pay

that they do not pay tolls. And (almost) all countries don’t care

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The European Union is determined that transport drastically reduces its emissions. In Xataka We have discussed at length the plan to jump to the electric car, with new emissions limits from 2030 that will force the pure gasoline car to be almost testimonial and the intention to ban combustion engines by 2035. And, hand in hand, we also want to drastically reduce emissions from heavy road transport. Here, the electric truck should be key. To promote it, the European Union wants them not to pay tolls. No tolls. It’s what has approved the European Union. Right now, countries that want to apply it can free electric trucks from tolls on their roads. Applying this possibility, which is decided by each Member State, expired on December 31, 2025 but has been extended until December 31, 2030. The European Commission’s proposal arrived in summer and a few days ago, with 458 votes in favor, 182 against and 11 abstentions, the European Parliament confirmed its expansion. Electric trucks will not have to pay tolls on European roads… if a Member State decides so. almost no one. The problem is that almost no one fully applies this rule. Right now, only Germany and Austria offer their roads completely free of charge to purely electric trucks. These vehicles do not have to pay to use their toll roads. In addition to Germany and Austria, 10 countries offer discounts for electric trucks when using their highways. And another 15 countries do not apply any type of discount. Among them, indeed, is Spain, which charges the same for a polluting truck as for a zero-emission truck. The plans. Although the countries that apply these exemptions completely are testimonial and more than half do not apply any type of discount, European enlargement reopens this possibility so that more States join in to favor the arrival of electric trucks on their roads. Europe’s ultimate intention is to drastically reduce its emissions from heavy transport. The objectives vary depending on the size of the vehicle but, for trucks, the intention is to reduce emissions by 45% by 2035 and that in 2040 the presence of combustion engines in the trucks sold will be almost negligible, with a 90% reduction in emissions. The comparison is made with data from 1990. These plans also include passenger transport buses, which will also not have to pay tolls as long as each State allows it. Viable? Given this measure, manufacturer associations such as ACEA have shown their enthusiasm for the decision but… to what extent is it viable to electrify heavy transport? Its impact is important (barely 2% of the vehicles that move but produce more than 25% of road transport emissions) so jumping to electric trucks is a priority for Europe. The problem is that the electric truck continues to require a really expensive purchase although, over time, the savings promises are consistent. According to the consulting firm Commercial Vehicle World, the savings when operating with this type of vehicle is between 10 and 20% compared to a diesel truck. One of the problems, of course, continues to be autonomy. For now, the most ambitious electric trucks They move in runs of between 500 and 600 kilometers but the key is in the recharging times, which with a 150 kW pole can take up to two hours to fill their batteries. Beyond the tolls. In. its objective to promote the jump to the electric truck, the European Union is forcing countries to Fill your roads with charging points. Of these, large charging islands are planned that should serve these enormous vehicles. The intention is to have very powerful plugs but, until now, they have focused on plugs of, at most, 350 kW, which is clearly insufficient. It must be taken into account that BYD has already given approval for the installation in Europe of its 1MW chargerswhich is clearly focused on this type of transportation. But electric trucks are also beginning to gain ground. While in Europe they are negligible, with less than 1% of sales, in China they already exceed 20%. Many of them have gained traction due to the possibility of changing batteries at appropriate stations, which guarantees that, in just a few minutes, the vehicle can continue its journey. Photo | In Xataka | BYD has shown us that charging 400 kilometers in five minutes is very real. And they have managed to change my mind

Clean energy has made the electricity market cheaper. But what we pay for is no longer energy: it is stability

