our country, Renfe already knew that it would have to give up part of its workshops so that both companies could carry out maintenance work. In exchange, both the French and Italian companies have to pay the company to be able to operate in their facilities. These maintenance tasks were “level 1”, the name used to define “light maintenance” operations. However, Renfe reported a few months ago that Ouigo was performing heavy maintenance workwhich is outside the agreement. And a few months ago it closed the door on Iryo, because the company planned to do the same. However, the CNMC has forced Renfe to open its doors to the Italian company. According to Competition, failure to do so puts Iryo’s business strategy at risk, which would give Renfe an unfair advantage. The company has filed an appeal against this decision but the National Court has concluded that it will study the case but that, as a precautionary measure, Renfe must open the door to its facilities. What does each one defend? From the Spanish company they assure that Iryo had a project to build its own workshops in our country and thus not having to take their trains to Italy. However, these workshops have not seen the light and Renfe believes that they should not pay the consequences of one of their rivals not complying with its roadmap. For its part, the CNMC assures that forcing Iryo to undergo maintenance in Italy would leave them with less rolling stock available for weeks and, therefore, at a disadvantage in the market. And keeping that rolling stock in operation is a bad decision because the deadlines are met and it would lead the company to have vehicles on Spanish roads that could be unsafe. Iryo’s parent company, Trenitalia, has already experienced this same thing. in France when they had to suspend their services for a month because SNCF prevented access to its workshops to carry out maintenance work. Consequences. Knowing the situation, Renfe has put on the table the consequences that opening its facilities to Iryo may have to carry out heavy maintenance work. And, without that space for their own work, the entry of the Italian company into their space forces them to reduce the number of jobs they can carry out on their own material. That is to say: they would have to reduce the number of trains that are currently in operation. According to the company, in words collected by elDiario.es“the immediate consequence would be fewer trains available each day and, therefore, the suppression of public services in the usual schedule. The lower capacity for heavy maintenance would also have a chain effect and could lead to a progressive paralysis of the fleet in a few weeks.” And in numbers? In total, the company believes that it would affect around thirty daily circulations distributed in different corridors depending on the trains used, which would be the affected by giving space to Ouigo and Iryo in the workshops. They assure that the Madrid-Barcelona (Serie 103), the most profitable corridor today, would have two fewer daily circulations per direction. In total, they would have to reduce 10% of the seats offered and they estimate the impact at 650,000 kilometers per year that would no longer be traveled, some 1,100 circulations eliminated and 450,000 fewer seats on offer. As for the Galician corridor, the trains to Huelva and the Basque Country (Series 120 and 121), together they would add a reduction of 1.5 million fewer kilometers per year, more than 3,300 circulations eliminated and some 800,000 fewer seats available. In total, each day it is estimated that there would be 16 trains inoperative on these lines. And in the Avant of Valladolid they calculate a suppression of six daily trains or the reduction of the double trains that are currently operational during rush hour. In total, Renfe estimates that there are 1.2 million of its own seats at stake. Of them, more than a million are part of what is known as Public Service Obligation (OSP) and they believe that it can impact with a decrease in income of up to 60 million euros. Aggrieved? The feeling of grievance is not new within the company and the Ministry of Transportation. In April 2024 they already made it clear that they considered that the rules were not fair because while Ouigo and Iryo only have to serve where they consider it beneficial to their interests, Renfe is obliged in going to brokers where economic viability is not guaranteed. Added to this is that the company feels doubly harmed. And Renfe has been trying to expand its business in France for some time but Many obstacles have been found in the neighboring country to reach Paris, the most economically juicy link in the neighboring country. And from the Ministry of Transportation they have repeated on several occasions that Ouigo is a company supported by the French State and that it would not be able to operate if it had to face its debts on its own. Diffuse. The problem, explained in Chain Being is that the Directive 2012/34/EU (RECAST) on the single railway space and the standard EN 15380-4:2021 They do not clearly specify what is considered light or heavy maintenance. In the first it is pointed out that heavy maintenance is all those tasks that are not routine and in the second it is defined as the works in which the train has to be dismantled. However, these definitions do not seem to be sufficient for competitors as they have different perspectives of what is and is … Read more

