happening

Testosterone levels have plummeted by half in the last 50 years. The mystery is why it is happening

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If we analyze the blood of an average man today and compare it to that of his grandfather at the same age, the results reveal that testosterone levels have been reduced by half. This is something that for years has been a rumor or an isolated finding in local studies, but now an important study has given it much more rigor. It’s proven. The study, presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, sheds light on what scientists They consider it a “silent epidemic.” And it is that the investigation has focused on analyzing data from 118,593 men from six longitudinal studies in Israel, the United States, Brazil, Finland and Denmark between 1972 and 2019. After analyzing the progression of testosterone levels, a drop of 54% on average in total testosterone levels has clearly been seen. We are talking about a decline of more than 1% per year on average, which has been accelerating since 2000. Aging. The first logical reaction when reading this data is to think about life expectancy. If we live longer, it is normal for the population average testosterone to drop, but the researchers anticipated this hypothesis. Its results have made it clear that the decline detected is independent of aging, since the data have been adjusted for age. This means that a 30-year-old man in 2019 has significantly lower levels of testosterone than a 30-year-old man had in 1980. And if it’s not age, the science points directly to our environment and how we live. Obesity. If we look for the culprits, this is one of them, and without a doubt one of the more decisive. We must know that adipose tissue is not inert, but rather functions almost like an endocrine organ that converts testosterone into estrogen through an enzyme called aromatase that is present in fat. In this way, the more fat there will be a greater conversion and, therefore, a lower amount of testosterone. However, the most recent studies go one step further and warn that type 2 diabetes has surpassed obesity as the leading risk factor for low serum testosterone. The reason is that insulin resistance creates a vicious cycle that blocks the normal production of this hormone. Endocrine disruptors. We live surrounded by chemicals and substances present in plastics (such as bisphenols), food packaging, pesticides and personal care products that act as “hackers” of our endocrine system. And although the evidence on specific substances continues to be built due to the difficulty of isolating their effects, the scientific community assumes that chronic exposure to these chemicals is interfering with fertility and testosterone synthesis at a global level. The lifestyle. Currently we are living in a society where a sedentary lifestyle is the order of the day, and this lack of exercise and excessive hours in a chair slow down hormonal production. But in addition, sleep deprivation is also a big problem, since little or bad sleep destroys the circadian rhythms necessary to secrete testosterone, which occurs mainly at night. Beyond reproduction. We usually associate testosterone with fertility or muscle development, but its role is systemic. Here it is important to know that chronically low levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, depression and cognitive decline. That is why a change in life is essential to maintain high levels of testosterone that act with that protective profile to achieve much stronger health over time. Images | Julia Larson In Xataka | For years we blamed testosterone for men living shorter lives. Now we know that the culprit is a chromosome

BYD wants to dethrone Toyota in five years. The problem is that first he has to fix what is happening in China

