Europe

Nine of the ten hottest villages in Europe this summer are in the same country: Spain

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The Second heat wave of the year It does not seem willing to give ground yet. Not even before the storms announced for these days they will improve the situation, which will last at least until Tuesday 12 according to the last special notice of the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet). Coping the top positions. Last Tuesday the heat in the Iberian Peninsula caused a picturesque image: nine of the 10 largest records of maximum temperatures collected by a weather in European countries were captured in Spain. So He reviewed through his social networks the Meteorology fan magazinethat cited data of the platform Ogimet. Temperatures in this rankingThey ranged from 41.1 celsius registered in Coria, Cáceres; Until 42.3º of the Écija station, Seville. All of them above the Batman Turkish weather station, which with 41º remained in the tenth place of this particular classification. The maximum temperatures of the last hours have been reduced, and now it is Türkiye that is in the eye of the hurricane. The situation It has been invested And now Spain has a weather station in this peculiar “Top 10”. This is the Granada airport station, which registers 40.6º. The heat wave continues. More moderate temperatures than those registered a few days ago but still high. That is why Aemet Maintain yellow and orange notices (for important risk) In good part of the country, at least until Saturday (the notices begin to announce three days). Today the notices for important risk will affect not only the entire community of Madrid, also to areas of Andalusia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, and even Galicia. Tomorrow the notices for important risk will also extend to Aragon and Navarra. A stagnant situation. According to Explain Aemetthe situation is propitiated by an “quite stationary” atmospheric situation, which opened its way to a warm and dry air from Africa. An air mass that extends throughout the Peninsula and that, thanks to the high insolation, has allowed temperatures to be triggered during these days. To the point that, despite yesterday’s thermal descent, the situation could be aggravated again today and during the weekend. The forecasts z of temperatures above 40º in the depressions of the Northeast and in the valleys of Miño, El Tajo, El Guadiana and the Guadalquivir. Until Tuesday? The question that many will be asking is how long this will last. Aemet’s special notice It will remain active at least until Tuesday, but that does not mean that the heat wave will end there. The forecasts talk about temperatures that will continue on Monday and Tuesday, but the agency indicates that the uncertainty starting Wednesday is too high, although the models indicate a possible drop in temperatures. That is why the only answer that can be given is that we still do not know how long this heat wave will last. In Xataka | The Catalan and Segura basins toured different paths during the drought. Now they share something: the passage of the trough Image | ECMWF

Europe will begin to see robotaxis in its streets in 2026. The surprise is that it will not be Waymo who unfolds them

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Lyft has taken an unexpected step to compete with Uber in the European market of Robotaxis. The US company has just announced A strategic alliance with China Baidu To display autonomous vehicles in the United Kingdom and Germany From 2026. The play comes after Lyft will buy the German Freeow platform For 197 million dollars, marking its first expansion outside North America. Robotaxis to the conquest of Europe. While Waymo It is still the world reference in Robotaxis, Europe is becoming the new battlefield for autonomous driving companies. United Kingdom has accelerated its regulatory schedule and hopes to have commercial services working in spring of 2026. Germany also advances to legislate this technology, creating a window of opportunity that several companies want to take advantage of. Lyft’s strategy. The company had lost ground in front of Uber, which already It has agreements with more than 18 companies of autonomous driving and plans to launch services in Europe the same year. Lyft needed a quick response and has found it in Baidu, whose service Apollo Go It already operates more than 1,000 vehicles in 15 cities and has completed 11 million journeys. The RT6 Baidu, electric vehicles specifically designed to operate without driver, will be integrated into the LYFT application. A division of labor. Lyft will be in charge of the platform, customer service and fleet logistics, while Baidu will contribute vehicles and autonomous driving technology. It is a strategy that allows Lyft to quickly access proven technology without having to develop it internally, something that both Lyft and Uber They left years ago After initially betting on your own programs. Between the lines. The entry of Chinese companies into the European autonomous mobility market marks a turning point. While the United States keeps Baidu and other Chinese companies outside its domestic market for national security reasons, Europe is showing a more open attitude (although It depends on the sector). This could give China an important competitive advantage in the development of these services on a global scale. And now what. That the alliance is successful in our continent will depend on three factors: regulatory approval, the acceptance of the European public towards Chinese autonomous vehicles, and Lyft’s ability to compete with Uber, which will arrive with Waymo and other Western technologies. Everything indicates that, in a few years, Europe will become the hardest battlefield for robotaxis. Cover image | Waymo In Xataka | A “fine” on the windshield, a QR and a false website: thus begins the scam that tries to steal money from your card

