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Poland and Spain are the European countries that have increased their contribution to space the most. For very different reasons

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“Europe wants to get its act together in space matters and become independent from States, so in 2025 it has launched the ambitious 15-year plan.”Strategy 2040: Elevating Europe’s future“, ha merged its largest companies and has approved a historic budget of more than 22,000 million euros. In this new budget of the European Space Agency, there are two countries that have taken a step forward in investment: Poland and Spain. Spain and Poland take a step forward. With a contribution of 1,854 million euros, the Spanish state goes from fifth to fourth positiononly behind Germany, France and Italy. Since 2022 it has surpassed the United Kingdom, the only member state that has been reducing its contribution since 2022. Poland has gone from twelfth place to become the eighth largest contributor. Although the objective of Spain and Poland is the same, their motivations are different: while the former’s priority is to support its industrial base, for the latter security and autonomy are essential. The success of ESA’s budget request lies in the programs it houses and how each country and its priorities can influence the general space spending trends of the old continent. The jewel in the crown: EOGS-ESA. One of the great engines is Earth Observation Governmental Service (Government Earth Observation Service), a key program of the European Space Agency focused on Earth observation with satellite data, but not only for science or climate, but also for defense and security in what they call dual use, civil and military. The economic injection from Poland and Spain was significant: 325 million euros for the Spanish state and 109 million euros for the Eastern country, more than half of what it put in 2022. But both financed different components of the project that align with their interests. Each country has its reasons. Thus, Poland was allocated to shared European systems and resilience networks (services that work even if there are failures or sabotage), which fits with its concern for national security, the protection of strategic infrastructures and obviously, the context of the war in Ukraine. For its part, Spain opted for a part of the most tangible project: building satellites, more specifically the “Atlantic Constellation“, a constellation of small satellites shared with Portugal to observe the Atlantic. Missing launchers. In Europe, traditionally the launching countries have been France, Germany and Italy through Ariane and Vega, but in recent years the panorama has become more complicated. On the one hand, the success of SpaceX has overshadowed European work and on the other, the gap in launches that has existed in recent years, as a result of Ariane 6 delaysthe breaking of collaborations with Russia and the stoppage of Vega-C. So other countries with less tradition have taken a step forward, improving competitiveness. In the case of Spain, it has allocated 169 million to miuraa reusable small satellite launcher from the company PLD Space. Poland has increased its contribution to the Future Launcher Preparatory Programme, an ESA program focused on new innovative launcher technologies. From 2022 to 2025 it has gone from providing three million to 48. Bringing historic programs to life. Although they had not previously been a priority for both countries, Poland and Spain have set their sights on older programs such as ‘Celeste’ or ‘Iris2’. ‘Celeste’ is an ESA mission based on low orbit satellites that reinforces Galileo in achieving more precise and difficult to interfere navigation, with a scope of application in the development of autonomous vehicles, drones and critical infrastructures. Poland has made its debut with a contribution of 10 million and Spain has tripled its investment. ‘Iris2‘ is something like the European Starlink, made up of a network of about 300 satellites that will provide secure, fast and resilient communications to EU governments and companies. With supervision from ESA, the objective is to guarantee European digital sovereignty. Its first launch is scheduled for 2029. In this mission, Spain has emerged by contributing much more than any other member state to Element 3, which focuses on user terminals, new services and missions, with 140 million euros. More R + D + i. Likewise, both states have gained weight in FutureEOESA’s R&D program for Earth observation focused on climate change, ecosystem collapse, human health and the impact of resource consumption. Thus, Poland and Spain went from 8.5 and 20 million respectively in 2022 to 35 and 110 million in this new budget. Poland’s space exploration. Poland has risen from 12.5 million to 61 million euros in just three years, with more than half of that increase (30 million) allocated to lunar exploration. However, they have just send its first astronaut in decades: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, on an Ignis trade mission. The pioneer was Mirosław Hermaszewski, in 1978. In Xataka | “Elon Musk can monopolize everything,” warns Arianespace, which has been launching all of Europe’s satellites for 40 years In Xataka | A space war looms over our heads and Europe is the power that invests the least in defense technology Cover | Image from freepik

Ukraine’s biggest problem is not Russia. There are three European countries trapped in a perverse mechanism: type C accounts

