Spanish

The fashion among Spanish operators is the ERE. Meanwhile, Digi is hiring more than anyone else

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DIGI’s ambition has not been enough to become one of the three largest operators in the country. It also wants to be one of the main job refuges in the national telecom sector. In a context of uncertainty and restructuring, the Romanian operator is close to tripling its workforce while the rest adjust their workforce. Closing 2025. Digi closed last year with 10,200 direct employees in Spain. Data that is better understood if we put it in context. Against the current. While the telecommunications industry shrinks its workforce, destroying more than 14,000 jobs together, Digi does just the opposite: grow in customers and employment. One of the pillars that cements this stage of growth for the company is its first national agreement, signed last November. In it, the conditions of its employees are homogenized and progressive salary increases linked to performance are proposed. what’s happening. Digi’s strategy collides head-on with a classic among large telecos: outsourcing. The Romanian operator has opted for an internalization strategy: While the three large operators in the country have been focused for years on increasing income per customer, Digi is doing just the opposite: taking away customer volume, sacrificing profitability per user. No changes in the short term. Digi’s strategy seems clear: volume over margin and commitment to not outsourcing its services. The plan to become the third operator nationwide continues from strength to strength: In 2022 it managed to take over 60% of portability in Spain. It is currently the fourth national operator, behind Vodafone. While the rest raises prices, Digi maintains them or adjusts them even more. It is on track to become the third largest operator in fiber lines if it maintains its growth in 2026. The big question. Whether or not Telefónica will end up taking over Digi is the big question. The Spanish giant neither confirms nor rules out future purchases and mergers in its growth plan until 2030. For the moment, Digi is an ally: the Romanian operator uses Movistar coverage and infrastructure and will continue to do so for at least 16 years. Image | Digi In Xataka | All teleoperators plan to raise prices in Spain from 2026. All? No: DIGI still resists

Extremadura has silently taken over 99% of an unexpected crop: Spanish tobacco

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These are not good times for tobacco cultivation. At least in the European Union, which has seen how in recent decades its weight has been decreasing in the fields. If at the beginning of the 90s I harvested 400,000 tonsat the end of the last decade that figure was already at 140,000. In Spain the situation is not much better: in 2024 The production volume (and hectares) was much lower than just ten years ago. That does not mean that tobacco does not continue to play a relevant role in part of the Spanish agrarian map. In fact there is a region that stands out for its contribution at national and European level: Extremadura. Only there it is concentrated 99% of the crop and the transformation of tobacco in Spain, which leads the sector to boast an economic impact of 126 million. Tobacco “made in” Extremadura. In Spain it is impossible to talk about tobacco without also talking about Extremadura. This was recently claimed by the sector in a report of AFI that leaves an eloquent figure: the cultivation and the first processing of the tobacco leaf generates in the region 69 million euros of added value, more or less 99% of the national total. The percentage is so overwhelming that the industry itself emphasizes that Extremadura is “the main producing center in the country and the first producing region at the European level.” If the focus is expanded, the Tobacco Roundtable estimates that the sector has a total impact of 126 million in the community and generates hundreds of jobs. To be more precise, it speaks of more than a thousand of direct positions, a figure that rises to 2,000 contracts full-time if indirect and induced workers are included. X-raying the sector. The Tobacco Table is not the only one that highlights the overwhelming weight of Extremadura. The Ministry of Agriculture itself recognizes that, according to data from the 2020 Agrarian Census (the latest available), the region brings together 94% of the 1,052 farms that exist in Spain. The activity focuses mainly on the north of the province of Cáceresin the regions of Campo Arañuelo, La Vera, Alagón, Talayuela and Navalmoral de la Mata. Beyond Extremadura. The agricultural map is basically completed with Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha and Navarra, although they dedicate many fewer hectares to tobacco. In 2024 Extremadura allocated 6,121compared to the 19 in Castilla y León, the 18 in Castilla-La Mancha and the three in Navarra. global photography of the sector is, however, much more complex. In the Canary Islands there is an outstanding manufacturing hub, in Cantabria there is the Entrambasaguas factoryfrom Altadis, “the main industrial production center on the peninsula”, and the Community of Madrid also benefits from hosting the headquarters of the Spanish subsidiaries of the large multinationals in the sector. In general, the Tobacco Table estimates that the sector contributes to the national GDP with 1,825 million eurosa figure that would exceed 3,700 if the total impact is included. Tobacco taxes are another source of substantial income for the State. The group speaks of around 6,700 million collected through the Tax on Tobacco Products, although the total fiscal contribution of the sector would be very high and would exceed 10,100 million euros annually. Getting perspective. Extremadura plays a prominent role on the Spanish (even European) tobacco map, but in reality our country accounts for a tiny part of the sector worldwide. Although the Spanish contribution represents about 19% of the total of the European Union, which usually places our country among the main producersrepresents 0.5% of global production. Your footprint It is very far from the big ones manufacturing powers like China, India or Brazil. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Spain would occupy 36th place among tobacco producers by area. Its 8,450 hectares (2021) are in fact nothing when compared to China (1,014,553), India (431,146) or other producers in America and Africa. better times. After years of regulation and awareness campaigns, the European industry is not going through its best moment either. In 2018 the EC calculated that around 140,000 tonnes of tobacco were grown in the Union as a whole, a far cry from the 400,000 at the beginning of the 1990s. The cultivated area has also been reduced. Nothing surprising if we take into account the increasingly complex scenario facing the sector and the collapse of consumption. In fact Extremadura exports about 74% of the tobacco leaf he collects. The MAP data They also note the drop in production (and cultivated area) in recent years in Spain, although performance improves. Images | Rusty Watson (Unsplash), Uitbundig (Unsplash), MAP and Tobacco Table In Xataka | Extremadura promised them very happy with its powerful Spanish tomato industry. Until China arrived

