trapped

Every year thousands of Madrid residents go up to Puerto de Cotos to see something exceptional. And every year they get trapped

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For those of us who live in Madrid, Christmas has convinced us that there are issues that are completely unchanged from year to year. We know that the best thing we can do on the December long weekend is to flee the city (or at least the center), that going to Doña Manolita to buy a lottery ticket is almost impossible and that someone is going to be left stranded in Puerto de Cotos when the snow makes an appearance. Let the Civil Guard come! The day of marmot snow. Madrid has its favorite place to go to the snow in Puerto de Cotos. Those who grew up in Madrid are very likely to have launched a sled down the slope, taken their first steps on skis in Valdesquí or taken a broth for Sale Marcelino. And, above all, they have been snowed in, have been cold and had problems returning to the city. It doesn’t matter whether it’s public transportation or private transportation, every year Cotos collapses. The last time was yesterdayMonday, December 22, when hundreds of people sought refuge on buses to return to Madrid with temperatures below zero and snow accumulating. But the year doesn’t matter. In 2024 There were those who waited three hours to get on one of the buses that serve the port. In 2023 Cars piled up in the ditches. In 2021 Access had to be cut off and endless queues to get on the buses were repeated. In 2016 Dozens of hikers had to take shelter due to a sudden change in the intensity of the snowfall. It is clear that we could continue. Between the cold and the bus. Yesterday was one of those snow days that turn into a nightmare. One of those in which the Civil Guard has to intervene to control the situation. And the perfect storm occurred: snow in the mountains and a non-working day. Perfect situation to get stuck at the top of the mountain. This was how it was for the more than 200 visitors who saw a way not to return to the city, they collected in The Spanish Newspaper. At two degrees below zero, snowing and with the prospect of not being able to get on the bus, the Civil Guard had to go to the top of Cotos to bring order and control the chaos. In statements to Telecincoa user pointed out that she had been waiting since midday for more buses to board, as the driver had promised, but the volume of potential passengers continued to collapse public transportation. In the images you can see how a traffic jam completely collapses the only available bus. Click on the image to go to the original tweet Insufficient The big problem with the Cotos port is that it can be relatively easy to go up, but going down is another problem. And while the climb is staggered, on the way down there are crowds of passengers waiting to take refuge inside a bus that will take them down to the street. Buses in which you can only travel seated, just as one of the drivers claimed. And to get off the port on a daily day and with the Valdesquí station closed, the frequencies are very low. In those conditions only bus line 691 which connects the city of Madrid with the top of the port is available at 11:05, 16:35 and 18:35. The only alternative is to go up with a car and chains in the trunk in case the situation gets complicated. Click on the image to go to the original tweet And the train? Yes, indeed, Cercanías had a train that covered the climb to Cotos from the town of Cercedilla. It is line C9opened in the 1960s but has been completely closed for renovation works on infrastructure and trains since 2024. The reopening is not expected until the summer of 2026. As long as the deadlines are met. The Cercanías trains also used to be full when the snow arrived but they offered some guarantee to passengers. First because they could move a high volume of people (up to 220 passengers per trip) and second because you could buy the tickets in advance, thus reserving the place to go and return to the mountains. The bus alternative, however, has been scarce. With the train line closed, Renfe has only arranged five departures bus from Puerto de Cotos to Cercedilla where hikers can opt for another Cercanías train or intercity buses to return home. On daily days, Renfe had the same volume of trains but its capacity was greater. Foreseeable unforeseen. What is surprising is that these situations occur every year. And despite the fact that the AEMET had already warned of the arrival of snow and an increase in traffic to the Port of Cotos on a non-school day was foreseeable, the hikers found themselves with public transport that was clearly insufficient and without Civil Guard patrols to order the chaos. It seems evident that these situations occur exceptionally but the Madrid Transport Consortium (CRTM) shows that it does not have sufficient flexibility to guarantee the arrival and evacuation of those who go up to the Puerto de Cotos by public transport, with a clearly insufficient provision of buses for these days. And few alternatives. But, also, the other big problem that Madrid has is that the alternatives are minimal. The region has more than six million inhabitants but the options of visiting the snow for those who go to the Madrid mountains on time are minimal. And the thing is that Puerto de Cotos is located above 1,800 meters of altitude. Among the alternatives is the Port of Navafría or the Puerto de la Morcuera, which can be reached by road. However, getting there by public transport is nothing short of a pipe dream since there are no nearby towns the size of Navacerrada or Cercedilla with Renfe stations to get there quickly. Thus, a funnel is … Read more

