plans

All their plans are discounted and come with 3 extra months

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Better safe than sorry. It is obvious that nothing should happen to us while we browse the Internet normally, but it is undeniable that there are more and more dangers. Every so often we are seeing major data breaches, large-scale cyberattacks and even the presence of spyware. We have ways to protect ourselves, although few are as effective as a VPN. Now that we are in full Black Fridaywe are facing one of the best times of the year to get a quality one. We have a great option with Surfshark, since all their plans are discounted. Thanks to this, we can take your VPN from 1.99 euros per month. And be careful, because, as we will see below, their promo does not only imply discounts. Surfshark Starter Subscription – monthly The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Surfshark’s Black Friday gives us its VPN at a great price As we always tell you, we cannot ignore the fact that there are free VPNs. These work and fulfill their purpose, although using them frequently is not ideal. The reason? Two very specific reasons: They are not as safe as they say they are. and they usually fall short in terms of connection speed or functionalities. In that sense, it is worth investing in a paid one, especially now that we are in the middle of Black Friday. This Surfshark promo, which has already been active for a few days and will still be active until December, allows us to take any of their three plans for less money. If we are only interested in their VPN, then the ideal one for us is their Starter plan, which, as we have told you a little above, has a price of 1.99 euros per month if we opt for its two-year modality (which brings three extra months, so it would be 27 months). And it doesn’t come alone, since it brings the Alternative ID tool. If we don’t mind spending a little more every month, then the most interesting thing we can do is opt for the plan called Surfshark One. It is the one with the most discount right nowleaving its price at more than attractive ones 2.19 euros per month. It brings everything that the Starter plan includes, including the three extra months. These are all the tools that we would have with it: VPN. Antivirus. Real-time alerts on email breaches, credit card and ID data theft. Private search tools. Personal data security reports. Webcam protection. Anti-spyware and malware protection. Surfshark One Subscription – monthly The price could vary. We earn commission from these links We have an additional alternative with the most complete subscription from this company, called Surfshark One+. As the name suggests, this is an improved version of the previous one that includes the same and an additional solution called Incognidesigned to eliminate our information from databases. If we opt for two years of this subscription, the price of this plan is 4.19 euros and it also comes with three extra months. 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 | surfshark In Xataka | Best VPNs 2025: guide with the 17 best services to protect your online privacy In Xataka | The best solutions to protect your data and your company’s IT equipment

They have published the plans for the future Russian nuclear bomber. And the worst thing for Moscow is that the West now knows how to deactivate it