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Spain is a unique case in Europe: it has managed to ensure that gas and coal barely influence the wholesale price of electricity – only 19% of the hours this year, compared to 75% in 2019. according to a report by Ember. Thanks to this, the average Spanish wholesale price was 32% lower than the European one. However, something does not add up: the consumer still paying an expensive billwhy doesn’t the receipt go down? Let’s go in parts. Since 2019, Spain has added more than 40 GW of new solar and wind capacity, doubling its renewable power. In the first half of this year, 46% of the electricity generated was clean. But on April 28, 2025 came the blow of reality: the great blackout. A concatenation of electrical failures and lack of operating margin left much of the country in the dark for hours. The ENTSO-E preliminary report discarded that renewables were the direct cause, but it did reveal a structural problem: the Spanish network was not prepared for so much intermittent generation without sufficient flexibility. Since then, Red Eléctrica operates the system in “reinforced mode”activating more combined gas cycles to stabilize the voltage. According to Emberthat strategy has come at a high cost: in May, gas-based network services represented 57% of the final price of electricity, compared to the usual 14% before the blackout. The underlying problem. Spain produces more clean electricity than ever, but cannot fully take advantage of it. The lack of grid, storage and interconnections is leaving thousands of solar and wind megawatts unused. Although there is now a plan in place to reinforce those connections that act as a bottleneckthe reality is that when there is excess clean energy and it cannot be exported, it is “thrown away”. He curtailment (wasted renewable energy) has tripled since the blackout, going from 1.8% to 7.2%, according to Ember. Furthermore, the country continues to lag behind in flexibility. Regarding investment in batteries, it arrives late: Spain is placed in fourth position in the electricity market, but it is thirteenth in batteries, with only 120 MW installed. Despite to have planned a total of 16,000 MW planned for 2030. The reason for these problems is structural and can be understood with the investment made in networks of such only 30 cents For every euro allocated to renewables, half the European average. In other words, we have more sun than cables. The cost of fear. The problem is not only technical, but economic. As the analyst Javier Blas recalledoperate in reinforced modeeither since April it has cost consumers an additional billion dollars. And that is just the beginning: the approval of the new re-reinforced mode could add another 3,000 million euros and open the door to increases in fixed rates by the marketers, as the UNEF has detailed in statements to El Español. The cost of keeping the network “in tension” is transferred directly to the invoices, even if the wholesale price is low. Ember’s own report points out that the wholesale market price It only covers approximately half of the electricity bill, the so-called “energy component.” The rest – networks, tolls, taxes, stability of the system – does not decrease even if electricity becomes cheaper at source. Therefore, falling wholesale prices do not automatically translate into lower bills. The ghost of the blackout again. Six months have been enough for another feared blackout to return. Red Eléctrica warned of “sudden voltage variations” in the peninsular system, so serious that it asked the CNMC for permission to urgently modify several operating procedures. Among the measures: more room for maneuver to act before the operating day begins and stricter control of reactive voltage. An express adjustment of the country’s electrical operations to contain the ups and downs of voltage, just as my partner described. The REE itself insisted that “there is no imminent risk of a blackout,” but the truth is that no one is calm. “The grid operator has been operating in reinforced mode since April 29, activating gas plants with greater intensity and reducing solar and wind energy,” Blas pointed out. Every day that passes in these conditions adds costs that end up being passed on to customers. The ghost of the blackout is still there: less visible, but more expensive. From patches to clean flexibility. After the blackout a reform package was approved (Royal Decree-Law 7/2025) with measures to strengthen the network and promote storage. Although the decree was rejected in Congress, many of its provisions are being applied in other ways. Among them, the installation of eight synchronous compensators stands out—devices that stabilize voltage without using fossil fuels—and a portfolio of 2,600 MW of batteries, of which 340 MW already have permission. From Ember has been calculated that the compensators will involve an investment of 750 million euros, but will save 200 million a year by reducing the use of gas for network services. The objective is clear: to move from gas as a crutch to clean flexibility as the basis of the system. The Spanish paradox. Spain is Europe’s energy laboratory: the country where renewables have shown that they can reduce the wholesale price, but also where it is clearer to see how expensive it is to sustain this transition without robust networks. As explains Ember’s reportaround 50% of the Spanish electricity bill corresponds to the energy component, which has become cheaper. The rest are system costs and from there, although the megawatt-hour does not cost less, the final bill barely goes down. A major challenge. Spain has shown that it can have the cheapest electricity in Europe and, at the same time, one of the highest bills.Because the energy transition is not measured only in megawatts or solar panels, but in cables, stability and trust. The challenge now is not to produce more clean energy, but to make it arrive—and be paid for—fairly. Image | Unsplash Xataka | A ghost haunts Spain: the ghost of another massive blackout caused by network tension problems

Spain wanted Ryanair to pay it 107 million euros. Now Europe responds: sanctioning file against Spain