Ukraine’s biggest problem is not Russia. There are three European countries trapped in a perverse mechanism: type C accounts

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Europe faces a decision that goes far beyond an accounting discussion and that defines its strategic credibility: what to do with the more than 210,000 million of euros of Russian assets frozen since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. The problem is twofold, because it is not just about figures, but about what comes after activating the operation. The European crossroads. Yes, because the question is not only whether that money should be used to support kyiv at a critical moment, but whether the European Union is capable to take the risks political, legal and economic implications of doing so. As Washington presses for a quick exit to the conflict and reduces its financial support, Brussels finds itself caught between the urgency of avoiding a Ukrainian defeat and the fear of unleashing a russian retaliation that directly hits several of its Member States. Putin clearly. Statements this week by Vladimir Putinloaded with contempt for European elites and confidence in a protracted war, are not simple rhetoric. Moscow makes it clear that it is not contemplating real concessions and that it considers the use of its frozen assets as theft that demands a response. That response would not be symbolic, but surgical: selective seizures, accelerated nationalizations, endless litigation and the use of the Russian financial system as a weapon. The message, a priori, is unequivocal: if Europe crosses the line, Russia will not only punish Ukraine on the battlefield, but also European countries that still have exposed economic interests within their territory. The real blockage. I remembered this morning the financial times he crux of the whole situation. Although the debate is presented as a struggle between hawks and cautions, the real blockage comes from a handful of countries specific, with Belgium, Italy and Austria at the head. It is not a question of ideology, but of direct vulnerability. Belgium hosts Euroclear, the warehouse that guards most of the frozen Russian assets, and fears becoming the first target of retaliation judicial and economic. Italy and Austria, for their part, maintain banks and companies with billions trapped in Russia, benefits included, which they cannot repatriate. For these countries, authorizing the use of Russian money is not an abstract foreign policy decision, but rather an immediate risk to their financial and corporate systems. Type C accounts: the ace of Moscow. At the center of this fear are the calls type C accountsthe mechanism created by Moscow to withhold dividends, interest and assets from Western companies. That money, formally owned by European and American companies, is under Russian control and can be frozen, redistributed or directly transferred to the state budget with a simple decree. For the Kremlin, these accounts are a retaliation tool fast and effective, far superior in agility to slow Western judicial processes. For Europe, they are an invisible chain that binds entire governments when making strategic decisions, because any false step can translate into lost billions and internal political crises. Germany pushes, Europe hesitates. Germany has become the main political engine of the plan to use Russian assets, convinced that without that money there is no realistic way to support Ukraine for another two years without skyrocketing the European debt or depending on impossible unanimity. Berlin insists that the risk must be shared among everyone and that failure to act would send a devastating sign: Europe is not capable of defending its own security. However, this logic collides with the reality of countries that feel that the risk is not distributed, but rather concentrated in their national balance sheetsits banks and its courts. A (bad) peace as a threat. This financial blockade occurs in an even more disturbing context: European fear to an imposed peace on terms favorable to Russia. For many capitals, an agreement that consolidates Moscow’s territorial gains would not only leave Ukraine defenseless, but would force Europe to prepare for a scenario direct confrontation in the medium term, with longer borders, a strengthened Russian army and a weakened European deterrent. In this framework, the frozen Russian money stops being a tactical lever and becomes a strategic investment: either it is used now to support Ukraine, or it is paid for later in the form of massive rearmament and risk of war. The final dilemma. In short, the European Union has frozen Russian assets to prevent them from returning to Moscow without reparations, but now it must decide whether it dares to give the next step. Without that money, Ukraine could run out of liquidity in a matter of months, losing all negotiating power and forcing a deal from weakness. With him, Europe is exposed to reprisals, litigation and immediate economic losses, concentrated in a few countries that are currently holding back the decision. The crossroads are clear: assume the political and financial cost now, or accept that the fear of type C accounts determine European security policy. Not only the future of Ukraine is at stake in that election, but also Europe’s ability to act as a coherent geopolitical actor when your own interests are at risk. Image | RawPixel In Xataka | A missile has been bombarding Ukraine’s defenses for weeks. What no one could imagine is that he is not Russian: he is from the West In Xataka | A day later the satellites leave no doubt: Russia fortified a bridge, and a Ukrainian drone made science fiction a reality