In Europe, gas and disused coal plants have unexpected suitors: technology companies

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The climatic commitments that It has acquired Europe They have condemned in the short or medium term the future of gas and coal power plants disseminated by the old continent. Many of them no longer serve, but, surprisingly, the rise of the artificial intelligence (AI) has the ability to save them. This does not mean at all that they will burn gas and coal again; The option on the table is to convert them in data centers. Microsoft and Amazon are, According to Reuterstwo of the large technology companies that are interested in transforming these old power plants into modern data centers equipped to the last one. In fact, its managers are already negotiating with the French energy company Engie, the German RWE and the Italian in the possibility of using their facilities for this purpose. For energy companies this option is very attractive because it allows them to kill two birds. On the one hand, the transformation of their old electric power plants into data centers guarantees them in income with which they did not count so far. And, in addition, the energy companies that I have mentioned in the previous paragraph and some others are negotiating with the technology companies the possibility of give them the supply of electricity that require your data centers. A priori seems like a fissure plan. An agreement in which everyone wins “You have all the necessary pieces, such as water infrastructure and heat recovery.” This Bobby Hollis statementVice President of Energy in Microsoft, repairs something very important: the old gas and coal centrals that are no longer operational have the water supply and the heat management infrastructure that data centers need. Presumably it will not be necessary to undertake a large adaptation to transform these facilities into operational data centers. Agility when putting up these data centers and moderation of costs is what makes them so attractive to large technology On the other hand, Lindsay Mcquade, director of Energy for the EMEA area (Europe, Middle East and Africa) at Amazon, Trust in that the permits that technology companies need to operate these converted data centers are available long before the new facilities. After all, most of Infrastructure are already installed In these buildings from the beginning. In fact, agility when pointing out these data centers and moderation of start -up costs is what makes them so attractive to large technological ones. In Europe and the United Kingdom since 2005 they have closed no less than 190 coal and lignite centralsand another 153 will follow this same path before the year 2038. It is evident that the possibility of reusing all these buildings transforming them into data centers for AI is very attractive. However, there is a challenge that is not yet resolved and that can condition this plan. It is not clear that the electrical infrastructure of some countries is capable of delivering The energy required by these facilities without previously undertaking a large -scale development. In this scenario renewable energies and nuclear will have the last word. Image | Marcin Jozwiak More information | Reuters In Xataka | We have a serious problem with air conditioning: it consumes much more electricity than data centers

