prevent

Predicting Alzheimer’s 10 years in advance is now a scientific reality. The challenge now is to prevent healthcare from collapsing

by

Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that is undoubtedly a true ghost, since it only It becomes visible when the damage is already irreparable and that, despite trying to stop it, it is becoming difficult to control it. And historically, the medical diagnosis comes when memory begins to fail, but by then the brain has been suffering in silence for years, even decades. Now science focuses on the need for early diagnosis so that treatments can work. A new analysis. One of the ways to detect this disease before it begins to show the classic symptoms such as memory loss is through a blood test. This is the milestone that has been collected in The Lancet magazine recently thanks to research from the University of California, and that could generate a large population screening that is not free of controversy. What they did. The researchers followed 1,350 people aged between 56 and 69, without any type of dementia, for more than 35 years. And here the key was to look for specific proteins circulating in the blood that increased in the earliest phases of Alzheimer’s, as occurs with others marked in other diseases such as PSA in prostate cancer. And they found two biomarkers. The first of them is Aβ42/40, which is an early indicator that warns of the accumulation of hateful beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. But they also found the protein p-tau217, which is considered today the most precise marker for the pathology. The results. The 6% of participants who tested positive for these biomarkers showed a four-fold increased risk of developing verbal memory problems and a decline in their cognitive speed a decade later. But science has been trying to refine this tool for years, looking for markers such as GFAP, which rises about ten years before symptoms appear. See the invisible. The blood test does not walk alone in this diagnostic revolution, since on the same day, The Lancet published a second study based on nearly 800 participants from the US and Canada that tests a new and sophisticated neuroimaging technology: the MK6240 PET plotter. Until now, visualizing the tau protein, which is one of those responsible for Alzheimer’s by accumulating in neurons, was a great challenge. But this new tracer promises to be much more sensitive, detecting twice as many positive cases in healthy people with amyloid accumulation compared to the standard used today. You have to wait. Before throwing the bells in the air, it should be noted that experts point out that this test not ready to be used as general population screening. The reason lies in mathematics, since the prevalence of asymptomatic Alzheimer’s in healthy middle-aged people remains low in absolute terms, so applying this test to everyone would generate a very high volume of false positives. That is, an increase in this protein that is not actually related to early Alzheimer’s. But logically, the fear, anxiety and the resulting cascade of confirmatory tests would collapse the health services that are already stressed, and furthermore, the drugs we have, despite the fact that they stop the effects of the disease in its earliest phases, are not yet definitive. That is why we must remain on the right path, but there is still a long way to go to get this disease under control. Images | Robina Weermeijer Testalize.me In Xataka | Alzheimer’s no longer seems irreversible: science allows brains with advanced damage to recover for the first time in animals

Renfe trusted in Justice to prevent Iryo from using its workshops. Your last hope just faded away

by

Renfe will have to open its workshops to Iryo. At least for now. This is what the National Court has decided, rejecting the very precautionary measures requested by Renfe with which it intended to close the Italian company’s access to its space. Of course, the judicial procedure continues, so it is not at all clear what will end up happening in the medium term. No. This is what the National Court has determined. It does not accept the very precautionary measures requested by Renfe to prevent Iryo from using its facilities to carry out its own heavy maintenance activities at its facilities, they point out in The Economist. The National Court sides with the CNMC, at least for now, in the battle that Renfe maintains against Iryo and the regulators. However, the procedure continues and Justice will have to confirm whether, in the future, Renfe must keep its facilities open to rivals. The CNMC. This first decision of the court reaffirms the position of the CNMC, which claims to be allowing all the protagonists of this film to operate under equal conditions. Cani Fernández, president of the CNMC, defended the position of the regulators, arguing that “the CNMC has to guarantee access to the market under equal conditions,” in words reported by He Northern Castile. Since the conflict beganthe CNMC has sided with Iryo and demands that Renfe open its workshops so that the Italian company can carry out maintenance work on its trains. They point out that if Iryo has to send its trains to Italy, it would lose them for weeks and put it at a disadvantage in the market. The other alternative, that scheduled maintenance is not carried out, is not logically viable either. What Renfe says. For its part, Renfe believes that give access to Iryo to carry out the activities that have already been advanced to them has no place within the competitive framework that the Spanish company and the rest of its rivals had given themselves. Renfe does not avoid its obligation to have to lend its facilities to Iryo and Ouigo but remember that this is only the case for light maintenance tasks. However, they allege, Iryo has requested to be able to carry out its own heavy maintenance activities. This, according to Renfe, would have direct consequences on its offer because its facilities are already working at full capacity. The company assures that if it gives entry to the Italian company will suffer the following consequences: Remove 1.2 million seats from its offer due to not being able to maintain its own trains Of those seats, one million would correspond to the offer offered as a public service Loss of 60 million euros in income What Iryo says. In its allegations, Renfe points out that Iryo’s activities would occupy 10% of the La Sagra facilities, where its Comprehensive Maintenance Base is located. Iryo reduces this figure to 7% and points out that it would not be too much of a problem since they are activities that can be scheduled based on the mileage of the trains. They emphasize that if Renfe does not give them access to their workshops they will have to take them to Rome and that this implies leaving them out of circulation for up to two months, a situation that they consider unfair. The company has not made any comment on the possibility of setting up its own workshops in Spain, just as promised upon arrival. They complain. The latter does not convince Renfe that she feels aggrieved in this fight. Back in the day, he discovered that Ouigo was carrying out heavy unscheduled maintenance work in his workshops. Now they believe that giving Iryo access to act in the same way is not fair because it is not specified or by the Directive 2012/34/EU (RECAST) on the single railway space nor the standard EN 15380-4:2021 Spanish. Faced with the first decision of the CNMC, Renfe responded by closing the door and putting forward its reasons but the organization stood firmand. The next thing was to appeal the decision to the National Court requesting very precautionary measures but these, as we say, have been rejected. At the moment, Justice forces the workshops to open but the procedure continues to decide whether, in the medium term, Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo must maintain this same balancing act or if the Spanish company can close the door on them. Photo | Renfe and Iryo In Xataka | There is a fight between the railway operators to get the best drivers and Renfe is winning it

