hands

Microsoft had the deal of the century on its hands. A break of a year and a half was given to one of his rivals on a platter

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With its early deal with OpenAI, Microsoft was leading the AI ​​race in 2023. A year later it froze its expansion. Now Oracle serves OpenAI models and competitors share what Nadella’s company rejected. Why is it important. This isn’t just about lost data centers. Microsoft has assigned contracts with OpenAI valued at $420 billion to Oracle, equivalent to $150 billion in gross profit over five years. That would have increased its annual profitability by 18%. This means that in addition to losing growth, Microsoft also financed the entry of a rival into the most profitable business of the decade, according to analysis by Semianalysis. The facts. In 2023, Microsoft multiplied its investment in OpenAI tenfold to $10 billion and broke ground on the largest data centers ever built. Represented more than 60% of all infrastructure leases cloud among the greats. In 2024 it stopped everything in its tracks. It canceled 3.5 gigawatts of planned capacity — enough to power 2.5 million homes — and projects in a dozen countries. Its share of contracts fell below 25%. Between the lines. The company has used the argument of financial prudence: it did not want OpenAI to represent 50% of Azure’s revenue with lower margins than the traditional business. But the reality is simpler: he couldn’t keep up: OpenAI demanded a speed that Microsoft couldn’t match. Yes, but. The company has returned to the market with some urgency. The problem is that the options have been running out. Now rents capacity to neoclouds —specialized companies that build infrastructure—to resell it to third parties. It is a business with worse margins. The company that refused to build now pays commissions for having miscalculated. The money trail. Oracle is not the only winner. CoreWeave, Google, Amazon, Nscale and SB Energy have signed large contracts with OpenAI. In 2025, the story of OpenAI has been the story of its diversification away from Microsoft, although it is true that What seemed like a bad divorce ended in a separation of assets with forced smiles. The world’s most valuable AI lab had to fragment its infrastructure across multiple vendors because its original partner couldn’t—or wouldn’t—scale. In applications, Microsoft’s historical dominance with GitHub Copilot is also eroding. There are startups that have built more integrated code editors and scaled beyond Copilot. Microsoft has been forced to add the models of its rival Anthropic on GitHub Copilotwith a brutal cost for their margins. The company that had exclusive access to OpenAI now depends on its competitor to keep its code editor relevant. And now what. Microsoft has until 2032 before its agreement with OpenAI expires. It has Copilot with 100 million users. You have Office 365, Azure, and a business ecosystem that no one else can match. But the “great pause” of 2024 will take years to heal. The company has bet that the future of AI will be enterprise – with security and localization requirements – and not centralized in remote megacenters. You may be right. But 18 months of technology advantage is worth billions. And Microsoft just gave them away to its rivals. In Xataka | OpenAI has to pay debts of $400 billion in 2026. Nobody has the slightest idea how it is going to pay them Featured image | Simon Ray in Unsplash