A night train to connect Europe from this to west

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Renfe has several challenges ahead and one of the most challenging is expanding. It already has a powerful presence in Spain, now more competed after road release and the arrival of external agents like Iro and Ouigoand the next step is Europe. To do this, Renfe has certain allies such as Leo Express, a Czech company of which Renfe has 50% and who is working on his most ambitious project: to join Eas to West Europe with a night train and a very long route. Leo Express? Let’s start at the beginning. Four years ago, in August 2021, Renfe acquired 50% of the capital of the Private Czech company Leo Express for seven million euros (in shares). This operation, explained from Renfe at the time, had a strategic purpose: expand in Europe. Leo Express operates international connections in countries such as Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, both trains and buses, but this new route will undoubtedly be the longest. Image | Leo Express From this to west. As he has advanced Rail Tech And we have been able to confirm from Xataka through the Federal Agency for Transport Regulation of Belgium (PDF), Leo Express is working on a route that will link Belgium with Slovakia. Specifically, the route will be from Ostende (Belgium) to Bratislava (Slovakia). From Xataka we have contacted Leo Express for more information and we will update in the case of receiving response. Time. It will be a long trip with 50 stops. The train will pass through four countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium) and will stop in cities such as Prague, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Brussels and witches, among others. The train will leave at 7:10 p.m. and will arrive in Bratislava at 14:18 the next day. The return trip will be at 14:44 and will end at 21:52. Image | Leo Express The train. Leo Express will wear modernized RIC passenger cars and Siemens Vectron Locomotoras. That is, the train will have a maximum speed of 160 km/Hy a capacity of around 450 seats, although by December 2028 they intend to expand the capacity to 550 passengers. These trains will work as night trains and, as such, they will have cars with options and/or optional literas. A huge challenge. One thing is the intention and another that the action comes to fruition. Leo Express, and therefore, have to coordinate a line in four different national networks, obtain grooves in these networks and operate a train for which they are not preceded. In Belgium, in addition, you will have to partner with a certified operator. Midnight Trains cabin, whose idea was to offer true hotels about rails | Imange: Midnight Trains The background is not flattering. In 2023, the French startup Midnight Trains He wanted to launch a series of international night routes between Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Denmark and France. It was a premium service that even received the approval of the European Commission, which saw in Midnight Trains an initiative to promote cross -border routes on train. The idea was good, but then the problems came: how complex it is to access the Eurotunnel, the lack of financing, etc. The project ended up closing in 2024. The other part, more positive, is the Austrian OBB, which has a division dedicated alone and exclusively to night trains (Nightjet) that connects 13 countries. THE NIGHT TRAIN IN SPAIN. Neither is nor expected. Although night trains are a common modality in Europe, in Spain they do not operate since the time of COVID-19. Renfe suspended this service definitely due to profitability. The background idea is that the night train was a commercial service, not a public one, so it should be profitable by itself and, unfortunately, it was not. In 2019 alone, the last year in which this modality was operational, lost 25 million euros. Cover image | Leo Express In Xataka | A 17 -year -old is the digital nomad par excellence: he lives in trains (and does not get expensive)

The “Chinese Amazon” has just bought Mediamarkt for 2.5 billion. Amazon has a problem in Europe

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JD.com, the “Chinese Amazon”, has closed the acquisition of Ceconomyowner of the Mediamarkt and Saturn chains. This German giant, which is valued at 2.5 billion dollars, is now in his hands. Why is it important. The movement allows Alibaba’s direct rival to establish its first major presence in Europe. At the same time, Mediamarkt accesses the most advanced logistics technology in the world to compete with Amazon. JD.com acquires 57.1% of Ceconomy through an offer of 4.60 euros per share23% above the previous price. The Kellerhals family, the highest shareholder so far, maintains 25.35% and remains as a strategic partner. The context. Europe is becoming a preferential destination for Chinese investments. The operations to the continent doubled at 2024 to 8,450 million dollars, the highest figure from 2021, According to LSE data cited by Reuters. The Commercial tensions with the United States They are pushing China to look for alternative markets. Europe can offer regulatory stability and a mature market of 450 million consumers. In detail. Ceconomy opera … More than 1,000 stores. In 11 European countries. With 50,000 employees. He invoiced 22.4 billion euros in 2024 … … of which 5,100 million came from online sales. JD.com contributes your experience in omnicanal trade and a logistics network of more than 550 stores managed by AI. Your algorithms predict orders in advance and automatically reposition inventory. The threat. Amazon dominates European electronic commerce, but lacks remarkable physical presence. Mediamarkt, with its network of stores, can offer immediate collection and face -to -face technical service, services that the American giant does not have. JD.com promises to maintain jobs for three years, keep the headquarters in Düsseldorf and respect the current directive structure. The operation is subject to regulatory approval and will be completed in the first half of 2026. Between the lines. JD.com is buying something not entirely obvious: data. Purchase patterns, preferences and behaviors of millions of Europeans. The Chinese giant agrees to enormous market intelligence. The promise of maintaining jobs sounds generous, but in the medium and long term it does not have to be exactly so, and less at this time. Predictably, JD.com will gradually automate processes that now require human hands. If everything goes well, there will be no mass layoffs, but reconversion towards more technical and specialized roles. And now what. European consumers could benefit from more competitive prices and, above all, you deliver faster if JD.com applies Its Chinese standards: Delivery in 24 hours in cities. Delivery on the same day in large cities. The operation marks the moment when China ceases to be the factory in the world to become its distributor. Mediumkt becomes the perfect Trojan horse: a European trusted brand with Chinese technology inside. In Xataka | When the head of Mediamarkt saw the fury that caused this mobile, he had to remove the drums. The rest is history Outstanding image | James Jeremy Beckers