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Europe faces a decision that goes far beyond an accounting discussion and that defines its strategic credibility: what to do with the more than 210,000 million of euros of Russian assets frozen since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. The problem is twofold, because it is not just about figures, but about what comes after activating the operation. The European crossroads. Yes, because the question is not only whether that money should be used to support kyiv at a critical moment, but whether the European Union is capable to take the risks political, legal and economic implications of doing so. As Washington presses for a quick exit to the conflict and reduces its financial support, Brussels finds itself caught between the urgency of avoiding a Ukrainian defeat and the fear of unleashing a russian retaliation that directly hits several of its Member States. Putin clearly. Statements this week by Vladimir Putinloaded with contempt for European elites and confidence in a protracted war, are not simple rhetoric. Moscow makes it clear that it is not contemplating real concessions and that it considers the use of its frozen assets as theft that demands a response. That response would not be symbolic, but surgical: selective seizures, accelerated nationalizations, endless litigation and the use of the Russian financial system as a weapon. The message, a priori, is unequivocal: if Europe crosses the line, Russia will not only punish Ukraine on the battlefield, but also European countries that still have exposed economic interests within their territory. The real blockage. I remembered this morning the financial times he crux of the whole situation. Although the debate is presented as a struggle between hawks and cautions, the real blockage comes from a handful of countries specific, with Belgium, Italy and Austria at the head. It is not a question of ideology, but of direct vulnerability. Belgium hosts Euroclear, the warehouse that guards most of the frozen Russian assets, and fears becoming the first target of retaliation judicial and economic. Italy and Austria, for their part, maintain banks and companies with billions trapped in Russia, benefits included, which they cannot repatriate. For these countries, authorizing the use of Russian money is not an abstract foreign policy decision, but rather an immediate risk to their financial and corporate systems. Type C accounts: the ace of Moscow. At the center of this fear are the calls type C accountsthe mechanism created by Moscow to withhold dividends, interest and assets from Western companies. That money, formally owned by European and American companies, is under Russian control and can be frozen, redistributed or directly transferred to the state budget with a simple decree. For the Kremlin, these accounts are a retaliation tool fast and effective, far superior in agility to slow Western judicial processes. For Europe, they are an invisible chain that binds entire governments when making strategic decisions, because any false step can translate into lost billions and internal political crises. Germany pushes, Europe hesitates. Germany has become the main political engine of the plan to use Russian assets, convinced that without that money there is no realistic way to support Ukraine for another two years without skyrocketing the European debt or depending on impossible unanimity. Berlin insists that the risk must be shared among everyone and that failure to act would send a devastating sign: Europe is not capable of defending its own security. However, this logic collides with the reality of countries that feel that the risk is not distributed, but rather concentrated in their national balance sheetsits banks and its courts. A (bad) peace as a threat. This financial blockade occurs in an even more disturbing context: European fear to an imposed peace on terms favorable to Russia. For many capitals, an agreement that consolidates Moscow’s territorial gains would not only leave Ukraine defenseless, but would force Europe to prepare for a scenario direct confrontation in the medium term, with longer borders, a strengthened Russian army and a weakened European deterrent. In this framework, the frozen Russian money stops being a tactical lever and becomes a strategic investment: either it is used now to support Ukraine, or it is paid for later in the form of massive rearmament and risk of war. The final dilemma. In short, the European Union has frozen Russian assets to prevent them from returning to Moscow without reparations, but now it must decide whether it dares to give the next step. Without that money, Ukraine could run out of liquidity in a matter of months, losing all negotiating power and forcing a deal from weakness. With him, Europe is exposed to reprisals, litigation and immediate economic losses, concentrated in a few countries that are currently holding back the decision. The crossroads are clear: assume the political and financial cost now, or accept that the fear of type C accounts determine European security policy. Not only the future of Ukraine is at stake in that election, but also Europe’s ability to act as a coherent geopolitical actor when your own interests are at risk. Image | RawPixel In Xataka | A missile has been bombarding Ukraine’s defenses for weeks. What no one could imagine is that he is not Russian: he is from the West In Xataka | A day later the satellites leave no doubt: Russia fortified a bridge, and a Ukrainian drone made science fiction a reality

Six dissident countries want to keep the combustion car alive in Europe. And they have the opposition of Spain ahead of them

