gasoline

After gasoline, the war in Iran is about to skyrocket the price of something just as painful: your Zara clothes

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During the oil crisis In 1973, several industries that seemed completely unrelated to energy, such as plastics or fertilizers, suddenly discovered that Your costs could skyrocket in a matter of weeks for decisions made thousands of miles away, altering prices and supply chains in sectors where no one looked at the barrel of crude oil. From oil to the closet. I counted the weekend Reuters that the rise in energy prices after the war in Iran is beginning to filter down a lot beyond gasoline or transportation, reaching a less obvious field: the clothes that reach the stores. The link is direct, because a good part of the textile industry depends on petroleum derivatives, and any tension in that market is quickly transmitted to the materials that support global garment production. The key piece. Polyester dominates the global textile industry with a massive presence in almost all types of clothing, from sportswear to everyday dresses. The problem is that its manufacture depends of compounds such as PTA and MEGwhose cost has skyrocketedabout 30% due to the rise in crude oil, the increase in from Asian suppliers and disruptions in the Middle East. This pressure turns the polyester into the entry point of the energy crisis in fashion, transferring the impact from the energy markets to the fabric of the industry itself. The chain that begins to break. Reuters remembered that the blow is being felt with special intensity in India and Bangladeshtwo pillars of global clothing production. Factories that were previously operating at full capacity have drastically reduced their activity, with looms stopped, production cut by less than half and difficulties in fulfilling international orders. Added to this is the labor shortage in some textile centers, caused by basic energy problems such as the lack of gas, which adds another layer of tension to a system already on the limit. Gain time without escape. Big names emerge here, where companies like Inditex or H&M They are not yet immediately transferring the impact to the consumer thanks to advance purchases and inventory planning, which has allowed them to mitigate and cushion the blow in the short term. Even so, suppliers already they are announcing increases of prices and the absorption margin has a very clear limit. Plus: The use of recycled polyester offers some relief, although its weight remains low within the overall total, limiting its ability to offset current pressure. Costs rise, demand trembles. Thus, the price increase starts to move to threads, dyes, transportation and essential components, generating a chain effect that can end up affecting the volume of orders. For their part, manufacturers warn that, if the situation continues, production will fall and consumers will reduce purchases due to higher prices. The phenomenon, known as demand destructionintroduces an added risk: a simultaneous drop in supply and consumption that affects the entire industry. It’s not just the Zara shirt, but also the shoes. Yes, because the impact of oil aims to spread as well to the footwear sectorwhere derived materials such as foams, adhesives or synthetic soles also depend on petrochemical products. In other words, this means that the pressure on costs will not be limited to t-shirts or pants, but will reach a wide range of products, complicating the price planning and market stability. The crisis where no one was looking. In short, what began as a rise in energy prices It is becoming a structural problem for the fashion industry. In essence, the dependence on oil for key materials turns any conflict into a direct variable. about the final price of the garments. And as pressure builds up in the supply chain, the impact is no longer invisible or minimal, but is slowly but inexorably approaching. consumer pocketsignaling a profound change in how geopolitics can end up being reflected in something as everyday as the shirt that until now you bought for 20 euros. Image | POT, Leitonmahillo In Xataka | If the war resumes again, the US runs a risk unprecedented in the history of war: that the only one with missiles will be Iran. In Xataka | If the question is why the US attacked an Iranian ship with a weapon unprecedented in 40 years, we already know the answer: a “gift from China”

A Cuban mechanic has converted his car to run on charcoal because gasoline is no longer an option