Europe wants users to verify their age to navigate the Internet. Google does not need it: you can estimate it with AI

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In February Google advertisement They were going to start starting an experimental system based on AI and automatic learning (Machine Learning) for Estimate the age of users of its services. That technology, initially thought to avoid access to adult content on YouTube, will now serve much more, although for now it will be restricted to the United States. Automated restrictions. If Google detects that a user is under 18 in the US, it will apply the same restrictions that it applies when users are proactively identified as minors – for example, when creating Gmail accounts. Thus, it will enable reminders to go to sleep on YouTube, it will limit content recommendations and disable both personalized advertising and access to Adult applications in Play Store. What happens if AI is wrong. If Google’s system incorrectly estimates that a user is under 18, said user will be able to send a photo of his identity card (in the US, that of driving usually), of a credit card or even a selfie. First, that Google ends up having a photo of those documents It is quite disturbing. Second, the selfie option is especially surprising, because a priori might not be enough to verify that someone is not a minor. Remembering How-Ord.net. Microsoft a decade ago launched an AI experiment according to which a user could upload a photo of one or more people, and the service He tried to guess the age of those people. The tool quickly went viral, but it was also controversial because of its possible impact on privacy. A study Of 2022 he revealed that various systems of this type were quite precise when guessing age in young people, but not so much in older people. Companies specialized in this area as Yoti explain that The margin of error is already reducedand its system has an average 1.3 -year error in young people between 13 and 17 years old. How to estimate the google age. Google’s age estimation model will use the existing data of its users, including the websites they visit, what type of videos do they see on YouTube or how long their accounts have had. What about privacy. According to Google, this approach “does not imply the collection of additional data”, but of all that information that you already have thanks to the profiles that users use to access their services. They also ensure that they will not share that estimate with apps or websites. Goal already implemented A similar system on Instagram months ago. The age verification fever. The movements in this regard are increasingly striking. Before the excuse for companies and governments to spy on us and knew more about us was the terrorist threat. Now it is that minors They can access adult content. There is a unique fever for developing age verification systems everywhere, and we are seeing it especially in Europe … and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom teaches us how the future can be. One of the first countries to move in this area is the United Kingdom, which these days these days has activated its regulation so that minors cannot access adult content. The age verification systems must be present in all types of platforms, something that has been especially controversial there and that has generated a surprising (or perhaps not so much) Collateral effect: British users They have begun to subscribe in mass to VPN services to avoid having to pass those age verification controls. The EU wants its own “pajporte”. The controversy introduction of the Digital portfolio beta In Spain —Popularly known as “Pajortport” – is one of the great steps that EU member countries are facing the future European digital identity. Among the options that will enable this mobile application will be to verify the age of the users, and in fact the Spanish initiative is serving as inspiration For a European system. Said system, yes, is not exempt from controversy. It remains to be seen if the Google system is really effective, and if it is, how its deployment progresses and what impact that has on the intentions of various countries to control the age of users. In Xataka | Allowing an app to “all photos” of our gallery looks like the most harmless action in the world. It is not at all

It is not that the US has warned Russia about Ukraine, is that it has just sent nuclear bombs up to 50 kilotons to Europe