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The European Commission will speak and everything indicates that it will back down on its decision to ban the sale of cars with combustion engines from 2035. To what extent remains to be known and has yet to be revealed. What is certain is that Europe is divided between those who want to go back and those who prefer to move forward. These are the six dissident countries. The six of combustion. “We can and must pursue our climate goal effectively, without killing our competitiveness.” These are some of the words of the letter that six countries have sent to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, according to Bloomberg. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? The letter, which is reported by the media but has also been ratified by Automotive News either Reutersis led by Italy and signed by six countries in total that disagree with the decision that is still in force right now and that points to the impossibility of selling combustion engines that generate carbon emissions from 2035. These countries are: Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Poland. They are not doing the work. In the statements they have been making these days (reported in media such as Diariomotor) its leaders there is a common axis around which everything revolves: competitiveness. These countries believe that the ban on combustion engines makes it difficult for traditional European manufacturers to exist. These leaders consider that Europeans have a lot to lose if they jump to electric cars as the only solution and that Chinese manufacturers benefit the most. This position, held for months by countries such as Italy or Poland including your express support for tariffs to the Chinese electric car, has even made some Chinese manufacturers stop your investments in these dissident countries. It is believed that by orders of the Chinese State itself. And Germany? Its absence is almost surprising considering that it is the company that has championed the fight against the 2035 ban. Not signing this letter shows that the German country is advancing on its own and that it seems to have other objectives, although with subtle differences, in mind. Friedrich Merz, German chancellor, has long been lobbying for combustion engines to remain in force. In fact, he confronted Italy until he achieved the door was opened to synthetic fuels. The big question is how far they want to stretch their position. Small nuances. Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party and German politician, leaked a few days ago that the intention of the European Commission was to allow the sale of cars with combustion engines as long as the average CO2 emissions were reduced by 90%, taking the 2021 objectives as a reference. The change is important because achieving that goal is only possible if the bulk of the cars sold by a brand are electric cars. Even with current approvals for plug-in hybrids it would be impossible to achieve consumption that falls within the regulations. That is, Germany is looking for a huge fleet of electric cars on the streets with certain wide sleeve for luxury manufacturers of putting cars with combustion engines on the street at very high prices. Spain and the pro-electric front. Faced with the six dissident countries and Germany, Spain seems to have confronted France so that the current ban is maintained under the terms that had already been agreed. That is, it is prohibited to sell combustion engines that produce carbon emissions. Both countries are interested in the future of the vehicle fleet going through the electric car. French manufacturers have made enormous efforts to jump to the electric car, with renault and Peugeot as champions of these investments. Multi-energy platforms Stellantis STLA and STLA Small They are good examples. And precisely part of the future of the Spanish industry starts from the latter. Our country assembles the Stellantis small electric cars and that is why now it has on the horizon a battery factory next to CATL. Martorell, from Seat, is being renovated to give way to the small electric cars from the Volkswagen Group and the investment in Sagunto for the battery factory is part of the plan. These are just some of the projects already active as Spain continues to position itself to host more of the electric car industry in the coming years, including investments already approved for the conversion of factories. Photo | Rafael Garcin and mercedes In Xataka | In 2035 only 10% of combustion cars will comply with Euro 7. So the industry is pushing to skip it

The countries of northern Europe are full of offshore wind. So they’ve started to steal the wind from each other

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The world has thrown itself into the arms of renewables to meet the goals of decarbonization. Each country is developing its strategy And, if in some the photovoltaic takes the lead, in others it is the wind that splits the cod. The problem is the commitments: fill the plate field implies that crops receive less sunlight. And fill the world with wind turbines – apart from visual impact, for fishing and for the birds-, is causing something as curious as it is problematic. Countries that are stealing the wind from their neighbors. Wake effect. When the wind hits the wind turbine bladesthese rotate, generating kinetic energy and electricity. The wind continues its path, but after passing through a wind turbine, it does so with less force. Multiply that by fields full of these mills and we have what is known as the ‘wake effect‘ or ‘wake effect’. This air that has already passed through a wind turbine station does so with a lower speed and greater turbulence. And if this is important, it is because the wind takes time to recover: the wakes can extend more than 100 kilometers after crossing a field of windmills. wind thieves. These facilities are usually far from each other to better take advantage of the currents, but if under certain circumstances they extend tens of kilometers, and up to the aforementioned hundred, imagine the consequences for the wind turbines that remain behind that installation that receives the first “hit” of wind. It is not an assumption: there is measurements by SAR satellite that confirm that, if a wind farm is built upwind of another, the wind speed it receives is 9% lower, causing it to have a reduction between 10% and 20% compared to that first installation. This is what is known as “wind theft,” a colloquial term for something that is easy to understand, but not so easy to fix. This GIF of The Telegraph illustrates it perfectly: Princess Elisabeth. As we read in BBCthe lawyer Eirik Finseras, specialized in offshore wind energy, “is a somewhat misleading term because you cannot steal something that you cannot own. Nobody owns the wind” – del Sol, yes, a Galician -. But of course, the fact that no one owns the wind does not exempt that park on the windward side from suffering the effects of the park built on the leeward side. In the North Sea, this is already becoming a problembecause the denser and larger the wind farm, the more intense the wake effect will be. Belgium is building Princess Elisabeth, a huge park that will add a whopping 3.5 GW of offshore wind capacity to the country’s accounts. It is a really huge offshore facilitybut although it will allow the addition of those 3.5 GW, it will also affect the existing Belgian parks due to a wake that will extend 55 kilometers beyond the installation. According to the accounts of the University of Leuven, the oldest Belgian facilities located to the east will experience: An 8.5% reduction in annual electricity production. Losses of up to 15% on very windy days. Impact. That in Belgian parks, but of course, it is also an international problem because the wind does not understand borders. By 2030, it is estimated that the current capacity of offshore wind energy in the North Sea will triple. This implies that thousands of turbines will be erected in a very short time with Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands willing to obtain, in total, 65 GW of offshore wind energy. The problem is knowing what will happen to these trails, since it is estimated that the 1,400 MW installation in the Dutch area of Borssele will cause a reduction of 2.7% on average in some Belgian wind farms. It is a very clear case of how the Netherlands is “stealing” the wind from Belgium. It is logical to understand the interest in offshore wind Bigger blades. In a report by BBCPablo Ouro, a civil engineering researcher at the University of Manchester, points out that they have been seeing wake effects for years, but that “the problem is that, to achieve emissions neutrality, we will need to triple offshore wind capacity and some of these new turbines will operate very close to those already in operation. There will be more and more crowds and the wake effects will have a greater impact.” And it is no longer a question of the number of mills, but of their dimensions. In the North Sea we are seeing efforts to achieve both greater heights for the mills themselves (to take advantage of other currents that are not being taken advantage of right now, such as larger blades that receive even more force from the wind. They are imposing mega-constructions that will also affect this wake effect, aggravating the problem. Solutions? Different countries are doing calculations. For example, in the United States, esteem that the planned offshore wind farms will produce a devastating wake effect: losses in the annual electricity production of other farms by up to 48.5 TWh per year. And there are already accusations: the Netherlands says that Belgium takes advantage of its wind, Germany says that the Netherlands is harming them… and the United Kingdom’s offshore parks stealing wind each other. The solution? Nothing simple, especially when many of these parks have either already been built or are under construction, but even so, research is being carried out to optimize the facilities. For example, adjusting turbine angles and optimizing the space between them, manufacturing higher power turbines to produce more with less or creating buffer zones between parks And, perhaps, the most difficult thing: that countries cooperate to carry out joint studies to place their facilities in the most efficient way for everyone. Images | ESMAP, G B_NZ In Xataka | In the great battle for wind turbines, Spain goes against Europe: it wants them further away than ever

