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charge triple to leave the country

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Japan faces a dilemma, one that is not unknown in Spain: the country is enjoying a real tourist boom that is allowing you spray their own records of foreign visitors and irrigates its economy with billions of yen, but that popularity comes with a much less positive “B side.” Japan has long shown signs of a clear saturation that affects its inhabitants and increases pressure on its public services and infrastructure. Faced with such a scenario, there is an idea that is beginning to take shape: triple one of the taxes paid by all tourists in the country, the ‘exit rate’. Triple the tax? That’s how it is. At the moment it is just an idea on the table, but one that is solid enough that it has already crept into the political debate and grabbed headlines in media such as Nikkei, Kyodo either Asashi Shimbun. The Japanese Government and the ruling coalition parties are considering increasing the “exit tax”a rate applied since 2019 and that must be paid by all tourists who leave the country, whether foreigners or locals, traveling for leisure or work reasons. The idea has also been discussed in a commission on tourism of the Liberal Democratic Partytraining in power. What do they propose to do? Triple the rate. In practice, this is equivalent to a tax that now costs 1,000 yen (5.5 euros) per person becoming 3,000 (16.7 euros), or even more. The proposal of the Liberal Democratic Party is that the increase takes place during fiscal year 2026 and that the increase is felt especially in the pockets of business class visitors or those who travel in business. For them the international rate would rise to 5,000 yen (€27.8). The Sanae Takaichi Executive might not take long to make a decision. Nikkei keep it up that the Government wants to have a clear position before the end of the year, once it has heard from the tax commission, among other organizations. If it goes ahead, tourists will notice it in their wallets but a priori not in extra administrative procedures: the tax is usually added to the plane or boat ticket. What is the objective? Inject more funds into public coffers to compensate for the expenses generated by the flood of tourists. In practice, clarify Nikkeithat means investing in the construction of parking, improving the waste collection system or reservation systems and decongesting public transport. The ‘exit tax’ was already generated last fiscal year 52.4 billion yenabout 291 million euros. If the rate finally triples and taking into account that Japan keep breaking month after month its visitor records, that number could skyrocket. This week the National Tourism Organization has revealed that in October the flow of foreign tourists skyrocketed 17.6% reaching almost 3.9 million foreign visitors. So far this year it totals 35.5 million. Perfect, right? More or less. In Japan there are destinations that have been giving saturation samples (including Mount Fuji) and some administrations have already opted for tax increasebut tripling the ‘departure rate’ could have another, less desired consequence: discouraging trips by Japanese tourists abroad, which still remain at levels very inferior to those before Covid-19. To avoid this, the Government is considering combining the increase in the tax with the reduction of another tax that its own citizens pay: the fees for issuing passports. Right now the online procedures to request a title valid for 10 years cost around 15,900 yenaround 88.3 euros. Does context matter? Yes. The debate over the ‘departure tax’ comes at a delicate time for Japanese tourism. The influx of foreign visitors may be increasing, but the increased tension between Tokyo and Beijing threatens one of the markets most important for Japanese tourism: China. Xi Jinping’s government already has asked its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, which has resulted in the cancellation of tens and tens of thousands of trips. Now the Takaichi Government must decide whether to raise rates against this backdrop. Images | Tiplada M (Unsplash) and Matt Cramblett (Unsplash) In Xataka | Japan has realized that to welcome 60 million tourists it lacks something: hotel workers