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And, suddenly, Washington left slightly from the rhetoric that had prevailed in the last months in his conversations with Moscow. Trump raised the tone giving Putin a really short maximum period, 10 to 12 days, to agree on a High fire in Ukraine or “face more severe sanctions.” We would say that few people interpreted the message beyond an economic issue. However, the facts also speak of a nuclear movement. Satiety. Yes, Trump It hardened his position in front of Moscow by drastically shortening the deadline granted to Putin to agree on that alleged fire in Ukraine: of the 50 days initially announced to only 10 or 12, warning that, if an agreement is not reached, it will impose more harsh secondary sanctions that will hit Russia and the countries that buy their oil. From his resort in Scotland and together with the British prime minister Keir Starmer, the US president was “very disappointed” with Putin, ensuring that he no longer trusts his conversations, because as long as they speak “people die in missile attacks.” The turn reflects an evolution in your speech, more favorable to Zelenski From his encounter at the NATO Summit, and responds to the intensification of the Russian offensive in the Eastern Front and the increase in drone swarming attacks. But there is much more. Kilotones Actually, it is a confirmation of What we count Last week after the appearance of a military emblem that left little doubt. Now it has been Bloomberg The one that has put name and capabilities to action. We talk about the reappearance of nuclear weapons in the United States in British soilfor the first time Since 2008in an unequivocal gesture to Moscow in full climb of tensions. The episode was known thanks to a flight recorded on July 16, when A C-17 plane of the American Air Force, belonging to the Nuclear Prime Airlift Force (Specialized unit in the transport of nuclear weapons), moved from the base of Kirtland in New Mexico to Lakenheath, in eastern England. The remarkable thing is that he did it with The transpondent onallowing their route to be publicly observed, which Analysts interpret as A direct message Putin that Washington not only maintains its commitment to European security, but is willing to reinforce it visibly. Not even. Both the Pentagon and the British Ministry of Defense maintain the traditional policy of Do not confirm or deny The presence of these weapons, but the accumulated evidence, together with Budget documents that detail nuclear safety works in Lakenheath, it indicates that it is a very real transfer of Ojivas B61-12the latest generation of American thermonuclear bombs. Transport of a b61-12 pump The importance of B61-12. It We have counted These months. The armament in question, The B61-12it is a modernized free fall pump model with a variable load that goes from 0.3 to 50 kilotons and incorporates precision guidance systems, which makes it more flexible compared to previous versions. This adaptability allows us to use it both against specific military and urban areas, giving it an added strategic value. His deployment in the United Kingdom also reintroduces a nuclear mission for the Royal Air Force that had disappeared After the cold warwhen London withdrew their own nuclear aviation weapons. The British Ministry of Defense had already advanced that it will acquire at least twelve f-35a fighters, Specifically designed to carry this type of pumps, which places the RAF again in the center of NATO nuclear deterrence. Tighten the button. With Lakenheath They already add seven bases distributed in Six European countries that house American tactical nuclear weapons under the supreme command of Washington, since the use of these weapons, even deployed in allied territory, always requires the direct authorization of the president of the United States. Impact on NATO nuclear strategy. What doubt fits, the Nuclear Weapons Return British soil is not a simple symbolic gesture, but a sign that the Atlantic Alliance is adjusting its deterrent to respond to tactical nuclear imbalance With Russiawhich has a wide arsenal of short -range weapons. The introduction of the B61-12 offers NATO greater operational flexibility, expanding the response options and partially compensating for the Russian advantage in the European theater. Analysts as Sidharth Kaoushal They emphasize that this modernization constitutes a way of limiting the effects of Russian superiority on non -strategic nuclear armament, while experts as Hans Kristensen They insist that the movement confirms the real deployment of this new type of weapons in Europe, a step with deep consequences in the dynamics of deterrence. The political context. Plus: The transfer of these bombs coincides with a Turrous turn in Trump’s policy towards Putin. The US president, after weeks of friction, has approved New deliveries from Patriot missiles to Ukraine, presses Moscow with the threat of secondary sanctions and has unilaterally shortened the deadline for Russia to accept the fire. In this context, maintaining the lighting of the lighting flight acquires a sense of clear warning: The United States is not only withdrawing forces from Europe, but increases its nuclear response capacity in the region. In this way, Washington seeks to reaffirm both before Russia and before European allies that their commitment to nuclear deterrence is still firm and visible. Strategic implications. It is the last of the legs to analyze. The reintroduction of American nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom after more than a decade of absence it cannot be interpreted as an isolated event, but as part of a remodeling of European security architecture. It means returning to London a central role in NATO’s nuclear mission, reactivating the Air nuclear capacity of the RAF and increase the range of military options of the alliance against the growing Russian threat. The brand movement A substantial reinforcement of the transatlantic link in the field of nuclear defense and, at the same time, sends a warning calculated to Moscow: any perception of nuclear advantage In Europe it will be answered with new deployments and with a reaffirmation of … Read more

What is “carnivorous bacteria” and why Europe believes that now is the best time to take precautions