The low cost companies of the United States are already suffering from the new oil crisis

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2.5 billion dollars. That is the figure that low-cost airlines demand from the United States Government in order to continue operating in the country. The rise in fuel prices has reached such a point that a handful of companies are beginning to see the wolf’s ears. And that wolf is called: bankruptcy. 2.5 billion dollars. The Association of Value Airlines, made up of Allegiant Air, Avelo Air, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Sun Country (all low-cost airlines operating in the United States), have asked the United States Government to create a liquidity fund of $2.5 billion to pay for the fuel they need to offer their services. At the meeting, they assure from Reutersairline executives, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Head of the Federal Aviation Administration Bryan Bedford met. 111 dollars. It is the average ticket price offered by the low-cost airlines that attended the meeting. A figure that, they say, is impossible to maintain if the price of fuel continues to increase. And, according to his calculations, those 2.5 billion dollars It will be the increase in prices at the end of the year that they will have to assume if the market continues to be as volatile as it has been until now. According to their calculations, the rise in the price of oil has been such that it is forcing them to pay for fuel at twice the price they normally did. This puts their operations at risk to the point that, they say, the profit margin is so narrow that it puts the viability of the companies at risk. Ravine. Neither the White House nor federal aviation officials responded to questions from Reuters but by then it was already known that talks had been initiated to provide $500 million to Spirit Airlines. The airline, however, ended up bankrupt this weekend. The company, they explain in BBChad operated in the country for more than 30 years but since the hardest years of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was going through severe financial difficulties. The rise in fuel prices has been the last straw that has ended up leaving passengers on the ground. The Secretary of Transportation of the United States, Sean Duffy, has assured that the company already had serious problems before the country launched its first attacks against Iran. Now, 17,000 workers have lost their jobs overnight. It’s not the only one. Although the Spirit case has been the most striking (its business became such that in 2014 Morgan Stanley pointed it out as the airline with the greatest potential for its investors). but he withdrew his support in 2023), this airline has not been the only one in which bankruptcy due to the enormous cost of fuel has weighed on the heads of hundreds or thousands of workers. Latvia has had to rescue Air Baltic with a loan of 30 million euros and airlines such as Lufthansa or SAS have had to cancel thousands of flights to try to contain the hemorrhage. In the case of Lufthansathe company has focused on short-haul flights where profit margins are narrower, canceling more than 20,000 of them before the end of the year. For its part, SAS canceled more than 1,000 flights only last April. A warning (with buts). Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, has also not missed the opportunity to attack his rivals. In The Spanish They report that O’Leary predicts the bankruptcy of two or three European companies before the end of the year if the oil crisis continues. For the manager, WizzAir and Air Baltic would be the main candidates. However, some analysts have pointed out that they consider that the risk of reaching this point is lower among European companies. They point out that in the United States the strength of long-haul airlines is still very high and that, unlike in Europe, low-cost airlines have much less business. What they do not rule out, of course, is that flights will continue to be canceled en masse. less margin. The airline problem low cost It is similar to that of the gas stations serving cheap fuel. In both cases, very narrow profit margins are played in exchange for adding a large number of operations. However, the increase in the cost of fuel kills its business because it places its rates at the prices of its rivals. premium. In the case of airlines, as in the case of gas stations low costhave the added problem that fuel stock is usually small. Furthermore, in the case of aviation, variations in its price tend to be more damaging because its refinement and storage is so expensive and complicated that stocks are usually very small. Photo | Forsaken Films In Xataka | Ryanair asks to suspend the new EU border control system: many are missing flights due to the queues it generates