the paradox that has trapped 69% of young people

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We usually imagine the loneliness as total isolation: an empty room and a phone that doesn’t ring. Seeing a person who is surrounded by people and with an active social life seems like they cannot feel loneliness, but the reality is very different in Spain, where studies suggest that we have never been so connected and at the same time so alone. And young people are the ones who bear the brunt. The problem in Spain. A recent study published in PLOS One has just named a phenomenon that defines generation Z already the millennials younger: social ambivalence. And it is not that the youngest in our society lack friends or plans to make on a daily basis, but it shows that the amount of social interactions does not guarantee optimal emotional well-being. Having dozens of ‘likes’ for a publication on Instagram does not mean being accompanied. Something that the data of the report made by SoledadES in Spain has confirmed, since its conclusions indicate that we are experiencing a silent epidemic where 69% of young people admit to having felt alone. And all this regardless of the number of followers on social networks or friends they have by their side on a daily basis. Change of concept. For decades, sociology assumed that loneliness was simply the lack of social contact seen in people who did not go out and interact with anyone. In this way, the equation seemed quite simple: the more friends you have, the less loneliness you have. But this is no longer the case as it has been seen in adults ranging from 18 to 29 years old. Here it has been seen that people who have a high social connection are accompanied by a simultaneous feeling of loneliness. The most affected. The studytitled “Lonely and Connected in Emerging Adulthood”points out that this social ambivalence It occurs especially in moments of life transition. Young adults go through a period of instability, such as changing residence to go to study, entering the labor market or ending their studies. This only breaks support networks, for example losing contact with the friends they make at university or the need to have to meet new people at work. That is why the conclusion is quite clear: having a full social agenda does not protect against feelings of isolation if the interactions lack depth or if the young person feels that they do not fit into the environment that has changed. Radiography in Spain. He “Study on youth and unwanted loneliness in Spain”promoted by the State Observatory of Unwanted Loneliness (SoledadES) of the ONCE Foundation, gives us information that sets off our alarms. In this case they point out that 25.5% of young Spaniards between 16 and 29 years old claims to feel alone at present. But if you broaden the focus, almost 7 in 10 young people feel alone now or have felt that way at some point recently. Its duration. In this report, the quantity may not be the most important, but rather the duration, since this feeling is becoming chronic in the young people of our country. According to the data, three out of every four young people who suffer from this loneliness have been in this situation for more than a year. But almost half still feel like this for more than three years. Something that completely passes the critical phase of adolescence. Because. Among the reasons that try to justify this feeling, the one that gains the most weight is instability. This is something that can be seen in those changes of environment due to studies or work that force us to make new relationships, breaking the original ties where there was greater trust. In Spain, this is aggravated by socioeconomic factors. The difficulty of emancipation, job insecurity and uncertainty about the future make it difficult to create quality ties, which are what truly combat loneliness, unlike the mere “quantity” of social interactions. And here it stands out that it is not important to have a large number of friends, but that even if they are few, they are of quality. And this is the quality that is sometimes missing to be able to be 100% transparent with other people that does not make us feel so alone for not being able to express our concerns and keep them to ourselves. Images | Mert Uner Şahin Sezer Dinçer In Xataka | Loneliness is now a public health issue. We have more and more evidence that animals help us appease it

Researchers find a piece of ice from six million years ago. What is really valuable is the air trapped inside