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Wang Chuanfu, president of BYD, has full confidence that the next few years are going to be big for the company. However, the price of its shares is not following to the company’s exploits, and for that reason it has sent a message that is intended, above all, for its investors: the promise of becoming the world’s leading manufacturer in terms of scale. Wang spoke about the issue at the Chinese company’s annual shareholders meeting, held in Shenzhen on June 9. His words come at a delicate moment, since BYD’s actions have fallen more than 45% from its highs in Hong Kong in the last year, and 33% on the Shenzhen stock market. In fact, his promise failed to convince, as the next day, shares fell another 4.3% in Hong Kong and 1.6% in Shenzhen. This is how things are at BYD. Target: Toyota. BYD is already the largest electric car manufacturer in the world by sales, having surpassed Tesla last year. But Wang’s objective goes further, as he wants BYD become number one global in total vehicle volume, ahead of Toyota. And precisely, to achieve this, it would have to sell more than double what it is selling now. In 2025, Toyota sold 11.3 million vehicles; BYD, 4.8 million. The distance is enormous. Technology. At the meeting, Wang assured that the second generation Blade battery was the main growth bottleneck this year and has pledged to accelerate its production. He also highlighted the advances in ultra-fast charging, since this week BYD announced an investment of about 2,000 million euros in Europe to develop its Flash Charge infrastructure, with 1,500 kW of power and that would allow its cars to be charged from 10% to 70% in just 5 minutes. The firm showed it to us last April, when we were able to attend the official presentation of the Denza Z9GT. Along with this, the president of the company claimed that BYD has 3.15 million vehicles with intelligent driving already in circulation, accumulating 200 million kilometers of data per day, and that L3 and L4 level autonomous driving will arrive “sooner than expected.” “As soon as the regulation is ready, BYD will take off quickly,” Wang said. A domestic problem. The great tension of the moment is precisely at home. And the Chinese market, where BYD does most of its business, has become fiercely competitive. The price war between local manufacturers has pressured margins and hampered sales. Between January and May of this year, total deliveries fell more than 20% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to account Reuters. This internal bleeding is what worries investors, and no promises about Toyota have covered it up for now. Your business away from home. Exports are the other side of the coin, and there the panorama is different. In the first five months of the year, international sales grew 65% year-on-yearwith Brazil, the United Kingdom and Australia as the main destinations. In May alone, BYD sold more than 160,000 vehicles outside China, 80% more than in the same month of 2025. The goal for 2026 is to exceed one and a half million units exported, which would represent an increase of more than 40% over the 1.05 million last year. According to share According to CarNewsChina, Wang admitted at the meeting that the current trend aims to exceed even the initial goal of 1.6 million. Europe, opportunity and problems. The firm knows that to achieve its objectives, Europe is key to its expansion. Stella Li, chief international officer of BYD, confirmed to Reuters that the hungary plant will begin assembling cars in the fourth quarter of this year. Manufacturing locally is essential if you want to avoid the tariffs that the European Union has imposed on Chinese electric companies. However, the Hungarian factory is attracting some controversy, since organizations such as China Labor Watch have reported alleged violations of European labor legislation, and local authorities have sanctioned three companies linked to its construction for dumping excavation soils on surrounding agricultural land. The matter remains open. The shadow of the Pentagon. As if the problems in the stock market and the pressure in its domestic market were not enough, this week the United States Department of Defense added BYD to its list of “Chinese military companies”considering it a risk to national security. Beijing responded by calling the decision without a factual basis. BYD does not operate in the US market due to existing tariffsbut the label complicates its image and its possible future movements in that market. In Xataka | A German driver set out to discover how much he could stretch the tank of his old diesel car. And he has done 2,400 kilometers

It seemed difficult for China to compete with the US as a global tourism power. And yet it’s happening

