route

The Silver Route seemed like the perfect train for the Spanish west. They seek to recover it with one objective: forget about Madrid

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Cáceres and Salamanca are separated by just 200 kilometers but the journey takes seven hours in the best of cases and requires passing through Madrid. We talked, of course, about going by train. And the capitals of these two provinces represent one of the biggest railway holes that our country has. The situation is not unique in Spain (from Murcia to Granada you also have to go through Madrid) but perhaps it is more bloody because one day there was that option that structured the west of Spain. It was known as the Silver Route. Now, more than 40 years after its closure, there are those who continue fighting for its reopening. A line that was born sentenced From Seville to Gijón, passing through Mérida, Cáceres, Salamanca, León or Oviedo. The Silver Route It was designed as a railway corridor for passengers and goods away from the large Spanish economic centers. It was about finding an alternative so that not everything went through Madrid, Bilbao or Barcelona. And, curiously, its origin must be sought very far from these cities. It was in Paris in 1877 when the contract was signed to build a railway between Palazuelo (current Monfragüe station) and Astorga, they explain in The Extremadura Newspaper. The project was ambitious as it passed through a lot of unpopulated area in its attempt to connect the north of Extremadura with Salamanca, Zamora and León. Yet, the line went ahead in the last years of the 19th century. Between 1893 and 1896, the four sections that would end up forming the most representative axis of the line were inaugurated from south to north. This was the backbone of a road that connected to the south with the Mérida-Seville section and the Venta de Baños-Gijón in the north. Without a large city to drive it and without direct access to a large port, the line was falling into ostracism. First, because the State did not find sufficient reasons to modernize it and, at least, electrify it. And without investments, the tortuous path became less attractive for passengers and companies. The axis survived the Civil War but beforehand an investment had been requested that never arrived. In 1933, the iron bridges were replaced by steel ones but no major efforts were made. In the following years, they point out in the local mediaderailments and accidents multiplied due to lack of investment. For decades, once sentenced, the line remained open but in 1984 its definitive closure was confirmed. By then, the trains were barely running at 50 km/h, an average speed lower than that recorded during their opening. A train bus accident in 1981 in which a woman died put the finishing touches on a decision that began decades ago when no one wanted to invest in the western axis. Let it come back! Today, the connection between Cáceres and Seville, passing through Mérida, continues to exist, although it is a single-lane railway and is not electrified. The connection between Salamanca and Gijón is also maintained. But how you can see on this Adif mapa hole separates Cáceres and Salamanca. From Plasencia, you will see a green line leaving towards the north. In Salamanca, another leaves in a southerly direction. Are they projects to recover this train? No, they are Greenwaysconditioning of the old railway section to convert them into easy paths for walking, running or cycling. What some institutions have been demanding for years is that these Greenways are not the only vestige that remains from those days. In 2023, the city councils of Salamanca, Cáceres, Béjar, Plasencia Guijuelo and Hervás together with the Chambers of Commerce of those first three cities signed an institutional declaration demanding the return of the train. “Employment, creation of opportunities, logistical development, diversification of the productive system and stopping depopulation,” with these words they began a text to justify their demands. It pointed out some technical issues such as that the section between Plasencia and Salamanca has 4G network coverage on 90% of the route. But, above all, it was remembered that the new train could be an alternative route for the transport of goods in the western area, capable of connecting the Atlantic ports in the north with those in the south without passing through Madrid. This was the premise, in fact, with which the idea of ​​resurrecting the West Corridorunder the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. A project that, as they remember in the text, was not carried out. in the diary Today They collected information that the Gijón Chamber of Commerce put on the table in 2022 to defend this line: it could capture up to 625,000 journeys for goods which now carry trucks going up the A-66, also known as Vía de la Plata. Beyond unfulfilled promises (in addition to Zapatero, José María Aznar also promised to reopen the line after Felipe González closed it to passengers in 1984 and to goods well into the 90s), one of the biggest problems that this Western Corridor has is that it does not fall within the plans of the European Union as far as the railway is concerned. The Trans-European Transport Network ignores this and maintains that hole already mentioned between Cáceres and Salamanca and Salamanca and the south of Asturias if it is not passing through Valladolid. Regardless of whether we are talking about a passenger or freight network, the result is the same. That is why from the Corredor Oeste platform, together with the city councils and the rest of the local organizations, They have been organizing mobilizations and meetings to press and get the project taken to Europe. According to his calculations, it would hardly be necessary to invest 1.9 billion eurosvery far from what is being invested in other corridors such as the Mediterranean, which already exceed 8,000 million in investment. They also defend that the new Silver Route railway would be key to connecting the Atlantic Corridor, which does have European approval, with the Spanish south, offering a … Read more