a country with octogenarian millionaires and wealth about to change hands

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Forbes Spain has just published your list of the 100 largest fortunes in Spain in 2025. In total, the largest fortunes in the country add up to 258,870 million euros, which is 7% more than the previous year. Beyond the fact that Amancio Ortega repeats for another year as the greatest fortune in Spain, few changes in the names that form itwith respect to other previous lists. However, there is one fact that draws powerful attention: of that total of 258.87 billion euros, 111.2 billion are in the hands of people over 80 years of age. In other words, 42.96% of the great Spanish wealth is concentrated in the hands of octogenarians. Octogenarian fortunes. Forbes data shows a clear pattern: 28 of the 100 largest assets belong to people over 80 years old who together control more than 111 billion euros. If the range is extended to the 70 to 79 age group, the sum of assets increases by 37.2 billion euros, which raises the total wealth in the hands of those over 70 years of age to 148 billion, close to 57% of the total. Spain is, literally, an economy controlled by septuagenarians and octogenarians. This data contrasts with the reality of other countries. For example, in the United States the average age of billionaires is around 65.7 years, according to the report ‘The Wealth Report 2025′ prepared by Knight Frank. In 2014, this average age was 63.3 years. If we focus on the 400 largest fortunes in the US (Forbes 400), the average age rises to 70 years. An aging country in every sense. The case of great fortunes is only a reflection of a broader pattern. According to data According to Eurostat, the average age in Spain is approximately 45.4 years, which places our country among the oldest in the European Union, whose average was 44.7 years in 2024. This demographic structure is also replicated in the business environment. According to data from ‘Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2024 Report’the number of entrepreneurs under 35 years of age has decreased by 25% in the last decade, while the average age of IBEX 35 directors and directors exceeds 61.2 years, according to data of the CNMV. Fortunes of the last century. Unlike the United States, where the origin of great fortunes It is linked to technological innovation —Elon Musk with Tesla and SpaceX; Larry Ellison with Oracle; Mark Zuckerberg and Meta or Jeff Bezos with Amazon—the greatest Spanish fortunes come from much more traditional sectors. According to Forbes Spain 2025, the dominant branches are textiles and distribution (Inditex, Mercadona, Tendam), banking and investment (Santander, March, Abelló), infrastructure and construction (Ferrovial, Acciona) and tourism (Meliá, Barceló). In the vast majority of cases, these are businesses founded or consolidated in the 20th century and today managed by the second or third generation. They are not fortunes born from disruptionbut of the continuity of the family business. At the gates of the “Great Transfer of Assets”. The aging of the economic elite in Spain anticipates a generational wealth transfer unprecedented in our country. Taking data from Forbes, the 111.2 billion euros controlled by people over 80 will inevitably pass at the hands of heirs or successors in the coming years. This transfer of wealth that, sooner rather than later, the richest in Spain will face, also has different implications. First of all, they must start succession processes. Something that, in the case of Amancio Ortega, for example, is in the hands of his daughter Marta Ortega which currently runs Inditex, but leaves great unknowns in many other financial empires. Furthermore, this transfer of assets between the heirs of great fortunes will contribute to reducing the concentration of capital in a single person, given that this assets are usually distributed between several heirs. In Xataka | “They don’t need half a billion dollars to live”: Mick Jagger refuses to leave a million-dollar inheritance to his eight children Image | GTRES, Mercadona, Ferrovial

from destroying its tree masses to being the third most forested country in Europe

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After decades of neglect, mismanagement and population exodus, Spain is today a European forestry power. In light of the data, reforestation efforts have borne fruit. However, not everything is good news: the Spanish forestry ‘miracle’ is accompanied by risks and problems that are very difficult to manage. Spain, forestry potential? Indeed. Spain has been climbing the European podium of forest area until reaching third position. According to Eurostat dataonly Sweden (28Mha) and Finland (22Mha) surpass Spain, which with its 19 million hectares is in record numbers. And in reality, we only count a small part of the forest area. In technical terms, not everything “forest” is “forest” and this is especially noticeable in Spain because, if we count the forest area Finland is surpassed and second place on the continent is reached. No wonder: between 50 and 56% of the country is considered forest area. Why is it important? Spain lost forest mass in a continuous and worrying manner from the beginning of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. The trend was so pressing that it began to be a problem: together with France and Germany, Spain concentrates a good part of Europe’s timber industry and overexploitation put the future of a good part of the country at risk. Luckily, the reforestation policies (and the rural depopulation that led a withdrawal of activity human productive) have caused this trend to reverse. It is not easy, almost two thirds of the forests are private and without active management; but as I say, during these decades the natural ‘movement’ of the Spanish forest was towards self-reforestation. That means that we are not always talking about “diverse mature forest” and ecologically sustainable. But, still, it is good news. Not all the mountain is oregano. Because, to begin with, poorly cared for forests, subjected to water stress, pests and indiscriminate logging, are sick forests. The evidence is clear: Europe’s forests have long they are losing the capacity to absorb carbon. Furthermore, since they are not well, everything becomes problems. Thus, what at another time would have been excellent news (a very rainy spring) become a ticking time bomb. Not for nothing, 2025 has been worst fire season. On the other hand, when we talk about forestry (with things like eucalyptus monoculture) what we find is that afforestation and increasing density can affect aquifers and finish giving the finishing touch to biodiversity. The big step we have to take. Little by little, humanity begins to realize that it is inevitable that it begins to take direct management of the entire ecosystem. And yes, it is something expensive, costly, and it cannot be stopped when there are economic problems. It is a very long-term project that, honestly, in a very polarized and in full energy transitionno administration can ensure 100%. However, it is a necessary project. That is, something that will mark our future in the medium term. And we’re not just talking about forests. Image | Mitchell Orr | Manuel Lopez In Xataka | The drought is so extreme that Catalonia has made a radical decision for its ecosystems: reduce rivers to a minimum

