United

The United States has started a pulse in the currency market. One in which the euro is being imposed on the dollar

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Uncertainty does not feel good to the bags. Nor to the dollar. At least if we look at its evolution against other currencies, such as Yen, the Swiss Franco or The euro. With The commercial war And Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve as a backdrop, the green ticket has started the week standing at some Minimum levels in front of the European currency that had not been seen for years. The big question is … What does that mean? A March down. Although uncertainty seems to have been installed in the markets, everything indicates that the dollar will say goodbye to March weakened compared to other currencies. He US dollar indexwhich measures its strength against the main foreign currencies, started the penultimate week of the month falling 1% until they were minimal that had not been seen for more than three years. Meanwhile, the euro was quoted above $ 1.15, its maximum value Since 2021. The mirror of currencies and gold. The dollar falls in front of the yen And the Swiss Franco and the eurowhich now marks $ 1,1499 after having reached on Monday 1,1573 per first time Since the end of 2021. The scenario feels good too (At least in value) To gold, one of the most consolidated shelter assets: yesterday the precious metal reached $ 3,430 per ounce. Only so far this year has shot above 27%. Click on the image to go to Tweet. The situation of the euro. With that backdrop there are analysts who They are already highlighting the pronounced ascending curve that records the euro in front of the green ticket so far from 2025. of the minimum change of 1,024 Dollar registered in early January has passed to 1,476. And with a graph clearly up. After the latest advances of the euro against the dollar and its reinforcement against the US currency, so far from 2025 the European currency has risen 11.3%. The balance is also positive for the pound (6.8%), the Swedish crown (16.5%), the Swiss Franco (12.3%) and the Yen (11.7%), which They overcome the advance of the European currency. The criticism of the Fed and Powell. When analyzing drifting the dollar Analysts usually point out various factorssuch as the crisis of trust in the green ticket, a loss of attractiveness in a scenario marked by Trump’s protectionist policies or changes in the global economic order and US debt. After the last fall, another added key indicates: the criticism From the White House to the Federal Reserve (Fed) and its responsible, Powell, reluctant to lower interest rates. Trump’s threats affect the image of the body, which can also influence the value of the dollar or the confidence in the stability of US markets. “Trump’s renewed criticism of the FED president this week is a reminder that commercial policy is not the only channel through which the unconventional approach to the administration could undermine the dollar and the US assets markets,” warns in CNN Jonas Goltermann, senior economist of markets at the capital firm Economics. Why is it important? For several reasons. First because the dollar is more than the currency with which the Americans pay their purchases. Throughout the last 80 years it has been the Vault key of the global financial system, acts from reference and its position against other currencies has influenced the US economy. He did it then. And it will probably do it now too. There are analysts who They point that Trump seeks to weaken the dollar to favor US exports (one of its declared objectives is to reindustrialize the country) and balance its balance and commercial deficit, something that tariffs would also help. The depreciation strategy of the green ticket would also lead to threats, however, such as problems to face debt in the United States. Images | Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and Stock Birken (UNPLASH) In Xataka | There is something more disturbing than the collapse of the bag: the collapse of the shelter values ​​such as the US dollar and debt

The house is getting so expensive that in the United Kingdom there are already people opting for a plan B: living in ships

