Europe

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

China will premiere its new Hong Kong in December. And Europe is not prepared for what is coming

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December will mark a turning point in the Chinese commercial strategy. The island of Hainan will launch its large -scale independent customs operation, becoming The new nerve center For international trade with China. A movement that arrives five years after Hong Kong lost his historical role as a bridge between the East and West. The western entrance door to China. Hong Kong has lost much of its appeal to Western companies since 2020, when Beijing The National Security Law imposed In the territory. This change in Hong Kong has been one of the ingredients that have contributed to the cooling of foreign investment in China, and that adds to a list that includes The growing geopolitical tensionsminor growth prospects and increased risk perceived after Trump’s return to power. The former British colony, which for more than two decades had worked as the privileged entrance door to China, no longer offers the predictable commercial environment sought by Western multinationals. A new commercial bridge. Hainan is presented as the “new and improved Hong Kong”, and The figures They support it more and more: 74% of Tariff lines They will have tariff -free products, compared to current 21%. Tax free items will go from 1,900 to 6,600. In addition, imported products that experience at least 30% added value when processing in Hainan will be able to enter Chinese continental territory without tariffs. That is, China is creating its freer economic zone just when the rest of the countries are fragmented in commercial blocks. Prepare, Europe. European companies now face a dilemma: maintain coherence with the geopolitical positions of their governments or take advantage of a real economic opportunity. While Europe debate A separation Of its financial connections on the country, Beijing is offering commercial conditions that will be difficult to reject for many multinationals. The Chinese strategy is clear: to turn Hainan into an irresistible magnet for foreign investment at a time when geopolitical tensions are at its highest point. The signals are already there. First semester data show that companies with foreign investment in China registered A 2.4% growth In its commercial value, reaching 751,720 million euros. The number of foreign companies with commercial activities in China amounted to 75,000, the highest figure for the same period since 2021. Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany increased their direct investment by 68.6%, 59.1%, 37.6% and 6.3% respectively. What comes now. Europe has not shown a clear strategy yet. While the United States maintains a more defined position in Its strategic competition with ChinaEuropean countries are debated among their economic ties with the Asian giant and pressures to align with Washington. Hainan represents the Chinese commitment to demonstrate that it can offer better conditions than any other emerging market, precisely when its economic model is most questioned. The countdown has begun. December 18China will officially open its new gateway to the world. Cover image | Denny Ryanto In Xataka | China has a prey capable of changing the rotation of the earth. Now they are building an even bigger

While Europe fights with its rules on AI, the US is betting on the contrary: an unprecedented normative relaxation

