All posts by Luis Moreno

Moreno Luis - is a business and economics reporter based in Barcelona. Prior to joining the BNE24 he was economics editor of the BBC Spaine and worked as an economics and political reporter for Murcia Tuday.

They investigate the fatal stabbing of two teenagers aged 15 and 16 in the United Kingdom

Authorities in the United Kingdom have launched an investigation following a tragic incident in Bristol, where two teenagers, aged 15 and 16, were fatally stabbed. The attack occurred on Ilminster Avenue in Knowle West, south of the city, late on Saturday night. According to Avon and Somerset Police, a group of individuals fled the scene in a car after carrying out the attack.

Law enforcement arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and provided immediate first aid to the victims. Both teenagers were transported to hospitals, Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital, but unfortunately, they succumbed to their injuries.

As part of the ongoing investigation, a 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested as the main suspects. The police have also seized a vehicle in connection with the incident. However, more suspects are currently being sought, as confirmed by Bristol area commander Mark Runacres.

Runacres stated, “We believe there are other suspects involved in the incident besides the two who have been apprehended so far.” The relationship between the attackers and the victims remains unclear at this time. The police are urging any possible witnesses, including the passengers of a bus that was in the vicinity of the scene, to come forward with information. To facilitate this, a mobile police station will be set up in the area, and statements will be taken and footage from nearby security cameras will be collected.

Runacres apologized for any disruption caused by the police presence, stating, “There are a significant number of properties within the cordon… [but] we hope that people understand the importance of the work that is being carried out.” He assured the community that high visibility patrols would be conducted to provide reassurance and safety.

Authorities have requested that the public refrains from sharing any information or images online that could potentially compromise the investigation or impact the families involved. The victims’ families will be assigned a support officer who will keep them informed of any updates regarding the case.

Over the coming hours, the bodies will be formally identified, and autopsies will be conducted. The authorities remain committed to bringing justice to those responsible while offering support to the grieving families.

This is the prison of Norwegian serial killer Anders Breivik: with a gym, Xbox, pet and basketball court

The infamous Norwegian man, Anders Breivik, will forever be remembered for the deadly attack he carried out on July 22, 2011, claiming the lives of 77 innocent people due to his neo-Nazi beliefs.

Currently 44 years old, he is confined within Ringerike prison, albeit in conditions unconventional compared to those in other countries.

According to The Mirror, this two-story prison offers amenities such as a kitchen and a flat-screen TV room, complete with an Xbox game console that has unlimited access. The kitchen even includes a dishwasher.

Alongside these luxuries, Anders Breivik enjoys access to a library, a basketball court, a dining room, and a gym equipped with weights, a treadmill, and a rowing machine. Additionally, Breivik shares his living space with three pet parakeets, granted the freedom to fly throughout the complex.

Following his conviction in 2012, Breivik, with a maximum sentence of 21 years in Norway, was relocated to Ringerike in 2022. Although held in “relative social isolation,” he has had several interactions with fellow prisoners and visitors.

Should he continue to pose a threat to the public, Breivik may be held in prison even beyond serving half of his original sentence.

Despite the seemingly comfortable environment, Breivik recently filed a lawsuit accusing the Norwegian government of violating his human rights due to his solitary confinement. Unfortunately for him, his appeal was rejected after a five-day hearing.

Breivik, now going by the name Fjotolf Hansen, argues in his second lawsuit against the Norwegian government that the isolation he has endured since the start of his prison term in 2012 qualifies as inhumane punishment under the European Convention on Human Rights.

On that fateful day in July, Breivik orchestrated a bomb attack in Oslo, claiming the lives of eight individuals, before proceeding to a youth camp on the island of Utoya. Disguised as a police officer, he targeted and killed 69 people, mostly teenagers, exhibiting no remorse for these heinous acts which he described as a crusade against multiculturalism in Norway.

The recent hearing took place in the Ringerike prison gymnasium, where Breivik is detained. During the proceedings, his lawyer, Oystein Storrvik, emphasized the detrimental effects of his client’s isolation from the outside world. Breivik himself broke into tears, revealing his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts.

The eight events that could trigger World War III, according to artificial intelligence

The recent international events in the world, including conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, have brought planet Earth closer to the possibility of a global conflict. This situation coincides with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which has the ability to predict factors that could lead to a devastating Third World War.

The Sun newspaper has sought answers from ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, regarding the potential causes of a global conflict. Although speculative, the AI acknowledges that a hypothetical Third World War could result from a combination of complex geopolitical, economic, and social factors.