a country with octogenarian millionaires and wealth about to change hands

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Forbes Spain has just published your list of the 100 largest fortunes in Spain in 2025. In total, the largest fortunes in the country add up to 258,870 million euros, which is 7% more than the previous year. Beyond the fact that Amancio Ortega repeats for another year as the greatest fortune in Spain, few changes in the names that form itwith respect to other previous lists. However, there is one fact that draws powerful attention: of that total of 258.87 billion euros, 111.2 billion are in the hands of people over 80 years of age. In other words, 42.96% of the great Spanish wealth is concentrated in the hands of octogenarians. Octogenarian fortunes. Forbes data shows a clear pattern: 28 of the 100 largest assets belong to people over 80 years old who together control more than 111 billion euros. If the range is extended to the 70 to 79 age group, the sum of assets increases by 37.2 billion euros, which raises the total wealth in the hands of those over 70 years of age to 148 billion, close to 57% of the total. Spain is, literally, an economy controlled by septuagenarians and octogenarians. This data contrasts with the reality of other countries. For example, in the United States the average age of billionaires is around 65.7 years, according to the report ‘The Wealth Report 2025′ prepared by Knight Frank. In 2014, this average age was 63.3 years. If we focus on the 400 largest fortunes in the US (Forbes 400), the average age rises to 70 years. An aging country in every sense. The case of great fortunes is only a reflection of a broader pattern. According to data According to Eurostat, the average age in Spain is approximately 45.4 years, which places our country among the oldest in the European Union, whose average was 44.7 years in 2024. This demographic structure is also replicated in the business environment. According to data from ‘Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2024 Report’the number of entrepreneurs under 35 years of age has decreased by 25% in the last decade, while the average age of IBEX 35 directors and directors exceeds 61.2 years, according to data of the CNMV. Fortunes of the last century. Unlike the United States, where the origin of great fortunes It is linked to technological innovation —Elon Musk with Tesla and SpaceX; Larry Ellison with Oracle; Mark Zuckerberg and Meta or Jeff Bezos with Amazon—the greatest Spanish fortunes come from much more traditional sectors. According to Forbes Spain 2025, the dominant branches are textiles and distribution (Inditex, Mercadona, Tendam), banking and investment (Santander, March, Abelló), infrastructure and construction (Ferrovial, Acciona) and tourism (Meliá, Barceló). In the vast majority of cases, these are businesses founded or consolidated in the 20th century and today managed by the second or third generation. They are not fortunes born from disruptionbut of the continuity of the family business. At the gates of the “Great Transfer of Assets”. The aging of the economic elite in Spain anticipates a generational wealth transfer unprecedented in our country. Taking data from Forbes, the 111.2 billion euros controlled by people over 80 will inevitably pass at the hands of heirs or successors in the coming years. This transfer of wealth that, sooner rather than later, the richest in Spain will face, also has different implications. First of all, they must start succession processes. Something that, in the case of Amancio Ortega, for example, is in the hands of his daughter Marta Ortega which currently runs Inditex, but leaves great unknowns in many other financial empires. Furthermore, this transfer of assets between the heirs of great fortunes will contribute to reducing the concentration of capital in a single person, given that this assets are usually distributed between several heirs. In Xataka | “They don’t need half a billion dollars to live”: Mick Jagger refuses to leave a million-dollar inheritance to his eight children Image | GTRES, Mercadona, Ferrovial

Saudi Arabia has insisted on connecting its two seas by train. And to achieve this it has been placed in the hands of a Spanish company

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Saudi Arabia has launched one of the most ambitious railway projects in the Middle East: the “Landbridge” or “Land Bridge”, a $7 billion high-speed network that will connect the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf. The infrastructure will link Jeddah to Dammam via Riyadh, covering nearly 1,500 kilometers with the aim of completely transforming transport and commerce in the Arabian Peninsula. A strategic corridor for goods and passengers. The project will reduce travel time between Riyadh and Jeddah from around 12 hours by car to less than 4 hours by train. But the goal is for the project to go beyond just transporting passengers, as it is also designed to turn the kingdom into a key logistics hub in the region, connecting large industrial ports such as King Abdullah Port and Yanbu with urban centers and airports. According to Saudi authoritiesthe Landbridge could generate savings of $4.2 billion annually in transportation costs and create up to 200,000 jobs in related sectors. Vision 2030. This megaproject is a centerpiece of Vision 2030the strategic plan with which Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil. The Saudi Railways (SAR) company intends to expand the country’s railway network from the current 5,300 kilometers up to more than 8,000. As part of this modernization, SAR has ordered 15 new trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour and even hydrogen-powered models. Spanish participation in the project. The Landbridge is being developed by the Saudi China Landbridge Consortium, a partnership between Saudi Arabia Railways and China Civil Engineering Construction Company, with local support from Al-Ayuni Contracting. Between the international companies involved The Spanish company Sener stands out, which was selected in December 2023 along with Hill International (USA) and Italferr (Italy) to provide project management services. Firms such as Systra, Thales, WSP and other specialized consulting firms also participate. A project with a long history and new Chinese momentum. Although the Landbridge It was initially announced in 2004 and paused in 2010, gained new momentum after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2022, when both countries committed to accelerate its execution. Chinese investment in Saudi Arabia has grown significantly: in 2024, the stock of direct investment reached 8.2 billion dollarsup 29% from 2023. China has become the largest source of greenfield investment in the kingdom, with commitments worth $16.8 billion in energy, manufacturing and logistics. Railway enthusiasm. Only in the second quarter of 2025, more than 2.6 million passengers They used Saudi trains, according to Okaz media. After the completion of the Landbridge, Saudi Arabia will have made a qualitative leap in its railway network and logistics capacity, so it remains to be seen how the process ends up developing and if it really ends up being a ‘miracle of the desert’. Cover image | Maximilian Dörrbecker (Chumwa), Railway Supply In Xataka | In 2018 it was a countryside on the outskirts of Chongqing. In 2025 it will be the largest train station in the world