While everyone was looking at Hormuz, Russia has found a much bigger secret route. And drones do not stop arriving in Iran

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During the Cold War, Western intelligence services came to suspect that some Soviet freighters that apparently transported grain or machinery were actually hiding military equipment and technology sensitive under false covers. The problem was that, once inside certain internal routes controlled by Moscow and its allies, tracking them became extraordinarily difficult even for the greatest naval powers on the planet. While the world watches Hormuz. For months, the Strait of Hormuz has become the perfect symbol of Western pressure on Iran: US aircraft carriers, oil tankers diverting routes, marine insurance fired and constant threats on one of the great energy bottlenecks on the planet. However, while all international attention was focused there, Russia and Iran have been consolidating a much less visible and probably much more uncomfortable route for Washington: the Caspian Sea. It The New York Times said the weekend. This enormous space of inland water in northern Iran, usually ignored in geopolitical analyses, is being transformed into a true strategic highway to move goods, drones, military components and technology away from the direct reach of the United States. The photo. The most revealing image came when Israel bombed the Iranian port of Bandar Anzali, in the heart of the Caspian, in one of the most significant attacks of its campaign against Iran. The target was not in the Persian Gulf or Hormuz, but hundreds of kilometers further north. It was a clear sign that real logistical warfare no longer revolves solely around the most famous strait on the planet. The route that keeps Iran alive. The importance of the Caspian for Tehran has grown spectacularly since the pressure on Hormuz intensified. Russian and Iranian ships now transport wheat, corn, sunflower oil, animal feed and all kinds of of essential supplies who previously arrived via more vulnerable routes. Four Iranian Caspian ports are working at full capacity to absorb this growing traffic, while Moscow has begun to redirect millions of tons of goods that previously crossed the Black Sea. It turns out that the true strategic core is not in the cereal. According to US officials, Russia is using that route to send drone components to Iran to help it rebuild part of the arsenal lost during the last fighting with Israel and the United States. The relationship is especially symbolic because for years It was Iran that supplied Russia with Shahed drones for the war in Ukraine. Now the flow has partially reversed: Moscow manufactures its own versions under license and returns technology, components and military expertise to Tehran using the Caspian as a protected corridor. A perfect sea to avoid sanctions. The great advantage of the Caspian for Russia and Iran is that it is an extraordinarily difficult to control from outside. Unlike the Persian Gulf, where the US naval presence dominates much of the maritime traffic, in the Caspian they can only operate the five coastal countries. The United States cannot intercept ships there or impose direct blockades. Furthermore, a large part of the ships sail with transponders offdisappearing from satellite tracking systems and feeding an increasingly opaque network of “ghost ships.” In fact, Western analysts describe the Caspian as the ideal place for discreet military transfers and sanctions evasion. Dark shipping traffic has skyrocketed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and both Moscow and Tehran have perfected methods to hide real shipments, routes and operators. It is no coincidence that Ukraine attacked the Russian port of Olya in 2024, accusing it of being a logistics center for the transfer of Iranian drone components. Nor that Israel Bandar Anzali will hit. Everyone seems to have understood that a logistical rearguard is being built there that is much more resistant than it appears. Moscow’s strategic obsession. Plus: for the Kremlin, the Caspian is not just a temporary solution derived from sanctions or the war in Ukraine. Russia and Iran have two decades imagining a gigantic trade corridor that connects the Baltic with the Indian Ocean, crossing Russia, the Caspian and Iran to avoid routes controlled by the West. The project includes new portsrailway lines and renewal of aging fleets, although many of these plans remain on paper due to lack of resources and the geographical difficulties of the Caspian. Still, the war has accelerated the strategic logic behind that idea: creating an alternative system of commercial and military circulation outside the reach of Western sanctions. For Putin, furthermore, the balance is delicate. Needs to support Iran as a regional ally and military partner, but do so in an all-too-visible way could deteriorate even more so its relationship with Washington and with several Arab countries important for Russian energy trade. The Caspian offers precisely that: sufficient support, but far from the media and military focus that Hormuz dominates. America’s great blind spot. Much of the Western concern arises from a very uncomfortable feeling: for years, the Caspian hardly occupied any space in American strategic planning. Experts in Washington recognize that the region functions almost like a black hole diplomat divided between different military commands and bureaucratic departments. Thus, while the world observed aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf or drones over Ukraine, Russia and Iran took advantage of an immense, opaque and difficult to monitor geographic space to weave a logistics network that connects both conflicts. The problem for the United States is not that the Caspian completely replaces Hormuz, because it cannot do so, especially in massive oil exports. The real problem is that even under extreme military pressure, sanctions and naval blockades, Iran continues to find ways to stay connectedrearm and receive outside support. And each drone, each component and each shipment that silently crosses the Caspian reinforces an increasingly evident idea: while everyone was looking at the Strait of Hormuz, Russia and Iran they were building an alternative route much more difficult to stop. Image | PexelsNASA In Xataka | We sensed that Iran’s attacks on the US had been important. In reality, they were devastating In Xataka | While the whole world looks at … Read more

