prepared

How the city is prepared for one of the biggest tourist events of the year

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Malaga prepares to receive the comic-with next week. From September 25 to 28the capital will become neuralgic leisure center in Spainfranchise One of the most recognizable brands of the entertainment industry. A unique space for half a week that also makes clear its deep union with the city that welcomes it. We have asked ourselves how Malaga has prepared for Comic-Con, we have talked with hotels, restoration and transport and these are the answers. In Malaga better than anywhere else. Since his announcement, the fact that the Comic-Con is celebrated in Malaga has granted a special seal to the event. His first presentation was carried out in the city itself and there was a combination of international pop culture, with Marvel and Star Wars as flagships of the global fandom, with the much more native Malaga style, with dancers between droids and superheroes. Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, president of the Junta de Andalucía, said in that event that “for the Andalusian government, supporting this event is to consolidate Andalusia as a reference of digital art and pop culture.” The intention is clear. It is done in Malaga. Before the final approval of Malaga as the first headquarters outside the United States, a company delegation examined spaces, communications and other infrastructure, according to means like Malaga’s opinion. It is not a banal decision: The first calculations Extended by the organization talk about more than 30 million euros of economic impact, always according to Comic-Con. In any case, the city must be prepared. Hotel occupation. Although September is a month in which the hotel occupation traditionally lowers compared to August, the comic-with could change those figures. The Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (AEHCOS) estimates that the average occupation It could be around 87.65%, which represents a decrease with respect to the occupation of 88.74% last year. All that would change in the last days of the month, thanks to the influx that The organization estimates in 120,000 attendees. For those days, occupancy levels are expected above 90%, which could also extend the demand to nearby municipalities such as Torremolinos, Rincón de la Victoria or Benalmádena. A different tourism. Although tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are exhausted since last May, Málaga prepares for the arrival of a tourism with a different profile: younger and more specialized, with medium-high purchasing power and therefore, with requirements other than traditional tourism. To the entry with food and drink to the comic-withas well as the possibility that visitors leave and return, a considerable increase in influx to restaurants, coffee shops and bars close to the Palace of Fairs and Congresses is expected, although it has been a decision not exempt from controversy and that has generated FACUA protests. The Comic-Con in the Palace of Fairs and Congresses. According to FYCMA’s own datathis year it is expected that up to 200,000 visitors will pass through the recess, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. More than half of them could be visitors to the Comic-Con. Throughout 2025, FYCMA will organize more than one centers of fairs and congresses, but the comic-with is the “spearhead of its international projection.” According to the organization, the event “is a qualitative leap for its impact and the global scope of its theme.” And to get there. Transportation will experience reinforcements to facilitate access to FYCMA, although we have not been able to specify what will consist of exactly not obtaining a response from the city’s mobility area. If we get more precise data we will include them in the post, but for now we will know that the closest bus lines to the FYCMA (4, 19, 20 and 22) will have reinforced frequencies and greater operability during the event. In addition, the N3 night line will be available from central areas to the enclosure for those who attend activities at that time. As for the Metro, line 1 has a nearby stop (Sports Palace and Carranque), and the frequencies are expected to increase during the days of greater influx nearby, in lines C1 and C2. Although special routes have not been announced, the volume of travelers could lead to reinforcements at peak times. Header | Connor Gan in Unspash / Jesper Brouwers in Unspash In Xataka | This decision of George Lucas about his legacy is so important that he has gone for the first time to announce it