Spain is a country extremely loyal to its local supermarkets. A chain wants to change that: Action

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He already competitive and highly contested sector of retail Spanish has become complicated with the emergence of a new actor, one whom some already present as a direct competitor of Mercadona or Aldi, although its approach is slightly different. Your name: actiona Dutch chain that is expanding strongly throughout Europe. So much so, in fact, that he boasts of having more than 3,000 stores spread across 13 countries and serve 20.2 million customers every week. And among those countries Spain is included. What exactly is Action? A chain of stores. So far nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary. What has made him stand out is his expansion ratesomething it has achieved largely due to its approach: an aggressive commitment to promotions, prices and an offer in continuous review. To start (and how you can check in your website) the company offers a wide catalog of items that includes everything from household items to stationery, electronics, toys, tools, parapharmacy, clothing or sports. What it differs from, for example, Mercadona (or most supermarkets) is in its power line. While Juan Roig’s firm pays more and more attention to already cooked food and ready to goAction is limited to snacks, cookies, candy, soft drinks and some packaged foods, such as instant noodles or protein bars. Nothing fresh. No butcher or fruit shop sections. Is it their only difference? Its main bet is prices, a discount policy that leads it to launch weekly promotions with products under €15. The company gives it so much importance that it presents itself as “a chain of discount stores for non-food products” and assures that the majority of its products (two thirds) can be purchased for less than two euros. It is nothing exceptional, but it is an effective formula that has allowed other companies to grow before, like Temu. Action ensures that it always has 1,500 products for one euro and renews its catalog with 150 new items every week. And does it work for you? It seems so. At least if we look at your history and figures. Although the company is young (it opened its first store in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in 1993) it has managed to spread throughout Europe to add more than 3,000 stores in 13 countries. Your last balance shows that its net sales in the first half of the year reached 7.3 billion euros, 17.9% more than in 2024. Regarding commercial expansion, during the same period it opened 125 new stores that now receive, on average, around 20.2 million customers every week. Its main markets are France and Germany, where this year it opened its 600th store. Its presence is also notable in Poland, with around 400 premises. In general, its progression over the last 20 years has been more than notable: in 2003 the chain added 100 storesin 2008 they were already double, in 2014 it added half a thousand and in 2022 it exceeded the 2,000 barrier. This year it has already celebrated a new brand (3,000 stores), with the jump to the Romanian and Swiss markets. And in Spain? The chain debuted in Spain in 2022 and two years later it advanced its peninsular expansion with your first store in Portugal. Here the pioneer was an establishment in Girona, although during its inauguration those responsible for the company already announced that they would continue advancing with a view to the rest of Spain. In fact, during the Girona premiere, Monique Groeneveld, director of the firm, already clarified that in a matter of “weeks” more stores would open in the rest of Catalonia. The passing of the years has confirmed that he was not just talking. Today Action has almost 90 stores spread throughout much of the Spanish geography and a notable footprint in the Community of Madrid, Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Community. At the beginning of summer, when it had 74 stores, its workforce already exceeded 1,400 people. Recently its expansion throughout the Spanish geography was expanded with new stores in Royal City, Gijón, Baena and Tárrega. Since June, this vast commercial network has also been completed with its first distribution center in the country, the sixteenth in Europe. A facility of around 59,000 square meters (m2) located in Illescas, in the province of Toledo, designed to supply 210 stores throughout Spain and Portugal. Are they all advantages? No. Although the Dutch chain shares part of the strategy of other firms that have achieved a wide presence in Spain, as a commitment to low costaggressive pricing policy, promotions and own brandswill not have an easy time beating other large chains. Its offer is not comparable to that of Mercadona, Aldi or Lidl (especially due to the differences in food), but Spanish retail is already highly contested and has giants such as Roig’s firm, which has a share of almost 30%. The Spanish customer has also demonstrated notable loyalty towards regional firms. Images | Action and Google Maps In Xataka | For Juan Roig, the key to Mercadona’s future is very simple: “Salaries above the sector average”

The average price of Mb/s in each country in the world, arranged in a graph in which there is a unicorn: United Arab Emirates