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Airlines have limited “freedom to set prices.” At least that is what the European Commission, which has sanctioned our country, believes. It did so with a statement published yesterday, Wednesday, October 8, in which it clarified that the Air Navigation Law prevents airlines from charging for this service. The decision is also a hard blow for Spain’s role in its open judicial fight against Ryanair. The European Commission. She was the last to give her opinion. And he has done it in the worst possible way for Spain. In a public statementthe European entity confirms that it has opened a sanctioning file against our country when it understands that it is taking measures to restrict the freedom of airlines to charge for a service to which they are entitled. That right is to charge for hand luggage, a service for which Spain has already imposed a sanction on five airlines. The cost of that punishment was close to 180 million euros and Ryanair was the company most punished, receiving a fine that exceeded 107 million euros. According to the European Commission, these sanctions also fail to comply with Community regulations. Right. According to the European Commission: “Spain’s National Air Navigation Law does not allow airlines to subject the carriage of carry-on baggage to an additional charge, restricting the freedom of airlines to set prices and differentiate between a service that includes the right to a larger carry-on baggage allowance, and a service that does not offer that possibility and simply provides the smaller allowance that constitutes a necessary aspect of the carriage.” From Europe, therefore, it is understood that Spanish airlines are allowing the minimum necessary luggage that is mandatory to pass through completely free of charge. On the contrary, it considers that our country is preventing charging for larger packages and that, therefore, companies are prevented from charging more for the service and are forced to abandon this income option. “Reasonable”. The problem right now is that there are no established bases for what is or is not considered “carry-on luggage.” The Court of Justice of the European Union noted, as stated in the European Commission’s own statement, that hand luggage “should, in principle, be free as long as it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions, and complies with the applicable security requirements. Hand luggage that exceeds such reasonable requirements is subject to price freedom.” But what is reasonable? For the European Union, companies like Ryanair already complied with their previous measurements of 40 x 25 x20 cm (expanded to 40 x 30 x 20 cm last summer). For Spain, however, that size or a smaller one does not allow the transport of basic belongings and does not meet those “reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions.” Justice. That same debate, in fact, has been experienced by the fined companies themselves in our country. First because they have received some of the higher economic sanctions on companies in the history of Spain. And, second, because not even the Spanish Justice has shown a clear criterion when deciding whether companies or consumers are right. In SevilleFor example, Ryanair won a lawsuit against a consumer who was charged at the boarding gate for not having checked luggage on time. In Salamancait was the consumers who beat the company for the same reason. A setback for Spain. The decision of the European Commission is a hard setback for Spain, although it was expected. The Transport Commissioner of the European Union himself, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, received the CEO of Ryanair personally a few days ago. Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Consumer Affairs, preferred to attend to him remotely by video call. The company had also threatened to take the legality of the fine imposed in our country to the European courts. Now, it has the backing of the European Commission should the matter go to trial. For Bustinduy: “the charge for hand luggage represents a conflict between the interests of the large airline industry, which profits from these practices, and the rights of consumers. Unfortunately, today the Commission has decided to position itself on the side of the interests of the multinationals,” in words reported by The Country. An interested movement. As we already told a few weeks ago, the European Union is seeking to reach an agreement on the minimum measures for hand luggage. Both the European Commission and the European Parliament are deciding what minimum measures are imposed. However, until now measures have been put on the table that were almost identical to those offered by Ryanair and other companies low cost. The Irish company also subscribed to the decision of Airlines for Europe (A4E), an association of airlines including Ryanair, to confirm that increased the minimum size allowed in their cabins at 40 × 30 × 15 cm. They are measures slightly lower than those that Ryanair has ended up adopting and similar to those sought by the European Union, in what is a clear nod to those who have defended these latter positions. What happens now? With this file, the European Union gives our country a period of two months to adapt national legislation to European regulations or to give a reasoned response to it. If the changes are not implemented or the response is not considered sufficiently reasoned, the European Commission may issue a reasoned opinion. This is the second formal phase of the procedure and if Spain maintains its positions, the case can be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Photo | Niklas Jonasson and Andrijana Bozic In Xataka | Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair: “I don’t want the money. Let them fly without suitcases”

From Europe its “welfare state” was envied. But it is increasingly difficult to pay, and France is the best example