Yemen is one of the most dangerous places on the planet. And despite this there are Spanish tourists traveling to one of their islands

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Socotra is a paradisiacal archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, near the Gulf of Aden, just over 300 kilometers from the southern coast of Yemen, the country to which it belongs. Its biodiversity and abundance of native species earned it becoming a World Heritage Site 18 years ago. However, despite its idyllic appearance, for a few days Socotra has been something more: a large mousetrap in which they have been trapped. 600 touristsincluding 20 Spaniards. The reason? Socotra is full of corners instagrammablebut it is also (like the rest of Yemen) a destination that Foreign advises against visiting. What has happened? What was promised as a dream vacation on an idyllic island in the Indian Ocean has ended up turning into a nightmare. And all by the work and grace of the complex situation politics that Yemen is going through, marked by tensions between the Government and a separatist faction that at the beginning of December took control from two important provinces in the south of the country. With this backdrop, on December 30, the Executive decided to apply a air embargosea and land of several days that fully affected flights with Socotra, the largest of the islands that make up the archipelago of the same name. The territory was left without one-way services. No return. And how do I get out of here? That is the question that more than one in the archipelago asked. About 60,000 islanders who depend on Yemen reside there, but also hundreds of tourists. In fact, at the time of the cancellation of the flights, it is estimated that there were close to 600 foreigners. Although not all of them have the same nationality, they do share the same problem: How to leave the island? With flights cancelled, they were stranded more than 300 km from the coast. The regional deputy governor for Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Yahya Saleh Afrar, was quick to clarify that the situation in Socotra is “good” and the archipelago “safe.” “Everything’s fine”, emphasized a few days ago after ensuring that tourists continued with “their activities thanks to the agreements of the tourism companies.” That does not mean, Afrar also acknowledged, that “a certain anxiety” about the situation spread among travelers. In fact, as soon as talk of evacuation began, the authorities they found each other with that “everyone wanted to travel, but they were afraid.” Does it affect Spain? Yes. Most of the 600 affected tourists are Russians and Polesbut the list includes travelers from many other countries: Brazil, Italy, Russia, Poland, the US and China… Also Spain. Local authorities have confirmed that there have been a variety of cases on the island “between 15 and 20” who suffer exactly the same fate as the rest of international travelers. Yesterday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured to the EFE agency that the group is fine, but is still on the island, with no choice but to extend their stay in Socotra. Everything indicates, however, that their ‘adventure’ will not last much longer. Why’s that? Because in recent days evacuation flights have begun to take off. The first one left on Wednesday with 179 people on board, another one followed yesterday with 145 foreign travelers and the idea, assures Swiss Infois that two more trips are scheduled today and tomorrow to get the rest of the tourists out of the archipelago. A priori and according to the data managed by EFEthe twenty Spaniards were still in Socotra yesterday, so they would fly today or tomorrow. Evacuations come after Russia and Poland They will confirm on Tuesday a new scheduled air route of the Yemeni national airline, Yemenia Airways, to Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia. As slide The New York TimesUntil now, tourists traveled to Socotra basically from Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) aboard the Air Arabia airline. The change is interesting because both countries, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, are indirect protagonists of the Yemen conflict. The first supports the recognized Yemeni Executive. The latter (UAE) support the separatist forces. Holidays in Socotra? Like many other tourist destinations, Socotra has “a side A and B” for island lovers: it is a paradisiacal enclave, but clouded by the political scene. UNESCO stands out that the archipelago has “global importance” for its biodiversity, flora and fauna, with a great abundance of native species that are only found on its islands. The images that are shared on networks also show endless sandy beaches bathed by turquoise water, dunes and unique vegetation. The “B side” (much less friendly) is marked by the conflict in Yemen. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very clear. On your website make it clear which “advises against travel under any circumstances” to the country, including the island of Socotra, and invites any Spanish visitor to leave the territory “as soon as possible.” “Some agencies and tour operators organize trips to offshore islands, such as Socotra. This type of trip is discouraged due to the lack of safety guarantees and the possibility of problems returning.” Images | Valerian Guillot (Flickr) and Rod Waddington (Flickr) In Xataka | The Valencian Community has a single inhabited island. And when summer arrives, tourism is the least of their problems