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Juan Carlos Pino, 56, has left his neighbors speechless after convert your small Fiat Polski 1980 in a vehicle that runs on charcoal to operate. He has done it from his workshop in Aguacate, Cuba, a town of about 5,000 inhabitants 70 kilometers east of Havana, and the news has gone around the world. Shortage. Cuba passes through one of its worst energy crises in decades. Since January, when the Trump administration blocked fuel supplies to the island, gasoline has become a practically inaccessible commodity for most Cubans. On the black market, a liter costs eight dollars (about six times the official price), and power outages are now a constant. Added to this scenario is the closing of Venezuela’s oil tap, which historically had acted as an energy cushion for Havana. As if that were not enough, the global context is also worrying with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the war conflict in the Middle East. The barrels that Russia has supplied to Cuba has given some relief to the country, but as reported its Minister of Energy and Mining, Vicente de la O Levy, the supply is scheduled for “the end of April”, and at the moment there is no confirmation on when the next shipment could arrive. Hence, some have opted for such creative measures to boost the engines of their vehicles. How the invention works. Pino built the propulsion system entirely from salvaged parts and scrap materials. The charcoal is burned inside a converted propane cylinder, sealed with the lid of an electrical transformer. The hot gases pass through a filter made from a stainless steel milk can filled with old clothes, and from there they reach the carburetor to replace gasoline. The whole set (a 60 liter tank welded to the rear of the car) It took two months to build.. Starting up, however, requires patience, since you have to light the charcoal with alcohol and wait about thirty minutes before you can leave. “It’s not a car for someone who’s in a hurry,” he joked. The inspiration came from the internet. Pino did not start from scratch. According to what he said, he spent hours watching videos of Edmundo Ramos, an Argentine engineer who has been perfecting biomass-powered car technology. According to explained Ramos himself told Reuters, since the crisis in Cuba began, he has received calls from several Cubans asking for help, from an ice manufacturer that could not produce, to an ice cream maker or shopkeepers. Ramos maintains that practically any engine can adapt to this system, as long as hot gas can be introduced into the carburetor instead of gasoline. Atracloc tionto the. Pino started his car for the first time at the beginning of last month. The Polski completed a journey of 85 kilometers and reached a top speed of 70 km/h, according to collected Reuters. In Aguacate, the vehicle has become the newest, as neighbors come to take photos, and some ask out of curiosity if the mechanic can build one for them. “This is Cuba. A salad made of everything,” summed up one of the neighbors in the middle. Distress. This very creative invention is nothing more than the symptom of an economy on the limit. In Cuba, scarcity has generated an entire culture of improvisation that Cubans themselves call “creole inventions”. Blackouts of up to nineteen hours, neighborhoods without water for weeks, families cooking with firewood or collecting rainwater in soda bottles. Just like shared El País, the Cuban Observatory of Conflicts, registered more than 1,200 protests in the last month, mainly due to supply cuts. What comes next. Pino already has the following project in mind: adapt a tractor with the same system. “We need mobility, we need to be able to farm,” he declared to the media. To his neighbors, he has become more than just a handyman. “They tell me I’m a magician,” he says proudly. Images | Reuters, The Country In Xataka | Someone dumped 167,000 tons of rubble and asbestos in Malaga. And now Malaga has a serious problem

A gasoline engine that uses 3L per 100km is a dream come true. And only Spain could manufacture it.

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With gasoline and absolutely shot dieselsreduce a few tenths (or liters) to 100 It is the wish of practically every Spaniard. Although the efficiency of current engines is increasing, and gasoline consumption is not as high as it was two decades ago, giants like Repsol are struggling to develop ultra-efficient engines that run on renewable fuel. And they have achieved it. They are not alone. Repsol has the fuel, but needs a partner to develop the engines. That partner is horse powertrain, a Joint Venture between Renault and the Chinese group Geely. This is dedicated to designing, manufacturing and selling thermal and hybrid propulsion systems, something that allows both Renault and Geely to continue exploring the combustion vehicle of the future without abandoning their electrification plans. Horse H12 Concept. This is an engine that promises less than 3.3 liters per 100km in the WLTP cycle, with a reduction in consumption according to the company of 40% compared to the average of new gasoline vehicles registered in the last two years. The best of all? The engine has been developed in Spain, and runs on 100% renewable Repsol gasoline. Horse has its operational headquarters in Madrid, engine factories in Valladolid and gearbox factories in Seville. Why is it important. The Horse H12 Concept is not a shot in the dark. It is an evolution of an already existing engine: the HR12. It is a 1.2-liter three-cylinder produced in Romania, and used in models such as the Dacia Duster. What makes this Concept version special is its exhaust gas recirculation system, a specially optimized ignition system and a hybrid gearbox. This Concept version, in alliance with Repsol, shows how far these engines can go with the help of synthetic fuel. It is not an experiment with an engine designed from scratch, it is the refinement of something that already exists. The other 50%. Repsol is now capable of producing gasoline of 100% renewable origin on an industrial scale at its Tarragona plant. According to what it indicates, it is compatible with all current gasoline vehicles, without requiring any type of modification. It’s your Nexa fuelcurrently available at 30 of Repsol’s stations. The same happens with its diesel, which promises to reduce net CO₂ emissions by up to 90%. And if you’re wondering how much the joke costs, approximately 10 euro cents more per liter compared to conventional fuels. Combustion is not dead. The comings and goings of Europe with combustion cars in 2035 They make it clear that the future will involve electrification. But the plans of giants like Geely and Repsol to try to keep more environmentally responsible combustion solutions alive are a clear indication that gasoline and diesel still have life ahead of them. In Xataka | The question is no longer whether diesel will continue to rise: it is whether it will become an expensive fuel forever.

