fear

the fear of living in 1973 again because of the war in Iran

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Just enter the tracking platform Marine Traffic to understand the magnitude of the paralysis. Dozens of red dots, representing colossal merchant ships, crowd motionless off the coasts of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The steel giants do not dare to cross a strip of water that, at its narrowest point, barely measures 33 kilometers. The Strait of Hormuz It is the main energy artery of the planet. A fifth of the world’s oil – some 20.9 million barrels per day – and a vital percentage of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) sail through its waters daily. Today, that step is de facto blocked. Half a century later, an atavistic terror has awakened in Western capitals: the fear of reliving the energy collapse and rampant inflation of 1973. The spark that set the markets on fire jumped after a war escalation unprecedented in the Middle East, triggered by the attacks by the United States and Israel that culminated in the assassination of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran’s response has not been long in coming: a rain of drones and missiles on American allies and trade routes that has caused a blockade de facto of the Strait of Hormuz. The crisis broke out after an unprecedented escalation of war in the Middle East. The offensive by the United States and Israel (named “Operation Epic Fury”), which culminated in the assassination of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparked a quick response from Tehran: a rain of drones and missiles on American allies and strategic infrastructure in the Gulf. The physical consequences have been immediate. An Iranian drone attack forced to paralyze the Ras Laffan facilities in Qatar, the largest LNG export plant in the world, and forced Saudi Arabia to temporarily close units of its gigantic Ras Tanura refinery. The violence has directly reached the water: the British agency UKMTO reported the attack on an oil tanker near Oman, leaving several injured, and the energy expert Javier Blas warned of the explosion of another ship anchored off the coast of Kuwait, causing an oil spill into the sea. Given this panorama, transport giants such as Maersk or MSC They have ordered their fleets seek refuge. The panic has rewritten logistics rates: the cost of leasing a supertanker (VLCC) has shot up by 600%, hovering around $200,000 a day, while insurers have increased war risk premiums by up to 50%, as Alex Longley warns in Bloomberg. The echoes of the past are terrifying. Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee, warns in Fortune that a prolonged closure of Hormuz could have an impact “three times the scale of the energy crisis we saw in the 1970s.” What could happen if the tanks overflow The problem with ships not sailing is not only that the oil does not reach its destination, it is that it accumulates at the point of origin. The industry is facing a logistical collapse due to lack of physical storage. Iraq has been the first major victim of this logistical collapse. As you have detailed OilPricethe country has had to begin to turn off the tap on gigantic fields such as Rumaila (the largest in the world), withdrawing about 1.5 million barrels a day from the market, a figure that could double if the crisis persists. According to sources from the commercial sector in Financial TimesIf the blockade continues, Kuwait will be the next to give up in a matter of days, followed by the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, thanks to its immense storage capacity, could last between two and four weeks before being forced to cut its extraction. Financial markets reflect absolute short-term stress. As analyst John Kemp’s charts illustrateBrent crude oil futures have entered a backwardation extreme, with a difference of almost 11 dollars per barrel between short- and long-term contracts, placing it in the 98th-99th percentile in history. This signals an acute and immediate shortage of barrels, especially for refiners in Asia, which have already begun to cut back on operations. If this funnel continues for three months, the unwritten rule of firms like Goldman Sachs suggests that crude oil could become more expensive by an additional $40, turning the barrier of $100 per barrel in the new normal. The differences with 1973 Despite the drama and the fact that a barrel quickly exceeded $80, the macroeconomic scenario is not a carbon copy of the Arab embargo. Global resilience has changed: The new oil sheriff: Today, the US economy depends much less on crude oil to generate wealth (barely 0.4% of GDP compared to 1.5% in 1979). Furthermore, the American country is now the world’s largest producer of oil, which protects it from supply shocks, as pointed out Fortune. The “Myopia of Hormuz”: Mukesh Sahdev, Chief Analyst at XAnalysts, points in Fortune that the market is overreacting. The main objective of the US (neutralizing the Iranian leadership) has already been met, and Donald Trump himself has suggested that the military campaign could be short, which would limit the long-term impact. Alternative routes to rescue: Saudi Arabia has a colossal lifeline. Your pipeline East-Westwhich connects the eastern fields with the Red Sea, has the capacity to pump about 7 million barrels per day, bypassing Hormuz. There are already signs that Riyadh is redirecting flows this way, as Blas explains. For its part, Iraq has managed to resume a modest flow of 50,000 barrels per day to Türkiye after a brief pause, as the analyst collects Bachar El-Halabi. Safety mattresses: Global onshore reserves reach 2 billion barrels, enough to weather the initial storm. For its part, the Trump Administration has tried to calm the markets by promising Navy naval escorts and state insurance of up to $1 billion per ship through the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). However, this is not a magic solution. As they warn in the sectorcaptains are the ones who decide to set sail, and sailing surrounded by US military destroyers often makes them more attractive … Read more

The economy’s big fear was a simultaneous global drought. Science has found our lifesaver