In the Nordic countries there is also a turn towards spirituality. Towards Odinist spirituality, specifically

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In a forest outside Stockholm as evening falls, a dozen people raise horns of mead toward the sky as a priestess invokes Thor. There are no skins or horned helmets —That’s a Hollywood invention.—. Here there are mothers, office workers in light blue shirts, young people dressed in black, retirees, tattoos with runes and cookies in the shape of the hammer of the god of thunder. The scene, described in a report by The Guardiandoes not belong to any historical recreation, but to a real ritual: a blótthe pagan ceremony that was celebrated in Scandinavia more than a thousand years ago and that, against all odds, has returned with a vengeance. “In the most secular countries on the planet, the old gods are returning,” writes Siri Christiansen in his article. And he doesn’t exaggerate. In Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Finland, thousands of people today identify with the pre-Christian religions of the north. It is not a hobby or a passing fad: they are officially registered religions, with priests, temples, rites of passage, their own cemeteries and an expanding community. Why, in the most modernized society in the world, is an ancient cult reborn? The answer is more complex, but it has a surprising sense of normality. An ancient faith for unstable times. The Nordic countries top all the secularization lists in the world. In Sweden, only 10% of the population attends Christian churches regularly. In Iceland 40% of young people believe that God does not exist. And yet, in parallel, religions that were believed to have been buried since the 11th century are growing. In Sweden, two state-recognized organizations —Nordic Asa-Community (NAC) and Forn Sed Sweden— have around 2,700 registered members, although their networks exceed 16,000 followers. They have twenty local subdivisions, hold seasonal blóts, ​​and attract up to 300 people at their national gatherings. In fact, this year they have managed to get the Government to approve the first pagan cemetery in more than a thousand years, in the town of Molkom, with fifty burial requests already processed. They are also raising funds to build a temple in Gamla Uppsalathe ancient religious capital of the Vikings. A map of active minorities. In Denmark, the Forn Siðr organizationrecognized by the State since 2003, It has about 650 membersalthough it is estimated that there are some 3,500 practitioners in the country. Since 2009 they have managed a pagan cemetery in Odense where thirteen people have already been buried. In Norway, Bifrost and Forn Sed Norge They bring together hundreds of believers and publish materials on rituals, ecology and tradition. Both groups They openly declare themselves anti-racist and they have expelled members with supremacist speeches. Furthermore, Bifrost openly declares in its section Rasisme that any sympathizer of supremacist ideologies “is not welcome.” In Finland, the panorama is more dispersed, but it is also older. The community Karhun kansafocused on native Finnish religions, was recognized in 2013). For its part, the Lehto association, founded in 1998brings together practitioners of Wicca, shamanism, Ásatrú and Nordic paganism in general. Iceland: the heart of the renaissance. If there is an epicenter of the pagan revival, It’s Iceland. There the organization Ásatrúarfélagið, founded in 1972was officially recognized a year later and today is the second religion in the country, with more than 7,000 active members in a country of 389,000 inhabitants. In Reykjavík they are building the first pagan temple in a millennium, a circular building of concrete, wood and natural light entering through an open dome. The project—designed by architect Magnús Jensson, a member of the community itself—will complete work next year. In addition, it will house ceremonies, libraries, banquet halls and the sanctuary where the blóts of the solar calendar will be celebrated. What are the rituals like? The heart of today’s pagan practice are blót, seasonal ceremonies honoring the gods and forces of nature. According to an ethnographic studythese rituals are generally celebrated outdoors—forests, mounds, historic areas—and include poetry recitation, toasts, music, and a large communal meal. In ancient times, blót included animal sacrifices. Today, Nordic associations have radically transformed the practice: there is no blood, the offerings are symbolic (mead, bread, fruit, ritual burning) and often include the burning of a banner made among the participants, as the same study documents. It should be added that there is some micro-communities (unofficial) who have debated resuming animal sacrifices, but represent a marginal and controversial minority within the movement. In addition to blót, these religions celebrate weddings, funerals, baby namings, and coming-of-age rituals. In Iceland, a play based on in the Eddic poem Skírnismála solemn and