human hands connected from the Philippines

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Thousands of kilometers from Japan, in an office building in Manila’s financial district, a group of young people watches the inside of stores where they have never been. In front of them, monitors show the movements of robotic arms that place drinks on refrigerated shelves. They are the same robots that many Japanese customers believe are fully autonomous. In reality, their apparent independence depends on these Filipino operators who, connected by Internet, correct errors in these machines. When a can falls, they are the ones who give back control. The automata that supply the shelves of Japanese stores They work independently almost all the time. Still, there are times when they fail. When a drink slips or a container is misplaced, an operator from Manila puts on a virtual reality headset and regains control. In a few minutes, move the robotic arm precisely until the error is corrected. These interventions are specific, about 4% of operationsbut they ensure that everything keeps moving without anyone noticing from the other side of the counter. When robots make mistakes, it’s humans who save them The operation of this system depends on a peculiar alliance between companies from two countries. Telexistencebased in Tokyo, designs and manages the robots that operate in Japanese stores, relying on Microsoft and Nvidia platforms. From Manila, Astro Robotics runs the control room where technicians monitor and assist the machines. It’s an example of how chains keep their operations going in Tokyo thanks to a mix of robotics, connectivity and remote workforce. Located at the heart of this operation, the TX SCARA model is a compact and fast robotic arm created to handle drinks in the narrow warehouses of Japanese stores. The system analyzes sales data to decide which products to replenish at any given time. If an error occurs, as we say, it switches to teleoperation mode. The deployment of these robots began in 2022 and since then their presence has multiplied in Japanese stores. What started as a controlled test is today a stable operating system that keeps refrigerators stocked without interruptions. Adoption responds to a clear need: Japan faces a chronic shortage of retail workers, exacerbated by an aging population. In this scenario, automation has become a strategy to sustain the service without expanding the human workforce. Now, while Japan boasts advanced automation, part of its “efficiency” relies on Filipino workers who They charge between 250 and 315 dollars a month, according to Rest of World. It is the same amount that a call center agent earns, but with much more technical and demanding tasks. For Japanese companies, the model is ideal: robots that don’t ask for breaks and remote operators that cost a fraction of the local minimum wage. Innovation, in this case, also externalizes inequality. The work of operators in Manila may seem simple, but it has its complexity. Each one monitors dozens of robots simultaneously and must react quickly when something goes wrong. The pressure to keep the flow constant is high, and shifts lengthen in front of multiple screens. In addition, the use of the virtual helmet can cause dizziness and disorientation after several minutes of use. All this, according to an employee who spoke with the aforementioned media. Every move the operators make in Manila not only keeps the system running: it also teaches the robots to be more autonomous. Telexistence collects that teleoperation data to perfect artificial intelligence models that control the TX SCARA. The information is used to improve the machines’ coordination, grip and responsiveness. In June, the company announced a collaboration with the American startup Physical Intelligence to develop foundational models that give robots more human-like “physical intelligence.” The rise of automation is not limited to Japan. On a global scale, the industry is advancing with unprecedented speed. The market of the so-calledartificial intelligence agents”—programs capable of acting autonomously—could multiply by eight and reach almost $43 billion in 2030, consulting firm MarkNtel Advisors projects. What we can see is that the global demand for technological labor seems to be putting the Philippines in a strategic position. A Penbrothers report notes that foreign companies look there technical talent at low cost for artificial intelligence, automation and robotics projects. Local professionals have access to more qualified jobs, but they continue to earn less than their counterparts in the United States or Europe. The next step will be to see how far this collaboration between humans and machines goes. Telexistence plans to expand the number of connected stores and improve the autonomy of its robots, while experimenting with new gripping and handling systems. It will also be necessary to observe how the percentage of human intervention, still necessary today in part of the operations, evolves. Another key point will be the treatment of data generated in Manila, which feeds artificial intelligence models and raises questions about privacy and ownership of information. Images | Telexistence In Xataka | Amazon has calculated how much it costs to lay off 600,000 employees: 30 cents per item sold and many robots