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We have been observing for years how climatic extremes They hit different parts of the globe, with the experience in Spain still very marked. But with him increase in temperatures To the extreme, one of the biggest fears of climatologists and economists is the synchrony of global droughts. That is, a scenario in which the main food-producing regions dry out at the same time. The good news is that science indicates that the Earth (at the moment) is not drying out. A problem. Logically, if the main countries in the world where wheat, rice, corn or soybeans are produced had a drought simultaneously, we would have a huge problem of product supplywhich for many is a real nightmare. But here the researchers have reached a conclusion: synchronized global droughts are severely limited and barely affect between 1.8% and 6.5% of the global land surface at the same time. Without a doubt, a great respite for economists who saw the end of the world as we know it and who has been published in Nature. But the most impressive thing is that all this is thanks to the oceans. What we knew. Until now, we knew that major climate events such as The Child wave North Atlantic Oscillationcould alter rainfall patterns thousands of miles away through what scientists call “teleconnections.” And it is something that the research team itself pointed out in the past: there are interconnected drought nodes at different latitudes, most in North America, South America, Africa and Australia. That is, when there is drought in one place, it can move to another. But, if these nodes are connected… Why doesn’t the entire planet dry out at once when there is an anomaly like El Niño? The answer is in the oceanic variability. An ally. In this case, the oceans act as an immense regulatory mechanism and that is why the authors literally speak of a phenomenon called ‘geographic trapping’. In this way, the dynamics of the oceans force the scale of these hydrological extremes to remain confined to certain areas, preventing drought from spreading across all continents simultaneously between the different nodes. It matters more that it doesn’t rain. Another of the findings that may be surprising derives from a common myth about extreme droughts. In this case we usually automatically associate the worst droughts with the suffocating heat wavesbut, nevertheless, the data from the last 120 years are clear in pointing out that the lack of precipitation dominates over high temperatures when determining the severity of a drought. That is to say, it is important that it does not rain or that it is extremely hot. Specifically, the lack of rain is responsible for two-thirds of the impact of the severity of these events, relegating temperature to a secondary role, although not negligible in a world that is moving towards warming of up to three degrees Celsius. It’s good news. That the planet has mechanisms to avoid a total global drought is excellent news for global food security and international markets, by ensuring supply for supermarkets. But scientists point out that we should not let our guard down. It must be kept in mind that, although 6.5% of land affected simultaneously, the maximum possibility that we have mentioned before, seems small on a planetary scale, if that percentage coincides exactly with the great “breadbaskets of the world”, the economic and humanitarian disaster can be equally devastating. In this way, the regions identified as “hubs” host a large part of global agricultural production, and the study warns of a growing systemic vulnerability in these areas. Images | edcharlie In Xataka | The drought is turning water into a very scarce and valuable commodity in Spain. And there are already organized groups of thieves

More and more Spaniards use AI in their daily work. They also fear losing their jobs because of it.

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Artificial intelligence has ceased to be a technological promise and has become something that more and more Spanish workers already have installed in their daily routine. Not long ago, talking about AI at work sounded like science fiction and, on many occasions, it was even seen like a trap at work. Today, the data tells a very different story and adoption not only growsbut it does so at a speed that surprises even the analysts themselves. A report from the InfoJobs platform highlights that in the last year not only has the percentage of employees who use AI in their work grown, but increasingly understands them better. It is increasingly used at work. According to the IV InfoJobs Artificial Intelligence Report63% of professionals in Spain regularly use AI tools in 2026. This figure represents an increase compared to the 52% recorded in the 2025 report and 50% in 2024. Within this increase in the presence of AI in the workplace, the report highlights that the spontaneous use of AI stands at 51%, 17 points more than in 2025. The data indicates that the difference between the total use of AI and that declared has been reduced from 18 to 12 points. That is, workers not only use AI more, but they also better identify what technology they have in their hands and what they can do with it. They have an AI and they know how to use it. In 2025, 48% of professionals said they did not know or did not know how to use AI tools. In 2026, that percentage has fallen to 28%, a reduction of 20 points in just one year. In this sense, the generation gap becomes more visible. Among those under 35 years of age, the declared use of AI reaches 63%, compared to 47% among those over that age. Mónica Pérez, Director of Communication and Studies at InfoJobs, summarizes it like this: “Artificial intelligence has gone from being an emerging technology to being progressively integrated into normal work processes. Beyond the increase in its use, the data reflects greater identification and awareness of the use of this tool by professionals, which points to an increasingly consolidated adoption in the work environment and a paradigm shift.” ChatGPT leads, machine translation goes down. Among the most used AI tools in Spanish companies, ChatGPT-type chatbots stand out, which have gone from 37% in 2024 to 52% in 2026 and already top the ranking of the most used. The integration of AI in design tools and as a programming assistant does not go unnoticed, with a significant increase in use in the workplace, standing at 17% and 16% respectively. For its part, automatic translation, one of the main uses of AI at work in 2025, it drops from 58% to 51%. The percentage of users who claim not to use any specific tool in their work has been reduced from 7% to 4%. All this fits with what is happening globally that, by eliminating friction at work, employees tend to take on more tasks, generating more fatigue and workload if it is not managed well. Fear of dismissal grows. Having a greater understanding of the potential of AI tools and knowing what they are capable of also increases the uncertainty about your future job. 39% of those interviewed for the InfoJobs report believe that AI will cause some specific layoffsalthough without replacing specialized work, a percentage higher than 30% in 2025. 23% predict more widespread substitution, while the same percentage considers that the workforce is not easily replaceable with AI alone. This perspective varies depending on presentation of your position to AI. Among those who already use AI regularly in their workplace, 46% see the scenario of specific layoffs as likely, compared to 26% of those who do not use it. The AI ​​gap between companies. According to the study ‘Digitization of the Spanish company‘ Prepared by the UGT union with data from the INE, 21.1% of companies with more than 10 workers used AI in 2025, which represents a considerable increase compared to the previous year in which 9.55% was registered. Among large companies with more than 250 employees, the percentage rises to 58.2%, an increase of 13 points year-on-year. The data from the report indicates that Spain exceeds the OECD and EU average in AI integration, with 20.3% of companies regularly using AI. However, Spain is still very far from the implementation of this technology in Denmark (42%), Finland (38%) or Sweden (35%). Despite the general increase in the use of AI, there is data that indicates that this progress is not being transferred to internal talent since the percentage of ICT specialists in companies it has been reduced from 16.44% to 15.67%, a figure that UGT describes as “unexpected and disturbing.” In Xataka | The biggest fear was that AI would take our jobs. The reality is that it is replacing those who are learning to work Image | Unsplash (Anastassia Anufrieva)