White brand and prepared dishes

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If there is a formula for commercial success, Mercadona seems to have found her. The Valencian chain continues to grow and reinforces its market share, which already exceeds 27% at the state level and even reaches 34.1% in Levantewhere he enjoys a special force. Behind these data there is a lucky combination of factors among which are mainly three: their ability to capture great purchases and their commitment to White marks and prepared dishes and ready to eat. The big question is … Does Mercadona have a roof? What happened? That Mercadona seems to have no roof in its commercial expansion. The Last data of Worldpanel by numerator show that their market share is 27.3% If we attend to the value of purchases, a percentage that makes the Juan Roig chain highlight in the sector. And not only because it is the one with the greatest weight (Carrefour and Ifa follow, with quotas of about 10%, and Lidl, with 6.9%). The Valencian company has continued to strengthen over time and takes an increasing bite of household consumption. Is it still growing? Yes. And more than its competitors. The WorldPanel study shows that during the first eight months of 2025 Mercadona expanded its quota 0.7% compared to the same period of 2024. Lidl, Eroski, Dia, Consum, Aldi or the IFA group also grew, but at a lower pace. As a reference, at the end of last year Worldpanel I calculated that the market share of the Juan Roig chain was 26.4%. Eight months later that percentage has grown until the barrier of 27%has exceeded. How have you done it? Mercadona’s growth does not respond to a single cause. At stake they enter Many factorsalthough perhaps one of the most relevant is that the Valencian chain has managed to reach many buyers, loyalty and (fundamental) to get ‘against’ the trend of global consumption. We explain ourselves. Mercadona not only leads the sector as regards value quota. He also does it in buyers (91.3%) and in faithfulness (29.9%). It grows on both fronts and also takes an overwhelming advantage to the rest of the competitors. And what about the trend? That is another key. WorldPanel technicians have detected that, although in general the “great consumption” (label that identifies the goods for daily use, low price and high demand) has grown 3.5% during the first months of the year and the “food inside the home” does so at a rate of 5.4%, the Spaniards are selective when filling the fridge. What does that mean? That we make a greater number of visits to the supermarket, compare prices and take smaller baskets. “Households complete the purchase by visiting more than one chain, even the same day,” The report requireswhich points out that over a year we visit on average about 6.5 different chains and there are those who even go to more than one in the same day to make the purchase. Mercadona seems to have the formula to get off the way of that trend and that its clients leave their establishments with the full cars. “Capitalizes the big baskets preventing your buyer from completing your purchase in other chains”, collect the study. That trend explains its high market share, especially pronounced In the Levante“its main area of ​​influence.” There the consultant estimates that Mercadona’s footprint rises to A resounding 34.1%. Is there more? Yes. Mercadona’s boom coincides with that of two other products for which Roig’s chain has clearly opted. The first is the white mark. Although in recent months Worldpanel has appreciated a “deceleration” In the growth of this type of products (those that look the distributor brand, as a landowner in the case of Mercadona or Auchan if we talk about Alcampo), its evolution in the set of 2025 is being good, with a clear increase. To be more precise, the consultant has detected a 1.7 -point rise between January and August. So much so, in fact, that the white mark It is already 45.9% of consumer spending. A year ago that percentage marked 44.2% and in 2023 it was 43%. The reality is that little by little these teachers have gone shaking stigmasexpanding its presence in the baskets regardless of the fluctuations of the economy. What does Mercadona sell? That is another key to the good streak of the chain. As Slide EFE, in the Mercadona baskets they have gained weight strategic products such as eggs and fish, but also a merchandise for which the chain has clearly opted over the last decade: the prepared dishes. The agency indicates that they are already present in 19.5% of purchases and in Your report The consultant estimates that the value of this type of food ready to consume has shot 49% in just three years, between 2022 and 2025. These data confirm the Mercadona aim, which has been betting on its line at least eight years ‘Ready to eat’with a rich range of prepared dishes that includes from entrants or pizzas to lentils and meatballs. In Your last annual report The company revealed that in 2024 it had 1,260 stores with that section and since then it has not stopped expanding it, with New openings In recent months. Roig himself He has recognized who believes that in the middle of the century homes will no longer have kitchens. People will feed with the dishes he buys out of home. Does the format matter? Yes. And that is something that has also helped Mercadona. The WorldPanel study shows that so far this year the activity has grown in the Short assortment chains (such as Aldi, Dia, Lidl and Mercadona) and the regionalwhich also have been experiencing a positive evolution for some time. On the contrary, they have ‘punctured’ hypermarkets, “the format that suffers the most in what we have been from year,” They clarify The authors of the study. That has taken its toll on the French chain Carrefour, which has lost customers through that way. Images | Wikipedia (Carloss) In Xataka … Read more

China will premiere its new Hong Kong in December. And Europe is not prepared for what is coming

