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Anthropic is about to achieve something that seemed impossible for a large AI company: make money

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In a data leak published by The Wall Street Journalthe artificial intelligence laboratory founded by the Amodei brothers has informed its investors that it will close the second quarter of 2026 with revenues 130% higher than those of the first quarter of the year. It is a colossal achievement that also achieves something unusual for these companies: they will have an operating profit of 559 million dollars. They earn more than they spend. According to these data, the company will reach $10.9 billion compared to $4.8 billion in the first quarter. Its quarterly growth rate already exceeds Zoom during the pandemic or those that Google and Facebook had before their stock market increases. It is quite a breath of fresh air for an industry accused of being a gigantic bubble. The rivals, fatal. While Anthropic gives the big surprise, the rest of the competitors are still in a good financial situation. For example, OpenAI confessed to its investors that does not expect to see benefits until 2030. It didn’t work out well for xAI either, which carries losses of 6.5 billion due to investments in data centers. How did they achieve it?. To achieve this milestone, Anthropic has differentiated its strategy from the beginning. It has focused mainly on companies that pay for the intensive use of its agentic tools (Claude Code) and its APIs (Claude Opus/Sonnet 4.7). It also uses chips from manufacturers such as Google and Amazon, and has managed to optimize its spending in the cloud. It is therefore more focused and it is more efficient than its rivals, and that has had a clear effect on its balance sheet. Mythos as reputational success. In recent months Anthropic has fought several political and media battles and seems to have emerged victorious from all of them. Have Pentagon attempt rejected By controlling how its AI models were used was a clear boost to that brand image. But also the launch of its Mythos model It has been especially striking because although it is not publicly accessible, it does not stop giving headlines that seem to confirm that what Anthropic said (“it is so good that we better not release it”) was true. But. Although the figures are promising, there are nuances in these estimates. Not being a public company, Anthropic uses accounting methods that benefit it in this forecast. For example, it includes as direct revenue the sales of its models through its partners, such as AWS or Google Cloud, something that OpenAI does not do. In addition, it excludes stock compensation for its employees and these results do not guarantee that this profitability will be maintained throughout the year. We will see more quarters in red. The profit achieved would be extraordinary for many companies, but it is pocket change for Anhtropic. The company recently committed to spending $15 billion in SpaceX computing capacity using Colossus clusters. At the moment everything indicates that these benefits will be temporary and the company will return to red numbers. And yet, its evolution is currently more positive than that of OpenAI, against which it has not stopped winning battles for some time. In Xataka | Nvidia’s financial results are simply dizzying. And it still hasn’t sold a single chip in China