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In the United Kingdom there are hundreds of people who do not live in houses, buildings or urbanizations. Nor do they have neighbors. Not at least in the conventional sense. In a country that has seen how housing It was more expensive until it turns Privatethere are those who choose to reside in river channels and rivers. They do it aboard barges of several meters that, although they are not cheap and carry their own costs, remain much more affordable than The apartments Of the big cities. And there are reasons to think that over the years your number It has been increasing. Living between ducks and fish. Sounds romantic, but that is the lifestyle for which thousands of British who reside aboard barges have opted. And there are some data that suggest that their number has increased over the last years. A few months ago The Economist public An article in which he remembers that the last census of Canals and Rivers Trust (CRT) shows that at least 2022 there were 35,000 vessels With a license to operate in 3,200 km of river routes distributed by England and Wales, a third more than in the last two decades. The case of London. Moreover, in London, where the “navigators” stand out between 25 and 34 years, their number has almost doubled in a matter of a decade. In Your report The Economist It does not specify how many of these barges are used as the main residence, but slides that it is probably a good part. In 2021 The Guardian I was A little further And he pointed out that Canals and Rivers Trust surveys show that, at least at that time, the proportion of people who lived aboard their vessels was 25% at the national level (in 2011 they were somewhat less, 15%), although the percentage would be higher in London. Is there more data? Yes. And although the figures vary depending on the source that is always consulting in the same direction. Although the British who have decided to change conventional apartments and houses for barges continue to represent a minority, in February Sky News placed their number in about 15,000. And growing. According to Boats.com the number would be even superior. Your data They estimate the census of permanent residents in barges docked in the rivers, channels and coasts of the United Kingdom in around 30,000 people. Price issue. The big question is … why? Why change the comforts of an apartment in the center of Bristol, Manchester or London for a boat moored to a channel? Analysts answer those questions with Several keysbut there is one that is usually repeated: the price. A narrow barcaza and in good condition with which to move along the country’s river paths can cost near 50,000 pounds. It is a considerable figure (of course there are much cheaper), but that is far from what an apartment costs on the United Kingdom metropolis. Reviewing figures. According to official data, in January the average price of a home in the country was 268,500 pounds. If we talk about London, that reference is triggered until the 600,000 tires are touched through a house in a room, which makes the British capital one of the most expensive cities on the planet to become a owner, based on The data of Global Property Guide. In 2023 the London mayor spoke directly about “housing crisis” and crossed out “scandal” that there were dozens of houses and unused floors. Is it cheap to live on a ship? Depends. Yes, if you compare the cost of buying a barge with that of acquiring an apartment in London. But that does not mean that changing the streets, urbanizations and blocks through the channels is available to all pockets. First because their owners pay navigation licenses. Second, because a boat has certain expenses rigged. Recently the tenant of a United Kingdom barge confessed To the Sky News chain that spends around 4,500 pounds annually in invoices, including insurance, hubs, coal, fuel and navigation permits. If you want to keep your home in good condition every three or four years you must also get it out of the water and paint the helmet, which costs you approximately 1,200 pounds. Money … And something else. Although money is a key factor, it is not the only one that explains that in the United Kingdom there are thousands of people passing (at least) most of the year aboard boats. At stake they enter otherssuch as the influence of pandemic, the rise of teleworking, the interest in traveling along the British coasts or a simple issue of taste, either as a permanent or temporal vital option. After all, in life aboard a barge, not all are idyllic moments. “I wanted so much a ship that I didn’t care to live without shower, wearing a cube as toilet the first months or running cold,” Elizabeth Earle recallsfreelance writer and illustrator who chose to leave the comforts of an apartment to live in a barge. Now reside in a centenary floating house of about 20 meters. “I have no one to bother me and if I want to leave this place I can do it tomorrow. You are always covered with bruises and soot, and there is a lot of mud, but you also think ‘go, I can make fire’ and load 25 kg of coal.” An option with challenges. Navigation, maintenance or supply are not the only challenges facing the tenants of the barges. Elizabeth does not pay mooring as such, but that has its ‘face B’: when opting for the “Continuous Cruiser” Your floating house must change location from time to time. In a similar situation you can see the rest of British navigators who have no right (or paid) permanent moorings and are forced to move between squares along the same river, or beyond, every 14 days. “We pay a license that does not equals a rent, but rather to the municipal … Read more

In 1953 the United States decided to put a naval base in Rota. Now the installation looks at your future with uncertainty