cost savings are becoming very expensive for big tech

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Large technology companies have been in a dynamic for months that is difficult to understand if the current technological context is not taken into account. Companies that, according to your tax results of the first quarter of 2026, record historic profits close to 80%they are cutting jobs at the same time. What is happening in their workforce has nothing to do with a financial crisis, but rather responds to a strategic decision regarding AI. According to the records from the portal Layoffs.fyiSo far in 2026, more than 92,000 employees in the technology sector they have lost their job throughout the world due to layoff rounds that the main technology companies have launched. The main argument for these layoffs is AIbut not because this technology is going to do the work that programmers used to do, but rather it responds to a restructuring of companies to lighten their workforce and focus only on developing AI. The measure is not coming cheap. The big bet of AI that must be paid. By chance (and the proximity to the presentation of their first quarter results) Microsoft and Meta announced, on the same day, layoffs that will affect more than 16,000 employees between the two. Meta will lay off 8,000 workers, 10% of its global workforce, and will leave another 6,000 vacancies unfilled. The goal of both companies is to improve efficiency and offset investment in artificial intelligence. Microsoft will face investments close to 145 billion dollars only in this fiscal year, thus adding to investments in AI what are they doing each and every one of the big technology companies. Maintaining that bet without margins suffering forces cuts, and personnel is the expense that investors like it less. Altogether, investments worth 700,000 million will be accumulated among all large technology companies during 2026. These estimates also include compensation expenses that are associated with these personnel cuts. Oracle, for example, reserved 2.1 billion dollars only for this game in your round of 30,000 layoffs. Microsoft launches a different formula: voluntary dismissal. Instead of announcing collective layoffs, Microsoft has chosen a path that the company had never used in its 51-year history: making voluntary exit offers to encourage its employees to leave by their own decision. Google already applied this formula of voluntary dismissals in its 2025 personnel cuts, not without the risk of losing its best employees by opening the exit door for them. This initiative is aimed at employees with a very specific profile who, in theory, would be more complicated to relocate to a new internal position within the framework of this workforce restructuring. In total, this offer has been made to 7% of its workforce in the US, more than 8,500 people. Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s chief people officer, announced the move in an internal memo. In that statement to which had access CNBCColeman wrote: “Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the option to take that next step on their own terms, with the company’s generous support.” Why an incentive instead of a layoff. Both voluntary departure and conventional dismissal have the same outcome: the workforce is reduced. However, as as highlighted to Fortune Domenique Camacho Moran, lawyer and partner at the Farrell Fritz law firm, specialized in labor law for Fortune 500 companies, traditional layoffs are legally more complex because they require evaluating the performance of each worker and argue his dismissal to avoid legal risks. “The voluntary exit option gives the employer the ability to say that it’s not that we don’t think you’re doing a good job, but that if you’re thinking it’s time to move on, I’m going to encourage you to do so because we need to downsize.” Incidentally, since it is an initiative of the employee, the company does not have to look for arguments for dismissal, which simplifies the process and avoids future legal claims. A risky bet for talent. However, as we already mentioned, the voluntary dismissal formula is risky since it leaves the decision in the hands of the employee. possibility of resigning. In a context of shortage of specialized talent (especially in AI), companies run the risk that their best swords will accept the incentive, paying a double cost for it. Last year, Google offered voluntary departures across several teams, including its search and advertising division. Vice President Nick Fox was blunt in his memo: “I want to be very clear: If you are excited about your job, energized by the opportunity ahead of you, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don’t take it.” as collected CNBC. In Xataka | While technology companies dispense with juniors to replace them with AI, IBM is doing the opposite: catching bargains Image | Unsplash (Compagnons, Sam Torres)

With the new increase, the Netflix plan with ads already costs more than what it cost to watch the platform without advertising two years ago