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The AI is already redefining our relationship with technology, but is also redrawing the spheres of power in the world. United States and Europe They say they are committed to their development, but they are doing it from very different places. The most recognized companies in this area are Americans: Google, Openai, Microsoft, Amazon. Europe has some outstanding startups, such as Mistral or the Spanish Freepik. Now, while the EU cautious applies its ambitious regulation of AIThe United States presents a plan that goes right in the opposite direction. Washington draws its path: less rules, more speed He “Ai action plan“Presented by the White House is, above all, a declaration of intentions. More than 90 measures grouped into three pillars – innovation, infrastructure and international leadership – that draw a road map for the United States to win the AI race. The keyword, throughout the document, is speed. {“videoid”: “x8jpy2b”, “Autoplay”: fals, “title”: “What is behind it like chatgpt, dall-e or midjourney? | artificial intelligence”, “tag”: “Webedia-prod”, “Duration”: “1173”} The Trump administration not only wants to boost the development of new AI models, wants to do it by eliminating obstacles. Federal agencies will review their own regulations to withdraw those considered “onerous” for innovation. And the export of technology with complete packages – scrub, software, models, applications – designed for strategic allies will be facilitated. To all that is added an impulse to the infrastructure that had already taken its first steps: Relax permissions for data centers and chips factories, enable federal soil, modernize the electricity grid and form technical labor (electricians, air conditioning technicians, maintenance). The message is clear: less bureaucracy, more investment, but also more Washington influence. While Washington Dregula, Brussels regulates The European Union It was the first great power to raise comprehensive legislation on AIwith the objective of guaranteeing transparency, security and respect for fundamental rights. AI ACT entered into force on August 1, 2024. The prohibitions and literacy obligations in AI began to be applied on February 2, 2025; The rules for general purpose models will do so on August 2, 2025; And the obligations for high -risk systems will arrive on August 2, 2026 (some will extend until 2027). The regulation is ambitious: it establishes risk categories, it limits uses such as mass facial recognition and demands strict controls for the most advanced models. In addition, it has introduced a code of voluntary practice to advance part of these demands. Goal has publicly refused to sign the documentincluding a series of criticisms of the position that the community block has adopted. To that rejection are added internal pressures: a group of large European companies – among them Airbus, Lufthansa, Asml, Totalenergies or Mistral–They asked Brussels at the beginning of this pause or simplify the application of the regulation. From the commission, for now, they insist on maintaining the planned calendar.     Criticism from both sides Neither the American nor the European strategy are exempt from criticism. Both generate tensions, doubts and warnings from different fronts. In the United States, the deregulator approach has generated a wave of reproaches. The plan talks about maintaining global technological dominance through deregulation, infrastructure and alliances. For many, That is a clear bias in favor of great technological. JB Branch, by Public Citizen, denounced that the plan It is in practice a favor treatment of Silicon Valley. More than 90 organizations launched the “People’s ai Action Plan“As a counterpart, accusing the White House of prioritizing corporate interests on social welfare.” The plan is written by and for those who want to use AI about us, not with us, ” They said Sarah Myers West and Amba Kak, from the AI Now Institute. In Xataka We thought the Antispam law had not served at all. The responsible companies are already being fine Europe, meanwhile, deal with its own problems. European startups and multinationals claim more margin to compete without normative ballast United States and China. The balance between promoting innovation and guaranteeing control remains far. Images | Xataka with Gemini Flash 2.5 | Igor Omilaev In Xataka | Google’s summaries are reducing clicks to half. And that only points in one address: the collapse (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news While Europe fights with its rules on AI, the US is betting on the contrary: an unprecedented normative relaxation It was originally posted in Xataka by Javier Marquez .

Europe had killed its hopes to find oil in the continent. Poland has just changed that

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“The oil market is misleading.” This is warned by analyst Javier Blas In a recent article for Bloombergwhere he points out that under the apparent price stability a deep transformation that has altered the seasonality of global consumption is hidden. It is no longer winter, but summer, the moment of greatest demand for crude. And in this new scenario, Poland could be facing a turning point: the finding of the largest conventional hydrocarbon deposit in its history, in the waters of the Baltic Sea. A submerged treasure. The Canadian Central European Petroleum (CEP) company, backed by Norway investment, has announced the discovery of the Wolin Este site (We1), located just six kilometers from the coast. TVN24 He has reported That the site includes 22 million tons of oil and 5,000 million cubic meters of natural gas, with a total estimate in the concession of 33 million tons of crude oil and 27,000 million cubic meters of gas. According to calculations cited by BBCthis figure would represent around 200 million barrels of oil, which makes it a strategic finding both for its volume and its location. It doesn’t change everything, but it changes a lot. Poland consumes about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, but its local production does not exceed 18,000. The rest matters. In that context, a discovery that can triple national production represents more than good news: it is a potential turning point. Wolin’s exploitation could multiply national production by three, according to CEP Executive Director, Rolf Skaar, In statements collected by TVN24. In addition, the crude found has an API index of 33.4, which classifies it as light, that is, easier and more economical to refine. This finding comes when Poland has already taken Russia’s energy distance after the invasion of Ukraine: it has connected to Norwegian gas through Baltic Pipe, has reinforced its import capacity of LNG since świnoujście and has diversified its access to crude oil through Naftaport, in Gdansk. But still depending, to a large extent, abroad. Wolin can start changing that. From the finding to extraction. The concession of Wolin, of 593 km², was perforated by the specialized platform Noble Resolve, reaching a vertical depth of 2,715 meters. The We1 well was left in future conditions and geological analysis confirmed a 62 -meter hydrocarbon column in the main dolomite formation (CA₂), As detailed Gospodarka Morska. CEP has already invested about 200 million Zlotys in seismic studies and drilling, and now looks for Polish and international partners to undertake the exploitation phase. Conversations with companies such as PGNIG (now integrated into Orlen) have been restarted after the fusion of state energy. International Resonance. Wolin’s discovery occurs while the international crude oil market navigates uncertain waters. According to ReutersBrent’s futures closed Monday under 70 dollars. The reason: the new sanctions of the European Union against Russia, which now prohibit the importation of refined products in third countries with Russian crude, such as India. Although analysts believe that the supply will find new paths, concerns arise about the impact on the diesel market, more difficult to replace. That tension adds an important nuance: the new deposits in European soil are not only an energy advantage, but also a geostrategic asset. And now what? The new site will not solve the Polish energy dependence on its own, but it could mark a turning point. As the energy expert points out Wojciech Jakóbik in BBC, the finding “will strengthen energy security, provided that estimates are confirmed in practice and develop the necessary infrastructure.” Today, it is not clear if a new pipeline will be built or existing infrastructure will be used. Meanwhile, CEP holds conversations with multiple actors and, as Jakóbik recalls, the project requires companies with “greater risk tolerance and investment capacity”. An energy window in convulsive times. The discovery in the Baltic Sea comes just when the global market enters its moment of maximum seasonal demand, in the middle of the northern hemisphere. As Bloomberg explained, the seasonality of crude has changed: it is no longer winter, but the summer months that mark consumption roofs. The big question is whether Poland can take this opportunity without repeating the mistakes of the past. The window is open. But it will not be forever. Image | Pexels Xataka | This graph shows that Venezuela has more oil than anyone. Your production is another song