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When Europe spoke weeks ago of rearme There were a series of news that attest to the situation. First it was Germany through the Almighty Rheinmetall and With Volkswagen In the “helping” equation, then even Spain with a component factory in the Basque Country. In France, a Cold War Plan to “diversify” your nuclear umbrella. And if none of these proposals went ahead, Europe would always have the Naval Rota base in Spain. Until now. Uncertainty at a key point. The story was told this morning The Financial Times. In the quiet coastal town of Rota, to the south of Spain, the imposing presence of American destroyers breaks the idyllic postcard. This old agricultural town houses today The naval base most important in the United States in Europe, the key piece of the antimile shield that protects the continent. It happens that something seems to have changed this part for a while. He had promised a sixth boat in 2022, but Donald Trump’s re -election has fired the alarms about an imminent American troops cutin line with its narrative that Europe must stop depending from Washington for your safety. In numbers, this “restlessness” reaches the close ones 84,000 deployed soldiers In at least 38 European bases, all inheritance of World War II, but whose continuity is now questioned. Broken, symbol and vulnerability. Rota’s base was the fruit of A signed pact In 1953 between Dwight Eisenhower and Franco. That agreement today is a complex of strategic dimensions that includes air track, three docks and the largest weapons and fuel installation of the pentagon in Europe. Its location, near the Strait of Gibraltar, makes it a fundamental node for Project military power towards the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. In addition, its official status as a Spanish naval installation “Joint use” It forces the United States to coordinate certain movements with Madrid, which adds a layer of complexity to its operation. However, the FT said that for many US military, broken is considered little less than A dream destination Due to its high quality of life and a local economy deeply influenced by the base: two thirds of the city’s economic activity depend on it, and Spanish companies such as Navantia maintain millionaire contracts With the United States Navy. The aircraft carrier of the Spanish Navy Dedal The Trump factor. But as we said, the idyllic postcard seems to be living an era of uncertainty with Trump’s re -election. The contradictory signals from Washington have sown restlessness. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “hysteria” Rumors about possible cuts, Defense Secretary Pete Heghseth warned that American protection It would not be eternal. Worry. The concern is that, before any disagreement (here the fan is broad, from commercial reprisals, European support to Ukraine or the rejection of geopolitical proposals such as the Acquisition of Greenland), Trump can decide to drastically reduce military deployment in Europe, even unilaterally. The tycoon now He has shown disdain for the historical commitments of NATO and has frequently folvado the Scarce spending in defense of its European partners, being Spain One of the most lagging. In addition, President Pedro Sánchez has confronted Trump on various fronts, since his recent Posture about China until His sentence to the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which raises the political risk for the base of rota. Europe without shield. If we stick to numbers, Rota base currently houses 2,800 American soldiersincluding units at sea, and its fleet of destroyers (endowed with these systems to intercept ballistic missiles) represents a mobile capacity without equivalent in Europe. Although fixed pitchers from Poland and Romania could assume part of the Antimisile shield, the European Navy lacks A real alternative to the power of US ships parked in Spain. Hence NATO, although nominally owner of the system, depends largely on Military infrastructure of the United States for collective defense. The European strategy, for now, has consisted of gaining military independence gradually, but is still far from being able to fill the void that would leave an abrupt American replication. Again, That rearme acquires more importance. Alternatives: Morocco. In the face of the possibility of a break, The FT had that some voices suggest that the United States could transfer part of its operations To Moroccocountry that reinforced its link with the Trump administration by normalizing relations with Israel in 2020. With less politically compromised facilities and greater diplomatic harmony, Morocco would be outlined as a possible logistical replacement for Rota. Moreover, apparently, from The Foreign Policy Research Institute They warn that, if the Spanish government overestimates its strategic value or underestimate the level of irritation which can generate in Trump, the consequences could be immediate and deep. Uncertain future. So things, and although for now the base It continues to expand and receiving investments, the rumors of cuts fly over the installation. The American media commented that American residents in rota try Keep calm And, meanwhile, Europe observes with restlessness a situation that transcends local geopolitics and raises an existential dilemma for the continental defense itself. The transition to a greater self -sufficiency European defensive, now, it seems more pronounced than ever, but while that mature or becomes effective transformation, the shadow of an unexpected turn under Trump’s second presidency looms over the Cadiz coast. At stake, the key piece of the antimile shield that protects the old continent. Image | Navy, Us Defenseimagery In Xataka | In the middle of the Cold War, France designed a nuclear rearme plan for Europe. Now sound strongly In Xataka | Europe before its time of truth: we have entered the era of “rearme” and the EU has a plan not to be behind

The United States has tired of the monopolies of great technological ones. And wants to start “chop them” with goal