the alternative to OLED for large format screens

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One of the few TCL factories outside of China is located just 40 km from Warsaw, so it is not strange that the brand has chosen Poland to make the official presentation of its TV range for 2026. In that presentation, in addition to knowing first-hand all the Chinese brand catalogwe have been able to test some demos on the RM9L, the brand’s first television in which a system of MiniLED RGB backlight with TCL’s new WHVA 2.0 Ultra LCD panel. I can tell you that the sensations have been really good. TCL RM9L panel RGB MiniLED 4K, 144 Hz resolution 3,840 x 2,160 sizes available 115, 98 and 85 inches image processor TSR Processor (Pentonic 800) hdr Dolby Vision 2 Max, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG sound 240 watts (RMS) Dolby Atmos, DTS wireless connectivity Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 operating system Google TV 14 price From 5,999 euros The place where the RGB MiniLED and a new LCD panel converge By placing this model in the brand’s catalog for 2026, would replace the C9K of 2025. That is, it is located within the sphere of TCL’s top range. This leadership is shared with the undisputed star of 2026: the X11L, which we could already try in China. For its part, the RM7L, with which it matches RGB MiniLED technology, is one step below as a mid-range in terms of image quality and performance. The RM9L is available in 115″, 98″ and 85″. The unit we have been able to test is the 85″ (although we had the 98″ right next to it). This diagonal has 8,736 local dimming zonesso the light control is so precise that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish its image from that of an OLED panel with the naked eye. Having such a high count of dimming zones gives these displays better control of blacks and dark areas, and better segregation of high brightness areas. There is barely any trace of a minimal halo in subtitles on a completely black background, and the representation of bright points (like a scene in space, for example) allows those bright points to be better displayed, something that OLED panels achieve very easily, but at MiniLED cost a little more…until now. Although the TCL RM9L and the X11L They mount different backlighting technologiesis the closest to TCL’s flagship, with which it shares the latest generation WHVA 2.0 Ultra LCD panel. This panel manages to reduce the distance between the rear lighting LEDs and the LCD panel, which also makes the television somewhat thinner than usual for a MiniLED. This panel also improves viewing angles, since the glass that redirects light has been redesigned, ensuring that no changes are seen in the contrast or brightness of the image when the screen is viewed from the sides. On the other hand, the change in the backlighting system means that when viewed from the right side, the colors on the screen acquire a slight reddish tint, while if viewed from the opposite side, the tint it acquires is slightly greenish. This color nuance is especially noticeable when gray patterns are displayed, but it is difficult to appreciate when watching series or other types of regular content. I was surprised by how well adjusted the FilmMaker mode, with which the full brightness potential of the panel is respected, maintaining very natural skin tones and an excellent color volume with which, using a colorimeter, we have seen that it covers 100% of the BT.2020 color space used in cinema. The mode movies Apply a slightly higher brightness setting and manage to lift more shadow detail, but at the cost of washing out those areas a little more. This behavior makes this mode adjusted by TCL suitable in situations where the television is in a bright room. The 4,000 nits peak brightness they record this. In these first tests we have also been able to change the motion interpolation setting. The preliminary results have represented a notable improvement in this adjustment, a point in which the Chinese brand televisions. However, we are not going to sing the alirón until we can analyze it with more calm and variety of content. Although the display unit we tested was using the high-end 2025 remote control, those responsible for the brand assured us that the versions for sale of this model They will come with a new controller which we already saw in our test of the Google TV 14: fluidity and ease of use The units that we were able to test in Warsaw were fresh off the TCL assembly line, so a message appeared on some of them announcing that a new firmware version existed. Still, the RM9L unit I tested came with Google TV in its version with Android 14 and the December 2025 security patch. The Pentonic 800 processor found in TCL’s high-end 2026 models moves the Google system very fluidly, responding immediately when starting new Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video apps by pressing the shortcut button on the remote, as well as when navigating through the configuration menus. Since it is a display model, I was not able to test integration with Gemini which arrives in 2026, nor its response to voice commands. Therefore, we added it to our to-do list to see if it responds to the recognition of the content being watched like Alexa+ does on televisions with FireTV. Bang & Olufsen has tried, but you have to add a sound bar If we look at the specifications sheet, TCL indicates that the 85″ RM9L mounts a set of speakers that adds a power of 240 W. On paper everything indicated that sound was going to be a prominent aspect in this model. Reality does not always support the numbers. The Danish brand Bang & Olufsen, specialized in high-fidelity audio, is collaborating with TCL in tuning the sound system of its high-end televisions. While it is true that the audio system adjusted by the Danish company achieves a well-balanced … Read more

the map that divides the continent in two through its two large hydrographic basins