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The last time Russia’s bombers made the news was to verify a unprecedented assault in the Ukrainian war. It happened with the Spiderweb operation that kyiv carried out in the heart of the Moscow air bases, when a swarm of more than 100 drones hidden in trucks managed to destroy an important part of the Russian fleet of strategic bombers. The truth is that Russia was developing an unprecedented bomber to renew its fleet, although there are now doubts that it could materialize. The fragility of an industry. The international intelligence network InformNapalmin cooperation with the Fenix ​​cyber center, has revealed one of the largest information blows against the Russian military-industrial complex since the start of the war in Ukraine. The data, obtained after infiltrating the internal systems of the Russian company OKBM (key supplier of components for strategic aviation and the space sector), show Russia’s deep dependence on foreign machinery and reveal classified technical information of two programs considered pillars of its new generation aviation: the stealth bomber PAK DA “Poslannik” and the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter. And more. According to InformNapalmthe stolen files were used for months for the benefit of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and allied countries, which amplifies the impact of the leak both at the operational and political levels. Between ambition and sanctions. The PAK DA, designed by Tupolev to replace veterans Tu-95 and Tu-160represents the Russian attempt to create a subsound strategic bomber flying wing with stealth capability, intercontinental autonomy and dual nuclear and conventional capability. Conceived since the early 2000s, the project has suffered chronic delaysbudget problems and a persistent inability to consolidate a national production chain. The leaked documents include coded hydraulic system specifications like 80RSh115responsible for opening the bomb bay hatches of Poslannik-1, and confirm the existence of a classified contract between Tupolev and OKBM which requires absolute confidentiality and allows it to be terminated if state secrecy is violated. Technical documentation with engineering drawings and specifications for the RSh type box used in the PAK DA bomb bay system Extra page. Not only that. Apparently, a additional annex (called Supplementary Agreement No. 7) details the scheduling of the production phases between 2024 and 2027, a calendar that is now more than compromised by the scandal and the deterrent effect of European sanctions. Technological dependence. The filtrationFurthermore, it reveals a structural contradiction: the Kremlin’s discourse on industrial sovereignty contrasts with the reality of a system that cannot sustain its own projects. no western technology. OKBM, an essential part of the gear that produces actuators and transmission systems for the Su-57 and the PAK DA, depends on CNC machinery imported from Taiwan (Hartford HCMC-1100AG and Johnford SL-50 models) and Serbia (Grindex BSD-700U grinding machine). The equipment was purchased through subsidies from the Ministry Russian Ministry of Industry and Commerce, which shows that the State itself finances the evasion of international sanctions. This framework (a mix of obsolete engineering, technological dependence and state bureaucracy) has become a strategic vulnerability that compromises Russia’s ability to sustain complex long-term programs. Supplementary agreement confirming the continuation of the contract of the PAK DA component under the revised technical code 80RSh A failed industrial pattern. The leaked internal emails They also include documentation on RSh-65 systems of hinge and transmission used in the weapons compartments of the Su-57, the fifth generation fighter that Moscow presents as a symbol of its technological autonomy. However, the materials confirm that production remains subject to the same bottlenecks than the PAK DA: lack of critical parts, dependence on foreign suppliers and delays caused by a shortage of precision tools. Despite public investment and the expansion of plants in Kazaninternal audits attribute the delays to the departure of international manufacturers from the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine. The political coup. After the analysis of the documentsthe European Union officially included OKBM in its 19th sanctions package on October 23, 2025, recognizing its central role in Russian strategic weapons production and restriction evasion operations. This decision, directly motivated by the findings, confirms how cyber intelligence has become a battlefield expanse: a space where the exposure of industrial vulnerability can be as decisive as a physical attack. The operation, named OKBMLeaksis announced as the first chapter in a series of publications aimed at documenting the structural dependence of the Russian military sector on foreign technology and showing the erosion of its productive capacity. The Russian mirage. He OKBM case illustrates the distance between the Kremlin’s rhetoric about self-sufficiency and the material reality of an industrial complex sustained by imported parts, inherited engineering, and a network of opaque middlemen. If the PAK DA was to symbolize Russia’s entry into a new era of strategic aviation, the leak shows that the project is today a promise threatened by sanctionsproduction necks and lack of technological substitution. The vulnerability revealed transcends the technical: it reflects the accumulated cost of two decades industry dependency global and exposes the difficulty of sustaining a prolonged war without the support of a fully autonomous industrial base. In short, the scandal not only reveals aeronautical secretsbut rather it exposes the structural fragility of contemporary military Russia, whose defense apparatus seems increasingly sophisticated in its designs, but more than precarious in its actual capacity to manufacture them. Image | Russian Defense Minister, InformNapalm In Xataka | A 20-year-old technology led Ukraine to Russian bombers. Moscow’s answer comes from China: a laser cannon In Xataka | In 2024, Ukrainian trucks disguised as “home” entered Russia. Now they have dynamited their main air bases

If you really want to understand China (and how it sees the future), it’s easy: read its five-year plans