has run out of gasoline and diesel

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12% of French gas stations is running out of fuel. It’s a headline that’s taking over some of the news this week. Although we may think that it is due to a national shortage problem, the cause is quite different, and has to do with discounts. what has happened. 12% of French gas stations has run out of some type of fuel. The figure, however, has not stopped growing: according to the French government, on Wednesday it was already 18% of the total of stations in the country — almost one in five — that reported a shortage of at least one type of fuel. Specifically, 66% of the stations belonging to TotalEnergies announced yesterday Tuesday that their service stations were running out of fuel, highlighting that they were mobilizing to resupply the affected gas stations. Why has it happened. Fuel prices in France have skyrocketed above two euros, so TotalEnergies decided to apply as a ceiling measure a maximum price of 1.99 liters for gasoline and 2.09 euros in the case of diesel. These rates, notably lower than those of the rest of the distributors, triggered demand with an “infrequent influx” according to the French executive. The result was predictable: queues accumulated at Total stations while the rest of the gas stations operated normally. Translation? There is no fuel shortage in France: there is a logistics problem concentrated in a single network that could not absorb an extraordinary volume of demand. Given the situation, TotalEnergies has decided to extend the measure until the end of April, although adjusting the diesel cap to 2.25 euros per liter. Why is fuel so expensive in France?. Below the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, where climate taxes are especially high, we find France. A country with quite aggressive taxation with fuel, and in which the increase due to the war in Iran is especially affecting. On top of that already high fiscal base, the conflict in the Middle East has acted as an accelerator. The tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed the price of a barrel up, and France, which does not produce significant crude oil of its own, absorbs it entirely. What’s coming The French industry expects a rapid drop in fuel prices if the ceasefire in Iran is consolidated — this was anticipated this Tuesday by sources in the sector. But until that happens, the French face a scenario of record prices, gas stations with queues and a summer that looks expensive for those who depend on the car. TotalEnergies has bought some time with its price cap, but the underlying solution is not in the hands of any oil company. In Xataka | As soon as the war in Iran began, Spanish gas stations had already done something: start raising prices

I have calculated how much I will spend on gasoline this Easter. I’m already looking for an electric car