the hands of humans came before humans

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For decades, the image of Paranthropus boisei has been dominated by his skull. His robust jaw, enormous molars and a prominent sagittal crest on the head to anchor powerful muscles, chewers defined him as the “Nutcracker Man”, a specialized hominid on a diet of hard, fibrous vegetables. But a fundamental part of your biology, your hands, It was still a complete mystery.a key missing piece in the puzzle of human evolution. Until now. The discovery. The study published in Nature presents the discovery that changes the rules with which we were playing: the first hand and foot bones unambiguously associated with a Paranthropus boisei. These fossils are not new, but were discovered between 2019 and 2021 on the shores of Lake Turkana, in Kenya, and have an estimated age of just over 1.52 million years. Now, in addition to completing the skeleton of this ancient relative, it also completely redefines what we thought we knew about its capabilities. A tooth as a key. The team of paleoanthropologists, led by Carrie S. Mongle of Stony Brook University, found the remains after a researcher detected the sheen of tooth enamel on the surface. When excavating, a finger bone appeared so large that they doubted whether it belonged to a hominid. The unequivocal association of the bones of the hand with dental and cranial remains diagnostic of P. boisei It was the key that confirmed the identity of the fossil. “In some ways, it was surprising how many aspects of this hand were similar to ours,” Mongle says. The analysis reveals a fascinating combination of features that until now had not been considered in this case. On the one hand, the hand of KNM-ER 101000 It had intrinsic proportions similar to those of modern humans: a long and robust thumb in relation to the other fingers to be able to act as a pincer. This anatomy would have allowed him to make precision grips, opposing the pads of the fingers with that of the thumb, a fundamental skill for complex manipulation. And this is something that today is really important for us as humans, trying to preserve this movement at all times when there is a problem with our hands. The uses they gave it. In this case, the hand also shows great extraordinary robustness and characteristics that remind us many of those we see in gorillas. Something especially present in the region of the little finger and also the palm. And this is where the key to this research comes: the researchers suggest that this morphology was not just for climbing, although it would facilitate a powerful grip for this. In fact, the curvature of the phalanges is less than that of other climbing hominids, indicating that it was not their main mode of locomotion. The main hypothesis is that these strong hands were an adaptation for handling and processing food. As paleontologist Almudena Estalrrich, from the National Museum of Natural Sciences, points out, the muscle marks “indicate that he used them intensely, both to move and to obtain food. For example, he could have used a stone to break large seeds.” Tools. This ability opens the door to the most important question: If he had such a dexterous and strong hand, did he make tools? For a long time, the manufacture of stone tools was considered a hallmark of the genre Homo. However, the KNM-ER 101000 demonstrates that P. boisei had the anatomical ability to do it, and now it remains to be seen if they actually did it. Samar Syeda, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History, believes that the human proportions suggest that it had some ability to make grips that would have allowed the use of tools. However, he cautiously adds that the morphology “primarily reflects locomotor use: a very strong type of grip.” New scenario. This discovery now forces us to rethink the evolutionary panorama of the Pleistocene. Far from being a secondary and “unskillful” relative, the Paranthropus boisei was a right-handed hominid that coexisted with the first species of Homo. The fossil KNM-ER 101000 proposes that while the lineage Homo was evolving towards greater dependence on lithic technology, Paranthropus he could have followed a different strategy, developing a powerful hand for the intensive exploitation of plant resources without the need for such refined technology (always in the context of that time). In constant evolution. As Estalrrich concludes, the relevance of the discovery is immense, since this fossil not only lends a hand to an ancient relative, but also reminds us that the history of human evolution is constantly being rewritten, with each new discovery that we unearth. Images | Wikipedia roger vaughan In Xataka | Eating your neighbor is not illegal, technically. Unless you live in Idaho

Goodbye to the official Windows 10 support is bad news for users. Hackers already rub their hands