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Europa presumed for decades of having found the perfect formula to combine economic prosperity with social justice: hospitals open to all, affordable universities and worthy retirements after a work life. That pact between generations, envied on the other side of the Atlantic, became the identity mark of the continent. And yet They begin to become visible. And one of its banners wobbles: France. A price too high. I told this week The Washington Post. Europe lives a historical crossroads: the social model that guaranteed universal health, accessible education and decent retirements begins to show cracks that can no longer be hidden. France It is the epicenter of that tension. There, the runaled public debt, political paralysis and succession of Fallen prime ministers In just fifteen months they show deep wear. The State Spend more than any other country rich in social protection, but that expense seems unsustainable in a context of low growth and growing polarization. The recent resignation From Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, unable to agre as inalienable. Model under generational pressure. There are more, since, in France, new generations feel that they inherit a system that they cannot sustain. He Post counted Cases of young people such as Anastasia Blay, who depend on intermittent subsidies to survive, convinced that they should not load with the mistakes of the past or give up a decent life. In front of them, retirees like Christine Boucau-Podorski They defend The pensions achieved after decades of hard work and are willing to limited sacrifices, but not losing acquired rights. This struggle between young and old reflects the intergenerational shock that crosses To all of Europe: Who pays the invoice, what benefits should be preserved and to what extent intergenerational solidarity can continue to be the base of the European social contract. Germany and France Wobm up. Fragility is not limited to France. Germany, the other great Historical support of the European Union, faces industrial recessiondeterioration of infrastructure and a government that admits since “the current system is unassumable.” Political tensions are intense, with the social democratic opposition refusing to accept drastic cuts and the extreme right by capitalizing citizen discomfort. Meanwhile, the Ultras games grow On both sides of the rhine fed by social disenchantment and the feeling of stagnation. The paradox is that Italy or Spainonce considered weak links, they exhibit today greater stability macroeconomic than European locomotives. The center, formerly balancing, has become the area of ​​greatest uncertainty, which weakens the European project at a time of growing external threats. The southern paradox. It is quite striking that countries historically seen as fragile, such as Spain and Italy, today appear (either They seem) as relatively more stable. Italy, after decades of political instability, lives its strongest period with a controversial government that has even achieved An improvement of the credit rating. Spain, meanwhile, has reduced by half unemployment in the last decade and maintains growth above the European average, despite spend less on well -being than France or Germany. This roles investment shows to what extent the clichés of the southern Europe have been exceeded: the Mediterranean nations, previously accused of fiscal laxity, seem to have learned to navigate austerity, while “the rich north” It sinks in its own budgetary rigidity. The perfect storm. The challenge is aggravated by external factors that multiply internal pressures. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine pushes to increase the defense expensejust when public coffers They are already exhausted. China Compete fiercely With European industry, from electric cars to nuclear energy, eroding the international position of German and French manufactures. And the United States, far from offering security, Add uncertainty with a president who changes position in a matter of days and threatens tariffs to his own allies. Europe must decide If prioritize shield Your welfare state, to reorient resources towards military security or find a balance that does not sacrifice either global competitiveness or social cohesion. The great unknown. Experts Like Andreas Eisl They argue that the dilemma is first of all politician: it is not if Europe can maintain its social model, but to what extent it wants to do it and what sacrifices is willing to assume. Attempts to apply cuts, such as 44,000 million euros proposed in the budget that demolished Prime Minister François Bayrou, have caused A massive rejection on the street and fed polarization. However, mathematics is relentless: with a aging populationa Birth in Declive and one Increasing resistance To immigration, the fiscal base narrows while the needs increase. Europe may not be on the verge of a Greek collapse, or it does not seem, but the sustainability of its “way of life” indicates that it has ceased to be An unquestionable dogma. And that is, perhaps, the true battle of the future: if the old continent manages to reinvent his social contract without dynamiting him in the process. Image | Pexels, Martin Greslou In Xataka | Spain has a big problem with the generational relief of the labor market: 3.5 million young workers are missing In Xataka | Birth in Poland is a disaster and hotels have had an idea: money for those who conceive in a stay

“Who will pay the 30,000 euros of daily expenses?”