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Although tempers have cooled after the war in Iran and the doubts about what impact it will have on the sector, in general international tourism is experiencing its ‘roaring 20s’. Families have come out of the pandemic break wanting to pack their bags and get to know new countries, something that has not taken long to be noticed by the UN tourism observatory, which last year registered an increase of 4% in the flow of international travel, as in the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which estimates that the sector represents almost 10% of global GDP. The increase, however, has not been equally strong around the world. What’s more, WTTC itself has noted important differences in the two large economies of the sector, the US and China, which could precipitate a surprise historical. I like to travel. The world has emerged from the pandemic with a desire to travel. Many. It is a trend that has already been noted in 2024when pre-COVID levels were recovered, and has continued to consolidate over time, which explains, for example, that Spain is bordering on the historical barrier of the 100 million travelers a year or that Japan gives clear samples of saturation. According to the latest calculations of the WTTC, 2025 was “the best year in history for the sector”, at least as far as economic growth is concerned. Its contribution to world GDP exceeded 10.7 billion eurosabout 10% of the global economy, and supported almost one in ten jobs worldwide. These are compelling data not only because of their scope, but also because of the trend they show: in general the tourism sector is growing more than the international economy. The US slows down. The ‘photo’ is not, however, equally good in everyone. The WTTC technicians have noticed a weight loss in the main economy tourism on the planet, the American one. Although the country governed by Trump remains “the largest travel and tourism market in the world”, the truth is that it is losing market share. The data is resounding: while the sector grew at 4.1% overall, in North America that percentage was four times lower (1%). In fact, it was the “slowest growing region in the world.” The balance was even worse in the US, with an increase of 0.9%. A key fact: 5.5%. “In 2025, eighty million more people took international trips compared to the previous year, although they chose other destinations. The number of American visitors decreased by 5.5% compared to 2024 and spending by international visitors decreased by 4.6%, reaching $176 billion,” they point out those responsible for the WTTC. His analysis joins others that in recent months have warned of a setback in the flow of foreign tourists arriving in the US and the loss of attractiveness in key markets. For example, the country’s Department of Commerce registered in 2025 a drop of 20.9% at the entrance of visitors from Canada. In 2024 it had already registered a decline, but of only 1.3%. Why is it important? For what it means for the American tourism industry. And for its implications in the sector worldwide. As the WTTC reminds us, today the US continues to be the economy that more money moves thanks to tourism and travel, with a notable advantage over the second On the list, China: the US moves at 2.63 trillion dollars while the Asian giant is around 1.75 trillion. How has the US achieved that weight in the sector? Thanks to two legs: the local market, the trips that Americans make when traveling from one city or state to another, and the arrival of foreign visitors. If we look at the latest reports from the US Travel Association and the WTTC, the first leg continues to respond well. In 2025, Americans they accounted for 87% of the country’s tourism business and increased their contribution to the sector. Their spending was 14.3% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Things change, however, when we look at the arrival of tourists from other countries: their flow was reduced by around 2.3% and their spending indicators are also not good when compared to those the country managed before COVID. Losing “hook”. This loss of attractiveness among foreigners coincides with a hardening of the conditions to enter the US and news about arrests in airports, which even led some European embassies to give guidelines to its citizens to avoid surprises with their visas. Another key factor was the international policy deployed by the White House, which strained relations with countries such as Canada and Denmark. The decisions made by the Trump administration soon gave rise to campaigns that advocated boycotting American products, something that was felt in tourism. In January WTTC itself warned Washington that if it finally approved the new requirements it had on the table for ESTA authorization applicants, which included a thorough review of tourists’ online activity, it risked losing just over a third of its visitors. “34% of those surveyed say they are less likely to visit the United States in the next two or three years if the changes are implemented,” he warned. China on the prowl. It is not just that the US sees its market share in international tourism shrink, it is that everything indicates that China will take advantage of this situation to cut positions. “While the US contracts, China grows at a dizzying pace,” explains Gloria Guevarapresident and CEO of WTTC to Bloomberg. “If this continues, in three or four years it will reach the US.” In another interview A recent interview with USA Today even went further and warned that, if the current situation continues, China will end up “replacing” the US as the world’s main tourist market in a matter of four years. today the gap Between both markets it is enormous (the US sector contributes 2.63 trillion dollars and the Chinese 1.75), but Beijing is growing at high speed. WTTC estimates that its tourism sector is growing at a rate of 9.9% and that, unlike what … Read more

While Europe panics about the price of electricity, in Spain the opposite is happening