How to prevent AI from always being right by default and thus make Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT have fewer hallucinations

by

Let’s tell you how to prevent AI from agreeing with you by defaultmodifying your attitude to be less accommodating. In this way, by not making an effort to please you, you will get the artificial intelligence make fewer mistakes and hallucinations. To do this, let’s compose a prompt that you must add in the configuration of the artificial intelligence you use, and which serves both Claude as for ChatGPT , Gemini or any other. It will be a prompt which we will add in the AI ​​behavior configuration so that it always takes it into account. However, remember that this will not completely eliminate the hallucinationsbecause making things up is relatively normal in AI. However, since the response will not always be directed towards agreeing with you or pleasing you, you will make them reduce it a little. Of course, another thing to keep in mind is that by doing this the user experience will change. AI can get a little “edge”because you will no longer laugh thank you. Sometimes it will tell you that an idea is bad or that you are wrong, and that will not be a failure, but will show the success of the prompt. A prompt for a less complacent AI To make your AI less complacent and verify information moreyou will have to go to the settings of the one you use and go to the custom instructions section to change its behavior. There you will have to write this entire prompt, which is quite long: Always be honest, direct and rigorous. Your goal is not to please me, but to be accurate. ACCURACY AND VERIFICATION Before answering, do an internal check: is it a verified fact or an inference? If you don’t know, say so. Do not invent data, dates, names or sources. If you’re inferring or not 100% sure, use phrases like “It’s likely that…” or “My information suggests…” instead of outright statements. ANTICOMPLACENCY (Zero Bias) Don’t give me reason by default. If my premise is false or my question is misdirected, correct me before executing the task. Eliminate unnecessary polite phrases (“Sure!”, “I understand,” “Excellent question”). Get straight to the point. If my proposal has logical or technical flaws, criticize it constructively but crudely. NEUTRALITY AND DEBATE On topics with multiple points of view, present the mainstream in a balanced way, even if my question seems to seek a biased answer. AUTO CORRECTION If you spot an error in your text generation, stop and correct it immediately. PREVIOUS THOUGHT For complex queries or questions with verifiable data, briefly reason out loud before answering. For simple queries, go direct. These instructions apply to all types of queries: creative, technical, factual or personal. How to add the prompt to ChatGPT On ChatGPTyou have to enter the settings of your website or application. Once inside, go to the section Personalization. You have to put the prompt within the option of Custom instructions. You will see that the writing field is small, but you will be able to copy and paste the prompt there without problems. How to add the prompt to Gemini In Geminiyou have to click on the button Settings and helpand in the drop-down menu click on Personal context. Once inside the customization screen Gemini, press the button Add of Your instructions for Geminiand a window will open where you can paste the prompt. How to add the prompt to Claude In Claude you have to go into the settings. Once inside, click on the section Generaland you will have to write the prompt in the field Instructions for Claude. Here you can paste everything without problem so that it is always taken into account. In Xataka Basics | The best prompts to save hours of work and do your tasks with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or other artificial intelligence