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Accessing the Internet is a necessity. In an increasingly connected world and in which we trust practically all aspects of our lives to online applicationshave a good coverage and speed It has become something essential. In fact, a server “blackout” like him recently lived with those from AWS demonstrates to what extent we depend on this connection. However, although the Internet is global, there is a huge digital divide. To the point that there are some who pay a cent per Mbps… and others exceed four euros for the same amount. The graph. With data from We Are Socialthe graph prepared by Visual Capitalist compare the price of megabit per secondor Mbps, in more than 60 countries in 2025. Before commenting on individual cases, because there are very striking ones, it must be said that the estimate is that the average price of Mbps worldwide is around 45 cents. The global average is also around 40 euros, but as we can see in the data, there are countries above and below that completely distort that average. And something important to understand is that the price of Internet responds to infrastructure and population density (it is expensive to bring broadband Internet to remote populations), but also to factors such as competition and tax policies. One question: United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates perfectly exemplifies those last two points. It almost seems incredible, but the price of Mbps in the country exceeds four euros. Data from We Are Social puts it at $4.31 per Mb/s, almost double what is paid in the next most expensive country: Ghana with its $2.58 per Mb/s. On average, an Emirati pays between 100 and 140 dollars just to have Internet, and the big question is what is happening to make that happen. The answer? Politics and competition. In the UAE there are only two companies that provide the service, so this lack of real competition means that they do not have a need to lower the price. Do you want Internet? Well, take it or leave it. Plus, there is the political part. The State forces operators to transfer up to 30% of their profits to the country’s coffers, and it is something that directly affects the price of the final bill for the consumer. The speed not bad (an average of 300 Mbps), but it is evident that the price is prohibitive for many, potentially generating the aforementioned digital divide. The Romanian secret. In it opposite side On the spectrum we have the countries of Eastern Europe, specifically in a country whose flagship company we know well in Spain: Romania and DIGI. The average prices for fiber optics in the country are around 10 euros and the price of Mb/s is just 0.01 dollars. Russia and Poland are not far behind, and what has caused this is precisely the opposite of what is happening in the UAE. After the fall of communism, dozens of private operators They began to deploy decentralized fiber optic networks. Taking advantage of community wiring in cities and building blocks, the “last mile” problem was solved, allowing Internet to be offered to a large number of people with minimal costs. It is estimated that almost 90% of Romanian homes have high-speed Internet and DIGI has exported that “policy” outside its borders, offering the longed for 10 Gbps at the price of 1 Gbps in countries like Spain. Above the dollar. Commenting on each country is a complex process because there are multiple factors that come into play, but I find it almost more interesting to see which countries are whose Mbps exceeds the dollar. In fact, these countries perfectly exemplify everything that comes into play when it comes to offering a cheap connection: Swiss: The average price is just over two dollars per Mbps due to the dominance of a single operator and the country’s salary structure: high salaries and, therefore, high maintenance costs. Kenya: averages about $1.54 per Mbps due to its poor fiber infrastructure that makes the country depend to technologies like starlink or the google balloons. Now, the competition is increasing little by little. Morocco: its $1.16 is explained by uneven infrastructure and just three companies that dominate the market. Australia: At its $1.33 per Mbps, the tremendously dispersed geography comes into play, with rural areas very far from each other. Germany: It is the one that is around a dollar per Mb/s and is not the fastest connection in Europe, far from it. In fact, it is a paradoxical situation as it is a power in Europe while having a worse cost/speed ratio than its neighbors. Reason? A large operator that dominates the sector and an old infrastructure, with many areas in which copper continues to be the trend. The Spanish situation. Within our borders, Spain has a comfortable position. There is enough competition so that prices are affordable, with an average of about 10 cents per Mb/s and 1 Gbps packages that are around 30-40 euros per month, depending on the company. Unlimited data is not uncommon on smartphones either. There are many companies that compete in a controlled and regulated environment, with obligations such as sharing infrastructure, and all of this has caused Spain to be a benchmark in the fiber deploymenteven in rural areas. In Xataka | How to improve your WiFi signal in seven easy steps

