States

The United States has turned Trinidad and Tobago into the war container it was missing. Venezuela has responded like Russia: an invisible fleet

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The conflict between the United States and Venezuela has entered a phase in which the silent accumulation media outweighs official statements. If you will, the Caribbean once again functions as a strategic belt from which Washington projects pressure without the need to declare an open war. Under the formal argument of the fight against drug trafficking, the White House has been weaving a support network logistics, radars, airstrips, ports and resupply spaces in an arc at a time bigger of “allies”. The Venezuela’s response We already saw it in Russia. The map of countries. That “arc” of allies Washington runs from the Dominican Republic to Trinidad and Tobago, passing through Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Grenada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The deployment includes destroyers, nuclear submarines, amphibious ships, aircraft carriers, state-of-the-art fighters, drones and thousands of troops, not enough for a land invasion, but enough to control air and maritime space, monitor critical routes and sustain missile attacks if it is decided to escalate. It is a prepositioning strategy classic: being everywhere without publicly assuming that something else is in the works. Trinidad and Tobago, the most sensitive link. Within that architecture, Trinidad and Tobago emerges as the most delicate piece of the board. Its extreme proximity to the Venezuelan coast turns any gesture into a political and military message. The new government has authorized the use of its airports by US military aircraft, has received warships and marine units, has allowed joint exercises and has accepted the installation of an AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR radar capable of detecting aircraft, drones and missiles. Everything is presented as logistical and defensive cooperationbut it fits almost literally with the US National Security Strategy of 2025, which calls for a toughened version of the Monroe Doctrine to reaffirm the preeminence of the United States in the Western Hemisphere and prevent external actors from controlling strategic assets. Trinidad and Tobago insist in that it will not be a platform for offensive attacks except direct aggression, but its role as node of surveillance, resupply and intelligence places it at the center of any scenario of sustained pressure on Caracas. A blockage that is not. The announced threat by Trump of a “total and complete” interdiction of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela fits into that model of gradual pressure. It is not about closing ports with a formal declaration of war, but about taking advantage of naval and air superiority, supported by friendly infrastructure, to intercept, seize or deter the ships that support the main source of income for the Nicolás Maduro regime. The recent seizure of an oil tanker loaded with nearly two million barrels and the warning that further action could follow shows the extent to which Washington is willing to take pressure beyond the symbolic, taking the risk of controlled incidents in international waters. The Venezuelan response. Faced with this siege, Caracas has reacted by raising the profile of its challenge. The order to escort ships that transport oil products and derivatives to Asia is a calculated move: it seeks to demonstrate that the Venezuelan State does not renounce its right to free navigation and that it is willing to involve to his Navy to keep exports open. It is also a response that increases the risk of confrontationbut that sends an internal and external message of resistance. Oil continues to be the financial pillar of the regime, and losing it would be equivalent to accepting total economic asphyxiation. The ghost fleets. Beyond the visible escort, the true backbone of the Venezuelan strategy is the ghost fleeta tactic practically copied from the used by Russia after Western sanctions. Old oil tankers, many with more than twenty or thirty years of service, change name and flagsteal the identities of already dismantled ships, sail under flags of convenience, turn off or manipulate their identification systems and carry out crude oil transfers on the high seas to hide the origin of the cargo. The result is an opaque trade that allows you to sell oil with large discounts to buyers willing to take risks, while the traceability required by sanctions is diluted. It is not a marginal phenomenon: a significant part of the world’s oil tanker fleet already operates in this gray ecosystem, transporting Venezuelan, Russian or Iranian crude. Sanctions that do not suffocate, they deform. The BBC reported that the data show that, although far from the historical levels of the end of the 20th century, Venezuelan exports have recovered notably compared to the collapse of 2019. This indicates that the sanctions have not paralyzed the flow, but rather have displaced it towards more opaque and risky circuits. As in the Russian caseeconomic punishment does not eliminate trade, it makes it more expensive, makes it less transparent and reinforces dependence on informal networks and actors willing to move illegally. The Caribbean as a conflict. With US aircraft carriers patrolling the Caribbean, radars deployed in islands near Venezuela and escorted or invisible tankers sailing to Asiathe conflict is located in a dangerous intermediate zone between economic pressure and military confrontation. The United States bets on the ccontrol of space and logistics regional via of discreet allieswhile Venezuela responds with the same manual that has allowed other sanctioned countries to survive: ghost fleets, aggressive discounts and specific shows of force. The Caribbean, for decades associated with tourism and trade, is thus once again a scene of high geopolitical tension where each radar installed and each oil tanker intercepted brings the risk of a clash that no one admits they want, but for which both sides seem to prepare, a little closer. Image: US Navy In Xataka | The situation between the US and Venezuela only needs one incident to escalate into something more: that incident is already here In Xataka | In full tension with the US, Venezuela has presented its drone simulator: it is equal to a three-euro Steam game

