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the four-day work week

March 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Various tests carried out around the world have revealed that reduce the work week of five days and 40 hours to four dayscontributes to improving not only the well-being of workers, but also their productivity and commitment to their work. However, there is something about the four-day work week that, currently, is of much more interest to leaders: the savings in fuel consumption that implies that workers do not take the car to go to work. For this reason, the president of the Philippines has decreed that officials in several offices of the Philippine executive would go to work only four days a week to save energy for the crude price increase due to the war situation in Iran. The four-day work week as an economic measure. This is not the first time that labor flexibility has been used as an economic tool. In fact, in Spain it was asked to prioritize teleworking after the DANA of Valencia or to avoid risks when traveling due to meteorological threats. However, what is unusual is that the four-day work week is used to prevent officials from traveling to their workplaces and thus save fuel in the face of an imminent supply crisis in the archipelago. As stated in the Memorandum Circular number 114A published by the Philippine government, the average will affect all officials starting March 9. The four-day week for efficiency. In his statement, President Marcos highlighted one exception, “We are temporarily adopting a four-day work week in certain executive branch offices. This does not apply to those providing emergency or essential services, including police, firefighters and other frontline services,” leaving emergency personnel out of the workweek cut. Along with this, the president ordered all public organizations to reduce their electricity and fuel consumption by between 10 and 20%, also prohibiting non-essential travel, study visits and all face-to-face meetings that can be held electronically. Each organization must also appoint a person responsible for energy efficiency and submit monthly consumption reports. A country hostage to foreign oil. Although the measure may seem somewhat exaggerated after only a week of conflict, the Philippines does not produce its own oil and depends on fossil fuel plants to generate much of its electricity. That makes the minimum swing in prices of the crude oil is transferred immediately to homes and businesses. In his message, Marcos explained that the conflict in the Middle East has affected the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and that, when that route fails, prices rise around the world. The president warned of the concrete consequences if the strait were to close, fuel prices would skyrocket in the market. Something that, in fact, it’s already happening in much of the planet. The private sector, on guard. At the moment, the reduction in working hours only applies to the public sector, but the debate on the convenience of applying it to the private sector is already being debated among political groups. Senator Francis Escudero encouraged companies private companies to study staggered shifts or flexible working, arguing that reducing traffic in large cities would have a significant economic impact. According to senator’s details According to a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), traffic jams in Metro Manila cost the country approximately 3.5 billion pesos a day (about 51 million euros). However, businessmen do not have the same opinion. “For manufacturing, we have been operating with limited resources, and further reducing work days could put our commitments at risk,” assured to The Inquirer Ferdinand Ferrer, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). A story that repeats itself. Although the four-day work week is a concept that sounds novel, it is actually not something new for the Philippines. Already in 1990, during the Gulf War, the Department of Labor and Employment implemented the week of four days with the same objective: to cushion the economic impact of a sharp rise in crude oil. History repeats itself under very similar conditions. The difference with the European debate on the four-day week could not be greater. There are no employee well-being studies or analysis of productivity for companies. The Philippine government’s vision is much more pragmatic: reduce its energy bill as quickly as possible. In Xataka | Spain already has its first municipality with a four-day work week. It is not in Madrid or Barcelona, but in a corner of Cádiz Image | Unsplash (Haberdoedas, phyo min)

the new Xataka Xtra newsletter where we will talk about the five most fascinating stories of the week

March 5, 2026 by usatoday24

As you know, Xataka launches this week Xataka Xtraour subscription plan where we offer you a lot of special content, direct contact with the editors, a Discord, an officeadvice and giveaways of all kinds (here the first, a 75″ television). Among the many new features, including several newsletters. The one we present to you today is perhaps the strangest of all of them: ‘Sides B‘. Our premise is simple: everyday life is full of urgent news, stressful events and seriousness, a lot of seriousness. ‘Caras B’ is a small antidote to all that, a weekly space where we take a break and pay attention to five strange, strange, curious stories; stories that will not open the news but that allow us to disconnect from current affairs. From a medieval manuscript written by Satan himself until the crazy occasion in which we prohibit sliced bread, passing through the “invention” of modern chinese or the existence of several infinities within infinity. ‘Caras B’ will be weekly and concise. The objective is to discover the most fascinating corners of the world and history, to immerse yourself in them and to be able to savor them without wasting more than ten minutes of your time. It will arrive in your mailbox every saturday, signed by a server. I’ll wait for you! Other Xataka Xtra newsletters ‘Caras B’ does not arrive alone. The Xtra subscription plan includes two other exclusive newsletters: Chip War (weekly, every Monday): The semiconductor industry is the technological, economic and geopolitical battlefield of our time. Every week we analyze what is happening in the race for chips: from the tensions between the United States and China to the decisions of TSMC, Intel, SK Hynix or Samsung that will determine who leads the next decade. Next X (biweekly, every other Thursday): Biweekly analysis of the trends in technology and science that are changing the present and will define the future: AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, space exploration. Context and perspective on where we are going and why it matters. In Xataka | We launch Xataka Xtra: your experience at Xataka goes up a level with exclusive newsletters, raffles, El Consultorio and more Image | Xataka