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On October 14, millions of computers worldwide will be helpless. That day The official Windows 10 support period endswhich means that users of equipment based on this operating system will not receive security updates. Problem. That raises a gigantic problem for end users, but especially for companies you can see their operation committed to future vulnerabilities that are discovered in said operating system. It is something that has happened in the past with ancient Microsoft operating systems, but the difference here is in the windows 10 dimension. Four out of ten pcs, with Windows 10. According to Statcounter Globalstats data, Windows 10 has currently a global fee of 40.84%. Four out of ten teams that use Windows, use Windows 10. That involves hundreds of millions of PCs, laptops and other devices – point of sale, interactive kiosks, industrial control systems – are exposed to new vulnerability that are discovered from that moment. In Spain, by the way, it is quota is even more worrying. Remembering what happened with Windows 8. In January 2016 Microsoft also marked the end of the Windows 8 support, but the market share of said operating system was much lower, which made the risk, even existing, it was much lower. The problem of the Windows 10 quota is now added that Ransomware and other malware threats They have multiplied. Party for cybercriminals. The “hackers” – or rather, the crackers, the cybercriminals – have before them a golden opportunity to discover and exploit new vulnerabilities that will not be corrected by Microsoft or whose updates will not apply in most cases. It is true that Microsoft has offered methods to extend updates in some cases, but as has happened in the past, many users will not take advantage of them and therefore will be vulnerable to those future cyber attacks. Update options. With the end of Windows 10, there are options for users. One of them is to update Windows 11 “Skipping” the technical requirements Taxes by Microsoft. The other, take advantage of the free extension of the update period, which they can receive for one more year With a simple process. There is also the most profitable option for Microsoft and manufacturers: update to a new PC that arrives with pre -installed Windows 11. And of course, we can opt for other operating systems: these equipment can remain useful (and insurance) installing some linux distribution. The condemnation of “Legacy” systems. Microsoft has always had the philosophy of maintaining compatibility back. That has advantages – can continue executing software for years even in modern hardware – but also that serious disadvantage of security commitment. Apple does not suffer so much. Apple, for example, has a much more drastic attitude in terms of updates and constant update is prioritized. And although it is possible to continue using old equipment with old versions, new functions that usually encourage users to update are excluded. Because it has it much easier. But of course, Apple has in its catalog a few tens of Mac and Macbook since they do not license their operating system, which makes it much easier have these updates under control. In the Windows world, with tens (hundreds?) Of manufacturers and millions of hardware and software combinations, conflicts may appear everywhere and control security is much more complex. In Xataka | The unexpected return of Windows 7: it reaches almost 10% of the market when Microsoft prepares to retire Windows 10

Byd has the future of buses in their hands and they are bad news for European brands

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Throughout the last years we have seen how the automobile industry has revolved around the conquest of multiple Chinese manufacturers looking for a piece of cake in Europe. Byd has been Great participant in this situationbut we still have something to say. And is that the Chinese giant recently presented his new E-Bus Platform Platform 3.0with the promise of also revolutionizing the public transport industry. The highlight: 1,000 volt technology and batteries integrated directly in the chassis, a formula that seeks to lead in the sector. Byd buses. The new platform incorporates for the first time in the bus sector A 1,000 volt systemthe same as Byd already uses Tang Ev and Han Ev in its electric cars. This allows ultra -grape loads that would drastically reduce stop times, something key if we talk about public transport operations. In addition, integrate batteries LFP Blade directly in the chassis, which promises a lower ground and a better use of space. The figures. The first model based on this platform, the Byd C11, offers battery configurations from 184 to 593 kWh, with autonomies ranging from 220 to 730 kilometers according to the Chinese cycle. To put this in perspective, it is an autonomy that far exceeds the majority of current European electric buses. According to Bydthe C11 “has an autonomy exceeding 400 kilometers with full load and air conditioning.” Cars technology. Byd has moved innovations of its car division to public transport, including the DISUS-A adaptive suspension system and a sophisticated thermal management system 7 in 1. The platform also incorporates Driver Assistance System 2.0 and an intelligent torque control system (ITAC), in addition to security functions such as an emergency stop button and stability control in case of a tire count. At the moment, only in China. Byd advances by leaps and hungry, while European bus manufacturers such as Mercedes, Man, Volvo or Scania bet on incremental evolutions of their existing platforms. On the other hand, Byd does not sell cars in the United States, but it has been making electric buses in California Since 2013which shows that its buse division also has the capacity to adapt to the western public. A touch of attention. The E-Bus Platform 3.0 promises a significant leap with respect to previous platforms. In addition, the company assures which offers a reduction in energy consumption of 18% and an increase in autonomy in low temperatures of 50 to 80 kilometers. With the great presence of ByD in public transport in other regions, this new platform is a warning that the Chinese manufacturer can, at any time, call the European public transport market door, and perhaps with the same force as with its cars. Cover image | Byd In Xataka | The modern car is no longer a car: it is a trap for privacy