A dog was lost in 2021 in the United States. Five years later it has appeared 3,700 kilometers from his home

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In recent years we have seen how the algorithm has taken over Christmasand Netflix to the head of the film industry competes to offer the most emotional miracle of the year, stories designed to reconcile us with chance, hope and those impossible endings. But this time, the story that best fits that mold does not come from a script or a streaming platform, but from real life, far from the screens and without special effects. The loss. The story has been collected by US media this weekend. Apparently, during almost five yearsPatricia Orozco lived with an unanswered question. Since Choco, the dachshund mix dog that he had adopted in 2016, disappeared in May 2021, his memory remained present in our daily lives. The uncertainty was constant: if he was still alive, if someone cared for him, if he had suffered. After months of posters, calls to shelters and no clues, the disappearance turned into mourning and a silent renunciation of having a dog again, as if accepting another company meant admitting that Choco would not return. The impossible message. Everything changed with an unexpected message from a microchip company. Choco had appeared, but not near Sacramento, where Orozco lived, but rather more than 3,700 kilometersin Lincoln, Michigan. At first, the woman thought it was Lincoln, California, just half an hour from her home. Surprise turned to disbelief when he realized that his dog had crossed practically the entire United States without anyone knowing how or when. Choco had been found tied to a fence in front of to a shelterand the photos confirmed what seemed like a mistake: it was him. The problem of bringing him back. The initial joy gave way to logistical anguish. With two small children, one of them barely four months old, Orozco saw no way to travel to pick him up. A message on social networks It activated an unexpected chain of solidarity. Volunteers, protectors and anonymous people began to look for solutions, from affordable flights to km donations (miles in USA). The possibility of someone traveling in his place took shape when Penny Scotta volunteer accustomed to complicated rescues, offered to make the trip. Orozco with his dog Choco, almost five years after he disappeared from his home in May 2021 A silent journey. The Washington Post told that Choco’s return was a small aerial odyssey. Scott flew from California to Detroit with stops and delays, picked up the dog thanks to the help of local volunteers and crossed the country again with the. A missed connection forced him to spend almost fourteen hours at the Chicago airport, where Choco, calm and docile, walked on his leash among travelers without a single complaint. For those who accompanied him, that behavior seemed to confirm that, despite everything, he was still the same calm and affectionate dog. The mystery of time. In the background of this most “Christmas” story, the great question: Nobody knows how the hell Choco ended up in Michigan or who he lived with during that time. The only thing that is clear is that he traveled through an entire country, far from the sunny climate that he had always known and that, according to its ownerI hated to leave. Now, at eleven years old, the dog had aged, but he had not lost his curious and affectionate character, the same one that led him to run away every time he found an open door. Return home. Finally, on December 3rd Choco came back to Sacramento. The reunion was immediate and left no doubt: when he got out of the car, he walked directly towards Patricia, as if he had never left. The same home from which he escaped years ago became his refuge again, yes, now withwith more precautions: a double door and the determination not to repeat history. For Orozco, the moment was unreal, a mixture of disbelief and relief that he still finds difficult to assimilate. A network and an idea. Beyond the happy ending, the story left a clear lesson. The microchip was the key piece that allowed us to close a circle that seemed broken forever, but so was the network of people who, without knowing each other, decided to act. Rescuers, donors and volunteers demonstrated that even after years and thousands of kilometers, a loss can be transformed into a reunion. For Patricia Orozco, there are not enough words to describe it: what happened, insistcan only be called “Christmas miracle”. A story with a happy ending that could be perpetuated on the big screen. The story of Choco and Orozco has all the ingredients to make the next Christmas list… in the home of the algorithms. Image | PexelsHelping Paws and Claws In Xataka | In 2019, Iberia lost a dog before flying. Now the European Justice says that it is worth the same as a suitcase In Xataka | The science behind your dog being able to find you 12 years after being lost

The NFL was going to place the Bernabéu in the center of the United States. Americans have not been impressed