Germany wanted to see if working four days a week was efficient. 70% of companies think so

February 25, 2026 by usatoday24

The four-day work week started in Germany as an experiment to search for the maximum productivity of companies without having an impact on an exhausted workforce and without the ability to reconcile family life. Two years after the start of this test, the data confirms that for the companies that participated it was not a simple test, but rather it has materialized in a change in the way of working that many companies have decided to consolidate. Now the monitoring report prepared by researchers from the University of Münster together with the consulting firm 4 Day Week Global. It analyzes what happened after the pilot test that began in 2024 and what subsequent effects it has had. The main conclusion is that around 70% of the companies that participated in that test continue to apply some model of reduction of working hours a year later. A known formula and a varied sample. The original four-day week project in Germany was built around to the 100-80-100 model: 100% of salary, 80% of time and 100% of productivity. This model of reduction of working hours is the same one that was carried out in Valencia in 2023, Portugal either United Kingdom. In the initial phase, 45 companies from different sectors participated, dedicated to manufacturing, insurance, technology, media, commerce or education. Furthermore, to be as representative as possible of the German industrial fabric, companies of different sizes were chosen: from micro-businesses with 1 to 9 employees, to large companies with more than 250 employees. The first data already gave clues. Researchers have been collecting data from participating companies and their employees since day one. A few months after starting the test, the companies were delighted with the results, to the point that in preliminary results73% said they would not return to the traditional five-day week. The new report provides the perspective that time gives and whether that initial impetus has been consolidated. Two years after the start of the test, seven out of ten companies that participated in the test not only maintain the four-day workdaybut they have integrated it into their normal operation. More than four days: flexible reduction of working time. One of the most interesting findings from the monitoring is that the four-day workweek model has evolved and every organization has implemented it adapting it to your needs. Not all companies have opted for a Monday to Thursday work week. Around 22% of the participating companies have adapted the initial scheme towards more flexible formulas: reduction of annual hours, alternate weeks or internal adjustments according to workload. The report itself speaks less of a “four-day week” and more of “reduction of work time“. The label matters less than the redesign of the work day and the elimination of superfluous tasks, fewer unnecessary meetings and greater autonomy of the teams. No impact on profits or productivity. In business terms, the German test has been a success since, despite having maintained 80% of the initial day, there have been no drops in either the level of profits or in productivity or slightly improved with respect to the starting point. That is, they have managed to do the same thing in less time. What it did have a strong impact on was the well-being of employees, where 90% reported improvements in the balance between personal and professional life. As a result of this improvement, employees reported feeling less stress and greater commitment to the company. 38% of companies indicated that sick leave and absenteeism of their employees had been reduced, while 56% claimed to have detected no changes. Lights and shadows in the reduction of working hours. Progress was also observed in job satisfaction and in the perception of the company as an attractive place to work. The study indicates that 87% of companies detected improvements in talent retention. For their part, 75% claimed that their companies now had a greater capacity to attract talent in selection processes. This, in a scenario of labor shortagerepresents a competitive advantage. However, as happened in other tests of the four-day work week, not all companies have followed the same evolution. About 30% stopped applying the initial scheme or returned to the traditional five-day week. The main reasons were operational, difficulties in coordinate with your clientswork peaks that are difficult to absorb or inflexible internal structures. In Xataka | Employees in Spain clear up doubts: working fewer days is better than working fewer hours, according to a survey In Xataka | Spain already has its first municipality with a four-day work week. It is not in Madrid or Barcelona, but in a corner of Cádiz Image | Unsplash (Gonzalo Leon Jasin, Josue Isai Ramos Figueroa)