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Neither the intention to vote nor the football team nor of course the borders: Europe is divided from east to west and from north to south by an invisible line that divides the old continent in two to answer a question: where each and every one of them travels. the drops of rainwater that fall in Europe. Because each white line that crosses the map represents one of the many rivers that run through each and every state and its color reveals where it will end: the northern slope in blue includes the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea or the Baltic Sea and the southern slope in red, for the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea or the Caspian Sea. Although the line from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Ural Mountains and the distinction between the frigid open water masses of the north and the inland seas of the south is clear, the practical reality is intuitively more blurred: the difference between one destination and the other can be only a few meters in altitude in the Alps. This map displays the hydrographic basins of Europethat is, the geographical areas where all surface water converges towards the same drainage point, in this case the seas and oceans that surround the continent. That line is the great divide continental, in this case simplified compared to its most rigorous version to reduce it to the north and south slopes. The author of the map is the French cartographer Pierre Remonté from the source Natural Eartha public domain vector mapping project developed by the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS). A more exhaustive alternative to the continental divides in Europe. Kimdime The great watershed of Europe On the northern and western slopes, the very long Rhine stands out, 1,230 kilometers long, which originates in the Swiss Alps and flows into the North Sea through Rotterdam, in addition to the Elbe, the Oder and the Vistula, which end in the Baltic or the Seine and the Loire that flow towards the Atlantic. Mighty rivers that have historically been commercial arteries of central Europe to reach the Atlantic and the Baltic. On the southern and eastern slopes, the absolute protagonist is the Danube, with 2,860 kilometers, which passes through 10 states and empties into the Black Sea. It is accompanied by the Dnieper that goes to the Black Sea, the Po that reaches the Adriatic or the Rhône and the Ebro that end in the Mediterranean. This basin is characterized by more variable water regimes and a geography marked by the large southern peninsulas. The Great Continental Divide, by Pierre Remonté The shape of this divide is not random: it is the direct consequence of millions of years of tectonic processes, mainly the collision between the African and Eurasian plates. The areas where the color changes coincide with the peaks of the Alps, the Pyrenees and the French Massif Central, which act as “roofs” that divert runoff to one side or the other. From a geological point of view, this map is a reflection of the structural relief of the continent. On the high peaks of Switzerland or Austria, the direction of the wind or the inclination of a rock of just a few centimeters can decide whether melted snow will end up on the coasts of the Netherlands or in the Danube delta in Romania. Some curiosities. One of the most interesting situations occurs in Munich: a drop that falls in that German city will reach the Isar, then the Danube and then travel more than 2,000 kilometers to the Black Sea. However, less than 100 kilometers away, a drop that falls there will end up in the North Sea. In some parts of the Alps, this divide means that extremely close geographic places belong to basins with final destinations thousands of kilometers apart. In the Iberian Peninsula there are also rarities: the longest and largest rivers flow into the Atlantic, but there is a notable exception that breaks this trend, the Ebro. Thus, situations arise such as that of Pamplona, ​​located less than 100 kilometers from the Atlantic (Cantabrian Sea): a drop that falls in the Navarrese capital will reach the Arga and from there to the Ebro to end up in the Mediterranean. In Xataka | The best 7 printed or digital maps that the European Union gives away and you can get for free In Xataka | The entire history of Europe year by year, explained in a video of just ten minutes Cover | Perrin Remonté

They prefer to work in a hospital than in a large technology company

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The labor market has not finished emerging from the storm caused by the widespread implementation of teleworking and the subsequent moves by companies to make their employees go back to the officeswhen you must face a new challenge. a study conducted in the US by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) in 2024 revealed the first signs of Generation Z being fed up with labor drift of the technology sector. Two years later, this fatigue has become a trend, and the most recent data confirm that, faced with a future of employment marked by AI and a new wave of massive layoffs, young people prefer to study careers related to the health or care field, leaving aside to computer science majors or certain engineering fields. A sector at risk. The main CEOs at the head of large companies, like Nvidia or AWS, have assured on different occasions that AI will make it unnecessary for engineers know how to program. Technology profiles are expected to be the most sensitive to the impact of automation as companies begin to implement AI, yielding a bad expectation of future for the sector. Furthermore, the labor instability marked by successive layoffs in big technologymakes it less attractive for a generation Z that seeks economic stability for its future. The fear of being fired before starting. The constant layoffs in the sector do not encourage young people to even consider starting studies to work in technology. No wonder. The figures prove them right. According to a report According to the consulting firm RationalFX, the global technology industry will shed 244,851 jobs during 2025, with the US, India and Japan leading the ranking of the most affected countries. Spain also joined the list of countries most affected at the end of 2025, after the ERE presented by Telefónica which would affect more than 5,000 employees. Analyst Alan Cohen of RationalFX explained that “Layoffs in the technology sector in 2025 displaced hundreds of thousands of workers around the world, as companies accelerated structural readjustments rather than short-term cost corrections.” The dominant force behind those cuts was, according to the same report, “the rapid adoption of automation and artificial intelligence.” Generation Z prioritizes job stability. According to data collected According to Networks Trends, on a sample of more than 10,000 US students, 76% of young people from Generation Z who are graduating from universities prioritize a stable careerabove the location of the company (75%), its reputation (72%) and even the possibility of obtaining a high salary (71%). 50% of those surveyed claim to be very concerned because, after years of studying a career they like, joining a toxic work environment take them to suffer burnout or have problems developing their career. With that fear in mind, many students have reduced their interest in big technology companies, which no longer offer the idyllic work environments from years ago. Big technology companies are no longer a preference. According to report data ‘Workforce Ahead: What the Class of 2026 tells us about the future of the labor market’ prepared by Handshakeprogramming and the technology industry have ceased to be a priority for those seeking to establish a professional future, and almost a third of young people surveyed confess to being angry with AI systems, mainly because they sense that they are going to destroy their real options for finding a job. According to the study From NSHSS, recently graduated students are prioritizing working in companies in the health or care sector, instead of in large technology companies that have been leading the lists of best places to work for years. Google, you used to be cool. According to the data from that study, Google went from being the fourth company in which students would like to work in 2022 to occupy seventh place on the list in 2024. Just behind we find Amazon and Apple, which also fell several positions. In 2026, the trend does not improve and according to the list of best technologies to work of Great Place To Worknone of the Big Tech companies are present in the top positions. On the other hand, when you look at the employers that rose the most in the NSHSS study, you can clearly see the rise of healthcare entities such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which took first place in 2024, followed by Mayo Clinic, which jumped from seventh to second place, and Health Care Service Corp., which went from 14th to 3rd. The three fields of professional interest most mentioned by Generation Z in that same study were medicine/health (24%), general healthcare (22%) and engineering (18%), confirming that the inclination towards health is not anecdotal. The trend also reaches Spain. Although at a slower pace, the change in trend in the choice of careers is already perceptible in Spain. The branches of the health and social services field have registered a notable increase between 2018 and 2025, as reflected in the study ‘Employability of young people in Spain’ 2025 prepared by the CYD Foundation. Medicine is the field of study with the highest Social Security affiliation rate (94%) and the highest average contribution base in the entire university system, with 41,839 euros per year. These figures contrast with the perception of instability projected by the technology sector, and largely explain why health vocations They are gaining ground among young people planning their careers. The report itself, however, reflects a paradox: although the demand for studies linked to health has not stopped growing (25% in the last seven years), the supply of university places has decreased by 0.4% in that same period, standing at 245,226 places offered in the 2024-2025 academic year. Spain ages: healthcare workers are needed. Demographic aging in Spain is one of the reasons why the health sector has grown by 4% in the last year and faces a process of generational change since, according to data At Randstad, more than 50% of employees in this sector are over 45 years old. The demand … Read more