More than 30% ends in the hands of non -residents

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Spain awakens the appetite of foreigners who want to buy/invest in housing. Or at least like that, it was in 2024, one year still marked by The effect of the Golden Visa. The data of the College of Registrars shows that about 15% From all transactions they were starred in foreign citizens. And not just that. Its weight was especially palpable in tourist areas, such as the Balearic Islands, Valencian Community or the Canary Islands, where they came to be around 30%. In certain points especially tensioning the demand was also intense by foreigners who do not even reside in Spain. As an example, in the first quarter of 2025 They monopolized 32% of Alicante transactions. A figure: 93,000. In the Spanish real estate market, foreign accents sound strongly. This was at least last year if we take into account the data collected by the College of Registered in His last yearbookin which the number of housing purchases formalized by foreign citizens is included in almost 93,000. In percentage terms, that equals 14.6% of all operations. The figure is interesting for two reasons. The first, because that 14.6% is very close to the maximum of the historical series of the College of Registrars, reached the previous year and that stood in 14.98%. The second reason is its volume. Perhaps the percentage is not as high as that of 2023, but in absolute terms the total operations was much higher: that year they were counted about 87,400while in 2024 the foreign demand gave rise to 93,000 purchases. Autonomous Community % purchase of foreigners (2024) Annual variation (PP) Balearic Islands 32.62% +1.12% Valencian Community 28.92% -0.34% Canary Islands 27.23% -1.31% Murcia region 23.63% -0.21% Catalonia 16.26% +0.47% Andalusia 13.97% -0.98% Total Spain 14.6% -0.38% With the map in hand. That 14.6% represents the “footprint” of foreigners in the total housing purchases registered last year. That is, it shows a global fact, at the national level. The thing changes when get down to detail and we analyze the different regions or provinces. There are points such as Extremadura, Galicia, Castilla y León or Cantabria, in which the operations starring foreigners do not mean 4% of the total. In others that percentage is triggered clearly. The most obvious case is that of the Balearic Islands. There almost a third of all housing purchases (32.6%) were signed by foreign citizens. It is followed by the Valencian Community (28.9%), the Canary Islands (27.2%), the Region of Murcia (23.6%), Catalonia (16.3%) and Andalusia (13.9%). The Balearic Islands are not just those that show a higher percentage. As if that did not make them stand out in itself, it is also the region that shows a greater interannual increase, of 1.1%. Can you go further? Yes. Thanks to The statistics of the Ministry of Transport, which allow answering a crucial question: how many of those foreigners who met houses in Spain last year really reside here? Throughout 2024 the administration registered 715,678 transactions, according to ministerial data. By classifying the type of buyer, 56,777 are attributed to foreigners “not resident in Spain.” That is, 8%. Territory Total transactions (2024) Non -resident foreigners Percentage Alicante 57,090 20,169 35.3% Malaga 37,719 10,500 27.8% Santa Cruz de Tenerife 12,445 2,728 21.9% Balearic Islands 15,464 3,932 25.4% Territory Purchases (1st T 2025) Non -resident foreigners Percentage (1st t 2025) Percentage (1st T 2015) Alicante 14,914 4,856 32.5% 36.8% Malaga 9,754 2,811 28.8% 30% Santa Cruz de Tenerife 3,290 781 23.7% 27.6% Balearic Islands 3,979 848 21.3% 25.1% Above 20%. This percentage is however superior if we analyze in detail the data of provinces or territories especially crowded by tourists from other countries. In Alicante for example, foreign buyers not residing in Spain represented 35.3% of transactions, in Malaga, 27.8%, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 21.9% and in the Balearic Islands reached 25.4%. The photo updated. A few weeks ago economist Marta Suárez-Varela published A graph In X with data from the first quarter that show that 2025 has started with a very similar ‘photography’. In the case of Alicante, the percentage of non -resident foreign buyers on the total transactions stood at 32.6%, in Malaga it was 28.8%, of 23.7% in Sta. Cruz de Tenerife and 21.3% in the Balearic Islands. The data also start from government records. The graph It is revealing because it finds that purchases by non -resident foreigners are particularly relevant in markets with strong tourist pressure. In addition to those mentioned, Las Palmas, Murcia, Girona, Almería, Castellón, Valencia, Huelva, Tarragona, Granada, Cádiz and Barcelona are listed on Top 15. Government statistics also suggest that the purchases of foreigners in these areas have been high for years. In fact, their percentages were higher in 2015. In the opposite pole are Álava, Albacete, Palencia, Ávila or Valladolid. But what do they buy? The data of the College of Registrars give some more brushstrokes. For example, it shows that 7.5% of mortgages About housing counted by the agency last year, foreigners were signed, 13.1% more than in 2023. Its footprint stands out in the Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Catalonia and Murcia, although registrars do not distinguish between residents or non -residents. The average amount of their credits was 171,200 euros and Those who bought the most They were the British, followed by Germans, Moroccans, French, Dutch, Romanians and Italians. If we talk about second -hand houses, the Bulgarians, Gauls and Moroccans stand out. If we do it from a new construction, the Belgians, Poles and Dutch. Click on the image to go to Tweet. What … and when. The Yearbook of the Registrars slides a fact that might seem irrelevant, but it is crucial to better understand what happened in 2024 in the Spanish real estate market. 10.8% of housing purchases starring foreigners reached or even exceeded 500,000 euros, the “maximum of the historical series”, Clarify The agency before remembering that in 2023 that same percentage of 9.7%. Not just that. 52.6% of those most value purchases were made … Read more