In the middle of Valentine’s week, strawberries have reached figures never seen before in half of Europe. The problem is not love, it is Spain

February 23, 2026 by usatoday24

Hearts, chocolate, bouquets of flowers and pink decorations everywhere: Valentine’s week is synonymous with many things, but above all with crazy prices. What was not expected in half of Europe is that strawberries were going to rise so much. And when I say ‘so much’, it’s ‘so much’. What happened to the strawberries? The peak in demand is predictable: every year, coinciding with Valentine’s week, the demand for strawberries skyrockets. And, furthermore, it is a very inelastic demand: since it is a “special” day, people continue buying them “almost” independently of the price. That has not changed in 2026: what has changed is that the supply has suffered a huge shock. A shock called Spain and Portugal: And more specifically its meteorology. If the frosts of a few years ago caused the shortage of red peppers throughout the European continentthe historic rainfall in recent months has reduced strawberry production, its quality and shelf life to almost historic lows. To give us an idea of the collapse: in Huelva, production has fallen by half compared to 2025. And despite efforts to catch up, production is 38% below from that of the 24/25 campaign. This has meant that strawberries are arriving in the Netherlands at 5.83 per kilo and in France at 6.44. The problem naked. In this case, the problem is that Europe depends completely on Huelva and, in recent decades, it has not been able to do anything to avoid it. Huelva producers have demonstrated an impressive capacity to produce with very high quality at very low prices. That (and the constant rise in production) has meant that no one can build a parallel agribusiness. The problem is that the climate becomes increasingly volatile, the ‘security’ of the Andalusian countryside decreases. and this episode has only confirmed it. What’s behind the story. So what is hidden behind the strawberries at seven euros per kilo in a market in Alicante is the story of the loss of hegemony of one of the most solid and refined economic pillars in southern Europe. That is to say, while strawberries are on their way to becoming an ‘ultra-luxury’ product, Andalusia’s competitive advantage is fading. Are a giant with feet of clay. Image | Alba Otero In Xataka | Spain’s problem with its supermarkets: Huelva strawberries are now cheaper in Germany

MediaMarkt starts its Web Week with good discounts on TVs, cell phones and more

February 16, 2026 by usatoday24

Until next February 23 at 9 in the morning, MediaMarkt is celebrating two very good campaigns: Techmania and Web Weekwith which you can get the best technological devices with good discounts. Below we offer you a compilation with some of the best deals that we have found today, at the beginning of this MediaMarkt campaign. smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 for for 199 euros: with 6.77-inch OLED screen and 256 GB. Smart TV Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 55 2025 by 399 euros: 55 inches and with Google TV. sound bar Ultimea Poseidon D70 by 169.99 euros: 7.1 channels and 410 W of power. Robot vacuum cleaner Cecotec Conga M50 by 99 euros: with laser navigation and 5,000 Pa. electric scooter Segway ZT3 Pro E by 699 euros: with double suspension and 1,600 W motor. Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 smartphone If you are looking for a good, pretty and cheap mobile, this Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 It is one of the smartphones that is worth it now on MediaMarkt. It used to cost 229 euros but now it is available for 199 euros. He Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 It is a smartphone with a good 6.77-inch OLED screen. Your brain is the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3accompanied by 256 GB of storage and 8 GB RAM. Its main camera is 50 MP and works under the Xiaomi HyperOS 2 operating system. Redmi Note 15 5G 8+256GB The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Smart TV Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 55 2025 If you are looking for a TV with good features and a low price, this one from Xiaomi is one of the bargains you can buy now at MediaMarkt Web Week. It has a discount of 250 eurossince it has gone from costing 549 euros to 399 euros in these moments. This Xiaomi TV S mount a panel 55 inch QD-MiniLED with 4K resolution and also stands out for its 144 Hz. It is compatible with HDR10+, HGL, Dolby Vision IQ and IMAX Enhanced (in terms of image) and Dolby Atmos (in the sound section). The operating system under which it works is Google TV and it has an extensive connectivity section. Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 55 2025 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ultimea Poseidon D70 Soundbar If you are thinking of setting up your own home theater, a sound bar is the perfect accessory for your TV. Now, you can take this good, pretty and cheap from Poseidon, which is almost half price at MediaMarkt Web Week. Now, you can buy it for 169.99 euros. This is a sound bar 7.1 channel that incorporates SurroundX technology (the firm’s own), so you can enjoy fully surround sound. It has six equalization modes and offers a 410W RMS power. Ultimea Poseidon D70 Soundbar The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Cecotec Conga M50 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Robot vacuum cleaners have become one of the main protagonists in home cleaning. If you are looking for a cheap one, but with good features, this Conga M50 It is a good option for you. Now, it is available for 99 euros. This robot vacuum cleaner cheap from Cecotec has laser navigation, which is perfect for creating cleaning routes and avoiding obstacles. Its suction power is 5,000 Pa and, in addition to vacuuming, it also mop. It is programmable and its battery offers autonomy to clean up to 160 square meters. Cecotec Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Floor Mop Conga M50 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Segway ZT3 Pro E electric scooter If you usually move around the city daily and want to avoid public transportation, this Segway electric scooter It is the means of transportation you were looking for. It is now on sale for 699 eurosalthough you should know that the DGT established a registration for scooters and VPMsomething you should keep in mind. This is a electric scooter very top with a 1,600 W motor. In addition, its wheels are 11 inches and it comes with front and rear disc brakes. Likewise, it stands out for incorporating double suspension. Segway – Segway ZT3 PRO electric scooter. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Webedia, Xiaomi, Segway, Cecotec and Ultimea In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | The best quality-price mobiles. Their analyzes and videos are here