Panticosa has been a ski sanctuary for years. Now he wants to reconvert … with the most beastly slide in Europe

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Panticosa is a small town in the region of Alto Gállego, in Huesca, famous for its Pyrenean landscapes and the skiing station Panticosa-Los Lagos. Soon it will be for something else: a Huge slide of mountain almost three kilometers long, half a hundred sleds and a deep unevenness of more than 700 meters that will be unique in Europe. With him the Government of Aragon aspires to disseminate the tourism of the region now that the facilities dedicated to snow sports face a uncertain future. For now, the technical tabogán file impresses. A slide to dominate them all. If you like the slides go by reserving hole for Panticosa. The president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, put yesterday The first stone which aspires to become “Mountain slide with the greatest uneven in Europe.” At the moment we only have The photos of the presentation and some data of their technical file, but they serve to open appetite: the slide will measure almost three kilometers long and will cover an unevenness of more than 700 meters. According to the Regional Executivethere is no other installation of its kind with a larger slope. At least in Europe. Is there more data? Yeah. Diario del Alto Aragón Precise That the exact slope will be 707 my the slide will run along the hillside from the top of the telecabine to the lower one. The obstacles that are on the way will draw them with bridges and tunnels. The government has also specified that the sleds (with a capacity for an adult alone or with a child) will complete the almost three kilometers of travel in nine minutes. The maximum speed will be 40 km/h, a mark that will not be exceeded thanks to a brake system. “It is not invasive”. In total, the slide will have fifty sleds that, according to executive calculations, will allow transporting about 1,100 people every day. “The system takes advantage of the energy of the telecabine during the climb, since it works with the same exploitation of the skiing track. Then, the descent is done by gravity. Not requiring concrete foundation is not invasive for the environment,” Comment to Aragón News Ignacio Vicente, head of the project. The installation includes A warehouse and shape it will cost in total 7.7 million of euros. More than 90% (7.2 million) will leave the coffers of the Aragonese Executive and the rest of the Panticosa City Council. If the deadlines are fulfilled, the idea is that it is operational to late 2026. OBJECTIVE: Destationalize. With the new installation, Aragon has A clear objective: Diversify the offer that visitors are in Panticosa and that the region is less dependent on snow -linked tourism. “It is an example of an economic engine and the de -stationalization of tourism”, highlighted Azcon at the beginning of the works. “This slide can serve tourists for ten months a year and will be a central element in the de -stations of tourism that face ski stations.” The initiative is in fact framed in the Pyrenees Planas the Regional Executive recalls, among its objectives, it has among its objectives to “de -stationalize” tourism in the four regions of the Aragonese Pyrenees. The 7.2 million dedicated to Panticosa Tobogán are added to the 12 that have already been invested in the Valley of Tena in 2024 to install or replace 547 cannons for the production of snow in formigal-panticosa, “which meant an impulse in the capacity of innivation in the stations of this area”, claims The Azcón team. New life for the valleys. In 2023, al present the master lines Of the Pyrenees Plan in Panticosa, the Aragonese President explained that his goal is to “boost” the valleys of the northernmost region of the region, for which he already foresaw at that time an injection of more than 70 million. Among its initiatives, the Montanuy road and Panticosa’s slide, both projects designed among other things to enrich tourism in the area. It is no accident. Throughout the last years, ski stations (in Spain and other countries) have been seen in difficulties for the shortage of snow, which has condemned them to suffer “Lightning seasons” or directly to closing. Images | Aragon Government (X) In Xataka | Cantabria wants more visitors in the Cabárceno Park. So you will create a large alpine slide to travel at 40 km/h