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Today’s China bears little resemblance to that of the mid-20th century, when in the time of Mao Zedong the People’s Republic decided to promote its first five year plan. ran the year 1953 and the country was preparing for the Great Leap Forwardan attempt at industrial modernization that ended with a famine with tragic consequences. Since then China has chained almost uninterrupted five-year plans, documents that help understand its evolution. Its reading is interesting now that the Central Committee of the Communist Party has launched the machinery to provide a plan for 2026-2030. Playing short or long term? On Monday Isaac Stone Fish, founder of Strategy Risk, opened a debate interesting in X: What horizon does China use when drawing up strategies? Do you focus on the long term or do you think only a few years ahead? It is not a minor issue. Stone himself brought up the subject a video released by the White House, the fragment of an interview granted by Trump to CBS in which it was pointed out that the Chinese “are playing the long game.” Click on the image to go to the tweet. “A recommended read”. “Let’s stop saying that the Chinese are playing the long game. This is orientalist nonsense that we must eradicate from our discourse with China. Read the Five Year Plan from five years ago and you will see how different China has become from what its leaders predicted. The Chinese think, like the rest of the people, mainly about the challenges they will face today and in the years to come,” claims the analyst, who assures that long-term speeches have other purposes, such as the party’s self-reaffirmation. He is not the only one who believes it. “If you are interested in reality, read the Chinese five-year plans. They are instructive,” slid another user in X. “Read a plan from five years ago. It is recommended.” But what are five-year plans? Economic and social guides, five-year guidelines that the Chinese authorities set for themselves and that basically set objectives in terms of development, industry, innovation or well-being. Also the paths to reach them. The first dates back to 1953 and since then they have been happening (with almost no pauses) with greater or lesser success, but exerting a key influence on the national evolution of the last 70 years. In fact it is not strange to hear that the turning point in China’s modern development came in 1978, with the economic reform promoted by Deng Xiaoping, which was followed shortly after by a five-year plan for the period 1981-1985. “A macro guideline”. “The five-year plan serves as a way for leaders to take stock, examine challenges and tasks, set directions and move forward. It must be followed closely, as strategic thinking and planning have become a rarity among governments,” They explain to EFE Nomura analysts. “It is a macro-level instruction or guideline for the market to know, including investors, state-owned enterprises and the public, to have the correct expectation of what government policy will be in the future,” comment in AP Li Lun, professor at Peking University. Its role is important because, as remember Neil Thomasresearcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute, marks a key difference with Europe or the US “Western politics operates through electoral cycles, but Chinese policymaking operates through planning cycles.” In the focus. That the Chinese five-year plans are being talked about right now is no coincidence. The country is immersed in the preparation of the new roadmap that will mark its steps until 2030, a complex scenario marked by the real estate crisishe weakening of domestic consumptionthe trade tensionshe youth unemployment or the aging of the population, among other challenges. A few days ago the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party met behind closed doors to talk about the new five-year plan, a document that will not be approved until March 2026but the one that Beijing wanted advance some keys. Among other goals, the technological self-sufficiencymaintain at a level “reasonable” of manufacturing and raise life expectancy up to the 80 years. Why is it important? Because although there is still a long way to go for the approval of the new five-year plan, in the past this roadmap has been key to understanding the priorities of the Chinese Government. Also in its development. At the end of October Nick Mash published an analysis on the BBC in which he details three occasions in which the plans have influenced the world economy: the reformist and opening trend of 1981-1984, the commitment to “strategic emerging industries” during 2011-2015 and “high-quality development” (2021-2025). Images | Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra (Unsplash) and Chinese Communist Party In Xataka | Xi Jinping wants two things: first, to create a global center that regulates AI. The second, that it is in Shanghai

China continues to draw up five-year plans in the old communist way. Objective: tech self-sufficiency