AI saves you eight hours of work a week. As long as you’re the boss and you don’t have to use it yourself

January 22, 2026 by usatoday24

The AI that was going to change everything and revolutionize our work He doesn’t seem to be doing any of that at the moment. What there is is a great polarization between those who believe in that promise and between those They do not see it at all clearly or they fear it. And if there is a place where this love-hate for AI is palpable, it is in companies, where CEOs see things in one way and employees in a quite different way. what has happened. The consulting company Section has conducted a survey of 5,000 workers and managers in US companies with a fundamental question: How many hours of work per week is AI saving you? Survey results, displayed in The Wall Street Journalsay a lot about the vision of CEOs and employees about the impact of AI tools. Source: WSJ. CEOs love her, employees not too much. According to data from that survey, two out of three employees indicated that AI does not save them time at work or that at most it saves them less than two hours a week. These responses contrast with those of managers and CEOs: one third affirm that it saves them between 4 and 8 hours, another third affirms that it saves them 8 or more hours, and the other third affirms that it saves them 4 hours or less. The big difference is precisely in this negative view: 40% of employees say that they do not save any time, and only 2% of CEOs agree with that opinion. AI screws up more than anything else, some say. A user interface designer named Steve McGarvey indicated in that text how managers “automatically assume that AI is going to be the savior (of the business).” His experience is different, however, and he tells how “I have lost count of the times I have looked for a solution to a problem, asked an LLM, and they gave me a solution to an accessibility problem that was completely wrong.” And it’s not that big of a deal. This professional also indicates that he uses Perplexity as an assistant to research on various projects and that it has saved him time. However, part of their job is to ensure that visually impaired users can access websites, and chatbots have not been of help in that task. The employees are somewhat afraid. There’s another important aspect to the findings: Employees were much more likely to report feeling anxious or overwhelmed by AI than excited by it. That 40% who responded that it did not save them time added that because of them they would never use AI again. Employees are the ones who are most overwhelmed by AI, managers are the ones who are most excited about it. Source: WSJ. For now AI is used like Google. But there is another problem and that is that many of these professionals are using AI as an alternative to the traditional search engine from Google. They do not use it for practical applications of their work—perhaps because they do not know how—and, for example, it was used much less for topics such as code generation or data analysis. It saves me time, but like it doesn’t. Software companies like Workday participated in the survey and pointed out an interesting fact: this technology imposes an “AI tax” in terms of productivity. Although 85% of its 1,600 employees surveyed indicated that they save between one and seven hours a week thanks to AI, that doesn’t help them much: Much of that saved time ends up being used to correct errors made by AI or modify content generated by AI. AI isn’t much use (yet). An additional and also recent survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers focused on 4,500 CEOs. The result: only 30% of them were confident that there would be an increase in revenue thanks to AI, although they admit that having a good AI foundation can help boost that return on investment. The adoption of AI, however, at the moment is not compensating them too much, and only 12% of companies claim to have obtained benefits in revenue or costs, while 56% claim to have “not obtained anything” with that investment. These data are in line with those of the MIT study of August 2025 according to which 95% of pilot projects with generative AI were not paying off to companies. But. The data is negative, but there may be factors that point to a change in trend. The surveys do not indicate how much time users are spending learning how to use AI versus the time it saves them. The benefit may be negative now, but in the long term it will be positive. Furthermore, there are sectors in which AI has clearly become a clear tool to assist workers, as in the field of programming. Although there is, of course, a necessary phase of code review that AI generates, the massive use of these tools indicates that productivity may have gained in whole. Image | Redd F In Xataka | “We will lose social permission”: the CEO of Microsoft knows that either they do something valuable with AI or it will have little progress