Greece wants to prevent its beaches from being suffocated by mass tourism. So you’ve declared war on sun loungers

by

Greece faces a dilemma. One well known in other countries that, like Italy, France, Holland, Japan either Spainhave become dream destinations for travelers from all over the world: their tourist attraction threatens to make them die of successsuffocated by overcrowding. To avoid this, the Greek Government has decided to shield around 250 beaches to maintain them as “virgin” sandbanks. In practice, this means that things as basic as renting umbrellas or sun loungers cannot be done there. “Virgin beaches”. If Greece is one of the most visited countries in the world and becomes the summer resort of millions of tourists It is basically because of four things: its Mediterranean climate, its historical heritage, its gastronomy and (above all) its landscapes and beaches. The Government knows this and that is why some time ago it prepared a list of “Virgin Beaches” either “unauthorized”coastal areas in which the authorities apply more restrictive control. Goodbye umbrellas, sun loungers and motorcycles. Among other thingsin these protected spaces it is not permitted to rent umbrellas and sun loungers, set up new bars or install music equipment and speakers. Nor organize events in which they participate more than ten people or use jet skis. In short: they are beaches open to the public and where you can lie down and sunbathe, but unlike the busiest areas you will hardly find commercial services or of course large tourist infrastructures. The idea is to preserve them in their natural state. The key figure: 251. Nothing new so far. What is striking is that the Greek Ministries of Economy and Environment have decided to expand the list of beaches to which this level of protection applies. Specifically, they have added 13 new sandy beaches, according to the local presswith which the ‘armored’ coves and beaches go from 238 to 251. The data is interesting in itself, but above all because the trend that draws: In recent years Athens has been expanding its protected coastal strip. From the 198 beaches in 2024 it went to 238 in 2025 and to 251 that will be monitored this summer. What is the objective? Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Greece is full of idyllic beaches, but the mix of overtourism and uncontrolled commercial exploitation, with sandy areas covered by beach bars, umbrellas, sun loungers and rental jet skis, can make it less attractive. The Government also appeals to the need to protect the formations and ecosystems of the Greek coast. “The amendment seeks to effectively protect beaches that have a particular aesthetic, geomorphological or ecological value, as well as preserve the types of habitats and species of flora and fauna found there,” they argue. Earrings from the Natura Network. “Specifically, the coastal zones and beaches located in areas included in the National Catalog of Areas of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 are expanded, in which use concessions are already prohibited, as well as any other action that could endanger their morphology and integrate with regard to their ecological functions,” duck the Government. To clear up doubts, the Greek authorities have published a list in which you can consult the beaches where businesses dedicated to renting umbrellas, sun loungers or motorcycles have been banished. These include sandy areas of Koufonisia, Chania or Lefkada. Some of the beaches added to the list have been in the center of controversy in recent years precisely because of tourism development plans that included new structures. The other data: 38 million. It is no coincidence that Greece decides to reinforce the care of its beaches right now. With the international tourism boom As a backdrop, in 2025 the country received about 37.98 million of foreign visitors (not including cruises), 5.6% more than the previous year. That rebound came accompanied by something else: an intense flow of billions of euros. Specifically, it is estimated that last year the income generated by the sector skyrocketed by 9.4% to reach 22.6 billion of euros, a figure that increases noticeably if you add the cruise passengers. These are important data due to their weight… and to understand the zeal with which Greece wants to take care of its sandy beaches, preventing part of its coastline from becoming overcrowded. If the tourism sector has learned anything in recent years, it is how easy it is to die of success. Without going any further, there are already travel guides that advise against visiting Mallorca, Barcelona or the Canary Islands because they consider them points hyper-crowded. Images | Nikos Zacharoulis (Unsplash) and Jorn Idzerda (Unsplash) In Xataka | The Balearic Islands are so desperate with tourism that they are already considering a measure that until now was taboo: a limit on flights

Countries are trying to prevent the accumulation of wealth of technological millionaires. Ancient Rome tried it too