The problem is that almost everything is in the hands of Indonesia and China

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“Making An American Nickel Costs More than to Nickel,” the United States Mint recently admitted. Although the phrase looks like a tongue twenty, what is happening is that manufacturing a five cents – known in English like Nickel – is already more expensive than its own nominal value. And yet the international price of metal has collapsed, According to Financial Times. The nickel lives its most disconcerting moment. It is a key material to make batteries, stainless steel, turbines, missiles and satellites, so demand should have driven prices. However, the offer has expanded so fast that the quotes have sunk. In a report for the Financial Times They have pointed out That the price in the London metal bag (LME) is around $ 15,000 a ton, less than a third of what was reached in 2022. At the same time, production in referent countries, such as Australia or New Caledonia, was strongly reduced. BHP, the Australian giant, announced that it is reviewing the sale of its nickel assets in Western Australia. Even Tsingshan, one of the largest Chinese operators, suspended stainless steel lines to adjust the offer. A new emerging superpower. In this context, Indonesia emerges as a great winner. After prohibiting the export of mineral in 2020, he forced the installation of foundations and attracted billions of Chinese investment. Today controls about 60–65% of global production, According to Bloomberg. In the same medium They have pointed out That the jump is so great that, for the first time in history, Nickel export revenues exceeded those of coal: 16.5 billion dollars compared to 14,400 million in the first semester of 2025. The problems that lurk to the market. The Indonesian domain raises strategic vulnerability for the West, which considers the nickel a critical mineral. The Financial Times Talk about a “Nickel OPEC” Controlled by Yakarta and Beijing. At the same time, western mines become unfeasible: Australia and Nueva Caledonia already reduce operations and Anglo American seeks to sell assets in Brazil. The operation with MMG, backed by Chinese capital, is being investigated by the Brazilian competition authority after the Turkish Corex Holding complaint, How have they explained in another FT report. The result is an unbalanced map: Indonesia and China concentrate low cost capacity, while in the West the large mining companies are replicated or directly leave the business. There is an even greater cost. Indonesia’s competitive advantage rests on coal. Four large companies in the sector issued 15.3 million tons of greenhouse gases, and those emissions could double around 2028, according to IEEFA calculations and create collected by The Diplomat. This model collides with the arrival of regulations such as the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism, which will penalize materials with great carbon footprint. To this is added social risk: A report cited by The Guardian alert that a large part of the farms of transition minerals overlap with indigenous territories or fragile ecosystems, with accusations of deforestation, labor abuses and conflicts with local communities. And the technological risk is added. The rise of lithium-cherrophosphate (LFP) batteries, that do not require nickelcan cut the planned demand. Although they have less energy density, these batteries are cheaper and more sustainable, and are gaining space in electric vehicles. West, between the sword and the wall. The great Western miners face a dilemma. On the one hand, high costs and social pressures: the Resolution Copper project in Arizona, promoted by Rio Tinto and BHP, It has been delayed by the opposition for years of the Apache tribe of San Carlos. On the other hand, the strategic need to reinforce local supply chains. Washington has described nickel as critical metal, but its reserves are limited. Mining companies do not want to lose their best client: China. In 2024, 57% of Rio Tinto’s income came from sales to China, compared to only 16.7% in the United States, According to data cited in Xataka. The export controls of minerals imposed by Donald Trump’s government – and Beijing’s response with restrictions on Galio, Germanio, Scandio or Disposio – show how metal trade has become a geopolitical weapon. China: The pan by the handle. If Indonesia puts resources, China puts money and knowledge. The clearest example is Gem, a Chinese producer of battery materials that in the first half of 2025 doubled its nickel production in Indonesia up to 43,977 tons, reaching a record benefit of almost 800 million yuan, According to Bloomberg. In addition, Gem signed a 1,420 million dollar agreement with the Indonesian Sovereign Danantara fund to build a battery grade nickel plant. China also ensures its position outside Asia. In Africa, As we have explained in Xatakahas invested more than 10,000 million dollars in cobalt, copper and nickel mines, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and accompanies those investments with infrastructure, bilateral agreements and, even, the export of armament and private security to protect mining interests. In macro terms, China is becoming what some call the first “electrostate“. As my partner Matías has pointed outunder the plan Made in China 2025 It has managed to integrate the entire clean technologies supply chain: solar panels, batteries and electric cars. The country already generates more than a quarter of its electricity with renewables and de facto controls the global prices of electrification technologies. Forecasts: what comes on the horizon. Nickel’s future seems written at several speeds. Indonesia will continue to consolidate its role as an epicenter of the global offer. The prohibition of exporting mineral, added to the avalanche of Chinese capital, has turned the country into the great refining of the world and the Yakarta government wants to take another step: not to settle for producing nickel nicing or chemicals, but also becoming a manufacturer of batteries and electric vehicles, How Financial Times points out. In parallel, the demand for stainless steel will continue to absorb most of the nickel, but the battery market is emerging as the great engine of change in this decade. The problem is that this forecast … Read more