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December will mark a turning point in the Chinese commercial strategy. The island of Hainan will launch its large -scale independent customs operation, becoming The new nerve center For international trade with China. A movement that arrives five years after Hong Kong lost his historical role as a bridge between the East and West. The western entrance door to China. Hong Kong has lost much of its appeal to Western companies since 2020, when Beijing The National Security Law imposed In the territory. This change in Hong Kong has been one of the ingredients that have contributed to the cooling of foreign investment in China, and that adds to a list that includes The growing geopolitical tensionsminor growth prospects and increased risk perceived after Trump’s return to power. The former British colony, which for more than two decades had worked as the privileged entrance door to China, no longer offers the predictable commercial environment sought by Western multinationals. A new commercial bridge. Hainan is presented as the “new and improved Hong Kong”, and The figures They support it more and more: 74% of Tariff lines They will have tariff -free products, compared to current 21%. Tax free items will go from 1,900 to 6,600. In addition, imported products that experience at least 30% added value when processing in Hainan will be able to enter Chinese continental territory without tariffs. That is, China is creating its freer economic zone just when the rest of the countries are fragmented in commercial blocks. Prepare, Europe. European companies now face a dilemma: maintain coherence with the geopolitical positions of their governments or take advantage of a real economic opportunity. While Europe debate A separation Of its financial connections on the country, Beijing is offering commercial conditions that will be difficult to reject for many multinationals. The Chinese strategy is clear: to turn Hainan into an irresistible magnet for foreign investment at a time when geopolitical tensions are at its highest point. The signals are already there. First semester data show that companies with foreign investment in China registered A 2.4% growth In its commercial value, reaching 751,720 million euros. The number of foreign companies with commercial activities in China amounted to 75,000, the highest figure for the same period since 2021. Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany increased their direct investment by 68.6%, 59.1%, 37.6% and 6.3% respectively. What comes now. Europe has not shown a clear strategy yet. While the United States maintains a more defined position in Its strategic competition with ChinaEuropean countries are debated among their economic ties with the Asian giant and pressures to align with Washington. Hainan represents the Chinese commitment to demonstrate that it can offer better conditions than any other emerging market, precisely when its economic model is most questioned. The countdown has begun. December 18China will officially open its new gateway to the world. Cover image | Denny Ryanto In Xataka | China has a prey capable of changing the rotation of the earth. Now they are building an even bigger

The electricity network was not prepared for 2025

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Although Bocachancla’s fame has been gained by the fame, Elon Musk can also be hit in his predictions. In mid -2024 predicted that this year we would see failures in the electricity grid because it was not prepared for current demand levels. And so it is being in large part of the world. Musk’s prediction. First, the shortage was from chips. Now, the bottleneck is in the voltage transformers. To the electrification that was already underway, the computing dedicated to the AI has been added, which is multiplied by ten every six months. “I have never seen a technology advance so quickly,” said the businessman in the Bosch Connected World 2024. What sounded to hyperbole has become a tangible problem just 18 months later. The difficulties in connecting new data centers, Light cuts during heat waves and The climbing of the night price of electricity They are already symptoms of an old and inflexible network that falls short for the times. The demand is runaway. In Italy, requests for connection to the network of new data centers They reached 42 gigawatts in March 2025a spectacular leap from the 30 GW registered at the end of last year. This 40% growth in just a quarter shows a voracious energy demand that mainly driven by AI. The energy appetite of generative AI is not a secret in Silicon Valley. Renewable energy has fallen short due to the slow expansion of batteries, and companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are investing in nuclear reactors To feed your data centers. A summer of blackouts. The summer of 2025 is serving as a hard reminder of the fragility of our electrical networks. On July 1, a heat wave caused a blackout in Florence. The cause: an overload in the network for the demand for air conditioning and overheating underground cables. It was not an isolated case. Countries like Kuwait and Bangladesh They decreed programmed cuts of electricity by heat waves. The networks operate with increasingly narrow margins, as we saw in Spain with the Bru what of April 28. There is no need for a catastrophic event to trigger a collapse: stations that control the tension They are at the limit. The background problem. Electrification, air conditioning and AI explosion is not the root cause of the problem. Neither does the lack of generation or storage. The background problem is the abandonment of infrastructure that connects everything. For every dollar that is invested in generating electricity, 40 cents are barely allocated to the networks, according to the International Energy Agency We are building an energy system of the 21st century on an infrastructure of the twentieth century. The IEA warning is as clear as that of Musk: “Without action, the electrical networks will be the bottleneck of the energy transition.” Elon Musk’s prediction was not a futuristic fantasy; It was a diagnosis of a disease that the electrical system already suffered. Images | Bosch, Dr. Maik Koch In Xataka | A month after the blackout in Spain, we continue to drag the same problem that led us to him: electric networks