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Tomorrow, March 28, will mark one month since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in an offensive that appears to be stalling. Four weeks since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed, since the price of oil skyrocketed and gasoline prices skyrocketed. Four weeks paying more for our deposits. Four weeks looking at electric cars with different eyes. Tied to fuel. The price of gasoline and diesel has fallen significantly since the Government applied the discount on VAT on hydrocarbons. The market, which was beginning to reach two euros/liter, has relaxed in the case of gasoline (1,562 euros/liter on average), according to dieselgasolina.combut it is still very high in the case of diesel, which remains at 1,773 euros/liter. This gap between diesel and gasoline is making let’s live an unprecedented situation. Already with the war in Ukraine we saw the price of diesel skyrocket. Now, with Russia already out of the market (at least the legal one) and with a new tension in the supply chain, Europe is witnessing an increase in diesel prices for having gotten rid of its refineries over the years. A considerable saving. Taking prices in Spain as a reference, the savings in the cost of using an electric car were already high in recent years. But this has skyrocketed in the last month. Spain continues to be dependent on diesel for an aging fleet where diesel is used by 57.1% of the total volume of cars, according to Anfac. although new cars sold with this technology are very few. And in Europe the x-ray is very similar. This has made many look at the electric car with different eyes. How we tell you our calculator and the professionals themselves explainthe more kilometers traveled with an electric car, the cheaper its cost of use. Or, simply, the greater the gap that exists with gasoline. Let’s give an example, with diesel at 1.773 euros/liter, traveling 100 kilometers with a car that consumes five liters of fuel costs 8.86 euros. In the case of gasoline, if the car consumes seven liters on average, the cost to travel 100 kilometers is 10.93 euros refueling at 1.562 euros/liter. With an electric car that consumes 20 kWh/100 km on the road, the cost is the following: Domestic rate (10 cents/kWh): 2 euros/100 km Direct current recharging up to 50 kW (20 cents/kWh): 4 euros/100 km Direct current recharging up to 150 kW (30-45 cents/kWh): 6-9/100 km Direct current recharging above 150 kW (60 cents/kWh): 12 euros/100 km Winner? Yes, especially the slower we reload. And the comparisons between a combustion car and an electric one are somewhat complicated since the consumption of the car on the road (quite variable between electric cars) and the price of the chargers come into play. Below we will leave a practical example but first we will make some details clear: The consumption of an electric car on the road has important differences. A Tesla Model 3, perhaps the most efficient car at the moment, consumes about 16 kWh/100 km at sustained rates of 120 km/h. A “gastón” car can go at 24 kWh/100 km. That, with high rates, means recharges of up to four euros more per 100 kilometers The real savings of an electric car are in slow recharges, especially domestic ones. Here, rates vary greatly. There are flat rates of 15 cents/kWh but those who have license plates and a favorable environment can charge at 0 cents/kWh for a good part of the year. In our case, we are going to assume 10 cents/kWh. On a trip like Easter, it is very likely that we will stop to sightsee in a city or to eat. At these stops, slow or direct current charging can be done but at low power, below 50 kW. Just as service stations have loyalty cards and programs, electric car users can also take advantage of subscription rates to save money. We will leave them aside because the possibilities in both cases are very wide. Our example. To understand whether or not we save money, let’s assume that this Easter we add a trip of 2,000 kilometers. In it, we will leave with a full battery, as a typical electric car user would. Our electric car has a range of 400 kilometers. The round trip will take us 1,200 kilometers and we will do another 800 kilometers moving from one place to another, getting to know new places. Let’s assume that the car’s consumption is 20 kWh/100 kilometers and that the battery has a size of 80 kWh. Thus, we are going to assume the following recharges: We leave home with 100% (80 kWh and 400 km) and we stop when we have 10% battery left (8 kWh and 40 km) We fill the battery with a high-power charger up to 80% (we have recharged 56 kWh and have 320 km available) and we arrive at the destination with 80 km left in the battery (20%) At the destination we charge the battery to 100% to move with a 50 kWh charger. We have a second recharge at destination. We are going to do 800 kilometers of tourism, that is two full batteries which is equivalent to the first full recharge already mentioned and a second to have another 400 kilometers ready. On our return we will repeat the move: we will charge in our holiday area (third recharge at destination) with a 50 kW charger up to 100%, we will repeat the fast charging on the road at more than 150 kW and we will fill the battery at home to 100% to check the real cost. Here we will arrive with 20% battery. The expense. Taking all this data, we have the following results: First recharge on the way up to 80% (56 kWh at 0.60 euros/kWh): 33.60 euros First recharge at destination up to 100% (72 kWh at 0.20 euros/kWh): 14.40 euros Second recharge at destination up to 100% (80 kWh at 0.20 euros/kWh): … Read more

