economic

There are economic incentives to detect excess

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It is one of those situations associated with the arrival of airlines Low Cost in airports around the world. We talked about the waiting in the shipment next to an imposing figure that gives access to the plane: the metal structures or boxes with pre -established measures to verify that effectively the Measures of your suitcase They pass the cut in cabin, or quite the opposite: it is time to pay an extra succulent. It turns out that there was something else in the search for excessive luggage: an economic incentive. A hidden model. The story was told this morning the British newspapers. Apparently, A report That he has seen the light has revealed a practice in the United Kingdom airports so far unknown. A disturbing aspect of the Easyjet operating model: a bonuses system Economics aimed at encouraging employees of land assistance companies, such as Swissport and DHL Supply Chain, to detect passengers with hand luggage that exceeds the dimensions allowed. Through an internal filtered email, it was learned that these workers receive a specific remuneration for each suitcase intercepted at the boarding door: 1.20 pounds per unitwhich translates into 1 net pound for each “gate bag” consigned. This policy was communicated by a Swissport supervisor in November 2023 and remains in force, applying in airports such as Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey and Newcastle, as well as in others managed by DHL such as Gatwick, Bristol and Manchester. Pressure and poorly paid. The story puts the focus something else. I remembered The Guardian That employees who execute these tasks charge around 12 pounds and, according to testimonies collected by the press, do not have maneuvering margin. An old passenger services manager described the experience as a direct confrontation With passengers, many times tense and proclaimed verbal abuse, especially when it comes to groups such as the typical single farewell travelers, who are required to pay more for a suitcase than by the ticket itself. These agents are not only under pressure to detect breaches, but also to the scrutiny of an internal monitoring system that, although it ensures not having disciplinary purposes, can be used forto “detect training opportunities” according to the language of mail. Despite the apparently neutral tone, the workers, According to The TimesThey understand that compliance with objectives is part of a broader business logic that conditions its permanence and pace of work. Extra income at the expense of the passenger. Easyjet Allows for free To passengers carry a small bag that fits under the seat. However, any additional luggage requires an early payment that begins, in the United Kingdom, In 5.99 pounds. The true friction point occurs when travelers reach the boarding door with a suitcase that exceeds the stipulated measures. In that case, if the bulge has not been declared or paid, the passenger must disburse 48 pounds so that the piece goes to the winery. The amount of surcharge and the moment it imposes makes it a “luck” of economic punishment rather than a transparent rate. In this way, the opera incentive system Like a trap that makes door staff Executors of a policy aimed at maximizing benefits, not facilitating flight experience. Mentioned. Swissport He has responded claiming that it simply applies the rules defined by the airline, without commenting on the bonuses scheme that has generated controversy. Easyjet, on the other hand, has said that It does not manage directly the remuneration of external agents, but strives to ensure a “consistent and fair” application of their policies. Low Cost doubts. It We count The weekend, although low -cost airlines have been built on the logic of basic rates and disaggregated servicesthe revelation that agents are financially rewarded for penalizing the passenger reopens the debate on the model ethics. Far from being an isolated anecdote, this practice seems one more manifestation of the turn they have taken Some airlines In your effort for monetizing every aspect of the trip. While the strict application of standards is necessary to guarantee efficient operations, doing so directly to the land personnel can pervert the balance between control and customer service, generating an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust. Instead of promoting understanding or flexibility in situations of minimal deviation, the reward system Punitive surveillance and converts the boarding door into a friction point between airline and passenger. It was already the closest thing to a psychological horror scene for many, but now that we know that the rules are applied by employees that could have more economic incentives to punish, than to help, it is a little more. Image | Heute, JWH In Xataka | We have been binding to the suitcases to identify them at the airport for years. Your employees warn that it is a bad idea In Xataka | Ryanair will expand the size of the hand suitcase this summer. Its real objective is another

In Madrid there were no economic hotels left, but there was a “virgin” space for tourists: polygons