Cybertruck wanted to be the car prepared for the Apocalypse. Lamborghini Rezzvani Knight has advanced him on the right

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You’ve ever thought about “how good a tank would make me buy the bread.” If the answer is affirmative, two things: what would you have to comment with someone … and there is a car for you. Whenever you have a baggy bank account, of course. The reason? American firm Rezzvani has created the Definitive SUV For apocalypse: a Lamborghini Urus that seems Christopher Nolan’s Batmobile. They have baptized him as Rezvani Knight, and even calambrazos who dares to touch him. Rezvani. This is a story of two firms aimed at being. One for its radical designs and another for the personalization that adds to the cars that pass through their workshop. Let’s start with Rezvani. It is a American manufacturer which has focused on converting high performance cars into something extremely exclusive. What they do is choose a supercar or powerful off -road and improve both base vehicle benefits and occupants protection. In the presentation of Tesla Cybertruck Emphasis was placed on the armor of some of its parts (Do not glue them with glue), But in the case of Rezvani models, they literally create armored vehicles. He Beast Alpha X Blackbird or the HERULES 6X6 They are two examples. The Urus. On the other hand, we have the Lamborghini Urus. The Italian firm does not need presentation at this point and one of its last creations is a SUV High performance equipped with a V8 biturbo engine that develops about 650 hp. This 2025 Han launched a plug -in model with a total of 800 hp by adding a 192 hp electric motor. It has an even faster acceleration, total traction and 8 -speed automatic change. It is a car that aligns, standard, with the aesthetic vision of Rezvani thanks to combining that typical bull brand with sports lines and high performance engines. The original Explosive mixture. And, condemned to understand each other, the Rezvani Knight. This name makes a lot of sense because, basically, it is a mixture between a lamb and a tank, exactly what Nolan devised for the Batmobo that Christian Bale leads in his Batman trilogy (the personal car when he was not Batman was a Lambo batby the way). The Rezvani Knight widen its body and add 22 -inch tires, a led bar on the ceiling, front lights divided into four and more angular and extreme lines than those carried by the URUS standard. It seems that they have taken as a reference the hybrid version, since they do not give details, but they claim that it has 800 hp. And the really striking is what hides. The Dark Knight Military Package carries the following extras: Chapa armor and crystals not only for bullets: also for explosives and grenades. Reinforced suspension and military tires with antibala protection. Doors with electrified handles, blinding lights, air filtering system against chemical agents, smoke dispensers and pepper gas, anti -strap defenses and even protection against electromagnetic pulses. Thermal cameras and, as accessories for occupants, gas masks and bulletproof vests. Price … dizzy. To the question of “how much this monstrosity costs”, the answer is “yes.” First, you have to contribute the car to modify. Urus costs about 260,000 euros and you must donate yours to the cause. Second, the conversion starts from $ 149,000 with external design, military gadgets and survival and partial armor. Third, the most extreme armor is revealed to whom one reserves. Because, in addition, it is limited: the idea of ​​Rezvani is to manufacture only 100 of these monsters worldwide, so if it is already a expensive car with a face modification, that aura of exclusivity can make that in the future it costs an authentic fog. Or maybe, as happened to ASVE AREX, unique in the world and Sold for what a Dacia Duster costs. Images | Rezvani, Alexander Migl Images | A youtuber has a car that is worth four million euros. To drive it you have to pay 7,000 every 60 kilometers

The world seemed not to be prepared for the end of cash. The digital euro makes it clear that yes