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A team of scientists has achieved something extraordinary in the frozen Allan Hills, east of Antarctica: extracting 6-million-year-old ice samples, the oldest ever directly dated. Trapped inside are air bubbles that date back to Earth’s Miocene atmosphere, when our planet was much warmer and sea level considerably higher than today. A time capsule in the form of ice. The discovery, published in the journal PNAS on October 28 and led by Sarah Shackleton of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and John Higgins of Princeton University, more than doubles the age of the oldest known ice so far, which dated to about 2.7 million years ago. “Ice cores are like time machines that allow scientists to take a look at what our planet was like in the past,” explains Shackleton. “The Allan Hills cores help us travel much further back than we thought possible.” How they found it. Between 2019 and 2023, the Center for the Exploration of Older Ice (COLDEX) team drilled between 100 and 200 meters deep into the ice sheet in the Allan Hills region, located about 2,000 meters above sea level. Just like they count From the Middle Space, this area is especially valuable because the topography of the terrain and ice flow patterns allow extremely old ice to be preserved closer to the surface, unlike the Antarctic interior where it would be necessary to drill more than 2,000 meters to reach similar ages. Dating. The researchers They determined the age of the ice measuring the radioactive decay of argon isotopes present in trapped air bubbles. This method allows ice to be dated directly, without the need to examine the rocks or soil around it. The result: 6 million years, a time when the Earth was home to now extinct creatures such as saber-toothed tigers, arctic rhinos and the first mammoths. Cooling. Analysis of oxygen isotopes in the cores revealed that the Allan Hills region has cooled approximately 12 ºC during the last 6 million years. It is the first direct evidence that quantifies how much the Antarctic climate has cooled since that ancient warm period. Ed Brook, director of COLDEX and paleoclimatologist at Oregon State University, stands out that “the team has built a library of what we call ‘climate snapshots’ about six times older than any previously reported ice core data.” Why does it matter? While Antarctica and the Earth as a whole have progressively cooled for millennia, humans are now rapidly increasing global temperatures by release large amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Studying these bubbles of ancient air will allow scientists to reconstruct past greenhouse gas concentrations and ocean heat levels, which could give us clues to what natural factors have contributed to the climate. climate change throughout the entire history of our planet. Surviving extreme conditions. “We are still discovering the exact conditions that allow such ancient ice to survive so close to the surface,” points out Shackleton. “Along with the topography, it’s likely a mix of strong winds and intense cold. The wind blows fresh snow and the cold slows the ice almost to a stop. That makes Allan Hills one of the best places in the world to find shallow old ice, and one of the toughest to spend a season in the field,” he continued. Next steps. The COLDEX team plans to return to Allan Hills in the coming months to carry out more drilling. They hope to recover even older samples and produce a more detailed record of Earth’s ancient atmosphere. “Given the spectacularly old ice we have discovered in Allan Hills, we have also designed a new comprehensive long-term study of this region to try to extend the records even further in time, which we hope to carry out between 2026 and 2031,” concludes Brook. Images | COLDEX In Xataka | What are sixth generation fires: the megafires that create their own weather

one thousand people trapped by a storm

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As much as we have touristifiedas much as we have accustomed to see their camps and slopes full of mountaineersEverest still is a resort. Today the planet’s summit is much more busy than in times of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (The pioneers who crowned the top in 1953), but the mountain is still a dangerous space full of challenges. And if we had forgotten Everest himself, he has just remembered us big. What happened? That Everest has just remembered own and strangers that it is not a tourist attraction, but a mountain with extreme climatic conditions that can be twisted at the most unexpected moment. That is at least what just learned the hundreds of mountaineers who were surprised on their slopes this weekend for an intense and copious snow. Snow was expected, but the intensity of the storm surprised even the most experienced, which forced the authorities to be launched to rescue the trapped groups. “The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never faced such a climate in October,” Explain a mountaineer affected. Where did it happen? On the eastern slope, where the blizzard caught hundreds of people in the camps. Chinese media talk about about a thousand Of affected, hundreds of hikers who were stranded by the storm that started on Friday at the last minute and lasted throughout Saturday. Other sources They point out that temporary surprised more than 500 people in the TINGRI region. And how are they now? According to The latest information Shared by Laura Bicker, a correspondent for the BBC, rescuers have already guided 350 people to a safe place located in the municipality of Qudang, on the Tibetan side. They have also managed to contact another 200 hikers. The British chain Precise That hundreds of villagers and rescuers have been deployed through the area to clear the access roads, blocked by snow, at an altitude of more than 4,900 m. It is not clear if the snowfall has affected hikers of the north face. How strong was it? “When we woke up, the snow already had about a meter deep,” Geshuang Chen recountswho on Friday had left Qudang with a group of more than ten mountaineers heading to the Base camp of Cho Oyu. On Saturday, however the storm frustrated its plans. “We are all experienced hikers, but even so this blizzard was extremely difficult.” Another mountaineer, Eric wen, has counted To the Reuters agency that his group could barely sleep because the snow fell so copious that they had to remove it from the covers of their stores every ten minutes. “If not, they would have collapsed.” Despite their care and equipment, three colleagues suffered hypothermia. How was it possible? For a sum of factors. The main is the meteorology. They have not been easy days in the region. To the south of Tibet, in Nepal, heavy rains have caused landslides and floods that, in addition to blocking roads, have left several deaths. In the last hours Europa Press He spoke Already 52 dead and 53 injured, in addition to a long dozen of missing. The other key factor is the festive calendar. China is in full Golden Weeka high season period for local tourism. “Many people come to do hiking, but this year snow is exceptional,” Chen points out. That coincidence of dates and climate explains that this week they arrive at the Karma Valley, which leads to the Eastern Kangshung face of Everest, hundreds of people. Why is it important? What happened this weekend at Everest is not important just because of the event itself. It is also (and above all) for what it reveals about the mountain and tourist saturation of Himalaya, a problem that experts They have been warning and of which the authorities They are aware. Some calculations estimate that every year they visit the Sagarmatha National Parkdominated by Everest, some tens of thousands of people that generate in turn 20 tons of garbage. In the mountain the challenge is so serious that the authorities They have already raised Forcing mountaineers to bring bags to collect their feces. Does so many people go to Everest? Yes. The problem of Everest Massification became especially palpable a few years ago, in May 2019when a Nepalese mountaineer took a photo in which more than 200 people are seen in a row in full rise to the roof of the world. A human traffic jam like the one we would expect to find ourselves in a commercial street in Madrid in full discounts … only in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Statista calculates that only in 2023 they were recorded 656 successful promotionsstill from the more than 800 from before pandemic. What happened this weekend reminds us that despite this enormous popularity and the growing massification of the mountain, even has increased ratesEverest is far (very far) from being a place for sports tourism to use. You don’t have to go very far to confirm it. In 2023 they disappeared Three Sherpas experienced in the Khumbu ice cascade, swelling the extensive list Dead and missing in the mountain. Images | Guillaume Baviere (Flickr), EMIFAULK (Flickr) and Statista In Xataka | To decongest Everest, Nepal allows you to access another 97 free peaks. The problem is that nobody wants to upload them