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Let’s talk about five-year plans. Alexei Grigorievich Stakhanov She had no idea, but her exaggerated productivity ended up messing her up. In 1927 he began working in the Tsentrálnaya-Írmino mine and realized that he was good at it. In fact, he was much better at it than the others. In August 1935 smashed the record of mine productivity and extracted 102 tons of coal (14 times its quota) in five hours and 45 minutes. Days later he crushed it again and extracted 227 tons. He became a hero to socialist workers—in addition to appearing on the cover of Time magazine—and from that was derived the stakhanovismwhich advocated the increase in labor productivity based on the workers’ own initiative. That didn’t matter to Stalin: the Soviet Union was already completely immersed in its second five-year plan with a clear objective: the frenetic industrialization of the country based, of course, on trying to convert all workers into new Stakhanovs. And from those five-year plans we ended up moving on to others. China signs up for the five-year period That idea of ​​five-year plans ended up being used by China, which began to apply them in 1953 – with the help of the former Soviet Union – and has maintained them until now. In fact, the Asian giant has debated these days what will be your 15th Five Year Plan and the focus is clear: technological self-sufficiency. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China published on Thursday a statement in which he made it clear. Its objective was to “greatly increase” the self-dependence capacityand in that plan there are clear fronts for the medium-term future of the Asian giant: Promote R&D in critical technologies such as semiconductors, robotics, high-performance computing and, of course, artificial intelligence. Build a “modern industrial system“that allows reduce dependency of foreign components, equipment and knowledge. Promote the domestic market as a pillar of growth and reduce exposure to possible impacts of the export model Integrate technological development with national security: self-sufficiency not only makes economic sense, but also geopolitical sense. This five-year plan is clearly a consequence of the times we live in: the trade war with the US that it started years ago has marked the apparent end (at least partial) of globalizationand now both are looking for the same thing: not depend on others. China’s new five-year plan goes precisely in that direction, and has a clear impact both for that country and for the rest of the world. On the one hand, greater state investment in strategic sectors and greater interventionism are proposed (Hello Mr. Trump). On the other hand, this move may reduce Chinese demand for foreign technology, exacerbating technological rivalry with the US but perhaps opening new opportunities for collaboration with other countries. If successful, China’s five-year plan can stabilize growth in the face of potential external threats, but if self-reliance is prioritized too much, international openness and competition could be neglected, which could slow innovation or lead to less efficient companies. Source: Bloomberg And there is another problem: as they point out on BloombergChina is the great world exporterprecisely because their internal consumption is insufficient: they produce much more than they need. The contribution of exports to the country’s GDP is getting biggerbut consumption has stagnated or falls. All the details of the final five-year plan will be published in March, and will intensify the focus on everything related to the technological field. This effort, which began after that first veto of the Trump administration on Huaweiseems to be bearing promising fruits for China, which is becoming in an overwhelming machine of technological innovation. That pace will not slow down. Alexei Grigorievich Stakhanov would probably be proud. Image | Chinese Communist Party In Xataka | Spain has an antidote to mental and emotional exhaustion: the nap

does everything the other way around in Spain, is losing a fortune… and plans to open more stores

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Costco has announced that it will continue opening warehouses in Spain despite accumulating 150 million euros in losses since its arrival in 2014, according to reports Digital Economy. The Spanish subsidiary recorded another 7.5 million losses in 2024, although its sales shot up to 607 million. The company already operates five centers (Seville, Getafe, Las Rozas, Sestao and Zaragoza) and is looking for new land. Its latest establishment in Zaragoza started with 15,000 members on the day of its inauguration. Why is it important. Costco represents the complete opposite of the model that dominates Spain: Mercadona triumphs with medium storesa reduced assortment and no membership. He doesn’t even have his own card. Costco is committed to large stores of more than 15,000 square meters, buying in bulk and charging a membership fee. It is the clash between two philosophies: the Spanish one that lives in your neighborhood and offers small, domestic formats, versus the American one of “pay 36 euros a year and get 24 rolls of toilet paper.” The strategy. Costco is playing the game Amazon played for two decades: lose money in a controlled way while it grows and build market share. Its 750,000 members (15% more than in 2023) and constant sales growth suggest that the model is finding its place. The company earned 11.5 million just from membership fees in 2024. Each new center comes with a gas station and Kirkland’s own brand products. Its average salary of 24,044 euros is above the sector. The contrast. Where Mercadona has immediate success, Costco has sustained losses. Where Mercadona optimizes margins (3.88% net profitin an upward trend), Costco optimizes volume and loyalty. Where Mercadona dominates with a 28% national share, Costco is building small niches. Yes, but. The bet has obvious risks. Costco needs critical mass for its model to work, and Spain is not the United States. Spanish purchasing habits favor proximity over volume, and competition in large stores – dominated by the French – is fierce. In fact, the hypermarket is going down in favor of the supermarket. We no longer make shopping a three-hour ritual on Saturday, but instead take advantage of empty spaces to make small purchases any day. And now what. Costco maintains that 2025 will bring more investment and land prospecting. The key will be if it manages to replicate in Spain what it achieved in other markets: convert initial losses into long-term leadership. It took Amazon twenty years to become profitable. Costco has been in our country for ten years and continues to invest. In Xataka | Spain has become a country addicted to something that a few years ago enjoyed little prestige: white label. Featured image | Marcus Reubenstein