the Great Trade Route through the Mongolian Desert

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At the end of the 19th century, as Japan emerged as an imperial power after the Meiji erahis army undertook an ambitious cartographic project to precisely know the territories beyond its borders. Those maps, prepared by the Imperial Japanese Army with methods that combined espionage, foreign sources and field work, were classified as state secrets and for decades remained hidden in military and university archives. Today, those maps have revealed a fascinating route. A forgotten runner. For centuries, the so-called Great Mongolian Route was a key artery of Eurasian tradean east-west route that crossed southern Mongolia connecting northern China with Central Asia and beyond, serving as a northern alternative to the better-known routes of the Silk Road. Despite its historical importance, it had been blurred between travelers’ stories and scattered references, without precise cartography that would allow it to be reconstructed in detail. That gap is what is now filled through a historical work, a published study in the Journal of Historical Geography by Chris McCarthy and his colleagues demonstrating for the first time that the Great Mongolian Route was not a literary abstraction, but a perfectly structured corridor, designed to enable the regular transit of camel caravans through some of the most arid and hostile landscapes on the continent. Military maps as secrets of the past. The researchers behind the discovery say that the key to rediscovering the Great Mongolian Route has been in the gaihōzuthose maps prepared by cartographers of the Imperial Japanese Army between the end of the 19th century and the Second World War, which systematically covered vast regions of Eastern and Inner Asia. Conceived with strategic and classified purposes For decades, many were on the verge of disappearing after the war (there were instructions to destroy them), but some were saved quietly and ended up in university archives that little by little became accessible to the public. Gaihōzu W6N2N map panel: Explaining the maps. The maps were not simple military sketches: they synthesized information from Chinese records, ancient Russian uprisings, and, in some cases, Japanese field work, resulting in a surprisingly accurate representation of routes, wells, monasteries, oases and geographical features key to survival in the Gobi Desert. Owen Lattimore’s map of several Inner Asian caravan routes, including the Great Mongolian Trail, whose name appears next to the location of Gurbun Saikhan Confirm the map on the ground. Recent work has gone beyond the archive, touring more than 1,200 kilometers on the ground to verify to what extent those sheets coincided with current reality. The verification has confirmed about fifty nodes (from water sources to settlements, caves and sacred places) spaced at intervals of about 24 kilometers, a distance that fits exactly with the average day of a camel caravan. Plus: the oral traditions of local shepherds, the physical traces of secular transit and the persistence of toponyms have reinforced the idea that these maps captured a refined logistical system, one in which each stop was essential to making the journey possible. Gaihōzu W9N2N map panel Caravans, tea and benefits. Although the main objective has been to document the infrastructure of the route, everything indicates that was parte of the historic tea trade, with Chinese goods traveling west and steppe products returning east. Inscriptions found in caves and oases speak of journeys of up to 120 days for heavy caravans and faster journeys, of about 90 days, for urgent transports seeking extraordinary benefits. The harshness of the route did not deter the merchants, moved by the promise of “triple benefits,” a reminder that these routes were not only avenues of cultural exchange, but high-risk economic gambles. From stories to cartography. For decades, knowledge of the Great Mongolian Route depended almost exclusively on the descriptions of the explorer and scholar Owen Lattimorewhose diagrams offered a conceptual vision of the corridor. Now, the combination of his stories with the millimeter detail of the gaihōzu transforms that diffuse image into a concrete and verifiable layout, where each lake, well or monastery has a clear function. The result not only recovers a lost route, but shows to what extent these military maps constitute an exceptional file of landscapes, economies and ways of life just before modern transportation erased centuries of mobility caravan in the interior of Asia. Image | McCarthy et al. 2026 In Xataka | The entire history of the Iberian Peninsula year by year, summarized in six minutes of interactive map In Xataka | Our conception of the world has changed a lot during history. This map illustrates all its forms

