unexpected

Tomorrow the spin-off of one of the best space uchronias of recent years arrives, and it comes with an unexpected twist

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On May 29 Apple TV+ does two things at the same time: closes the fifth season of ‘For All Mankind’ and premieres its spin-off, ‘city ​​of stars‘, from its own creators. The original series has been telling the alternative space race from Houston for seven years, and the new project contemplates it from Moscow, within the Soviet space program that in this uchronic universe reached the Moon first. ‘For All Mankind’ started in 2019 with a simple premise: what would have happened if the Soviets had put a man on the Moon before the Americans? The series This parallel vision has been escalating until it lands on Mars and extends beyond, accumulating five installments and a sixth (already confirmed as the final one) that will close the complete narrative arc. ‘Star City’ is a prequel that returns to the seventies, to the founding moment of that alternative universe, but with the perspective reversed. Where ‘For All Humanity’ assumed the Soviet triumph as a starting point and contemplated it from the United States, the spin-off is installed within the USSR space program: laboratories, cosmonaut barracks, corridors guarded by the KGB… An excellent setting for a proposal maintained by the team from the last seasons of its predecessor, among which stands out Ronald D. Moore, screenwriter remembered for ‘Galactica’, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and ‘Deep Space Nine’. The cast is led by Rhys Ifans in a role inspired by the Soviet engineer Sergei Korolev (who died in 1966 but survived in this universe and took the space program to unknown heights). And the tone of this ‘City of Stars’ clearly diverges from that of its mother series: if in ‘For All Mankind’ we had a humanist drama of space adventure, here we go to the espionage thriller also inspired by the real Soviet project, where ships less reliable than those of the Americans, deaths hidden from the outside and the presence of the KGB in mission control itself met. In Xataka | Today on Prime Video, a series with a superb Nicolas Cage that is already said to be Marvel’s best proposal in years

Searching for extraterrestrial life has an unexpected new enemy: neighboring black holes

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At the time of search for habitable exoplanetswe usually take into account factors such as whether they are within the habitable zone of their star or whether they have a sufficient amount of water. However, there is another parameter that has not been taken into account until now and that, according to a recently published study, may be decisive: the presence of supermassive black holes in the vicinity of the planet. Even distant black holes. This study, published in The Astrophysical Journalpoints to two types of winds generated by supermassive black holes. Some driven by moment and others driven by energy. The former are lighter, but the latter can be intense enough to leave a nearby exoplanet without an atmosphere. Since the atmosphere is indeed an essential ingredient for life, we should be paying much more attention to large black holes. In fact, if these winds are sufficiently energetic, an exoplanet could be affected even by a black hole located at a great distance. Much more than a living area. Generally, to search for habitable exoplanets, it is taken into account that they are within what is known as the habitable zone. This is a region that is at the right distance from its star so that it is neither too hot nor too cold and therefore the water can remain liquid. In recent years, much more specific factors have been taken into account, such as the proximity of supernovae. These stellar phenomena release so much radiation that it can sterilize life on a planet. They also emit shock waves so large that they can destroy their atmosphere. Since supernovae may be key, the authors of the recently published study also wanted to explore the role of black holes. What they found is very relevant to the future search for habitable planets. Active galactic nuclei. This study focuses on active galactic nuclei. That is, supermassive black holes, with masses billions of times greater than that of the Sun, that are actively feeding. That is, they continue absorbing matter into themselves. But, as is well known, black holes do not only absorb matter. There is also some radiation and particles that are released abruptly, giving rise to something known as jets. The movement of these particles also forms winds that can affect what happens around them. Based on the hypothesis that these scientists had, the more massive a black hole of this type is and the more it is feeding, the more energy it must release, so that the atmosphere of possible nearby exoplanets heats up more, its molecules move faster and escape more easily into space. Therefore, the atmosphere breaks down faster and its probability of habitability is lower. Unlike supernovae, which release energy much more abruptly, in this case it would be done in a sustained manner, so there may be more consequences. The two types of wind. Through the development of simplified models, it was observed that galactic nuclei release winds that, upon impact with the interstellar medium, divide into two streams. If they cool, they cannot expand, so they will have almost no energy. These do not propagate efficiently and have a limited effect on the galaxy. On the other hand, if these winds do not cool, they expand like a bubble, releasing a large amount of energy that can sweep the galaxy and affect the atmosphere of exoplanets along the way. These are the truly problematic ones, so it would be necessary to take into account whether there are any in the vicinity when choosing exoplanets that are candidates for hosting life. Also the ozone layer. It has been seen that these black holes can also release nitrogen oxides that affect the ozone layerin case a planet has it. If this is the case, it does not mean that there is not necessarily life, but it would be limited to the oceans. It would be another factor to take into account. With all these parameters, we can get a much more precise idea of ​​which planets could truly be habitable. Searching for life in the Universe seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But the more we know, the smaller that haystack will become. Images | NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Jeremy Schnittman, cmglee In Xataka | The James Webb has broken another historical record: a supermassive black hole older than expected