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The United States turned a blind eye with its great technological for years. He did not pay too much attention to whether they abused their privilege position or had monopolistic and anti -competitive behaviors, Something that was pursued by the European Union. That has changed, and we are seeing how one after another the Big Tech are being scrutinized in the American judicial courts. Not only that: the threat to those giants is to finish chopped. FTC against goal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial of the United States began yesterday, and for two months it will try to decide whether the company created by Mark Zuckerberg is a monopoly in the “personal social media services market” market. The consequences can be huge for the goal, which could be forced to divide into several companies. Zuckerberg on the stage. As they point out In The New York TimesMark Zuckerberg came yesterday as a witness to defend “his social media empire.” The FTC lawyers showed several emails in which they raised their argument: what a target “illegally cemented a social networks monopoly by acquiring Instagram and goal when they were small startups.” Zuckerberg made it clear in this Email of April 2012. Better buy than to compete. Source: Big Tech on Trial. If it is a threat to your domain, buy it. The Tactics of the FTC lawyers is to demonstrate that goal used their privilege position to buy companies that could represent a threat in the future. It is the strategy that Some call (rightly) “Better buy than to compete.” To those accusations Zuckerberg replied saying that they ended up investing a lot of money in them after buying them, but doing so they managed not only to reinforce their dominant position, but to eliminate those threats that Instagram or WhatsApp raised. The FTC proposes to chop target. If the government wins the trial, they point out on the Times, the FTC probably asks for the goal to divide into several parts. Thus, Instagram and WhatsApp could be independent companies that would compete with each other with Facebook, or at least that would be the intention of the government. Too much power. Thus, the government must demonstrate that goal would not have had the same success without those acquisitions. It is something really complicated, but this is part of the effort of recent years to try to mitigate the enormous power that technological giants have. These privilege positions allow these companies to clearly influence the exchange of ideas, entertainment and of course political debate. A peculiar judge. The case is chaired by Judge James Boasberg, 62, who already faced a Trump decision in a previous case but that above all attracts attention by a choice: he affirms that he has never used the goal applications, although he is familiar with Facebook Live, which has been used in some criminal cases. Google is in the same. Last summer, federal judge Amit Mehta pronounced a few words that were not evident were less important: “Google is a monopoly“. And threat of “chopstick”Fines do not seem to function as punishment for these types of companies, and for years another option than politicians has been considered Like Senator Warren They defend to act against the Big Tech: chop them. In the case of Google, the sentence could force Alphabet, the matrix, to get rid of Chrome and even Android. Apple, another of the objectives. In March 2024 the Department of Defense (DOJ) accused Apple of being a monopoly and to close the iPhone and iOS to the competitors. The United States followed the steps of Europe, although in this case, which has not yet concluded, a company’s split was not raised. Amazon is a monopoly. Years before the US Congress has already concluded that Amazon was a monopoly in the field of electronic commerce. The long investigation ended with A document of almost 500 pages, but had no specific consequences beyond an attempt to reform legislation in this regard. The US follows the EU wake. For years the European Union has been the nemesis of the large technological companies of the US, which it has stopped with fines and sentences that punished anti -competitive practices. We saw it a few months ago when Meta received A fine of almost 800 million euros for one of this type of cases. The new roof of the Big Tech. Microsoft was a clear objective of the European Commission at the beginning of the century, and since then the antitrust cases They have happened constantly, as companies such as Google either Apple. In the US, such issues seemed to be in the background, but from a time to this part of the US justice It has become very serious With these companies, as we have been able to check with Amazon, Apple, Google and now Meta. Image | Goal In Xataka | A 1.3 million rolex and a brilliant suit: the new Mark Zuckerberg has celebrated his wife’s birthday

The United States imagined that China would veto its export of rare earths. Has a plan B: The Pacific Fund

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In the midst of the tariff war that has ended up becoming a bilateral front between the United States and China, the Asian giant He has responded blocking rare earth export. The White House seems to be seen coming and has played with one of its last buzas. The forecast. The Trump administration has written an executive order to allow the storage of metals found in the marine bed of the Pacific Ocean, According to Financial Times. This initiative seeks to counteract China’s influence on supply chains of critical minerals, since it controls 70% of the global market. A Great Reserve. These metals are found in the polymetallic nodules of the seabed, which contains minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese and rare earth traces. As The British media has had accessthe US government has considered that deep water mining will guarantee a national source of these materials, so it seeks to accelerate mining requests under national legislation. Within that idea, it would include the creation of a strategic reserve of minerals to self -abuse. It won’t be so easy. The International Marine Funds Authority (ISA) is responsible for regulating mining in international waters. In a recent meeting, still an agreement has not been reached About how to proceed in underwater mining, and many countries are asking for a moratorium on this practice due to the impact on little known marine ecosystems. In the case of the United States They have not ratified The United Nations Convention on the Law of the 1982 Sea, the treaty that gives the ISA legal support. In other words, it is not within the entity, so the big doubt opens if you can legally grant permits to companies to operate in international waters. For their part, entities like The Metals Company have insisted that the ISA It does not have an exclusive mandatebut some legal experts have warned that acting without their guarantee is a risky movement that can put all nations against. That ocean and not another. While the United States is in this situation, the Pacific choice has much more background and has to do with the Asian giant. China is One of the main actors in underwater mining, with exploration contracts granted by the ISA In the Clarion-Clipperton area (CCZ), a region rich in polymetic nodules. In addition, it is estimated that this underwater corridor can contain more critical minerals than many combined land reserves, which makes it a strategic objective. Taking advantage. Recently, China It started The construction of an underwater laboratory at 2,000 meters deep in the Meriodional China Sea, reinforcing its scientific and operational position in oceanic funds. According to Financial Timeseverything responds to a broader vision: andThe Pacific as the new Front of Economic and Military Competition, where the control of deep resources can make a difference. 80% without mapping or exploring. The oceanic background It is our great unknownsso the ISA is holding these meetings to establish a mining code between all nations as soon as possible. For its part, scientists and environmental groups They have warned that ocean protection is prevailing due to the irreversible effects that could be given. Image | Trump White House Archced and Mister Pommeroy Xataka | There are billions of dollars in rare land buried in full view: you just have to look at the coal ashes