The United Kingdom has always been a country of pets, but fear has triggered a dangerous demand: dogs ready to attack

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The proverb says that the dog is man’s best friend. In United Kingdom more and more people He believes he can be something more: his best protector. At least that is the feeling conveyed by dog ​​training companies, which have found a curious increase in demand thanks to the visibility that networks and networks are giving them. celebrities. They are not cheap, they carry many more responsibilities than a ‘conventional’ pet and they operate within a complex legal framework, but that does not prevent the fact that on the other side of the English Channel it is increasingly easier to come across dogs ready to jump at the command of their owners. There are those who prediction even that personal defense dogs are a billion-dollar market that is rapidly expanding in the United Kingdom. What has happened? That the training of defense dogs is becoming an increasingly profitable business in the United Kingdom. We know it thanks to Guardianwhich a few days ago published an extensive report in which he explains that this type of pets, ready to obey the orders of their owners and defend them with hooves and teeth (in the most literal sense of the expression) if necessary, is experiencing considerable growth. There are not many statistics or official data that corroborate the trend (Guardian does not provide them at least), but of course the message from the sector is clear. “Demand has increased, without a doubt,” confirms Alaster Bly, founder of K9 Guarda company specializing in “highly trained security guard dogs.” There are even trainers who offer special courses to train pets that people already have in their homes. Has demand increased that much? A quick search Google shows a good number of British companies and blogs dedicated to the same thing: selling or informing about defense dogs. And that’s not the only clue. There are even market reports that assure that it is a business in full expansion. A recent study published by AdAstra Solution estimated the size of the British protection dog market at 1.2 billion dollars in 2024. Its forecast is that in just a decade it will rise to 2.5 billion, with a growth rate CAGR of 9.2%. The key is not only that these pets arouse more interest, but that they are expanding their demand base. What does that mean? That dogs trained to serve as bodyguards seem to be ‘becoming popular’ in the United Kingdom. They are far from being a mass phenomenon, but something has changed: they are no longer a ‘whim’ of the wealthiest families or professionals in the security field. According to confirm Guardian After interviewing professionals in the sector, the panorama is changing little by little, as demand increases. Bly acknowledges that the majority of his clients are still wealthy people, but he has also seen growing interest from families who are not wealthy and simply want to “invest in security.” The reasons for this change? There are two that seem key. The first is concern about crime. Although official statistics can be contradictoryStatista tables reflect that the number of violent crimes against people recorded by the police in England and Wales have increased in recent decades. And clearly. In fact, although they have decreased in recent years, they continue to remain well above the snow levels of the beginning of the 21st century. Are there more reasons? Yes. The networks. British reporter Elle Hunt remember that the increase in demand has gone hand in hand with greater media exposure of this type of dogs through various means. One is celebrities. In recent years, personalities such as Rochelle and Marvin Humes, Molly-Mae Hague, Katie Price, J.Terry…actors, singers, footballers and television personalities with well-identifiable faces in the United Kingdom. In the sector, there are those who remember that the increase in demand coincides with greater visibility through Instagram or TikTok of defense dog exhibitions and competitions. Schuzthunda canine agility sport. And how much do they cost? Much more than a ‘conventional’ dog. A trained dog requires considerable work that, sometimes, begins even before the dog is born. Bly works, for example, with hybrids of German and Belgian shepherds, a “very specific genetic mix” that allows it to adapt to its function. Hence they are not cheap. They cost (at least) £32,000. However, price is only one of the factors that the owner must take into account. ¿Is there anything else? Yes. Another factor, even more important, is the care and responsibility that comes with having a dog specially trained for defense. Guardian remember that these personal protection dogs have a complex legal framework, since they are not under the Guard Dogs Law, which does regulate animals in charge of protecting premises or professionals. “They receive the same treatment as any other dog,” explains a criminal lawyer. The problem is that standard home insurance policies can leave them out of your coverage. An important factor in a country that has seen how in recent years attacks increased of dogs recorded by the police. Images | Bignsmall Paws317 (Unsplash) and Wikipedia Via | Guardian In Xataka | Asturias has been fighting for years to have a decent train connection. And now he is also fighting to include his dogs

In Ireland they fear that artists will go without food because of AI. So he’s going to give them a basic income.