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The Santiago Bernabéu hosted its first NFL game this weekend, with more than 78,000 fans ready to watch the confrontation between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders. But beyond the sporting spectacle, the event was also a stage in which a quite prominent cultural clash could be seen, especially if we look at some of the reactions of American users who attended the game. And European and American stadiums respond to completely different philosophies about what the experience of the fan who goes to the games should be, and this event has demonstrated it. What has happened. The meeting left comments and opinions of all kinds about how the NFL experience has been translated in Spain, more specifically at the Santiago Bernabéu. In this sense, thousands of American fans who traveled to Madrid found a reality very different from that of their stadiums. The words by Jack Settleman, founder of Snapback Sports, went quite viral this weekend on X. “International stadiums never seem prepared for the amount that Americans consume,” he noted. According to affirmsthe drink taps were quickly sold out, as was the food, and he believes that the infrastructure was not designed for easy access to food stalls or for fluid mobility between the stands. Contrast between experiences. Of course there are differences. American stadiums are designed as comprehensive entertainment centers where fans can spend more than three and a half hours enjoying not only the game, but everything around it. In Europe, stadiums are usually conceived as spaces to watch whatever sport is playing for the duration of the match, without much more frills. “The European sports experience is very different from the American one,” commented Settleman. Even seemingly insignificant details like the lack of cupholders in the seats surprised some fans, including Settleman himself. Numbers. Despite the logistical differences, the impact of the event was notable. More than 40,000 people They went to a Dolphins fan zone between Thursday and Saturday, while the NFL temporary store at the Bernabéu received between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors in the days before the game. Initial ticket sales registered 700,000 different devices trying to buy tickets for a capacity of just over 78,000 spectators. According to the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the party has generated more than 70 million euros in economic income for the Spanish capital, including ticket sales, tourism and other economic aspects of the event. The food. If something generated real controversy, it was the gastronomic offer. In X there was a publication which attracted a lot of attention, and in which an Iberian ham sandwich with little chicha was seen and, according to the user, sold for 10 euros. The comments from several Spanish users were immediate, calling the management “shameful.” For many American fans, accustomed to a wide variety of options and fast service during matches, they encountered an uncomfortable reality at the Bernabéu. However, not everything was bad. And other visitors very positive aspects highlighted of Madrid, such as the gastronomy outside the stadium, the hospitality of its inhabitants or the attractiveness of the city as a tourist destination. What’s behind. The Bernabéu match is part of the strategy of international expansion of the NFLwhich has already held meetings in London, Mexico, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Berlin and Dublin. For the American league, these events represent generational work. NFL executive Jon Barker declared to the Washington Post that the organization has no idea what American soccer will look like on a global scale in 100 years, but that every international match is a step in that direction. The NFL invested 2.32 million dollars in temporarily adapting the Bernabéu: they expanded changing rooms, removed rows of seats to extend the field from 105 to 109 meters, created new entrances and eliminated all visual presence of Real Madrid during the event. Two models, two audiences. A day after the game, Settleman qualified his initial words in a long message: “I was making a lot of observations, I understand that the internet can confuse it with opinions. The European experience of not focusing on concessions seems good to me, it is simply different from the US.” He acknowledged that the Bernabéu is among the five best stadiums he has visited, although without anything extraordinary in terms of experience during the game. He also admitted that the energy around international NFL games is “a must-do experience,” with a fresh and positive vibe. If we stick to the numbers, the league generates about 23,000 million dollars annually compared to the 45,100 million that our football moves in Europe alone, according to Deloitte. Both sports are now exploring other regions, with European soccer heavily investing in the United States, while the NFL is also exploring other horizons. It remains to be seen how this North American sport faces cultural differences in other corners and whether or not its international expansion will encounter many bumps. Cover image | Jack Settleman In Xataka | The World Stone Throwing Championship seemed like the purest and most honest competition in the world. Until the fake stones appeared

The United States is offering millions of dollars to quantum companies. In exchange, he wants to keep a piece of each