As Silicon Valley perpetuates its workday, the four-day work week has found an unexpected ally: OpenAI

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While in the mecca of the technology industry celebrates the “996” model (from nine in the morning to nine at night, six days a week) as a mantra to not to be left behind In the AI ​​race, the creator of ChatGPT stands out by proposing just the opposite: reducing working hours with a four day work week. OpenAI just published your report ‘Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First‘. In it, the company suggests that AI can be the perfect excuse for us to work fewer hours a week without losing a cent of our salary. The idea is not just an academic conjecture, but proposes a package of labor policies designed for the age of AI. Four-day days without touching the salary. One of the most surprising sections of the report refers to “efficiency dividends.” With them, OpenAI proposes that governments, companies and unions promote pilot tests of 32-hour days or four days of work per week without salary reduction, as has been established tested successfully in different countries around the world. The stated objective is to maintain the same levels of production and service, taking advantage of the automation options provided by AI and then making the leap to a model of permanent reduced working hours or cumulative vacation days for employees. The striking thing about the proposal is not its content itself, something that has already been implemented with success in some companiesthe key is who proposes the change. Instead of a union or a workplace welfare study, the idea comes from the company itself that is accelerating the transformation of the labor market around the world. Not just reduction in working hours: better pensions and care. OpenAI presents this measure as a way to redistribute part of the productivity benefits extra generated by AI, so that profits are not concentrated only in the shareholders or in the big technology companies, but that the entire population participates in this advance. The four-day week is just one of the most striking measures, but the report goes much further. OpenAI suggests that companies that profit from AI also increase their contributions to their employees’ pension plans (not just those of their managers as a bonus), and that they cover more of their employees’ healthcare expenses. He also proposes what he calls “benefit bonuses“, direct bonuses linked to improved productivity and subsidies for the care of minors and the elderly. If robots work, let them quote. The document recognizes that AI automation can lead to the massive displacement of jobs and further concentrate wealth in a very small number of large companies. That is why it calls for more robust social protection networks. Curiously, OpenAI’s postulate coincides with the statements made a few weeks ago did Bill Gatesarguing that if AI was to reduce dependence on human labor, taxation should shift from wages and contributions to capital gains and corporate profits. The document introduces the idea of ​​”taxes on automated work”, linked to jobs previously done by people who would be replaced by robots. In Xataka | The war in Iran has achieved something that no government has achieved: giving reasons to bring back teleworking Image | Unsplash (Nathan Kuczmarski)

Tomorrow one of the platform’s main action heroes returns to Prime Video, although he does so in an unexpected format