surprisingly contemporary rite. Wedding celebrated during the 2022 spring ritual in Sweden Who is behind? The question is who is behind the new Norse pagan. According to research—collected at EUREL, sociologist Jane Haug Skjoldli or Heimskringla’s analysis—, the most common profile of current Nordic pagans is: adults between 25 and 50 years old, high educational level, stable employment or urban middle class, interest in nature, ecology and local culture. In addition to progressive values ​​(most organizations are explicitly anti-racist). Many people do not identify strictly as “pagans” but as Heathens, Fornsedare, Animists, Nordic Polytheists, or Ásatrúar. It is a flexible, non-dogmatic spirituality, with an emphasis on practice and community rather than doctrinal faith. A rebirth with tensions. An inevitable topic is the relationship between paganism and the extreme right. During the 20th century, Viking iconography was instrumentalized by Nazism and, later, by white supremacist groups. Today, associations such as Forn Sed Sweden, Bifrost and Ásatrúarfélagið publish explicit anti-racist values ​​and expel—as the NAC did in 2017, according to The Guardian— to members who express xenophobic ideologies. A member of Forn Sed Sweden put it bluntly: “If you’re a Nazi, you’re not a pagan. You’re just a Nazi.” Still, tension exists: Viking symbols have become mainstream on the internet, and some radical groups continue to use them. This forces official associations to position themselves again and again. Is the Viking religion really back? Yes, but transformed. It is … Read more

More and more countries want to prohibit minors from using social networks. Denmark makes a move

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Should minors have social networks? The debate is raging and more and more voices are advocating a total ban. Australia has a law on the table that will prevent minors under 16 years of age from using social networks and our french neighbors They have also shown their inclination to follow this path. Now it is Denmark that makes its move. what has happened. The Danish government has reached an agreement to ban social media for those under 15 years of age. In statements to the Associated PressDanish Prime Minister Caroline Stage has assured that 94% of Danish children under 13 and more than half of those under 10 have profiles on social networks. “The time they spend connected to the Internet, the amount of violence and self-harm to which they are exposed online, poses too great a risk for our children,” he stated. The measure contemplates that parents who wish may authorize their children to access social networks from the age of 13. Why is it important. Denmark becomes the first European country to agree to such a ban. The ban could take months to take effect because they want to tie everything together. According to Stage, “We must ensure that the regulations are adequate and that there are no loopholes that technology giants can exploit.” The European position. This summer several countries, including Spain, approached the European Commission to request a ban at the European level. The commission’s response was clear: The ban must be carried out by each country, there will be no common prohibition. However, the EU is developing the European Digital Identityan app to identify ourselves when carrying out procedures and that will also work as an age verifier. How will they do it. The plan is to use Denmark’s electronic ID system, although they have not given many details on how it will work. The Prime Minister talks about forcing technology companies to “carry out appropriate age verification, and if they do not do so we will be able to enforce the regulations through the European Commission and ensure that they are fined up to 6% of their global income.” Pajaport. In parallel to the debate about access to social networks there is also that of porn. Spain announced the Beta Digital Wallet, known as ‘pajaporte’ to limit access to porn by minors. At the moment it is not in force, but there are other countries that have similar initiatives that are already underway, such as France, where its implementation caused the closure of Pornhub in the country. The United Kingdom is another of the countries where you have to identify yourself to watch porn. The traffic of Pornhub plummeted 77%, so it seems that the measure had an effect. However, the huge growth of VPN tools It suggests that many users could be masking their location to bypass the ban. Doors to the field. Using a VPN is a way to bypass restrictions, and in the case of access to social networks by minors it could also be an option to bypass the restriction. There are still many doubts about how it will be executed on a technical level, but with easy access to the screens and the ability of some children to avoid limitationsdoes not seem like an easy task. Images | Pexels 1, 2 In Xataka | Neither TikTok nor Instagram until the age of 16: Spain will raise the minimum age to register on social networks in two years