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Netflix has just confirmed a new price increase in Spain. When the platform presented the plan with ads in 2022, it did so as the economic option for those who did not want to pay the full rate. Four years later, as Antonio Ortiz emphasized in Xthat plan with advertising costs more than the old basic plan cost without any type of advertising, which was eliminated in 2023. The new prices. The increase affects the three rates available in Spain. This is how they look: Standard Plan with ads: It goes from 6.99 to 8.99 euros per month, an increase of two euros or close to 29%. Standard Plan without ads: It goes up from 13.99 to 14.99 euros. Premium Plan: Access to four simultaneous screens, 4K resolution and without ads, scale from 19.99 to 21.99 euros, surpassing the barrier of 20 euros per month for the first time. This is the second price increase in less than two years, since in October 2024 the company increased its rates in Spain. The new prices are now active for new users and will apply to current users in the next billing cycle. Ten years reviewing upwards. Netflix arrived in Spain in October 2015. Since then, the evolution of its rates describes a trajectory without exceptions. In 2017 the Standard plan increased by one euro and the Premium plan by two. The same pattern was repeated in 2019 and 2021. In 2022 it introduced the plan with ads at 5.49 euros, and in 2023 it eliminated the basic plan of 7.99 euros to push towards that advertising option. Already in 2021 we were talking about how the Premium plan had risen 50% in four years. It has not stopped doing so: currently it costs 21.99 euros, in 2017 11.99. Almost double in nine years. The paradox of the cheap rate. As we say, when the plan with advertisements arrived in Spain it did so 5.49 euros per month. Subsequently It went to 6.99 euros and now stands at 8.99 euros, which represents a joint increase of around 64% since its launch. That is, Netflix’s cheapest option has gone above what the old Basic plan without ads cost, which remained at 7.99 euros until its final elimination. In other words: whoever today wants to pay as little as possible on Netflix accepts advertising and pays more than what those who had a completely ad-free subscription paid two years ago. Because. The company often justifies these revisions as necessary to sustain investment in content. Netflix plans to allocate about $20 billion to this aspect in 2026, 10% more than in 2025. But there is a very clear reason for these increases to arrive at a fixed and almost biannual cadence: Netflix has more than 325 million global subscribers and previous increases have not caused significant falls in its user base. Put into practice: the plan with ads accumulates more than 190 million monthly active users and represents 55% of new registrations in markets with enabled advertisingaccording to the company’s own data. It is the segment that has grown the most, and also the one that suffers the greatest percentage increase in this last round. The end of the climbs? At the beginning of this month, a court ruling in Italy It could mark a before and after in the relationship between the platform and the continent’s regulators. A court in Rome ruled that price increases applied by Netflix in Italy between 2017 and 2024 are illegal under the national consumer code, which requires specific and advance justification of any price change. Premium subscribers active since 2017 could receive refunds of up to 500 euros and those on the Standard plan, around 250. Netflix has 90 days to notify all those affected through its website and national media, under penalty of 700 euros per day for delay. The judges’ decision is a good blow for the finances of Netflix, which is going to appeal the ruling, and which could affect the platform’s more than 5.4 million subscribers in Italy. The potential bill for the platform could exceed 2 billion euros. The door to similar litigation in other European countries remains open, although the transposition of European Directive 93/13/EEC on which the Italian court’s decision is based varies between legislations. In Spain, for now, it can be applied but a comparable judicial resolution has not yet been reached, although FACUA has filed a complaint before the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which could also end the platform in court. In Xataka | 29 years later, Netflix has become the television it promised to replace. That’s why Wall Street has punished her

The price of diesel is beginning to fall, but it is still far from what it cost before the war: what can we expect now