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In response to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Europe and the US agreed to international blocking measures to the assets of Russian millionaires. That measure allowed states confiscate the mansions and yachts Of the Russian magnates who were in their respective territories, something that many cities and small states have not stopped repenting due to the high cost of maintenance of the Millionaire luxury superstars Russians The last to jump to fame for its high costs has been the Sailing Yacht aa latest generation That, with its 149 meters in length, it is considered the largest in the world, much ahead of the Koru of Jeff Bezos and its 127 meters. He Sailing Yacht a It was blocked In March 2022 when he anchored in the port of Trieste, for belonging to the Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko. Since then, the luxury superveler has been nothing more than a headache for the mayor of Trieste, who In an interview With the local news channel Telequattro expressed restlessness for municipal coffers due to the high cost of their maintenance: “Who will pay the 30,000 euros of daily expenses?”, The indignant Italian mayor requested. The superyate floats, but the municipal coffers sink In the port of Trieste, the megayate Sailing Yacht aowned by the Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, has been retained for three years due to European sanctions against Russia. Far from being a source of pride or tourist curiosity, the presence of this giant of the sea has meant a huge disbursement for the city. In the words of the mayor of the town of just over 200,000 inhabitants, Roberto Dipiazza, keeping the ship docked in its port is a daily disbursement of about 30,000 euros, together adding an invoice higher than 11 million euros Since the European authorities decreed their embargo on the Russian millionaire. The Sailing Yacht A has 149 of length The superveler, whose estimated value is around 600 million dollars according to The specialized pressremains in custody of the municipal authorities waiting for a definitive resolution on their destination. However, the legal situation of Melnichenko’s sailboat is not that of a confiscated good, but An administrative block. This distinction is crucial since the Italian jurisprudence dictates that A blocked asset must be returned under the same conditions If the sanctions are raised or if the owner successfully challenges the inclusion in the list of sanctioned by Europe. That is, the Municipal Corporation, as responsible for its Navy, must ensure its conservation While European Justice Solve its auction or return to its owner. Maintenance only within reach of a millionaire The 30,000 euros daily mentioned by the mayor of Trieste only ensures the essential operation for the conservation of the luxurious yacht. During the more than a thousand days tied in the Marina de Trieste, the maintenance cost of the ship has shot over 11 million euros, although local media as Il piccolo Increase this estimate to 18 million euros. As the Mayor Dipiazza has stressed in his television statements, the city is not responsible for the blockade of the Sailing Yacht abut responds to a European Union decision against Russian magnates close to the government of Vladimir Putin, but his presence is causing an unassumable expense for his citizens. Sailing Yacht to anchored near the port of Trieste The problem is repeated: the case of the Alpha Nero and the eclipse Trieste’s case is not the only one in which the confiscation of a Russian yacht has put the local economy in check. On the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda, El Superyate Alpha Nero He became In a similar nightmare. Only in fuel, the superyate owned by the Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev consumed 2,000 dollars of fuel daily only for keep the air conditioning in operation. This procedure is essential to prevent exclusive interior finishes in noble and metal woods deteriorating through the saltpeter of the sea and moisture. In that case, the weekly maintenance bill reached $ 28,000. The long judicial blockade for the ownership of the ship prevented the sale or auction of the yacht for monthswhich forced Antillean taxpayers to pay crew, fuel and maintenance expenses. When finally It was sold For 40 million dollars, the authorities recognized that this money would serve to cover “the huge hole that the superyte has left in the public coffers of the small Caribbean island,” in words of the Secretary of Cabinet of Antigua Lionel Hurst. He SUPERY Eclipseowned by the billionaire Roman Abramovich, is another example of the high cost of these superyates confiscations. He Eclipse He was docked for more than three years in Muğla, Türkiye. Your engines never turned offsince its generators had to stay at 24 hours to keep the air conditioning system into operation. In this case, the Eclipse registered a consumption of 1,000 liters of daily fuelwhich does not only imply an economic cost but also affects the environmental pollution of cities by CO2 that their engines, in permanent functioning, pour to the atmosphere. In the case of Sailing Yacht ahe High price of maintenance Not only is it given by fuel consumption, but also including the ship’s bearing expenses, the salary of the minimum crew on board to operate maintenance systems, safety patrols that monitor the superveler and The mandatory insurance that must cover all the boats. In Xataka | The sanctions against Russia sought to stop the Russian elite: they have ended up creating new fortunes in full war Image | Flickr (Paul Fenton, Adrianovero), Wikimedia Commons (Maximum marmur)

Europe has filled with Stellantis cars that are not sold. And Madrid and Zaragoza will pay the consequences