Europe’s boycott to the United States is real and is being noticed in one of its most profitable sectors: tourism

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David Pereira is 53 years old, Reside in France And like others thousands Millions of Europeans have been raised under the influence of the US culture. The songs he listened to, the series he saw as a child, the films they threw in the cinema of his city or the cars he dreamed of driving: all ‘made in use’. Hence, when Pereira saw enough money, he decided to make his bags and meet the country in person. And he has done it conscientiously. He has been there almost a dozen times. Two years ago the national parks of the west coast was toured. His idea was to return this summer with his family to Yellowstone. But after two months of Trump administration, Pereira has changed plans. A few days ago I recognized To the CNN that has decided, in conscience, to cancel the trip. Your case connects with A trend which begins to be received in the powerful US tourism industry. A percentage: 17%. That the change of harmony between the US and Europe is taking its toll on American tourism is not a novelty. Weeks ago than the sector emits signals In that direction. And from both banks of the Atlantic. In Europe there are agencies that They find a loss of interest In the US. And on the other side of the ocean there are organisms that They start talking of a puncture in the demand. The clearest track of what is happening, especially in the flow of Europe-Use tourists, it gave it however Financial Times (Ft) a few days ago in An article with A holder that leaves little margin to interpretations: “European tourists cancel their trips to the US for Trump’s policies.” What are they based on? Basically in A percentage: according to international trade administration data (Itafor its acronym in English) visitors from Western Europe who spent at least one night in the US over March 17% collapsed with respect to 2024. It is a considerable fact. Especially if the relevance of the tourism industry is taken into account as an economic engine: represents about 2.5% of the country’s GDP. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Are there more indicators? Yes. Trump does not have not been at the head of the White House for three months, so there is still a perspective, but throughout the last weeks they have been published figures and testimonies that suggest that something is changing in US tourism. And not for good. FT He has prepared graphics They show that the flow of travelers with destiny has collapsed from Austria, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Norway or Spain, sometimes with setbacks that exceed 20%. There is also a puncture on the flights of different regions. “Something is happening”. In general Ita has found that in March they traveled to the US 12% less of foreign visitors who during the same month of 2024. And that the percentage excludes the arrivals from the residents of Canada and Mexico, two markets that do not seem to look with too much enthusiasm American tourist destinations. You have to go back to 2021, when the sector still suffered the pandemic hangover, to find a more dire March. Probably in that percentage has influenced the fact that last year Holy Week fell in March and in 2025 it will do so in April, but the sector acknowledges that there is a background trend that goes much further. “It is clear that something is happening … and it is a reaction to Trump”, Recognize Tourism Economics. Fall of reservations. They are not the only ones to point in that direction. In early April the French hotel group Accor SA, behind several brands and highlighted accommodations in the USA, confessed to Bloomberg TV that European reserves to visit this summer the country of bars and stars have collapsed 25%. Simply, tourists seem to opt for Canada, South America or Egypt. In Spain the Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) also recognized A few days ago that perceives a loss of attractiveness of the US for tourists. With those data as a backdrop, Tourism Economics He has rethink down its forecasts this year for the US sector. If in February it foresee a fall of around 5%, that percentage has worsened until 9.4%already around. The French Voyageurs Du Monde has also recognized the CNN chain that since Trump’s investiture the reserves to the US have fallen by 20%. But … why? “It is probably anxious to enter an unknown territory,” He reflected the executive director of Accor when talking about the trend with Bloomberg. The truth is that the change in tendency in the sector coincides with a complex geopolitical framework: the distancing Between Washington and Brussels after Trump’s return to the White House, the escalation in the Commercial Warthe recession drumsthe speech about the European rear and, in Paul English opinionKayak co -founder, a change in the reputational image of the US. Throughout the last months several European countries They have updated Their recommendations for travelers who move to the US or have shown concern about changes in migratory and border control policies, including guidelines that affect trans people. Denmark ha issued an alert and in Spain exterior has updated Its guidelines. In the US attraction they also influence The news about arrests at the borders. Beyond Europe. The phenomenon goes beyond Europe. China He has issued Warnings on the “deterioration of economic and commercial relations” with the US and warns its citizens: “completely evaluate the risks of traveling to the US and travel with caution.” In Canada the Statistics Office registered in February A 23% drop on car trips to the US. In air traffic the descent was somewhat lower, but also stood at 13%. Those percentages and those of Ita coincide with another phenomenon that has been found for months, especially in Europe and Canada: The boycott of USA products in favor of domestic goods and services or other countries. In fact there … Read more