The final of the Spanish Super Cup, on Movistar Plus+ for 9.99 euros per month. Without permanence and whatever operator you are

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This 2026, like the last few years, starts with a trophy at stake. This week the Spanish Super Cup is played, a title that pits the top two finishers in LaLiga from the previous season against the finalists of the last Copa del Rey. If we want to see the final of this competition, We just have to subscribe to Movistar Plus+: streaming platform that can be contracted 9.99 euros per month (or 99.90 euros per year). And be careful: because it is not the only game that we are going to be able to see this month. Monthly subscription to Movistar Plus+ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The final of the Spanish Super Cup is played on Movistar Plus+ Several things must be taken into account. Movistar Plus+ is a streaming platform that we can contract regardless of the operator we are. Besides, It does not have any type of permanenceso we can subscribe right now, watch the final of this competition and see what the platform offers and, if we are not convinced, unsubscribe at any time. Let’s talk now about what we can see. At the football level, the highlight right now is, as we have said, lat the end of the Spanish Super Cup on January 11. It will face two teams that will come from the matches between Athletic de Bilbao-Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid-Real Madrid, so we will surely see a real great game. It is not the only game we will be able to see. Below we leave you, as a summary, some of the most notable matches that we will be able to see in the next month: Arsenal-Liverpool (January 8) Africa Cup quarterfinals (January 9) An African Cup semi-final (January 14) Third and fourth place in the African Cup (January 17) Betis-Villarreal (January 17) Manchester City-Manchester United (January 17) Africa Cup final (January 18) Galatasaray-Atlético de Madrid (January 21) PAOK-Betis (January 22) Arsenal-Manchester United (January 25) Benfica-Real Madrid (January 28) Obviously, Movistar Plus+ lives not only on football. It is a platform that has a ton of high-quality movies, series and documentaries, even with very interesting own productions like the new ones true crime by Carles Porta or Anatomy of an Instant. All taking into account that it is a platform that we can share with whoever we want without strange inventions and that, furthermore, It is the only platform compatible with the Young Cultural Bonus. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Movistar Plus+ In Xataka | The best streaming platforms 2025 | Comparison of Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Movistar Plus+, Filmin, Apple TV, SkyShowtime and Rakuten TV: catalog, functions and prices In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