The Critical Mineral Companies of the West are trapped between the US and its best client: China

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Western companies that are dedicated to the extraction and processing of critical minerals are between the sword and the wall. These raw materials They are fundamental for many strategic industriessuch as those of semiconductors, telecommunications, advanced weapons or electric car, so USA and China are using them as a resource to exert pressure on the other. This situation represents a very serious problem for Western mining companies because Donald Trump’s government has imposed very strict controls to China of these minerals, as well as High tariffs. Rio Tinto and BHP are the world’s largest western miners, and its best client is China. In fact, According to Volt Rush In 2024, 57% of Rio Tinto’s income came from China compared to 16.7% of the US. Losing the Chinese market is not an option for these companies, so the managers of the two companies I just mentioned have met with President Donald Trump in the White House with the purpose of defending their interests and protecting their position in China. However, they also have something to offer to the Administration: the possibility of reinforcing the US supply chain by opening new deposits in the country, such as the “Resolution Copper” project of Arizona, delayed for years due to the opposition of the Apache tribe of San Carlos. China dominates an essential market for the US and its allies: that of rare earths On April 4, just 24 hours after Donald Trump announced the taxes that he was going to apply to the importation of most products from abroad, The administration led by Xi Jinping responded. And he did it forcefully. In early December 2024 He chose to prohibit The export of some critical minerals to the US, among which were three essential metals for the chips industry: Gallium, Germanio and Antimony. Shortly after the Chinese government added two more critical metals to its list of export restrictions: the Scandio and the Disposio. These chemical elements are probably less known than metals prohibited by China previously, such as Gallium or Germanio, but They are at least so important Like the latter because they have a fundamental role in the industries of integrated circuits, telecommunications and the manufacture of storage devices. Many companies have high -power magnet reservations made with rare earths, but possibly they will only allow them to subsist a few months The ability to put pressure from China had not yet been extinguished. Just ten days later, on April 14, the Administration did not hesitate take another step forward With the purpose of putting in check, in addition to the industries that I just mentioned, those of electric cars, aeronautics and advanced armament. To achieve this, it effectively suspended, in addition to the export of the most valuable rare earths, that of high -power magnets that have a critical role in the industries that I have cited in this same paragraph. Chinese authorities are retaining in ports throughout the country not only rare earths, but also high -power magnets acquired by electric cars manufacturers throughout the planet, aerospace companies, chip factories and armament companies. Many of these organizations They have high -power magnet reservations Made with rare earths, but possibly they will only allow them to subsist a few months. Europe in particular is in an extremely delicate position. China’s export controls are directed mainly to the US, but the old continent It does not remain unscathed. At least for the moment. In fact, in Germany, which as we all know is the heart of the European car industry, There are already experts who assure that if China continues to retain rare earths and electric motors some essential parts of the electric cars production chain will stop in a few weeks. For the European car industry this blow would be very difficult to fit. European companies that are dedicated to the manufacture of semiconductors are also in a very compromised situation. According to Reuters Many European chip production lines They will stop very soon Due to the shortage of crucial supplies, which has led the European Chamber of Commerce to meet with officials of the Ministry of Commerce of China to ask them to allow rare earth supply to European companies that are dedicated to the production of integrated circuits. Image | Volker Braun | Gage Skidmore More information | Volt Rush In Xataka | The US will not be able to contain the technological development of China. Experts from the chips industry forecast it