Its nuclear bombs return to Europe

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Belicist machinery is a plagued scenario of symbology. We do not talk about mere ornaments, it is our own language that serves to remember, to communicate intentions or even to sow messages both on the allied side and in the enemy. From the emblems in the Uniforms to the shields painted in the fuselages, passing by badges either Levadas flags In conquered territories, each symbol can condense centuries of history or project what is to come. The latter is what has revealed A simple currency. What hidden politics. A find in Visual culture of the United States Air Force has offered the clearest signal to the date that nuclear weapons have returned to Europe, specifically to the air base of RAF Lakenheathin England, after almost two decades of absence. THE KEY: THE NAME AS Challenge coinsalso known as “round metal objects” or RMO, a very important part of the culture and tradition of military aviation. These currencies include characteristics such as the designation of unity, colors, pet, nickname, slogans and slogans, symbology and references to their history and tradition. The symbol. The piece in question is A commemorative currency 493rd Fighter Generation Squadron (FGS), a unit reactivated in 2023 and part of the 48th Fighter Wingwhich shows unambiguously a B61 nuclear bomb and an atomic fungus, visual elements that unequivocally refer to an active nuclear mission. The capture of the currency It is Tony Osborneeditor of the European Defense Section in Aviation Week. The unit in question, which together with the 494th FGS constitutes one of the First maintenance squadrons Fifth generation in Europe, directly supports combat squads of F-35athe most advanced hunting of the West Arsenal and fully compatible with the most modern version of the B61 bomb: the B61-12. Since 2021, Lakenheath is also the first wing of the US Air Force outside the United States that operates these fighters. One of the currency faces (the other on the cover) Silent return of deterrence. Although the Pentagon maintains its traditional policy of “neither confirming or denying” the presence of nuclear weapons in specific locations, multiple indications converge on pointing out that the b61 bombs already They have been deployed or they are about to arrive at Lakenheath. Among them A flight stands out of C-17A RCH4574, detected For open source intelligence sources, which started from the Kirtland nuclear base, New Mexico, after a scale in Mcchord, and landed in Lakenheath on July 18. The aircraft belongs to 62nd Airlift Wing, the only certified unit to transport nuclear weapons routinely. This journey, together with the stay of the plane in the area of the Kirtland Nuclear Weapons Center, suggests an operational transfer rather than a logistics exercise. Inert test version of a B61 in an underground vault of the Arms Storage and Safety System (WS3) at the Volkel Air Base, Netherlands Other clues. Besides, Since 2022 HE has documented The modernization of 28 of the 33 aircraft shelters in Lakenheath, equipping them with WS3 underground vaults intended for safe nuclear weapons storage. These reforms are part of the NATO Safety Investment Program (NSIP), whose 2023 budget explicitly includes the United Kingdom for facilities of “special storage”. To this are added contracts of the Department of Defense They mention The “imminent nuclear mission” of the 48th Security Forces Squadron, as well as specific training for nuclear personnel, a cultivation broth confirming that the necessary infrastructure would already be operational. Lakenheath, strategic pivot in European deterrence. The possible permanent reintroduction of nuclear weapons in Lakenheath should not be understood as an isolated gesture, but as part of A strategic readjustment in the nuclear stance of the United States in Europe. The base could serve as much as permanent storage point as backup platform For other nuclear facilities already knownsuch as Kleine Brogel (Belgium), Büchel (Germany), Aviano and Ghedi (Italy), Volkel (Netherlands) and Incirlik (Türkiye). Of all of them, Lakenheath stands out not only for his renewed infrastructure, but also for his ability to OPERATE F-35Awhich positions it as a key node for the future doctrine of tactical nuclear deterrence in Europe. Lakenheath Air Base Why UK. Here it is important to highlight that the United Kingdom, although officially does not participate in the NATO nuclear distribution program, has expressed interest In acquiring F-35a (In addition to their Current F-35b short takeoff and vertical landing) and could eventually integrate into the use of B61-12 under bilateral agreements with the United States. This would open the possibility that British fighters armed with American nuclear weapons operate from Lakenheath in coordination with the American squads already deployed. B61-12 and F-35a: New nuclear power equation. As for the new B61-12 bomb, it represents A qualitative leap within the American nuclear tactical arsenal. Endowed with a Precision guidance system Through a tail with inertial navigation and stabilization rockets, it allows nuclear attacks with much greater accuracy than its predecessors. Combined with the poaching and penetration capacity of the F-35A, it makes this duo a strategic platform with flexible response capacity, ideal for dynamic deterrent scenarios on the east flank of NATO. It is estimated that about 100 b61-12 bombs American property is currently deployed in Europe, and their redistribution, with Lakenheath as a new headquarters, could reinforce the credibility of the United States nuclear umbrella. Shared deterred vs. nuclear autonomy. It We count A few days ago. Since Trump’s arrival to power, he has grown among European allies (especially France and the United Kingdom) The concern that Washington reduces or even cancels your commitment to the NATO nuclear cast program. This fear has revived debates about the need to build a European nuclear deterrence Autonomous. In that context, the possible Return of nuclear weapons British territory acts as a counterweight and reaffirmation of the American commitment, although it does not completely close the concerns on long -term sustainability of the current model. A clear sign. Be that as it may, the symbology of A commemorative currency It may seem anecdotal, but in this case condenses … Read more