the AVE at 160 km/h in sections of the Madrid-Barcelona route

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Months of notices from the train drivers, who They were traveling below the maximum speed allowed on the road, and with the images of the Adamuz train accident (Córdoba) very present, Adif has reduced the maximum speed at which you can travel on the Madrid-Barcelona high speed train to 160 km/h. This is all that has happened. What has happened? Adif reduces the speed to 160 km/h in a section of 150 kilometers of the 667 kilometers that correspond to the Madrid-Barcelona route. The measure is temporary and, they announced this morning in Chain Being Before it became official, it was done after hearing the drivers complain that there were potholes in it that reduced driving comfort. after the accident. The exceptional measure comes at a delicate moment. last sunday an Iryo train derailed on a straight line near the town of Adamuz. 20 seconds later, an Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction collided with the last carriages of the Italian train and derailed. When we write these lines, 41 deaths have been reported. Since then, the videos have multiplied in which reference is made to the excessive vibrations of the high-speed trains that circulate through our country. However, the causes of the accident are unknown and It is very likely that it will take us months to know all the details. of what happened. There has been speculation about a defective switch, a stress-fractured track and train vibrations, but nothing has been confirmed by any official source. What is happening in Madrid-Barcelona? For months now, train drivers have been reporting problems traveling at the maximum speed on the track, which in The now cut section was 300 km/h. The complaint about excessive vibrations has been reported by passengers but also by workers. “The crew members complain, the interveners complain and we write complaints, because there are areas where we are hitting boats,” a Renfe driver complains to Xataka who prefers to remain anonymous. From SEMAF (Spanish Union of Railway Machinists) have confirmed to us that the machinists have been reporting considerable deterioration on the tracks for months, to the point of traveling at a speed below that expected. The height of the controversy came when last summer some S-106 trains known as the Talgo Avril cracked. Since then, Talgo and Adif blame each other for what happened. How serious is it? From SEMAF they assure us that vibrations directly impact the running comfort and the useful life of the train components but they rule out that there is a risk of derailment for this reason. From the General Council of Industrial Engineers share this vision: “the usual vibrations are foreseen in the design of both the train and the infrastructure. High-speed railway systems work with very wide safety margins,” they assure Xataka also pointing out that the perception of small irregularities on the road or in the rolling stock are amplified when driving at high speeds. And the driver who has offered us his testimony thinks the same. “If we understand that there is a danger to traffic, we call the command posts and they take measures by putting limitations, although for months we have also been taking them by slowing down. We are the first interested parties, we want to return home,” he emphasizes. First consequence. Adif’s decision is the first significant measure taken after the accident in Adamuz (Córdoba) in which 41 people have died and in which rescue work continues. It remains to be seen if more measures of this magnitude are taken but it must be remembered that the specific reason that led to the accident remains unknown. Photo | André Marques on Wikimedia In Xataka | Spain thought that Spain could manufacture the perfect trains for Spain. The reality: Spain is already looking for trains in Germany