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Many of the infectious diseases around us have a seasonal component. The flu, for example, is a thing of winter. Other infections are more dangerous in summer, such as those caused by Salmonella, or those caused by gender bacteria Vibrio. A seasonal infection. A few days ago, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued a statement in which it remembered that, with the arrival of summer, increases the risk of vibriosisinfections caused by the bacterial genre Vibrio. Maybe the name Vibrio It does not tell us much, but this genus contains several species of pathogenic bacteria. This genre belongs for example Vibrio Choleraethe bacteria that cause anger. Also in this genre is the so -called “carnivorous” bacteria, V. Vulnificus. Salobres waters. Bacteria of this genre usually inhabit salobres waters, waters such as river estuaries where salinity levels are intermediate, not as high as in the sea but greater than in rivers. These bacteria can be found in different geographical contexts. In its statement, for example, the ECDC indicates the presence of these bacteria in the Baltic Sea, where salinity conditions are especially favorable. The European center has A monitoring system of the risk in which the Black Sea is also indicated as the potential focus of infections. Two ways. Infections by Vibrio They can occur in two very different ways. The food route is perhaps the most common. It is generally produced through seafood specimens contaminated by the bacteria and occurs when the animal is consumed in raw or little cooked. The symptoms of this infection They are similar to those of other gastroenteritis: diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, fever or chills. The other way of infection is through wounds, and occurs When we bathe in waters contaminated by this bacterium with open wounds. These infections can lead to complications such as those given when the infection goes to our circulatory system; but also to tissue necrosis. The nickname of “carnivorous” bacteria that is assigned to the species V. Vulnificus It is because infections caused by this bacterium can cause necrotizing fasciitisthe death of infected tissues. This is not the only bacteria that causes this problem, in fact there are bacteria, like group A streptococci that we associate with this problem more frequently, so in reality the appellation can be used to refer to bacteria of very distant species. Relative risk The severity of vibriosis It depends on several factors. The most vulnerable people are those with liver problems, committed and elderly immune systems. In Europe and Spain. The last cholera epidemic in Spain occurred in the 1970s, but since then various European countries have seen outbreaks caused by this and other bacteria of the genre Vibrio. In Spain, for example we do not have to go far behind to find recent cases of vibrosis (beyond the case of cholera detected a few years ago in Madrid). According to Explain the ECDCvibriosis cases remain “relatively uncommon” in Europe. Between 2014 and 2017 there were an annual median of 126 cases, although in 2014 a more important outbreak left 445 registered cases. The heat wave registered that year can be linked to the increase in cases. In Spain, infections have also been registered, even some starring V. Vulnificus. According to experts, these types of infections are a risk that grows summer due to the increase in temperatures associated with climate change. This increase does not affect only the concentrations of this bacterium in certain waters, it also implies its geographical expansion to estuaries and seas where before its presence had not been problematic. Should we worry? ECDC warning should be seen as a reminder to extreme caution, not as a health or food alert. In summer it is convenient to increase our caution. The risk of contracting these infections is greater for different reasons: The increase in water temperature It allows these bacteria to prolish more easily, which increases their concentrations and with it the risk of infection; In addition, the mere fact of spending more time in these waters makes our exposure greater. As detailed by the ECDC, reducing the risk of these infections is partly in our hand. Avoid raw or poorly cooked seafood (especially oysters, stand out) can avoid scare. In the case of bathers, the center recommends covering open wounds, piercings or recent tattoos, avoiding the bathroom in salobres as much as possible. If the wound occurs while we are in the water, it is convenient to clean it properly and with fresh water to avoid infections. In Xataka | In the 50 we decided to bombard food cans with huge amounts of radiation. Thus we discover a new bacteria: ‘D. Radiodurans’ Image | Tiffany Jae / CDC/Janice Haney Carr

Europe has realized that the rearme must start on the roads. A Russian invasion would unleash a fatal congestion