The mythical An-124 had been trapped for years and now it flies again

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Inheritance of the Soviet UnionUkraine has both larger aircraft in the world (If we don’t count the monstrous Stratolaunchclear). Or had. On the one hand, a beast with wings called Antonov AN-225a unique model in the world that had a large load capacity and that could carry spacecraft on its back. On the other hand, the Antonov An-124, another somewhat smaller load model. With the Start of the Ukraine Warboth were trapped. Now the AN-124 sets the skies again, and it is much more than to see this giant fly again. Soviet monsters. In the context of the Cold warone of the battles was that of “I”. The United States flew for the first time in 1968 the imposing Lockheed C-5 Galaxy For transport of troops, becoming the new largest plane in the world. The Soviet Union was not going to stay with a crossed arms and began working in its replica. Thus, two companies (Aviastar-SP at Uliánovsk, Russia, and Aviant in Kyiv, Ukraine) undertook design and RPUEBAS work in parallel. The result was the AN-124, a huge cargo plane with an imposing front that is physically similar to Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but something bigger. It was introduced in 1986 and, just two years later, the AN-225 Mriya appeared. Aviant Fruit (current Antonov) a larger version, with six engines and with a wingspan that prevented him from landing in 65% of airports around the world. After all, although it was a cargo plane, it was focused on transporting the Soviet transforder Burán and any other element of the Soviet space program. See this live must have been impressive Antonov Airport Battle. And if I speak of Antonov AN-225 in the past it is because, with the beginning of the Ukraine War, both the AN-225 and the AN-124 with registration U-82073 were catching you in one of the Ukraine airports. Since it is logical, for security reasons, the flights were suspended and the ships were abandoned to their fate in the Hostomel airport. The AN-225 that once surprised the world, was completely shattered. At first, the plane pilot said that the ship was intact, but shortly after confirmed the destruction of it. This meant more than the destruction of an airplane because yes, the AN-225 made few missions a year (putting it in the air costs a million dollars), but it was a symbol of Ukraine. The AN-225 UR-82073. The AN-124 is not so unique because Russia has a couple of dozens, another seven and there are units owned by other countries, but the UR-82073 has become another symbol of Ukrainian resistance. In addition, it is a model Very important for the transport of goods in Europe. Also abandoned, he got what his older brother does not: survive bombings. Removing Russian ballast. The last three years, the ship was stopped and partially disassembled, but from Antonov they have been working secretly with a goal: to modernize it. These tasks began before the war with the aim of replacing the Russian key components with parts made in Ukraine and in the West. The Russian invasion He modified the plans and caught the operators with half-work, but they continued working and, just a few days ago, the AN-124-100 Ruslan, now renamed IRPIN, has re-crossed the skies. Furtive flight. Symbolic flight. With a nose that proudly shows a “Be Brave Like Irpin” -“is brave as Irpin” -,, now It has new airplane and navigation systems that meet the current standards. IRPIN is a Ukrainian city located west of Kyiv that played a relevant role At the beginning of the war and on July 11, the plane furrowed the Ukrainian sky with the transponder off until crossing Poland. He Transpose It is a piece that gives real-time information about the ship as its location and altitude, and everything indicates that Ukraine did not want Russia to know that the UR-82073 was again in the air. Your destiny? Leipzig, in Germany, where Antonov has its new operations base. Antonov itself shared the video of the feat a few days ago and it is they who They affirm that “the relocation of” Ruslan “was not only a technical decision, but a symbol of resilience, professionalism and unity of Ukrainian aeronautical builders. The modernized” Ruslan “will continue to fly and serve Ukraine in the international arena.” And the AN-225? Happy end to the AN-124, but … will Ukraine leave as if nothing the destruction of the AN-225? When I said there was only one AN-225, it was half truth. There was really a complete and operational, but they had one “in half” stored. As it is a practical plane, it was not considered necessary never It was completed. In July 2024, however, the situation turned a turn. David Lomdzharia, president of the state conglomerate of Defense of Ukraine, affirmed who want to rebuild the AN-225 Mriya from that second incomplete fuselage. It has been saved since the Soviet era, so the State is not known, but Antonov has saying They have already started work and cost about 500 million euros. In the end, if Ukraine reconstructs the AN-225, he would do it for more symbolic than practical reasons, but we must wait to see why there are no dates or anything on the table. At least, publicly. Images | Tapia379, Oleksandr Ratushniak, Dmitry A. MottlAntonov In Xataka | Something extraordinary has happened in Ukraine: for the first time an unmanned boat has knocked down Russian combat planes