Territorial disputes are identified by ChatGPT as potential triggers for global conflict. Ongoing land disputes, such as those in Ukraine, Gaza, Korea, and China, have the potential to escalate and spark multiple wars worldwide.

The rise of nationalist and populist leaders who advocate aggressive foreign policies is another factor identified by ChatGPT. These leaders could contribute to increased tensions, disrupt peaceful communication, and undermine international institutions and alliances.

The failure of diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts repeatedly can erode trust between nations and create a hostile environment, as highlighted by ChatGPT.

As technology continues to advance, the fear of falling behind in the technological race may lead nations to attack each other out of fear, according to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT also warns of the potential escalation of ongoing regional conflicts, with major powers acting as sponsors. Such conflicts could draw more nations into the fray and trigger major outbreaks of war.

Intense competition for essential resources, including water, oil, and rare minerals, is another dangerous factor identified by ChatGPT. Conflicts over natural resources can arise when nations cannot agree on ownership, distribution, protection, and usage, potentially leading to cross-border conflicts.

A severe global economic crisis is considered by ChatGPT as a catalyst for conflicts. Instability and political unrest resulting from economic turmoil may lead nations to resort to military operations in an attempt to secure their interests.

The growing threat of cyber attacks is also identified by ChatGPT as a significant concern. Escalating cyber warfare could lead to widespread distrust and retaliation between nations, posing a serious threat to world peace, particularly in an era when generative AI can be used for widespread propaganda.

The strike continues in Machu Picchu with foreign tourists stranded

The ongoing strike in the Peruvian district of Machu Picchu, where the famous archaeological park is located, is being led by social organizations and unions who are protesting against the alleged outsourcing of ticket sales to the monument. As a result of the strike, a group of foreign tourists have reported being stranded in the area.

Activities in Machu Picchu have come to a halt since Thursday, as various groups connected to local tourism have intensified their protest against the Ministry of Culture for hiring a virtual platform for the sale of digital tickets to the Inca sanctuary.

As a precautionary measure, the train services to the archaeological park have also been suspended, further complicating the situation for visitors to Machu Picchu.

“>

Roland Llave, the dean of the College of Tourism Graduates of Cuzco, stated in an interview with RPP radio station that “the economic impact on the families of the Cuzco region and Peru is in the millions, as tours cannot be conducted leading to a disruption in the circular economy involving restaurants, accommodations, and other tourism-related businesses.”

Llave added that “the losses we are going to incur will be significant, especially for the local families who depend on tourism.” In a separate incident, a Colombian tourist named Cristina Ávila reached out to RPP, requesting that her country’s embassy be present at the site to assist in her evacuation.

“>

Regarding the situation, Ávila stated that they were informed about the cancellation of train operations to return to the neighboring city of Ollantaytambo. She mentioned how the strike has blocked the railways, preventing them from going back to their home country.

Ávila, who is traveling with her husband, stated that there is “a large group of Colombians who are waiting to be able to move and return to our country.”

Meanwhile, Carlos González, the president of the Ollantaytambo Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, announced on TV Perú that the evacuation of approximately 1,800 stranded tourists in Machu Picchu would take place within the next few hours.

González had requested a dialogue table between the regional government of Cusco and the municipality of Machu Picchu to address the reasons behind the protest and the disruption in the country’s primary tourist destination. Previously, the capacity of Machu Picchu had been expanded to accommodate up to 4,500 visitors as of December last year.

Balloons flood London in a multisensory experience about human emotions

Balloons inundate the banks of the Thames in London at the Emotionaire exhibition, where over twenty artists explore human emotions using inflatables.

The Balloon Museum has already delighted three million people worldwide, providing a place where adults can rediscover their inner child and children can embark on a truly one-of-a-kind adventure through art and imagination, according to Giulia Francescangeli, a spokesperson for the museum.

This extraordinary museum, located in the Victorian Old Billingsgate building until February 18, allows visitors to interact with a large portion of its exhibits, including exclusive pieces specifically created for the London location compared to those previously displayed in other cities like Madrid, Paris, or New York.

Unlike other traditional art exhibitions, this museum encourages active engagement and interaction with most of its artworks. “Interaction is the foundation of our project,” emphasizes Francescangeli.

Visitors can lose themselves in a balloon maze called Cubic Abyss, pop soap bubbles in the enchanting Horizons of Black Holes, or play with a multicolored, gelatinous canvas called Kaleidoscope, among many other experiences.