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When Amazon closed ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ in July 2023, the fourth and final season left one character with accounts settled. John Krasinski had spent five years playing a CIA analyst perpetually misplaced in a world that surpassed him. Few expected him to return to the character so soon and, above all, to do so in this way: ‘Jack Ryan: Covert Warthe first film derived from the series, arrives this Wednesday, May 20 to Prime Video. When Amazon premiered the series in 2018, the streaming It was still an incipient phenomenon. Amazon needed a high-budget action product, and opted for this well-known CIA analyst who had already had four previous performers: Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine. Krasinski stayed with the character throughout the television run, allowing the character to be developed in greater detail than his previous incarnations. The series was a success: 37% of Prime Video users watched the series during the first month. In 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced the production of a film that would continue the series. The last time we saw Ryan star in a feature film was in ‘Jack Ryan: Enter Shadow’ in 2014, with Chris Pine. Here, Krasinski is joined by Sienna Miller as an MI6 agent. The plot follows Ryan, removed from the action but dragged back when uncovers a corrupt black ops unit known as Project Starling. The film arrives at a peculiar time for Prime Video. “The platform has built a very solid action ecosystem in recent years, with series like ‘Fallout’, ‘The Boys’ and, above all, ‘Reacher’, the epitome of that subgenre of thrillers and action.”for parents” to which Jack Ryan also belongs. The third season of ‘Reacher’ accumulated 54.6 million global viewers in its first two weeks. It is not surprising that Amazon has already suggested that ‘Covert War’ is not an end, but a new chapter. In Xataka | Today on Prime Video, the conclusion of the best series from the creator of ‘The Sandman’ comes with a radical surprise in its duration

The list of the richest in Spain has taken an unexpected turn but there is something that has not changed at all: Amancio Ortega

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The great fortunes in Spain have been booming for five years in a row. As the global economy grapples with wars, inflation and political uncertainty, the heritage of the richest in Spain It hasn’t stopped growing. The last year was especially striking because the group of the hundred largest assets in the country increased their fortune by 14.3%, reaching an unprecedented figure: 373,450 million euros. What makes the 2026 edition of the annual list especially interesting that elaborates The Worldis that the distribution of that wealth presents notable surprises: there are names whose assets have grown stratospherically, new faces who enter the billionaires’ club for the first time, and one that has been around for decades at the top without anyone being able to displace him. Record in joint assets. The sum of the hundred largest fortunes in the country reached the impressive sum of 373,450 million euros in 2026, compared to the 326,720 million attributed to them in 2025. This implies that the group of the richest people in Spain has increased their assets by 14.3% in just 12 months. The main reason for this growth is due to the behavior of the Spanish stock market: the Ibex 35 appreciated by 50% in a single year, boosting the value of the shares of those who have its listed companies. However, the stock market boom does not fully explain this phenomenon. The companies of some of the people who appear at the top of this list are not listed, such as Mercadona or Mango, but they also had record years. Few movements at the top. The list of millionaires in Spain in 2026 does not present significant changes in the names that make it up, especially in the top positions, where Amancio Ortega, Rafael del Pino and Juan Roig lead the list easily. However, there have been some changes that do not imply a loss of assets as such, but rather respond to the fact that some fortunes have had explosive growth, while in others it has been more progressive.The most relevant movements of the year have the Puig and Daurella families as protagonists. The Puig family, driven by the listing of the cosmetic group that bears their last name and the possible integration with Estée Lauderrises to fifth place, overtaking to Sol Daurellaheir to the empire of the world’s leading Coca-Cola bottler, which is relegated to sixth place. For its part, the Entrecanales family rises from tenth to eighth place, increasing its assets by 66.93% from 5,035 million to 8,405 million euros in 2026, while the brothers Francisco and Jon Riberas Mera lose one step and remain ninth with 6,845 million, despite managing the largest industrial conglomerate with Spanish capital and have increased your assets by 1,040 million euros in the last year. More millionaires and with more millions. Within this general upward trend, the list prepared by The World It highlights that 66 of the 100 fortunes grew at a double-digit rate during the last year. The result of this acceleration is that the number of billionaires in Spain It has gone from 59 to 76 families in a single year, almost double that of a decade ago. In the same way that the volume of each of the fortunes grows, the bar for entry to the list has also become more expensive, and for enter that Top 100 millionaires In Spain, the minimum assets rise to 765 million euros, compared to the 420 million that were needed ten years ago to belong to this select group. In fact, the segment that is growing the most is precisely that of fortunes between 2,000 and 5,000 million euros, followed by the range between 1,000 and 2,000 million. That is, the second and third tranches have pulled the rest upwards, while in the tranches between 750 and 1,000 million and less than 750 million, there are now fewer millionaires than in 2024. Amancio Ortega remains immovable on the throne. Having just turned 90, Amancio Ortega continues to be the undisputed number one on the list, and with a wide distance from the second largest fortune in the country. The assets of the founder of Inditex grew by 4.9% during the last year, a rate clearly lower than that of the rest of the list, which grew by an average of 20%, accumulating some 40,000 million more euros in a single year. However, this lower percentage growth does not imply that its financial movements have been wrongit has just had more financial movement than usual. The founder of Inditex has had a very active year in the real estate field and between 2025 and 2026 he has changed the entire structure of Pontegadea, placing Luxembourg as a base of operations from which it controls all its assets in Europe, the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Half or more of its real estate portfolio already passes through the Grand Duchy, where it shares a fiscal neighborhood with the Del Pino family, the Álvarez Santaló, Víctor Madera or Sol Daurella, with whom it also shares a presence on the list of the greatest fortunes in Spain. The most spectacular climbs and the newcomers. Among the most striking promotions of the year, Florentino Pérez stands out, whose fortune grew by 156% thanks to ACS’s stock market peak in recent months and the company’s awards in data center construction projects. In four years, the president of Real Madrid has multiplied his assets by four and is closer than ever to the top 10 on the list. Another meteoric rise has been that of Madrid-born David Ruiz de Andrés, whose fortune increased by 214% thanks to Grenergy, a company that is leading the construction of an 11,000 MW gigabattery. in the Atacama desert. The businessman in the energy sector went from having a net worth of 580 million euros in 2025, to adding more than 1,825 million, which represents a net worth increase of 214.66% in just 12 months. The Spain of the clans. … Read more