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Like most of the large cities on the planet, prices for stay in Madrideither for a long time like a short stay, they have shot themselves. If we focus on tourist accommodations, already We tell it Recently: it’s not a sensation, hotels are more expensive than ever In Spain, and in cities such as the capital They are prohibitive. In fact, tourists are beginning to look for other destinations Like Morocco. The solution for hoteliers is in the surroundings: the polygons. The new face. Three years ago it was already coming. Then, he counted in a Report the ABC That on the outskirts of the M-30, where many still believe that Madrid is blurred in gray ships and empty streets at the afternoon, the polygon Julián Camarillo It offered a radically different image. This almost 200 hectares enclave, located between the linear city and Suanzes stations, had begun to transform into a vibrant, accelerated and multifaceted area, a reflection of a city in constant mutation. Its streets combine industrial vestiges from the 50s to 80s with new constructions, hotels, artisan breweries, gastronomic spaces, technological centers and an incipient cultural vocation. As happened before in Barrios Like Shoreditch in London or the District 22@ from Barcelonathe polygon seemed to position itself as an urban laboratory where the post -industrial laboratory gives way to the allegedly modern. Tourist destination Three years later, The country counted That in Julián Camarillo, which once was territory marked by half -empty offices, aged industrial buildings and unused solar, a phenomenon as unexpected as unstoppable is brewing: its transformation into an incipient hotel district. Yes, what at first glance seemed a little hospitable environment has become A tourist reef Thanks to its proximity to the center of Madrid and at the low cost of accommodation. Here is a proper name: the Catalan businessman Óscar Sánchez, founder of the Bestprice chainhas been one of the pioneers to bet on the enclave, describing it as an “oil well” for the potential it offers to those who risk. Its hotels, located only eight subway stops from Puerta del Sol, attract young visitors who prioritize the price aesthetics. The figures endorse it: since 2020 they have Opened eight hotels in the area and there are at least seven others in project. From illegal loft to functional hotels. Apparently, the previous attempts For redefining the area they did not prosper with equal success. At the beginning of the century, the New York Soho model with the loft fashion was attempted, and then promoted the term Madbit to attract to Technology companies. Both initiatives collided with the lack of regulation and a weak corporate demand. Instead, hotels have grown without institutional campaigns or brand names for the neighborhood. The specialized real estate agency in the area confirmed the country that many office promoters are transforming their projects into tourist establishments due to the evidence that the demand for accommodation exceeds that of work space. This boom coincides with something we have gone counting: he normative hardening Towards Airbnb and Tourist Housing The historical record of visitors in Madrid, where 10.4 million tourists were reached in 2024. The Carabanchel node Urban Fever. In the background, international consultants have confirmed the effervescence of the sector. Colliers has identified more than 60,000 square meters available for new hotel projects in Julián Camarillo, although warns that urban limits slow down the rhythm, so many of the New establishments They are small and functional, with less than one hundred rooms. Most are classified as a star hotels, and together they add more than 1,500 active rooms. Meanwhile, chains Like Ibis or Spark by Hilton They add to the model initiated by Bestprice, consolidating the area as the one that wakes up most between investors. Other consultants, Like Engel & VölkersThey observe a similar trend in industrial polygons from other cities such as Valencia, Bilbao or Barcelona, ​​where land prices and the lack of alternatives in the center push the hotel sector to colonize spaces traditionally relegated to the manufacturing activity. Asequible accommodation. The triumph of this model is Understand alone. The logic behind this transformation is because there are every time Less active factoriesoffices do not absorb enough demand and tourism needs affordable spacewell communicated and functional. With rates of between 60 and 70 euros per night, 20 minutes from the center of Madrid, hotels in polygons such as Julián Camarillo fill that hole. Carabanchel adds. Something similar is also happening to the south of the capital, although here with the aim of giving a housing alternative to creative young people at a step in the city. It The world told. In the heart of Carabanchel, a neighborhood more and more associated with urban artHE Inaugurated Node Carabanchela half stay hotel that redefines the concept of flexible accommodation with a thousand rooms designed for creative young people, students, digital nomads “and people in vital transition.” With one investment of 100 million In euros, the gigantic complex includes fully equipped studies and apartments, and offers a community experience focused on art, music and coworking, with spaces such as rehearsal rooms, podcast, theater, gym, swimming pool, sporting tracks and a scourge on the roof for concerts and cultural events. Replicating other models. Node aspires not only to accommodate, but to actively integrate into the local fabric through collaborations With schools, galleries and neighborhood artists, promoting a living and shared community. Driven by the Node Living company With the support of Bain Capital, this is its third project in Madrid and is part of an international expansion that replicates a model born in Brooklyn and already present in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London and Barcelona. Mutant neighborhoods. Be that as it may, all these proposals have a common denominator: Madrid is made big And it reinvents itself because its nerve center has become A theme park of Closed Coto. Of course, the spontaneity with which they have Grown polygons like Julián Camarillo To tourist district modes, they … Read more