The museum’s centerpiece, which can be found in all its destinations, is the gigantic ball pit, known as Hyperfeeling for this particular exhibition. The room is filled with bright yellow balloons, reminiscent of the emotion-filled emojis used on social media, offering a multi-sensory experience where everyone can literally immerse themselves in emotions.

Balloons are the common thread that runs through the museum’s nearly twenty rooms, but the emotions they represent vary as visitors navigate through the Victorian building. An example of this diversity is the piece titled Somehow, I Don’t Feel Comfortable by Japanese artist Momoyo Torimitsu, who expresses her frustration with the societal pressure to conform to stereotypical femininity in a patriarchal world through pink rabbit-shaped balloons.

View of the ‘Synchronized Chaos’ room by Spanish artist Miranda Makaroff. EFE

The museum also features the work of Spanish artist Miranda Makaroff in the Synchronized Chaos room, where an endless corridor filled with color-changing inflatable characters reflects the intricate complexities of the human mind.

“Each artist represents a different culture and aims to evoke a different emotion,” says Francescangeli. For example, designer Motomichi Nakamura confronts visitors with cannonballs adorned with an angry face, challenging them to face and explore their anger.

Amidst Torimitsu’s protest and Nakamura’s anger, visitors can also experience the carefree joy emanating from Christopher Bauder’s electric moons, which dance to the rhythm of the music.

A man is acquitted after spending 33 years in prison in the biggest miscarriage of justice in Italy

The Court of Appeal of Rome has acquitted a man who spent nearly 33 years in prison, where he was serving a life sentence for a triple homicide committed in 1991, after the charges against him were dropped “for not having committed the made”.

“It is the end of a nightmare,” said Beniamino Zuncheddu excitedly upon learning of the sentence, issued this Friday after several hours of deliberation by the judges, who accepted the requests of the Prosecutor’s Office, according to local media.

The former pastor, 58 years old, had been free since last November 25, when the same court suspended the sentence now ratified after several testimonies demonstrated that the investigation at the time of the events was manipulated by a police officer. .

Zuncheddu has become “the protagonist of the longest judicial error in republican history. Almost 33 years behind bars, 12,000 days of deprivation, suffering, pain, distance from his loved ones and his life,” said the organization Errori giudiziari, which deals with judicial errors and which was present in the appeal process.

The sentence was received with applause by those present in the courtroom of Rome, many of whom had arrived from the island of Sardinia, where on January 8, 1991, Gesuino Fadda, 56, was shot to death in a sheep pen; his son Giuseppe, 24; and his employee Ignazio Pusceddu, 55.

Fadda’s son-in-law, Luigi Pinna, 29, was seriously injured and became the sole witness to the so-called Sinnai massacre, the mountainous area of Cagliari province where the triple homicide took place.

During the trial, the attorney general, Francesco Piantoni, questioned the credibility of Pinna’s testimony, who at the time of the events accused Zuncheddu, who was already detained by the police although he always pleaded innocent.

And in one of the hearings Pinna confessed: 33 years ago, before “identifying the suspects, the police officer who was leading the investigation showed me Zuncheddu’s photo and told me that he was the culprit of the massacre.” “It was like that, I was wrong to listen to the wrong person.”

From the outset, investigators pointed to disputes between ranchers in the area as the cause of the homicide, in light of some incidents that occurred before the massacre, in particular the slaughter of some animals.

Zuncheddu, who was 27 years old, was arrested a few days later, when a judicial ordeal began for him that ended this Friday, after spending almost 33 years in prison.

“According to our data, in the last 32 years, the victims of judicial errors and unjust detention have been a total of 30,778. Every day in Italy three innocent people end up in prison, one every eight hours. And to compensate for it, the State has already spent 933 million euros, at a rate of 55 euros per minute,” said Errori giudiziari.

Unemployment was reduced by 193,400 people in 2023 and 783,000 jobs were created, triple that of the previous year

Last year, Spain managed to reduce unemployment and create employment at a higher rate than in 2022, despite the destruction of 19,000 jobs in the final stretch of the year.. According to data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) published this Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), 2023 closed with a total of 21,246,900 employed people, a record number for the fourth quarter of the year.. At the same time, unemployment fell to its lowest level since 2008, after falling from the previous year by 193,400 people.