The most advanced Spanish military satellite suffered an impact in space more than a week ago. There are still no clear explanations

January 15, 2026 by usatoday24

For years, Spain has invested millions of euros in building a space communications system designed for extreme scenarios, from military operations to international emergencies. One of its pillars, the satellite SpainSat NG II, It took off in October with everything as planned and within a program presented as the most ambitious in Spanish space history. However, something happened very soon during its transfer to its orbital position. More than a week after an incident was acknowledged, what surrounds the satellite’s true status is a combination of minimal data and silence that leaves many questions open. An aging statement. The only thing confirmed so far comes from a statement released by Indra January 2, 2026in which it is recognized that the satellite suffered the “impact of a space particle” during its transfer to the final orbit. The incident occurred about 50,000 kilometers from Earth, still an intermediate phase of the journey to its geostationary position. Since then, the technical team is analyzing the available data to determine the extent of the damage, but no assessment of its operational status or the actual consequences of the impact has been made public. The launch of SpainSat NG II took place on the night of October 23 in the United States, already in the early hours of the 24th in Spain, aboard a Falcon 9 bound for a geostationary transfer orbit. From there, the satellite had to complete a journey of several months until reaching its final position about 36,000 kilometers from Earth, a process that, according to the CEO of Hisdesat told Euronews, usually takes between five and six months. The impact recognized by Indra occurred in that intermediate phase of the journey, when the satellite had not yet reached its final operational orbit. The reaction. In that same statement, Indra explained that Hisdesat, operator and owner of the satellite, had activated a contingency plan to guarantee that the committed services are not affected. The formulation fits with the logic of a two-satellite system, which seeks to ensure continuity of service even in the event of unforeseen incidents. However, the specific measures adopted and the current degree of dependence on the affected satellite within the program as a whole have not been detailed, which limits the ability to evaluate the real scope of this response. Twin units. SpainSat NG II is not an isolated satellite, but one of the two central pieces of a system conceived as a long-term strategic infrastructure. Along with his twin, the SpainSat NG Iis part of a program promoted by the Ministry of Defense with an investment of more than 2,000 million eurosintended to provide Spain with its own secure communications. The first satellite has already been operational since the summer, while the second was to complete the system, a context that explains the attention that any anomaly in its deployment has generated. The secrets of the satellite. From a technical point of view, SpainSat NG II represents a notable leap over previous generations of government communications satellites. Built by Airbus on the Eurostar Neo platformthe satellite has dimensions close to seven meters and a mass of around six tons. Its payload incorporates an X-band active antenna system that, according to Airbus, offers the equivalent functionality of 16 traditional antennas and allows coverage to be dynamically adapted up to 1,000 times per second, a capacity designed for changing and demanding operating scenarios. More questions than answers. With the information available, the range of scenarios remains wide. An impact from a space particle can result in minor damage without operational consequences, but also in a more serious impact that forces the functions to be limited or the deployment of the satellite to be reconsidered. Indra has even left open the option of a replacement if necessary, and maintains that, in that case, the satellite would be replaced as soon as possible. The absence of specific technical data makes it impossible to know whether this is a controlled incident or a problem with deeper implications. Given the lack of public updates, from Xataka we have contacted Indra to find out if there was any news about the status of the satellite. The company’s press office has responded to us that, for now, they have no details to share about what happened. That silence prolongs the uncertainty around a strategic system that has not yet entered service and leaves open key questions about the real scope of the impact. Images | Airbus (1, 2) | Thales In Xataka | We already have an official date for the United States’ return to the Moon: it is imminent and mired in a sea of doubts