by

The concentration of wealth in a few hands that we see today in technological billionaires is not a new phenomenon. More than two thousand years ago, the Ancient Rome faced exactly the same dilemma that worries today to governments around the world: a few rich people accumulated land and resources, while the majority of citizens became impoverished to the point of bordering on misery. A young politician named Tiberius Sempronius Graceither He thought he found a solution to redistribute the wealth accumulated by the Roman patricians: his idea cost him his life. In the middle of the second century BC, after destroying Carthage and Corinth, Rome had become the dominant power of the Mediterranean. However, this expansion it didn’t make everyone rich equally. For the humblest Roman peasants, it brought a devastating social crisis. The small landowners, who for centuries had cultivated their lands and served in the Roman legions, were displaced by large estates exploited with slave labor brought from the new conquered territories. The long military campaigns had prevented the soldiers peasants return in time to harvest their lands, which affected the economies of their families. Furthermore, upon their return they discovered that their lands had been expropriated by millionaire aristocrats from Rome. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchusgrandson of Scipio Africanus, the general that defeated to the Carthaginian Hannibaland heir to one of the most powerful families in Rome, was guaranteed a brilliant political future. However, in the year 133 BC, being elected tribune of the plebs, he decided to propose an agrarian reform with which he attempted to redistribute the enormous fortunes that Roman landowners had accumulated. Something similar to what is trying to make California and other countries all over the world. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus With this measure, Gracchus was directly confronting his own people since he himself came from a wealthy family. Its law established that no citizen could own more than 500 iugera (about 125 hectares) of public land, the so-called ager publicus. The plots that exceed that limit will be expropriated and handed over to landless peasants. A measure that, de facto, ended with the large estates in the hands of the richest romans. The objective of the measure was twofold: to restore economic solvency to the Roman people and to ensure that Rome had enough citizens with assets to nourish its legions, since only the owners They could serve as soldiers. Making friends among the richest According to the ancient sources of Plutarch, written between the years 96 AD and 117 AD, Tiberius did not seek to start a revolution against the rich, but to restore old republican laws that had fallen into disuse. To defend his reform, Tiberius gave speeches in front of the impoverished people of Rome. In one of his most famous, which was collected by Plutarchthe young tribune declared: “Their generals deceive them when, in battle, they encourage them to fight for the temples of their gods and for the tombs of their fathers. This is because, of a large number of Romans, not one has his own domestic altar or family tomb. They fight and die to feed the opulence and luxury of others, and, when they claim to be masters of the entire world, they do not even own a piece of land.” The Senate, dominated by large landowners, tried to block the reform by all means. They persuaded another tribune named Octavius ​​to veto the proposal, but Tiberius responded with a bold and unprecedented maneuver: he called for the assembly to remove Octavius ​​from office for acting against the interests of the people. The reform was finally approved and applied by distributing the large estates of the landowners among the Roman peasants. However, when Tiberius attempted to run for a second term as tribune, a practice then considered contrary to Roman tradition, the aristocracy decided he had gone too far. According to the historical documentationduring the elections in the Capitol, a group of senators led by the maximum pontiff Scipio Násica, a relative of Tiberius himself, burst in with a group of followers armed with clubs and with the legs of chairs torn from the Curia. In the sacred place, where swords were not allowed, They beat Tiberius to death and about 300 of his followers. His body was thrown into the Tiber River without allowing his family to bury him. Death of Tiberius Gracchus Ten years later, in 123 BC, Tiberius’ brother, Gaius Sempronius Gracchustook up the cause started by his brother with an even more ambitious program. Caius approved the Lex Frumentariawhich forced the State to distribute wheat among the plebs at prices below the market, laying the foundations of the food subsidy system that would last for centuries. He also proposed extending Roman citizenship to the Italic peoples who fought in Rome’s wars but did not enjoy its benefits. The Senate used populist tactics, warning that Italian foreigners would reduce aid to Roman citizens, and when Caius lost popular supportwas pursued to the Aventine Hill near Rome, where he ordered his faithful slave Philocrates to assassinate him. Nearly 3,000 of his supporters died with him. The legacy that survived violence Although the Senate murdered both brothers, it could not erase their legacy. The reforms that the Gracchi had proposed would finally be implemented decades later by order of Julius Caesar, who had a powerful army that protected him from suffering the same fate. The historians Plutarch and Appian left record of what happened with the Gracchus brothers centuries later, both agreed to portray Tiberius as a politician with solid ideas who looked to Rome’s past to find solutions to the problems suffered by his people. Paradoxically, although the story of the Gracchus brothers happened more than 2,000 years ago, we could find very similar references today with just a quick glance at the news. In Xataka | Mark Zuckerberg is going to change the California sun for Miami. You have 11 billion reasons to do it. Image | Wikimedia Commons (Lodovico Pogliaghi, Guillaume … Read more