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The AI ​​is putting into serious doubt the continuity of different sectors as varied as the programmersthe music producerscinema and even illustrators. Creating a painting, a song, a video clip or an app used to involve having talent and the necessary knowledge. Now it is enough to choose the right AI model. A few days ago, the United Kingdom government was considering the possibility of implement a universal basic income to alleviate the effects of AI. The Irish government has gone ahead of them and has already launched an initiative in which it provides a basic monthly income to 2,000 artists. According to an official report of the impact of the measure, each public euro contributed to this basic income generates 1.39 euros of return. A test that is consolidated. In 2022, Ireland launched a pilot project of universal basic income for artists with which it sought to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural industry. The test turned out to be an unexpected success, so the Irish Administration has chosen to consolidate it by turning the Basic Income for the Arts into a tool against the precariousness of artists, and prevent them from abandoning their creative work. for economic reasons. According what was published by EFEthe Irish executive has provided the project with a budget item of 18.27 million euros so that 2,000 artists benefit from a payment of 325 euros per week. “This is an important milestone for the arts in Ireland and how we support them,” said Patrick O’Donovan, Ireland’s Minister for Arts and Culture. “Ireland is a world leader in supporting artists thanks to the BIA (Basic Income for the Arts),” he added in the official statement of the measure. A test that was a success. The pilot program started in November 2022 after the pandemic, selecting 2,000 artists from 9,025 applications through a lottery to avoid bias. Each one received 325 euros net per week for 36 months, equivalent to 16,900 euros per year, tax-free and without working conditions. The composition reflected the diversity of the sector: 707 in visual arts such as painters and sculptors, 584 musicians and composers, 204 filmmakers and audiovisuals, 170 writers and poets, 160 in theater and dance, plus 175 in mixed areas such as design or performance. This randomized design allowed us to measure real effects without bias for successful profiles. The pilot test was subjected to a study constant from independent entities, which were able to measure the benefits of the measure. The pilot demonstrated with data that 325 euros per week was enough to cover part of the basic expenses, freeing up to 25 extra hours per week so that the artists could dedicate time to creating. That is, it was low enough to allow artists to dedicate time to their artistic production, but not so low as to make them dependent on it. It is a basic income, but with conditions. The measure allows maintaining the same economic conditions as the 2022 program, but incorporates a series of conditions that avoid dependency by assigning it to alternative three-year periods. That is, the beneficiaries of the income in the 2026-2029 cycle cannot opt ​​for the 2029-2032 cycle, but they are eligible again for the 2032-2035 cycle. In addition, at the end of each cycle, there is a gradual three-month decrease in income, where the payment drops by 25% per month to facilitate the transition until they stop receiving it. More art, less precariousness. The more consolidated results of the pilot test published in September 2025, indicated that the initial investment in the project was 105 million euros, of which only 72 million were executed. However, that was enough to obtain a return of around 80 million euros. The artists who participated in the test increased their monthly income by an average of 500 euros, while their income from non-artistic activities was reduced by an average of 280 euros. That is, the basic income allowed artists to concentrate on their creations and make them profitable, allowing them live from his art and not from precarious or part-time jobs. “The economic return on this investment in Ireland’s artists and creative arts workers is having an immediate positive impact for the sector and the economy in general,” said the Irish culture minister. In Xataka | Barcelona tested a basic income of 1,297 euros per month and the job search was reduced by 22%: the test was a success Image | Unsplash (Dillon Wanner)

All viewers believe that the trailers spoil the movies too much. But there is a reason: fear of lawsuits