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The ghosts of the energy crisis have once again haunted Europe. As energy expert Alejandro Diego Rosell warnsin just a month of tensions the price of gas (TTF) has skyrocketed more than 90% in March. In most of the continent, this shock translates into an almost automatic increase in the cost of electricity, recalling the “shock” caused by the Ukrainian War four years ago. However, in Spain the unthinkable has happened: the bill has gone down. In short. The electricity bill for customers with the regulated rate (PVPC) has fallen by around 4.8% this month of March compared to the same period last year. The difference with our neighbors is abysmal. While in Italy wholesale electricity is paid at €143/MWh and in Germany it is close to €100/MWh, the Spanish market (pool) closed March with a contained average of €41.5/MWh. How has this been possible? This energy firewall against the geopolitical crisis is not the result of chance, but rather the combination of three fundamental factors: The Government’s fiscal shield: In response to the escalation in the Middle East, the Executive has activated a shock plan. The Official State Gazette (BOE) published Royal Decree-Law 7/2026which recovers the tax cuts from the previous crisis. The VAT on electricity drops to 10%, the electricity tax plummets to 0.5% and the generation tax (IVPEE) is suspended. The muscle of renewables: This is the great structural difference compared to 2022. Alejandro Diego Rosell emphasizes thatSince the start of the Ukrainian war, Spain has added 30 GW of solar energy and more than 3 GW of wind energy to its network. The result is that 65.1% of the electricity consumed this March has come from clean and cheap sources, pushing up electricity prices. pool down. The climatic factor: Nature has also done its part. this winter has been characterized because it was very rainy and windy. This abundance of water and wind has allowed so much energy to be generated that last Sunday the market reached the cheapest hourly price in history: -10 euros per MWh at three in the afternoon. How does it affect the pocket? The combination of low taxes and high renewable generation has meant direct relief for both families and the productive fabric. On the one hand, for an average consumer with a regulated rate, the March bill has stood at 68.10 euroswhich represents a saving of 3.42 euros compared to a year ago, according to comparative data from the CNMC. collected by The Voice of Galicia. For its part, eldiario.es collects estimates from electricity companies which estimate the savings derived solely from tax reductions between 7 euros for small households and up to 20 euros for large families or commercial premises. On the other hand, the most surprising data comes from the large factories. According to the latest Barometer of the AEGE associationthe Spanish electro-intensive industry today pays for electricity at €66.50/MWh, managing to be below the €67.73/MWh paid by the all-powerful German industry for the first time. In sectors where energy accounts for up to 50% of production costs, this surprise represents a vital injection of foreign competitiveness. The small print. To understand the full picture, it is necessary to look beyond the optimistic headlines. The experts consulted by the different media warn of several critical nuances: The hidden cost of “blackout insurance”: Such dependence on renewables has a price, since to guarantee the supply when there is a lack of sun or wind (or when there is excess and the grid cannot support it), Red Eléctrica must turn on gas plants to balance the system. These “technical restrictions” are very expensive and increase the final bill outside the wholesale market. France continues playing in another league: Despite winning the short-term battle against Germany, The Economist remember that we are very far from France. Thanks to its nuclear park, the French industry pays electricity at €32.05/MWh, less than half that of the Spanish industry. Furthermore, Germany compensates for its high market prices by injecting its factories with €38.78/MWh in CO2 aid, compared to the scarce €17.76/MWh allowed by the Spanish budget. The electrical mirage and the threat of summer: Electricity barely represents 20% of the country’s energy consumption. The other 80% (oil and gas for transport and industry) is 100% imported, so Spain remains very exposed to the ups and downs of the Middle East. In addition, Natalia Fabra, professor of Economics, warns that the electrical bargain It has an expiration date: starting at the end of June, the heat will reduce the efficiency of the solar panels, the use of air conditioning will trigger demand and gas prices will once again rise. Resilience facing the crisis. The Third Gulf War has tested Europe’s energy foundations. Spain, unlike what was experienced four years ago, has managed to avoid the first big blow thanks to a cocktail of fiscal intervention and green deployment. As Alejandro Diego Rosell concludesit is true that renewable energies do not magically isolate us from the complex international context, but the data from this month of March leave an undeniable lesson: without them, we would be much worse off. Spain has acquired valuable resilience, but the road to true energy independence is still long. Image | freepik 1 and 2 Xataka | The paradox of the Canary Islands: it is the only autonomous community where the VAT reduction on fuel will not be noticed

BYD sales have fallen 41% in China. It is the biggest symptom that something much more serious is happening in your industry.