Japan has plunged into a crazy spiral of aging that is claiming an unexpected victim: the yakuza

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the yakuza it’s news in Japan. And not because of his coups, a particularly successful police raid or a change in policy by the Government of Sanae Takaichi to combat the criminal network that takes centuries filtering into Japanese society. No. The yakuza is in the news because after several years of seeing its ranks decimated, it has reached an all-time low. According to police statistics, in 2025 their criminal groups numbered about 17,600 people (among members and allies), far from the more than 80,000 just a decade and a half ago. This loss of strength is explained by the control of the police and a turn in the underworld towards new criminal networksbut also because of a trend that affects the rest of the country: the yakuza ages, just like society ages Japanese. The yakuza is shrinking. These are not good times for the yakuza. Not at least as far as follow-up is concerned. Statistics from the National Police Agency show that Japan’s quintessential criminal institution (and one of the best-known in the world) has seen its member and affiliate base fall to a minimum. In 2025 They totaled 17,6001,200 less than the previous year. If we look only at the hard core, the full members, the figure is even more devastating: it remains at 9,400, the lowest since there are records. Is the data so bad? Yes. The problem is not that 2025 has been a particularly bad year for the yakuza, but that it maintains a trend that goes back a long time. Nippon explains that the institution has been seeing its ranks thinning little by little for at least 21 years, tracing a negative curve that has no signs of improving. For reference, the newspaper recalls that until 2009 the yakuza had more than 80,000 people spread throughout the country. If we go back to the 1960s, that support base was considerably higher. The crisis also seems to be affecting (to a greater or lesser extent) the different organizations that make up the yakuza. Nippon appointment half a dozen entities that have either stagnated their social mass or have lost members. The worst stop is Sixth Yamaguchi-gumiwhich in 2025 remained at 3,100 members and 3,200 affiliates. They are 200 and 400 less respectively than a year before. Curious yes, new no. The 2025 data is revealing, but will probably surprise few people in Japan. The country takes years reading headlines that report the gradual loss of base of organized crime networks. In 2022 the Police Agency already revealed that the number of members and associates of mafia groups had fallen to 24,100, the lowest figure since at least 1958, the first year with statistics. Only a few years later the ranks of the yakuza fell below the 20,000 barrier, a new low. What is the reason? As is often the case with all social phenomena, whether related to crime or not, this trend is explained by a combination of factors. In the case of Japanese bands, however, there is one particularly interesting one: age. The Japan Times reveals that one of the theories that the authorities use to explain this decline is the aging suffered by organized groups. The yakuza is getting older, just like japan. In 2022, the Japanese police estimated that 30.8% of members They were between 50 and 59 years old, making it the largest cohort. People between 60 and 69 years old represented 12.5% ​​and septuagenarians 11.6%. More than 50% were 50 or older. In general, the average age of the members was 54.2 years, seven more than a decade before. Members between 40 and 30 years old accounted for 12.9% and those in their twenties did not exceed 5.4%. An increasingly aging country. That the ranks of the yakuza are aging can be explained for several reasons. A key one is that Japan in general is getting older. The country has been immersed in a serious demographic crisis which has plunged its birth rate and raised the average age of the population. According to the records According to Statista, in 1950 this indicator marked 21.3 years, in the mid-90s it had already risen to 39 years and in 2020 it was close to 48. Their forecasts assume that at the end of this century the average will comfortably exceed 50 years. The result of that drift? Japan presents one of the worst percentages of population over 65 years of age: represents more than 29%. Click on the image to go to the tweet. One word: tokuryū. There is, however, another factor that explains why the organizations that make up the yakuza are increasingly aging. It is not that crime is fading in Japan, rather it is transforming and it is doing so by leaning towards a new format: the tokuryūcriminal networks that flee from hierarchical and well-structured models, such as the yakuza. The tokuryū (the word is the sum of tokumeik“anonymous” and ryūdo“fluid”) often operate as groups of criminals who form for coups, without structure, codes, organizational rigidity or bonds. That nature deprives them of some of the advantages of the yakuza, but it also has its strengths. The police find it difficult to deal with such loosely knit groups. And they also seem to offer an attractive model for younger offenders. The Japan Times assures that last year 12,178 people related to tokuryū were arrested, 2,073 more than in 2024. Many of them were under 40 years old or even in their twenties, which gives another clue about the changes that the underworld world is experiencing. “The younger generations’ aversion to yakuza organizations, with strict codes of conduct and hierarchies, is a contributing factor to their decline,” precise the diary Sankei Shimbun. Fighting crime. When explaining the bleeding of the yakuza, the authorities point to another factor: the work of legislators and police. Specifically, they point to greater application of the law and ordinances that complicate the participation of companies and individuals in organized crime. To combat crime the … Read more

In 2023, an exclusive Rolex was stolen from Keanu Reeves’ house in LA. A year later they found him in the most unexpected place: Chile