why diesel is much more expensive than gasoline

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The conflict between United States, Israel and Iran has turned the energy industry upside down, leading to an aggressive increase in fuel prices. Diesel has risen so much and so quickly that it is already above the price of 98 gasoline in Spain, the most expensive fuel at the pumps. The differences. According to data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition collected According to the Dieselogasolina portal, the accumulated average price of diesel this weekend was around 1.96 euros per liter, before the government measures package to tackle the problem, while 98 gasoline was around 1.97 euros. After the measures, diesel has remained on top, and this may end up being a problem for millions of drivers, transporters and industries that have no alternative. How we got here. The outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28 has acted as a trigger for an increase in prices. Since that date, gasoline has become more expensive by around 18.9%while diesel accumulates an increase of close to 31.1%, according to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU). The problems. Diesel does not only depend on the price of a barrel of oil, but on something more structural. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key point for maritime oil transit, and any alteration in that area has an immediate impact on international prices. The Government announced last Friday a series of measures in order to alleviate the rise through a reduction in VAT on fuel from 21 to 10%. Together with its partners from the International Energy Agency, it also authorized the release of up to 11.5 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, which is equivalent to 12.3 days of national consumption, being the largest release of reserves in the history of the IEA. Prices have dropped from their highs last week, as the chart for the last seven days shows. But diesel is still above 98 gasoline. Why diesel rises more than gasoline. Every time there is an energy crisis, diesel hits harder than the rest. It makes sense, since the rebound is mainly due to Europe’s dependence on diesel importssince the continent depends on the Middle East for this type of fuel. For this reason, its international price has come to eat up the tax advantage that diesel historically had in Spain. Added to this is that Europe has spent years closing refining capacity. Well according to data According to the Financial Times, as of 2024 alone the continent has closed about 400,000 barrels per day of refining capacity, a deficit that has been accumulating for years. The process was further accelerated when Russia was sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine. And Europe depended on Russia for almost half of its total diesel imports. Losing that supply required rebuilding the entire supply chain. And now, without Russia and with the Middle East on fire, Europe’s diesel market is in a bind. The vehicle fleet is still mainly diesel. If diesel were only the fuel for those who drive on the highway or travel many kilometers, the impact would be limited. But it is not. Of the more than 34 million vehicles which approximately make up the vehicle fleet in Spain, around 57% are diesel vehicles. If we focus only on passenger cars, some 15 million private cars depend on this fuel, which is now ahead of the most expensive gasoline. And although sales of diesel cars have been collapsing for years (in February 2026 They represented only 4.05% of passenger car registrations) diesel vehicles continue to be the majority in Spain. The renewal of the fleet is slow because new cars are expensive and electric cars have not yet penetrated sufficiently. The blow to transportation and everything you buy. The problem multiplies when we look beyond conventional tourism. And it is that 93.8% of light commercial vehicles They use diesel, while 98.7% of commercial vehicles use diesel. Trucks, delivery vans, agricultural machinery, buses: almost everything that moves goods in Spain runs on diesel. And approximately one-third of trucking companies’ operating costs are fuel. In the case of a long-distance heavy truck, the consumption can exceed 4,000 liters per month. The sharp increase in the price of diesel, with increases of more than 30% in a few weeks, is putting pressure on the transport sector. While a private driver can stay at home or take the subway or bus, the truck driver has no alternative. And when transportation costs rise, so do the prices of what you buy at the supermarket. Cover image | Roberto Rodríguez and engin akyurt In Xataka | In 1973 the oil crisis elevated the Japanese car. In 2026 the winner is very different: the Chinese electric