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Zaragoza and Madrid will suffer a temporary stop in vehicle production. This has been confirmed to us from Stellantis, who we have asked about the rumored machine stop in six European floors. With a stock that is not giving out, the company does not want to return to past times. Temporary. That is the makeup: a temporary stop. Although we have asked in Stellantis about stops distributed throughout Europethe company has only confirmed in our case those related to Madrid and Zaragoza. Nor have we been offered data on when and how long these stops will take place. If it is confirmed that the company for the Poissy factory, which produces the DS 3 and Opel Mokka, from October 13 to 31, 2025, according to the French media Echos. In Bloomberg They expand the stop to the Italian Pomigliano factory where the Alpha Romeo Tonale and the Fiat Panda are manufactured. There are already four confirmed plants but in the French media it was ensured that the strikes could affect up to six European factories. Spain. What is manufactured in our country? In Madrid, Stellantis produces the Citroën C4y C4 X, as well as its completely electric variants. For its part, in Zaragoza produces the small electric electric. That is, Los Lancia Ypsilon, Opel Corsa Ey Peugeot E-208. In addition, it had recently confirmed that the B10 Leapmotor would arrive in Spain and, everything indicates, should land in Zaragoza. The one that will not stop is the Vigo plant. There Stellantis produces the commercial vehicles of Peugeot and Citroën, as well as the 2008 Peugeot and its completely electric version that takes advantage of the lines of the electric vans. The stock. Stellantis’s intention is to reduce the stock of his stores. The company has long dealt with its stores at a healthy level. In fact, during The last call with shareholders Following the middle of the year results, the message was sent that the company had maintained a “strong discipline in inventories after the corrective actions of 2024” and that it is “maintaining that discipline throughout 2025”. These messages are not causal. The company has been dealing with an enormous overstock, especially in the United States. So much so that in that market some of their concessionaires came to accumulate so many fiat 500 electric that ended give them away to take them off. The company does not want to be in a similar situation but some of its products are becoming outdated and are increasingly complicated to sell. That is why the production of cars such as the Alfa Romeo Tonale or the DS3, which do not reap good results. A serious problem. In your latest results reportStellantis confirmed that the network has more than 1.2 million cars without selling. Of these, 300,000 are possession of the group but there are more than 900,000 cars distributed by independent dealers to those who have not given exit. In Europe, in addition, this inventory has grown by 7% compared to 2024 because products to the available cars portfolio have been added. Among the data maremagnum, he emphasizes that Stellantis has produced fewer cars but his margin has also collapsed. If we talk about Europe, the company had already reduced its production in about 100,000 units but its benefit for the sale of these cars has collapsed at 2,000 million euros, because of discounts to sell vehicles in stock, low sales and the obligation to repurry units set on the market. Sales. In that last fact, sales were made. At the end of August, According to AceaStellantis has reduced its sales by 8.9%. And what is worse, the rivals eat ground because their market share has gone from 17,%to 15.9%. The reorganization in the portfolio of its range leaves us dramatic falls in what we have been. For example, Opel, its third best selling brand, falls 11.8%. Fiat, its fourth best brand, falls 19%. Lancia, which only has the electric ypsilon, falls by 72.8%. And the electric? When it was confirmed that Zaragoza was going to continue receiving electric cars, Like the Leapmotorwe already explain that the news can be seen from two perspectives that seem contradictory. The optimistic is that Zaragoza will manufacture the electric cars of Stellantis, which should guarantee the future of the long -term factory, especially if we take into account that, together with CATL, the company will raise a battery production plant To nurture your lines. This should be the confirmation that the bet is very serious. The pessimistic is that although the small electric car Sales should increase (especially if manufacturers want to meet the maximum limits set and flee) They will have to put these cars on the market. But, for now, they continue to demand certain complications from their owners and, therefore, they are being more complicated to sell even if they lower their prices. And a financial situation … difficult. To all of the above we must add what we have already counted a few weeks ago. Stellantis is going through a complicated moment in some decisions made by Carlos Tavares in the past. His commitment to the multienergy platform has forced the company to make great efforts to develop the Stla Medium and Small. Those economic results are still green. But, in addition, they have gotten into investments such as hydrogen and two electricity cars that They have been canceled. In total, 3.3 billion euros in the trash. Photo | Stellantis In Xataka | Before developing a pile of hydrogen or competing with Chinese electric, Stellantis has chosen a third way: surrender

3,200 years ago Egypt could not pay his artisans. So he found something unexpected: the first work strike

