cruise

the search against time to locate the “loose ends” of the hantavirus cruise

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Although how much the experts insist In which the risk for the populations is very low, the fear of the hantavirus continues to travel through each of the countries through which the passengers of the MV Hondius have circulated. Actually, it’s normal. Fear is a very human emotion, which helps us be alert in situations as new as this one. There is considerable uncertainty in this situation, especially in relation to passengers who got off the ship before the hantavirus outbreak was confirmed. However, little by little this uncertainty is fading as information about their countries of origin arrives. Saint Helena, April 24, 2026. On April 24, 13 days after the death of the first infected passenger with hantavirus, the ship made a stop on the British island of Saint Helena. He took the opportunity to lower the body and prepare it for repatriation. His wife traveled with him, who became the second victim, after traveling to South Africa. In addition to the two deceased, it is known that on the island another 28 people got off. It was not yet known that the first victim had a contagious virusso no passenger control was carried out. Then what? Since it became known that there was a hantavirus outbreak on the ship, attempts have been made to locate those 28 people and their close contacts. It is known that among them there were passengers of at least 12 different nationalities. There were mainly British and Americans, but also people from other countries such as Singapore, Canada or Germany, among others. The countries of origin or residence of each of them have also been taking charge. Thus, some have already achieved the goal of finding them and putting them in quarantine. From the United States to Singapore. In the United States there are five people in quarantinespread across Texas, California, Arizona and Georgia. In Singapore too have been quarantined and to the two passengers who got off in Santa Elena. France had no citizens among that group of passengers, but has quarantined eight citizens who were in contact with one of those people on a flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg. In short, many of these people are already under observation, although it is true that there are others to be identified and monitored. Many of the passengers who got off in Santa Elena have already been identified. It is not very contagious. The positive part of all this is that hantavirus is not as contagious as other pathogens with pandemic potential such as the COVID-19 coronavirus. In general, contagion between people, which only occurs with Andes variant (that of the boat), requires very close contacts. It is possible that he was a super-spreader on board the cruise ship. That is, a person from whose body a virus is transmitted exceptionally well. We saw some cases with COVID-19, for example. However, it is normal that the rest of those infected are not super-spreaders. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that there were several simultaneous infections when coming into contact with mice on an excursion. It would not be a patient who is super contagious, but there could have been an initial event that caused a good part of the cases. In both scenarios, the contagion capacity would decrease over time. dead end. Another positive point about hantavirus is that has what is known as a dead end. It cannot be contagious continuously. It is known that, at most, it usually reaches three links. That is, one person infects another, that second infected person passes the disease to a third and that’s it. The chain cuts itself. For this reason, even if some of the people who got off in Santa Elena could continue to be contagious, they would not infect many people beyond their closest contacts. And what about those who are still on the boat? Spain is prepared to repatriate all passengers, with or without symptoms, or treat whoever is necessary. In that case, the transfer will be carried out with the necessary safety conditions so that there are no more infections. Therefore, from now on, the important thing is that these people undergo the necessary quarantines. Each country will decide how long they will be, but always taking into account that the incubation time in the most extreme cases can exceed 40 days. Easy to detect. The genome of this virus is very well known. For this reason, the diagnosis is simple through PCR. This test will be carried out on passengers on several occasions during the quarantine, to check their evolution. They cannot be discharged without repeating it once again. That said, although it is logical that uncertainty worries us, it is important that we keep in mind the limited pandemic potential of this virus. There is a lot of work to be done to ensure that the situation does not get worse, but there are already many people working on it. Image | CDC/Magnific | Fdesroches In Xataka | We believed that hantavirus did not jump between humans. Until someone went to a birthday party in Argentina

Russian Tu-95MS bombers have just flown over the Arctic Circle with cruise missiles. And they were not alone