A Spanish streamer dies after taking six grams of cocaine

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The viral challenges of live substance use have claimed their first victim: it is the first documented death in Spain during a live broadcast. The macabre and significant thing about the matter is that the deceased streamer leaves the Simón Pérez circleof whom he was a kind of “protege”, and whose fall into the pit of indiscriminate consumption is being documented in chilling detail. Death live. In the early morning of December 31, 2025, Sergio Jiménez Ramos lost his life, streamer 37-year-old Barcelonan who acted under the alias “Sancho” or “Sssanchopanza”. He consumed six grams of cocaine and a bottle of whiskey in less than three hours, while a group of paying spectators watched the scene. When his brother entered the room and found the lifeless body, on the other side of the screen several users remained connected to the private video call. The Simón Pérez phenomenon. When in 2017, Simón Pérez became a viral phenomenon after starring alongside Silvia Charro in a video promoting fixed rate mortgages while evidently were under the influence of narcotic substancesit was impossible to foresee what their lives would become. Overexposure on networks and, in search of extreme monetization, a business model based on donations in exchange for increasingly dangerous challenges: throwing appliances off the balcony, ingesting one’s own urine and, of course, substance abuse. The Diplomats. The escalation of content ended up causing his expulsion from platforms such as Kick, Dlive and Pump.fun for drug violations and promotion of illegal casinos. The last step in search of a corner of the internet beyond all control is Los Diplomáticos, a private group accessible through memberships between 40 and 120 euros. In these video calls closed by Google Meet, Pérez performs degrading acts that include collective masturbation or smearing himself with excrement. Sergio Jiménez entered this orbit in October 2025, despite being under psychiatric monitoring, as confirmed by El País through sources close to the deceased. The tip of the iceberg. What happens in private video calls is just the beginning. An entire clandestine infrastructure has flourished around these closed broadcasts. According to El País, Telegram groups like “AviatorVip IV”with more than three thousand members, function as meeting nodes where viewers not only comment on what they see, but actively organize challenges, sometimes even contacting substance suppliers. The contents of these supposedly private groups are disseminated on YouTube channels dedicated to the phenomenon, which ensures the continuous arrival of new curious people. The Graven case. The death of Sergio Jiménez is the first in Spain, but not in Europe. Just a few months earlier, in August 2025, French streamer Raphaël Graven, known as Pormanove, He died after enduring twelve consecutive days of humiliation and physical attacks broadcast live. Two men subjected him to a spectacle of continuous degradation while his audience watched without intervening. It also broadcast on Kick, the same platform that would expel Simón Pérez and Silvia Charro after this death. Both deaths share the same pattern: individuals in a vulnerable situation (economic or psychological, as in the case of Jiménez) who agree to expose themselves to mortal risks in exchange for immediate money. The fundamental difference with controversial television formats lies in immediacy: here there are no producers, medical insurance or prior controls. Just a direct transaction between those who pay to see suffering and those who need the money enough to risk their lives, with the consequent lack of control. And both cases occurred after regulated platforms closed their channels, taking refuge in digital spaces without any type of supervision. Zero responsibilities. Simón Pérez’s reaction after learning of death illustrates the moral complexity of this matter. In a live video on YouTube, he stated: “I have a clear conscience, it could have happened to me, it happened to him.” He claimed to have warned Jiménez about the dangers, recommending that he leave Telegram… and immediately promote memberships to his own private groups. The Mossos d’Esquadra keep the investigation open and a series of questions literally unprecedented to date must be resolved: was there incitement or necessary cooperation on the part of those who financed and specifically requested the challenge? Where does the responsibility lie? Private video calls, by their very nature, escape the control of the platforms and although Jiménez’s family is considering taking legal actionthe dispersion of responsibilities makes it very difficult to point to a clear culprit. In Xataka | Reality shows were falling into domestication. Until this brutality arrived on social networks, canceled in nine hours