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In September, Rolex, the luxury when it comes to watches, filed a patent application that gave an idea of ​​the house’s problems with thefts and counterfeits of its most legendary models: they sought use NFT chips and certificates of authenticity based on blockchain to identify the models. The story (with a happy ending) of Keanu Reeve’s watches has surely only reinforced that idea. John Wick’s watch. The story begins several years ago, during the filming of the film ‘John Wick 4’ that the actor played. At the end of filming, Reeves pays tribute to himself with an exclusive Rolex Submariner valued at $9,000one with the engraved words “2021, JW4, thank you, The John Wick Five” next to the actor’s name. In December 2023, someone entered the artist’s house in Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles) taking several high-value jewelry, including the exclusive model from the Swiss luxury house. Enter Keanu’s house. Curiously, It wasn’t the first time it happened.. In fact, in 2014 the home was broken into. up to two times in three days. The first time, Reeves confronted an intruder in his library, the second, the cleaning staff found an intruder in his pool. But there is more. Early last year, Reeves requested a temporary restraining order against a man who allegedly trespassed on the actor’s property at least six times between November 2022 and January 2023. In one case, the alleged stalker left a backpack containing a DNA testing kit, one he intended to use on Reeves to prove they were related in some way, according to the order request. An unexpected find in Santiago. The news broke in December 2024 in the city of Santiago, where Chilean police recovered three watches belonging to the actorincluding the Rolex Submariner from the action movie and two other models described by authorities as “valuable.” Apparently, during a series of raids on four homes, Chilean authorities seized high-value jewelry and watches, including those three models that belonged to Reeves. According to CNN reportslocal authorities collaborated with US officials to establish the link between the watches and the robbery at the actor’s residence. As a result, a 21-year-old man is under arrest. Cinematic irony. The media has not stopped repeating a curiosity these days: the parallelism with the plot of the saga itself ‘John Wick‘, where Reeves’ character begins his story of revenge after a robbery (and the death of his dog) at his home. Outside of this trivial detail, the famous actor does not seem clear about returning to the role in future installments of the saga. The reason? Mainly age. Although his heart says he wants to do it, Keanu Reeves he joked shortly after in an interview that his knees might not be ready for another film due to the physical demands of the character. The symbolism of John Wick’s Rolex. As for the recovered watch and beyond its economic value, the Submariner represents Reeves’ appreciation for his team, known in the industry for giving away personalized watches as gestures of gratitude after finishing filming. In this case, the actor had kept one model and had given the rest to the doubles who played him in the film. Submariner, luxury on the wrist. The Rolex model is an icon of watchmaking and the first diving watch reference Truly functional. Launched in 1953 and designed specifically for divers, it became a symbol of innovation for its water resistance up to 100 meters (later extended to 300 meters) and its durability in extreme conditions. Its timeless design, with a unidirectional rotating bezel to measure immersion time and its legibility underwater, has established it as a standard in both the professional and fashion fields. In fact, before Keanu Reeves, the model He has been associated with many other historical and cultural figuresfrom ‘James Bond’ to marine explorers and other celebrities, a symbol of technical excellence and style that maintain it as one of the most recognized and desired watches in the world. In some cases and as we see, excessively. Image | Dr.K. In Xataka | He forgot some AirPods in his Ferrari: the unexpected trick that helped recover a stolen supercar In Xataka | New York has a problem with car theft. The police’s solution: give away some AirTags A version of this article was published in December 2024