The great Spanish rail giant had in his hands “the contract of the century.” Until France appeared

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It has been called “the contract of the century.” And it has not been for anything. CAF, the great Spanish rail giant, should be the winner of a huge contract to nurture the Belgian SNCB of trains that circulate on the conventional roads of the country. That is, by “the Belgian Renfe.” A contract that could reach 3,400 million euros. A contract that, now, is in the air after the claims of the French Alstom. “The contract of the century”. This has been called the pre -agreement between the Belgian SNCB and the Spanish CAF, confirmed only a few weeks ago by both companies In a statement in which the following was read: The Board of Directors of NMBS (SNCB-National Society of the Belgian Railways), taking into consideration the resolution of the State Council, has confirmed in this day CAF as preferred bidder of the contract for the development, manufacture and supply of the AM30 trains. In this way, the approval is given to continue the purchase process with the selected company, with the objective of closing the final adjudication of said Framework Agreement. This is a framework agreement with a maximum scope of units for 170,000 places, with an initial base commitment of 1,695 million euros (units for 54,000 places) in case of finally closing the agreement. French resource. This pre -agreement that includes a first operation of almost 1.7 billion euros and that could be folded in the future with the delivery of more trains for renew up to 50% of the fleet From the Belgian transport company, it has been appealed by Alstom, a French company that had also appeared to the contest. Guipuzkoa news He explains that the French company has launched the appeal to try to stop the contract, with the objective that this famous “contract of the century” falls on them, understanding that its offer was better than the Spanish proposal. What do they defend? In the Basque newspaper it is pointed out that Alstom defends its best position because the offer was 107 million euros cheaper than the Spanish proposal and that, in addition, they assured that Belgian labor would be used, which should be an argument of weight when it comes to being the chosen ones. Alstom expected their witch and charlei plants that employ 1,500 people to be decisive when obtaining the contract, they explain in Expansion. The situation is not new. Last April, the Belgium Council suspended the award and forced CNCB to return to the process, noting that the contract had not been awarded with total transparency. Human Rights. After that first closed door, CNCB once again chosen CAF as an ideal company to deliver the trains with which the Belgian fleet will be renewed. In their new report they pointed out that “European regulation prevents considering local presence factors in public procurement,” they explain in Expansion. But, in addition, in the review of the process, the Belgian court asked CAF to demonstrate that its activities meet “With international law and human rights”. Because? Because CAF works on a light subway line in Jerusalem that extends to Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. Yes indeed, In the Basque newspaper They emphasize that the Belgian Mobility and Climate Minister came to remove iron from this matter, highlighting that the country itself maintains diplomatic and economic relations with Israel. A thorny matter. The participation of CAF in the Light Metro of Jerusalem has raised Polvareda and is a stone more than the company has been found when receiving the so -called “contract of the century.” Amnesty International and Other associations In defense of the Palestinian people they demand that CAF leave the Israeli project. The minister on his side. For now, what has been defended by CNCB (and even Belgian minister himself) is that Not only should you look at the initial cost of the project. According to its reports, the Spanish proposal will mean savings with the passage of time to Belgian accounts since CAF trains consume less energy than those of Alstom. Specifically, it is ensured that the Spanish rolling material improves by 4% the technical criteria of the French company, taking into account the sale price of them but also the consumption of the trains provided, the conditions of the purchase contract and the calendar of deliveries to which CAF is compromised. Photo | CAF In Xataka | “Whoever wants to come, to invest”: Ouigo wanted to enter the Madrid-Galicia bird but it already sees it impossible before 2030

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