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The United States has opened a new stage in its industrial policy. This time it is not about aid without return or simple soft loans: Washington is offering millions of dollars to quantum companies in exchange for a share in its capital. The information comes from the Wall Street Journalwhich points out that the agreements seek more than just supporting promising companies. The message is clear: the Government wants to ensure a seat at the table for a technology that can reconfigure the economy and global power for decades to come. The initiative fits into a chain of recent decisions in which Washington has been deepening its presence in sectors considered strategic. The Government transformed almost 9,000 million dollars in previous aid to Intel in a participation close to 9.9% and obtained special rights in US Steel to oversee sensitive corporate decisions. He also supported MP Materials in the critical mineral chain. The signal is clear: when the sector is considered vital, Donald Trump’s White House seeks to stay on board. When public money also buys influence Conversations affect some of the most visible names of the American quantum ecosystem. According to the newspaper, companies such as IonQ, Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum They are negotiating with the Department of Commerce the entry of the State into their capital. Other firms, including Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing, are studying similar deals. Operations would start from a minimum of 10 million dollars per company in this initial phase, with the possibility of more applicants joining as the program progresses. The conditions are not limited to a mere public investment. The Commerce Department is studying formulas ranging from equity stakes to intellectual property licenses, royalties or revenue sharing schemes. The conversations are led by Paul Dabbarformer executive of the quantum sector and current number two in the department, according to published information. At this stage there are no closed agreements, but the approach indicates that the State seeks a tangible return and supervision tools. Washington’s interest is not explained only by financial reasons. Quantum computing is emerging as one of the technologies with the greatest capacity for industrial transformation. These machines promise to solve calculations that would take eons to current systemswith potential applications in fields such as drug design, advanced materials or highly complex chemistry. Adding to this momentum is international competition, with companies like IBM, Microsoft and Google involved and China advancing its own quantum race. The security dimension adds another layer of urgency. Quantum algorithms are projected to They may violate traditional encryption systemsincluding RSA and ECC, exposing both sensitive communications and critical infrastructure. The risk is not limited to the future: the strategy known as harvest now, decrypt later suggests that malicious actors are already collecting encrypted data for decryption when this capability becomes available. Given this scenario, Fortinet highlights the need to move towards post-quantum cryptography and strengthen networks and systems. The practical potential of this technology is well illustrated by the pharmaceutical sector. McKinsey highlights that quantum can transform drug development by enabling precise molecular simulations, something that classical calculus and pure AI fail to always capture. Large companies are already testing these systems to study proteins, evaluate chemical reactions or reduce experimental steps. This ability to model complex structures from scratch promises to accelerate research, improve the success rate in trials and shorten times to market for new therapies. The implementation of this approach is not limited to companies. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Commerce Department reorganized the office responsible for the scientific side of the CHIPS program and recovered several billion dollars that had been allocated to previous technology initiatives. The political message is transparent: the Executive wants public investments to be measurable and for the State to have mechanisms to benefit when the funded projects mature, especially in sectors with high strategic involvement. The shift raises dilemmas typical of a more interventionist model. Public participation can facilitate stability in strategic sectors, but it also opens the door to conflicts between technological, industrial or political priorities. The central doubt is to what extent the presence of the State will affect the pace of decision and the flexibility that the most competitive sectors demand. There are still relevant unknowns. The final percentages that the State could reach or the exact conditions that would accompany the participations are not known. According to the information available, the agreements are still in the negotiation phase and could be modified before being closed. It also remains to be seen what commitments will be required of companies and whether there will be associated performance or governance criteria. At this point, the process is moving forward, but a definitive schedule for awards or formalization of agreements has not yet been announced. Images | Dynamic Wang | D-Wave Quantum | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 In Xataka | The United States and China have finally met to resolve the trade war: one will give in on tariffs, the other on rare earths