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The paradox of trailers: they serve to encourage the public to see upcoming releases, but more and more people decide to literally cover their eyes or start talking to their neighbor, because the feeling that the trailers reveal too much is widespread: plot twists, climatic scenes that should be a surprise. There is a more or less intuitive reason: the market is increasingly competitive and it is important to show the public what each film offers that the others do not. But there are more prosaic reasons why trailers reveal more and more about movies. The trailer as a marketing tool.For decades, trailers were considered pieces with their own narrative: small works that condensed the spirit of a film, not mere advertisements. That premise was shaken in December 2022, when a court ruling questioned the legal limits of film marketing. The case pitted Universal Pictures against two viewers who claimed to have been misled by the ‘Yesterday’ trailer. The ‘Yesterday’ case.Two viewers had rented the film after seeing the trailer, in which Ana de Armas appeared in an apparently relevant role; but in the film he had disappeared: his character had been completely eliminated after test screenings. The plaintiffs alleged that they would never have paid for the film if they had known that de Armas was not in it. In Xataka The AI ​​trailers for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ are indistinguishable from the real thing. In the end, Scorsese was right Universal Pictures requested the case be dismissed, arguing that the trailer conveyed the film’s theme in three minutes, but the judge rejected this line of defense. Although trailers involve creativity and editorial decisions, these elements do not nullify their fundamentally commercial nature: they must be treated as advertisements, and the sample they show of the film must correspond to the final product. The judge specified that his resolution was limited to the presence or absence of interpreters, excluding subjective assessments of tone, quality or generic expectations, but set a precedent. It’s not the first. The friction between what the trailers promise and what the movies deliver has generated some attempted litigation. None went so far as to establish firm jurisprudence, but all illustrate a recurring tension between public expectations and studio marketing practices. {“videoId”:”x88pexn”,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”Yesterday Trailer”, “tag”:””, “duration”:”180″} Drive (2011).a spectator sued the distributor claiming that the trailer presented the film as an action film in the style of ‘Fast & Furious’, when in reality it was an atmospheric drama with few chases and a practically mute protagonist. The case dragged on for years without success for the plaintiff: the film did contain driving scenes, but the discrepancy lay in the tone and pacing, not in objective matters. Suicide Squad (2016).The trailers had highlighted Jared Leto as Joker, but his presence in the final cut turned out to be less than fifteen minutes. a scottish fan announced his intention to sue Warner Bros. for false advertising. Leto himself fueled the controversy by confirming that the deleted material It was so extensive. what would make for an independent film. The lawsuit was unsuccessful, but it highlighted the problem of trailers edited before final editing. Dune (2021).Zendaya featured prominently in promotional material: posters, trailers, and a press tour placed her on the same level as Timothée Chalamet. However, his screen time barely exceeded seven minutes of a total footage of 155and most of his appearances were dream sequences. There were no legal repercussions: Zendaya had previously warned that her presence was reduced and that she had only filmed for four days. {“videoId”:”x88q6ut”,”autoplay”:true,”title”:”Dune Trailer”, “tag”:””, “duration”:”208″} The Castaway case.Robert Zemeckis, with his usual ability to anticipate the rest of the industry, had already traveled this path years before. The trailer for ‘Castaway’ (2000) was criticized at the time because it revealed the eventual rescue of the protagonist. Zemeckis defended himself with an argument that is still valid in the industry, beyond the current legal precautions: market studies indicate that the public wants to know exactly what they are going to see before paying for a ticket. The problem of outsourcing.Trailer production rarely falls to the films’ creative teams. Studios hire specialized agencies (Buddha Jones, Trailer Park or Mark Woolen & Associates, only in Los Angeles) that work with raw material, often months before there is a final assembly. These agencies operate fromdailieseitherrushesthe raw footage that comes directly from filming. The process of creating a trailer can take up to a year, a calendar that forces you to work without knowing the final cut. The case of ‘Yesterday’ is a direct consequence of this dynamic. In Xataka Good series are a journey that no spoiler can ruin The pressure for difference.When a franchise accumulates multiple installments, marketing teams face an additional dilemma: how to convince the public that this film offers something different from the previous ones? The answer often involves revealing the differentiating element. The trailer for ‘Terminator: Genesis’ (2015) told that John Connor, traditionally the leader of the human resistance, had been turned into a machine, a twist that constituted the dramatic core of the film. Director Alan Taylor acknowledged that the decision responded to a complex calculation: how to signal to the public that this installment was not a mere repetition of the previous ones? A dilemma that promises to continue giving us headaches for a long time. In Xataka | Disney is looking for a successor to Bob Iger as CEO and has only one condition: that he does not look like Bob Iger’s previous successor as CEO (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news All viewers believe that the trailers spoil the movies too much. But there is a reason: fear of lawsuits was originally published in Xataka by John Tones .

The price of electricity, the cold and the fear of a blackout have brought a 19th century job back to London: chimney sweeps