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Last Wednesday, April 8, the announcement of a temporary ceasefire two weeks between the United States and Iran, conditional on the partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, triggered an immediate reaction in energy markets. The barrel of Brent oil accumulated a weekly drop of 13.77%the highest in nine months, placing the price more than 15 dollars below the level at which it was trading just a week before, when it was still above 110 dollars. That shock has arrived, with a dropper of course, to Spanish gas stations. What you see at the pump right now. On Friday, April 10, the average price of diesel in Spain was around 1.87 euros per liter, with a drop of 1.67% in the next 24 hours compared to the previous day. A still timid drop if one takes into account that diesel was quoted at an average of 1,881 euros per liter during the week of March 27, the highest price since it came into force. the fuel tax reduction approved by the Government. And filling a 55-liter tank of diesel cost about 103 euros, according to data of that same period. Why oil has fallen. The key is in the Strait of Hormuz. Around 20% of the world’s oil passes through it, and its blockade since the beginning of the war had skyrocketed crude oil prices to almost $146 per barrel at the worst times. When talks between the US and Iran were announced for the start of a truce, the price plummeted from $110 to $94 in a matter of hours. Why does it take so long to be noticed at the gas station? Here comes into play what we have been explaining these days in our coverage: the rocket and feather effect. When oil rises, the price of fuel at the pump reacts almost immediately; when it goes down, the correction arrives weeks late. Distribution companies quickly transfer crude oil increases because they anticipate that replenishing fuel will cost them more. But when the price drops, they claim to have stock previously purchased at higher prices, thus delaying the drop. According to Bloomberg Linein Spain the movements in the price of gasoline have been minimal, even upward at times, with variations of less than 1% despite the sharp decline in crude oil. How long do you have to wait? The deadlines vary depending on the source, but there is consensus that the drop will not be immediate. Just like they count From Autopista, the most favorable purchase prices take between 14 and 28 days to reach gas stations significantly, and after four weeks. But of course, all this in case nothing else happens that affects the price, something that we unfortunately do not know about. The tax reduction what we have in Spain. The Government approved fiscal relief measures that have acted as an extra cushion. The first vice president and Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, wait that the fall in oil prices “will also end up resulting in a drop in fuel prices”, after the reactivation of maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the European Commission has warned Spain that the reduction in VAT on fuel from 21% to 10% has failed to comply with Community regulations, which adds uncertainty as to whether this aid can be maintained. What can happen from now on. The most favorable scenario, and also the most fragile, depends entirely on the ceasefire holding. Matt Smith, of business analytics firm Kpler, warns that “there will be a lot of reluctance and caution when passing through the strait because it seems that Iran will still be patrolling it,” which will delay the normalization of maritime traffic and, with it, the sustained drop in crude oil. As if that were not enough, oil production in the region fell more in March than in the worst times of the pandemic, and recovering that productive capacity will take time. The American EIA (Energy Information Administration) foresees that the price of crude oil could begin to moderate in the second half of 2026, as long as the international situation stabilizes. But there is no guarantee. What we must not lose sight of. Although the current trend points to a downward correction, current prices are still much higher than before the conflict. The price of fuel in Spain had been relatively stable at the beginning of 2026, with gasoline at around 1.45-1.50 euros per liter, before the escalation of the war changed everything abruptly in March. Returning to those levels is not something that will happen overnight, so for now it seems that we will have to stay alert to learn more information about the situation. Cover image | Roberto Rodríguez and engin akyurt In Xataka | With oil skyrocketing, Japan has resurrected an old idea to extract infinite energy from the ocean

There is a company that remains committed to saving the manual gearbox no matter what the cost: BMW

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The manual gearbox has been around for years on the tightrope within the motor world. More and more brands are abandoning it, emissions regulations are stifling it and suppliers are not exactly in favor of manufacturing it in smaller quantities. However, BMW’s M division has not yet signed his death certificate. What BMW said. Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President Customers, Brand and Sales at BMW M, confirmed in an interview with the German media Automobilwoche that the division’s engineers continue to actively work to find a solution that allows the clutch pedal to be maintained in its future models. Neubauer did not go into technical details, but according to the publication, the executive “promises a solution.” The technical problem. The obstacle is not so much power as torque. BMW M’s inline six-cylinder engines generate torque figures that current manual gearboxes cannot absorb without mechanical compromise. A clear example: the BMW M2 CS arrived without a manual gearbox option precisely because the transmission was not capable of managing the engine torque. The same S58 that produces 553 HP in the 3.0 CSL has torque limited to 550 Nm with manual, while in other configurations it can deliver an extra 100 Nm. And developing a completely new and more robust manual transmission for use in only a handful of models is, according to the head of BMW MFrank van Meel, “something that does not add up economically.” The possible solution: decelerated engines. What the engineers would be exploring is artificially limit torque output in engines that are paired with a manual transmission. It is not a new concept, it is already happening currently with the M2, whose automatic version has 50 Nm more torque than the lever variant. The question is whether buyers will be willing to accept that compromise in upcoming models. What models are left with a manual. After the Z4 M40i goes out of production this month, BMW M is left with only three cars equipped with a stick shift: the M2, M3 and M4. The current M3 is close to the end of its life cycle, with a replacement expected in 2028. What we do not know is if its new generation will arrive with a manual gearshift. From BMW Blog they are not very clear. The M2 and M4, however, still have plenty of power for a while. Why is it so difficult to save he manual. It is a constant pressure that comes from several fronts. Emission regulations in Europe they tighten more and more (in 2030, manufacturers must reduce fleet emissions by 55% compared to 2021) and automatic vehicles consume less in the approved cycle. Driving assistance systems are designed almost exclusively to work with automatic transmissions. And the transmission providers themselves They prefer to work with large volumesnot with short runs of manuals for niche enthusiasts. What this means. BMW M isn’t closing the door, but it isn’t opening any wide either. The brand is betting on saving time (and not disappointing its most purist customer base) while solving an engineering problem that is very economical. If the solution is to decelerate the engines with manual transmission, that could generate debate among those who expect maximum performance in each configuration. But for those who value the driving experience over the information on paper, it may be enough. In Xataka | China has been boasting about its driverless robotaxis for years. Until more than 100 have stood at once in Wuhan