The devastating economic impact of war in Ukraine, exposed in this graphic

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The video game ‘Fallout 3“It started with a phrase:” War … war never changes. ” But it turns out yes: the War between Russia and Ukraine has shown us that, in drone season, Military adaptation It is the difference between enduring another day or not. He has also represented the prelude What we are seeing now Between Iran and Israel. What is true that it has not changed is the trail of destruction that the continuous attacks leave in their path. And this chart reveals the direct economic cost that war has already left in Ukraine: Housing and Transport. Prepared by Visual Capitalistin the upper graph we can see a representation of the figures of the World Bank’s Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment. Updated until December 2023, (similar to 176,000 million estimates more recent), in the graph the direct damage of the Russian offensive in nine key sectors are broken down. The total? More than 175,000 million dollars in verified destruction. Two of them, at least two of the ones that most involve the population, are housing and transport infrastructure, and between them they are more than half of those 175,000 million. Specifically, it is estimated that one in eight Ukrainian homes has been damaged or destroyed, which translates into the need to have 57,000 million for reconstruction. On the other hand, damage to roads, bridges and rail lines are estimated at about 37,000 million dollars. Energy is not far behind. What housing and transport are the most damaged sectors directly does not imply that the rest of the destroyed elements are of lower importance and, in fact, everything goes hand in hand. For example, energy, with estimated damage to more than 20,000 million, occupies third place in the list. Although the country is connected to the European Emergency Electricity, it is something that has Exposed to blackouts to homes and companies. In fact, the Greater European nuclear power plant is Ukrainian. Or it was. And, as we said, everything is connected. Housing damage is causing the displacement of the population to other cities with rental housing in safer regions, than by the law of supply and demand, they rise in price, away from those refugees. And the damage to transport infrastructure not only hinders the movement of people and merchandise internally, but also the exports of grain and metals that help the economy of the country. Other sectors. Below 20,000 million we have other basic legs in any country. Are the following: Commerce and Industry – 17,500 million dollars. Education and Science – 13.4 billion dollars. Agriculture – 11.2 billion dollars. Water supply network 4.6 billion dollars. Culture and Tourism – 4.1 billion dollars. And another 10.3 billion dollars in other sectors. In the end, and as we indicated, many of them are related. Many more millions. Now, something important to keep in mind is that these are the estimated direct costs of verified physical damage. Which will cost to recover the country amounts to an astronomical figure: more than 524,000 million. According to the World Bankit is necessary for recovery during the next decade if the contest will end. This figure represents almost three times the estimated nominal GDP of Ukraine by 2024 and only the Rubble management It will require about 13,000 million dollars. In fact, the estimated breakdown for recovery is as follows: Housing – 84,000 million dollars. Transport – 78,000 million dollars. Energy and Mining – 68,000 million dollars. Commerce and Industry – 64,000 million dollars. Agriculture – 55,000 million dollars. And, again, all this counting with the end of the short -term conflict, something that is not yet on the horizon. On the sidelines, we must not put aside something irreplaceable. human losses. Because if something betrays the brutality of this war It is that Ukraine would have lost between 60,000 and 100,000 left. On the side of Russia, 250,000 soldiers would have already died in combat. In Xataka | Ukraine has been filled with civilians armed with rifles of World War II: they demolish Russian drones for $ 2,400