an F-35 squadron that does not belong to China, Russia or the United States

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In the month of January it was known America’s plan B in the Arctic once it seemed that “the Greenland thing” was not going to be so easy: a underwater cave in Norway. Two months later, eight icebreakers attested that Russia was there tooand in August, both nations looked with surprise at the arrival of five icebreakers with the flag of China. Now, at congregation a squadron of F-35s has been added… from a fourth contender. New strategic axis. we have been counting throughout the year. The Arctic has ceased to be a remote space and has become a central theater of power: a place where geography dictates the rules, meteorology sets human limits and the proximity between platforms The military turns every kilometer into a possible avenue of attack or surveillance. What was once a map and science is now state policy. From the Nunalik deck (a freighter that traveled thousands of km avoiding growlers and storms to deliver material to Canada’s northernmost intelligence network) brutal lessons emerge: presence in the north is not improvised, it is built with infrastructurespecialized logistics and sustained budgetary will. The fact that a delivery can be delayed for 48 hours because the dockworkers are closed for a weekend, or that a 2.5 ton anchor ends up dragging a 180 meter chain between icebergs, illustrates the basic arithmetic of the Arctic: distance and climate are permanent enemies of any defense project. Logistics and fragility. They remembered in The Wall Street Journal to maintain bases like Pituffik’s either Alert (the latter just 800 km from the North Pole) means dealing with very narrow seasonal windows: the sealifts (sea supply operations) are possible only four or five months a year, air transport must cover the invisible, and a single missing part can delay crucial work a whole year. Inuit communities, icy runways that require constant maintenance, satellite platforms and underwater cables make up a network in which any weak link puts the whole at risk. Thus, if creatures such as musk ox and polar bears are found on the coast, behind the tracks and radars there are also human lives that depend punctual suppliesand errors like 1991 plane crash that cost lives in the approach to the Alert base remind that Arctic logistics is not a technical variable but a matter of survival. View of Thule Air Base Russian advantage and western window. Geographically, Moscow starts with objective advantages: the Kola Peninsula is home to the Northern Fleetnuclear systems launchable by Arctic routes and a depth of deployment that the West took decades to erode. However, the weakening of part of the Russian ground forces after the war in Ukraine has opened a window for allies to rebuild capabilities in the north. The question is whether to take advantage of it quickly and consistently. Western allies face the task of recover strategic ground almost from scratch: the lessons learned in Afghanistan or the Sahel are not directly exportable to a region of polar darkness, snow storms and ice that makes even the best prepared ships creak. If these gaps are not closed, the russian advantage and/or the appearance of foreign actors They will make Western deterrence, more than a policy, an urgent technological requirement. Russian icebreaker Hypersonics, sensors and more. The challenge is not only to be present, but detect and anticipate. The hypersonic missiles (unpredictable trajectories and speeds of at least Mach 5) put traditional radar networks in check, and have pushed Ottawa to commit 6 billion of Canadian dollars (in collaboration with Australia) to far horizon radars and Washington to accelerate space sensors that track ballistic and hypersonic vectors from orbit. In other words: detection is a necessary condition to deter, and without early detection there is no response. The problem, they pointed out in the Journalis that technology is not the panacea: it requires logistics integration, data centers, resilient command posts and continuous maintenance that the polar climate makes prohibitively expensive if not planned for the long term. Denmark on the front line. And on that board where the flags of China, Russia and the United States are already found, the recent decision of Copenhagen is inscribed: 8.7 billion dollars to increase the fleet from F-35 to 43 devices and 4.2 billion expressly dedicated to reinforcing Arctic security, with a joint headquarters in Nuuk, two new ships, maritime patrol vessels, surveillance aircraft and units in the polar territory. Denmark mixes the purchase of American technology with the will to act as regional guarantordriven by both Allied pressure and the commotion caused for the idea (proclaimed by Trump in January) of “buy” Greenland. The package shows two things: the first, that European states are willing to spend considerable sums on advanced projection and detection systems. The second, that sovereignty and territorial presence have become in currency geopolitics, where the air force and naval capabilities are not only military but also diplomatic pieces. Local sovereignty and criticism. Not only that. The extension of the military presence in Greenland does not occur in a vacuum. Local voices, represented by figures such as Aleqa Hammond, former Greenlandic Prime Minister, they reproach Copenhagen to decide without sufficiently consulting the 57,000 people on the island, remembering that militarization affects ways of life and resources shared. Furthermore, the pressure on ecosystems fragile and the need to respect indigenous rights make it essential to combine security with listening and real compensation. If the Arctic is a strategic boardis also a home: decisions about bases, radars and icebreaker routes They must incorporate the social and environmental dimension or risk legitimizing internal tensions that erode any long-term military base. Costs, industries and alliances. Plus: building a presence in the north is not just about buying fighters and installing radars. I remembered the BBC which requires shipyards to manufacture icebreakers, polar cargo ships, maintenance lines for icy runways, contracts held with operators and, above all, the political will to sustain recurring spending. The NORAD modernizationcoordination between Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom … Read more