the architects determined to make Spanish cities beautiful again

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The location, the region, almost not even the type of city matters. Whether you are in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Vigo or Jerez de la Frontera, the most likely thing is that if you take a walk through the streets of the center you will find the same image: asymmetrical facadesirregular, full of holes and patches. They have not been designed like this nor are they the work of any eccentric architect. This apparent aesthetic incoherence is the result of decades of arbitrary enclosures by apartment owners. The logic is simple: you have a terrace that doesn’t quite convince you, so you choose to fence it. The problem is that you do it on your own, without agreeing with the rest of the neighbors, and in the end the facades end up becoming an architectural pastiche. And with them (in addition) the set of cities. The phenomenon is frequent enough that there are people commenting on it on networks and specialized forums in urban planning: ‘Tetris-style’ enclosures are rampant in Spanish cities. The images may change from one location to another, but a walk through any urban area usually comes to find facades altered without rhyme or reason. Here is an untouched terrace. There is another one closed with aluminum carpentry and translucent glass. Two floors below, another that has opted for wood and an awning. Much more than facades Do they pose a problem? They are certainly cause for debate. First, because of its regulatory framework. Is it legal for each owner to do what they want with their terrace, without taking into account the rest of the community? What steps should you take if you want to do it correctly? Second, because beyond the block in question, the amalgams of enclosures influence something much more important: the urban landscapearchitectural coherence and visual hygiene, values ​​that are usually very careful in sensitive areassuch as historic centers and protected buildingsbut which are often neglected in the rest of the city. One of the voices that has commented the most on the phenomenon of indiscriminate closures is the X account @MadridProyecta, which has warned about “‘Zero zones’ of lack of control” either flagrant cases in which they have completely distorted the original appearance of the properties. This phenomenon leads them to warn of the “vertical shanty town”a problem that does not occur homogeneously throughout the Spanish geography (it is less frequent on the Cantabrian coast, for example), but it does condition the urban reality of the country’s cities. “It has a serious impact on the urban landscape of Spain,” they acknowledge from Madrid Proyecta before remembering that in other latitudes of Spain it is less common to encounter indiscriminate closures. The reason? In addition to the regulatory framework of each country and cultural differences, there is another fundamental factor that comes into play, recalls María José Peñalver, treasurer of the Superior Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE): the antiquity of the building stock and its maintenance. Click on the image to go to the tweet. In 2023 the National Federation of Real Estate Associations analyzed the country’s constructions and estimated that the average age of the used housing stock in Spain around 43.5 years oldwhich among other issues explains why two of the problems that were most frequently pointed out are the scarcity of outdoor space and the poor insulation thermal. Both issues are closely related to enclosures, which They are usually carried out precisely to gain square meters or improve the comfort and soundproofing of homes. That a good part of the homes in Spain are over 40 years old It is a relevant fact because they were built before the regulations on thermal conditions were applied. According to the INE, nearly 40% of the buildings that were used for housing in 2011 had been built between the 60s and 80s. It is not a problem exclusive to Spain (85% of the blocks of the EU were built before 2000 and many of them have low energy performance), but it is a relevant fact when analyzing the phenomenon of enclosures in cities. Another key aspect is the regulatory framework. A quick search on the Internet turns up a good number of guides and articles that try to clarify whether or not it is legal to close a terrace and what requirements must be met to do so, which gives an idea of ​​the high interest that the topic arouses. The simplest answer is: depends. It depends on the peculiarities of each case, what you want to do and, above all, what the community has decided before. The explanation must be sought in the law of laws regarding coexistence in buildings: the Horizontal Property Law (LPH), which in its seventh article sends a notice to sailors: “The owner of each apartment or premises may modify the architectural elements (…) when it does not undermine or alter the safety of the building, its structure, configuration or external state“. Closing a terrace can directly affect the exterior of the property and alter the façade. Furthermore, as remember Idealistalthough the terraces are for private enjoyment, many of their parts, such as the roof or coatings, are part of the common elements. In the article 10.3 and 17.4 of the LPH, in fact, it is recalled that one of the actions that must have authorization are closures, subject to the approval of three-fifths of the community. “The LPH considers that closing a balcony represents an alteration of the façade, being a common element that conditions the overall image of the building. To make a change of such magnitude it is necessary to obtain the consent of the community, so it is not a strictly personal decision,” comment the architect and urban planner Albert Nogueras in elDiario, where he recalls the need to also keep municipal ordinances in mind (which may vary from one city council to another), and the statutes approved by the community itself. The guides Regarding closures, they remind us of … Read more

Spanish banks have no problem letting you buy cryptocurrencies. What they don’t want to do is advise you on them.