China’s new obsession is to prevent the US from confiscating its ships

by

When we think about boarding, it is inevitable that a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean” comes to mind that takes us to past times and fiction, but nothing is further from reality. We have recently seen how American special forces carried out a raid on a cargo ship traveling from China to Iran at the end of last year in the Indian Ocean and another at the beginning of this year, this time in the Atlantic and with Marinera as a goalan oil tanker flying the Russian flag. It is not an action movie, it is the current maritime geopolitical reality. From the sanction to the boarding. That with Trump the United States’ policy towards the world had changed is no longer a surprise: his modus operandi at sea is another example of his proactive policy. At least seven ships have already been confiscated of the ghost fleet that transports Venezuelan oil, in addition to the Marinera oil tanker and the cargo ship in the Indian Ocean. In the latter case, the commandos confiscated “dual-use” components (military and civilian) before allowing the ship to continue on its course. The United States has clearly moved from paper sanctions to action. The boarding of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela bound for the Asian country was branded by China as a serious violation of international law, as declared its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The United States is putting its fist on the table. For China this is not a mere isolated event. According to analysts from Nanjing University quoted by the South China Morning Post The Trump Administration has one objective: to reaffirm American hegemony on the high seas, putting essential routes such as the Strait of Malacca in check. An open wound: Yinhe’s trauma. For China, this is a true déjà vu that takes them directly back to 1993, when the United States paralyzed the Chinese cargo ship Yinhe, causing it to deviate from its route for a search in search of chemical weapons that finally they did not exist. in China it was considered a deliberate provocation and put a reality on the table: they needed a powerful navy capable of escorting their ships beyond Malacca, otherwise the part of the economy that depends on the sea would be hostage to the decisions of the United States. M.Minderhoud – own work based on PD map, Public domain What is it about Malacca that is essential for China?. Just take a look at the map: the Strait of Malacca is the maritime gateway that links China to the world. Much of its energy and commerce passes through that enclave. If the United States normalizes the seizure of ships in the Indian Ocean before they reach the strait, it will be able to choke off China’s supply before cargo can access its safe waters without having to launch a single missile. Malacca is the weakest link. Because the Strait of Malacca is a maritime line of communication historical: this report from a 20o6 chinese report It says that more than 80% of Chinese oil exports transited through the Strait of Malacca. Today, this dependence remains a critical problem for which China still has no solution: 80% of China’s $390 billion in annual energy imports still passes through that 2.7-kilometer-wide strait at its narrowest part, according to data from the Observer Research Foundation report for September 2025. By DoD – Image:China Report 2006 China’s plan: escorts and an eye for an eye. Professor Li Lingqun of Nanjing University explains for SCMP a possible response, which involves “providing naval escorts for commercial vessels to deter such actions. (…)The rapid development of China’s naval capabilities today allows the rapid deployment of these means.” The United States is already aware that China is ready to deploy escorts beyond the Gulf of Adam. From Beijing, the brand new new Type 076 amphibious assault ship says hello EITHER the Sichuanthe largest amphibious assault ship in the world. China’s response to what the South China Morning Post qualifies as state piracy It would not be limited to diplomacy, but would also be military. As analysts detail, China has the legal precedent of the United States boarding to replicate this same action or intensive inspections at sea, including the Taiwan Strait. You already have your coast guard ready for do offshore inspections. This China of 2026 is not the one of 1993. And we have already seen it in the trade and tariff war: in the form of tariff counterattacks in response to Trump or as a pressure measure with its rare earth elementsa market where has total hegemony. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that in the roadmap China is modernizing its military capabilities with 2035 as the deadline. In Xataka | China has revealed a new naval military strategy: civilian ships that can become missile launchers In Xataka | Satellite images have revealed that China has gathered its most important aircraft carriers. And that can only mean one thing Cover | rhk111