its new rare earth rules target the United States

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China has just moved a piece that can alter the global board of strategic minerals. Beijing has approvedtwo official announcements that establish a new regime of control over the rare earth and technologies linked to its extraction, processing and manufacturing of magnets. The change is not minor: any product manufactured outside the country that contains just 0.1% of materials of Chinese origin will need a license to be exported. It is China’s most ambitious response in an area that it has been using for years as an economic and political lever. This movement does not come from nowhere. The Asian giant has been weaving a strategy for months to strengthen its control over the materials that feed the global technology industry. In April it already restricted the export of metals such as gallium and germanium, essential for the manufacture of chips, and weeks later expanded the list with scandium and dysprosium. Later this year we explain how This offensive is based on a solid base: 39 university programs specialized in rare earths that ensure the knowledge and manpower that today support its leadership. How the Asian giant transfers its power over minerals to the rest of the world With the new provisions of the Ministry of Commerce, Beijing introduces extraterritorial control over strategic minerals for the first time. It not only regulates what leaves its territory, it also what other countries produce with materials or technologies of Chinese origin. The country will be able to decide what is exported, to whom and for what purposes, under national security criteria. Applications for military purposes will bein principle, denied, while those related to semiconductors or artificial intelligence will be examined on a case-by-case basis. The second standard approved on the same day goes one step further: it is not limited to materials, but it protects the technical knowledge that makes them possible. The Asian country prohibits the transfer without permission of its extraction, refining, metallurgy or magnet manufacturing technologies, as well as any type of technical assistance linked to them. The definition of “export” is broad and includes activities such as consulting, training or collaboration in research projects. With this measure, Beijing shields its industrial experience and restricts the dissemination of its know-how outside its borders. The application schedule is staggered. Part of the new framework takes effect immediately, while the rest will take effect on December 1. At the same time, the Ministry of Commerce expands its scope of action with an additional package that add new items to the checklistincluding graphite anodes, certain lithium-ion batteries, synthetic diamonds, and various rare earths that were not listed in the previous restrictions. The expansion directly targets industries with high technological value and reinforces the Asian giant’s ability to set the pace of the global supply chain. The new rules could disrupt the pace of entire sectors. Magnets and alloys derived from rare earths are present in electric motors, wind turbines, medical equipment and consumer electronics. Under the new licensing system, every component that uses Chinese materials or technologies will have to go through an additional layer of oversight. The most exposed companies are those that depend on intermediate suppliers, especially in the automotive and energy sectors. For many, this move confirms that Beijing’s industrial control is no longer limited to its borders. Applications subject to increased scrutiny include advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The Ministry of Commerce has established a procedure case-by-case review for exports related to chips 14 nanometers or smaller and high-density memories. In the case of AI, supervision extends to projects with military or defense potential. This is not a general veto, but rather a system of selective licenses that allows Beijing to adjust its response depending on the context and the country of destination. The application of the new framework will require a high degree of coordination between companies and authorities. Exporters must apply for licenses through the Ministry of Commerce system and submit documentation in Chinese. In addition, they must issue compliance notices to the following links in the chain and report each approved shipment. The ministry has also enabled a consultation channel for doubtful cases, which reflects the complexity of the process. Even in Beijing they admit that effectiveness will depend on the supervision capacity that it manages to build in the coming months. Exporters must apply for licenses through the Ministry of Commerce system and present documentation in Chinese The moment is not coincidental. Beijing announces these measures just before the meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump planned in South Koreain an attempt to strengthen their negotiating position. For months, rare earths have been at the center of trade talks between the two countries, and the new regulations add pressure on Washington. The strategy is clear: demonstrate that the Asian giant retains decisive levers in sectors that the United States considers strategic, from semiconductors to the materials that support its military industry. With these regulations, Beijing closes a circle that it had been drawing for years: it controls access to materials, the technologies that transform them and the knowledge that makes them possible. The Asian country converts strategic minerals into an instrument of economic and diplomatic power, reinforcing its weight in the negotiation with Washington. For the United States and its allies, the new situation represents an uncomfortable reminder: while they seek to reduce their dependence, the Asian giant continues to set the pace for the resources that sustain the global technological economy. Images | wirestock | ArthurHidden | aboodi vesakaran In Xataka | In 1978 Chinese engineers visited two key US companies. Upon his return, an empire began: rare earths

A Spanish giant is about to make history going out in the United States: Travelperk

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Travelperk has hired Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Jefferies, he published The Informationto prepare your IPO in the United States. It would be the most relevant Spanish -to -the -Spanish of recent years and a Wall Street appetite test for European startups. The company of Catalan origin manages trips and corporate expenses for companies. Its last assessment reached 2.7 billion dollars in January 2025, twice a year earlier. The context. Travelperk is not any startup: You have investors behind SoftBank Vision Fund, Capital Sequoia and Blackstone. Its CEO, Avi Meir, has built a company with more than 1,500 employees that has multiplied its income from before the pandemic. He Timing It seems favorable. Business trips have recovered the pulse after the pandemic: the world market reached 1.5 billion dollars in 2024, 6% more than before COVID. Yes, but. The IPO of European technology companies in the US have had disparate results. The US market is demanding, and competition, fierce. Travelperk has to demonstrate that he can grow sustainably in a sector dominated by American giants such as SAP Concur or American Express GBT (in addition newly allied). The company has been preparing the land: in June acquired Amtrav to reinforce your presence in the American market. He also closed the purchase of the Switzerland Yokoy to expand to financial services. Between the lines. The movement responds to a clear strategy: Travelperk identified A 200,000 million market Between the US and Europe, where half of the trips are still without centralized management. Medium -sized companies reserve on their own in Booking or Expedia, losing control and money. The platform promises to solve that chaos with technology and IA. Although the CEO does not fear autonomous agents of AI as Openai Operator, it recognizes that technological competition intensifies, according to an article by CNBC In January. At stake. A successful IPO would send a powerful signal to the Spanish ecosystem, in need of success cases that show that global companies can be created here. Travelperk could become that reference, especially after few Spanish startups have reached assessments of that level in recent years. And now what. The company has not confirmed dates or details of the operation. But hiring three first level investment banks suggests that the process is advanced. The next months will be key to knowing if Travelperk can achieve a virtually unpublished feat. In fact, the question is not so much if Travelperk will go over (it seems clear that), but when and what price. The answer will say a lot about the future of Spanish startups in international markets. In Xataka | Something is changing in Spanish startups: they are increasingly thought of global from the beginning Outstanding image | Travelperk

Openai not only dominates in ia. Now the App Store in the United States with Sora and Chatgpt is also “eating”