The countries with the most kilometers of high-speed train, displayed in a graph with a brutal dominator: China

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The train is the backbone of many countries. For centuries it has been key to mobility in Europe, in Japan it is essential, China has experienced a railway revolution and even the United States or Latin America begin to bet on passenger mobility by train. However, it is one thing to have a railway and quite another to have a rich high-speed network. And this graph shows the countries with the most kilometers of high-speed trains and their plans for the future. China, undisputed queen. The Olympics They are an event in which countries “sell” themselves to the worldbut in the case of China, it involved a profound renovation of its infrastructure. It was in 2008 when China launched its high-speed railway line: barely 120 kilometers between Beijing and Taijin, and 17 years later, it is the country with the most kilometers of high-speed lines in operation. According to the data of World Population Review and as we can see in the graph prepared by Visual CapitalistChina has more than 40,000 kilometers of tracks on which its trains go at 250 km/h or more. They have another 12,800 kilometers under construction and more than 11,000 planned. In total, some 64,000 kilometers of high-speed rail. In addition, they are moving forward to make their network the highest speed thanks to the maglev advancesmagnetic trains, with tracks that already link cities like Beijing and Shanghai to speeds of more than 430 kilometers per hour. And it is this network that is putting the airlines in check. Spain and Japan. The train is vital in a country as huge as China and the numbers speak for themselves, but there are two other countries that, without being the ones with the most kilometers in total (operational, under construction and planned), complete the podium of those with the most high-speed kilometers currently operating. There are no surprises here. Spain has a total of 5,632 kilometers of high speed, of which more than 3,700 are already operational, followed by China the country with the most kilometers of high speed currently holds. There are another 1,040 kilometers under construction and another 862 kilometers planned. For its part, Japan, another example when we talk about fast trainshas a total of 3,700 kilometers divided into 3,050 operational kilometers, 402 under construction and 193 planned. Promises, promises. At a time when the train is emerging as the alternative to international flights, especially to low cost and among short-distance points, it is striking that, in reality, there are no more countries with high-speed lines. In Europe, apart from Spain, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland or Italy, they have hundreds of operational kilometers, but outside of the ‘Old Continent’ and cases like South Korea, things are very different. For example, India. It is the second country in the graph, but of the 8,000 total kilometers, only 508 eare under construction and the remaining 7,400 are planned. They do not have high speed, and the same thing happens in Egypt (with 3,400 kilometers planned), Australia (1,700 planned) and European countries such as Latvia, Estonia, Norway or the Czech Republic: all with plans to create high-speed lines, but not one operational kilometer. America. And if in China the train is essential due to its dimensionson the American continent we should think that things are the same. And no, not at all. The United States, a gigantic country, has only 735 kilometers of high speed, 273 under construction and almost 5,000 planned, but nothing more. Spain tried to bring the AVE to the North American country and there are demands for high-speed trains to expand, but their internal mobility continues to have the plane as the protagonist. Canada has 1,500 kilometers planned and not one kilometer built, Mexico is in the same situation with 210 kilometers on the table, Brazil the same with 510 kilometers planned and Argentina does not even appear on the graph. But, although high speed is complicated on the continent, the truth is that there are many plans to expand the railway network, even creating international trains that go from one ocean to another, like the one planned between Brazil and Peru. And who is behind many of these projects? Well, who has gained experience at a forced pace in recent years ‘pulling’ thousands of kilometers of tracks: China. In Xataka | China wanted to be the queen of high-speed trains. So he built all the longest bridges in the world