Andalusia’s measures to prevent Leonardo from becoming a catastrophe

by

This Wednesday the weather situation In many parts of Spain it is really complicated and Andalusia is one of the points where we are going to have greater impact with the storm Leonardo. Not because it is going to rain in large quantities, that too, but because the land is literally oversaturated with water. This has caused the authorities to begin to take measures such as the suspension of in-person activity in educational centers. The advertisement. This was announced by the president of the Andalusian Regional Government, Juan Manuel Moreno, this Tuesday after presiding over the advisory committee of the Emergency Plan that has decreed the suspension of classes in all the Andalusian communityexcept in Almería. This is complemented by the elevation of the Emergency Plan for the Risk of Floods to the emergency phase at level 2. There will still be classes. What was announced by the Andalusian executive is not the complete suspension of teaching activity in educational centers, but rather the transfer to telematic mode. In this way, the infrastructure that was already used in the covid pandemic is rescued with the aim that students continue receiving classes but without traveling to educational centers. The exception of universities. This alteration in the way classes are taught affects the educational centers over which the Junta de Andalucía has jurisdiction, but does not affect the universities. In this case, the decision is left in the hands of the rectors to continue supporting face-to-face classes, although in this case the focus is mainly on the evaluation periods, or to suspend teaching activity. This is something that is expected to be decided later this Tuesday afternoon when each university evaluates the risk of its students’ place of residence. At this time, we know that the University of Cádiz has postponed their exams due to this storm red alert. Reduce the number of trips. Preventing students from having to travel to educational centers to develop responds to the need to avoid traveling through areas that may be flooded. The question we ask ourselves in this case is what will happen to the workers who must go to their jobs. In this case, the activation of level 2 and the orange or red alerts from the AEMET protects the worker within article 21 of the Occupational Risk Prevention Law. In this case, it is pointed out that the worker has the right to interrupt his activity and leave the workplace if there is a “serious risk” to his health. Furthermore, the Royal Decree-Law 4/2023 It also establishes the obligation to prohibit the development of certain outdoor tasks if the worker’s safety cannot be guaranteed. In practice. If it is not possible to go to work due to short roads or flooding in the area, the absence from work is automatically considered justified by force majeure. It must be taken into account that the Workers’ Statute in its article 37.3g pick up a paid leave of up to four dayscovering absences due to force majeure when travel to the workplace is dangerous. That is why, to avoid exposure to risk, the prevailing recommendation in these cases is the implementation of teleworking. ES-Alert Notice. At this time there are some specific areas of Andalusia that have an active red alert due to very adverse weather conditions. These are the regions of Jerez and Campo de Gibraltar, points of Malaga such as Ronda, the area of ​​the Jaén bridges and others. Here the Board plans to send an ES-Alert notice at 20:00 due to the great risk of flooding, although there is the possibility that it will be expanded to other areas where the AEMET indicates that there may also be a similar risk of receiving a large amount of rainfall. Emergency level 2. This is an important qualitative leap in disaster management in Spain, since it implies that the management of the emergency becomes a total autonomous competence, coordinating all local and state resources under the same operational umbrella. Furthermore, the pre-activation of the Military Emergency Unit is not a formality, but rather seeks to gain vital time in the presence of floods in the areas most prone to it. Mobilizing the EMU in advance avoids delays of between 4 and 5 hours in the effective deployment on the ground in case the situation overflows, allowing almost immediate intervention. Images | Pablo FJ on Flickr In Xataka | Spain is preparing for a “festival” of storms in February: with more rain than normal and hardly any cold

Renfe is obliged to compensate for delays of more than 15 minutes starting January 1. The Government wants to prevent it

by

Renfe will have to compensate users whose trains are delayed more than 15 minutes. It has to do so by order of the Congress of Deputies that approved the amendment that included this detail within the Sustainable Mobility Law. Now the Government wants to torpedo it and is looking for solutions to avoid it. He claims to have reasons for this. The facts. A little over a month ago, The Congress of Deputies approved the Sustainable Mobility Law. in it were collected guidelines to guarantee support for aid for public transport or the first step for a new bus concessional system. But among the amendments that were made to the law, one was also carried out so that Renfe will compensate again to users whose trains were delayed by more than 15 minutes. It was a decision that reversed the decision which the company had taken a year earlier, when it expanded the criteria for returning part or all of the tickets. What had happened? In 2024, Renfe confirmed that it was rectifying its criteria for returning money for tickets. Until that year, the company was committed to returning part or all of the money spent under the following conditions: Delays of more than 15 minutes: payment of 50% of the ticket Delays of more than 30 minutes: 100% payment of the ticket With the changes applied in 2024, Renfe is operating as follows: Delays of more than 60 minutes: payment of 50% of the ticket Delays of more than 90 minutes: 100% payment of the ticket That is, in the first 59 minutes, the user currently does not receive a single euro of the price of their ticket. Previously, if delayed between 30 and 59 minutes, the customer received a full refund of the ticket. Now, by mandate of the Congress of Deputies, Renfe has to return to the previous compensations. That is, it will start returning money after 15 minutes. If nothing changes. And the Ministry of Transportation is looking for legal formulas to prevent this from happening, according to reports from Five Days. When the measure was announced, Óscar Puente, head of the Transportation portfolio, He already announced that they would look for solutions so that the current system does not go backwards. They point out from the media that Transportation lawyers are working against the clock to find judicial support that allows them to maintain the current situation. If not, as of January 1, 2026, passengers and consumer associations will have free rein to claim their money. What about Iryo and Ouigo? To understand why Renfe expanded its punctuality commitments, we must look at the return conditions of its competitors. Ouigo compensates in the following cases: Delay of more than 30 minutes and less than 60 minutes: 50% refund of the ticket in a non-refundable purchase voucher. Delay of more than 60 minutes and less than 90 minutes: 50% refund of the ticket in a refundable purchase voucher. Delay of more than 90 minutes: 100% refund of the ticket in a refundable purchase voucher. Iryo partially or totally refunds the money in the following situations: Delay of more than 30 minutes and less than 60 minutes: refund of 50% of the ticket in purchase voucher or cash. Delay of more than 90 minutes: 100% refund of the ticket in purchase voucher or cash. Inferiority. Since the amendment was approved, what the Ministry maintains is that with this new scheme the company competes under inferior conditions compared to Iryo and Ouigo. Renfe feels that it is being discriminated against in the market because it is the only company that is required to make these compensations while the Italian and French companies have room to play with them. The Government already pointed out this when the measure was approved, pointing out that the amendment (promoted by the Popular Party and approved with its support and that of Vox, Junts, ERC, Podemos and BNG) It was a political maneuver to focus on an alleged chaos in Renfe that, in his opinion, is not such. Furthermore, they point to another argument. The previous punctuality commitments were designed for a structure where only Renfe acted. Now, The trains on Spanish tracks have multiplied and the paradox may arise that a small delay caused by one of its competitors forces Renfe to return the money to its consumers and not to the company originating the problem. a hole. If the change ends up being effective, Renfe needs to make a piggy bank for possible refunds. And if we take into account the antecedents, the returns can amount to tens of millions of euros. In fact, four out of every 10 AVE trains In the summer they were delayed and up to two million travelers who previously obtained some type of refund were left without it. According to the calculations of The WorldIf the situation experienced this summer were to be repeated, the company will have to pay 79 million euros to its travelers. Money that was saved this summer in just three months. The problem has also been increasing because in Five Days They point out that the volume of these compensations remained at 42 million euros in 2023. However, since then Renfe services and traffic on the roads have increased, which increases the risk of delay. Photo | Xataka In Xataka | “There are no places for 10 days”: taking a train to go to work in Barcelona or Girona has become an impossible mission