raw power, outstanding camera and large capacity battery

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If you were waiting for the moment to make the jump to a high-end mobile phone, now is a good time to do it thanks to this offer that Amazon has. He Xiaomi 17 (the latest flagship launched by the Chinese manufacturer) has dropped in price and has gone from costing 1,099.90 euros to 899.99 euros. Although yes, it is a flash offer, so it will be available for a limited time. XIAOMI 17 – 12+512GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A mobile phone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor that offers plenty of power The heart of this Xiaomi 17 is he Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (accompanied by 12 GB RAM and 512 GB of internal storage). In addition to being 30% faster than its predecessor, it has made a giant leap in thermal efficiency thanks to the 3D IceLoop system. Although it is true that his older brother (the Xiaomi 17 Ultra) takes the 200 MP sensor, this standard Xiaomi 17 is not far behind. Incorporates a 50 MP main camera with a one-inch sensor and refined with LOFIC HDR technology, to control high lights in night scenes. Another of its surprising features is its battery. This has a capacity of 6,330 mAh, a capacity which is surprising in a body of just 8 mm. In addition, it supports fast charging at 100 W, so it is perfect if you want to charge your phone in the morning, while you have breakfast, before going to work. In real practice, it is a mobile phone that lasts a day and a half perfectly without going through the plug. If you want a compact high-end mobile (its screen is 6.3 inches), flat and extremely powerful, this Xiaomi is a good purchase option. In this new Xiaomi 17 family, you could say that this terminal has stopped being the “little brother” to become a very balanced option for the general public. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the xiaomi 17 today ✅ THE BEST Leica cameras: The Xiaomi 17 takes photos with organic texture and dynamic range (thanks to the LOFIC sensor) that look like they were taken from a professional camera rather than a smartphone. Battery: It seems like magic to integrate 6,330 mAh in such a thin design. In addition, its autonomy is enough for a full day (and then some). ❌ THE WORST The price… Xiaomi is no longer the affordable mobile phone brand that we were used to. This terminal fully enters the 1,000 euro barrier, competing head to head with Samsung and Apple. Secondary cameras… Although the main lens is superb, the wide-angle lens can be a step behind in low light situations, making the jump in quality between sensors noticeable. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are an avid photographer and value the natural color and manual control that Leica optics offer. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Your budget is tight, since a Xiaomi T series or a high-end Poco can give you a similar (although not the same) experience at 70-80% but at half the price. Some accessories that may interest you for this mobile Olgary Case for Xiaomi 17 6.3″ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XIAOMI Buds 5 – Wireless headphones The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | Xiaomi 17 vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra: two similar brothers focused on very different audiences In Xataka | The new Xiaomi 17 versus the Samsung Galaxy S26: we compare the five models that will fight for the best Android of the year