Working remotely for another country is not so simple

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A programmer’s innocent question about the availability of remote positions on a development platform in Spain has sparked an interesting international debate in X about a reality of the Spanish labor market that many were unaware of: those companies who hire in Spaineven if they are remote, must pay taxes in Spain. The problem is that not everyone can bear that additional cost. A complicated labor market A Spanish software developer asked in X to the CEO of Vercela cloud infrastructure platform of Argentine origin, on the availability of vacancies in Spain since, when carrying out the search, they only appeared in Germany and the United Kingdom, when in the past they had hired in Spain. The manager’s response It was simple, but it hid a reality that many companies that want to hire engineers and programmers in Spain face: “Unfortunately, we had to leave Spain; it was incredibly difficult to hire staff and expand our company there. We tried!” The expert analyst of technological employment trends, Gergely Orosz, witness to the conversation, pointed out some of the difficulties that companies that want to hire in other countries find, even if it is a remote work agreement:”(…) explains why ‘remote’ positions are often ‘remote in country X’. When a company employs someone who works remotely in country Y, they must follow the country’s regulations and following those regulations can be costly and time-consuming. Present rigid procedures, mandatory processes with a lot of paperwork, etc. “Most American companies are baffled by these requirements in European countries,” the analyst wrote. You hire in Spain, you pay taxes in Spain Spanish and international legislation, described in article 15 of the Tax Agreement on Income and Wealthdoes not make distinctions between remote or in-person hiring. Therefore, a foreign company that wants to hire someone with tax residence in Spain and who is going to work remotely from the country, must meet exactly the same tax obligations and requirements What if you hire her to go to a physical workplace every day. The problem, to hire someone in Spain, is that the company needs to be registered with Social Security to pay contributions, and have a Tax Identification Number. That is, it is necessary to be a natural or legal person in Spain. This implies that the company should have a tax representative in the country or what is called Permanent establishment. In other words, the foreign company must have a headquarters based in Spain to channel through it hiring in Spanish territory and comply with tax and labor obligations. Tap on the image to go to the original message As entrepreneur and developer David Bonilla points out in a message response thread from the founder of Vercel, there are several options for hiring in Spain, but none of them are easy for companies or workers, especially if they do not have the capacity to open a headquarters (or subsidiary, branch, permanent establishment or any other legal figure of representation) in Spain. The risk of going from worker to “headquarters” Once the headquarters option has been ruled out, the alternatives result in the employee becoming a service company by becoming self-employed or by establishing a limited company and billing its services to the foreign company as a commercial activity, not labor. However, that would mean walking on a knife’s edge for two reasons: the first is that if there is not a very clear definition of the commercial terms and conditions, the relationship can be interpreted as signs of employmentwhich brings us to the figure of the false self-employed. On the other hand, the Tax Agency could consider that these self-employed workers or companies act as a subsidiary of the company to which they invoice, so they must respond not only for their activity, but also for that of the “parent” company. On the other hand, it is also possible to do it by intermediary recruitment platforms as Deel either remote. These companies act as a bridge between the worker and the companies, preventing the contractor from having to assume all the tax procedures. Therefore, in some way, despite working for the company that contracts the service, from an administrative point of view you will really be working for the intermediary that provides the service. The use of these intermediaries (Employer of Record or EOR) increases the labor cost bill by between 10% and 20%, which leaves Spanish employees in a less competitive position with respect to other countries. In general terms, the difficulties that the CEO of Vercel pointed out for its deployment in Spain is that, to hire a single person in Spain and remotely, they need to comply with the same requirements as for hiring 1,000 employees. If the company’s priority is not to be present in the Spanish market, the implementation effort to hire one or more people is not worth it. This implies that it is conditional to hire in Spain, even if it is for work remotely from Spainbecause that company already has infrastructure in the country. This tax and labor policy is much more lax in countries like the US, the United Kingdom or India, which is why it is much more common for large technology companies to hire programmers and remote employees in those markets. In Xataka | Finding a job had always been a good way to escape poverty: in Spain it is no longer true Image | Unsplash (Magnus Andersson, Thammy Kolb)

Spain has become the first European country to break the gas. The only problem is that the invoice says something else

