Author: Ezra

Europe is immersed in an unprecedented energy crisis and recent events do not seem to help. Quite the contrary. Nearly 70% of the European Union’s imports of thermal coal, which is used to generate electricity, come from Russia. In fact, Russian coal imports into the EU have multiplied in the last two decades. Now, among the bloc’s new sanctions on Vladimir Putin is a veto on these imports of this essential raw material. An embargo on coal from Russia, the EU’s biggest supplier accounting for around 45% of imports, could inflict further pain on the 27 members already reeling from…

The 2021 Income Statement campaign is approaching and it is a good time to ask ourselves who is responsible for the tax burden in Spain. The answer is likely to put an end to some topics installed in the collective subconscious. A study by the European Commission maintains that it is the highest incomes (and not the average) who pay for social cohesion. And not lightly. The personal income tax burden is significant and is concentrated in the upper part of the income distribution: the 10% with the most resources are the ones who are in charge of economic integration.…

China’s drive for “common prosperity” seems endless. President Xi Jinping has spent years trying to reduce inequality in the world’s second-largest economy. “That doesn’t mean killing the rich to help the poor,” said one government official. But events seem to suggest the opposite. This policy has become China’s main focus after reports of discontent within the party committee over the rise of a new class of wealthy businessmen. The question then is: Why are Chinese billionaires 500 billion poorer than last year? Setting income limits. Statutory income should be protected, but China should “rationally adjust excessively high income,” the government…

It is becoming more and more difficult for us to sit on the sofa to enjoy a long movie. When we say long we refer to a film lady of the style of Lawrence of Arabia or ninety. Three or four hours between chest and back on a weekday does not seem like an easy path for many of the viewers, almost more accustomed to watching series on platforms such as Netflix, HBO or Disney +. It is enough to access forums like Reddit or Quora to read comments like “Why is it so hard for me to watch long…

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski delivered an emotional speech yesterday afternoon in front of the Congress of Deputies. In his intervention, the Ukrainian did not miss his gratitude to the many Spanish companies that have withdrawn their activity and severed their ties with Russia after the invasion. But he has also wanted to point out others that still maintain ties with Russia despite international sanctions. Specifically, he cited one of the most prestigious Spanish ceramic brands, Porcelanosa, and the group of explosives and chemicals for mining Maxam. And of course, those claims have caused quite a stir, with companies pointing fingers…

Two days ago, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán won a fourth consecutive term in an election that international observers say was marred by an uneven playing field that benefited the ruling Fidesz party. It’s an issue entrenched during Orbán’s decade in power, during which civil liberties groups say the Hungarian leader has seized control of democratic institutions and funneled taxpayer money to friends. The EU’s response has been as expected. The European Commission will activate a powerful new mechanism to cut funding to Hungary for eroding the bloc’s rule of law standards. The hand of justice, on Orbán. Hungary thus…

Margaret Wolfe Hungerford wrote in 1878, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” suggesting that what one person finds beautiful, another does not. Based on this, we now know that facial preferences vary between individuals. However, it is important to note that they are also strongly shaped by culture and may even have components that are universal. Does the same thing happen with smells? Similarly, the perception of pleasure or odor valence, the main dimension by which odors are classified, is said to vary between cultures. In olfaction, it is not known to what extent sensory perception, particularly that…

Under the competition between the sea and the rock of a cliff, it generates a sensual form that invites to enter. Even inside there is a covered swimming pool that develops the spaces, forcing the visitor to focus on the horizon, on the sea. A gesture, a fold, the simplicity of the shape and comfort are the predominant characteristics. It is about achieving a contrast that in turn announces the arrival of a new life. Future and nature go hand in hand: we are talking about the “Horizontal V House”. A marvel of modern architecture. Behind this preciousness is the…

Whether lighting is a deterrent to burglars or simply helps them see what they’re doing has been a hot topic of debate. When you stop your car on a quiet residential street at night, do you park under a traffic light thinking that the bright light will deter a thief from breaking into your vehicle? Intuitively, it seems like the right thing to do, after all, it would be easier to go unnoticed while stealing a car in the dark. Conventional wisdom says that thieves like to work this way. You’re wrong. New research suggests that turning off street lights…