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In 2022 there was already talk of this: having a better army does not help much if it cannot be launched. That year was the beginning of many meetings in Europe with the Russian Ukraine Invasion as a fuse. Then there was talk of rearmebut attention also focused on something that Europe has just elevated in the priority list: the need to prepare roads, railways, ports and airports for the rapid movement of troops and tanks. Background: Russia. European military vulnerability. Had three years ago The political environment that the debate on the real capacity of Europe to resist an eventual Russian attack had put a fundamental aspect that usually is hidden behind rearmament ads: it is not enough to have more tanks or soldiers if the necessary infrastructure To move them quickly. Roads, railroads, ports and airports of the European Union show serious limitations when it comes to supporting the weight and volume of modern armored ones, or absorbing an intense military traffic in times of crisis. The east. As He warned then The American Lieutenant retired Ben Hodges, excommanting of the United States Army in Europe, the problem is aggravated the more advances east: bridges unable to support German, British or American combat cars and mountainous routes that hinder access to key countries such as Romania. In case of emergency, bottlenecks could delay the deployment of allied forces just at the points where they would be needed more urgently, such as the passage of Suwałki between Poland and Lithuania or the routes towards the Black Sea. The first mechanism. To deal with these shortcomings, The EU launched The mechanism connect Europe (CEF), an infrastructure fund that also covers military mobility. However, the budget for this mission was drastically reduced: of the 6,500 million euros initially proposed only 1.7 billionand that money, the commission ended up assigning 340 million to 22 projectsthe majority of small scale and focused on central Europe. Among them They highlighted the improvement of rail links between Antwerp and Germany, the modernization of two airports in Poland and the connection of the Military Tapa base in Estonia. Modest support were also included to large strategic projects Like Rail Balticathe railway corridor of 5.8 billion euros that will connect the Baltic countries with Poland, or Via Baltica, the road that crosses the region, which it received just 60 million of community support. The new warning. Back to the present, he counted this week The Financial Times That the European Transport Commissioner, Apostols Tzitzikostas, has re -launched a warning that shook the foundations of the European defense: the continent It is not prepared For a large -scale war against Russia because its roads, bridges and rail networks are inappropriate for rapid transfer of troops and armored. According to explainedmany bridges are Too closetoo old or directly non -existent, which would prevent the transit of tanks from, for example, 70 tons thought to operate in a matter of hours. In practice, moving military forces from west to east of Europe would take weeks or even months, an unacceptable lag in case of a sudden Russian offensive. The strategy. Solution? To correct this structural weakness, Brussels now work on a 17,000 million plan of euros that provides for the modernization of 500 critical projects along four major military corridors that will cross the continent. It is a design made in coordination with NATO and its military controls, whose details remain classified for security reasons. The idea is that troops and heavy equipment can move in a matter of hoursfar reducing the reaction time to an aggression. In addition to reinforcing bridges and adapting roads, it will be sought Eliminate bureaucratic obstacles To prevent military convoys from being held on European borders by customs protocols that, in times of war, would be a fatal ballast. The context of rearme and Russia. The new plan is enrolled in a broader effort of rearme Continental that We have been counting. The European Union studies a package of up to 800,000 million euros to reinforce its defensive autonomyin part in response to the pressures of Washington and the possibility of a substantial reduction of the US military presence in Europe. To this is added The warning The NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who in June warned that Moscow could attack a member of the Alliance before 2030. The message of Tzitzikostas fits this urgency logic: without the ability to move troops agilely, any European defense plan would be on wet paper in front of Russian military machinery. The budget struggle. Although the European Commission has included military mobility in its proposal for the 2028-2034 budget, diplomats warn that the initial figure of 17,000 million It could be diluted In negotiations. This budget fragility is seen as a dangerous contradiction: While considering the expense in defense 5% of GDP (With 1.5% specifically intended for military infrastructure), some Member States (Spain at the head) They resist to assume the costs of such vast modernization. Tzitzikostas, meanwhile, insists in which Europe cannot afford to continue depending on others or be disarmed by its own bureaucratic slowness. The modernization of bridges, tunnels and railways is not just a matter of civil transport: it has become the backbone of the future European defense. One thing is clear for curator: an invasion would not wait for forms to be resolved or to reinforce a bridge. Image | 7th Army Training, US Army Europe, European Roads In Xataka | If Europe rearma we will find a problem that will affect us all: cars and trains In Xataka | The “rearme” in Europe has encountered an obstacle that neither US imagined: Spain

Europe has promised to spend 250,000 million dollars in US energy. The problem is that the USA surely does not have it