For decades we believed that extreme nausea during pregnancy was caused by “hormones.” A large study found the real culprit

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The beginning of pregnancy for many is associated with horrible nausea and vomiting that have become almost an inevitable and deeply annoying toll in pregnancy and that many women fear. And the reality is that, for a percentage of these women, nausea becomes a big problem and evolves into a very serious form called hyperemesis gravidarum. What was believed. At first, the most classic reviews They pointed squarely at the ‘hormonal dance’ that pregnant women experience while the placenta is forming. Here the peaks of human chorionic gonadotropin (which is the hormone that pregnancy tests detect), along with estrogens and progesterone, were the main responsible for this discomfort. However, in clinical practice, the exact cause remained uncertain, since it was not understood why some women only felt mild morning sickness and others ended up hospitalized due to the severe dehydration caused by vomiting. And the answer was in the DNA. A great study. Here science has dotted the i’s with an article published in Nature which has analyzed the data of almost 11,000 cases of hyperemesis gravidarum and contrasted it with more than 420,000 women who did not have this problem. The result. He targeted ten genes associated with this severe form of extreme nausea, but among all of them the GDF15 gene emerged as the main culprit. And here the different experts point out that the developing fetus and the placenta produce the hormone GDF15, which is produced from the gene that we mentioned before and sends it directly to the blood, causing this nausea. Although the key is not just how much hormone is produced, but the degree of prior exposure the mother had to this hormone before pregnancy. In this way, women who had low levels of GDF15 before becoming pregnant turn out to be much more sensitive to the sudden surge of this hormone from the fetus, which triggers the most severe symptoms of nausea and vomiting. A discovery with evidence. Despite the forcefulness that accompanies this evidence, the study suggests that the gene GDF15 It is the main cause, but not the only one. The fact that there are other genes involved demonstrates that hyperemesis gravidarum is a multifactorial condition so calling it the “sole cause” would be scientifically inaccurate, but classifying it as the most determining genetic factor is, today, a fact supported by the best peer-reviewed literature. What does it mean? Identifying GDF15 as the main biological switch of this problem is undoubtedly the first step to be able to apply a treatment that can help these future mothers who suffer from significant vomiting during pregnancy, and especially in the first trimester. Although it is true that this does not explain many other symptoms of pregnancy, such as heartburn or that some things begin to feel bad ‘just because’. Although there is still a lot of research ahead to discover them. Images | tirachardz on Freepik In Xataka | We have been sending pregnant women to bed for decades as a precaution. Science has just proven that it is a big mistake

They believed they had found jobs in large companies. In reality they were being deceived: this is how the trap works

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Looking for a job is already hard enough without having to be suspicious of every message that arrives in your inbox. And yet, that is exactly what the campaign that has warned about proposes. NordVPN: a trap set up to look like a real opportunity. We are not talking about a clumsy email or a sloppy website, but rather something much more refined, with names like Meta, Disney, Coca-Cola or Spotify as a claim. That’s the key to everything: they play with the illusion of those who believe they may be on the verge of an interview or a new job, when in reality they are entering into a fraud. The investigation alerts of a campaign of phishing specifically aimed at job seekers. The attackers have set up an attack chain in several phases that impersonates large brands and seeks to take the victim to a very specific point: a false login screen with which they intend to keep their Facebook credentials. Let’s see in detail the strategy of these cybercriminals. The mechanics behind fraud that imitates real selection processes It all starts with cold recruitment emails, carefully written and with a professional tone that seeks to resemble real human resources communications. It is not a minor detail that some of these shipments are made through legitimate services such as Google AppSheetbecause not only can that help you avoid spam filters, it also helps make the scene more believable to the person on the other end. The trap, at least at the beginning, is not presented in a crude way, but with a very careful appearance. From there, one of the most peculiar pieces of the entire chain appears: the so-called “HUB” domains. According to the investigation, these are pages that do not show their most sensitive content to anyone who enters directly. If a security analyst or an automated system visits that domain without coming from the specific link included in the email, what they find is a generic website, with hardly any visible activity. The truly important part is only activated when the visit arrives from that specific reference, which acts as a key and reveals the next step of the deception. The next move of the campaign is to give the victim exactly what they expect to see after a convincing recruitment email: a website that looks like a job portal. The research explains that, after that first access, the user lands on a intermediate domain which simulates a legitimate job offer portal and where you can consult positions that seem real and associated with the company whose identity they are impersonating. The more the scene resembles a normal job search, the easier it is for the person to interpret everything that comes after as a logical part of the same process. Campaign replicates legitimate job pages and uses Facebook login as hook The decisive moment comes when the victim clicks on “Request” or “Send request”. That click does not open a job form or a next phase of the supposed selection process, but rather a phishing page that asks you to log in with Facebook to continue. That’s where the trap stops insinuating itself and begins to execute its true purpose. All of the above was designed to lead to that exact point, one in which the request may seem like another simple verification within the application, when in reality what is being delivered are the account credentials. The supposed job opportunity was nothing more than the decoration of an operation with a much more specific purpose. According to the research, the final objective is steal Facebook credentials and thus obtain access to the victim’s account, with the possibility of also compromising other services connected to it. That’s why it’s a good idea to stick with a practical idea: before entering any credential, you should check the URL carefully, check that you are on the official domain, and be wary of any strange login. Images | Xataka with Grok | NordVPN In Xataka | AI is crucial for the US military. So he’s naming OpenAI and Palantir leaders as lieutenant generals