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At the beginning of the sixties, various military radars installed in the extreme north of Alaska frequently detected enormous echoes approaching from the polar horizon. For a few minutes, the operators did not know if they were seeing simple patrol flights or the beginning of something much more serious. These constant alerts ended up transforming the Arctic into one of the most monitored places on the planet. Because in the coldest and emptiest regions of the world, any air movement can have enormous meaning. The return of strategic bombers to the Arctic. It announced the same social networks of the Russian Armed Forces along with a video so that it was clear. Russian strategic bombers Tu-95MS They had just flown over the Polar Circle armed with Kh-101 cruise missile while they were escorted by fighters and supported by tankers near NATO airspace. There is no doubt, the image recovers a scene very typical of the Cold War: large nuclear deterrence platforms patrolling for hours on Arctic routes while Western forces monitor them from a distance. As we said, Moscow also wanted the deployment to be visible, disseminating images of the missile under the wings of the bomber and indirectly reminding that these devices can carry up to eight Kh-101 thanks to your AKU-5M systems. Although several analysts believe that the missile shown was an inert version training, the message remains evident: Russia wants to normalize the presence of armed strategic bombers near the borders of northern Europe. A patrol designed to send a message. The mission lasted more than seven hours over the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea and included two Tu-95MS, at least one escort Su-30SM2 and a Il-78M tanker aircraft to practice in-flight refueling. The Russian Ministry of Defense published detailed images of takeoff, aerial maneuvers and the return of the bombers still armed, something unusual even for this type of operations. Moscow insisted that everything was done over neutral waters and in accordance with international standards, although he added an important detail: during part of the route the planes were accompanied by fighters from other countries, probably NATO aircraft who followed the patrol closely. The Arctic thus once again shows signs of constant aerial surveillance between both blocks. The Kh-101 completely changes the meaning of flight. The presence of the Kh-101 missile turns these patrols into something much more serious than a simple routine exercise. This cruise missile, widely used for Russia in Ukrainecan reach targets located at approximately 2,800 kilometers and continues to evolve with new variants equipped with penetration systems, decoys or different types of guidance. Even if the version carried during the flight was only for testing, displaying it over the Arctic serves as a strategic demonstration towards the West. Russia makes it clear that it maintains active its ability to launch long-range attacks from polar corridors that are once again gaining enormous military importance. An increasingly constant air pressure. Plus: These flights fit into much broader Russian military activity around Europe and the Pacific. In recent months too Tu-22M3 have been seen armed with Kh-22 or Kh-32 missiles, MiG-31 carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and Su-24 conducting raids near the Baltic airspace. Precisely one of those episodes recently forced the Rafale fighter deployment French from Lithuania within the NATO air policing mission, together with Romanian F-16s. At the same time, the Tu-95MS themselves have continued to carry out flights of more than ten hours near Alaska and the Sea of ​​Japan, forcing both NORAD and allied European and Asian forces to react. The north once again resembles the Cold War. For years, the Arctic was seen above all as a strategic region for its resources and sea routes, but for some time now it seems to be becoming a priority military corridor. The Russian decision to show armed strategic bombers flying over the Polar Circle with fighter escort and resupply support conveys precisely that idea. If you like, the Kremlin seems to assume that the military rivalry with the West will be long-lasting and that the northern routes will have a central role in any future scenario. The final image that remains is difficult to ignore: nuclear bombers, cruise missiles, Western interceptors and long-distance patrols once again cross paths over the frozen skies of the Arctic. Image | Telegram In Xataka | As we look to the Middle East, the Arctic has become the hiding place for Russia’s biggest challenge to NATO: Borei and Yasen In Xataka | A nuclear giant designed to make way in the Arctic: this is the most modern icebreaker in the Russian fleet

While the hantavirus from the MV Hondius cruise makes headlines, the closest health risk is 10 km from any Mediterranean city