China has built the most elegant economic power lever in modern history: rare earths

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He Rare Earth Agreement announced last night says more than what appears to be a simple commercial truce: China has the most sophisticated geopolitical weapon we have seen. One that is capable of paralyzing entire sectors of any developed economy. And with the elegance of who closes a tap. China controls the entire ecosystem of Rare earth: The Ganzhou mines. Processing plants. He know-how technical. Specialized labor. Even the only American Mountain Pass mine Send your material to China to refine it. It is the same difference between having oil and controlling the refineries of the world. China has built a monopoly on elements that are the blood of the digital economy: Without neodymium there are no wind turbines. No Disposio there are no Tesla engines. Without Terbio there are no iPhone screens. Deng Xiaoping He saw it in 1992: “Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.” Three decades later, That prophecy is a reality and a definition of the present. And the interesting thing is that West has financed its own vulnerability. For decades, US and European companies outsourced the extraction and processing of “dirty” minerals to China, celebrating the margins that gave them that specialization. That dependence has had a strategic cost. And now… The same companies that built the supply chains to maximize their efficiency now discover that they also optimized their vulnerability. And China executes in a way we could call “civilized blackmail“. It does not close the whole tap, but it does slow down the supply with bureaucracy. Ask for forms, photos of the factories, customer listings, production details. That, in addition to a bureaucratic nuisance, is also to open a window to the industrial secrets of its competitors. Industrial espionage, but institutionalized, disguised as commercial policy. You take it or leave it. When he negotiates, he does it from a position of strength. The agreement, of only six months, works as a constant reminder. Each western company now knows that its production depends on Chinese benevolence. And if a geopolitical escalation of any kind arises, the industrial blackout can be almost instantaneous. The West now discovers that economic interdependence can become a lethal weapon, because China has shown that in the technological era, who controls critical materials controls the rules. The agreement last night postpones the moment in which the West will have to decide if he is willing to pay the price (economic and strategic) to recover his mineral sovereignty. China has won this pulse and has plenty of strength to win all the following. In Xataka | China monopolizes rare earths. An enemy has come out of home: the smuggers Outstanding image | Wikimedia Commons

Tariffs have made Temu an economic experiment in real time: see how far their clients endure