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In the Egypt of the twelfth century AC, the reign of the Great Ramses III, one would expect to meet many things: portentous tombs, pyramids, rich hieroglyphs and farmers pending the rise of the Nile to guarantee the prosperity of their crops. Images that fit well in the idea we have of ancient Egypt. If we look at the Deir el-medina From the year 1157 AC, a town of artisans located near the Valley of the Queens, we would nevertheless see something that seems to adjust less to that period: workers promoting a work strike. And not anyone, The first of history. In a remote place in Egypt … Set Maat (better known as Deir el-medinahis Arab name) was a prosperous populated with workers and artisans founded by Pharaoh Tutmosis i. It was located in a privileged place, near the Valley of the Queens and that of the Kings, in front of what is now the city of Luxor. At first The settlement It had just a few dozen houses surrounded by a wall, but it grew and gain relevance. There, in their adobe houses, the workers and artisans lived who at first had An idea: Change the pyramids and mastied for a more protected sepulcher, excavated in the mountain itself. Unexpected protagonist. Deir El-Medina could have gone down simply because of that, forever linked to the name of the pharaoh Tutmosis I, if it were not because in the mid-twelfth century AC it became an unexpected protagonist of one of the most relevant episodes of the world’s work chronicle. The reason? A good day of 1157 AC (Up, downstairs) those same operators who dwelt in their adobe homes and dedicated themselves to shaping the real graves decided to plant. And in doing so they promoted the first work strike in history, a title that today He recognizes him Guinness World Records. Where the hell is my salary? The artisans and workers of Egypt from 3,200 years ago were different from today’s workers. His motivations, no. What ended the patience of Deir El-Medina operators was the delay in the collection of their salaries, which they perceived In speciessuch as grain, cereals, dry fish, beer, vegetables or even The usufruct of certain cultivable plots. As remember The green compassWe know that the workers began to protest when they had more than a week of collection delay. At 20 days the thing worsened and well entered the second month of delays the artisans decided to leave their tools and plant themselves. The problems however were not punctual. They crawled over several years. AMENENKAHT tracks. If we know what happened in that corner of Egypt 3,200 years ago it is largely thanks to a scribe called Amenenkaht, who was in charge of taking good note of everything to inform when vizier. For him we know that the strike arose during the reign of Ramses III, who took the reins of the kingdom approximately between 1186 AC and 1155 AC it is believed that the problems with the workers of Deir el-Medina began Towards 1159 AC And they were dragging, without solution, until “the payment system of the workers of the necropolis collapsed completely”, Comment Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson. “Year 20, second month of the flood, day 10. Today the work squad crossed the walls of the necropolis (the control post) shouting: ‘We are hungry!’ 18 days of this month go that (men) sit behind the funeral temple of Tutmosis III “, The scribe said in a document that is known today as the strike papyrus. It even echoes the bitter complaints of the artisans of the town: “If we have reached this point it is because of hunger and thirst; there are no clothes, there are no ointments, there is no fish, there are no vegetables …” And what did they do? They said enough. They refused to wait more for a payment that was delayed and went to the city to the shout of “We are hungry!”making clear their demands in the temple of Ramses III and in the vicinity of Tutmosis III, where they came to camp. They even went to the Central Gray Warehouse of Thebes and blocked the accesses to the Valley of the Kings, which complicated that the priests and family made the offerings to the dead. In a long pull and loosen they managed to pay back payments and everything indicates, slide Worldhistorythat in the end both parties reached an agreement so that the workers could collect their salaries as agreed. Why is it important? The first reason is the historical relevance of protests. It is not crazy To think that before, in Egypt or even Mesopotamia, similar situations had been lived. And there is Who thinks that the first real strike was lived centuries later, in 494 AC, in Rome, with the Secessio plebis. The truth, however, is that the mobilization of the artisans and workers of Deir El-Medina was officially considered the first documented work strike to date. So figure In fact on the pages of Guinness World Records. Beyond that ‘title’ the episode is relevant for its impact and Egypt. As Remember Joshua J. Mark In World History, in ancient Egypt there was a basic concept called ma´atthe individual, social and universal balance that deposited in the pharaoh a series of responsibilities, including the well -being of the population, the security of the borders and the fulfillment of religious rites. Ramses III highlighted in the second, but his reign was marked by economic turbulence that complicated the payment to artisans. With this he found a peculiar situation: protests before which the authorities did not know very well how to react and that, in a way, “violated the principle of Ma´at.” A milestone that today highlights Deir el-Medina in history books. Images | Wikipedia 1, 2 and 3 In Xataka | The hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt have always fascinated archaeologists. They just missed a key track to understand them

that companies pay fortunes to their employees for having children

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South Korea has been plunged into one of the worse demographic crises of the world, with a fertility rate that reached a historical minimum of 0.72 children per woman In 2023, one of the lowest in the world. This figure is far from the population replacement level, located in 2.1 children per womanand evidences a rapid population aging which complicates the country’s economic and social sustainability. This demographic emergency It has been defined by President Yoon Suk Yeol as a “national emergency” in the face of the risk of decreasing productivity and deteriorating the fiscal health of the State. According The published by Bloombergin the face of such demographic and economic challenge, the companies of the country have brought their shoulders offering generous “baby checks” to those employees who decide to have children. Decades fighting low birth. The South Korean government has been implementing decades The most varied policies to encourage birth, destined to Relieve the economic burden of families. These include direct children’s subsidies, housing aids, paid paternity permitsfacilities for access to child care and early education. However, despite these measures and mass investment in public initiatives, the birth rate in Korea has only achieved A very modest reboundwhich has led to the authorities to consider additional reforms and to promote the private sector participation In approaching the problem. Aminar to have children from your pocket. Given the growing concern about the impact that the population decrease will have on available labor, important South Korean business conglomerates decided to act on their own. According to published Bloombergcompanies such as Booyoung offer economic bonds of up to $ 72,000 (100 million wones) for each child born, and some even apply a custom retroactive effect to facilitate parenting. It is not the only one, The local press He ensures that other companies have also implemented bonus plans and additional benefits for those employees who expand their family. “I was spent. So, after Hong and his wife, who also works in Booyoung, processing the news, did what many would do if they were offered a fortune to expand the family: they had another son to get the bonus for their birth. This is the economy of Korea. The economic incentives that Korean companies are offering do not start from an altruistic or patriotic commitment. But companies have become aware of the serious demographic crisis and, Therefore workwhich must face in the coming years. South Korea looks in the mirror of other countries with serious demographic problems such as Japan and the image is that of a aged labor market in which labor shortage It has been generalized. It is estimated that by 2050, the population of 65 years or more will amount to 40%, potentially the largest proportion of any country in the world. On the other hand, the companies that offer these incentives have become those preferred by professionals who want to form a family, so they ensure the attraction and retention of better qualified professionals, who are going to prefer a company that offers Family conciliation benefits. An encouraging rebound in birth. Such and as he collected Reutersthe set of Stimulus measures implemented by the Government with the Private sector support begins to show its first effects with A slight increase In the birth rate. After almost a decade of constant falls, the fertility rate in South Korea rose to 0.75 children per woman in 2024, marking A change of trend descendant and marks a first significant advance in many years to reverse the historical. However, they warn that cultural and social transformation necessary to sustain more significant increases will take time. In Xataka | Japan believed to have touched back on his birth crisis. Now another question is asked: if there is really a background Image | Unspash (Laura Lee Moreau)