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When you hear about chimney sweeps, the image that comes to mind is that of men (or boys) from the late 19th century with smudged faces, shirts full of soot and a large broom on their shoulders. That’s the topic. The photographs that Google shows when we search for the word and the one it illustrates your entry on Wikipedia. Today the reality is very different. In the middle of 2026, not only are there still professionals dedicated to the trade, but they use cutting-edge technology and in cities like London they are experimenting a resurgence thanks to the price of energy. His appearance is nothing like that of the famous Bert de ‘Mary Poppins’but they continue to play a key role… and above all they are in demand. Chimney sweeps in 2026? Exact. And at least in London they are not an extemporaneous and decadent group, the memory of a bygone era. On the contrary. As I counted a few days ago The New York Times The profession is still very much alive there, it has been able to adapt to the needs (and resources) of the 21st century and above all it is experiencing a resurgence thanks to the cost of energy. The clearest proof is left by National Chimney Sweeps Association (NACS, for its acronym in English): in 2021 it had 590 members, today its membership base is already around 750. The union includes dozens of women and some businesses claim that in winter they receive between 70 and 80 calls a day. What do they do? Essentially the same as its predecessors from the 19th and 20th centuries, although in a very different context and with very different resources. To remove soot from chimneys they still use brushes that Bert from ‘Mary Popins’ would perfectly recognize, but that is only part of an arsenal that also includes digital cameras, industrial vacuum cleaners and smoke detection equipment. “Almost like chimney technicians,” points out Martin Glynnfrom NACS. Companies are even using drones to scan rooftops. Nothing to do with the habits that once made the profession infamous, such as employing orphans to climb chimneys and clean ducts. It sounds like terrifying science fiction, but this practice was common in the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact in 1875 the death of a child that got stuck in Fulbourn generated such a stir that the Government approved a law that banned “climbing children.” Are there still chimneys? Yes. British chimney sweeps were not immune to key changes, such as the popularization of central heating in the second half of the 20th century or the Clean Air Act (‘Clean Air Act‘) of 1956, but the union has been able to endure and today lives in a much kinder time, even one of vindication. I told it just a year ago in The Telegraph Steven Pearce, descendant of a long line of chimney sweeps who started in the trade decades ago, convinced that the profession’s days were numbered. “At first I only accepted it as a weekend job because we thought the trade would disappear with the 1956 law, when the Government gave local authorities the power to control the burning of coal and boiler fumes,” Pearce relates. “But that didn’t happen, in fact the last five years have been better than ever in business. It’s the busiest time I’ve seen in 45 years.” He is not the only one which confirms the rebirth of the profession. What is the reason? In 2026 English homes may not rely on coal and wood for heat, but they will still light their fireplaces. And not only because of the popularization of stoves. NACS itself admits that demand for its services has been driven by two factors: the increase in energy prices of recent years and a turbulent international context, in which the electricity supply seems a vulnerable flank to enemy attacks. The group also remembers that people simply “like to sit in front of a fireplace” to read, have a glass of wine, watch a movie and unwind. As if that were not enough, a good fire also helps reduce dependence and expense on central heating. What does the regulations say? Of course there are restrictions on the domestic use of coal, but The New York Times remember that even in areas like London the burning of authorized fuels They emit very little visible smoke. What they do generate is soot, which explains why the Government advises that chimneys be cleaned every year with professional help. “People think: ‘We’re going to have a plan B, a fireplace, a stove in case the power goes out,’” Glynn adds.president of NACS. “If you have the option of burning wood or smokeless fuel you can still cook and have some heating. There is a big increase in demand, people are lighting fireplaces again.” How does the future look? Steven Pearce assures that his clients continue buying stoves and admits that it is difficult for him to believe that people are going to do without the installations, even if they are prohibited. “I can’t imagine those who have spent £3,000 to £5,000 installing them not using them.” In fact, he maintains that in recent years he has seen “a great resurgence in the purchase of multi-fuel fireplaces and stoves, which burn wood, charcoal and smokeless materials.” It’s not all advantages: your ‘bill’ is PM2.5 emissionparticles invisible to the naked eye but which do represent a harmful “air pollutant”. Images | Wikipedia, Jorbasa Fotografie (Flickr) and NACS In Xataka | While the whole world looks at oil, Venezuela’s true treasure is hidden in the basements of London: its gold