Elon Musk needs to launch Starship from Florida to accelerate his plans. The problem: up to 13,200 delayed flights

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The airplanes will have to get used to sharing airspace with the largest rocket in the world. Especially when Elon Musk’s starship disembark in Florida in a few months. Starship’s double landing. The arrival of Starship to Cabo Cañaveral promises to revolutionize a region that, although it is accustomed to rocket launches, has not lived anything the same. The key is the planned launch frequency and the double landing of the system: first that of the Super Heavy propeller, more than 70 meters high, and then that of the ship itself, more than 50 meters. Although the public debate has focused so far In the sonic boom That produces each of these rockets when returning from space, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States has put on the table the possibility that Spacex’s plans to launch 120 starship a year delay between 8,800 and 13,200 commercial flights a year. Where those figures come from. According to him FAA reportthe launches and landings of the two stages of the rocket would force to divert the airplanes from the south of Florida to avoid the rocket trajectory. This could suppose delays for airports as important as those of Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. Each launch would require the closure of airspace in periods ranging from 40 minutes to two hours, which in times of traffic could affect between 133 and 400 flights. The landing of the Starship ship, which would happen hours later, would cause a new closure of the airspace between 40 minutes and one hour, affecting another 400 or 600 commercial airplanes. Spacex’s posture. Spacex insists that these estimates are too conservative. The company has published A statement in which he affirms that the areas of danger for the planes defined in FAA studies “are extremely conservative by nature and are destined to capture a compound of the entire range of the worst possible scenarios, not an operation in the real world.” Spacex argues that, as happened with their Falcon 9 rockets, the areas of aerial and sea exclusion will be reduced as data of the launches accumulate and the reliability of Starship is demonstrated. In fact, the airspace that Falcon 9 forces to close for Starlink missions have been reduced by 66% since 2022. A future of shared skies. Although Starship is a special case, it is only the last new generation rocket that reaches the Florida space coast. Other companies like Blue Origin and ULA have already launched His new New Glenn rockets and Vulcan From Cabo Cañaveral. According to a Ornaldo Sentinel analysisFlorida could approach the 400 rocket releases a year by the end of the decade. But that democratized access to space may require patience at the airport terminal. Image | Spacex In Xataka | There is already a date for the last flight of the Megacohete Starship as we know it: v3, heat what you go out

Microsoft rises strongly the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in Spain. The increase comes next to a renewal of plans