The United States exempts from reciprocal tariffs on key consumption electronics and strategic components

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The Donald Trump tariff war against the world has a new episode, one in which the main American technology manufacturers breathe relieved … for the moment, because with the Republican president he never knows. The administration of the president of the United States has released reciprocal tariffs at electronic devices such as mobiles, computers and other components. Also to the 125% tax applied to China imports. The strip and loosen of tariffs is resulting Critic for large North American companies in this democated global economy. Apple is the most obvious example: after making the ‘old’ tariff of 104% of the United States to China effective, It ceased to be the most valuable company. Faced with such a critical situation, drastic decisions: Chop an airplane full of iPhone From India. But Apple is just the tip of the iceberg And the reality is that until this ‘truce’, they paint with other large ones such as NVIDIA and more generic, to the bulk of the industry, where the final cost of those products in whose manufacture are used semiconductors, chips or SSD unitsthey would support dramatic increases. Consumer electronics is the great beneficiary The United States Customs and Border Protection Office of the United States He published a statement Friday night detailing that certain electronic devices and components 10% global tariff are left out That the United States applies to most countries, such as much higher tax applied to Chinese imports. What devices? Among the exemption list are mobile phones, computers, hard drives, processors, memory chips, semiconductors, memory cards or solar cells. Two of the great direct beneficiaries are Apple and Nvidia, who manufacture in China, but the stage remains uncertain: Trump is volatile and it is not known how China will respond to this gesture. This decision of the Trump administration comes after the hardware Big Tech showed their concern against the inevitable and imminent price escalation, since Most of these devices are manufactured in China. After giving A 90 -day pause Last Wednesday for countries, except for China, they will adapt to the new tariffs, Trump loosen. These exemptions are retroactive as of April 5 (as if this week had not happened) and as detailed by the White House Secretary and CNBC is echoedaims give margin to US companies to transfer their production to the United States. But his message is blunt: ‘President Trump has made it clear that the United States cannot depend on China to make critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones and laptops‘. In Xataka | China responds again to US tariffs and rises to 125%: from here it would be a “joke” to keep climbing Cover | Xataka

The United States of Kailasa have appropriated indigenous lands in Latin America. And who are they? Well nobody knows

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At some point in 2023, a man approached several enclaves of Ecuador and Paraguay with An irrevious offer. The guy ended up signing symbolic agreements of “sister cities” even in Newark, United States. Did it in the name of the Kailasa nationand its last appropriation occurred in Amazonian lands of Bolivia. There was only a small “but”: neither man nor Kailasa existed as such. Invent. He self -proclaimed “Sovereign State of the United States of Kailasa”, led by the controversial Indian Guru Swami Nithyanandahe has returned to the headlines, this time for A scandal of international proportions. Although Kailasa does not exist as a recognized entity, it has been presented by its followers as the first nation for Hindu in the world, with its own “cosmic” constitution, passports, sacred coin in gold and even an alleged central bank. However, this fantasy construction has given Bruces with reality when Bolivia’s authorities recently arrested 20 people linked to Kailasaaccusing them of “land traffic” after having negotiated lease contracts with Amazonian indigenous communities for a thousand years. Reinventing sovereignty. Nithyananda, whose real name is Arunachalam Rajasekaran, is a Hindu exmonje that built A spiritual empire From India to multiple cities on the planet. After being accused of rapeChild Torture and Abuse, fled from India in 2019 and reappeared proclaiming the foundation of Kaillasa, a “resurrection” of ancestral Hindu kingdoms. In his speeches, the man claims to have supernatural powers How to open the “third eye”, delay dawn or guide the reincarnation of billionaires such as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, assuring them that rich will be born again if they deposit their fortune in a background managed by him. Its logic is clear: if you manage to convince the rich that you need eternal immunity, then the creation of a fictional state can become useful. A nation as an immunity strategy. Based on an unidentified region of South America or the Caribbean, Nithyananda argues that he chose his exile for the Advantages of diplomatic immunity that would allow him his role as head of state. In fact, Kailasa has tried to consolidate as a real nation: its envoys have posed with high profile politicians, including Mayor of Newark and American congressmen, and have even intervened in UN forums. However, these appearances have caused Political crises and resignationsas happened in Paraguay and the United States, discovering that it was a assembly without legal or territorial legitimacy. Attempt for appropriation. In Bolivia, the Kilasians entered as tourists and infiltrated official events, achieving even photograph With President Luis Arce. Was The newspaper El Due Who uncovered the case: Kailasa’s followers negotiated with the Baure community, an Amazon Ethnicity, offering help after the latest forest fires. The conversations resulted in an agreement that initially seemed to be a lease for 25 years and an annual payment of almost 200,000 dollars. However, the contract delivered (in English and more than a thousand years) included the exploitation of natural resources and the use of airspace. Despite the warnings, indigenous leaders signed. Today, one of them He has admitted to the media that: “We made the mistake of listening to them.” Spiritual manipulation. Indigenous leaders have denounced Feel deceived. In subsequent statements, they said that Kaillase representatives offered humanitarian and environmental aid after forest fires, but ended up demanding the signing of documents that did not understand at all and never imagined that they would imply the assignment of their ancestral lands. The organization Multi -ethnic indigenous territory IIwhich represents the peoples That exjasaid that some of its members were manipulated and pressured To sign, under the promise of easy benefits. In a sharp statement, they made it clear that: “Our territory is not sold, does not rent and is not subject to any type of negotiation. It is the legacy of generations that defended it with blood and resistance.” Legal and diplomatic consequences. The Bolivian government declared The null agreementsarrested those involved and deported them to their countries of origin: India, the United States, Sweden and China. The Foreign Ministry clarified that Bolivia does not recognize diplomatic relations with any entity called ‘Kailasa’, and denounced the facts as a scam. False documents and environmental conservation promises were part of the deception, and although there is no evidence that Nithyananda was physically in Bolivia, it is thought that its emissary network operated as a parallel diplomacy for illegitimate purposes. Religious dystopia. Be that as it may, the Kailasa case It highlights a sophisticated form of colonialism disguised as spiritual diplomacy, where the religious symbol becomes a legal weapon to strip indigenous communities of its territorial heritage. Beyond the apparent absurdity, what happened in Bolivia, and before in Ecuador and Paraguay (or even the United States), was a systematic attempt to install fictitious sovereignty on real territories, and all this with legal, political and cultural implications. In a dystopian crossing between the unusual and the alarming, magical realism does not seem to be in the contracts, but in the fact that they almost worked. Image | Kailasa, Nithyananda Dhyanapetam In Xataka | Christian sects: there are more (and more geeks) than you could imagine In Xataka | The peculiar utopia of Auroville, the city without money, political parties or religion