Fear of vibrations stops trains on the Madrid-Barcelona route

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At 230 km/h in a 300 km/h section because the vibrations are excessive. It is the speed at which you will travel between Madrid and Calatayud (Zaragoza) if the driver decides so. The 200 kilometer stretch has been a source of controversy for some time and it was now that, after the Adamuz accident in Córdobaconcerns have increased. What has happened? The train drivers would be traveling at 230 km/h on the section between Madrid and Calatayud (Zaragoza) because the vibrations are excessive, according to The Economist. They claim in the media that the machinists would have unilaterally decided to make this decision because the intensity of the vibrations is too high. The decision would have come after Adamuz accident (Córdoba) in which an Iryo train has derailed and, according to the first investigationsa second Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction collided with it. It is also noted from The Economist that the decision would affect Renfe trains but that there are no similar communications in Ouigo and Iryo. In addition, the newspaper also specifies that there would be Renfe personnel on the train itself warning travelers that delays will reach 15 minutes for this reason. Can machinists do this? In Xataka We have contacted SEMAF (Spanish Union of Railway Machinists), the majority among this group, who assure us that they have no evidence that the machinists have decided collectively and unilaterally to reduce the speed of the track. It will be, according to SEMAF, at the discretion of each worker. The union explains that the driver has the power to reduce the speed of the train or even stop it if he considers that the conditions of the track prevent adequate driving comfort due to excessive vibrations. In fact, those speed reductions were already occurring before the breakage of Talgo’s S-106 (Avril) trains. This is what a machinist contacted by Xataka who prefers to keep his identity anonymous. He explains that it is each driver who decides how to act and that “we have not been told to do it (slow down the speed) either from the company or from the unions.” The Calatayud controversy The 200 kilometer stretch between Madrid and Calatayud has been in the spotlight for some time. At the end of July 2025, Talgo’s AVRIL trains that Renfe uses for its AVLO services suffered cracks in their structure as a result of the vibrations generated when the trains passed. So The Economist already announced the news and after a series of contradictory communications, Renfe ended up withdrawing the trains of the Madrid-Barcelona line, disregarding the AVLO service that has not been available again. Since then, Talgo and Adif are blaming themselves for what happened. The chronology. From SEMAF, however, they do not share exactly all the points that are pointed out. According to its chronology, the events have happened as follows: AVRIL trains suffer cracks due to excess vibrations and are retired SEMAF sends a letter to Adif requesting that the speed be reduced Adif does not respond SEMAF reminds train drivers that they have the power to reduce speed if they consider there is a justified reason. For SEMAF, nothing has changed. The train drivers are the ones who decide, always with justification and indicating the reason to the command post, whether or not to reduce the speed. SEMAF emphasizes that they have not given an instruction from the union to reduce speed. The vibrations. During the last few hours the controversy around the vibrations of the AVE has been increasing. From SEMAF, they may be caused by small damage to the track as a result of the passage of the trains themselves, which is why they ask that investment in maintenance is adequate to the increase in traffic in the liberalized corridors. Of course, the union emphasizes that there is no risk of derailment due to these vibrations and they make it clear that it is a comfort problem for the passenger and generate greater stress on the infrastructure and the condition of the rolling stock. This means that actions have to be launched on the road or in workshops ahead of time. Furthermore, there is no evidence that they were the cause of the Adamuz accident. “If we were clear that it was a danger to the road, we would stop traffic.” SEMAF has been so emphatic that it also emphasizes that the infrastructure is safe and that it is clear that if Adif detects a problem serious enough to cause a derailment, the line will be closed. “We want to go home”. The Renfe driver with whom Xataka has been able to contact explains that “the tracks are deteriorated, we train drivers give a lot of information, and sometimes we are taken for crazy because we give too many parts”, the words are from a Renfe train driver who prefers to keep his name anonymous. “As a result of the S-106 problems, it was proposed that the trains circulate at a slower speed. It is true that these deformities (the cracks) are due to the state of the track, to which we must add the terrible quality of the train. We also lowered them (the speeds) with other series of trains. Call it a prevention measure or care of the infrastructure,” explains the driver. “The crew members complain, the interveners complain and we write complaints, because there are areas where we are having trouble,” he summarizes. Although he makes it clear that “if we understand that there is a danger to traffic, we call the command posts and they take measures by setting limitations, although for months we have also been taking them by slowing down. We are the first interested parties, we want to return home.” Why do vibrations occur? Firstly, SEMAF points out that we are talking about the rolling stock being “steel against steel” so any imperfection will be more evident. Vibrations can be caused by an imperfection in the road or an imperfection in the … Read more

How to use Ruta-E, the government app to find cheap gas stations and charging points in your city or your route