Millionaires are fleeing the Middle East. And their unexpected destination is a small Swiss canton called Zug.

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In 2011, during the Arab Spring, several European private banks detected an unusual phenomenon: Within days, high-net-worth clients began transferring large sums from the Middle East into accounts in Switzerland without prior notice. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened, but it was one of the fastest. That left a clear lesson in the financial sector: when stability falters, money does not wait to understand what happens, it simply moves. War moves money. we have been counting. The war in the Middle East is not only altering military and energy balances, it is also causing a silent movement but massive capital. What were previously fiscal decisions or lifestyle They have become urgent security decisions, where the priority is no longer optimizing profits, but protecting assets. In this context, an idea begins to prevail: billionaires do not wait for the situation to get worse, they go aheadand that movement is redrawing the global map of wealth in real time. Dubai is no longer an unquestionable refuge. For years, Dubai was the natural destination for international fortunes seeking stability, tax benefits and a secure environment in a complex region. However, the conflict with Iran has introduced a variable that previously seemed controlled: the direct risk. That perception has been enough for activate discrete outputs but constant numbers of businessmen, executives and large assets who are now looking for more predictable alternatives outside the gulf. This is not a collapse, but a change in mentality: when security is no longer absolute, attractiveness quickly erodes. Aerial view of Zug And, suddenly, Zug. In this displacement, the place that is attracting attention is not a great global capital, but a small swiss canton of just 135,000 inhabitants: Zug. Traditionally known for its role in commodities trading and, more recently, in crypto ecosystemhas become the first destination that many of these capitals look to. Reasons? counted the financial times that both wealth managers and bankers agree that demand has grown significantly since the beginning of the conflict, to the point that for many clients the request is direct and automatic: move there. The call effect. This growing flow is having immediate consequences in an already limited market, especially when it comes to housing. Demand has rapidly outstripped supply, generating intense competition for any property available and lines even for modest rentals. Added to this are administrative barriers that make entry difficult, especially for those who do not belong to the European Union, forcing residence to be linked to employment, investment or specific tax agreements. Zug attractsbut it does not absorb without friction. Switzerland reinforces its role in the geopolitics of money. What is happening in Zug is not an isolated phenomenon, but rather part of a broader dynamic in which Switzerland consolidates again as a refuge in times of uncertainty. Its political stability, its legal framework and its financial tradition make it a almost automatic destiny when overall risk increases. In fact, other cantons like Lugano have begun to capture part of this growing demand, expanding the phenomenon and confirming that the movement has only just begun. A map of wealth that changes with each conflict. In short, the result is a progressive movement of money from risk areas to safe enclaves, where each crisis acts as a catalyst. The war in the Middle East is accelerating this process and leaving one conclusion abundantly clear: global fortunes are no longer driven only by opportunity, but for threats. And in that new balance, places so small and discreet like Zug They can become, almost without noise, the great beneficiaries of an increasingly unstable world. Image | Schulerst , IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, LohriPR In Xataka | The most buoyant market right now is selling streaming and satellite images of US movements to Iran. In Xataka | Commercial aviation is based on very old aircraft. The Iran war is going to make it even worse