The European Union has an ace in the sleeve to negotiate tariffs with the United States: digital services

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The United States is the great world importer. Its economy is the paradigm of consumerism, and China – the great world factory – has taken advantage of it. Precisely Trump’s tariffs –now in pause in almost everyone– They intend to correct that deficit, but not only with China, but with everyone. And the European Union, one of the affectedhas its particular As in the sleeve: its deficit in services. The EU is what the US to the goods. The European Union is a great services importer. In the old continent we are eager consumers of digital services that come from the US and ranging from the subscription to Netflix to the use of platforms such as Azure or AWS. The situation in services is similar to the one Trump wants to correct, but in that USA panorama it is “our China” and the EU would be the US. Europe has digital services deficit. And von der Leyen knows. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has already made it clear that the shots can go in the negotiations for tariffs. As they point out in Financial Timesthe president indicated that the EU will seek a “completely balanced” agreement with Washington during the 90 -day truce to the application of the reciprocal tariffs announced by Trump a few days ago. Trump makes the accounts that agree. The European Parliament already published a study Preliminary of what would happen if the US imposed extra tariffs on EU products, and detailed what the situation of imports of goods and services was. The US only talks about goods (Goods’) of consumption in its analysis, and does not mention the services for a simple reason: it has a deficit of goods (it loses) but surplus of services (it is winning). The EU is losing in services, and if the US applies tariff But it is that the US exports services to every cloth. As they also point out In The Wall Street JournalTrump’s mathematics ignore digital services exports. The former leading role of the United States as a manufacturer, with Ford or General Motors as great examples, has changed: now there the protagonists are the services, but the tariffs raised by the US government take them out of the equation, and that clearly affects the EU. In danger. According to the European Parliament data, in 2023 the EU had a surplus of goods and USA had a service surplus. In the Global EU had a surplus of 48,000 million euros, but in the study they indicate that it is a modest figure that “only represents 3% of the total commercial flow, 1.6 trillion euros.” Tariffs to services. If these negotiations fail, explained von der Leyen, the EU will expand the global trade war on services. The idea would be to include an income tax for digital advertising, something that already outlined with the DSA. The measure could have a remarkable impact on the income of companies that depend on the advertising model such as Meta, Google and Facebook. Evening threats. “We are developing retaliation measures,” said Von der Leyen, noting that “there is a wide Ramgo of countermeasures … in the event that negotiations are not satisfactory.” The advertising tax would be applied in Europe and would be different from taxes to digital sales, which have independent tax burdens according to each Member State. Image | Xataka with chatgpt In Xataka | There is a critical sector that is still expected the worst before the tariffs of the United States: that of medicines