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We are going to tell you how to use Route-Ethe new application of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, creators of My Citizen Folder among many other apps. It is an application that seeks to help you find the cheapest gas stations and electric charging points. It is a simple but versatile application. You can choose between gasoline or electric chargers, and then you have the options of exploring on the map or trace a route and see all the gas stations or charging points along with the price of fuel, so you know which one allows you to save a little money on your trips. Look at the price of gasoline with Ruta-E The first thing you have to do is download the Ruta-E application, available on Google Play for Android and in the App Store of iPhones. Once inside you will have a map, and at the top right you will have a filter in which you can choose fuel type for which you want to find a gas station or charging station. When you choose the type of fuel, you will see information about all the pumps in your city. But you can navigate the map to explore the entire country in case you want to look at those of some place you are going to visit. In the gasoline pump preview you will see the price of the fuel you have chosen. The app also has an option to trace the route of a trip what you want to do, with origin and destination point. When you do, you will see all the gas stations you have along the route along with the prices of the type of fuel you have chosen, and also the charging points. When you press at a gas stationyou will be able to see their hours and prices, and thus compare the cheapest ones or those that are open. And if you click on a charging point you will not see the price, but you will see the types of plugs available. In Xataka Basics | Gasoline price on Google Maps: how to see nearby gas stations and their prices on Android or iOS

In 2015 Scotland launched a route to revitalize highlands through tourism. Ten years later they have a problem

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The story dates back to 2015. Those who know the details that with the support of the then Prince Carlos already through the North Highland Initiativean ambitious project was launched to economically reactivate remote highlands from northern Scotland. To that route the They called North Coast 500but they did not measure the impact it was going to have an “old acquaintance”. The birth of myth. He project A very clear lines had a decade ago. On the basis of existing roads, a circular route of 830 kilometers with start and end in Inverness, conceived as a Scottish version of the mythical American Route 66 Route. The promise It was double: To energize the economy of small forgotten locations and offer the traveler an unforgettable experience between castles, abrupt coasts and virgin landscapes. In their early years, the numbers confirmed success: a 26% increase in visits to tourist information centers and up to 30% in local attractions. In 2018, a study calculated that the route generated more than 22 million pounds per year For the region. That comes tourism … mass. Success, however, brought consequences unwanted. The massive arrival of caravans, motorhomes, sports cars and motorcycles overflowed precarious roads and little prepared peoples, turning them into a sound hell. What was initially presented as an economic impulse ended up being perceived by many residents such as An invasion: Prairies razed by barbecues, paths turned into improvised toilets and fragile ecosystems, such as the habitats of Atlantic Frailecillos, disturbed by reckless tourists. The route Untenable. The lack of basic infrastructure (parking lots, toilets, wastewater discharge points) derived from garbage spills and human waste in private properties and in constant interference in those fragile habitats such as those of the frailecillos. The accidents increasedaggravated by visitors little accustomed to a single lane roads or to the fact of driving on the left. In fact, the official data They show a rebound of serious collisions caused by American tourists. Meanwhile, the mythical port of Bealach Mountain Na Bàwith its curves closed to more than 600 meters high, it became a dangerous funny for Motorhomes oversized. The massive tourism paradox. The prosperity provided by the NC500 is unquestionable: thousands of Linked jobs to tourism and the rescue of rural business that would otherwise have disappeared. Accommodation owners recognize that without the route their companies would not have survived, especially after the pandemic. But that economic bonanza lives with the perception of an authentic “Seasonal invader” that alters the rhythm of life of the communities. Daily coexistence with caravans parked in the windows of the houses, rallies at high speed or campists carving trees to make fire has fed an increasing discomfort, channeled in Facebook groups such as NC500 The Dirty Truth. For many, the brand has become Hostage of large companies that explode it without responsible for cultural and environmental damages. Local and future responses. The situation has led to the NC500 already appears on the blacklist of Fodor’s Travel destinations, which He advises it for “unsustainable popularity.” Given this, authorities and promoters try to recover balance with campaigns Like Press Pausewhich seeks that the communities themselves decide how to promote their territory, and with the hiring of rangers that patrol and educate tourists. The company NC500 LTD. has introduced In addition a “traveler commitment” on its website, with More than 4,000 signaturesto promote environmental and social respect. However, the background It is complex: How to make the appeal of a route that has placed north of Scotland on the world map with the need to preserve its identity, its nature and the daily life of its inhabitants? The Highlands dilemma. If you want too, The NC500 Encarna a global dilemma which we have spoken a lot: the tension between the economic benefit of mass tourism and the erosion of what makes it desirable. In this case, the risk is that the “last wild border” of Scotland becomes a saturated showcase, unable to support either its visitors or its communities. For some stores, the answer goes through Limit the flow of tourists and reinforce infrastructure. For others, for accepting that the Highlands culture It will inevitably change under the weight of international tourism. Between the enthusiasm of the business and the frustration of the residents, the NC500 remains an uncomfortable mirror: a dream of rural development that threatens to destroy what made it possible, the majestic serenity of some lands that everyone now wants to travel. Yeah William Wallace looked up would not give credit. Image | Fabian to Scherschel, Lauren Friedman, ThincatNC500 The Dirty Truth In Xataka | After expanding throughout the planet, touristification has reached Antarctica. And it is already taking its toll In Xataka | Decades ago the cities of Europe joined to capture tourists. Today they allied to the opposite: throw them out