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The unknown about Why datáphones worked in full blackout He brought another question: if the end of effective money made sense or not. Without operating offline TPVs, the cash It was the only form of payment. But not having a connection and having an alternative payment method does not evide on digital alternatives. This is something that Europe was raised with the digital euro more than two years ago The digital euro. After years of study, the European Commission approved in 2023 the First legal framework For him Digital euro. As its name indicates, this will be the digital version of our currency. It is born as an alternative and not as a replacement, at least with the information currently available. The ECB has everything thought. The European Central Bank detailed in that first framework that the digital euro would operate offline to guarantee privacy. The technical details have not yet transcended, since this is a development currency, but the transactions without connection will be one of its bases. Both cards and smartphones will temporarily store the funds, synchronizing with the central system when recovering the connection. A blackout that has not demonstrated so much. Although the blackout left on the table that without TPV there is no way to pay that is not cash, it has failed to show the need for physical money to respond to the need for payment. If the digital euro manages to operate offline, it will be possible to make transactions even in scenarios such as the one lived this week. The methodology. Without too much technical depth, the ECB advanced that short -range technologies (Bluetooth, NFC, etc.) are used to make connections between devices, imposing certain limits for transactions in order to mitigate fraud risks. “The Eurosystem has no interest in collecting data from individual user payments, or in monitoring payment behavior or sharing of those data with government agencies or other public institutions.” While the ECB stated that privacy will be one of the pillars of the digital euro, with a certain degree of anonymization (intermediaries will not be able to access concrete details about transactions), Spain, a ticket country. In countries like GermanySurveys collect that half of the population is not willing to use the digital euro. If we focus on Spain, a study by the IPSOS agency evidenced that 65% of respondents were comfortable with current payment methods and would not use this alternative. Payments are still linked to the private, especially in Spain. According to data from the Bank of Spain 65% of the population used cash in 2023, being the main payment method for purchase in physical stores. Europe wants to have the digital euro ready in the short term (two years ago there was already talk of 2025 and 2026). You won’t have it easy. Image | Greegrose and Moerschy In Xataka | The European Central Bank has been fighting for five years to literally create a “European Bizum”. Now has taken a key step

The main tips to be prepared

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Let’s give you a few tips on How to prepare for possible blackoutswith some things that we recommend you at home and remember. Our idea is not only focusing on international catastrophic blackouts, but also being prepared for those premises that can ever occur. Therefore, we are going to give you a small list with The most essential ideas and advice For these cases. Thus, in the event that you have a blackout you can have resources to be without electricity for several hours without this being an excessive problem. Have prepared lighting The blackouts can arrive at any time. If the lighting arrives during the day, it is not a problem, but if it happens during the night it will be necessary to have something in a drawer to see. They can be candles, but too An LED flashlight Help you in key moments. The lifelong wax candles are always useful and appealed, and some always have some in a drawer. Also matches or a lighter. As for the flashlight, to be LED to consume less, and if you go to batteries you have some new prepared. But the best is A flashlight with dynamoof those that have a crank with which to load them. It is a little more tedious to use them, but you don’t need batteries, and they are a very good long -term alternative not to depend on them. Have some external battery loaded Something that can save you a lot if a blackout lasts several hours is have an external battery at home. This will help to keep your mobile loaded, and to be able to use it to inform you or to entertain you while the light is restored. Ideally, it would be at least 5,000 mAh to have a little more than a mobile load, but ideally you should have some of 10,000 mAh. If you have several ports, better, although the essential thing is that you have USB-C. Yes, make sure Always have this battery chargedbecause if when a blackout happens you realize that you did not load it again the last time you used it on a hiking or festival, it will be as if you did not have it. You can also look at the loading power, as they can be 22.5W, 40W, and many things. These amounts what they measure is the power, and the greater the faster you can load the mobile. To choose from look at the load characteristics of your mobile, they are measured in the same way, and then look for a battery that equals them. You also need the USB-C cable to support those powers so that you do not make fun and you can take advantage of it. Have a fm radio batteries When you have an electric blackout at home, your wifi leaves. And if for some reason the mobile connectivity network of your operator fails, then you will stop having access to the Internet. We have already learned that this can happen and last hours, and in these cases it is very difficult to access information from what happens. Therefore, it is convenient that you have A FM Radio Pilas by housesomething analog and “lifelong.” In these cases in which you have neither electricity nor the Internet, it will be a good means to access the stations where they are informing what happens, or simply to entertain yourself with the programming. Have canned food that does not need to cook Something that should not be missing in your pantry is to have some food cans that do not need to cook. When they are in can, they will have a long duration and they will not expire in the short and medium term, so you can have them there for any emergency that may arise. Because you can have food in the fridge, but it is not advisable to be opening it so that the cold does not go and your food does not spoil, and if your kitchen is electric will stop working. Therefore, a canned meal that is already cooked and does not need preparation is a very valuable resource This also applies to all kinds of Non -perishable foodfrom rice and preserves that we have mentioned with nuts or energy bars. Also have A manual opening to open them. If you are a campist, that gas campsite may come well at home or in a localized storage room you can access. Keep your laptops loaded If you have laptops at homeit is advisable to always keep them with a good load. Because if you leave the light but you have the Internet and want to continue working or navigate online, nothing is more frustrating than lighting your old laptop and seeing that it is decarced. Therefore, every month or a few weeks review it, keep it updated and make sure have it well loaded and turn it off correctly when you stop using it to keep the maximum battery. Have bottled water Other tips we can give you are Have bottled water at homeand if you have no low to buy it. If your neighborhood community sends water to the houses with an electric pump and there is a cut throughout the building, you may be left without water, and have to drink and do other things is important. Other tips to be taken into account In addition to what we have told you, remember to have A first aid kit at home In case you have any accident. It is also necessary to have elementary medications for mnos one or two weeks, toilet paper, menstrual products, soap, disinfectant or alcohol. Always keep the tank of your car half full to start it and use it to load devices if necessary, an important contact list, and disconnect electronic devices before the light returns to prevent a voltage peak from damaging them. In Xataka Basics | Light has gone in almost all of Spain: what to do … Read more