Fear of vibrations stops trains on the Madrid-Barcelona route

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At 230 km/h in a 300 km/h section because the vibrations are excessive. It is the speed at which you will travel between Madrid and Calatayud (Zaragoza) if the driver decides so. The 200 kilometer stretch has been a source of controversy for some time and it was now that, after the Adamuz accident in Córdobaconcerns have increased. What has happened? The train drivers would be traveling at 230 km/h on the section between Madrid and Calatayud (Zaragoza) because the vibrations are excessive, according to The Economist. They claim in the media that the machinists would have unilaterally decided to make this decision because the intensity of the vibrations is too high. The decision would have come after Adamuz accident (Córdoba) in which an Iryo train has derailed and, according to the first investigationsa second Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction collided with it. It is also noted from The Economist that the decision would affect Renfe trains but that there are no similar communications in Ouigo and Iryo. In addition, the newspaper also specifies that there would be Renfe personnel on the train itself warning travelers that delays will reach 15 minutes for this reason. Can machinists do this? In Xataka We have contacted SEMAF (Spanish Union of Railway Machinists), the majority among this group, who assure us that they have no evidence that the machinists have decided collectively and unilaterally to reduce the speed of the track. It will be, according to SEMAF, at the discretion of each worker. The union explains that the driver has the power to reduce the speed of the train or even stop it if he considers that the conditions of the track prevent adequate driving comfort due to excessive vibrations. In fact, those speed reductions were already occurring before the breakage of Talgo’s S-106 (Avril) trains. This is what a machinist contacted by Xataka who prefers to keep his identity anonymous. He explains that it is each driver who decides how to act and that “we have not been told to do it (slow down the speed) either from the company or from the unions.” The Calatayud controversy The 200 kilometer stretch between Madrid and Calatayud has been in the spotlight for some time. At the end of July 2025, Talgo’s AVRIL trains that Renfe uses for its AVLO services suffered cracks in their structure as a result of the vibrations generated when the trains passed. So The Economist already announced the news and after a series of contradictory communications, Renfe ended up withdrawing the trains of the Madrid-Barcelona line, disregarding the AVLO service that has not been available again. Since then, Talgo and Adif are blaming themselves for what happened. The chronology. From SEMAF, however, they do not share exactly all the points that are pointed out. According to its chronology, the events have happened as follows: AVRIL trains suffer cracks due to excess vibrations and are retired SEMAF sends a letter to Adif requesting that the speed be reduced Adif does not respond SEMAF reminds train drivers that they have the power to reduce speed if they consider there is a justified reason. For SEMAF, nothing has changed. The train drivers are the ones who decide, always with justification and indicating the reason to the command post, whether or not to reduce the speed. SEMAF emphasizes that they have not given an instruction from the union to reduce speed. The vibrations. During the last few hours the controversy around the vibrations of the AVE has been increasing. From SEMAF, they may be caused by small damage to the track as a result of the passage of the trains themselves, which is why they ask that investment in maintenance is adequate to the increase in traffic in the liberalized corridors. Of course, the union emphasizes that there is no risk of derailment due to these vibrations and they make it clear that it is a comfort problem for the passenger and generate greater stress on the infrastructure and the condition of the rolling stock. This means that actions have to be launched on the road or in workshops ahead of time. Furthermore, there is no evidence that they were the cause of the Adamuz accident. “If we were clear that it was a danger to the road, we would stop traffic.” SEMAF has been so emphatic that it also emphasizes that the infrastructure is safe and that it is clear that if Adif detects a problem serious enough to cause a derailment, the line will be closed. “We want to go home”. The Renfe driver with whom Xataka has been able to contact explains that “the tracks are deteriorated, we train drivers give a lot of information, and sometimes we are taken for crazy because we give too many parts”, the words are from a Renfe train driver who prefers to keep his name anonymous. “As a result of the S-106 problems, it was proposed that the trains circulate at a slower speed. It is true that these deformities (the cracks) are due to the state of the track, to which we must add the terrible quality of the train. We also lowered them (the speeds) with other series of trains. Call it a prevention measure or care of the infrastructure,” explains the driver. “The crew members complain, the interveners complain and we write complaints, because there are areas where we are having trouble,” he summarizes. Although he makes it clear that “if we understand that there is a danger to traffic, we call the command posts and they take measures by setting limitations, although for months we have also been taking them by slowing down. We are the first interested parties, we want to return home.” Why do vibrations occur? Firstly, SEMAF points out that we are talking about the rolling stock being “steel against steel” so any imperfection will be more evident. Vibrations can be caused by an imperfection in the road or an imperfection in the … Read more

Despite its fear, it is moving more passengers than ever

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Ryanair and AENA spent 2025 sending each other errands. The airline claims that the airport manager imposes abusive rates on its customers due to a lack of competition. The second defends itself by ensuring that where it is needed it offers substantial price reductions. Be that as it may, the truth is that the airline that moves the most passengers in our country made a decisive snip at its offer in Spain. Surprisingly, Aena and Ryanair moved more passengers in 2025 than ever. The conflict. It exploded in February 2025. A little less than a year ago, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, recorded a video in which he called Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Consumer Affairs, a “clown.” The reason is that the Government defended that the company must allow access to its planes with larger suitcases and I tried to fine them for it. It was the most striking and extravagant image but the embryo of it had to be found first. Assuring that Aena, the manager of Spanish airports, imposes abusive rates on airlines, in January Ryanair already indicated that it was going to drastically reduce its operations in our country. Specifically, it aimed to eliminate 800,000 places at regional airports. The consequences have been especially serious at airports that were more dependent on the airline. Jerez has decreased its traffic by 7% but in Valladolid the situation has been much more serious, with drops of more than 60% and causing layoffs in auxiliary travel services, such as the cafeteria. The company, in addition, continues to threaten to deepen its withdrawal. A surprising fact. And despite everything, Ryanair and Aena rise. The manager of Spanish airports has published the data relative to the traffic volume of 2025. And with them has come the surprise. That is to say, our country continues to add people to the plane and those people choose, for the most part, the Irish company to make their trips. 19% of all passengers who boarded a plane in our country at some point did so on board one of Michael O’Leary’s company planes. Rates as an excuse. Although O’Leary has defended that his fear of regional airports is directly related to Aena’s airport taxes, the truth is that the company has closed ranks around the airports where it accumulates a greater volume of passengers and has greater room to grow. This winter the company has added 100,000 places in an increase that, above all, has gone to Malaga, Alicante and Valencia. That is, attractive tourist destinations due to their mild temperatures, especially for those arriving from beyond our borders. Setting the shot. As we said, it is no coincidence that Ryanair has increased operations at these airports. And the volume of passengers in any of them has skyrocketed in the last two years. Malaga: Passenger growth of 11.5% in 2024 and 7.4% in 2025. Of these, international passengers increased by 13% in 2024 and 7.8% in 2025. Alicante: Passenger growth of 16.8% in 2024 and 8.5% in 2025. Of these, international passengers increased by 16.8% in 2024 and 10.6% in 2025. Valencia: Growth of 8.7% in passengers in 2024 and 9.5% in 2025. Of these, international passengers increased by 11.3% in 2024 and 12.9% in 2025. Not only Spain. These movements in which Ryanair has been regrouping at the airports with the highest volume of traffic They are not exclusive to Spain either.: Germany: has reduced 800,000 seats. France: has reduced 725,000 seats. Estonia: has reduced 110,000 seats. Latvia: has reduced 160,000 seats. empty seats. In this European reorganization, the high prices that the company has to pay to airport managers have been pointed out on numerous occasions. These costs, however, are only one more value to take into account when it comes to calculating and making profits from the flights because a part of the company lives by selling itself to the highest bidder. And if Ryanair has maintained international flights from cities like Vigo, it has been because has been playing with hidden subsidies in the form of advertising contracts. These same agreements are the ones that now allow new routes to Morocco with planes that are half full. Photo | Lucas da Costa e Silva In Xataka | The big secret of Ryanair’s success is that it doesn’t make money for flying: it does so by squeezing you out of everything else.