the map that divides Spain in two through its two large hydrographic basins

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This curious map that divides the Spanish state into blue and red could represent political or administrative borders, but the partition is much more curious and striking: it shows the final destination of each drop of rain that falls in Spain. Each line you see is one of the many rivers that run through this part of the Iberian Peninsula and its color reveals where it will end: in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Atlantic Ocean. The result is one of the most beautiful and revealing hydrological portraits of the Iberian Peninsula. Based on data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the cartographer and GIS consultant Joe Davies has put together This map of watersheds that reveals the invisible spine that runs through the state, the continental watershed. The result is surprising to say the least. In addition to the colors, the route is more or less marked depending on the flow of the river, thus revealing which rivers are the largest. That invisible line slides approximately through the Iberian System and the Pyrenean foothills, dividing the territory into two water worlds. There are several things that draw attention to the image: the first thing is the proportion. The Atlantic takes up about two thirds of the territory. But also that although Spain “looks” towards the Mediterranean, its rivers flow mostly to the west. There is a geological reason that explains it: the Central Plateau It tilts slightly towards the Atlantic, a legacy of the Hercynian tectonics that shaped the Iberian base 300 million years ago. The curious layout of the continental watershed in Spain He Ebro river is the great traitor: Born in Cantabria, just 20 kilometers from the Cantabrian Sea. By geographical logic one would expect it to be Atlantic, but no: its entire large basin is painted the color of the Mediterranean, where it empties after traveling almost a thousand kilometers. The Pyrenees functioned as a barrier and the Iberian and Catalan Systems as a funnel, so the river was forced to flow westwards. A striking example of how the orography is capable of hijacking a river and taking it to another sea different from the one where it would belong. Another river that constitutes a curious case is the Segura: it originates in the Sierra de Segura in Jaen, more than 300 kilometers from the sea. Afterwards, it travels an enormous distance to empty into Alicante with a low flow, something that can be seen in comparison with neighboring Gualquivir. The explanation lies in the extreme aridity of its basin and the intense agricultural pressure. Where does each drop of rain that falls in Spain go. Joe Davies with data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge As one might expect, Galicia is very red on Davies’ map: it is a truly dense tangle that contrasts with the rest, especially if we move away from the Cantabrian coast. Galicia receive between 1,500 and 2,000 mm of annual precipitation, on a substrate of practically impermeable granites and slates, so the water does not filter, it drains. The result is that density of rivers and streams, all Atlantic, short and mighty. It is the region that best illustrates the direct relationship between geology, climate and river network. If the map were of all of Europe, Galicia would still stand out. The map also gives us unthinkable colorslike Pamplona being colored in Blue despite being a northern city extremely close to the Cantabrian Sea: its waters go to the Mediterranean through the Ebro and its tributaries. Madrid is red: the Manzanares-Jarama-Tajo takes it to the Atlantic. It has the continental divide very close, less than 80 kilometers away. On either side of that barrier, the water that falls in the same downpour ends up in seas separated by thousands of kilometers. 3D version with inverted colors. Joe Davies with data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge In Xataka | The definitive tool for a historic year of astronomy in Spain: the light pollution map In Xataka | Much more than tourism, cars and oil: the entire industry that Spain exports to the world, gathered in one graph Cover | Joe Davies

Two gigantic submarine cables between Spain and Italy, among the large European electrical interconnection projects