We have found the father of the Roman legion belts in a totally unexpected place: an Asturian cave

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The spectacular expansion of the Roman Empire (at its greatest splendor, Rome It covered three continents) was not based solely and exclusively on its numerical superiority and conquering hunger, but also on its ability to absorb and adapt technology. That is, as the legions advanced, Rome absorbed and perfected those military innovations that it found in the conquered peoples. This process of cultural transfer is what allowed the Roman army to evolve from a citizen militia to a professional, standardized war machine. An example of this assimilation phenomenon is found in the Iberian Peninsula. Within the framework of the Asturian-Cantabrian wars (29-19 BC), the last great conflict of the conquest of Hispania under the mandate of Augustus, is where the military complex found in the La Cerrosa-Lagaña cave (Asturias) acquires critical importance. The study, published in the Spal Magazineevidence that is more than an archaeological remains: it is the material proof of how a belt native to the plateau became the prototype of the iconic cingulum of the imperial legionnaire. The discovery. He found set It includes a dagger sheath with curved edges accompanied by an articulated bronze belt made up of sheets, a bronze omega fibula, a razor, a spear and human remains. There were also 807 animal remains belonging to 36 specimens of bovids, ovicaprines, equids, suids and canids, as if it were a ritual banquet or sacrifice. But let’s go to the star element: an articulated suspension belt made of bronze, composed of a buckle and four openwork plates of great technical complexity. This system of riveted plates allowed greater flexibility than leather straps and was not something random: it was a design designed to support the weight of a sheath (like the one found) and allow quick extraction of the weapon in combat. The sophistication of the plates suggests high-quality manufacturing, linked to workshops with a long tradition in iron and bronze metalwork. Hypothetical reconstruction of the belt and sheath assembly with curved edges found in the La Cerrosa-Lagaña cave. Spal Magazine Why is it important. This belt is something like the missing link in the evolution of military equipment: it demonstrates that pieces that we traditionally consider “purely Roman” actually have a foreign origin. Their discovery allows researchers to precisely trace the process of technological transfer, documenting how the functionality of Hispanic defensive equipment was absorbed, perfected and standardized by the Roman State to equip its legions throughout the Empire. Context. The discovery was not found in a military camp, but in a deep and difficult to access gallery in a cave. The context points to liturgical: the research team proposes that it was possibly a captured enemy who was the object of a sacrifice or ritual (possibly a captured Roman soldier), as an offering to the Cantabrian divinities in the face of the advancing Roman army. The dating places the human remains around the 1st century BC. This type of deposits in natural cavities reflects the religious practices of the people of the north and the Plateau, who considered the caves as thresholds to the underworld. The main hypothesis. The thesis supported by the research team is: Technological hybridization, insofar as the belt was not manufactured in Roman workshops, but in Vaccean and Celtiberian workshops (pre-Roman peoples of the Plateau). It later became the standard belt of the Roman legions, the cingulumto address the need for more flexible and durable equipment. The evolution. There is evidence that the belt plates resemble others found in Roman military camps such as Numancia and Renieblas, what it suggests that local artisans developed prototypes that Rome adopted and standardized. Yes, but. Beyond the doubt of the ethnic identity of the buried soldier, since it is unknown whether he was a Roman soldier who had adopted the local uniform for its greater efficiency or a native warrior who served as an auxiliary to the Roman topas, the key lies in the origin of the cingulum. The main thesis points out that the model was the father of the Roman belt par excellence, but more findings are missing from other parts of Europe to confirm that this evolution occurred exclusively in Hispania and was not a parallel process on other borders of the Empire. In Xataka | A cargo sunk in a Swiss lake 2,000 years ago confirms it: the Roman legions did not deprive themselves of anything In Xataka | We have been arguing for years about the origin of writing. Now an Asturian cave can settle the debate Cover | Jametlene Reskp and Spal (Study of a ritual deposit from the Asturian-Cantabrian wars: the set of the curved-edged dagger from the La Cerrosa-Lagaña cave (Suarias, Asturias, Spain) as a link between the indigenous dagger belts and the Roman cingulum)