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If you are an Xbox Game Pass user or you are thinking of subscribing to the Microsoft service, prepare for important changes. Adjustments have just come into force that do not go unnoticed, including a strong increase in the price of its most complete modality. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs now 26.99 euros per month. It is a 50% increase compared to the 17.99 euros paid so far. It is not the first time that this plan increases its price: in July 2024 it had already gone from 14.99 to 17.99 euros per month. The justification. According to the company, Ultimate will give access to more than 400 titles worldwide, “including most of our partners who wish to continue bringing their future games to Xbox Game Pass.” In addition, the service will offer support for 1440p resolution and improvements in the bits rate on certain devices. How far the changes arrive. Microsoft has also reorganized the offer and says goodbye to the previous nomenclature. Xbox Game Pass Core is called Xbox Game Pass Essential, while the standard plan is transformed into Xbox Game Pass Premium. Game Pass Essential Game Pass Premium Game Pass Ultimate Game Pass for PC available games More than 50 More than 200 More than 400 “Hundreds of games” for PC Cloud streaming Yeah Includes own games Yeah Shorter waiting times Includes own games Yeah “With the best quality” With shorter waiting times Includes own games No available games day one No No, they join up to 12 months Yeah Yeah Online multiplayer Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Rewards points Up to 25,000 a year Up to 50,000 a year Up to 100,000 a year Up to 50,000 a year Advantages in games Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ Yes, in ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Cod: Warzone’ others – – EA play and ubisoft+ included EA play included price 8.99 euros 12.99 euros Free 14 -day test 26.99 euros 14.99 euros With Ultimate already on the table, it is time to see how they are premium and essential, what they include and how migration will apply to current subscribers. Premium, the intermediate option. With this plan you access more than 200 games both in console and PC, in addition to the possibility of playing in the cloud without limit, even with titles you already have in your library. • More than 200 games in console, PC and cloud • Access to classics such as Minecraft, Forza Horizon 5 or Grand Theft Auto V • New games published by Xbox available within a maximum period of 12 months (excluded Call of Duty) • Game in the unlimited cloud, also with own titles • Advantages In-Game in League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone or Rainbow Six Siege • Rewards of up to 50,000 points a year The ancient standard plan subscribers will automatically pass to Premium. It remains in the strip of 12.99 euros per month, that is, there is no price increase with respect to what we paid with the plan with the previous denomination. Essential, the new entrance door. With a more tight price, it offers the basics for those who want to try the service without great pretensions: a reduced catalog, cloud game and online multiplayer. • More than 50 games in console and PC • Access to prominent titles such as Hades, Stardew Valley or Cities: Skylines Remastered • Game in the unlimited cloud, including some games that you already have • Online multiplayer in console • Benefits in games like League of Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone • Rewards of up to 25,000 points a year We could say that they are designed for those who seek to start in Game Pass or just want access to a more limited set of games with basic advantages. Its price is encrypted at 8.99 euros per month. What about active plans. Restructuring does not force users to do anything: Microsoft will apply migration automatically. As we say, the old Core will pass to Essential, those of the standard plan will move to Premium and those who already pay Ultimate will continue in that modality. In development. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 In Xataka | Saudi Arabia is not buying EA for video games. He is buying cultural influence in hundreds of millions of homes

The world is waiting for Depseek’s new great model to compete with GPT-5, but Depseek has other plans: the agricultural AI

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At the beginning of the year, the Chinese startup Deepseek put the world of AI up with Deepseek R1a free and open source model that was placed at the height of GPT-4 or Claude. After the coup on the table, in Depseek they have been quite quiet, but now we know what its next objective is: the agriculture. Before the end of the year. A few days ago Bloomberg reported that Deepseek is working on an advanced and very ambitious agent. He will be able to perform multiple tasks with minimal user intervention and will learn as he works. According to sources close to the company, the founder of the company Lian Wenfeng is pressing his team so that the new agentic model is ready before the end of the year. The company has already taken a step in this direction with the Deepseek v3.1 presentation Just two weeks ago. As detailed by the company in A post in Wechatits new model improves performance in reasoning tasks and agricultural abilities. A step back. Deepseek R2, the expected successor of the successful model with which Deepseek revolutionized the industry making begging. Instead they gave us Deepseek v3.1 and now the rumors suggest that their next great launch will be an AI agent. What is happening? There are voices, such as This Chinese journalistthat they see this turn to the agricultural AI as a way of taking a step back and getting away from the expensive and competitive career of the foundational language models. That The generative AI is reaching its roof It is something that is being talked about Since last year. GPT-5 is the test more recent than The big jumps are a thing of the past. If we add to this that China has a more conservative way of proceeding, with more long -term strategiesDeepseek’s turn towards an agriculture instead of launching Depseek R2 makes sense. Restrictions Although we have seen The most ingenious forms to make fun of themUnited States restrictions on chip export to China are also impacting the plans of many Chinese and Deepseek companies do not get rid. This also involves extra pressure that forces new routes with which to market their products. In fact, there is something striking in Deepseek v3.1 and it is that the model has been specially designed for Chinese chipswith the objective of Avoid dependence on foreign chips. Generate income. The agricultural AI opens another way for Deepseek, one in which you can get benefits more easily. Large language models have a problem: They cost a money and monetize them is not being a simple task. Given this, IA agents rise like a Most reasonable business model. Deepseek R1 has already given a whole lesson in Resource efficiencyIt makes sense that the company wants to opt for the fastest path to the benefits. A more conservative position. Although He has trimmed positionsChina lags in AI in terms of investments and access to the most advanced chips. Despite this, his approach in this AI race is being different. We see it in your Bet on the Open-Source wave “Personified“But perhaps the biggest difference is that, while their competitors in the United States continue to squander billions, in China they are choosing to be more conservative and not waste. This turn to the agents is in that conservative line to achieve a more sustainable industry. Image | Matheus Bertelli, via Pexels In Xataka | There is a city in China that is measured face to face with Silicon Valley: welcome to Hangzhou, the house of the ‘Six Little Dragons’