A comedian has explained what the song from ‘The Lion King’ means in Zulu. It was fake and could cost you 27 million

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A Zimbabwean comedian went viral last month after claiming on a podcast that the Zulu phrase that opens the legendary theme song of ‘The Lion King’, ‘Circle of Life’ meant, simply and plainly, “Look, there’s a lion.” However, it was a joke: a false translation. Now the original composer, the South African Lebo M, is demanding $27 million from him in a federal court in Los Angeles. Aaaaa stork. Since 1994, millions of people have hummed “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba” without having the slightest idea of ​​its meaning. The phrase opens ‘Circle of Life’, the song with which ‘The Lion King’and is written in isiZulu and isiXhosa, two of the twelve official languages ​​of South Africa. The official translation used by Disney says: “Everyone hails the king, we bow before his presence.” It’s a Praise Imbongia form of oral royal praise poetry rooted in South African cultural tradition. Author, author. The song composed and performed by Lebohang Morakeknown artistically as Lebo M. Morake lived in exile in Los Angeles during apartheid. Hans Zimmer asked him to contribute his voice and his knowledge of African music to ‘The Lion King’ and the result was that initial scream that, as dawn broke on the savanna and the Disney logo rose, made the hairs on the back of the viewers of the time stand on end. The song was nominated for an Oscar for best original song and a Grammy, although it lost both to another piece from the same film, ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’. The false translation. In February, Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, known as Learnmore Jonasi, appeared on the ‘One54’ podcast. The presenters began to sing the phrase from memory, like every neighbor’s son does. Jonasi stopped them: “That’s not how you sing, don’t destroy our language.” He then offered his translation: “Look, there’s a lion! Oh my God!” When one of the incredulous drivers asked him if he was serious, Jonasi insisted: “That’s exactly what it means.” The clip went viral in a matter of days. The song that seemed like an epic proclamation was actually just pointing to an animal. The demand de Morake acknowledges that “ingonyama” can be literally translated as “lion” in Zulu, but argues that in the context of the Praise Imbongi The word functions as a metaphor for royalty and ancestral authority. Jonasi’s translation would be, in the words of Morake’s lawyers, “a manufactured and trivializing distortion, intended as a crude joke for personal gain.” According to the same legal document, Jonasi has been making this joke in his repertoire for eight years. Who is Jonasi? The comedian, born in Zimbabwe and based in Pittsburgh, rose to fame in 2024 when he placed fifth in that year’s edition of ‘America’s Got Talent’. His comedy usually revolves around the contrasts between his life in Africa and American culture, and part of his regular repertoire includes criticism of the representation of Africa in Hollywood, such as the lions in ‘The Lion King’ having American accents or the baboon Rafiki speaking English with a South African accent. The joke was, in that sense, consistent with his usual discourse of questioning how Disney had treated African culture. Can a joke cost 27 million? The legal key to the whole matter lies in a well-established principle in American law: the First Amendment protects parody and artistic satire, but not false statements presented as true, even if said in a comedic context. Morake’s lawyers argue precisely that: that Jonasi did not present his translation as a joke but “as authoritative fact.” The lawsuit also cites: Jonasi’s attempt to monetize virality through merchandising. The amount requested amounts to more than $20 million in actual damages, plus $7 million in punitive damages. It is alleged to justify it that the viral is directly damaging Lebo M’s professional relationship with Disney and reducing his income from royalties. Disney has not made any statements on the matter. The answer. Jonasi launched a GoFundMe campaign titled ‘Help Learnmore Fight an Unjust Lawsuit‘ with which he has raised more than 16,000 of the 20,000 dollars he asks for. There he says that he never intended to cause harm and that he needs support to “protect his right to speak and tell jokes.” Before that, posted a video on Instagram in which he declared himself a fan of Lebo M’s work and proposed making a video together explaining the real meaning of the song. In networks, the composer responded that Jonasi “crossed a line by insulting African culture and spreading colonialist propaganda.” In Xataka | We all assumed that ‘The Simpsons’ would never end. Now, its showrunner has just confirmed it