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Getting to the podium of the most popular free applications of the App Store is the dream of any developer. It is not just about adding downloads: it means achieving a massive user base and enviable visibility. For many, the reasoning is automatic: “If this app has come here, something must have.” In that scenario, Openai is marking a milestone. The company of Sam Altman barely has two applications and both They occupy the highest positions of the ranking in the United States. It is a direct reflection of the interest that arouses among users and the influence that the firm has acquired in a matter of months. A surprise launch. On Tuesday, after announcing with just a couple of hours in advance, an event, Openai presented a new version of its video generator. But the real surprise came later: An application with a spirit of Tiktoklaunched at the moment in the United States and Canada under invitation. A brilliant rise. Although its access was limited, the app began to add downloads quickly. In just one day it reached 56,000 facilities, According to Appfiguresand this Friday had already become the most unloaded application in the country. An immediate irruption reminiscent of the viral phenomena of other times. The success of Sora by OpenAi It soon reflected in Apple’s official data. The app has reached the first place of the section “Top Charts”surpassing a GeminiGoogle’s chatbot, already Chatgptthe other application of Openai itself. Besides, it also dominates The photo and video category. Much more than download. Being up in the App Store does not depend only on the volume of facilities. Specialists in the field They point out that Apple uses an algorithm that, in addition to downloads, values ​​the retention of users, reviews, the stability of the app and other decisive factors. The details of the algorithm, however, are unknown. The viral factor. Sora’s proposal has met expectations: becoming a viral content factory. Its dynamics encourages users to star in their own memes and share them in a social environment That, in turn, multiplies its reach. The result is an addictive experience that is gaining ground at high speed. OpenAI in front of the usual giants. Today, the place that once occupied WhatsApp, Facebook or Messenger is claimed by OpenAi applications. In the United States general list, the first finish applies appears in the fourth position with Threadsand it is not until the 13th place that we find WhatsApp. What we are seeing is an OpenAi settlement in the digital life of millions of people. The company not only marks the step in artificial intelligence: it is also conquering one of the most influential platforms in the world, the App Store. Images | Screen capture In Xataka | Openai is demonstrating to be able to overcome the goal in virality. His mission was not supposed to be that

The war between China and the United States has uncovered a technological “mercenary”: Oracle

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While giants like Microsoft, Google or Meta The headlines monopolize Regarding the AI ​​and the rest of its technologies, Oracle has been silently positioned as the perfect intermediary in the technological pulse between Washington and Beijing. After The acquisition of Sun Microsystems In 2010 to be in charge of Java, a key piece for the operation of multiple technologies in our electronic devices, Oracle’s power was increasing. Now his record It expands thanks to the AI already its involvement in Tiktok’s agreement. THE BUSINESS OF NOT CHOOSE BANDO. Oracle has built its strategy in being the neutral provider that does not directly compete with its biggest customers. While Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure can generate friction because of their direct competition, Oracle offers infrastructure without the threat of removing the business being present. This position allows you to work with both Openai and any rival, becoming the “mercenary” that everyone needs and nobody fears. His role in the rescue of Tiktok. The White House has confirmed that Oracle will be key in the agreement to maintain operational Tiktok in the United States. The company will be in charge of security of the American version of the application, managing the data of the users from centers located in American territory. Bytedance will retain 20% of the property, but Oracle will control the critical infrastructure that reassures legislators concerned with national security. More power, less prominence. While the big technological struggle to capture the attention of the final consumer, Oracle has chosen to remain in the shadow. His Cloud infrastructure business It does not have the glamor of social networks or AI attendees, but it has become essential. And the numbers accompany, because the company He has triggered his income Futures 359%, reaching 455,000 million dollars of capitalization thanks to contracts such as Openai worth 300,000 million to materialize the famous’PROJECT STARGATE‘. The perfect intermediary strategy. Oracle has maintained a position of neutrality in recent years, which has allowed him to benefit from geopolitical tensions without taking part publicly. When the United States needs a Chinese alternative to technological infrastructure, Oracle is there. When the companies of AI They need computational capacity Without depending on direct competitors, Oracle is also available. A network of contacts has been worked from which he has taken a lot of profit. The risks of success. This strategy is not exempt from dangers. The growing dependence of great contracts such as Openai turns Oracle into vulnerable to single -client. In addition, fulfilling such ambitious commitments will require significant indebtedness and an unprecedented infrastructure expansion. Its debt ratio on equity of 427% already overcomes that of competitors such as Microsoft, which is 32.7%, according to data of S&P Global Market Intelligence. Cover image | Oracle In Xataka | Great door or nursing: “circular financing” between Nvidia and OpenAi can be the genius of the century … or the collapse

The United States needs nuclear energy for AI and already knows where to find it: in dismantled atomic bombs