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On the facade of the Turnberry golf course, between the Scottish Greens and the handshakes of hand, Europe and the United States They avoided a commercial war with an agreement that has been received with relief, but with considerable skepticism. As a headline, diplomatic victory sounds, but energy reality hides much greater complexity. The tariff pact. Donald Trump described the agreement as “the greatest of all”, announcing it from his Scottish resort. For his part, Ursula von der Leyen stressed that they had avoided reaching 30 %tariffs, which Washington had threatened to impose if an agreement was not reached before August 1. The agreement establishes a 15% tariff On European exports to the United States, accompanied by investment and import commitments that seek to “rebalance” a historically asymmetric commercial relationship. However, among the headlines a figure stands out: 250,000 million dollars annually in European Liquefied Natural Gas Purchases (LNG), Petroleum, coal and even US nuclear fuel. And there begins the problem. Does the United States have the capacity? The answer, As the journalist Clyde Russell has analyzed in ReutersIt is a clear “no.” In 2024, the total value of the United States energy exports to the European Union – including raw, gas, coal and refined products – was approximately 65,000 million dollars. To reach 250,000 million promised, they should quadruple. Even if Europe bought 100 % of US exports of crude oil, gas and coal – and no other country received a single drop of American energy – it would continue to be well below the objective. Russell He has described it As “an illusion”, comparable to the failed “phase 1” agreement between Trump and China in 2019, when energy purchases of 200,000 million were promised that were never fulfilled. So what is motivation? The explanation is more in politics than in logistics. The EU has preferred to avoid an escalation that threatened to paralyze its industrial exports, especially in sensitive sectors such as motor, pharmaceutical or semiconductors. As Columnist Pierre Briançon has explained in Reutersit is a “chapter disguised as success.” The new 15 % tariff multiplies by ten the previous average (1.6 %) and is not accompanied by equivalent tariff concessions by the US, beyond some specific sectors such as aviation or certain chemicals. Meanwhile, the European bloc also promises an additional 600,000 million dollars in direct investment in the United States during Trump’s mandate, including armament purchases. All this in a context of increasing tension by war in Ukraine, the dependence of NATO and American pressure on European technological regulations. From Moscow to Texas. One of the key justifications presented by Von der Leyen is that this energy turn reinforces European independence with respect to Russia. As pointed out in The Telegraphimporting US gas and oil will allow the continent “to free itself from Russian energy blackmail.” However, As several diplomats cited by Financial Times have pointed outThis also means a deeper dependence on an unpredictable and volatile trade partner. “Trump knows exactly where our pain threshold is,” an ambassador confessed to the British newspaper. In fact, it is not the first time that Trump threat directly to the EU with punitive tariffs if there are no immediate concessions. In addition, the London medium has detailed That the EU had a retaliation package worth 93,000 million euros, but was never activated due to lack of internal consensus. Germany, Ireland and Italy pressed to soften measures and protect national interests. Brussels’s “commercial bazuca” never shot. A word flies over: renewable. This energy turn also puts the European ecological transition under pressure. The pact does not mention concrete commitments in renewables, and on the contrary, Trump took advantage of the summit to load against wind energy, describing it as “the most expensive energy form” and a “scam”, As the Telegraph has collected. This raises a contradiction: while Brussels promotes projects such as Invest ai To create chips gigafactories and boost green digitalization, at the same time compromises astronomical sums on fossil fuels. A dissonance that, As the expert Mujtaba Rahman recalled in statements to Nyt“It reflects European concern for other geopolitical scenarios rather than for energy coherence.” Are they winning time? To ask ourselves, this is the first thing that comes to mind: it seems that Europe has bought time. Time to avoid immediate reprisals, to keep Trump moderately satisfied, and for the next administration – be it or not – redesign the rules of the game. A strategy that reminds the “Run the Clock” with which China sailed the 2019 trade war. Meanwhile, neither 250,000 million exist, neither gas flows yet, nor are the details closed. As The journalist Tim Wallace has summarized: “What seems like a tactical victory today, tomorrow can reveal its strategic cost.” Image | Unspash Xataka | The US has come to threaten Apple to manufacture the iPhone in the country. Your answer: spend 500 million in magnets

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