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Trump tariffs have turned Temu into an interesting behavioral economy laboratory. When the tariffs rose to 145%, the Chinese platform did something unheard of: Show exactly why prices uploadedbreaking down the price and explaining the origin of each extra charge. Why is it important. This radical transparency avoided a total collapse. Although Daily users fell 58% and the GMV (gross merchandise value) was reduced by halfTemu managed to retain 40 million users when some predictions talked about a collapse. Honesty over tariffs has transformed a debacle into a manageable crisis. In Xataka China’s rare land block is very delicate for Europe for another reason: high -power magnets In detail. Temu’s strategy is brutally direct. Instead of hiding the increases, they explain: “Imported articles may be subject to import positions. These charges cover all customs -related processes and costs.” A mobile cover went from $ 1 to $ 1.50. It looks like a rise of “only 50 cents”, but it is 50%. It is difficult to resist such a percentage increase. However, $ 1.50 remains a much lower price than American equivalents. The context. Trump eliminated the exemption “of Minimis” which allowed shipments from China without tariffs for packages of less than $ 800. Initially it applied 145% tariffs, then reduced them to 54% for 90 days. 90% of Temu’s business depended on this model that took advantage of the legal lagoon. When it disappeared, the company had to reinvent itself. Yes, but. The experiment has limits. Temu eliminated 3.4 million products from its catalogleaving only 150,000 sent by boat. 20% of vendors went to other platforms or markets. The company reduced its advertising expense in the United States and redirected resources to Europewhere his advertising investment has multiplied by twelve. {“Videid”: “X8RH2E2”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “A very fast air fryer but is not for everyone”, “Tag”: “Webedia-Prod”, “Duration”: “489”} The partial resistance of consumers says a lot about price psychology. When Temu showed total transparency on tariffs, many buyers interpreted the increases as something external to the company, not as Temu’s greed. This perception of “we against the system” translated into an unexpected loyalty between the hard core of users. TeMU is transforming its business model on the fly. Launched the “Model Y2“That allows Chinese merchants to send directly without storing inventory in the United States. The “local to local” model is expanding where American sellers sell locally stored products. Its objective: that 80% European sales come from local vendors to avoid tariffs. The big question. What does the US consumer say that 40 million remain willing to pay almost double for Chinese products? Trump wanted to kill Chinese electronic commerce, but has ended up airing the existence of a huge group of consumers for whom the equation-value equation of Chinese products is still irresistible. Even with 145%tariffs. In Xataka | China has made a drastic decision and unpredictable consequences: prioritizing “its” technology, even worse Outstanding image | Alain G. ShumbushoTemu (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news Tariffs have made Temu an economic experiment in real time: see how far their clients endure It was originally posted in Xataka by Javier Lacort .

In its darkest time Intel is receiving a crucial economic support from its best client: China

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China is the largest market in which Intel is present. During the fiscal year of 2024 29% of its turnover Proceeded from this Asian countrycompared to 24% of the US. And is that of the 53,100 million dollars that This company entered last year nothing less than 15,400 million arrived from China. These figures reflect very clearly how important the country led by Xi Jinping for Intel is. And also how sensitive it is to the geopolitical context. In fact, SANCTIONS TO CHINA That the US government has deployed during the last two years have prevented this veteran company from selling its most advanced chips to its Chinese clients. Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom or Qualcomm has happened to them, but Intel is at a very delicate moment. Of the economic crisis facing We have spoken in depth In other articles. And, in addition, it can be aggravated by the commercial war that the US and China is currently. Mature chips are helping Intel to survive in China The company founded by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce in 1968 does not design and manufactures only PC microprocessors, GPU for games and games artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum processors. An important part of the Intel business is supported by the commercialization of relatively old integrated circuits that come from their mature lithography nodes. They are not at all avant -garde semiconductors, but they are still necessary. At the current situation of tension between the US and China for this last country, these mature integrated circuits are crucial At the current tension situation between the US and China for this last country, these mature integrated circuits are crucial. Chinese chip designers and manufacturers are capable of supply your own market with The mature chips you need Appliances manufacturers, telecommunications or cars equipment, among other industries. However, many users, research centers and universities in China continue to use software for X86 and X86-64 processors, so at the moment they cannot do without the CPUs designed to execute it. Intel is currently benefiting from this need. And is that, according to ReutersChina is promoting in a very important way the demand for its oldest microprocessors for personal computers and servers. It is evident that in current circumstances this demand represents a very valuable fresh air breath for Intel, although a predictable future exchange of tariffs between the US and China in the field of integrated circuits could greatly degrade this business segment. We will see what happens, but there is no doubt about one thing: China continues to be very important for Intel. Image | Intel More information | Reuters In Xataka | Intel has confirmed that the 20A node will be skipped to reduce expenses. The 18A node will enter production in 2025

In his escape from tariffs, Google wants to move its production to India, according to The Economic Times