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The rivalry between China and the United States is not only freed in markets or The tariffs. It is also played In the field of energy. And, in full rise of artificial intelligence, Donald Trump has decided that the way to ensure abundant and stable electricity for military bases, laboratories and data centers will be through nuclear energy. His plan is as ambitious as controversial. An explosive plan. The Trump administration has sought to quadruple the nuclear production of the country. To do this, the White House wants the new reactors not to depend solely on fresh uranium, but also on recycled fuel from radioactive waste and the military plutonium surplus dismantled eyelets. As Washington Post explainedit is an “national security imperative.” The idea is simple: guarantee a stable supply for the most sensitive infrastructure, from military bases to AI data centers, without depending on the electricity or imported fuels. The recycling now an ally. THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT has identified in its inventories All uranium and useful plutonium to reconvert it in fuel. Among them is the plutonium from dismantled weapons, one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. To make it possible, startups like oklo and curio They work in piroprocessinga method that introduces fuel bars spent on molten salts and uses electricity to separate the usable components. Unlike the chemical processes used in the past, these companies ensure that the technique is safer, more economical and less polluting. In addition, Oklo, backed by Sam Altman, founder of Openai, has announced an investment of almost 1.7 billion dollars in an advanced fuel center in Oak Ridge (Tennessee), the same land where uranium was enriched The Manhattan project Eight decades ago. Only the tip of the iceberg. A couple of months ago, in one of the executive orders signed by Trump forced the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) To complete any reactor license in 18 months, when until now the process could take more than a decade. The White House also ordered to rewrite the rules of radiation exposure, considered “excessively cautious.” The official statement issued in May established specific deadlines: The Army must operate a reactor at a national base before September 2028, and the energy department will have to inaugurate at least one advanced reactor in any of its facilities in 30 months to supply AI data centers. To this is added the release of 20 tons of Haleu (high -rehearsal low enrichment uranium) for new reactors and the intention of signing 20 international nuclear cooperation agreements in the current congress. The depth of the matter. Despite political and business enthusiasm, the scientific community contrasts with reality. Ross Matzkin-Bridger, exassor of the Department of Energy, He pointed out that it is “The same technologies that developed and rejected decades ago”, with the same background problems. The MIT physicist and former secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, It was more blunt: recycling plutonium of arms not only makes nuclear energy more expensive, but also “threatens to create material that can be used in pumps.” Along the same lines, Matthew Bunn, from Harvard, considers it unrealistic to think that public opinion accepts reprocessing plants that would also require their own waste deposit. And Frank von Hippel, from Princeton, recalled that the US has already abandoned civil recycling at the time of Jimmy Carter, after India used that technology To manufacture your first bomb. Not everything is warnings. For the White House, nuclear recycling is a strategic tool. The official statement insists that AI data centers and military facilities need “Dense energy sources, safe and resistant. ” Also, defenders such as Bradley Williams, from the National Laboratory of Idaho, They argue that using recycled plutonium It could become a need to guarantee sufficient fuel. And startups ensure that new processes include safeguards that prevent reuse of that material for military purposes. The weight of waste. The matter is even broader because the country already accumulates about 90,000 metric tons of fuel spent, stored in containers in active and dismantled plants, According to The Washington Post. Recycling part of that material would relieve a dilemma that has been resolved decades. Meanwhile, the private sector tries to position itself. Oklo signed a contract with Switchdata centers operator, to build modular reactors that contribute up to 12 GW before 2044. The company promises to open its first reactor, Aurorain 2027, although the agreement is not binding and the NRC rejected its previous application in 2022. The idea of ​​recycling is not unique. More countries have found in this method in a way to find a more source without depending on other countries as the case of Francewhich does so through subsidies and strict security measures. For its part, Japan accumulate delays and cost overruns In its Rokkash Plant, which has not yet produced fuels after decades of development. At the opposite end, United Kingdom decided to abandon the idea of ​​recycling. With about 140 tons of stored civil plutonium, he has chosen to immobilize him in a solid and stable way to bury him in a deep geological warehouse in Sellafield. Something similar occurs in Spain, which has reactivated his plan For a deep geological warehouse, planned for 2073, and in the meantime use containers such as Hi-Storm FW for intermediate storage. The contrast is evident: while some countries try to give new life to waste, others bury them forever. Everyone looks for the same: prevent nuclear legacy from becoming an eternal problem. Forecasts. The United States is committed to resuscitating old nuclear recycling technologies to sustain its energy safety and the AI ​​career. The defenders see it as a historical opportunity to reduce foreign dependence and give new use to forgotten materials. Critics fear that the same failures and risks of half a century are repeated. The experience invites prudence: the last reactors connected in the USA, In the Vogtle (Georgia) plantthey arrived seven years late and 17,000 million dollars of extra cost. Image | Oklo and Kelly Michals Xataka | 60 years … Read more

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