The oil ships are changing route to avoid the Ormuz Strait. Who will pay the detour: We

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Hostilities between Israel and Iran have reached a new peak of tension. The impact has not been expected: The price of oil rises and all looks point to the Ormuz Strait. Through that narrow step it circulates almost a fifth of the world crude, and although it has not been blocked, the tension is already altering routes, more than transportation and raising the pressure on the global energy market. A global bottleneck. The Ormuz Strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabic Sea, and is under the control of Iran. Only in 2024, more than 1.4 million barrels daily on ships were transported. According to Bloombergalso manages about 27% of the global oil liquefied gas flow (LPG). A partial or total obstruction It would directly affect energy powers such as China and India, as well as Iran, which has the third largest oil reserve on the planet. An unprecedented climb. Amid the registration of the conflict, many shipowners have begun to avoid the area or demand much higher risk premiums to cross it. According to Financial Timesthe result has been a vertiginous rise in charter prices. According to Clarksons Research figures cited by the British media, the daily rate to rent a VLCC (Vary Large Crude Carrier) that transports 2 million barrels of crude oil from the Gulf to China jumped from $ 19,998 to $ 47,609 in just a week. And not only oil transport has been increased: tank ships that transfer refined products, such as gasoline and diesel, have also doubled their rates, reaching more than $ 51,000 daily on that same route. The gas feels the impact. The tension has caused a slight fall in maritime traffic in the area, and some countries have begun to take precautions. Catar, through his state company Qatarenergy – the world’s largest exporter in the world – officially recommended to its vessels, care to cross the Strait, being the first measure known by an energy producer of the Gulf, According to Bloomberg. The tension is intensified. Iran, under international sanctionsuse a “ghost fleet”: ships that operate outside the international regulatory system, without valid insurance or security certifications. This not only represents a legal risk, but also operational. On June 17, Petrolero Front Eagle, of the Norwegian Frontline company, collided with one of these ships just after leaving the Gulf, According to Reuters. That same day, two other oil tankers collided and even caught fire, while two others were approached by Iranian vessels, which led to a “maximum alert” in the area. According to Richard Fulford-Smith, director of the firm Eden Ocean, cited by the Financial Timessome oil buyers are opting for suppliers other than Iran who use regulated vessels. This is pushing the demand towards the legitimate fleet and further increases the global rates. And now what? Uncertainty has already pushed some companies to redirect their routes outside the Persian Gulf, despite the additional cost. China and India could increase their purchases to suppliers such as Saudi Arabia or Russia, which do not depend on the Strait. So, some vessels are demanding higher risk premiums to cross the area, while others prefer to avoid it completely. For its part, United States has begun to reinforce its military presence. Can there be a real closure? Although there has been no official closure of the Strait, the tension has raised the fears that it may occur. Oxford Economics has recently warned In Bloomberg that the price of the Brent barrel could reach $ 130 if a total blockade occurs. And the most worrying: an eventual risk premium could be maintained even after a reopening. For now, the flows continue, but with greater caution and an increasingly dense naval presence. Energy risk. The Ormuz Strait is still open, but fear of a block is more present than ever. For now, the flow of crude and gas continues, although conditioned by a conflict that threatens to spread. The tension has not paralyzed trade, but has more expensive. And that, in the energy market, is enough to light alarms. Image | Pexels Xataka | A fear has taken over the world oil industry: the closure of the Ormuz Strait by Iran