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They are very specific days but the data is the data. And the data says much more because of what it hides than what it says at first. BYD has fallen 41% in sales during the Chinese New Year holidays. The problem is that the Chinese market seems to be slowing down. And BYD isn’t the only company feeling it. 41%. This is, as we said, how much BYD sales have fallen in China during the month of February 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. The data is provided by CarNewsChina where it is also noted that it is 9.5% less than last January, so the trend does not invite optimism. In the middle they point out that this fall coincides with a Chinese New Year that in 2026 has completely departed the month of February. These are days in which sales inevitably fall because citizens live immersed in the largest migration in the world and this year has been one of the longest festive periods in recent years. In 2025, these festivals occupied the last days of January so that during the remainder of the month they were able to reach cruising speed, which exacerbates the decline. The price war. BYD’s low sales are exacerbated by a stagnating local market. To continue encouraging sales, BYD, Tesla or Xiaomi are offering financing for seven years. Something common in our country but a rarity that is becoming consolidated in China and that makes another detail clear: there is no room to continue lowering prices. Already in January, the China Passenger Car Association announced that sales had fallen 13.9% compared to the same month in 2025. The situation was more complicated among “new energy” vehicles, as plug-in hybrids, electric and extended-range electric vehicles are called. In this case, the drop reached 20%. Obviously, for BYD, Tesla or Xiaomi, who only offer electric or plug-in cars, the former, the situation is more delicate. A must-see. Exporting has become an almost obligatory outlet for BYD. Although its sales have decreased in the local market, exports have exceeded 100,000 units and that represents a growth of more than 50%. And there are already four consecutive months with shipments of this volume, they point out in CarNewsChina. Although BYD’s progress had been slow in Europe until recently, in 2025 they grew 270% on our continent. January has also been a good year (they almost triple their position compared to January 2025, they point out in The Energy Newspaper) and is a boost to a policy that has opted to give more for less money within plug-in vehicles. If we talk about Spain, one of the most important countries for BYD right now outside of China, BYD has placed two electric cars among the 10 best-selling cars so far this year and another two among the five best-selling plug-in hybrids. Much more than a symptom. Although we have focused on BYD sales, what is clear is that in 2026, car sales will not start in China. In The New York Times They reflect the drop in the company’s share price, which has lost part of the support of investors. But the problem goes beyond the brand’s headquarters. Mike Smithfrom Washington and Lee University, points out to the American media that 40% of the vehicle production generated by China is not being used, according to his calculations. This is not the first time that there has been talk of Chinese overproduction of automobiles. The constant evolutions in the product have made products launched just a few months before obsolete, pushing the price war even further. And with a country overproducing cars and evolutions at a dizzying pace, it is logical that the customer stops purchasing, expecting a better car at a better price in the short term. Photo | EEYAUT Waihung on Wikimedia In Xataka | Same car, three names, three prices and one reality: China has chosen Mexico as the spearhead of its exports

when to know when there are going to be more chances of them happening

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Let’s tell you How can you know if there are going to be northern lights in Spain?. So, in case you hear that there may be some in the next night or if there have been some the night before and you want to know if they will be repeated, you will have a reliable source to know. We are going to tell you three resources that you can use, and that predict the amplitude and areas where there will be Auroras in the next few hours. A good reference to browse. How to see if there will be northern lights To see if there are going to be northern lights in Spain, the best resource is the website of space time by AEMETwhose page is spaceweather.aemet.es. In it, within the section Auroraswith predictions for the next few hours. There are two maps, one for the northern hemisphere and one for the southern hemisphere. This map shows predictions using the OVATION model, based on observations of the solar wind. With this model, you can see in red the areas where there will be auroraswith colors grading to green depending on the possibilities. In short, if any of the colors approach Spain, then you will know that there are chances of seeing the northern lights. Additionally, if you click on the map you will go to the original source of the information, the Space Weather Prediction Center website. In it you will be able to see in video format what this evolution of the auroras will be like during the next few hours. You can get even more information Another interesting resource is the website spaceweatherlive.comwhere there is a section of Auroral activity. Here, you will have all the technical data with which to understand if there will be auroras, from the possibilities to the movement of magnetic fields. It’s normal to get lost in all this. Here, look at the right side of the website, where the places with the most possibilities are indicated. Then, in oval auroraclick on More informationand you will go to a page where below you can click on a tab Europe and Asiato see which countries or regions in Europe and Asia are most likely to have auroras. Easier with Aurora Forecast Finally there is a page with mobile applications called Aurora Forecast, with a page where you can see the probability of auroras in major cities Spanish. You just have to enter auroraforecast.me/country/spainand below you will see a list of cities along with the odds in each one. You will even be able to use the search engine to find the big city closest to you, and enter a tab where you will be told all the possibilities you have of there being one in the next 6 hours. In the mobile application you will have information for the next 27 days. Look for information from reliable pages In addition to this, it is also recommended search for information on weather websites. The general media usually covers this information well, talking about when it can happen, but sometimes current affairs may bury this other information and it may not always be reported. Therefore, it is good to consult social networks and media pages such as AEMET and ElTiempo.es. In Xataka Basics | Personal weather forecast in Gemini: how to use it to ask the weather today and how to schedule forecasts to appear for you