How Microsoft managed to make hospitals, trains and elevators trapped in Windows

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This year 50 years of a historical moment were completed. On April 4, 1975, two young people who responded to the name of Bill Gates and Paul Allen gave life to the one who was going to be one of the greatest software empires in history: Microsoft. We counted for such a marked date that after five decades, the amazing thing was not that it continued to exist, but to continue being so relevant. Well, here is a story that perfectly summarizes what Gates and Allen began … and why they have money for punishment. Digital eternity. The story was recovered this weekend The BBC. The British media told that, despite the unstoppable advance of technology, there is still a surprising portion of the modern planet that continues to work thanks to equipment that execute Microsoft operating systems launched decades ago. From elevators in New York hospitals that still use Windows XP to German trains that They require expert technicians In Windows 3.11 and MS-DOS, the Microsoft software legacy not only survives: it is deeply rooted in the critical infrastructures of the day to day. In other words: although the company has turned its Investments in artificial intelligence Like your new future betthe present is full of echoes of its past, with machines that literally are still starting after 20 or 30 years. A phenomenon that reveals two things: the durability and stability of certain ancient systems … and the enormous cost and complexity of replacing them, especially in sectors where the functional prima on the modern. The paradox of obsolete efficiency. But there is much more, of course. For ATMs, Industrial printersmetropolitan trains or hospital systems, changing operating system is not as simple as clicking “update.” It requires rewriting proprietary software, updating specialized hardware and complying with safety and compatibility regulations. The result is that many institutions continue to depend on officially abandoned technologieslike Windows NT or Windows 2000. Even in government contexts, such as the Department of Venarians of the United States, medical records They are managed About a digital architecture that was born in 1985with textual interfaces that demand commands in capital letters and complete routes of files. This persistence not only reflects a form of institutional inertia, but also a business strategy. Microsoft (Gates and Allen) had a “visionary” thought from the point of view of business: allowing users to continue using existing hardware, but selling licenses Instead of imposing obsolescence, to Difference of, for example, Applewhich promoted total renewal. The invisible trap. The human cost of maintaining these systems is also tangible. The BBC explained it With cases of professionals such as psychiatrist Eric Zabriskie, who recounts whole days conditioned by the start of machines that took 15 minutes to turn on, or artisans such as Scott Carlson, who depend on CNCS that only work with Windows XP (despite the frequent failures). This situation generates a dependency class Sordaone in which systems are still alive not by nostalgia, but by necessity. For many, the most worrying is the structural fragility that implies: critical infrastructure depend on technologies for which they already There is no technical supportneither developers available, nor security patches against cyber threats. In other cases, as in the RSan Francisco Railway Edeach day continues to start inserting a floppy disk To load a two system. Yes, the image is anachronistic, But real. Archeology of the present. Of course, not everyone sees the situation with resignation. Some, such as the researcher Dene Grigar, have assumed the conservation of these systems as an art form and cultural archive. In his Electronic Literature Laboratory At Washington State University, it keeps operational 61 Ancient computersfrom the 70s to the early 2000s, to preserve pioneer digital works that depend on original hardware and software to be experienced as conceived. In his opinion, modern emulators cannot capture the complete experience of interactive and participatory works that defined the beginnings of the digital narrative. Your collection includes From video games until Instagram zinesall kept carefully museum. The only thing missing, counts, is a machine capable of reading five -inch floppy disks. Immortal empire. The summary is that the longevity of Windows systems is not accidental. In the background it is deeply linked to that commercial philosophy focused on customer flexibility: allow large and small organizations to continue using their old computers without forcing them to disruptive technological leaps. Thus, Windows has not only been a productivity tool, but has become a kind of Invisible layer of modern civilization. A paradox too, since while Microsoft looks at the future with His commitment to AIa good part of the world still lives within the ecosystem that the company built decades ago. As summed up in the BBC Developer M. Scott Ford, “Microsoft is simply something you are trapped.” The longevity of their past systems is testimony to their domain and business approach: allowing users to continue using old equipment while paying licenses, a strategy that, decades later, still maintains alive technological ghosts of the past. A kind of Ctrl+Alt+Supr Eternal That, like Lee Vensel saidProfessor of Virginia Tech, “makes Windows the final infrastructure, and that’s why Bill Gates is so rich.” Image | Armartinell, Charis Tsevis In Xataka | 50 years later the amazing thing is not that Microsoft continues to exist. The hallucinating thing is that it remains (Tan) relevant In Xataka | Bill Gates has told how he made Microsoft into the giant that is now: “I focused my life only on a single job”