The manufacturers are racing the land so that we drive with smart glasses. Spain is not prepared

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Google is preparing an update for Android Auto. A close related to one of the devices that aims to mark the trend of the coming years: smart glasses. The arrival in Spain of models such as the Rayban Meta go beyond curiosity. These types of glasses are another device in consumer technology, such as a mobile or a headset. And both are prohibited at the wheel. Android Auto and smart glasses. A few days ago the Android source code gave away one of the functions that Google is preparing: Content projection such as Google Maps while driving. Developing functions, among which is the “Start Navigation to Launch Glasses” make clear Google’s idea for this type of device: technology integration to the head up display within the glasses themselves. A concept problem. With Google’s idea, several points enter concepts. None of them regulated in the current Spanish legislation. If the glasses project content, they would be governed by the Article 18.1 of the General Circulation Regulation (RD 1428/2003)that prays the following. “The driver is obliged to maintain his own freedom of movements, the necessary vision field and permanent driving attention, which guarantee their own safety, that of the rest of the occupants of the vehicle and that of the other users of the road.” Technically, the projection of the glasses would not affect the field of vision or the free movements. But the problem is that smart glasses, at least the most popular (such as Meta), have nothing to do with this. Hands free and Spain. The circulation code does not like hands free, and is quite restrictive about it. Article 18.2 of the General Circulation Regulation prays the following. “It is forbidden to drive using helmets or headphones connected to receptor or sound players.” The key here is that, technically, the glasses are glasses, although they work as much as headphones and sound players. Because yes, devices such as Rayban Meta are literally music players, with the difference that they are not located in the ear. The nuances. Although the circulation code prohibits the use of headphones, it reflects some exceptions. Among them, that assisted driving devices or hands are not prohibited that neither cover the ears nor isolate in the environment. In other words, if I gave you driving with some Vision Pro It is more than probable (and deserved) to stop and mulitate you. With Rayban Meta, you would technically be complying with Spanish legislation. An inevitable trend. He Google and Samsung pact For mixed reality devices, the finish line with Rayban Meta, the prototypes of motor companies such as BWM for make glasses that work while driving. The format of smart glasses, although now diversified between complete format (helmet) and traditional format, has gain presence of a time to this part. Sooner or later, the legislation will have to clarify what we can do and what not with them behind the wheel. Image | Xataka In Xataka | The Meta Ray-Ban are the first smart glasses that have managed to impress me. They are the beginning of something more

The US was prepared for total destruction in the cold war. This map for nuclear apocalypse illustrates it