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When the MV Hondius left Ushuaia heading to Antarctica on March 20, no one could imagine the hell they were about to live: 150 people of 23 different nationalities, a relatively small ship and a virus that has already caused the death of three passengers. The Dutch shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions consider now docking in the Canary Islandswhich guarantees extra media attention. And yet, the health risk is minimal. In fact, the true health risk for Spain lies elsewhere: much closer. “Risk”? Yes, ‘risk’ is the word and the best example is Andalusia. March 2, 2026 the Board announced that its Strategic Plan for Surveillance and Comprehensive Vector Control until now limited to the West Nile virus will incorporate (for the first time) the monitoring of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. It seems somewhat anecdotal, but what it hides is a profound epidemiological change: not only Andalusia, but the entire Spanish Mediterranean is becoming the perfect ‘breeding ground’ for the mosquitoes that spread all these diseases. What’s more, all this coincides temporally not only with the largest dengue epidemic ever recorded in the Americas (12.6 million cases)but with the historical record of indigenous chikungunya in continental Europe. Dengue in Spain. It is worth stopping at this because, according to data from the National Center for EpidemiologySpain reported 1,119 cases of dengue in 2024 (compared to 615 in 2023, 503 in 2022 and 50 in 2021). It is true that the majority are imported, but indigenous cases are growing. It is not a minor issue: before 2018 We had gone almost a century without indigenous cases in Spain. What changes for someone who lives in Spain? Today, 66% of the Spanish population already lives in municipalities with confirmed presence of tiger mosquitoes. This means that the individual risk of contracting diseases such as dengue, chikungunya or Zika remains low and localized (without having left the country), but it is certainly on the table. As Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of the ECDC, pointed out last year, we have entered a new normal. And we have to learn that this situation is not fought with headlines but by eliminating stagnant water in patios and terraces. It is worth remembering that the (immense) majority of epidemics in the last 40 years have not been due to unknown diseasesbut to known diseases that went beyond their usual niche. That’s what we’re about to see: a bunch of diseases moving across a continent that has no recent experience managing them. Image | Mithil Girish In Xataka | Mosquitoes attack me in summer and I tried these TikTok tricks to get rid of them

The three hantavirus deaths on a cruise ship suggest something problematic for something else: the colonization of space

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What happened on the Argentine cruise ship in which three people died from hantavirus is very sad and, of course, must be investigated. However, many news stories are being read in which it is used to bring to mind bitter pandemic memories and generate an unnecessary stir. The risk for the general population is extremely low, as many experts have been quick to assure. However, it does show how dangerous it can be to let a pathogen circulate in a closed, moving place, like a boat. We can even go a step further now that the space race is in fashion: what would happen if something like this happened on a spaceship? It couldn’t happen. Typically, hantavirus It is transmitted by rodentslike rats and mice. Generally, infection in humans occurs through inhalation of contaminated particles (usually dust) with their feces or urine. This means that, in most cases, the contagion is a zoonosis. The virus passes from an animal to a human. That in space would be impossible. Spaceships are monitored under a magnifying glass, it would be impossible for a mouse to enter without being seen. It is true that there is a specific type of hantavirus, the Andes virus, in which cases have been documented due to human-to-human contact. However, according to has explained to Science Media Center the researcher at the MRC-University of Glasgow Viral Research Center Liam Brierley, contact must be very very close. Contact on spaceships, where a few people must spend a lot of time together in a very small space, would be very close. But don’t panic. Sterility and quarantines. Each of the modules that make up the spacecraft are assembled in white roomsunder strict sterile conditions. Thus, microorganisms, pathogenic or not, are prevented from traveling into space attached to their surfaces. Regarding astronauts, they undergo all kinds of medical examinations to verify that they are not infected with any pathogen. Also, before traveling to space They must spend time in quarantine. This prevents the incubation of something that cannot be detected in medical examinations at the time of starting the journey. It wasn’t always like this. In reality, quarantines began to be implemented after the astronauts of the Apollo 7, 8 and 9 missions had to deal with a cold in space. Although none of them became seriously ill, they did report that the symptoms were especially bothersome in this very different environment. Therefore, it was decided to take even more measures to prevent something like this from happening. The Apollo 7 crew had to deal with a cold. Not all microorganisms stay on land. It is impossible to strip a human being of all the microorganisms that live in his body. The microbiota is the set of microorganisms that are naturally found in our body. Many of them are beneficial for us, as they protect us from pathogens or help us carry out processes such as digestion. All these microorganisms always travel with us, so it is impossible to separate ourselves from them. And even if you could, it would be dangerous to do so. Others that cannot be avoided. Nor can latent viruses be avoided, like shingles. Once a person passes the infection, these remain asleep in the organism. They may never come forward again or they may do so, usually at a time when the immune system is weakened. It has been seen that reactivations of this type of virus are quite common in space and the truth is that it is not rare, since it affects the immune system at many levels. Three basic pillars. Microgravity, cosmic radiation and the stress of being in such an inhospitable place are the three main reasons why the immune system is affected by space travel. Everything in its place. Microorganisms that are completely harmless in a person’s microbiota can be harmful to another individual, either because they are immunosuppressed or because their defenses are not well trained against that organism. enemy. It is something that, for example, happens with many microorganisms on the skin. It should also be taken into account that there are microorganisms that are harmless in some organs, but harmful in others. It occurs, for example, when bacteria from the digestive system pass into the urinary system. Be careful which direction you wipe when going to the bathroom. We cannot get rid of our microbiota. And thank goodness. Malted pathogens. We have already seen that it is very difficult for pathogenic microorganisms to travel to space. But it may be the case that an apparently innocuous microorganism appears where it should not. Or it may no longer be harmless due to spatial conditions. It is known that cosmic radiation, extreme temperature conditions or microgravity can influence the genes expressed by a microorganism. For example, in pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella typhimuriumit has been observed that in space They express a genetic pattern very different from the one they use on Earth. Besides, they become more virulent when they are off the planet. We do not know if some apparently innocuous microorganisms could also develop certain virulence due to this change of environment. An eye on the future. For something like this to happen today would be very strange. However, there are two scenarios in the future in which, perhaps, one of these situations could occur. On the one hand, microorganisms are deliberately introduced into the ships. For example, there could be microorganisms that transform lunar regolith into arable soil. It would be necessary to see if it is worth taking the risk of putting them on a spaceship. On the other hand, in the future space travel will be much more the order of the day. Then there may not be as many controls as there are now or, out of so many, some may fail. Just as globalization has led some pathogens to travel faster around the world, it would not be unusual for something similar to happen in space. We’re speculating, but it’s worth thinking … Read more