buying it will cost 100 euros more in Europe very soon

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That one is very far away PlayStation 5 launch price that many of us had in our heads when this generation began. We are talking about the end of 2020, when the console arrived in stores for 499.99 euros in its version with a disc reader and 399.99 euros in the digital edition. Since then, several things have happened that have marked its trajectory, but there is one that is especially striking: instead of becoming cheaper with the passage of time, something more common in mature generations, Getting a PS5 has been becoming more and more expensive. That journey takes us directly to the announcement that Sony has made todayMarch 27, 2026, in which it confirms a new price increase for its consoles in Europe with effect from April 2. The company recognizes that this is a sensitive decision for users, but frames it in a context of “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” According to Isabelle Tomatis, vice president of global marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment, after evaluating the situation they have concluded that this adjustment is “necessary.” A generation that has become more expensive With that announcement already on the table, what really interests us is how much it now costs to enter the Sony ecosystem in Europe. As we say, to starting April 2, 2026these are the recommended prices that the company has set for its consoles in this market: PS5: 649.99 euros. PS5 Digital Edition: 599.99 euros. PS5 Pro: 899.99 euros. To fully understand the current moment, it is worth looking back and seeing that this is not the first time that Sony has revised the price of its console upwards in Europe. The first movement arrived in August 2022, when the PS5 with reader went up up to 549.99 euros and the digital version up to 449.99 euros. Another adjustment was added to this adjustment in April 2025, focused on the Digital Edition, which reached 499.99 euros. What we see now, therefore, is not an isolated case, but another episode within a trajectory of upward prices that has been consolidated over time. In this scenario there is an important nuance that should not be lost sight of: the PS5 Pro He plays in another league within this story. The console was launched in Spain in November 2024 with a recommended price of 799.99 euros in its 2 TB version without a disc reader, and until now it had not undergone adjustments. The increase announced now places it at 899.99 euros in Europe, which represents its first increase since the launch. If we put all the pieces together, what remains is an unusual photograph for a console that has been on the market for several years. Far from getting cheaper over time, the PS5 has been chaining reviews of rising price around the worldincluding the one now announced by Sony. This pattern, conditioned by economic factors that the company mentions in its statement, changes the rules for the consumer. Today, getting a PS5 is more expensive than ever. Images | Sony | Xataka In Xataka | Almost 20 years later, Sony continues to release updates for the PS3: there is a clear reason behind it

The Hong Kong police may ask you for your mobile and computer passwords: refusing can cost you prison