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The European Union is immersed in a full energy transformation at two levels: the transition towards renewable sources and a structural change deep, so that success depends less on each country’s individual generation and more on the ability to move that energy efficiently across borders. In this framework, the European Network of Electricity Transmission Network Operators (ENTSO-E) works on a continental grid that eliminates technical bottlenecks. An example: the energy island called the Iberian Peninsula. The objective is for energy to flow from areas with surplus to others with deficit, preventing it from being trapped without a commercial outlet due to lack of transportation capacity. With that logic, the ENTSO-E just published its complete portfolio of the Ten-Year Network Development Plan 2026 with almost 200 transmission projects, 22 of them completely new. Among these novelties there are two particularly important for the Iberian Peninsula: they connect Spain with Italy. The cables. Apollo Link and Iberia Link are two high-voltage direct current submarine cable projects that would cross the Mediterranean to connect the Iberian Peninsula with northern Italy. They are independent of each other but share the same mission: to create a direct electric highway between an area with great renewable generation capacity such as Spain and one of the industrial regions with the highest electricity consumption in Europe, northern Italy. None of the projects has support from the transport network operators of each state, Red Eléctrica and Terna, respectively, but rather They are initiatives of private investors of Italian origin whose identity has not been revealed. Why is it important. The emerging continental grid is vital for the decarbonization of the continent as it allows the full use of renewable energy surpluses: Spain is one of the leaders in solar and wind energy (Italy stands out in solar, but not so much in wind) and this interconnection makes it possible that when there is excess production in the Iberian Peninsula, that clean energy can supply Italian demand instead of being left without a commercial outlet due to lack of transport capacity. The foreseeable net flow would be predominantly from west to east, although the connection would also allow energy to be imported from Italy in times of shortage on the Peninsula. But for the Iberian Peninsula it is even more relevant: this future east-west corridor allows its surpluses to be evacuated to the rest of Europe, thus ending its limited interconnection capacity. And also something essential: this connection provides security of supply (as evidenced the blackout) and the possibility of coupling markets to reduce electricity prices for the final consumer. Context. The Iberian Peninsula is considered an energy island within Europe. Its interconnection capacity with France round 3,000 MW, far below of the 15% target of installed capacity established by European regulations. And this has consequences: in times of high renewable generation, prices become negative within the peninsula and surplus energy cannot be exported. In times of scarcity, it cannot be easily imported either. This is just one of the projects that seek to end the energy isolation of the peninsula: they are also on the table the Bay of Biscay submarine cable planned for 2028 and included in all PCI lists since 2013. And under construction is a new northern interconnection of Portugal with Galicia which will add an extra 1,000 MW of exchange capacity. On the other hand, the trans-Pyrenean projects in Navarra and Aragon they are still blocked and with no date on the horizon to unclog them. Retail. Some technical curiosities of both cables: Apollo Link is the more ambitious of the two. It consists of an interconnection between Spain and northern Italy with a capacity of 2 GW planned to enter service in 2032. It would implement the most modern standard for long-distance underwater transmission for bidirectional control and minimize losses, bipolar HVDC technology with VSC converters. It would operate with the standard adopted by the European industry of 525 kV, facilitating interoperability. Its capacity allows it to supply several million homes. According to its promoters, it would generate more than 300 million euros annually in net social benefits. Iberia Link shares the same technology and operating voltage, but has a lower capacity: 1.2 GW. What distinguishes it is its length: 1,034 kilometers of submarine cable between southern Spain and northern Italy, which would make it one of the longest underwater electrical links in the world. It has no published entry into service date. Specifications of both cables. TYNDP map Yes, but. That they are included in the TYNDP 2026 is the prerequisite to qualify for the status of Project of Common Interest that opens the doors to community financing and an accelerated regulatory framework, but for the moment the situation of both is “under consideration”, which means that they are in the study phase and do not yet have European regulatory approval: they will have to pass the cost-benefit analyzes of the ENTSO-E to take the first step to materialize (we will know in the last quarter of 2026). And furthermore, they do not have the support of state operators, nor permits or approved layout because they are in preliminary phases. Likewise, the history of blocking similar projects invites caution. But even if they became a reality, these projects would only partially mitigate the electrical isolation of the peninsula: they are only 3.2GW of the 10-15GW of total interconnection necessary to truly influence the European market. In Xataka | The submarine cables belonged to the teleoperators, and now the big technology companies are controlling them In Xataka | The first great Atlantic submarine cable that connected us to the internet says goodbye for a simple reason: it was too expensive to repair it Cover | ENTSOE