build luxury cruise ships. And he’s doing it at full speed

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For decades, Europe has been without a doubt the world reference in the construction of cruise ships with four outstanding shipyards: in Italy, Germany, France and Finland. However, beneath those luxurious interiors hide ambitious works of engineering in the form of small (relatively) cities that navigate the oceans. China was already an authority in the construction of freighters and container ships, but cruise ships resisted it. three years ago timidly entered the sectorbut he is burning stages in record time. The Adora Flora City is almost ready. Last Friday the Love Flora City (in Chinese, Aida Huacheng), left dry dock in Shanghai. In short: only your test trips and final delivery are ahead of you on your roadmap, although tickets can now be reserved for their first cruises at the end of the year from Guangzhou. Everything is going as planned and at printing speed too: it was assembled in just nine months. This impressive luxury cruise ship has been built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. at the city’s shipyard and with Guangzhou Nansha as its home port. It is 341 meters long and 37.2 meters wide and inside there is capacity for 5,232 passengers, distributed in 2,144 cabins. Your design is inspired on the Silk Road and Lingnan culture, with floral motifs throughout the ship in a nod to Guangzhou. However, Huacheng is “City of Flowers” the nickname of Guangzhou. Why is it important. Because building a cruise ship is one of the most complex projects in naval engineering, which demonstrates its scarcity and the seniority of the classic European shipyards, and China has demonstrated both its technical power and its enormous learning capacity. And in what way: China has stepped on the accelerator on its learning curve. From the first to the second cruise it has shortened construction deadlines and reduced its external dependence, with a near date to be completely independent. Aid from the West has been a double-edged sword (for the West): it has helped create a competitor that, based on precedents in other sectors, can change the naval industry drastically. Context. Adora Cruises was born in 2015 as a joint venture between CSSC and Carnival Corporation, the largest cruise operator in the world. China provided shipyards and the market and Carnival provided its experience and the brand. But the pandemic disrupted plans, the relationship cooled and Carnival ended up withdrawing completely. When it was born, its goal was for the ships to be operated by the Asian division of Aida Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival (hence its name Aida). At the beginning of this year, Adora integrated with other state operators under the China Cruises brand in a movement in which, although Adora maintains its recognizable name, it seeks to optimize its operational performance and consolidate its presence in the Chinese market. It is already an entirely Chinese project. The first cruise. He Love Magic City (Aida Modu) was the first large cruise ship manufactured entirely in China. Among its specifications, a length of 323 meters, capacity to accommodate up to 5,246 passengers on its 14 decks and 2,125 cabins with a style that combines Western with Chinese. In this case, assembling the helmet cost them a little more: 11 months. detaching from Fincantieri. But while for the Adora Magic City intensive technical support from the Italian shipyard Fincantieri, with the Flora City, Chinese engineering is almost on its own. The construction and coordination of work is now entirely Chinese. Ficantieri and the RINA classification society are still in the project, providing licenses, the design platform and some parts, but they are no longer supervising. What’s coming As reported by XinhuaLast Friday, China Tourism Group and CSSC signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a new cruise ship. Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding plans to accelerate the construction of a cruise ship assembly base and already has in mind the date to deliver the first independent, that is, 100% Chinese, large cruise ship: in 2030. The idea is to pave the way to enter the mass production phase. In Xataka | We believed that the most incredible thing about megacruises is their size. It turns out that the real miracle is their kitchens In Xataka | From trips for honeymooners and retirees to Gen Z phenomenon: this is how cruises are being saved Images | Adora Cruises