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Alphabet Inc is in conversations with Dixon Technologies and Foxconn (two of its main suppliers) to move part of its global smartphones production to India from Vietnam. According to, The Economic Times. The movement responds to the tariff crisis in the United States, after the imposition of global tariffs and the uncertainty of what will end up happening in countries such as Vietnam, which in the first instance were under a tariff of more than 40%. THE HOUSE OF THE PIXEL. The Google Pixel They are technically American mobile but their manufacture, Like the rest of the big playersIt is out of the United States. Pixel are manufactured mainly in China and Vietnam, two of the countries most punished by Trump’s tariffs. Fleeing from China. Time before the package of measures to fight commercially with China, Google had been trying to get the production of its devices out of China. Almost three years ago we had news about a specific movement: Google was moving the production of the Pixel 7 to Vietnamkeeping in China that of fold models, the most expensive to produce. A movement similar to Samsung’scompany that produces mainly in Vietnam and that has barely a presence in China. If a 10%global tariff is maintained, the supply chain would not suffer too much. If it turned to more than 40% initial, the photograph would change completely. Looking at India. It is not the first time that Google manufactures phones in India through its partners. Initially, the company moved part of the production to this emerging country to supply the local market, and now it would be in conversations with Dixon Technologies and Foxconn not only to produce more phones, but for the production of components. Cases, loaders, fingerprint sensors and batteries, are some of the components that Google wants to stop importing to be able to manufacture them locally in India. In the first tariff ads, India would correspond to a 26%tariff. Times and costs. According to Economic Times, Dixon and Foxconn have been manufacturing between 43,000 and 45,000 Pixel smartphones per month in India exclusively for local market, seeking to make their smartphones could be competitive in price against Apple and Samsung. Dixon is responsible for producing between 65 and 70% of the new Pixel, and Foxconn of previous models. This movement to increase production in India would have a horizon of two to three years, a much shorter term than Google had planned in a pre-aroncel scenario. Currently, Google has almost 14% market share in the United States, so maintaining a competitive price to continue having muscle in its local market is key. They are not alone. The Google movement responds to a practice that the smartphone industry has been executing for years. Apple, who has tried in recent years move part of its production to India, It has not arrived on time, and its supply chain continues to depend mainly on China. Samsung dodged the bullet fleeing to Vietnam, and even the great chips manufacturers have been considering to escape from China to avoid geopolitical instabilities. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Analysis: A great candidate for Best Android of the Year … with a big pending matter

It is not only economic issue, but of Chinese national pride

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The trajectory of ‘NE ZHA 2’ It is absolutely incredible. That it works in this way, like a real hurricane, a Chinese animation film, developed outside Hollywood and that has barely seen himself outside his country, leaves a good record of how weak the world box office is in front of the robust figures That China exhibits. This epic of mythological dyes is already The fifth highest grossing film in historyleaving behind the most successful ‘Star Wars’ movie of all time, ‘The Force Awakens’. Dizzy figures. Outside China, ‘Ne Zha 2’ has only raised about 31 million dollars, but within its country, it already has more than 2,054 million dollars. With bothAvatar‘ and ‘Titanic‘) And the historical’Endey me‘Marvel. The forecasts of the film producer, Maoyan, is to reach about 2.1 billion dollars after the premiere in Japan, Indonesia and most of Europe. It would be in that case still below ‘Titanic’ and its 2,257 million. A favorable context. This bombing occurs at a time when the world box office is showing worrying symptoms of exhaustion. In the United States, the box office has added This weekend Some scarce 54.7 million dollars, certifying the worst of the year. The most watched film of the week, ‘Novocaine’, has barely pocketed 8.7 million. And it is not a Hollywood thing: according to Comscore, in Spain we have had The worst weekend of March since 2021despite how very well the new Ruiz Caldera, ‘Wolfgang’ has gone. Even an enigma. The most amazing thing about this success, without a doubt, is that ‘Ne Zha 2’ is virtually unknown outside of China. Cinema fans and analysts attentive to the box office have heard of it, but it is very, far from the international fame of ‘Titanic’ or a movie of the Avengers. And yet, there is, rubbing with them. But it is that the Chinese population is sufficient to sustain a success as follows: in their country of origin, ‘Ne zha 2’ has sold more than 300 million tickets, a figure higher than the population of any country that is not India, the United States or China itself. It is 21% of the country’s population, a percentage already impressive. The reasons for a success. There are reasons for this success in China, completely alien to the rest of the world: it is the sequel to a 2019 film (which was already there the highest grossing animated film in history) and premiered the most important weekend of the year, the New Year. Of course, the box office increase, quickly overcoming international successes such as’Upside down 2‘Inflamed the film’s career, which accelerated the rate of income. Numerous companies came to buy tickets for their employees and give them the day off to see the movie. National pride. The film has become, for this reason, almost in a matter of patriotic responsibility: 138 Chinese animation studies collaborated in its creation, and in different media of international draft like ‘shine’ The film has been presented as a kind of culmination of the evolutionary tree of Chinese animated cinema. The expectation has made many spectators come to see it several times or are encouraged to repeat in IMAX format. The fact that this milestone serves to forget a Nefasta box office for China in 2024who lived a 25%drop, reinforces this feeling. Of course, the traditional Chinese legends that serve as the basis and the classic themes of the country’s family cinema have also helped that ‘NE ZHA 2’ reach the category of authentic milestone. In Xataka | Time trips and Peppa Pig are prohibited in China. Or at least, they cannot appear in their success series