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Traveling with your cell phone in your pocket and your laptop in your backpack is part of the routine of many travelers. In places like Hong Kong, however, that normality has just taken on a different nuance. Recently, refusing to comply with a police request to facilitate access to these devices in certain investigations is no longer just an uncomfortable decision, but can lead to criminal consequences. What could previously be interpreted as a privacy issue now falls squarely within the scope of the law. The change. The Hong Kong Government amended on March 23, 2026 the application rules linked to the national security lawintroducing new powers for security forces in this type of investigation. According to the Consulate General of the United States in the cityfrom then on refusing to provide passwords or decryption assistance may constitute a criminal offense. The obligation is not limited to delivering a code, but includes decryption methods and the assistance necessary to access the information contained on mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices in investigations related to national security. Scope of measurement. This is not an issue reserved for residents of US origin or especially exposed profiles. The change affects anyone in the city, including foreign citizens, as well as those arriving at or simply transiting through the international airport. At the same time, the information collected by Euronews specifies that the measure operates in investigations connected to the national security law and that it affects not only the owner of the device, but also anyone who controls it, is authorized to access it or knows the keys necessary to unlock it. Legal consequences. Refusal to collaborate does not remain an administrative clash, but can lead to specific criminal sanctions. Refusing to provide passwords or required assistance can lead to up to one year in prison and a fine of up to HK$100,000 (about €11,000). The scenario becomes even tougher if the person provides false or misleading information, since in that case the penalties can reach up to three years in prison and fines of up to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 55,000 euros). Beyond the password. The scope of the reform is not limited to specific access to a device. Authorities now have greater ability to seize and retain mobile phones, computers or other personal equipment as evidence if they allege they are linked to national security crimes. Added to this is another relevant element collected by the aforementioned medium: the obligation to collaborate can be imposed even when there is a duty of confidentiality or other restrictions on the disclosure of information, as in the case of journalists, doctors or lawyers. Context. Hong Kong authorities maintain that these tools are necessary to prevent, suppress and punish activities that put national security at risk, and defend that the rules respect the Basic Law and human rights protections. Faced with that position, Reuters picks up criticism from jurist Urania Chiuresearcher and law professor in the United Kingdom, who considers it disproportionate to grant such broad powers to security forces without judicial authorization. That is where this reform stops being a simple procedural change and begins to reopen the debate on privacy, communications and freedoms. Images | Jiachen Lin | Nick Low In Xataka | A woman spent six months in prison because an AI made a mistake. The terrible thing is that no one checked it

There are 75-inch televisions that already cost less than 500 euros. The last one to drop in price has been a Xiaomi with Google TV

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Little by little we are seeing more offers on TVs with diagonals that exceed 55 inches, and the truth is that their prices are often quite low. MediaMarkt, for example, has only today (during The Great Renove) the Xiaomi A Pro 75 inchesa very large TV for only 499 euros. Xiaomi TV A Pro 2026 (75 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links big and cheap The Xiaomi A Pro 2026 It is a smart TV that initially started at a price of 849 euros, but over time we have seen discounts through a wide range of offers. Today’s one at MediaMarkt is not the best, but it is one of the best because it remains for about 20 euros above its minimum price historical in the same store. We are talking about a Xiaomi television that comes with a panel 75 inch QLEDso it is a fairly large size for its price. Obviously it offers a 4K resolution, but its refresh rate remains at 60 Hz. However, what we do have are 178º viewing angles both horizontal and vertical, so you can see the TV well from different angles. It also supports the format HDR10+comes with Filmmaker mode for watching movies and its speakers are compatible with Dolby Audio. Furthermore, its operating system is Google TV and it has a good assortment of connectivity options: WiFi, Bluetooth, three HDMI ports, Ethernet, USB and optical digital audio output. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: xiaomi pro offer today ✅ THE BEST Yesu size: We see more and more offers on large TVs, and this one from Xiaomi has an excellent quality-price ratio considering that its diagonal is 75 inches. Your viewing anglessomething already distinctive in the brand that offers the possibility of viewing the content well regardless of whether we are in front of the television or on one of the sides. ❌ THE WORST TOand, the 60 Hz… Something that we also usually see in the Xiaomi brand, at least in most of its television catalog. You will not be able to watch TV with the fluidity offered by many that offer a refresh rate of 120 Hz. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a good television to watch movies and series, that is of considerable size and also has a good panel such as the QLED. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Above all, you want to get the most out of your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series, since the screen only offers 60 Hz, so you will not be able to have the best possible experience. You may also be interested Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, compatible with Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR10+ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG DS60T – Sound Bar, Bluetooth, 340W, 3.1 Channels with subwoofer, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

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