We analyze on video what is really happening

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From time to time, the technology sector enters a phase of turbulence that breaks the apparent normality of the market and forces us to take a closer look at how the supply chain, industrial priorities and the balances between supply and demand. The most recent example that many remember is that of cryptocurrency mining, that for years stressed the graphics card market to the point of turning them into a scarce commodity and prohibitively expensive for many players. Now the focus has shifted to another key component: RAM. The increase in the cost of the modules begins to be clearly noticed and, as usually happens in these cases, the inevitable questions arise. What exactly is happening, where does this problem come from and if there are signs that allow us to think about relief in the short or medium term. To try to answer all this, we have published a new video in the Xataka YouTube channel in which our colleague Francisco Franconi explains this scenario calmly and in context, trying to explain what is behind a crisis that cannot be understood just by looking at the final prices. The piece is integrated into the set of content that we regularly publish on the channel, with formats such as 24/7the series Domotize or die trying, Science and Apart and reports that explore technology from very diverse angles. We are in a RAM memory crisis, now what? The starting point of the video is a broader photograph of the moment that the technology industry is experiencing. Francisco introduces the topic with a piece of information that helps to understand the background of the problem: “It is evident that 2025 was the year of AI. Projects like Stargatewhich has the purpose of investing 500 billion dollars for the development of artificial intelligence in the United States, are a sample of the economic interest that exists around this technology.” From there, the question arises almost naturally: what relationship does this rise in artificial intelligence have with RAM? The video explains how data centers, the backbone of this new technological wave, depend on three essential components, and RAM is one of them. Analyzing the role played by the rest of the pieces not only helps to understand the current crisis, but also opens the door to thinking about whether we could be facing similar tensions in other components in the not-so-distant future. Francisco goes one step further and dismantles an idea that is often taken for granted. “High demand for components alone does not trigger prices“, he points out, before delving into the specific factors that are turning the current artificial intelligence boom into a real headache for the RAM memory market. This analysis also includes some of the large companies that are decisively influencing this movement, helping to understand why the problem is neither specific nor easy to solve. The video also reserves space for a more technical explanation, addressing the different types of RAM and the differences that are key to understanding this crisis. This technical context allows us to connect two worlds that often seem separate: that of large language models and that of users who want to assemble a PC in pieces and find that this technological ambition ends up having a direct impact on their pocket. In the final section, Francisco puts on the table the question that many are asking: how long can this situation last. “Some estimate that price increases will be constant for the next 6 months, others talk about increases until 2027,” he explains, before closing with a series of reflections that help set expectations and understand what to expect from the market in the coming years. We invite you to see the full video on our YouTube channel and share your opinion both there and in this article. Images | Xataka In Xataka | In the midst of the RAM memory crisis, Samsung takes a leap with its HBM4 memory. It does not imply good news for the pocket

This graph shows per capita coffee consumption and leaves us with a disturbing question: what is happening in Luxembourg?