The devastating economic consequences of natural disasters in the United States in 2024

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Last year, devastating natural disasters in the United States according to Aon PLR insurance broker increased economic losses to approximately $ 217.8 billion. The figures registered by the insurer represent an increase of more than 85% compared to 2023. In this regard, Liz Henderson, global director of advice on Aon climatic risks commented that “when natural disasters occur and affect extensive areas and areas with great value in terms of propertiespeople and content, the losses derived from these phenomena are usually significantly greater, ”said CBS. Through a report, Aon explained that, during 2024, The economic losses that cover insurance increased to $ 112.7 billionthat represents 36% more compared to 2022 the highest figure recorded so far. Only Hurricane Helene caused economic losses close to $ 75,000 million, while Milton losses were approximately $ 25,000 million. However, The agency for the beginning of this 2025 continued to count the losses with the unfortunate forest fires in Los Angeles Countythat until times caused the destruction of 14,000 structures, this according to the experts could become one of the most expensive natural disasters for the State and the country, the figure it will represent for insurers cannot be calculated exactly. Continue reading: –Los Angeles fires could complicate preparation for 2028 Olympic Games–Taylor Swift expresses his pain for fires and contributes multiple beneficial organizations–Housing insurance rises in price throughout the US due to climatic problems (tagstotranslate) Insurers

Sweden did not believe Russia’s economic data. He has found the proof he was looking for by observing Moscow from space