It took a hacker two and a half hours to steal thousands of personal data from Endesa customers. Endesa took a week to notify

January 13, 2026 by usatoday24

Endesa Energy has confirmed a cyberattack on its trading platform that has exposed critical information of millions of customers. The breach includes identity documents, bank accounts and data from electricity and gas contracts, which places those affected at risk of fraud and identity theft. What exactly happened. A cybercriminal has managed to circumvent the security measures of Endesa’s commercial platform and access sensitive customer information related to their energy contracts. According to has recognized the company in communications sent to those affected, during the security breach contact information, ID and IBAN numbers from bank accounts would have been extracted. The company ensures that the access passwords have not been compromised. The magnitude of the incident. The hacker responsible, who identifies himself as “Spain,” posted on January 4 on BreachForums, a popular forum in the dark webdetails of the attack claiming to have obtained more than 1 TB of information corresponding to more than 20 million people, according to reported the Digital Shield medium. The cybercriminal assured this medium that he had gained access in less than two and a half hours, and has gone so far as to leak data samples from a thousand clients to demonstrate the authenticity of the stolen information. What type of data is at stake. The hacker claims to have obtained basic personal data (names, surnames, postal addresses and contact information), financial information (IBAN, billing data and account history), energy data (CUPS, active electricity and gas contracts, supply point information) and regulatory data. The risks for clients. Although Endesa considers it “unlikely” that the theft will result in “a high-risk impact on the rights and freedoms of users,” the company warns of several real dangers in its official statement. Cybercriminals could try to impersonate customers, post the data on digital forums, or use it for phishing and spam campaigns. Josep Albors, Director of Research and Awareness at ESET Spain, explains that “the risk does not end with the notification of the breach” and that the exposed information can be reused for months or years to launch targeted fraud. Endesa’s response. The energy company has taken almost a week to publicly acknowledge the incident since the leak became known. The company claims to have immediately activated security protocols, blocked compromised access and notified the competent authorities of the case. In addition, it has enabled telephone lines to resolve doubts: 800 760 366 for Endesa Energía customers and 800 760 250 for those of Energía XXI, its distributor in the regulated market. We have contacted the company to find out more information about it, so we will update the article in case of news. What should those affected do? The problem with this security breach is that the data is surely used for advertising campaigns. phishing and targeted spam. As explained by ESET, the first thing we should keep in mind as affected parties is to distrust any communication that appears to come from Endesa and that includes links, attachments or urgent requests, always contacting the company through official channels. This has not been the case, but it never hurts to frequently review bank accounts to detect unauthorized movements and change passwords, even if the company claims that they have not been compromised, activating security protocols whenever possible. two factor authentication. Free and useful websites like ‘Have I Been Pwned‘ allow us to check if the data has appeared in other known breaches by entering our email. The extortion attempt. According to account According to Escudo Digital, the hacker has tried to negotiate directly with Endesa through emails, although at the moment he has not set a specific ransom figure. The cybercriminal, who says he is not affiliated with any group of ransomware known, has received offers from third parties of up to $250,000 for half of the database, although he claims to have not sold anything yet. “I prefer to wait for Endesa to decide,” he told the media. A worrying trend. Just like they count From the media Expansión, this attack places Endesa on the growing list of large Ibex 35 companies that have suffered cyberattacks in recent months. Companies such as Iberdrola, Iberia, Repsol and Banco Santander have been victims of similar incidents that have compromised customer data. And they have not been the only ones, since cyberattacks and data leaks They are now much more common. In the case of Endesa it seems that we will have to wait for the company to offer more information on the matter. Cover image | Endesa In Xataka | OpenAI just assumed an uncomfortable truth about AI browsers: there is one type of attack that is impossible to block