China has great plans with its “new silk route.” An unexpected corner of the world threatens to truncar them: Myanmar

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China has too many open fronts. On the one hand, the Technological War With the West who is serving to boost your technology industry. On the other hand, the Commercial War which is making natural resources monopolize. Also his impulse to renewable energiesbecoming the main power and growing so much that their companies have beenNzarzado in a price war. To add more pepper to the matter, its great project of the new silk route encounters an unexpected enemy: a neighboring country at war since 1948. New Silk Route. For hundreds of years, the Silk route connected the Southeast Asia with the Mediterranean. It was a series of commercial routes open by China that not only allowed a trade between many countries, but a way of expanding their influence abroad. With the decline of China due to Opium wars Already new commercial routes, in the nineteenth century, the silk route passed to the background. In the 21st century, with the new Chinese economic splendor and the desire to recover that international influence, the country impulse The initiative of the new Silk route. In 2013, President Xi Jinping advertisement His intention to revitalize the old commercial ties between Asia, Europe and in North Africa, this being one of China’s most ambitious strategies. Milmillonaria investment. The advantages seem obvious. Currently, the vast majority of world trade depends on a few maritime routes. The Portenero ships They are a ‘cheap’ solution to transport tons of goods, but they depend on a few points of passage that, if they see interrupted its activity For any reason, They cause world chaos. With a land transport, not only another route is achieved to move merchandise, but you can shorten times. With a land transport from Southeast Asia to Germany, the merchandise would take about two weeks to arrive. With the same route by sea, time is dilated until just over a month. China, being the great producer of the world, has sought to increase its position with this rail transport, something for which you have had to invest Much money in infrastructure deployment and in route width adaptations with certain paths, such as the old Soviet lines with a different path width. HE esteem that this investment has been almost a billion of euros not only in a railroad, but in ports, airports, stations and other infrastructure. Criticism. Countries around the world They benefit of these investments promoted by China. Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Malaysia or Vietnam have received important investments in land and maritime infrastructure. Russia has also improved its rail connections, improving trade between two countries (that they are needing so much). Italy and Greece have also received investments in ports. Egypt, more of the same with the strategy of the Chinese economic and commercial cooperation zone. And Panama also signed a agreement for the expansion of the train line (which just had fall After Trump’s arrival) It is one tremendous strategy both for sea and land that involves many countries and, as expected, it does not do it Too much grace. The reason is that they consider that it is a strategy from China to gain influence on developing countries, something that can play against US interests in countries, especially the Middle East, in which they have military facilities. Myanmar. The problem is that they have encountered a civil war. Myanmar, previously Burma, has been in crisis for two centuries. In the nineteenth century there were the Anglo-Birian wars, which continued in 1948 with the civil war of Myanmar. They achieved the independence of the United Kingdom, but their society was fragmented and a tremendous civil war that persists to this day began. Everything was intensified with the 2021 coup d’etat to overthrow the democratic government, which has led to a new war situation with millions of internal displacements in recent years. And, in that lack of lack of control, with internal struggles to control territories and commercial roads, China has encountered an important stumbling block in the development of its new silk route. Rare earth. China and Myanmar share more than 2,100 kilometers of border, being the Chinese province of Yunnan is the most affected. And the problem is that the presence of military groups and ethnic tensions is preventing China Agreements of the new silk route. The area, in addition, is rich in Rare earthsomething that China dominates and wants to continue controllingso the country is showing warm with the situation of its neighbors. China’s role. As we read in BBCChina did not want to get wet in this whole matter, which is now splashing. When the army gave the coup d’etat, Xi Jinping did not condemn him and continued to sell them weapons. However, he also did not recognize the military as the new heads of state. In fact, experts already consider that China is pressing so that things are again as before, not because they want to return to democracy or peace, but because they want to continue developing their commercial strategy. From the Myanmar regime it is suspected that Beijing is playing two bands supporting both the army and the rebels, who use Chinese weapons. But, the only thing China can do right now is to wait and press on both sides to achieve a peace agreement that allows them to continue with their businesses. Meanwhile, and as always, the people are the one who is suffering the consequences, with more than three million displaced and thousands of dead since 2021. Images | Rowanwindwhistler In Xataka | China has been building a megapuerto in Peru for eight years. It has just been released to revolutionize South America

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