Ukraine has opened Russia’s cruise and ballistic missiles. War is impossible if your allies make weapons for you

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He fed up with Ukraine with the hole that exists around international sanctions it is palpable and numeric. kyiv intelligence has hundreds of reports in your possession that reveal that Russian drones have passed those sanctions for the lining. And not just drones, even in the tanks. The latest: Ukraine has begun analyzing parts of Moscow’s latest cruise and ballistic missiles. And what they found is a deja vu. Clandestine circuit. Three and a half years after the start of the invasion, Ukraine continues to dismantle the last Russian missiles and drones and find tens of thousands of parts inside made in the westthe majority of his “allies” (microcontrollers, sensors, connectors, converters) from countries that have theoretically embargoed the supply: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan. Of course also, Moscow’s allies like china. In fact, Zelensky put in more than 100,000 the foreign components found only among 550 vectors used in a single recent bombing, confirming that the sanctions have not turned off the tap: if anything they have made it more expensive and slowed down, but not dried up. The escape mechanism. It we have counted before. The mode of entry does not require sophisticated espionage, but rather exploiting loopholes in global trade: pieces “dual use” sold to civil actors who then they deviatecomponents placed on the market before sanctions, networks of shell companies and brokers in lax jurisdictions, and triangulated purchases via third countries that do not apply or execute controls. The sanctions gave the West three years to close the gaps, but they also gave Russia (and those who traffic for it) the same time to learn to get around them. In practice, it is a market: if you pay more, there is always someone willing to move the merchandise with layers of opacity sufficient to break traceability. Iran and North Korea. Moscow relies on two veterans of the sanctioning regime: Iran (which has spent decades refining the engineering of commercial border hopping) and North Korea (capable of moving components and complete systems despite being formally embargoed). Cooperation with both not only transfers material: it transfers method. Both logistical routes and corporate and financial camouflage techniques now migrate to the Russian military supply chain. What is possible and what is not. They remembered on Insider that the West hardens the perimeter: compliance guides for companies, “catch-all” to block sensitive exports (even if they are not listed), border inspections, criminal threat to repeat offenders, closures of loopholes when Ukraine identifies specific pieces. But even so, the regime is not airtight: global trade in components is massive, triangulation via third countries It is structural and already exists “pirate” production replacement that replicates or falsifies sanctioned parts. By design, control is reactive: it is as if each new closure encourages Moscow to seek an alternative route. Partial effectiveness. Plus: just because embargoes haven’t cut off the flow doesn’t mean they’re irrelevant. London estimates that the sanctions have deprived Russia of at least 450,000 million of dollars and have multiplied by up to six the price of dual pieces, draining war liquidity and adding temporary friction to the Russian military chain. This, a priori, penalizes rhythms, quality, scaling and maintenance, even if it does not prevent the material from arriving. The structural limit. If you want, the export control It is an instrument of soft power: its real power depends on what the rest of the world is willing to do and tolerate. It can raise the cost, strangle necks, penalize intensities, but it can hardly seal an economy-state Russian size connected to global intermediaries willing to charge for the risk. The result is an industrial war where the blockade is never binary (flows / does not flow), but rather marginal: raising the cost per Russian shot, reducing the cadence, pushing failures due to logistical stress and buy time, but hardly prevent a chip made for a laptop I ended up controlling the guidance of a kamikaze drone over a Ukrainian city. Image | Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation In Xataka | After Cubans and North Koreans fighting alongside Russian troops, new guests have appeared in Ukraine: Chinese In Xataka | In 2023, a pilot from Ukraine had an idea for Star Wars. Not only did it go well: his kamikaze plan has rewritten the war manual