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The launch of Nagasaki and Hiroshima atomic bombs It was a turning point. Practically, marked the end of the Second World War while starting a Cold war in which the United States and Russia were carried away by nuclear ecstasy. The two powers engaged in a nuclear career without controlbut it is not that they developed the crazy bombs: there were also lists of enemy objectives. And on an interactive map prepared by Future of Life We can see about 1,000 objectives to which the United States would launch a nuclear bomb. But there were many more. The map. In 2015, a study of the United States Strategic Air Command was declared – SAC – that showed a thousand potential objectives in the case of nuclear war. If this possibility flew over the heads of some with the recent Ukraine War, imagine the stage in a cold war in which you could have the feeling that the enemy could squeeze the “button” at any time. There are more than 800 pages in which the objectives of these strategic bombings with nuclear weapons are detailed to erase any enemy presence. In it map From the George Washington University we can not only appreciate some of the main objectives, but the secondary objectives of each of them. For example, if we select Berlin, we can see the objective list And consequences of that study of 1956. Beyond the cities, another priority was the aerodromes, keys to a Soviet counterattack, specifically those located in Belarus. Easting east. Apart from military objectives such as strategic points and aerodromes, the listIt includes more than 1,200 cities of the Soviet block. It is where we can see that more dots are gathered on the map of Future of Life and range from cities of Eastern Germany to China. Moscow would fall into the Red Square, directly (and on this map we can see the Impact of different bombs in any city). The Asian giant, will fight or not next to the Soviet block in case of war, was something that did not matter to SAC. He treated them as hostile, selecting military objectives, but also the Beijing capital. And something that several of the bombed cities have in common is that the SAC already assumed objectives of “population.” The bombs. The plan was well mounted because there was not only a list of objectives, but also the type of weapons that would be used. They would use a combination of atomic and thermonuclear weapons with yields between 1.6 to 15 megatons. Far from the 50 megatons of the Soviet Zar pump, but much more than the 16 kilotons of Little Boy and the 21 kilotons of Fat Man, which wreaked havoc in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The megabomba. We have talked about the tsar pump, or tsar bomb, and in the United States there was also talk of it in 1956. It is not only the bomb that has caused the largest nuclear explosion so far, but it was 3,000 times more powerful than ‘Little boy’. The Russians had that bomb and the United States wanted an equal. In the declassified material, it is detailed how the SAC wanted a 60 megatones bomb. Not only did they identify him as something key in order to be tremendously deterrent but, in case of Soviet surprise attack, they could launch it at a strategic point to “ensure significant results even with a very small force.” In that nuclear ecstasy, the nuclear physicist Edward Teller (“Father” of the bomb H) proposed 1,000 metatones dissositive and up to 10 gigatons. 10 gigatons equals explosive power 670,000 times greater than that of the Hiroshima bomb. Luckily they did not do it, since affirmed that “would contaminate the earth”In the end, the US did not develop such a monstrous bomb. Nor the 60 megatones that the SAC wanted. And the media. And, within the plan, it also specified how the pumps would be launched. There were two systems: for the delivery of B-47 bombers, the United States would use its bases in the United Kingdom, Morocco and Spain. They would also use the B-52 from the US, although they were starting their journey. For the missile system, the eyelets would be loaded in the Snark, Rascal, Cross Bow and IRBM missiles. The first was a failure in the evidence and the great priority of President Eisenhower were the IRBM. These intermediate -reach ballistic missiles projected scope of up to 2,700 kilometers and the idea was to deploy them and throw them from the United Kingdom. Insured mutual destruction. But well, the United States had its Soviet axis attack plan, but the USSR also had its own. In the Soviet plans the Western military infrastructure, the industrial centers and large cities in both the US and its allies entered. They would do it by hydrogen pumps, tactical pumps that could mount on torpedoes and missiles released from mobile platforms. But although the logic could not reign in the massive development of weapons, the fear and that position of both ‘Mad’ countries did, or ‘insured mutual destruction’ that marked that, if a country launched a nuclear attack, automatically the other would respond with a proportional force. This led to threats over the years (such as the deployment of American missiles in Türkiye and Italy or the subsequent crisis of Cuba missiles, but fortunately it did not reach more. And what happens today. In 1986, the two countries reached the zenith of their nuclear arsenal and, from that moment, they dismantled much of their arsenal. The USSR came to have more than 40,000 heads while the United States reached 23,317, but as we say, different pacts and that tension that dissipated with the fall of the Berlin wall caused them to get rid of much of its arsenal. The problem is that other countries -china- have developed and are found enhancing its own nuclear arsenaland in recent years there is a kind of new … Read more

Three years after the beginning of the war, Europe wants to enter. The problem is that there is only one prepared nation: Ukraine