that they do not pay tolls. And (almost) all countries don’t care

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The European Union is determined that transport drastically reduces its emissions. In Xataka We have discussed at length the plan to jump to the electric car, with new emissions limits from 2030 that will force the pure gasoline car to be almost testimonial and the intention to ban combustion engines by 2035. And, hand in hand, we also want to drastically reduce emissions from heavy road transport. Here, the electric truck should be key. To promote it, the European Union wants them not to pay tolls. No tolls. It’s what has approved the European Union. Right now, countries that want to apply it can free electric trucks from tolls on their roads. Applying this possibility, which is decided by each Member State, expired on December 31, 2025 but has been extended until December 31, 2030. The European Commission’s proposal arrived in summer and a few days ago, with 458 votes in favor, 182 against and 11 abstentions, the European Parliament confirmed its expansion. Electric trucks will not have to pay tolls on European roads… if a Member State decides so. almost no one. The problem is that almost no one fully applies this rule. Right now, only Germany and Austria offer their roads completely free of charge to purely electric trucks. These vehicles do not have to pay to use their toll roads. In addition to Germany and Austria, 10 countries offer discounts for electric trucks when using their highways. And another 15 countries do not apply any type of discount. Among them, indeed, is Spain, which charges the same for a polluting truck as for a zero-emission truck. The plans. Although the countries that apply these exemptions completely are testimonial and more than half do not apply any type of discount, European enlargement reopens this possibility so that more States join in to favor the arrival of electric trucks on their roads. Europe’s ultimate intention is to drastically reduce its emissions from heavy transport. The objectives vary depending on the size of the vehicle but, for trucks, the intention is to reduce emissions by 45% by 2035 and that in 2040 the presence of combustion engines in the trucks sold will be almost negligible, with a 90% reduction in emissions. The comparison is made with data from 1990. These plans also include passenger transport buses, which will also not have to pay tolls as long as each State allows it. Viable? Given this measure, manufacturer associations such as ACEA have shown their enthusiasm for the decision but… to what extent is it viable to electrify heavy transport? Its impact is important (barely 2% of the vehicles that move but produce more than 25% of road transport emissions) so jumping to electric trucks is a priority for Europe. The problem is that the electric truck continues to require a really expensive purchase although, over time, the savings promises are consistent. According to the consulting firm Commercial Vehicle World, the savings when operating with this type of vehicle is between 10 and 20% compared to a diesel truck. One of the problems, of course, continues to be autonomy. For now, the most ambitious electric trucks They move in runs of between 500 and 600 kilometers but the key is in the recharging times, which with a 150 kW pole can take up to two hours to fill their batteries. Beyond the tolls. In. its objective to promote the jump to the electric truck, the European Union is forcing countries to Fill your roads with charging points. Of these, large charging islands are planned that should serve these enormous vehicles. The intention is to have very powerful plugs but, until now, they have focused on plugs of, at most, 350 kW, which is clearly insufficient. It must be taken into account that BYD has already given approval for the installation in Europe of its 1MW chargerswhich is clearly focused on this type of transportation. But electric trucks are also beginning to gain ground. While in Europe they are negligible, with less than 1% of sales, in China they already exceed 20%. Many of them have gained traction due to the possibility of changing batteries at appropriate stations, which guarantees that, in just a few minutes, the vehicle can continue its journey. Photo | In Xataka | BYD has shown us that charging 400 kilometers in five minutes is very real. And they have managed to change my mind

the trauma of thousands of underpaid workers in developing countries

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He data labeling It is a necessary step so that learning models can understand them and thus learn. It’s the ScaleAI business, Alexandr Wang’s company recently valued at $29 billion. However, not everyone involved in data labeling enjoys this status. Much of this work is carried out by workers in poor countries, poorly paid and involves very unpleasant tasks. what’s happening. The advancement of artificial intelligence requires an enormous amount of data labeling. They count in AFP that this work is usually done by workers who reside in impoverished countries such as Kenya, Colombia or India. In addition to being very poorly paid, the job often requires them to review very unpleasant images. For example, for an AI to write an autopsy report, taggers must view hundreds of images of real crimes. The work. It consists of reviewing and labeling files, most often images. It does not require a degree, just knowing how to use a computer and demonstrating that you can think analytically. The ease of access means that many people in vulnerable situations turn to this type of work. The problem is that, to get a decent salary, they have to work long hours, up to 16 hours a day in some casesand also many times the content they must label is violent and extreme. AI moderators. It is a situation similar to the one that moderators of different platforms have been denouncing for years. We recently talked about the lawsuit that a former Chaturbate moderator had imposed on the company. There are other cases like that of Facebook moderators in Barcelona who denounced the company due to the psychological trauma that filtering all that content caused them. Invisible. The data labeling market generated 3.8 billion dollars in 2024 and is expected to grow to 17 billion in the next five years. However, those who make it possible work in very poor conditions. A Colombian worker tells AFP that data taggers are “like ghosts. No one knows we exist even though we are contributing to the technological progress of society.” Better conditions. There was no legislation in Kenya, but data taggers have been organized to achieve regulation and have better working conditions. They denounce the lack of psychological support they receive and demand formal employment contracts, a fair salary that reflects their work and the fundamental right to rest. This mobilization seeks to guarantee a more dignified work environment and protect the rights of these essential workers in the artificial intelligence industry. The platforms. The most mentioned is Remotasks, a subsidiary of Scale AI that has been the subject of protests in countries such as Kenya, Venezuela and the Philippines for defaults and problematic practices. The company defends himself and ensures that they offer “fair and competitive remuneration.” Last year closed its doors in Kenya after workers complained publicly. There are more like the Australian Appen or Sama, a subcontractor of companies like Meta and OpenAI that was sued in Kenya due to poor working conditions and also ceased its activity. The human cost. There is growing concern about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence, that requires large amounts of energy to run, especially due to the training and operation of complex models. However, there is not only an energy and natural resource cost, but also a significant human cost that seems to be going more unnoticed. Image | Christina Morillo, Pexels In Xataka | There are 60 countries that have signed an agreement for “open”, “inclusive” and “safe” AI. And two that don’t: the US and the United Kingdom