The entrepreneur’s odyssey that bought an old cruise, spent a million dollars on its restoration and could not enjoy it

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Not all projects that dream of having their own ship come to fruition. A while ago we met The story of Clyde Stireswho built a huge yacht at home. The story of Chris Willson It is equally interesting. Unlike Stires, Willson bought an old German origin cruise and spent a fortune to restore it. After years of effort, their plans faded quickly. It all started 16 years ago when our protagonist was browsing the web and found an unusual ads: someone was selling a transatlantic that was tied in Decker Island, California. Without thinking too much, this technological entrepreneur decided to invest in the boat. After closing the acquisition in 2008, he moved his new ship to the Rio Vista to restore it. Restoration and problems Willson now had a boat with enough history. The cruise had been built by the Shipyard Blohm and Voss in 1955. Passengers were traveling from one continent to another on a boat of 72 meters of length that had 85 cabins, different rooms, gastronomic spaces and galleries. Not only stood out in his transatlantic trips, but he had also appeared in the movie ‘From Russia with Love‘by James Bond. As CNN collectsThe man baptized the ship as “Aurora” after spending his first night on board. “I woke up with one of the brightest sunrises I had seen in my life,” he said. But not everything in the project was so perfect. Willson was forced to move the ship several times while performing the restoration tasks, although it was clear that he wanted his ship to be in shallow waters. For more than a decade, Willsson and several volunteer collaborators made all kinds of works in a “artisanal” way To improve the ship. Things, however, began to change in recent years. Aurora was tied in a Californian sports port called Herman & Helen’s Marina, when some locals and local authorities began to pressure so that the ship was transferred to another place. They feared a sinking. An old dragaminas baptized as HMCS Chaleur It was in the same area for a long time and a military tug of the 1940s had recently sunk generating concerns related to environmental pollution. With an eviction order at the door, Willson evaluated the cost of taking out the ship, but needed to spend about one million dollars on river works to complete the tasks. It was simply an amount of money impossible to assume. Willson had received donations To continue with your project, partly by The popularity of your YouTube channel. The only apparent solution was to sell it with the hope that a new owner could continue with the project ahead, but things soon trucked once again. In mid -2024, the Delegation of the Sheriff of the County of San Joaquín announced that Aurora was sinking. “It has been determined that the ship has a hole,” said the authorities. In this regard, they added that there had also been a spill of diesel fuel, forced the intervention of different agencies to contain the problem. In December last year, the ship was finally towed to Mare Island, north of California. There, the cranes disassembled their steel structure piece by piece until it made it disappear. Today no longer exists: The only thing that remains is an invoice of 8.2 million dollars for the costs of scratch. The authorities do not rule out undertake legal actions to purify responsibilities and recover part of the money. Images | Sheriff delegation from San Joaquín County | Aurora Restorration Project In Xataka | Europe is so dry that its rivers are revealing all kinds of treasures. Even a Nazi army of World War II

The largest Russian nuclear cruise has returned to the sea after 28 years. What is not clear is how modern its technology