Pontegadea turns Luxembourg into the new homeland for the Empire of the brick of Amancio Ortega in Europe

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Pontegadea, the Real Estate Holding of Amancio Ortega, It has grown so much In recent years that he has had to review his management strategy for the company’s European assets. Given this change of structure, the company has taken advantage of centralize management Of all the real estate holding company, making the one that until now was the subsidiary of Luxembourg in its new international headquarters. Luxembourg, the new Pontegadea headquarters. Amancio Ortega has completely reorganized the operational structure of its real estate holding company in Europe to convert its subsidiary Pontegadea Luxembourg into a giant that will manage real estate assets worth 7,033 million euros. However, although restructuring has been completed in 2025, it has been forging since 2024, as confirmed From Pontegadea EuropePress. The decision that has encouraged this change is that the great duchy is in a geographical position closer to the assets that it manages, in addition to having a much more friendly taxation for the taxation of the large real estate operations. Expansion under the structure of Luxembourg. In January 2023, Pontegadea registered the Luxembourg subsidiary to, throughout 2024, make several purchases of strategic real estate such as the offices of the Clifford Chance firm or the purchase of two more office buildings more worth 321 million euros. The luxembourgish subsidiary has absorbed the French, and takes control of all the residential buildingshotels, logistics centers and shopping centers that the company has in Germany, France, Ireland, Italy or Netherlands. In addition, it will also take control of the management of some assets in Canada and the United States. Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom stay out. Despite its proximity, the assets that Amancio Ortega bought in Spain and Portugal, as well as The properties of the subsidiary Pontegadea in the United Kingdom remain outside this luxembourg dependent reorganization, and remain under the umbrella of Pontegadea investments. Under Pontegadea investments, 50.01% of the participation of Amancio Ortega en Inditex, Telxius, the telecommunications company that shares with Telefonica, and the entire investment arm in investment in Renewable energy and natural gas that the company has in Spain and Portugal. Why Luxembourg? The short response is for taxation. The long answer is that, the Pontegadea model does not consist of obtaining surplus value of real estate, but of become the landlord of important companies such as Amazon, Apple, Meta or Spotify, as well as renting their buildings To large hotel chains so that they exploit it commercially. All those rental income They are taxed in the countries where the properties are located, but Luxembourg’s fiscal advantage lies in a low tax burden when buying those properties. Amancio Ortega goes shopping in Europe. With this movement, Pontegadea has laid the foundations to begin its expansion throughout Europe, as demonstrated by the latest movements with the Purchase of an office building in the port area of Dublin for 70 million dollars; with the acquisition of the headquarters of the Editorial Planeta in Barcelona for 250 million euros; wave recent acquisition of the Luxury Banke hotel in Paris, for 97 million euros. Both the Dublin building and that of Paris, have directly passed to the Pontegadea Luxembourg asset portfolio. With assets valued at more than 110,000 million euros, Pontegadea has become the largest real estate in Spain, surpassing giants in the sector as colonial or Merlin. With this strategic movement towards Luxembourg, the investment arm of Amancio Ortega prepares to advise a blow to the European real estate market and position itself among the largest in the old continent. In Xataka | Amancio Ortega knows that millionaires are moving to Florida: a skyscraper has been bought for 165 million dollars Image | Gtres, Pexels (ABODI VESAKARAN)