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Be it for your energetic effectsby its benefits in the body or even for their psychological effectscoffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Is one of the engines of the economy of countries like Colombia or Brazil, as well as a thermometer of global economic health. Coffee culture continues to expand, and in this graph we can see which countries whose inhabitants drink the most coffee every day. There is only one question: what about Luxembourg. Europe >> others. Despite not being producers (although climate change may change that sooner rather than later), Europe gives the rest of the world a review of coffee consumption. Including powers like Brazil, Costa Rica or Colombia. The top 10 positions in coffee consumption correspond to European countries, and except for Greece, which has managed to sneak into the TOP, they are all northern countries. Outside of that ranking we find a country that may be unexpected: Lebanon. Then we have Brazil, Canada and another string of European countries. But if there is a proper name on this list, it is Luxembourg. Luxembourg has a trick. Visual Capitalist has created the graph taking the data from Cafely. After an impressive display of figures, they detail that they have taken data from sources such as the International Coffee Organization, as well as from Wikipedia to calculate per capita consumption and from global surveys of more than 4,000 people. All this has led them to calculate that Luxembourg drinks coffee. And a lot. That each person, on average, drinks 5.31 cups a day seems outrageous. It does not reach worrying levels of caffeine consumption (There are drinks that are not coffee and have much more caffeine), but it is a fact that draws attention. However, there is a trick: Luxembourg’s per capita figure is explained because almost half of those who work in the country live abroad and drink coffee on the road, as well as to stay awake, and although they are not the country’s population, that consumption has been taken into account for Luxembourg’s totals. 5.31 coffees a day implies 118,227 cups that each person drinks throughout their life, and is well above other countries: Cups consumed throughout life Money spent throughout life Luxembourg 118,227 425,618 Finland 83,939 335,756 Sweden 58,612 216,863 Norway 58,159 255,900 Austria 45,198 149,153 Denmark 44,676 241,250 Swiss 42,318 211,591 Netherlands 39,854 123,548 Greece 37,449 116,092 (27) Spain 23,988 46,057 (28) Costa Rica 22,229 56,683 (39) venezuela 12,844 20,423 (41) Colombia 12,264 13,981 a fortune. The average price per cupFurthermore, it is not cheap at all. Not counting atrocities that can be paid in countries like Japan (it is not a product either and transportation is expensive) or Dubai (because… it’s Dubai), the average price of a cup in northern European countries is quite high. Contrast with the average price as we go down to Portugal, Italy or Spain. And more interesting than the average price of a cup It is the account of the money we spend on coffee throughout our lives, which we can also see in the table above. The great absentee. It may be striking that countries like Mexico have a consumption of just 0.29 cups, but along with Guatemala, Argentina or Peru, it is one of the countries with the least roots in coffee. For example, it esteem that each Mexican consumes 2.1 kilos of coffee per year, while Colombians increase the figure to 4.2 kilos. But the big absentee on this list is… China. The Asian giant is not a traditional coffee consumer, but things are changing. There is not only multitude of cafes and chains like Luckin Coffee that are present practically on every corner of a big city, but they are leading the greatest growth in the region in opening of new brand cafes. And they are not only emerging in the region: China is taking over tons of coffee from Brazil due to a market that is growing at double-digit speed since 2010, with a growth annual average of more than 20%, which is well above a world average that barely reaches 2% But anyway, there is no one to blame Luxembourg. And if at some point they blame you for drinking a lot, you can now say that you are trying to raise the average for your country in this curious competition. In Xataka | The latest craze for weight loss is adding mushrooms to coffee. Science is not clear that it is a good idea

Half of Spain is on alert due to snow and yet AEMET has not issued a single red notice: what is happening here?

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“Historical Polar Beast“, “New Philomena“, “the polar storm that threatens Spain“: Much has been written about the intrusion of cold air that is causing drops in temperatures, snowfall and trouble throughout the north of the country. And not always without reason. In fact, the Junta de Castilla y León has declared the alert for snowfall in the provinces of Burgos, León, Palencia and Soria. And yet, AEMET has not issued a red weather warning. What is happening here? QTo start: everything is working normally. And we must not forget that AEMET and Civil Protection do not do the same work. The State Meteorological Agency is limited to issuing weather warnings that are based on physical and objective thresholds. Civil Protection, on the other hand, declares the alert based on the expected impact (on the population and/or infrastructure). In this sense, they are not things that can be linked directly. And what is happening these days is a textbook example. AEMET has not activated red warnings, simply because snowfall exceeding the highest thresholds is not expected. Yes, the snow level had dropped a lot… but in reality, no one expected a lot of snow to fall. This does not mean, as is evident, that it is not an important episode; Only it is not an extreme episode in purely meteorological terms. In social terms, it is different. Because as Víctor Gonzalez explained There are a series of factors that make this relatively small winter storm something to take into account. To begin with, it is the first episode of snowfall at low levels of the season. As with heat waves in summer, the first ‘episodes’ are always more dangerous because they ‘catch’ the population unprepared. Especially when (as is happening now) that episode comes earlier than usual, when winter hasn’t even started yet. In addition, it coincides with very busy days (because we are talking about a very busy weekend). An important lesson: When we talk about meteorology, it doesn’t just matter how much snow falls, how hot it is going to be, or how much water a storm will dump. What really matters is when, where and on whom it falls. As Víctor González said“If this same episode occurred on a Tuesday in February, perhaps the alert would not have been declared.” Image | ECMWF | Alev Takil In Xataka | AEMET is clear about what we can expect from the polar storm that threatens Spain: the question is whether we are prepared

We have to start calling what is happening in Venezuela by its name. The “other” US bombers have arrived