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In March 2025 BBVA he stuck out his chest. It was the first large traditional bank in Spain that allowed its clients to operate in cryptocurrencies. Then other entities such as CaixaBank and OpenBank followed. In all of these cases there is a crucial detail: one thing is that they let you operate with cryptos. It’s quite another to advise you on how to do it. You cook it, you eat it. That traditional banking has made this move is definitive proof that cryptocurrencies have managed to convince even this very conservative sector. But these institutions are not willing to risk too much, so although they allow their clients to buy or sell cryptocurrencies, they leave all responsibility to the client: they do not advise or advise. And it’s not likely that they will. Nobody wants to advise. A report published by the ESMA and the EBA reveals that the vast majority of entities follow the same pattern: they allow trading with cryptocurrencies, but do not advise clients about them. Of the 110 entities that have achieved authorization of the MiCA regulation in Europe, only 20 have requested to provide crypto advice. 11 provide recommendations (like eToro) and another nine offer portfolio management. There is a clear reason why these entities leave the ball in the clients’ court. Too much risk. Caution is absolute not only on the part of traditional banking, but also of traditional exchanges or trading markets. These entities, which have traditionally been the only resource for users to operate with cryptocurrencies, have never offered advisory services, and one was clear when investing that they assumed full responsibility for their actions. The surprise is that exactly the same thing happens with traditional banking. They ignore it, and they do so because they have no interest in advising: the reputational risk is too high, and the volatility of these assets makes it especially difficult to make reliable recommendations. Crypto analyzes guarantee (almost) nothing. As explained in five days Gliroia Hernández Aler, co-founder and partner of finReg360, “Crypto assets have the value that the market assigns to them. By not having an underlying that can be analyzed, such as an income statement, for example, it is difficult to base advice on objective data. Although there is more and more news that can impact bitcoin, it is difficult to do a quantitative analysis with traditional methods.” MiCA opened the market. Europe wanted to try to regularize that “wild west” that the crypto market had become. To this end, in mid-2023 it approved the MiCA (Markets in Crypto Assets) regulation, a European regulation to regularize this activity. Among other things, it offers consumer and investor protection and establishes measures to prevent market abuses. Banks as the new exchanges. We had to wait two years to see how the first banks took advantage of this regulation, but little by little more and more entities joined in. The message was clear: you no longer have to resort to “mysterious” cryptocurrency trading markets (exchanges). You can buy at your usual bank. Image | BBVA | André Francois McKenzie In Xataka | A British man was not allowed to look for his bitcoin disk in the trash for years: now he is considering buying the landfill

The loggerhead turtle is increasingly common on the Spanish coasts. It is a bad sign about the Mediterranean

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The Mediterranean is being invaded. The ‘fried egg’ jellyfish or the imposing lionfish They are two undesirable new tenants, but there is one animal that is much less annoying, It is not invasive and yet it is a problem that it is colonizing the western Mediterranean. This is the loggerhead sea turtle. And it is another adaptive response to climate change. The loggerhead turtle. Its scientific name is Caretta caretta and is one of only two species of sea turtle (the other is the Chelonia mydasor green turtle) that reproduces in the Mediterranean beaches. If you look at the map, its distribution is worldwide. They enjoy warm waters with a wide range of surface temperatures (a range between 13 and 28 degrees Celsius), but things change during the spawning season. Nesting females prefer temperatures between 27 and 28 degrees, making Mediterranean beaches an ideal area to lay eggs. The traditional spawning grounds in the Mediterranean were the eastern area, especially the Greek beaches, but something is happening: an increase in temperatures is creating a double imbalance. A determining factor. It is curious, but temperature controls both the willingness of turtles to nest in an area and, and this is almost the most important, the sixth of their hatchlings. The sexual determination of chelonians depends on the incubation temperature in the eggs buried in the sand. With this strict fan of 27-28 degrees, a balanced population between males and females is achieved. With higher temperatures, there is a imbalance towards the predominant birth of females. This is a problem for the turtle population itself, since an imbalance of this type would put the species at risk. And even more curious is that mature females have instinctively found a biological refuge on the coasts of the western Mediterranean, where the beaches are somewhat colder (for the moment). The objective is to ensure greater sexual diversity. Increase in nesting. HE esteem that, in the Mediterranean basin, there are about 8,000 eggs per year. The traditional places are Greece, Türkiye, Libya, Tunisia and Cyprus, but little by little we are seeing that change in the balance. In 2001 found a first nest on a beach in Almería, in Vera, and since then loggerhead turtle nests have been recorded in other parts of the geography of the western Mediterranean. The turtles They are spawning in Spainbut also in Italy, Malta and Tunisia. In addition to the Almeria coast, the areas in which the turtles are creating nests are Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Murcia and they have been observed in Fuengirola and Marbella. Conservation and awareness. There are organizations that, increasingly, point out that nesting has been increasing in recent years, and regardless of what it means at a climatic level, it is another problem due to the human factor. In countries “accustomed” to this, where nests are protected, the population knows not to interfere with them. In others where turtles are beginning to nest, it is possible that we, maliciously or unintentionally, interfere with the reproductive cycles of a species that is considered under threat. That is why it is also they throw citizen awareness campaigns to inform about them and how to proceed if someone finds a nest that is not already being monitored. For example, performing events in schools on biology and conservation of the species. It is also perform awareness work with fishermen as a target audience, since fishing activities are one of the main causes of death. Likewise, when a clutch is detected, there is the possibility of protecting the nest in situ (where the turtles have to hatch correctly and take the infernal path to the sea) or take the eggs to controlled breeding centerswhere they mature and are subsequently released. Turtle nursery in Fuerteventura Poison beyond the heat. But there is another problem apart from climate change and human action: the pollutants that are poisoning the turtles. In recent years there has been studied the liver of at least a dozen loggerhead turtles, finding traces of PCB, PCDF and PCDD. These are chemicals, pesticides that alter the immune and hormonal systems of turtles. It is something that comes from the hand of the esurface runoff carrying chemical waste from agriculture and industry to the rivers that subsequently flow into the sea. And torture, unfortunately, is becoming a thermometer of the state of our waters, both in terms of temperature and the presence of chemicals that are already altering the fauna. Images | H. Zell, Dionysisa303 In Xataka | The owner of Loro Parque in the Canary Islands charges against animal rights activists. And with this it reopens the debate on the existence of zoos