Europe has done everything possible to prevent China from flooding us with its electric cars. The Byd solution: ships from Thailand

by

The cheapest Chinese cars are a danger to the European industry. At least that is what our regulators consider who claim that if tariffs are not imposed, they will be competing in our soil. To solve it, they lifted commercial barriers that had to balance the situation. The Byd solution: Do not send your cars from China. The tariffs. So many things have happened in the last year that it seems that Chinese manufacturers have been paying for exporting their electric cars to Europe. However, it is a measure that It only applies since October 30, 2024. Shortly before, the European Union was applying the calls “Compensatory Rights” But everything ended up being defined as fixed tariffs a few months later. Those tariffs, however, are variable. Any importation of cars from the European Union pays 10%. To that money an additional rate was added depending on the brand because, according to European regulators, not all Chinese companies have received the same state favors. SAIC, who is a company of the Chinese state and did not want to collaborate with the investigations, has to add another 35.3% to the 10% flat rate. Byd, however, was the company that collaborated the most and that, in European eyes, less favor treatment has received. However, it was punished with additional 17%. Its impact. The impact of the measure has been obvious. Chinese electric cars are costing them to enter the market. Although it is its natural environment, the urban electric car still having a relatively high price. Especially if we understand that in many cases it can function as the only car since Outside the city can be eternalized. There, the Chinese electric car had the price of the price in its favor. If their offer was much cheaper than that of the rivals could gain a good part of the market. However, Registrations tell us that it has been absent. Even in a country like Spain that has the price as the main purchase value, there is only one Chinese car among the 10 best -selling electric (Byd Atto 3 in eighth position). Consequently, where China has really hurt so far it has been with the vehicles with combustion engines. There, the country does have a lot to win since European plug -in hybrids still have a high price but the Chinese offer Much more space and equipment at a much lower cost. Well, wait. There has been much talk about how Chinese manufacturers want to skip these commercial barriers. At the moment we know that Byd is raising a plant in Hungary and that he has chosen Türkiye as next destination. The plan seemed clear: development and assembly of the most expensive cars in Hungary (with greater margin of benefits) and production in Türkiye of the cheapest and most complicated cars to amortize. The strategy in fact was supported shortly after if we take into account that the European Union would have transferred Chery that his intention to Use Nissan’s factories in Barcelona and just use them to make the last parts soldier (cars arrive almost mounted on containers As if they were great pieces of a puzzle) It was insufficient. If you want to skip tariffs, Europe wants real investment. The Dolphin Surf. But all these byd plans point in the medium term. Before the company has to continue making its way on the market and wanted to make a dent with its fetish car: the Byd Dolphin Surf. This car that in China is known as Seagull It is clear about its appeal: hypercompetitive price, good performance and finishes far superior to competition. The car is a supervent in China to the point that they have managed to place in the market One million units in 27 months. There the car It is sold with the eye of God active. That is, it can circulate completely autonomously in fast roads … Although its price is just 9,000 euros to change. In Europe we could expect a much higher price but, yes, in Spain adding the aid of the MOVES III PLAN And the brand discount, it is possible to buy it for just 11,000 euros. A hypercompetitive price that already has the customer response (second best -selling electric car in July). Supported by Dolphin. Next to Dolphin Surf, the other electric car in which Byd has great hopes is the Byd Dolphinthe older brother of surfing. If surfing can harm markets such as Spanish, still reluctant to buy smaller electric ones if they do not have a great price, Dolphin is perfect for countries with greater purchasing power such as the United Kingdom or Germany. If we observe sales in Europeclearly Byd is on the rise and for them it is essential that these two models be hugged by the public if they want to be relevant actors in the industry. From Thailand to Europe. So, strengthened the brand in the first European markets, the company wanted to continue winning European market. After a dubitative start, has made structural changes in the direction and In July he already managed to overcome Tesla in sales And in market share although, yes, we must remember that byd sells plug -in hybrids. He is aware that the Dolphin Surf Byd is key and that he can do a lot of harm with his most affordable proposal. For that it is important to bring everyone who can and has found the way: send them from Thailand. This is stated Carnewschinawho say that the company is jumping European tariffs because the car is manufactured and sent from this country. And the tariffs? Tariff tariffs come from Thailand is 10%, the usual For all those brought from the outside. The only thing that is required is that the car has at least 40% of local components so it is not as simple as manufacturing in China and assembling the latest pieces in Thailand and then sending it. This practice, for example, It is the one … Read more