In the last year, between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the same period of 2023, 783,000 jobs have been created in Spain, an increase of 3.8% that almost triples the 278,900 generated a year before. With the exception of the increase of 840,600 employed people registered in 2021 thanks to the recovery of the labor market after the setback of the pandemic, 2023 is the largest annual increase in employment since the financial crisis and there are three consecutive years of increases. To find a higher annual increase in the historical series, we must go back to 2005, when 1,018,400 jobs were created throughout the year in the midst of the real estate bubble and coinciding with an extraordinary regularization of foreigners.

Despite this growth in employment recorded throughout the year, in the final stretch 19,000 jobs were destroyed compared to the volume of employees in the third quarter, in which the historical series reached its highest record to date with a total of 21,265,900 people working in Spain. However, the decrease in employment recorded in the last quarter is less than the 81,900 workers lost in the same period of 2022.. In fact, this is the smallest decrease recorded between the months of October and December in two decades, although the push of the Christmas campaign has not been enough to increase the number of employed people in the last three months of the year, as happened in 2019 and in the recovery after the pandemic.

On the unemployment side, last year ended with 2,830,600 unemployed, the lowest volume of unemployed registered in a fourth quarter of the year since 2007, before the bursting of the real estate bubble. The 2023 figure cuts the 2022 figure by 193,400 people, a decrease of 6.4% that doubles the reduction of 79,800 unemployed recorded a year before. Topped off with a final drop of 24,600 people in the last three months of the year, unemployment has accumulated three consecutive years of declines. The unemployment rate has decreased by one tenth compared to the third quarter and by more than one point compared to the previous year, to 11.76%.

The Minister of Economy, Commerce and Business, Carlos Body, has valued these data and has highlighted that they have been achieved at the same time that the active population has increased. “We have been able to absorb an increase of 600,000 people in terms of activity and continue reducing the unemployment rate and the number of people unemployed,” he highlighted, referring to 2023 as an “excellent” year for employment.. “We have data that demonstrates the strength and resilience of the recovery of the Spanish economy and the dynamism of our labor market, even in an international context that is particularly delicate and complicated,” he added.

91% of the employment created in 2023 was concentrated in the private sector, which gained 715,900 employees compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to the increase of 67,100 people in public employment to reach a new maximum of 3.6 million. In particular, the services sector accounted for 80.36% of the jobs created last year, followed by construction, which gained 108,300 workers.. On the other hand, in industry and agriculture barely 28,000 and 17,500 jobs were generated respectively.

Unemployment fell by 193,400 people in 2023, which is 6.4% less than in 2022, while employment grew by 783,000 jobs (+3.8%), closing the year above 21 million employed and below 3 million unemployed.
Unemployment fell by 193,400 people in 2023 and employment grew by 783,000 jobs.

Likewise, permanent employment also set a new high at the end of 2023, exceeding 15 million people hired under this formula for the first time.. This record is the result of an increase in employees with permanent contracts by 804,000 people last year, at the same time that temporary workers were reduced by 140,300, dropping the temporary employment rate to 16.5% among employees.. “The 2023 EPA demonstrates that the policies carried out during these years are improving people's lives,” said the second vice president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz.. Along the same lines, the majority of the positions created were full-time -695,400, compared to 87,600 new part-time jobs-.

The increase in employment was more pronounced among the female population, since women occupied 437,200 positions of the total jobs generated in 2023, while 345,800 were for men. In this way, female employment marked a new historical high, with 9,923,400 women working at the end of 2023. By age, the number of employed people over 55 years of age also set a new record, with 4,457,300 workers in this age group, 272,500 more than in 2022.

Furthermore, 42.6% of the jobs created last year were occupied by foreigners, increasing the volume of workers from outside the Spanish borders by 12.4% in annual terms.. In fact, foreign employment marked a new high in the historical series with a total of 3,022,300 employees, after adding 333,700 people over the last year.

“In these good data there are people who are still having a bad time and my commitment is to work for them and further expand the rights of working people,” Díaz clarified. “There is a lot to do, we must be thinking about the following objectives and here the great objective is full employment and we have to continue working towards that,” agreed the Minister of Economy.

Pedro Sánchez announces the expansion of the Barajas airport with an investment of 2.4 billion euros

This Friday, President Pedro Sánchez announced the launch of a groundbreaking project to expand the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. With an investment of 2.4 billion euros, this initiative aims to increase the airport’s capacity to accommodate 90 million passengers by 2031. This investment marks Spain’s most significant airport infrastructure expenditure in the last decade.

During his address at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur), Sánchez highlighted the three key benefits of this investment: substantial growth in facilities and routes, the creation of numerous direct and indirect jobs, and the generation of substantial wealth.