now MacBook Pros do not come with a charger in some countries either

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If you are thinking of getting the new MacBook Pro with M5 chip that Apple has just presented, it is worth taking a closer look at what exactly comes in the box. Depending on the country you live in, the laptop may arrive without a power adapter, which would force you to make an additional outlay, and wait a little longer, before being able to use it, unless you already have a compatible one. Goodbye to the power adapter. Apple has chosen not to include the charger in the box of the new M5 MacBook Pro in some markets. At the moment it is not clear if the measure applies to the entire European Union (we have contacted the company to confirm this). Use the one you have or go to the checkout. When you add the device to the cart, the store suggests various accessories, such as AppleCare+ or additional cables. Among them is a 70 W USB-C power adapter – the same one that Apple includes in this model in some countries – with a price of 65 euros. A 96 W version is also available for 85 euros. Before completing your purchase, Apple suggests several additional accessories, including a charger Where it is and where it is not included. We have verified that when purchasing the new MacBook Pro M5 from the Apple Spain or Apple Italia online store, the power adapter does not appear among the included items. Only the charging cable and the equipment appear in the box. In the United States, however, the story changes: the charger is part of the package. Why Apple does this. Although Apple has not offered a specific explanation about the M5 MacBook Pro, the measure seems to follow the environmental line that the company has defended for years. In 2020, when he removed the charger from the iPhonejustified the decision pointing out that “Apple is also removing the power adapter and EarPods from iPhone packaging, further reducing carbon emissions.” At that time, the company also highlighted that the new packaging design allowed it to “ship 70% more boxes per pallet” and reduce more than two million metric tons of CO₂ per year. Comparison in the Apple online store: the MacBook Pro with charger (above) and without charger (below) What about the rest of Macs. The change does not affect, at least for now, the rest of the models. If today, October 15, you decide to buy a 14-inch MacBook Pro From the Apple Store in Spain or Italy, you will see that the power adapter is included along with the USB-C to MagSafe cable. The same goes for previously released laptops, such as the MacBook Air M4. So, for the moment, the absence of the charger seems to be limited to the new configurations with the M5 chip. Not everything goes through the Apple charger. It is not essential to buy the official Apple charger. There are third-party options with the same USB-C Power Delivery charging standard, which may be more affordable and offer equivalent results. In any case, it is worth checking that the adapter is fully compatible with the MacBook Pro M5 and has the necessary safety certifications. Using a low-quality charger may affect performance or shorten battery life. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple since 2011 Second hand: sell with or without charger. Until recently, when you sold a used device, it was common to deliver it with its charger. It was almost an automatic gesture: you bought a new one, which already came with an adapter, and you gave up the previous one along with the equipment. That custom began to change when Apple stopped including chargers in iPhones. Now the question is: what will we do when we have to sell our laptop? Will we stop including the charger? The Tim Cook era. As we already mentioned, this is not the first time that Apple has decided to remove a traditional component from its products. Since the arrival of Tim Cook at the head of the company, we have seen the headphones, the iPhone charger disappear and, later, that of the Apple Watch. All these steps were justified under the same premise: sustainability and reduction of environmental impact. Succession: what is known and what is not. Rumors about Tim Cook’s succession have intensified in recent years, although the CEO himself has not made any statements on the matter. Sources like Bloomberg point to John Ternus as the natural candidate to take his place when the time comes. Apple, faithful to its secrecy, has not commented on any of these reports. The only certainty is that Cook is still in charge, and his legacy—including these types of decisions—continues to set the course of the company. Images | Apple | Screenshot In Xataka | The Vision Pro with M5 prove something: Apple has not known what to do with them for two years

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