The commercial war between the United States and China is having an unexpected victim: Christmas trees

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At the doors of Holy Week and with half a pending country, in Spain almost no one (Neither Abel Caballero) Think of Christmas. In China The thing is different. There the factories that are dedicated to manufacturing the ornaments and trees that decorate the US households every December should be receiving orders that do not just arrive. And in the industry there are little doubt what the reason is: the Commercial War raised 145% (If you take into account 20% applied by the export of fentanyl precursors) the rates to Chinese imports. What is less clear is … What will happen at Christmas? Where are the orders? That is the question that Chinese companies are being asked that are dedicated to manufacturing Christmas ornaments and trees. Yes, we are still in early April; but under normal conditions they should be receiving orders from their US clients. And it is not so. The news The Reuters agency advanced yesterday, which has spoken with the administrator of a Jinhua Christmas tree factory that has even seen how one of its partners on the other side of the Pacific suspended an order worth $ 400,000. And that the Chinese company has already invested $ 54,000 in materials. His great fear is now that the commission is annulled. “No request”. Jinhua is not an isolated case. Nor unique. Reuters He has spoken with other Chinese Christmas manufacturers that point in a similar direction. “We are concerned that US orders decrease,” explains the owner of another factory dedicated to Shaoxing Christmas decoration. The person responsible for a third company admits that at least the situation breaks with the experience of past years. “In mid -April all orders are usually finished, but now … it is difficult to know if any will come,” The manager tells from Jinhua. So far they have not registered “any request” from the US. And what is the cause? For China manufacturers there are few doubts. Or none. If 2025 is being an anomalous exercise for them is basically The commercial war unleashed on the other side of the ocean and that has been climbing. “Of course it is the tariffs,” assumes one of the entrepreneurs in the sector. After all, the tariff war may have intensified over the last days, after The act starring Trump in the Rosaleda de la Casa White with his already famous tariff table by countries and regions; But the word tariff (the favorite of the Republican) has been grabbing headlines for months. And one of the countries that He has always been In the focus is China, as was already happening in His first mandate. A figure: 145%. The result is that in the middle of April the Trump policy and the resurgence of the commercial war between Beijing and Washington (which has resulted in a mutual exchange of attacks and counterattacks tariffs) threatens to have an unexpected victim: Christmas. For now, Chinese merchandise to the US faces a tariff rise in the 125%percentage to which another 20% applied by the commercialization of fentanyl precursors. If we talk about Christmas ornament, USA and China maintain a more than prominent relationship. According to Reuters calculations 87% of the supply of American retailers dedicated to Christmas decoration comes from the factories of the Asian giant, which in turn half of their production to the US. “My colleagues and I depend on American orders to survive,” assumes Jessica Guo, administrator of a Christmas tree factory. Christmas decoration (and something else). At stake there is more than the Christmas ornament or that the US halls have more or less garlands, foams and artificial trees this year. That the sector goes well or badly translates into employment. And in millions of dollars. Two data arrives to get an idea. The merchandise acquired by American retailers in China reaches a value of 4,000 million of dollars. As for employment, only in Jinhua there is a factory of artificial trees of almost 11,000 m2 that normally uses 140 people, a template that can be elevated to 200 employees during the months of greater activity. Except for surprise, everything indicates that in 2025 it will not be necessary. Is there alternative? That is the other big question. And twice. Does China have an alternative market with which to compensate in a puncture of the American demand? And do the US companies have to the Asian giant to stock up on figurines and trees with lights? None will have it easy. In China, domestic demand for Christmas decoration is low and there are already businesses thinking about strengthening their efforts in Russia, Europe or Southeast Asia, which are an important part of the sales cake. Yet, days ago A local businessman shared with Reuters his “concern.” The situation in the US. The US can also look at other suppliers, but without getting rid of the elongated shadow of tariffs. Another country with some weight in the production of Christmas ornaments is Cambod 49% to imports from that country. From the sector they also question that manufacturing ends up moving to the US, as the Republican leader aspires. “There is no technology or labor market,” They recognize To the agency. Result: Ten months seen worries since those who want to decorate their houses face a price increase. Images | Frames for Your Heart (UNSPLASH), Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and Trong Khiem Nguyen (Flickr) In Xataka | In the middle of the largest commercial chaos, olive oil seems immune thanks to a factor: consumption in Spain

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