Europe wants to end combustion cars in 2035. Manufacturers have their own plans

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Europe has been, without any doubt, the most restrictive and ambitious region with the jump to the electric car. Theirs are the policies that point to a prohibition in the sale of cars with combustion engines (with nuances) from 2035. Now, the same manufacturers who said they wanted to hug the electric car are pressing to skip them. “It is not viable”. It is the last message released by manufacturers. This time it has touched the turn to aceawhich encompasses European manufacturers under the same association. Not much less, the first time That this group throws messages along the same lines but the first that formally asks regulators through a letter. The letter is signed by Ola Källenius (president of Acea at the moment and CEO of Mercedes) and Matthias Zink (president of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers CPA). It indicates that the objectives are unrealistic and emphasize their frustration for the absence of a comprehensive policy plan that facilitates the transition. What do they defend? In the letter, manufacturers say they have invested 250,000 million euros in investments until 2030 with the aim of putting cleaner vehicles on the market. However, they ensure that times have changed and that there are important obstacles that have to solve. They give as an example the 15% tariff with which the United States will tax vehicles from Europe (which supposes A true dart for German manufacturers But also for him auxiliary market). They also point out that the numbers do not lie and that the electricity quota shows that the hug to this technology is costing more than expected. Solutions? The usual: less taxes, more subsidies and flexibility in the standards that allows to sell all types of technologies, including cars with combustion engines. Once again, manufacturers are pressing so that the standards are flexible. What does EU have in hand? Two important phases that manufacturers want to skip or, at least, make the standards more flexible. There are three key dates throughout this matter: 2027: It is the first milestone. Between 2025 and 2027the average emission of the different car fleets should not exceed 93.6 gr/km of CO2. If exceed, the manufacturer must pay a fine of 95 euros per gram of CO2 exceeded and car sold. 2030: The maximum emission limit is reduced to 49.5 gr/km of co. That implies that a car with gasoline engine cannot exceed a consumption of 2.1 liters/100 km of fuel and a diesel cannot exceed 1.8 liters/100 km 2035: Forbidden to sell cars with combustion engines that are not neutral carbon. Has the European Union achieved anything? Yes, obviously the regulations and the threat of millmillionary fines have shaken the industry. It is no accident that the launch of vehicles of all types of brands have been condensed in electric cars or highly electrified, with plug -in hybrids that already exceed 100 kilometers of electrical autonomy. Regulatory pressures have always led to greater investments of manufacturers and new developments. In recent times we have seen evident efforts with investments in renovation of plants to produce electric cars and factor construction for battery production. They even announced jumps to the electric car exclusively that, yes, have been diluted over the years. Have manufacturers achieved anything? Yes, although the results could be defined as “fled forward.” The first great milestone has been postponing the fines for emissions until 2027. This year 2025 Europe I should have started fine to those who exceed the limit of 93.6 gr/km of CO2 but Milmillionaire fines were expected. Finally, Regulators have yielded pointing out that the fines will be based on the average CO2 emissions sold between 2025 and 2027. That is, if a manufacturer exceeds 10 grams in 2025, it has two more years to be below the limit. That will force you to sell many More electric cars and plug -in hybrids between 2026 and 2027. Subtle but key. Also, after multiple Pressures led by Germany and Italy It was achieved that the 2035 prohibition would change subtly but decisively. First there was talk of combustion engines “Neutral in emissions” But the new wording already spoke of combustion engines “neutral in carbon emissions”. This small change is essential to guarantee the sale of combustion engines that use synthetic fuels either hydrogen. These options are not neutral in emissions since they launch very harmful fine particles for health. It is a problem produced by the burning of the fuel and has no viable solution. By introducing that nuance of “neutral in carbon emissions”, manufacturers can develop propellants of this type since they can emit these particles but the development of synthetic fuels and the use of hydrogen make these “neutral” cars in this type of gases. However, they are cars that They should be the absolute exception If European plans are fulfilled. What future awaits us? It is difficult to ensure. European industry is extremely powerful and has a lot of pressure in countries such as Germany, Italy, France or Spain where very high volumes of vehicles are produced. Aware of this, manufacturers have always tried to press in their own way, either to delay regulations or Receive more subsidies. If the plans are fulfilled, we should see a huge increase in sales of electric cars. It is the fastest formula to lower consumption since plug -in hybrid The method to count emissions has been changed and consumption. Therefore, we are facing a new movement of manufacturers to press regulators and try to make the standards more flexible. That they get it or not it is something that only time will say. Photo | Red Dot and European Commission In Xataka | European car manufacturers faced milmillionaire fines in 2025. They have postponed them thanks to fear