that Castilla y León and León and Galicia pay him

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In the middle of August, with the return or start of the holidays for many, Renfe encountered an unexpected problem, the icing on a summer of delays and cancellations: the fires. Although these caused delays throughout Spain, the Zamoran and Galician fires They brought together the greatest delays to the company. In fact, For more than a week Renfe met the obligation to Cancel or delay trains that cover the link between Madrid and Galicia. The company has many hopes in this corridor since it is the only company that, for technical reasonscan operate in it and also has achieved a spectacular increase In the number of travelers. During those days of August Renfe ordered buses in the first hours But then he chose to change the dates of the tickets or offer a completely free cancellation. At the same time, The airlines took the opportunity to raise prices of the tickets thanks to the traveler transfer. Now, Renfe is studying to denounce Castilla y León and Galicia for the economic damage suffered. The first complaint “Renfe is studying for the first time a claim of patrimonial responsibility against Castilla y León and Galicia. Because it is not a receipt that Renfe and Adif had to lose three million euros during those nine days. There are some administrations that have to dimension a prevention and fire extinction service and have not done so and the consequences are paid by Renfe, and on top service” The words are from Oscar Puente, Minister of Transportation, in an intervention in the Congress of Deputies where he has had to give the face of the Popular Party for “The Railway Chaos” this summer. The statement has been collected by Europa Press. Bridge confirms that Renfe and Adif (The company that manages the roads) understands that, having had proper prevention, the service could have been provided normally. According to Puente, delays cannot be attrmed to either of the two companies because the infrastructure did not suffer any damage. However, it was necessary to cut electricity because emergency services understood that there was a risk if they sprayed the nearby areas with water. In his speech, Puente also assured that it was impossible to establish a bus service because each train transfers 500 people and that would mean mobilizing 10 bus buses. It is the same answer as The company already gave Xataka A month ago. However, the threat of a complaint to the Galician and Castellanoleonese institutions coincides with the confirmation that, with the latest changes in claims for delays, Up to two million passengers They have run out of compensation for arrivals that until a few months ago would have been compensated with the return of the ticket, totally or partially. Photo | Ume and Phil Richards In Xataka | If something has taught us summer is that Spain does not need more trains. Simply need to work

Mediumkt has the cheap Apple Watch for those who want to pay less than 200 euros

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Although in the last presentation of Apple the most anticipated devices were the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17the new was also announced Apple Watch Se 3. After that, Mediamarkt has not hesitated to launch its biggest offer to date in the Apple Watch Se 2whose price has fallen to 199 euros In the 42 mm GPS configuration. Apple Watch Se (GPS, 40 mm) The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links The lowest price of Mediamarkt He Apple Watch Se 2or 2nd generation, it is the cheapest smartwatch of those of Cupertino. After a time in which it has remained price, It is finally below 200 euros. If you are looking to make the leap to Apple without spending too much money, this is currently one of the best ways to do it. This smart watch stands out mainly because it has an excellent aluminum construction and an elegant design. Mount the Apple S8 processor and comes with 32 GB of storage internal To install apps and save music, which allows us not to have to wear the mobile always on top of listening to music. It incorporates a good assortment of sensors such as heart rate, it has Accident detectioncomes with accelerometer and also with GPS, among others. It incorporates an emergency call function. In addition, it is worth mentioning that it incorporates a screen Retina Oled Ltpo and that offers water resistance up to 5 atm. You may also interest you Apple Airpods 4 Active noise cancellation, wireless headphones, Bluetooth, adaptive audio, ambient sound mode, custom space audio, USB-C load case and wireless load The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Apple Airpods Pro 2 Wireless headphones, Bluetooth headphones, active noise cancellation, hearing aid, ambient sound mode, personalized space audio, high fidelity sound, USB C load C The price could vary. We obtain commission for these links Some of the links of this article are affiliated and can report a benefit to Xataka. In case of non -availability, offers may vary. Images | Jose GarcíaApple In Xataka | The best smartwatch (2025): their analysis and videos are here In Xataka | Better smartwatch in quality price. Which to buy and 10 recommended smart watches

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