It is a leap in Spanish sovereignty in spatial geopolitics

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In 1989, Spain boosted its space industry. Not to go to the Moon, but to guarantee its telecommunications capacity. This is how Hispasat and its fleet of geostationary satellites offering broadcast coverage of television, radio, broadband and connectivity in remote areas. In 2023 it was decided that Hispasat would be our own Starlink. It has been a huge failure has put Hispasat in an extreme situation. But since those satellites are not going to be wasted, there is someone who has already shown interest a few months ago: Indra. And it is the key piece for the Spanish company to become one of the heavyweights of European rearmament. The slap of Hispasat. We told it a few days ago. The resounding failure of the plan that sought to place Hispasat as the alternative to starlinkwhen technologically they are two totally different things, has been the condemnation. To face the transformation, it received public funds, money that it has had to return. The figures are scary: 22 million from public aid that have flown out of the company’s coffers. It has left them shivering. Indra enters the scene. Indra is a technology group specialized in defense, aerospace and advanced digital technologies. They are focused on the military industry, but not building tanks or ships, but rather the “brain” of the systems, as well as radars, surveillance services, electronic warfare either cyber defense. For a company like this, Hispasat is candy. And at the beginning of this year we already said that Indra was very interestedlaunching a 725 million euro offer that needed regulatory approval. Now, and as we read in Europa Pressthe Council of Ministers would have already authorized the purchase of 89.68% of Hispasat by Indra for 725 million euros. With this operation, Indra would control the communications satellites, but also Hisdesat. This is the branch of Hispasat military satellitesfocused on offering encrypted and secure communications. It is key in both military and government operations. Metamorphosis. The Government of Spain controls 28% of Indra’s capital, being the company’s main shareholder, so this approval is a mere procedure. But, if Hispasat was completely absorbed, Indra would experience a metamorphosis. If space is new battlefield (something that The United States, Russia or China are pushing), Spain must be there, and would be hand in hand with Indra systems. Because this space war is not just something from science fiction or satellites with machine guns like the ones France wants (or the ones it has China with robotic arms), but something we are already seeing in Ukraine. During the war with Russia, Starlinkwhich are communications satellites, were key to offering communications and cloud services, connecting troops, fighters and drones in real time without depending on anyone else. In Leonardo’s league. It is true that the latency of the Hispasat network is greater as it is at a higher altitude, but it is a first step. Additionally, it allows Indra to be more three-dimensional. The satellite network is added to its radar and command systems division, becoming a piece with more weight in the current turbulent geopolitical board. And, although he commented that this approval from the Government was a formality, it is not empty bureaucracy, but a declaration of intentions in the direction of industrial and military sovereignty, reinforcing its position within Europe like the French Thales or the Italian Leonard. Rearmament context. In the end, everything falls within a context in which Europe is seeing that it must stop depending on external agents for its defense and services. A few months ago, The European Commission called for rearmamentand different countries have already raised their military reindustrialization strategies (some giving some ‘face’ to finance infrastructure), but in all areas we are witnessing that the European Union has lost confidence in allied countries. The war in Ukraine or the tariffs have strained the relationship with the United States, and even in the aerospace industry we are seeing that, now, Europe is taking out the credit card to stop depending on the United States or Russia to launch things into space. And this move by Indra makes the company transcend from being one that provides systems to one that plays the role of architect of European defense. Images | Zarateman, In Xataka | ESA has taken a historic step to access the Moon autonomously: Argonaut, the first European lunar module