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At first glance it seems a contradiction: we produce more solar and wind energy than ever, and yet The invoice continues. Sometimes it seems that everything returns to the same thing: gas. And, in part, it is true. The gas continues to enter every night to sustain the electrical system when the sun falls. But behind that reality there is another less visible: Spain is getting the structural link between electricity and fossil fuels. Reducing the power of gas. According to an Ember analysisthe influence of gas and coal in electric prices has been reduced by 75% since 2019. In the first half of 2025, the gas only determined the price of light 19% of the time, compared to 75% of six years ago. The result is overwhelming: the wholesale price of electricity in Spain was 32 % lower than the European average. While Germany or Italy have barely reduced the influence of gas by 12%and 13%, respectively, Spain has done it in 75%. It is a much faster jump than in any other large European electric market. Spain stopped the power of gas and coal, becoming one of the cheapest markets in Europe This fall reflects a deep transformation of the system. The country has made renewable energy – more cheap and stable – progressively replace gas and coal in pricing. So why don’t you notice the invoice? The answer, as we will see, has to do with the network, the storage and a blackout that changed the rules of the game. An exponential growth. Since 2019, Spain added more than 40 GW Of new wind and solar capacity, which has allowed the renewables to cover 46 % of the electrical demand in the first half of 2025. In that same period, the generation with gas and coal fell to 20 %, compared to more than 40 % that still register Germany and Italy. This transformation has had a direct effect on the market: gas and coal are barely marked the price of light. “Spain has broken the dire bond between electricity and fossil fuels”, summarize Chris RossloweEmber analyst. However, this technical achievement does not mean that the system is free of shadows. The imperceptible success. Here comes the less encouraging part. The problem is not only how much it costs to generate electricity, but how the system remains stable. After the blackout of April 28, 2025, Ree adopted an “reinforced” operational modeactivating more combined gas cycles to stabilize the network. That strategy avoided new cuts, but had a high cost. The use of gas for network services – as voltage control or frequency regulation – doubled in May 2025 compared to the previous year. These services went from representing 14% of the final price before the blackout at 57% that month, According to Ember. In addition, the missing renewable energy (Curtailment) It tripled after the blackout, moving from 1.8% in the two years prior to 7.2% between May and July 2025. In practice, a part of the clean energy generated is lost because the system cannot manage it. A power with bottlenecks. Despite being a renewable power, Spain only invests 30 cents in electrical networks for each euro allocated to renewables, compared to the 70 cents on average in Europe, As the report explains. And although it is the fourth largest electrical market of the continent, it occupies the 13th position in battery capacity, with just 120 MW installed. In some points of the network, Ree has recognized losses of up to 30% of the renewable generation due to lack of infrastructure. This imbalance prevents the clean energy from fully taking advantage of and forces to resort to gas as support. As we have pointed out in Xatakathe system is still vulnerable and rigid: only one in ten new facilities manages to access the network. After the blackout. The blackout marked a before and after. Although European experts have published A factual report, the official report is not expected until the end of the year. Following that episode, the government approved Royal Decree-Law 7/2025with measures to reinforce the network, encourage storage and make access to hybrid facilities. Although the text was rejected by Congress on July 22, part of its measures are being applied by other ways. Among them, As Ember points outthe incorporation of eight synchronous compensators – devices that stabilize the tension without using fossil fuels – and the impulse of 2,600 MW of new batteries, of which 340 MW already have permission. The Executive also plans to launch capacity auctions before 2026 to keep gas plants operational while structural solutions are displayed. But the message of the sector is clear: it will take time, investment and brave political decisions. The European Energy Laboratory. The Spanish case has become a mirror for the rest of the continent. It has shown that growing in solar and wind reduces the wholesale price and gas dependence, but also that without network and storage investment the benefits do not reach the consumer. In Brussels and in neighboring markets, Spain’s example is closely followed as a transition model: a country that has reduced its fossil dependence without sacrificing competitiveness, but still fights to transfer that advantage to the citizen. In Rosslowe’s words: “Spain has shown the way, but to keep it you need to invest in clean flexibility and modern networks.” Electricity is already cheaper to produce. It is also necessary to pay. Image | Freepik Xataka | In his career for the total domain of the solar panels, a rival has come out: the Spanish Perovskita

The Spanish rice has come out in the most unexpected country in Europe: England

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Spain is one of the great rice producers in Europe. The annual production of this cereal is around 800,000 tonsa significant portion of 2.8 million tons produced in the European Union. Now a new country could be incorporated into the list of European producing countries (although it comes late to join the Union list).It is the United Kingdom. A crop making their way. The rice cultivation He makes his way in England. An experimental rice plantation is demonstrating the viability of the cultivation of this cereal in the relatively fresh and humid climate of the British islands. Nine varieties. The experiment It is being driven by the UKCEH (UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology) and for a marriage of local farmers, Craig and Sarah Taylor. The experimental rice cultivation occupies four plots of a land in the FENS region, in Cambridgeshire. In this region of the East English, marshes and peat areas predominate. The soil in this region is not only rich in nutrients and conducive to agriculture but also offers, thanks to peat, the possibility of creating floodplains such as those required by rice cultivation. The four plots occupied by this experimental crop have been sufficient to cultivate nine varieties of rice, including rice originating in Brazil, Italy or the Philippines, varieties used for plates such as risotto, Basmati rice or sushi. With the help of heat. Cultivating rice in the British climate does not seem like a great idea, but the results seem to indicate otherwise. It may have contributed the exceptionally warm summer that has affected the British islands. The future of rice cultivation on the islands could depend on the heat lived this year being a simple anomaly or fruit of a trend marked towards increasing temperatures. “We could never have contemplated that this grew here,” explained to the BBC Sarah Taylor, one of those responsible for this project. “Not in a million years,” Apostille Craig, her husband. Tying the carbon. The mob plays an important role in carbon regulation. This soil originates in the decomposition of organic matter and stores a large amount of carbon. The degradation of these soils as a result of agricultural use implies the emission to the atmosphere of huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The rice planting project He wants to avoid thisTying the carbon to the terrestrial peat of the English region. This implies that the project not only has the potential to help adapt to change in the weather, it is also a way to mitigate the emissions that cause it. New competition? Climate change involves numerous challenges and perhaps one of the greatest has to do with agriculture. Changes in temperature and rain patterns imply that the crops that once prospered in one place stop doing so. On the other hand, change also open the road to the introduction of new crops where they would have been inconceivable before. In a changing context, rice crops in Spain raise a double threat. On the one hand, The drought lived a few years ago It was a threat to endanger the supply of water in areas such as the Ebro delta. In case that were not enough, the rainy episodes we have seen in the last year have also brought New threats to cereal producing regions. In Xataka | The US launched a pulse to China with the tariffs and China has responded not buying soybeans. It is wreaking havoc Image | UKCEH