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Russia has returned to the sea to its largest nuclear cruise For the first time since 1997. The Admiral Nakhimov began the trials on August 18, 2025 at the White Sea, the first concrete sign for a program that has been prolonged for decades. According to Tassthe two nuclear reactors were reactivated in early 2025 and the ship moves again by their own means. However, the return of this 28,000 tons ship It raises the background question: To what extent has modernization fulfilled what is announced by Moscow? Its recent history is marked by a sequence of breeding deadlines. Although modernization was raised more than two decades ago, The War Zone pointsthe works did not really begin until 2014. Since then, the dates were postponed: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023 … The exit to the sea is a tangible advance, but also the end of a stage full of dilated promises that must now translate into real capabilities. What has really modernized and what follows in the air The return occurs in a context where information about the ship does not abound and, as we see, there are many questions. At the moment, says the aforementioned medium, it can be said that the ship has received at least A new radar systemas well as a new main Caño AK-192m. Modernization aspired to place it as the ship with the most vertical pitchers in the world: 174 cells in total, of them 78 for attack missiles (Kalibr, Oniks, Zircon) and 96 for S-300FM air defense. Today, the only unequivocal is the new main cannon; The rest must demonstrate in evidence and, eventually, in official images and documents. His return to service is not only technical, also symbolic. Everything indicates that he will assume the role of flagship of the northern fleet when Complete trials And be accepted by the Navy, in relief of the Pyotr Velikiy, also a nuclear propulsion cruise. The difference? It began to be built in the Soviet era and was thrown in 1996, but has received minor modernizations. In parallel, the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov Keep on the wire. In statements collected by Reutersthe president of the State Naval Construction Corporation came to affirm that it is most likely to sell or tear it, which would further raise the weight of the cruise on the Russian surface. The admiral Nakhimov still has a lot to prove. That it has navigate again does not imply that modernization is complete or fully operational. The real state of sensors, combat systems, data links and integration with other naval units remains unconfirmed. Beyond the official story, what happens in the sea will say if this return to the activity is a change of cycle or a maneuver without real impact. Images | RSS_40 In Xataka | Ukraine has entered a phase so deranged with the drones that his drones are knocking themselves to themselves

Ukraine is seeing objects at 500 km/h. Russia has turned its most lethal weapon into a monster at cruise speed

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At this point in the contest it has been clearly clear that, it is not that the war is asymmetric, it is that Russia is attacking Shaheds of thermobárica load and Ukraine with pellets. That reality, in addition, is practically modified every week At a rhythm of updates difficult to continue. The latest: Ukraine radars have begun to see swarins at cruise speed, but they are not missiles. Again the shaheds. Yes, Russia has introduced into its attacks against Ukraine Reaction version of the Kamikaze Shahed drones, model Shahed-238whose benefits (speeds of up to 600 km/haltitudes of almost 10 km and a radar signal similar to that of a cruise missile) make them much more difficult to intercept than the Helix Shahed-136. These drones, with an explosive load of about 50 kg and an estimated range 1,000 to 2,000 km According to the variant, they are practically untouchable for mobile groups with light weapons, cannons or electrical interceptors drones. His deployment in the last mass attack, which left At least 13 dead And more than 130 injured, is a qualitative leap in the Russian capacity to saturate Ukrainian defenses and force the use of expensive Earth-Aire missiles, such as The Nasams either Patriotwhose price can reach Millions of dollars per unit. Tactical impact and adaptation. The introduction of the Shahed-238 seems to be part of A Russian strategy To prove the effectiveness of Ukrainian interceptor drones, developed from high performance FPVs used against recognition aircraft. The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, recognized that Russia is integrating countermeasures to make fun of these interceptors, which forces Ukraine to adjust tactics daily. Despite the goal of producing A thousand daily interceptorsscalability is limited by Russian attacks on factories, supply problems and the need to constantly relocate production. Ukrainian experts They point That this deployment could seek not so much the direct destruction of strategic objectives such as the wear of the inventory of long -range anti -aircraft missiles, leaving the space open to more destructive weapons. Production limitations. They counted the Twz analysts that, although Russia currently produces some 2,000 Shahed-136 per month And it aspires to reach 5,000, the manufacture of the Shahed-238 is more COmpleja and expensive. Their speeds demand more resistant fuselages, more precise guidance systems and high -cost turbojet engines, which restricts its scalability and diverts resources from the production of simpler models. The dependence of foreign componentsespecially from Chinait could be decisive to sustain or expand production. These limitations suggest that, at least in the short term, Russia will use the Shahed-238 in a combined way with large waves of Shahed-136, creating staggered attacks that saturate defensive systems. Perspectives and threats. The arrival of the Shahed-238 raises a Operational and economic dilemma To Ukraine: neutralize them with Sam missiles long -range is an unsustainable expense, while the most affordable solutions, such as unmanned interceptors, have not yet demonstrated full efficacy against this threat. In the short term, Russia’s most likely tactics aims to combine them with Great Shahed-136 waves To overload the defensive system, forcing to disperse resources and increasing the probability that other more powerful weapons reach their objectives. If Moscow manages to maintain a constant flow, even if it is limited, of these reaction drones, they could become a key element to weaken the Ukrainian defenses and open space to more devastating aerial offensives, thus consolidating a new technological front in the war. Image | PicrylMasoud Shahrestani / Wikimedia In Xataka | Russia’s most advanced nuclear submarine was a secret. Until Ukraine has revealed everything, even his failures In Xataka | It is not that Russia does not find the F-16 of Ukraine, is that kyiv has discovered the perfect hiding place for the future of wars