Scooter, Chinese and with the last name “ADV”. The Zontes 368G is destroying the Spanish market for good reason

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Spain It’s scooter country. They are cheap to maintain, they hardly use fuel and some of them did not need a driving license to buy them. And I speak in the past tense because the DGT It already requires you to take a small driving course for new drivers who want to get a 125cc motorcycle with the B license (the car license). Taking into account that for years it has been possible to drive scooters without a license and the economy of maintenance, it is more than logical that these small vehicles have occupied the top 3 sales for years. What was not so predictable is that a Chinese manufacturer, launching an A2 license scooter, has blown up the ranking of the best-selling motorcycles in Spain and has catapulted itself to the top 3, very close to the historic Japanese Yamaha. We talk about Zontes with his 368Gand take a good look at the photo, since once you recognize it you will not stop seeing it on the Spanish streets. The reason for this motorcycle. Zontes has been in Spain since 2018 and, since then, has had a very modest presence. In China, The culture of copying has nothing to do with how we perceive it in Spain: For the Asian country it is a way of recognizing that a product is well made. For years, traditional Chinese education was based on memorization, tracing and exact reproduction of classical texts. Copying was the correct way to learn, and if a student could exactly replicate their teacher’s work, it demonstrated respect and having achieved a high level of skill. So, analyzing that the best-selling A2 scooter in Spain is the Honda 350 ADVZontes decided to make his own. The anti-ADV. A motorcycle for the city, road and (some) countryside, all with an aesthetic similar to Honda’s most expensive ADV, the X-ADV. The Zontes 368G is the third best-selling motorcycle in Spain according to Anesdor, dangerously close to the Yamaha Nmax. That’s key for several reasons. It is the best-selling Chinese scooter in Spain. It is the first time that an A2 license scooter is close to surpassing a B license scooter in sales. This Zontes model has surpassed Voge, a Chinese manufacturer that seemed unbeatable in Spain. While Chinese manufacturers are betting on a fragmented distribution strategy, Zontes has bet practically everything on this model. Why is it devastating?. Zontes has touched the x pillars necessary for a motorcycle to sweep sales in Spain. The price is absurdly low. Zontes asks 5,529 euros for a 368G with almost 40 HP and fully equipped. On a technological level, it is one of the most ambitious proposals on the market: heated grips, 8-inch TFT screen with mirroring connectivity, rear camera, front camera, keyless start, electric seat opening, full LED lights. Expansion of dealer network in Spain and good response from technical service. The small print. Like practically all Chinese manufacturers (except for some high-displacement models from Voge), the toll to pay for buying an Asian motorcycle is that you have to go to the workshop quite a bit. The Voge’s maintenance is every 4,000km, compared to 12,000km for its direct rival, the Honda ADV 350. A point to keep in mind for all those drivers who drive close to 10,000km annually. 2026 is coming even stronger. Zontes has made a splash in 2025, and has even more reason to do so in 2026. They are going to increase the maintenance interval to 5,000km thanks to an oil cooler. The bike will come with a heated seat. New display. Cruise control. Suspension improvements. On the other hand, in China, it is sold at the same price as the current model, so hardly any price increase is expected. 2026 will be a key year in the motorcycle world: it is more than likely that Chinese manufacturers will take the top 1 for the first time. Zontes is not alone. Zontes has become a manufacturer capable of surpassing giants such as BWM, Kymco and Kawasaki in registrations. But just look at the top 10 units registered in Spain to understand that it is not alone. Position four is occupied by Voge, a Chinese manufacturer that has managed to place its 900 DSX as the best-selling trail in Spain. In 10th place, QJmotor is beginning to make its mark. The future of the motorcycle in Spain is inevitable: it passes through China. Image | Zontes In Xataka | Chinese motorcycles are sweeping Spain: who is who in this puzzle of brands

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