The amount of nuclear energy generated by each country, detailed in this interactive map

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The World Nuclear Association esteem that there are about 430 operational nuclear reactors worldwide. In full Era of renewables and the decarbonizationnuclear energy remains a important energy source for many countriesso much that China, India or France depend largely on it and even private companies resort to their “own” reactors to feed the glottone artificial intelligence. And in This interactive map We can see not only what are the countries that produce more nuclear energybut how many reactors have or the participation of nuclear in its energy mix. The US giant. The color leaves no doubt: the United States is the country that most GWH from gender nuclear energy in 2024. The estimate is 823 TWH and, although the separate data may not tell us anything, put into context represents about 30% of global nuclear energy. It is the country with more active nuclear reactors -94- and it is estimated that the nuclear participated in just over 18% of its energy mix. It is a remarkable figure if we take into account the impulse of renewables in recent yearsas well as the Importance of gas and oil in its energy matrix. And it contrasts a lot with the 85 TWH of Canada or only 12.3 TWH of Mexico, countries with 19 and two reactors respectively. China. The next darker color is China. Your case is curious because, if there is a Example of impulse to renewableswith immense importance of both wind as of the Photovoltaicbut also with the largest hydroelectric dam in the world (and another under construction), that is China. The 57 reactors in the country are estimated to generate about 450 TWH of electricity, placing themselves as the second power in this area. However, unlike the United States and other countries that we will see below, although they are investigating to have more reactors (with some latest generation on the horizon), the participation of nuclear is still very low in the Asian giant. The calculation is that less than 5% of China’s energy in 2024 arrived from a nuclear reactor. France, Top 1. The French neighbors are those who complete the podium of nuclear energy production and, if in the case of the US we talk about an important participation, in the Frenchman we have to refer to this source as fundamental. It is estimated that the nuclear generated 380.5 TWH for 2024, but the most relevant data is that 67.3% of the energy consumed by France was nuclear. With its 57 reactors, it is the country most dependent on nuclear energy worldwide. France has made huge investments both in nuclear energy and in Nuclear weaponsbeing one of the European shields in this aspectbut perhaps more attention figures from other European countries that, with less reactors, are almost as dependent as France. Slovakia (five reactors) with 60.6%, Belgium (five reactors) with 54.5%, Hungary (four reactors) with 47%, Bulgaria (two reactors) with 41%or Czech Republic (six reactors) with 40%also depend on nuclear energy. Another curious case is that of Slovenia, which has only one reactor and 35% of the country’s electricity depends on not failing. Countries ordered by its dependence on nuclear energy Blank countries. As curious as seeing what countries use and depend on the electricity generated from nuclear energy is to pass the mouse on those that are completely blank. One is Germany. If you have traveled by plane from Spain to Colonia or Berlin, you will have seen the occasional central, so it is rare to see that it does not produce electricity through nuclear. The country had its maximum in 2006, when it generated about 170 twh that would put it together with the giants of today, but after a series of political decisions and step on the accelerator after the Fukushima’s tragic accidentGermany closed all its centrals in 2023. Another absent is Australia, where it is prohibited by law. Also Italy, which prohibited it in referendums made in 1987 and 2011. Dynamic. However, all this can change. The use of nuclear energy remains a hot topic both for those who argue that it is a cleaner source of energy than coal or gas (which They seem to resurface strongly due to Consumption of data centers) as for the detractors who They allude to accidents and problems with Waste management. There are political voices in ItalyAustralia, Poland or Germany that ask for a return to nuclear energy, and the truth is that there are countries that continue to investigate to expand their “arsenal” of reactors. India, South Korea, Japan or China itself have a positive trend in the use of nuclear and it is estimated that there are about 70 reactors under construction. The interesting thing will be to take a look at this map within a few years, since among the plans for Reactivate nuclear centrals that meet the needs of the technological industry, the increase in Investment in giants such as India or China and research in SMR reactors and of nuclear fusionthe panorama can change a lot in the coming years. In Xataka | China was the great pollut the planet: now it is emerging as the first “electrostate” in history