the arctic cold returns this week

November 24, 2025 by usatoday24

You only have to look at the thermometers to be tempted to think that the “polar cold episode” has passed. And it would be logical to think so: temperatures have risen in almost the entire peninsula and this Monday a storm is sweeping the peninsula and leaving water in the entire northwestern quadrant. However, it is a tremendous mistake. And we don’t say it, AEMET says it. What is going to happen? As I say, according to the Agency“throughout the last week of November, masses of cold air will arrive again from high latitudes.” But the issue is more nuanced than it seems: the rain is going to persist until Wednesday-Thursday and, through the door that this storm will open, a mass of arctic air is going to burst through. What comes next is complicated. After all, this “polar” episode has been a little more moderate than expected, but only by a matter of luck. Finally, meteorological chance moved the intrusion of air to the east and the result speaks for itself. Last week (TropicalTidBits) As explained M. Herrerawhat you see in the image is colder than in January in the central Mediterranean and warmer than in July in the eastern Mediterranean. If that finger of cold air had drifted further toward our position, we would have had a much worse time. Logical uncertainties. What we know is that “the last week of November will be colder than usual for the time of year in most of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.” But there are many factors at play. We do not know for sure what the real impact will be. There are things we do know. Because as we know, this type of cold air intrusion does not have much rain associated with it and, behind that front“it looks like we will be back in meteorological misery for a few days.” This makes for a bad end to November and a beginning to December that doesn’t look good at all. Above all, because the shadow of sudden stratospheric warming still there. In fact, during these days, the surprise has been that the warming has been very very strong and, although the consequences are not clear (they never are), the possibility that we will experience a very cold blow in December. Be that as it may, the main problem remains the same as always: yes, the rains of recent weeks They have helped us increase the dammed waterbut the trend is very worrying (we are using water much faster than in previous years) and if the winter is bad, the spring is going to be complicated. And a lot. Image | TropicalTidBits In Xataka | The two most important weather models in the world are discussing whether Santander is going to freeze next week. And the cold is winning

The two most important weather models in the world are discussing whether Santander is going to freeze next week. And the cold is winning

November 11, 2025 by usatoday24

Where has all the cold gone? So far this fall (with the sole exception of Siberia), temperatures have been relatively mild on all continents. And it seems that the situation is going to continue like this: it is true that the forecasts speak of a progressive decrease in temperatures in the southeast of Canada, the eastern United States and northern Europe; but no model paints a scenario that is particularly cold (except some very long term prediction). However, all eyes are on the polar vortex. If the models are right, it is very possible that the vortex will experience an unprecedented disturbance in November, leading to an interesting weather period starting in December. “There is no way this is fulfilled.” While November continues with its strange meteorology, the models draw increasingly strange scenarios. At this point in the week, we cannot rule out that on the 18th and 19th we have a more than considerable winter storm with the ‘beast from the east‘looming over Western Europe. In the next few hours we will have a war between models: The American marks a cold entry on Santander, the European said no. Little by little, the two seem to be converging towards a cold scene. It’s too early to say, but in a very few hours the daisy will be shedding its leaves. Anyway, the central issue is that all of this is minute sin. The breaking of the vortex. Except for that event in the middle of next week, autumn will continue to be very warm and mild on almost all continents. However, this could change if sudden stratospheric warming appears. That is, the vortex breaks. Sudden stratospheric warming? To understand it simply, we have to remember that the atmosphere is a kind of “lasagna of air layers” and each of them follows its own logic. That is, they work quite differently and independently. As far as it affects us: the circulation of air in the troposphere (the one closest to the surface) and the circulation in the stratosphere (the layer directly above) are related, yes; But, in general terms, they each do their own thing. During the “sudden stratospheric warming“, a part of the troposphere warms rapidly and, as a consequence, invades the stratosphere, causing a profound alteration of the circulation at high altitude. That is, for a few days, everything turns upside down. And what happens? The most common consequence of this is that the polar vortex weakens and may break down. The polar (arctic) vortex is a current of air that runs from west to east around the north pole and contains cold air at high latitudes. When this current is strong and stable, preventing it from flowing towards places like Spain. If the vortex It destabilizes and its winds lose strength (due to, for example, “sudden warming”), it is relatively common for cold air masses to escape on their way south. What if it doesn’t break? In reality, the vortex does not even need to break. It only needs to move from the Arctic region to lower latitudes. By moving a huge mass of cold air with it, the result is always very similar: an icy cold that can turn any country upside down (even the best prepared ones). And that seems to be what we are going to see. It’s hard to know if it will affect us or not, but there’s no doubt that the late fall weather is getting “interesting.” Image | Meteociel In Xataka | The last hope of winter in Spain is desperate, but increasingly possible: the breaking of the polar vortex

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