The US will not allow Intel to fall into full confrontation with China. The government has a plan to prevent it

by

Intel has just received a very important vote of trust in A moment of weakness. The Japanese Softbank investment group has just injected into this company 2,000 million dollarswhich has consolidated it as the sixth share of Intel. According to Reutersthis Japanese company has promised not to participate in the Board of Directors, and it will not buy integrated circuits produced by this American chip manufacturer. Even so, everyone wins. For SoftBank this investment is important because Intel will interpret in the future an essential role in the US semiconductor industry. “This strategic investment supports our conviction that the manufacture and supply of advanced semiconductors will expand further in the US with Intel playing a fundamental role,” has declared Masayoshi arethe CEO of SoftBank. On the other hand, these 2,000 million dollars arrive just after Intel has dispensed with Between 8,000 and 10,900 workers of its factories with the purpose of reducing their operating expenses and increasing their competitiveness. However, the company led by Lip-Bu so has something else in hand. Something very important. And is that, According to BloombergIt is negotiating with the Trump administration the possibility that the State acquires a 10% participation in Intel. The largest integrated circuit manufacturer in the United States cannot fall Most of the decisions made by the US government since Donald Trump returned to the White House On January 20, it pursues a single objective: the American semiconductor industry must be strengthened and independent. Intel is the biggest manufacturer of US chips, so allowing its fall is not an option for the government. The possibility of the State participating in Intel’s shareholders reinforces this precept, although this company has already acquired an unavoidable commitment to the administration. Intel is the largest US chips manufacturer, so allowing its fall is not an option for the government In mid -September 2024 Intel published a statement in which he anticipated that he will receive a maximum of 3,000 million dollars within the framework of the ‘Chips and Science Act’ program to manufacture in a reliable way semiconductors for the US government. The name of this plan, “Safe Enclave”, reflects one of the requirements required by the Administration: Chips must be produced in the strictest confidentiality. The Commerce Department confirmed that it was evaluating the possibility of Intel reserving a restricted area in some of its integrated circuit manufacturing plants specifically for the production of chips for defense and intelligence applications. What is not yet clear is who will take care of the expenses derived from the tuning of this “exclusion zone” within the factories. They can be borne by Intel, but this money is likely to finally come from the subsidies of the State. There is something important in which we have not yet repaired: the Defense Department is interested in using Intel’s 18th node. At the beginning of September 2024 this company confirmed that the 20A node will be skipped To reduce expenses and It will derive its resources to the 18A node. According to Ben SellVice President of Intel Technology Development, the 18A node has reached the maturity necessary to enter production in 2025 and will benefit from the resources that will be reallocated from the 20A node. Although the latter at the end will not go into large -scale production will be remembered for being the first in which Intel introduced two important innovations: transistors Ribbonfet Gate-Lall-Around (GAA) and Powervia energy delivery technology. Image | Intel More information | Reuters | Bloomberg In Xataka | Intel has confirmed that the 20A node will be skipped to reduce expenses. The 18A node will enter production in 2025

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.