lower VAT on gasoline and diesel to 10%

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The Government intends to approve in a Council of Ministers this Friday a package of shock measures to contain the economic effects of the conflict in Iran. The tax reduction on fuel, electricity and gas are the most notable measures, but the plan also includes specific aid to transporters and farmers and a reinforcement of the social shield. What has happened? The Government wants to lower VAT of electricity, gas and fuels from 21% to 10%. The special tax on hydrocarbons will be temporarily eliminated, which will mean direct relief in the price of diesel and gasoline between 30 and 40 cents per liter, depending on share SER chain. The special tax on electricity, currently at 5%, also disappears, along with the tax on the value of electricity production. According to account El Diario, the Council of Ministers, scheduled for this Friday at 9:30, had to be delayed due to pressure from Sumar to include measures at the last minute in the decree on housing and control of business margins. Therefore, we still have to wait a while until the approval is given. Why now and not before. The trigger is the war in Iran, which has strained crude oil markets through of the Strait of Hormuzartery through which a relevant part of the world’s oil travels. In just weeks since the start of the conflict, gasoline has risen by 16% and diesel by 29%. At the time of writing this article, fuel prices are already €1.94/liter on average for diesel and €1.81/liter for 95 gasoline, according to data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition collected by Dieselogasolina. For this reason, the Government has ended up accelerating the response. In detail. The package goes beyond fuel. For the most exposed sectors (transport, agriculture and fishing) direct aid of 20 cents per liter is recovered, according to they count from El Diario. The electric social bonus is reinforced, supply cuts to vulnerable homes are prohibited and the thermal social bonus for gas consumers is increased. In parallel, the decree includes more structural measures: incentives for improving energy efficiency in homes, support for electric vehicles and promoting self-consumption. The SER also points out that the Government also contemplates reducing the electrical costs of the electro-intensive industry (steel, chemistry), a nod to the PNV, according to they count from The World. ANDl rocket and feather effect. Just because VAT goes down on paper does not mean that the price at the pump will go down just as fast. This is what economists know as the theory of the rocket and the pen: When oil rises, prices at gas stations react immediately; when it falls (or when tax cuts are applied), the transfer to the final consumer is much slower. Gas stations adjust prices upwards almost automatically, but the cuts take weeks or months to reach the pump with the same intensity. The Government does not want to repeat what happened in 2022. We have the most recent precedent in the bonus of those 20 cents per liter that the Executive applied during the Ukraine crisis. It cost around 4,250 million euros and its effectiveness was, to say the least, questionable. Three independent studies (one from Esade, one of Funcas and a joint investigation of economists Jiménez, Perdiguero and Cazorla-Artiles published in December 2024) concluded that a significant part of that aid did not reach consumers. Studies indicated that gas stations They appropriated at least 850 million of that bonus in the case of diesel. The Esade study detected that service stations They increased the price of diesel between 3.52 and that of gasoline at 0.7 cents just when the measure came into force. In the month of April 2022, when the discount started, gas stations increased their profit margin by 23%, according to share from Metropolitan. The CNMC, for its part, archived the investigation without sanctioning any company. This history is precisely the reason why the Government has opted this time for a direct tax reduction, which acts on the taxes included in the price, instead of repeating the universal bonus. From the Spanish Confederation of Service Station Employers (CEEES), its general director Nacho Rabadán had already asked to participate in the design of any measure and qualified the 2022 bonus as “well-intentioned, but poorly designed and worse executed.” The decree reaches the Council of Ministers this Friday, but we will have to wait until next Thursday for it to be validated in Congress. Cover image | Alberto De la Torre and Dawn McDonald In Xataka | “We felt cheated.” Even gas station owners are freaking out about the sudden, meteoric rise in oil

Gasoline has risen so much that even Mark Zuckerberg has looked for a low-cost gas station to refuel his yacht: Gibraltar

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From the start of the war of Iran, filling the car tank has become one of those little dramas everyday things that we all know well. A few euros more, a sigh of resignation, and continue. But there is another refueling scale that makes your complaints at the gas station For those 10 extra euros that it cost you to fill the tank, it almost sounds like a joke. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook and fifth greatest fortune of the world, owns the launchpada 118 meter superyacht valued at about 300 million dollars. Since the US and Israeli bombs began to fall on Iranian soilfilling your fuel tanks involves an extra cost of $278,880 with each refueling. The most curious thing is that the solution that the tycoon has found is very similar to the one that any citizen with a foot in this price escalation has probably adopted: look for a low-cost gas station. The painful tank to fill Maintaining a luxury superyacht is not cheap, which is why only millionaires can afford it. He launchpad by Mark Zuckerberg has a fuel tank of approximately 420,000 liters. To put it in context, it is the equivalent of the capacity of about 7,000 medium-sized cars at one time. The yacht is equipped with four MTU 20V 4000 M93L engines which, sailing at a cruising speed of 16 knots, consume about 982 liters per hour each. That leaves us with approximate consumption of 4,000 liters of fuel per hour. That is to say, an equivalent consumption 560 cars traveling at 120 km/h or 73 buses. To this we must add that the launchpad He does not travel alone, he does so accompanied by his support yacht, the wingman. Expenses double. The Launchpad has four motors like this According to price data monitored by the specialized portal Ship&Bunker in January 2026, the average price per ton of fuel for yachts (MGO) was $715. Data from March 2026 on this same portal suggest that its price has skyrocketed to $1,379 per ton. This means that filling the fuel tank launchpad In January, Mark Zuckerberg had to pay a bill of just over 300,300 euros, while doing so today It would cost you about 579,180 euros. An extra cost of $278,880 with each refueling in just three months. Gibraltar: low cost gasoline for yachts Faced with such an increase, Mark Zuckerberg and many other wealthy yacht-owning tycoons have done what any neighbor’s son would do in this case: look for low-cost gasoline. In this case, the closest and best located is Gibraltar. As and how they stood out in The CountryGibraltar is not only a strategic rock between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean that Philip V delivered generously to the British. For superyacht owners who frequently cross the ocean, it is the equivalent of a motorway gas station as it is located on the most optimal shipping route to cross the world by sea. For superyachts that, like the launchpad, they just made Its periodic maintenance in the exclusive shipyards of La Ciotat (France), the Strait route is the shortest to go down to the Canary Islands and, from there, head to the warm waters of the Caribbean to meet its owner in Miami. The same thing happens with the reverse route, allowing ships to refuel without deviating from the most optimal route between both continents. He launchpadwhich is more similar to a small cruise ship than a pleasure boat, stops in Gibraltar regularly on its routes between Europe and America. It is not because of the pleasure of its views, but because of the price and the refueling infrastructure for superyachts, cruise ships and large freighters that has created Gibraltar. Its special tax status allows boats over 18 meters to refuel with duty free fuel, making it a mandatory stop for these giants of the sea. It is no coincidence that he is one of the bunkering points busiest in the world, with prices that, even after the escalation following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, remain lower than in many ports in northern Europe or the eastern Mediterranean. In Xataka | The difficult part has not been building an 80-meter, $200 million yacht. It has been taken to the sea without destroying it Image | Feadship, Meta