Boeing, trapped in the commercial war. China paralyzes the deliveries of its airplanes and Airbus gains ground, according to Bloomberg

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Commercial tension between United States and China It does not give signs of decreasing. And everything indicates that commercial aviation will be one of the great victims. According to Bloombergthe Chinese government has ordered its airlines to stop the reception of aircraft manufactured by Boeing. The measure also includes the suspension of purchase of aeronautical equipment and components from US companies. This new blow is part of a tariff offensive that has reached unpublished levels. After declaring a commercial emergency, Washington raised up to 145% Tariffs in response to what he considers a threat to their economic and national security. China soon react, raising their own levies above 100% to US imports and making it clear that the climb was far from finishing. China’s latest reprisals hit Boeing Although the details of the last retaliation of the Asian giant are unknown, the suspension affects the Boeing 737 Maxone of the best -selling unique corridor aircraft in the world, of which the American firm has delivered 13 units in China, along with Tres Boeing 787 double corridor. In their hangars they still expect 28 Max and a 787 destined for the Chinese market. It is not just a political dispute: economic implications are huge. China is one of the main strategic markets for Boeing. According to their latest 20 -year forecast reportthe country would demand 8,830 new aircraft until 2043. 60% to accompany the growth of air traffic, and the remaining 40% to renew fleets with more efficient models. The country’s commercial fleet would go from 4,345 to 9,740 aircraft in that period, with an annual expansion of 4.1%. However, part of these forecasts are now questioned by the commercial war. The measure not only puts the commercial balance between the two countries. It also threatens to alter the internal functioning of Chinese airlines, which depend largely on fleets already delivered. Thousands of airplanes of the American company They currently operate in the country, and their maintenance requires foreign technical pieces and support. Boeing has been doing business in China for decades, but those doors begin to close. Boeing has been doing business in China for decades, but those doors begin to close. With Boeing temporarily out of the scene, two alternatives arise: The Airbus A320 family and the Comac C919. Airbus starts with advantage, since, although some of its components come from the United States or use Chinese raw materials, it can continue to operate normally in the country. The problem is capacity: the European manufacturer would have to increase its production rate to take advantage, and that is not immediate. The other great bet is local. Comac C919, designed and assembled in China, is designed to compete directly with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320. It offers capacity for between 158 and 192 passengers and a maximum autonomy of 4,075 to 5,555 km. Today, its deployment is limited, but the current context could accelerate its adoption on regional routes. The uncertainty reigns on both sides of the Pacific. From the United States, Trump has affirmed that “China wants to reach an agreement. The problem is that they are not clear how to do it.” From Beijing, on the other hand, they show no intention of backing. They claim to raise tariffs beyond 125% would be “a joke”implying that greater punishment would not be an additional damage. As we have seen, the conflict continues to climb, and the aeronautical industry is trapped in the crossfire of two powers that more and more use their supply chains as a negotiation weapon. Although the long -term effects are about to be seen, the immediate impact begins to feel. Touch to wait to know if we will witness some kind of agreement capable of relieving, or at least reduce, these new international barriers. Images | Andrew Dawes | Kua Yue | David Syphers In Xataka | Boeing, in the line of fire of the tariff war: Airbus is emerging as the winner of the pulse between China and the USA In Xataka | While the US is obsessed with tariffs, China has a weapon that is going unnoticed: the bureaucracy

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