this is the megaproject to link the large airports of Istanbul

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Türkiye is geographically and historically the link that unites Asia and Europe and if we talk about airports, Istanbul is immense and strategic for transportation from the West to the East. However, the Ottoman city of 15 million people is literally split into two continents because of the Bosphorus. A strait of just 700 meters that generates a colossal and chronic demand for mobility that no existing infrastructure has completely satisfied. Until now. Türkiye has just closed agreements with six of the world’s largest development banks to finance the most ambitious work in its modern railway history: a train line of 125 kilometers and 8,119 million dollars to join both shores. The project. It is called the Northern Ring Railway and it is a 125 kilometer long train line that will run through the north of Istanbul from Halkalı, on the European side, to Gebze in the Asian industrial zone. You will do so by crossing the Bosphorus through the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. It is a high-capacity train with double electrified track designed to transport both people and heavy goods: on the passenger sections it will reach 160 km/h and on the freight section 120 km/h, as collects the World Bank technical document. In addition to connecting both sides of the city, it will also link the city’s two major airports by rail for the first time: Istanbul Airport in Europe and Sabiha Gökçen in Asia. Why is it important. Because Istanbul is the geographical hinge between Europe and Asia and this railway will become part of one of the great international logistics corridors: it is more than a train that unites the city, it is geopolitical infrastructure. According to the Minister of TransportAccording to Abdulkadir Uraloglu, the line could transport 33 million passengers and 30 million tons of cargo per year, which would greatly change the country’s transportation landscape. Finally, and from an airport point of view, connecting its two international airports by train would solve an unthinkable mobility deficit in large cities like London. Context. Istanbul already has a railway crossing under the Bosphorus: the tunnel Marmarayinaugurated in 2013. At the time it was an engineering milestone, but today it is not enough: it works as an urban freight train and its capacity to move goods is marginal (only at night and with restrictions). The rest of the crossings between the continent within Ottoman territory are made by road (the three great bridges of the Bosphorus), with the logistical, traffic congestion and environmental cost that this entails. Alleviating this burden and making it more efficient has been a pending issue for Türkiye for decades. In figures. We have already been breaking down some of the figures in which the operation will be closed, still in its initial phase: Secured financing: 6,750 million dollars of the total (8,119 million dollars) from six international financial entities. Forecast of 33 million passengers and 30 million tons of goods per year. Total length of the line: 125 kilometers. With 44 tunnels and 42 bridges. How are they going to do it?. The line will use the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the city’s third major bridge, as a Bosphorus crossing point. The interior layout is resolved with 44 tunnels (more than 59 kilometers underground) and 42 bridges that add another 22 kilometers in height. That approximately 65% ​​of its route takes place in structure gives an idea of the technical difficulty and cost what it means to build in such a complex orographically urban environment. Thus, the north of Istanbul is a terrain full of hills, ravines and seismic activity that invite you to avoid filling and clearing as much as possible. Regarding financing, the six entities committed They cover practically all the relevant geopolitical blocs: the West with the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian with the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and OPEC, from the Middle East. The contribution of all of them amounts to 6,750 million and the other remaining 1,400 million must presumably be covered with the Turkish State’s own funds. The roadmap. The project is still in an early stage, preparing for the construction competition. The Ottoman government’s idea is to deliver the site before the year, at which time the works will begin. In addition, the banking agreements are still preliminary, so the negotiation and signing process still remains. Although the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey plans to start the works before the end of 2026, the international financial organizations that support the project place the operational completion of the infrastructure on the horizon of December 2032 given the complexity of the undertaking. Yes, but. Although the project is of capital importance for the country and global logistics, as evidenced by the international financial support, its initial stage is one of its main handicaps: it is subject to negotiations and delays that can complicate everything. And even if it does materialize, the cost can skyrocket. The World Bank Environmental Impact Assessment classifies the environmental and social risk of the project as “Substantial” due to the great seismic risk (Istanbul is on the North Anatolian Fault) of its route, which crosses the green lungs of the city (so it will affect critical water basins and habitats) or the risks to citizens in terms of annoyances such as noise or vibrations. In Xataka | 20 kilometers, 22 months and a gigantic challenge: connecting China and Mongolia by train through a brutal desert In Xataka | From the Atlantic to the Pacific in less than seven hours: Mexico wants to build its own “Panama Canal” Cover | Astronaut photograph ISS008-E-21752 – NASA Earth Observatory, Public domain and Büşra Salkım

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