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Europe has decades without a direct armed conflict in its territory, with the exception of Yugoslavia wars in the 90sthe last great episode of violence in European soil. Since then, security in the continent has been marked by A strategy based on deterrence and diplomacymore than in military confrontation. And, suddenly, the conflict in Ukraine recalled that fireworks It is not the same as direct fire. Europe before Ukraine. As we said, the European armed forces have been reserve for a long time. In fact and how we will see, mostly they have been reduced and adapted to a context of stability, with investments limited in defense and a focus on Peace maintenance and humanitarian assistance operationssuch as missions in Balkans, Africa or the Middle East. Despite the growth of NATO and its presence in Eastern Europe, European armies have been more accustomed to acting in controlled scenarios that to prepare a direct confrontation against a weight opponent such as Russia. Fireworks. In fact, this approach has led to many military operations from European countries being Mainly exercises, joint maneuvers and drills in allied countries such as Slovakia, Poland or Latviabut without the real experience of a conventional combat against a military power. And it is not the same to deploy troops for an exercise in the Baltic countries to face in battle against a force like the Russian army. Enter the war. Under all this context we arrive at this week. A few days ago several European leaders have gathered in Paris to discuss the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine as part of A possible peace agreementalthough the viability of this measure depends largely on the support of the United States. In fact, the summit was promoted by the decision of the Trump administration of exclude Europe from negotiations They started in Saudi Arabia between Washington and Moscow, although Trump has suggested that Europeans could perform “a peace maintenance role.” Plans and divisions. And then Europe seems to have realized that the “defense” had it careless. According to The Washington Postsome European countries consider The deployment of up to 30,000 soldiersthat, yes, they would not be on the front line, but as a deterrence in case of a resumption of the conflict. Another option, or plan B, is the one that They have called “resettlement force” destined to protect Ukraine from future Russian attacks in case a peace agreement negotiated by the United States is reached. That said, France is the country with the most advanced plans estimating that could contribute almost 10,000 soldierswhile the United Kingdom, through its prime minister Keir Starmer, has opened The possibility of a British contribution. And so far, because the rest of the countries have shown a more ambiguous position. Sweden and the Netherlands, for example, They do not rule out the shipment of troopsbut they have not made a specific decision. Germany, Poland and Spain have rejected the idea, At least for now. Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz emphasized that Any solution should be based on a strong Ukrainian forcewhile Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland, said that Warsaw “does not contemplate sending Poles soldiers to Ukraine.” For its part, the Spanish government was blunt when pointing out that Peace is still far and only depends on Putinmaking it clear that any military mission should define objective, participants, mandate and leadership. Strategic objectives. If the “plan B” is given, with a peace agreement underway, the main mission of this eventual “resettlement force” would be guarantee the safety of Ukrainian airspaceallowing the reopening of commercial flights, and protect maritime trade in the Black Sea, fundamental for grain exports and other essential goods for the Ukrainian economy. It would also be prioritized The protection of key infrastructure such as Public Plant and Public Servicesthat have been constant target of Russian bombing since the beginning of the war. Ukraine proposes a broader approach. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s security does not necessarily require foreign troops in his territory. Proposed The creation of “Armed Forces of Europe”capable of responding on land, sea, air and artificial intelligence before any Russian aggression. He also stressed that advanced air defense systems would be effective measures to strengthen security without requiring permanent foreign troops. The elephant in the room. No doubt, Europe’s plan faces important diplomatic obstacles, the first of all: United States support It is, at the moment, uncertain. Although the Trump administration has insisted that European troops must guarantee the security of a future peace agreement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made it clear that They must be part of a mission not related to NATO and not be protected by article 5 of mutual defense. Not just that. Even in the uncertain scenario of a peace agreement, the mission and role of Europe would require an American “backstop”that is, a support from the United States in case of a military escalation. Although there are no specific details, this support is expected It focuses on aerial power with operations based on Poland and Romania. In this regard, Starmer and Macron will travel to Washington next week To press Trump and ensure that the United States provides this strategic support. “Old” defenses. In the background, what is showing is a great weakness in its defenses, possibly oxidized. In fact, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, warned this week at the Munich Security Conference that Ukraine is making weapons faster and less cost than any other country in Europe. It is not a trivial detail. It does so despite being at war, which shows the slowness of the continent in strengthening its military capacity. Frederiksen urged to reduce bureaucracy and increase arms production in collaboration with the United States emphasizing that Europe can no longer act as if it were in peacetime. The rise of the Ukrainian military industry. From the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine has exponentially increased its armament productionmanufacturing missiles, obuses and large -scale drones. In 2024, 30% of the military equipment used … Read more

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