The F-47 will not only be the most advanced hunt in the US. The filtration of his badge has revealed which country aims

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Last March was the closest thing to winning the lottery in the Boeing headquarters. After spending tremendously complicated years, the United States gave him air with the contract contract: The future F-47aspiring to replace F-22 and overcome it in everything to become the New armed arm of the nation. Several months have passed since then, and now the badge that will accompany the standard of American combat fighters has been leaked. There are not many doubts about the enemy. An emblem under construction. The Network appearance of a patch with the Registration “F-47 SMO” and the central figure of a phoenix has revived speculation around the program of the sixth American generation hunting. The Air Force confirmed That the design was prepared within the F-47 system management office, although it has not yet been formalized and is in the development phase, that is, the final design may undergo some change. The patch includes several recurring elements of the military heraldry (golden deltas, red stars, books in Latin), but also, and perhaps the “nuclear”, more enigmatic symbols, such as silhouette From the Chinese oriental coastthat suggest the strategic orientation of the project towards an eventual confrontation with Beijing in the Pacific. The motto “SUPERAMUS PERSAMUS LETAMUS” (“We defeat, persevere, rejoice”), inherited from previous initiatives of the NGAD programreinforces the idea of ​​continuity of an effort that was close to canceling and that, like the mythical bird, seems to resurface from its ashes. Program symbol. The central reason for the phoenix, or Firebird, is especially significant in the trajectory of F-47. Before administration Trump will rescue himthe NGAD was about to be sacrificed to other budgetary priorities. Hence, the metaphor of the Renaissance charges strength: an immortal project that, despite political doubts, resurfaces with renewed vigor to become the pillar of US air superiority in the coming decades. The reference to the phoenix also evokes the duality of the “Firebird” Eslavacapable of being blessing or cursewhich reflects the enormous technological and financial commitment that the program implies. Although unlikely as an official name, the nickname could be popular in the same way as The A-10 It is known as “Warthog” and not for its formal denomination, Thunderbolt II. Cryptic details Beyond the phoenix, the patch accumulates symbols with open interpretations. The three yellow deltas remember the used In previous badges of the Agile Development Office, linked to the NGAD since 2019, and could refer to the competition between Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, from which it finally emerged Boeing winner. The six red stars Evoke to the Test Center Groom Lake ultrasecreto, known as area 51where NGAD prototypes were tested. With fewer doubts that white silhouette appears, with the profile of the Chinese coast, and which fits with the role assigned to F-47 as a spearhead to penetrate the EPL anti-aircraft systems in an eventual conflict. The acronym “FBC”, without official explanation, adds one more degree of mystery to the whole. History and nomenclature. The number 47 pays tribute to both the legendary P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II as a year of Foundation of the Air Force in 1947, in addition to coinciding with the presidential numbering of Trump, decisive in the relaunch of the program. The history of US military aviation offers precedents in which unofficial names surpassed the formal: the A-10, officially Thunderbolt II, is universally known as Warthog. Perhaps for this reason, in the future, the F-47 could maintain the Thunderbolt tradition, released after the withdrawal of the A-10, or adopt an alternative nickname like Phoenix, although the denomination is already reserved for Another navy plane. Projections and context. The F-47 will be the nucleus of the United States air projection capacity on the horizon of mid-century, conceived not only as a combat plane, but as part of A system system which will include accompanying drones and emerging technologies. Boeing already works on the first specimens, with an inaugural flight planned for 2028although the entry into operational service remains uncertain. Your essential mission will be drilling The denial bubbles of area (A2/AD) of the adversary and ensure the air advantage in high intensity scenarios in front of China. The aesthetics of the patch, which, as we said, is still provisional and can undergo changes, therefore works as a symbolic window to the “nuclear” mission and the narrative that the Air Force wants to build around its most ambitious air project since The F-22. Image | USAF/RAMA World, inc. In Xataka | Boeing came from difficult years. The US has just given air with the contract that can mark his return: that of the new F-47 In Xataka | Boeing F-47 images reveal that it will not be as “furtive” as expected. But it has something more suggestive: Canards

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