Drones are revolutionizing war in real time and Europe already has its following evolution: the “hybrid” drone

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The drones are Very present In war. The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) have proven to be versatile and competent tools on the Batallo field both in the offensive and in intelligence, but they have an important limitation: when they are on land they are useless. A small drone can get through a window and check a room, but it has no wheels to sneak into recesses in terrestrial operations. Not being, of course, it is a Rooster. A what? A Rooster. This peculiar “hybrid dron” is manufactured by the Israeli company robotic and stands out, as it is obvious, for its form factor. Unlike conventional drones, which can usually only fly, Rooster can fly and run thanks to a side wheel system. They are not really wheels as such, but a kind of cages that, on paper, should pay correctly even on complex land. Teams of three. This drone can be operated independently or in teams of three. When they come together, the three drones forms a mesh, interconnect with each other, share sensors (such as cameras) and can be controlled by the same operator. In fact, this can see in real time the image of drones on the control screen. This connectivity is key, especially if there are no GPS signal in the area. More Specs. The device weighs 1.6 kilos and is to be able to transport loads of up to 300 grams, such as a radiation sensor or a thermal chamber. Its autonomy is 12 minutes of flight and 30 minutes on ground. Seeing it in operation is, at least, curious, since it can pass another in real time, which allows to explore a plant on the ground, fly over the sale, climb to the second floor flying and return to the land exploration. It has cameras (night vision included), records even in Fullhd and, of course, it has ia to detect obstacles. The Rooster flying | Image: robotican In the hands of Israel … and NATO. This drone has already been adopted by the Israeli armed forces, but now it is ready to make the leap to the international market. Just three days ago, the Rooster got he NATO STOCK NUMBER. This is a 13 -digit code used by NATO that guarantees that all objects, from a bulb to pants, are cataloged and are easily accessible in supply chains. Also, in some way, it determines that they are trustworthy devices and that they meet the standards of the alliance. The company also confirmed that has sold its drones to “elite units in Europe”, not to mention exactly countries. We do know that, currently, they are employed by Israel’s defense forces and By the American Dea. The Spanish army He also had occasion to put the rooster tested during a demo that took place in forum 2e+i in Toledo in 2023. The rooster on land | Image: robotican The current context. Israel, One of the world’s great weapons manufacturersIt is not a NATO member country, which adds 32 members, but a partner through the 1994 Mediterranean dialogue such as Jordan, Mauritania or Morocco. The relationship with this country at this time is tense. On the one hand, he has the United States as a great ally, to the point that Israel is considered a MNNA (Important not-oan ally). This designation is made by the United States government to those countries that it considers closest allies. Israel was one of the first five countries to be part of this list after the creation of the MNNA level in 1987 by Ronald Reagan. On the other hand, there is the European Union, which He has condemned Israel’s acts in Gaza and supports the Palestinian authority, but still without agreeing on what measures take against Israel. Some countries, including Spain, defend that agreements with Israel must be suspended and advocated by taking measures and By a arms embargo. The future is the remote control. If something has made clear the recent events that have shaken the international geopolitics, in particular the Israel-Palestine conflict and The Ukraine Warthe thing is Drone control It is capable of decant the balance and make a difference. Unmanned vehicles allow precise maneuvers without putting military personnel at risk. Having more versatile options, such as a hybrid drone capable of developing on land and air, opens many possibilities and supposes, without a doubt, an advance. Cover image | Robotican In Xataka | Solving one of the great mysteries of war video games: if weapons have copyright or not

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