The countries of the Persian Gulf have adopted an unexpected civil protection measure against Iran’s attacks: teleworking

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When an employee in Riyadh receives an email from his company telling him not to come to the office the next day, the most common reason was usually a sandstorm, construction work, or a holiday. In recent weeks, the reason has been something else: the possibility that its offices, probably located in a downtown financial district, could become Iranian missile target. In the Persian Gulf, teleworking has ceased to be a post-pandemic convenience and has become a civil protection tool in the midst of a geopolitical crisis that has been repeated in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain since the start of the armed conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. Riyadh: the most visible offices, the first to be emptied. According to published Reutersseveral Western and Saudi companies in Riyadh this week expanded their teleworking recommendations via email or text message sent to their employees. The notices focused on employees working in the King Abdullah financial district, Faisaliah Tower, Business Gate and Laysen Valley, areas where major US banks, technology companies such as Microsoft and Apple, and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund itself are based. The arguments for adopting this measure were not unfounded. Iran threatened to attack American interests in the region in retaliation and, in fact, attacked several Amazon data centers in United Arab Emirates. The order to telework does not mean that this simple measure will keep the civilian population safe, but it does distance them from the international offices occupied by American companies. The Arab Emirates were the first to adopt teleworking. The United Arab Emirates were, in fact, the first in ordering teleworking for its employees, immediately after Iran’s first attacks. According to published the local newspaper Khaleej Times, The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization asked private companies to adopt teleworking as a precautionary measure, keeping only workers whose physical presence was essential in their jobs. In those first attacks, four people were injured by debris from intercepted drones that fell on residential buildings, and damage was reported to the dubai international airportthe Burj Al Arab and the Palm Jumeirah. Teleworking recommended, not mandatory. The authorities of other countries in the region, such as Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, also followed in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates and recommended private companies adopt teleworking and restrictions on influx to offices due to the risk of Iranian missile attacks. Qatar, also punished for reprisals against US interests during the conflict, was another of the countries that activated teleworking protocols for its officials. However, something that all of them have in common is that none of them consider themselves as an obligation to teleworkbut rather companies are recommended to adopt teleworking, leaving the risk assessment to their discretion and that of local authorities. The Government of Dubai Media Office confirmed that the emirate’s private sector continued operating normally, with most business activities uninterrupted despite the risk of attacks. A region that learns to work under pressure. Although these countries are not officially at war with Iran, they are involved and targeted in Iranian attacks in retaliation against US and Israeli companies in the area. In this context, many fear that any escalation would lead Iran to attack critical infrastructure in the region more forcefully, which explains the caution of companies even after the announcement of the ceasefire reached in extremis during the early morning. trump qualified the pact of “total and complete victory.” But as negotiators work in Islamabad to turn that provisional ceasefire into a lasting agreement, Gulf companies continue to watch the calendar with one eye on the news and another on their security protocols to protect their employees. In Xataka | Working from anywhere was the dream of teleworking: not notifying those location changes can get you fired Image | Unsplash (Kate Trysh, Microsoft Copilot)

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