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If the question is how Russia’s economy is doing, the answer surely depends on who you ask. A few weeks ago, The New York Times published a report where he explained the tensions that exist between the Russian elites as economic growth slows of the nation. They signed up the sanctions and the war itself, but in the face of rhetoric, Moscow responded that they would endure all threats. Sweden was not so clear, and claims to have evidence of the real situation. Stagnation and signs of slowdown. As we have told other timesthe war economy that Russia launched at full speed after the invasion of Ukraine appears to be showing signs of significant slowdown. In fact and as the Times emphasizedeven generating tensions among the country’s economic elite as the conflict enters its fourth year. According to recent official data, many civil sectors have stopped growing and have even begun to declinewhich has exacerbated economic uncertainty. The Russian currency, the ruble, fell three weeks ago to its lowest level in two yearsand companies face difficulties in obtaining new loans or receiving payments from customers, reflecting an increasingly restrictive financial environment. Rise in interest rates. The response of the Central Bank of Russia has been a drastic rise in reference interest rates, reaching 21% in October, the highest level since the fall of the Soviet Union. Despite efforts to contain inflation, the economic growth forecast for the new year has been revised downwards, standing between 0.5% and 1.5%well below the 3.5% to 4% recorded in 2024. In the background, the elephant in the room: the slowdown occurs despite the continued record government spending to finance the warwhich indicates that economic stimuli are no longer having the same effect. Economists and officials have begun to warn about the imminent risk of so-called stagflationa dangerous combination of price increase without economic growth. The impact of sanctions and the Russian response. The strict economic sanctions imposed by the West in response to the invasion of Ukraine have limited Russia’s ability to maintain its military-spending-fueled growth. In this regard, the Kremlin has insisted that it has withstood the impact of sanctions, but slowing growth and rising inflation indicate otherwise. Civilian businesses, in particular, have been hardest hit by the economic crisis. For example, Russian Railways, the country’s largest employer, reported a 9% drop in cargo volume transported last October compared to the previous year. To counteract this decline, the company has announced a price increase of more than 10% and has reduced its investment plans for 2025 by a third. Despite this, experts consider that the crisis is not yet serious enough enough to force President Vladimir Putin to reconsider his ambitions in Ukraine. Conflict Central Bank and the industrial elite. One of the main points of conflict within the Russian economic elite is the relationship between the Central Bank of Russia and the country’s leading industrialists. The bank’s governor, Elvira Nabiullina, has implemented a strict monetary policy to curb inflation, which has generated criticism from businessmenwho argue that record-high interest rates are stifling growth. In response to these, Nabiullina recently defended his strategy before Parliament, arguing that all the country’s economic resources are being used to the maximum and that macroeconomic stability should not be sacrificed for accelerated growth. However, its position has become increasingly isolated in an environment in which Business interests demand more flexible measures to sustain their operations in a context of growing uncertainty. Distrust in official figures. And in the face of domestic rhetoric, Western officials have expressed skepticism about the veracity of the economic data provided by the Kremlin, arguing that the official figures do not accurately reflect the reality of the Russian economy. In this regard, the Minister of Finance of Sweden, Elisabeth Svantesson, expressed during the World Economic Forum in Davos that Russia is presenting an image of economic stability that does not match the real situation. According to Svantesson, government statistics, which put inflation at 9.5%are not credible considering that the Central Bank of Russia has raised interest rates to 21%a discrepancy that suggests much greater inflationary pressure than is officially recognized. Furthermore, the continued flight of capital is another indicator of the country’s economic difficulties, which a priori contradicts the Kremlin’s narrative of resistance to Western sanctions. The “trick” of space. Thus, and given the lack of confidence in Russian data, Western officials have resorted to alternative methods to assess the nation’s economic health, including in the equation analysis of night satellite images of Moscow. Svantesson pointed out that city ​​lighting in 2023 was visibly dimmer compared to 2021which, in his opinion, suggests lower energy consumption and, therefore, a decline in economic activity. In fact, comparative photographs from media like Business Insider showed that, although factors such as cloud cover and time of day can influence perception, in general a pronounced decrease in illuminated areas is observed, especially in the suburbs of the capital, which could point to this deterioration in the level of life and possible cuts in the electricity supply. Manipulation of the economic narrative. Svantesson went a little further, and even emphasized that the Russian government’s official narrative seeks to convince Ukraine and its allies that sanctions have not had the desired impact. However, the data (and alternative data, such as the analysis of night lights), suggest that the economic reality is somewhat different from the image projected by Moscow. The minister concluded that, although the exact state of the Russian economy cannot be known with certainty, what is clear is that “the official version promoted by the Kremlin is not true.” Image | POT In Xataka | The end of the war is very far away for two reasons. One is arriving in Ukraine from the US, the other is an unprecedented figure in Russia In Xataka | Russia already knows how to respond to the sanctions that block its international trade: with cryptocurrencies

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