Cruise employees with days of 11 hours a day and 7 days a week

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In the brightest covers of the luxury cruises They pass Dream holidaysinfinite pools, spectacular buffes and night shows. But under all that fun, in the lower covers, the true human machinery that operates these is hidden colossi of tourism: A population of employees who work 12 hours. The cruise industry continues to grow: 34.64 million passengers will embark in 2025, according to The latest reports of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which has generated a record demand for personnel. Getting one of these jobs requires, in many cases, to master English, Obtain regulatory certifications and accept contracts for months, with minimal breaks and far from the home. Mass recruitment allows more and more workers in countries with emerging economies and low salaries to be part of the crew, such and As publishes I monde. Life and work on the lower covers. Under the luxuries of the main roofs, a diverse community of employees from India, the Philippines or Peru, Honduras or Colombia is crowded. There, the cabins cease to be private and the carpet is replaced by the cold metal. Most share a room with other companions, in two bunk beds and with hardly any places for personal rest, as confirmed The Alba Sud report ‘work on cruises. Of the extension to the intensification of the working days’. This 2021 report confirms that hierarchically lower positions support an average of 11.3 hours of daily work and 6.97 days per week, accumulating around 80 hours per week. Working conditions prevent having 24 -hour consecutive days and, when the cruise is on the high seas, the crew “does not enjoy any full day of rest. At most, a few hours of holidays,” says its authors. The law of the sea and precarious contracts. Most cruises navigate under convenience flags (such as Panama, Bahamas, Bermudas), with which not only many taxes dodge: they also allow to avoid strict labor regulations. Workers on board lack union representation and there is hardly any margin to negotiate rights or schedules. Social protection is limited to the essential: basic medical care and minimum rest, stipulated by the Convention on Maritime Work. The interpretation of these regulations is very lax and there is no benefit for maternity or guaranteed compensation in case of accident, nor is the right to strike of employees ensures. According to what was published by I mondewages vary according to the position, but the most common ranges for unqualified employees of cleaning, kitchen or maintenance range between $ 900 and $ 1,100 per month. Contracts usually extend between 4 and 9 months, after which employees return to their country for a period of two to three months until they summon them again for a new season. These periods are considered on vacation, but are not paid. Precarious, but save. Despite the hardness of conditions, work on a cruise It is still an aspiration For many employees from Southeast Asia and Latin America. “Working on a ship is a dream for me. So I think I will continue to do it while I can, because after 40, it is difficult to find work in the Philippines,” he said I mondeVanessa, a 45 -year -old Philippine who cleans cabins in one of those cruises. Working on a cruise maintains its appeal for those who seek to save for a specific goal, such as buying a house or setting up a business when you return home. “I can pay the education of my children,” added Glitz, lifeguard and single mother who has left her two children with her parents in the Philippines. Not having maintenance or accommodation expenses on board, they can send virtually all the full salary to their families and plan a more stable future than their country of origin allows. A job with a lot of rotation. According to the Alba Sud study, 81% of the employees surveyed received a Increase in workload After the stop of the pandemic, and 56% say that their day lengthening in recent years. Precarious salaries linked to the long days and the time they spend away from their families, make work on a cruise an activity with high labor rotation. Companies have recognized that it is difficult retain employees Throughout the season. “The challenge for companies is to hire people who are not going to stay in a port port. It often happens, so the company reassures when an employee has a family to send money,” he tells the French newspaper, Cédric Rivoire-Perrochat, co-founder of the Compagnie Française de Croisières Compagnie Naviera. In Xataka | A millionaire has lived as a cruise cruise for 25 years: its biggest problem has not been money, but balance Image | MSC CruisesUnspash (Nestor Pool)

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