The price of oil has plummeted overnight. The one at the gasoline pumps will remain the same

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Just 24 hours. That’s how long it has taken the global oil market to go from historic panic to almost euphoric relief. On Monday, a barrel of Brent – ​​the benchmark in Europe – was close to $120, its highest level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It seemed the prelude to an imminent recession driven by the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. However, today we woke up with crude oil plummeting, reaching below 90 dollars. And no, there is no peace treaty signed in Geneva, no withdrawal of troops, nor the reopening of maritime trade routes. Everything has depended on the president of the United States, Donald Trump, assured the chain CBS News that the war with Iran was “virtually complete” and promised reporters that the conflict would end “very soon.” And so, by the art of discursive magic, the price has begun to fall. The nonsense of a market driven by headlines. What has happened these days gives a good account of the current state of the financial markets: they operate based on immediate speculation, not on physical reality. As the analysts summarize cited by Financial Timesthis stock market reaction is known as Taco trade (acronym of Trump always chickens outor “Trump always chickens out”). Investors don’t believe the war is really over; They simply assume that Trump needs to lower the price of gasoline at all costs so as not to sink in the legislative elections. In fact, to force this price drop on the screens of Wall Streetthe White House has had to resort to desperation. Trump has even suggested that he will temporarily lift oil sanctions on some countries — including the possibility of easing the punishment for Russia itself— and even the G7 has considered releasing strategic reserves emergency. The financial market bought the headline and the price of a barrel fell. But the real world tells a very different story. Reasons to distrust the optimism of the stock market. It is logical to view this price drop with skepticism. The Brent chart can go down as much as it wants on investors’ screens, but the real logistical problem remains intact. He Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warns that the threat is real and palpable: The great logistical bottleneck: The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. This has taken 20 million barrels a day out of circulation. The physical danger: Iranian speedboats, naval mines and drones prevent oil tankers from sailing. Collapse on land: The situation is so extreme that, since ships cannot sail, storage tanks on land have been filled to the brim, forcing wells to be closed. Furthermore, the supposed unilateral peace announced by Trump clashes head-on with Tehran’s position. According to Financial TimesIran’s Revolutionary Guard assures that its armed forces “are waiting for the US Navy.” As analyst Kurt Cobb points out in oil priceIran defines victory as the survival of its regime, so a negotiated cessation of hostilities is, today, a chimera. The “rocket and boom” effect at the pump. This is where macroeconomics collides with citizens’ pockets. It doesn’t matter if the barrel of Brent drops overnight in international markets, you won’t see that relief today at the gas station. As my colleague Alberto de la Torre explained a few days ago, in Xatakathe fuel market suffers a very particular effect: Skyrocket: When the supply chain falters, the price skyrockets quickly. Gas stations act in anticipation and raise prices to cover the future cost at which they will have to replace that fuel, regardless of the fact that the impact of the barrel of Brent is not yet real on their purchases. Drops like a feather: When the barrel drops in the stock market, the drops at the pump last for weeks or months. There is very little room for maneuver, a lot of caution in case war breaks out again, and a clear resistance to lowering prices at the same dizzying pace at which they rose. And why does diesel increase more than gasoline? The biggest loser of this crisis is the diesel customer, who in Spain has suffered increases of 20 cents per liter in just one week. Europe has a structural problem: we lost Russia as a major exporter, we have fewer operational refineries and we have a strong deficit. Furthermore, its demand is much more inelastic; The driver of a car can decide to take the subway if gasoline prices rise, but the freight transporter, the farmer or the industrial machinery must refuel with diesel, no matter what the cost. The disbelief of the industry itself. The lack of faith in this “express peace” is shared even by the oil magnates themselves. In an insightful article published in oil priceDan Doyle, businessman in the sector fracking American, confesses that the shale industry is not buying this rebound. Despite having touched $100, oil companies are not hiring more drilling platforms or starting large extraction campaigns. They know that the “fast dollars of war will dissipate” and prefer to maintain strict capital discipline. And although The Conversation remember that the United States is less vulnerable today to oil shocks because it exports millions of barrels a day, the psychological toll of seeing the scoreboard rise at the gas stations continues to damage consumer confidence globally. Missile climbs, rowing descents. Today, the world’s stock markets have closed with green numbers. Investors have bought into the optimism of a press conference in Florida, and algorithms have adjusted the price of Brent downwards. However, geography remains stubborn. Large oil tankers remain anchored without daring to cross the Strait of Hormuz, maritime insurers continue to tremble and wells in the Middle East continue to close due to lack of space. Tomorrow, when you approach the gas station in your neighborhood before going to work, the illuminated panel will remind you of the golden rule of today’s energy market: in times of geopolitical uncertainty, the downs travel in a rowboat, but the ups fly in … Read more