While farmers fear the pact with Mercosur, one sector brings out the champagne: the automobile industry

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From 35% tariffs to their non-existence through a progressive de-escalation that will advance over time. That is the new scenario that the European Union and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have, those countries that make up Mercosur with which the European Union has signed an agreement that will create the largest free trade area in the world. The agreement. After 26 years of negotiations, on January 9, 2026, the news broke: Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and the European Union they reached an agreement to create the largest tariff-free trade zone in the world. The pact was already almost confirmed but ended up being approved by the European Union with the approval of 21 countries (including Spain) and the votes against of France, Poland, Austria, Ireland and Hungary, as well as the abstention of Belgium. After European approval, The signing will arrive next January 17 in Paraguay. Then a project will be launched that in the next 15 years will end up eliminating the tariffs that exist between both commercial zones. A pact that will make things complicated for the primary sector but which has the European industry as the great winner. And in that industry, the automobile is one of the most benefited sectors. Why the car industry? Until now, exports from the European Union to Mercosur had tariffs of 35% on their shoulders. The pact will eliminate any type of trade barrier over 15 years. It will be gradual but after three decades, vehicle exports to South America will be completely tariff-free. That, according to data collected by The Automotive Tribuneis expected to triple the volume of exports from the European Union to this region. It remains to be seen what steps will be taken year after year but in Infobae They already anticipate that exports are expected to Brazil and Argentina with a maximum quota limit that will expand at the same rate as tariffs are reduced. Spain. One of the countries that can emerge the most strengthened from the agreement in the automobile sector is Spain. Although the figures point to a drop in production and export of automobiles this year, our country is the second European power in vehicle production (behind Germany) and more than 90% of the cars manufactured leave our borders. But, furthermore, our country is a large producer of vehicle components that will also discount tariffs on their exports. The news is especially interesting for a sector that has suffered from the tariffs imposed by the United States Government. And it is that Spain does not send cars to the American country but automobile components. Holy water for Europe. The agreement feels like holy water for European manufacturers. Currently, the cars sold in Mercosur countries are cheaper and have very poor security measures if we compare them with Europeans. Acting without tariffs will allow them to sell more cars and amortize investments than with the European emissions policies their days may be numbered. It is a good outlet for lower priced vehicles and an opportunity to compete with higher quality cars. It allows them follow that Toyota maxim to sell in each market what each market demands. But it also opens the door to compete with China, which was eating up the market by exporting cars in large volumes. They collect in Infobae that the measures that have tried to benefit the entry of hybrids and electric vehicles to Argentina and Brazil have ended up filling these markets with Chinese cars, which represent 80% of imports. USA. It must be taken into account that, in addition, dark clouds had settled on the future of the European automobile industry. Tariffs on exports to the United States they had done enormous damage despite the fact that mostly high-cost vehicles were being sold there. The problem is that the most affordable ones of European origin They are mostly manufactured in Mexico so they have also been bleeding with trade barriers. It is expected that exports to the Mercosur countries, due to purchasing power, will not generate as much money per car sold but they are expected to be much more voluminous. Eliminating tariffs will allow, as we say, to amortize investments in vehicles with lower prices and lower profit margins. They lose. The one that, predictably, will lose will be the local industry. Right now Mercosur has an industry sustained in the production of very specific vehicles for its market and with very high trade barriers that causes a very low volume of imports. Furthermore, they provide feedback to each other since 75% of car imports in Argentina They come from Brazil. Now the industry has the challenge of opening up and being more competitive. The problem for Mercosur is that, due to the cars manufactured, it seems that this sector only has one way and that is one way from Europe to South America. The return, with combustion vehicles and safety standards much less demanding than the European ones, everything indicates that it will be deserted. Photo | Jeanne Menjoulet and Mercedes In Xataka | China has a weapon to circumvent tariffs and protect the secrets of its electric cars: removable kits

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