The US has bought 10% of Intel to save it from burning, and that plans a huge problem. One called favoritism

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Intel has agreed to sell 10% of your company to the United States for a value of 8,900 million dollars. An interventionist measure is thus confirmed that has huge implications not only for Intel, but for the entire semiconductor industry. Above all, the American. Historical crisis. The Historical crisis that Intel is going without resolving. And his new CEO, Lip-bu Tanalready I recognized A few weeks ago, “twenty or thirty years ago we were leaders. Now the world has changed. We are not among the ten main semiconductor companies.” The mass layoffs and the decision of Bet everything to lithography 18a –No 20th node– They raised a complicated future for the company, which needs maneuvering margin. He has just obtained it, but we don’t know at what price. Or maybe yes. The agreement. According to indicate in IntelUnited States will invest 8,900 million dollars in company shares, and that adds to the 2.2 billion dollars that the US government paid to the company as part of the Chips and Science Acta federal program that was approved in 2022 and is intended to invest billions of dollars to relive the country’s semiconductor industry. Intel was too big to fall. He Moment of weakness It is still worrying, but there have been two recent “bailouts.” The first, by the Investment of 2 billion dollars of softbank In the company. The second, much more important, the one that has just signed the US government with the purchase of 10% of Intel for 8,900 million dollars. This measure is especially striking for several reasons. For a start, is the first time that the US government intervenes a company since the rescue of the car industry was produced during the 2008 crisis. But there are more implications. Potential loss of autonomy. The agreement is only economic and there will be no official representation of the US government in the Board of Directors of Intel. However, political pressure will now be seen without a doubt increased, and each business decision of Lip-Bu Tan and its team will be seen through a different prism: there is public money at stake. Desperate times, desperate measures? Another perspectives from which this agreement can be contemplated is that of despair. Accepting this governmental “rescue” can be seen as a clear indication that Intel was against the ropes and there was no escape without any movement of this type. For Lip-Bu this can represent a problem for confidence in his leadership now that he has just taken command, and in fact the American senator Tom Cotton He accused him to invest in 600 Chinese companies. President Trump He came to ask for his resignation In Truth Social and then end up meeting him and congratulating him for its management. A logical agreement for Trump’s roadmap. The US president began his mandate with the clear intention of centralize semiconductor production to the maximum and electronics products. This protectionism is closely linked to this decision, and allows to protect Intel in addition to mitigating the dependence of Taiwan and the Chips import and technology From China. The Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, Indian That the agreement is especially beneficial for the US government, pointing out that they were basically giving money to companies through subsidies, but here what the US achieves is to raise that subsidy as an investment. It is not “lost” money. It is not clear that since the money comes from the ACT chips, the US government is allowed to end up obtaining benefits of such “investment.” Favoritism. This politicization of the semiconductor business could end up causing uncomfortable alliances and distorting competition. Now that all kinds of government agencies may have much more inclination to buy Intel chips in the future, while direct competitors such as Apple, AMD, NVIDIA or Qualcomm are harmed before a landscape of government favoritism. Intel, we insist, perhaps it was too big and iconic to drop it, but this intervention raises a change in the rules of the game that affects both Intel and its national competitors and, of course, foreigners. Image | Intel | Gage Skidmore In Xataka | Intel’s plan in front of an unattainable TSMC: beat Samsung and consolidate as the second largest chips manufacturer

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