Science already knows what is the best “gasoline” to create new neurons: physical exercise

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We have always known that playing sports is good for the heart and also the muscles, but neuroscience is showing us that running shoes are, literally, the best tool to sculpt our brain. This is how I put it on the table the neuroscientist José Luis Trejowhich pointed out that physical exercise acts as a true “gasoline” for neurogenesis in the hippocampus adult to make us more ‘smart’ and also tend less towards depression. Neuron factory. Until a few decades ago, it was believed that you were born with a certain number of neurons and that, from there, they could only be lost. But today we know that this is completely false, since the generation of new neurons has already been demonstrated, and it occurs mainly in a region of the brain that is key to learning, memory and emotions, such as the hippocampus. The exercise. Here the different studies were focused on how this generation of neurons can be enhanced, and moderate aerobic exercise is the main switch to turn on the neuronal factory. How it works. The specific exercise and also extended over time, it raises the BDNF segregationwhich is the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and also the VEGFwhich is vascular endothelial growth factor. Two proteins that act as ‘fertilizer’ in the brain to promote neuronal plasticity and the formation of new blood vessels to nourish all these new cells that appear in the brain. There are results. Studies done in humans themselves measured cerebral blood volume using functional magnetic resonance imaging, and here they could see that there is a real increase in the volume of the hippocampus and there are also improvements in spatial memory and cognition, which is essential from certain ages onwards. And it is no wonder, because there are studies that suggest that constant exercise increases total hippocampal volume, being a first-level strategy against cognitive declineand therefore acts as a shield against Alzheimer’s. Antidepressant. In addition to being a shield against Alzheimer’s, it can also reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression, overcoming the effects of antidepressants in some patients. However, we must have common sense with the ‘dose’ of exercise we do. And a perpetual sedentary lifestyle is toxic, since sitting atrophies all brain capacities, but excess is destructive because extreme intensity training without rest generates a peak of stress in the body that completely cancels out the neurogenic benefits. That is, doing a lot of exercise at maximum capacity can block the creation of new neurons. It is hereditary. But if making new neurons is not enough to join the gym, science suggests that it can be transmitted to children thanks to epigenetics. In 2019, a study published in PNAS demonstrated that paternal exercise increases neurogenesis and mitochondrial activity in offspring, even if the latter are sedentary. But in 2024 went furtherseeing that these neuroplastic effects can be inherited up to two generations later. The dose. In summary, neuroscience suggests that doing 45-60 minutes a day of moderate aerobic activity can bring us great benefits over spending uninterrupted hours in the chair. Without a doubt, memory, mood and hippocampal volume will be truly grateful. Images | Chander R Bhautik Patel In Xataka | Scientists have connected 200,000 human neurons to a chip. And he made them play ‘Doom’

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