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May America return to “walk” bombers strategic actions against Venezuela gives shape to an idea: this is no longer a tactical whim, it is a military campaign that moves on a dangerous border between ambiguity and prelude of something of greater significance. Not only that: the presence in the air, sea and territorial periphery of a country without the capacity for military parity introduces a geopolitical message directed towards third partiesand places the region before an unprecedented scenario. The visible phase. United States has done it again. Now they have been B-1 Lancer (long-range bombers, high payload and supersonic speed) from Dyess (Texas) to the outskirts of Venezuelawithout entering sovereign airspace but close enough to constitute an unequivocal signal of availability of remote fire. These flights are added to previous demonstrations with B-52 and F-35B, and are part of a expanded deployment which includes eight warships, a submarine, P-8 maritime patrol, MQ-9 Reaper and a squadron of F-35s already advanced in the theater. The novelty is not the capacity but the frequency: what used to be an annual exercise has become a sustained cadence that Pentagon officials already hint will grow, under the operational argument of surveillance and destruction of boats, but with a clear transition potential to fixed targets ashore. What the bombers reveal. Air traffic scans showed pairs of B-1 with BARB21/22 and nodal planes (KC-135 for replenishment, RC-135 ISR and a E-11A BACN) composing architecture of command, link and persistence typical of complex operations, not symbolic gestures. The immediate precedent of the B-52 in the same areadescribed by the Department of Defense itself as a “demonstration of attack”, reinforces the reading that Washington is setting up an environment from which it will be able to strike from outside the Venezuelan tactical range without the need to preposition bombers in regional bases, exploiting the strategic autonomy of the heavy wing. The E-11 BACN The bridge and options. The campaign against suspicious vessels (with at least seven confirmed attacks on speedboats and a submersible since September) complies a double function: produces immediate kinetic effects and, at the same time, normalizes the use of lethal power without explicit congressional authorization on targets politically designated as “narco-targets.” Trump openly declared that, once the maritime phase has been exhausted, the attacks could move to land against distribution or production facilities, and former USAF officers admit that the B-1 platform is ideal for that scenario. The Republican-dominated Congress has blocked attempts to limit presidential authority, and the line between war on cartels and strategic coercion of the regime has been blurred. deliberately blurred. A B-52 and two F-35Bs seen flying together during the “bomber strike demonstration mission” last week The background. Before reappearing heavy wing on the Caribbean, Washington had consumed three cycles without success: maximum sanctions, political negotiation and recognition of a parallel government. They all failed in dislodging Maduro, protected by a Cuban counterintelligence apparatus and armored by alignment with Russia, China and Iran. The turn to military coercion (destroyers with Tomahawk, embarked special forces, ISR means and precision fire) replicates a repertoire with long and bumpy genealogy in Latin America, but here with a deliberately ambiguous purpose. The Caribbean without law. The Pentagon has sunken vessels alleging narcoterrorism, with no specific congressional authority to equate cartels with al-Qaeda-type threats. Trump came to contemplate blows on the ground that would produce high-impact viral images, but without a sure path to a stable political outcome: the available force (some 10,000 troops) is not enough for a conventional invasion, and a surgical assault to capture Maduro would entail catastrophic risks if it failed. The limits and fragility. I remembered a few hours ago the financial times that the recent history of the United States in “nation-building” after the use of force is poorand in Venezuela the vacuum after a forced decapitation could be occupied by hard factions of the apparatus or consolidate Maduro himself if a failed operation gave him an alibi for deeper repression. The legitimate opposition is fragmented or in exileand institutional continuity after a crash would be uncertain. The main weight of the warning lies not so much in the probability of an immediate attack as in the fact that, by declaring the war open to “narco-terrorists” and pointing to Maduro as one of them, the administration has crossed a line from which it is difficult to retreat without showing strength. The strategy. If you want, the bomber flyover In the face of Venezuela, it functions as an element of psychological pressure, as an enabling infrastructure for a rapid kinetic leap, and as an extra-regional message to those who support the regime. Until now, the legal elasticity of this “anti-drug” framework has served to go through it lining barriers to the use of force without declared war. Now, with the appearance of heavy wingWashington points out that coercion has left the discursive plane to settle in the closest thing to a real architecture of the theater. Image | USA, USAF In Xataka | The US has several warships deployed off Venezuela. Venezuela has a Soviet missile capable of penetrating them In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: there are 10,000 soldiers and unusual artillery pointing at the same place in the Caribbean

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