The ultimate objective for this airport, according to President Sánchez, is to strengthen its position as a leading hub with Latin America and develop another hub with Asia through the establishment of new routes and partnerships with airlines serving the continent. Furthermore, he emphasized the commitment to environmental sustainability by pioneering the construction of the largest solar energy plant in an airport.

Additionally, President Sánchez provided an overview of the latest data from the Active Population Survey (EPA). He highlighted 2023 as a remarkable year, with the creation of over 780,000 jobs in a single year. Furthermore, he emphasized the increase in the number of households where all members are employed, indicating that Spain is defying the odds and continuing to grow despite challenging conditions.

The ECB resists lowering rates despite the fact that the European economy has been stopped for more than a year

The European Central Bank (ECB) has maintained historically high interest rates for four months since the establishment of the euro, as it searches for the right moment to declare victory over inflation. However, the European economy continues to struggle while the ECB remains cautious about the potential resurgence of inflation.

The eurozone’s GDP has remained stagnant for a year, with no real growth experienced since the third quarter of 2022. This is largely due to Germany, which is facing an industrial crisis and hindering growth in the euro countries. Leading indicators suggest that this stagnation continued into the final months of 2023.

Although the eurozone has not slipped into negative territory or experienced high unemployment rates, the ECB is facing increasing difficulty in justifying its high interest rates as inflation approaches its 2% target. In December, inflation reached 2.9%, highlighting the need for the ECB to adjust its narrative on maintaining high rates.

According to the ECB’s own analysis, inflation is projected to decrease throughout 2024 and hover around 2% towards the end of the year. ECB President Christine Lagarde emphasized that the disinflationary process is underway, and she previously stated that interest rate cuts would not occur until the summer.

The main concern for central bank decision makers is the rapid rise in wages across euro countries. Negotiated remunerations indicate a year-on-year increase of 4.7% in the eurozone overall, which is a historical high resulting from the recovery of purchasing power lost during a major inflation crisis.

Lagarde is closely monitoring the pace of wage increases to ensure they do not lead to second-round effects that could contribute to inflationary pressures. However, conclusive data on salaries will only be available in mid-year. Meanwhile, it appears that companies are absorbing the cost of salary increases without passing them on to consumers.

Despite the ongoing challenges, the ECB is not currently facing pressure to rapidly reduce interest rates as a serious recession does not seem imminent. ING analysts suggest that the ECB’s projections indicate a potential revival of growth in the coming months.

Interest rates play a vital role in regulating the economy. High rates discourage borrowing and investment, leading to reduced spending, lower demand, and subsequently lower prices. This cooling effect on the economy helps to combat inflation but can also impact economic growth, employment, and public finances.

Trump is found guilty of defaming Carroll: he will have to pay him more than $83 million

A Manhattan federal court jury determined on Friday that former President Donald Trump has to pay Elisabeth Jean Carroll a total of 83.3 million dollars (76.7 million euros) in damages within the defamation lawsuit brought by the writer.

In terms of compensatory damages, the tycoon is required to pay 18.3 million dollars (16.8 million euros), with 11 million dollars (10.1 million euros) allocated for a reputation repair campaign and another 7.3 million dollars (6.7 million euros) for emotional distress caused by his statements. Additionally, he will have to pay 65 million in punitive damages (59.8 million euros).

Judge Lewis Kaplan, presiding over the case, expressed his gratitude to the jury for their diligent work in arriving at the verdict. “I advise you to never disclose your participation as members of this jury,” he emphasized, as reported by CNN.

In response, the former president took to the social networking platform Truth Social to dismiss the verdict as “absolutely ridiculous,” attributing it to a “witch hunt” orchestrated by President Joe Biden. “Our legal system is completely out of control and being exploited as a political weapon,” he stated, expressing his intention to appeal the decision.

In May, a court established that Trump must pay up to $5 million (approximately €4.6 million) in compensation to Carroll, who subsequently filed a new lawsuit seeking $10 million (€9.2 million) in damages.

The case revolves around the journalist’s legal challenge filed in 2019 against the former president for defamation, as he had denied her initial rape allegation, stating, “she was not my type,” and claiming that she fabricated the story to promote her book.

In her book, “Why Do We Need Men?”, the journalist recounted that the magnate sexually assaulted her in the changing rooms of a Manhattan store in the mid-90s. She claimed to have met Trump on Fifth Avenue in New York, after which they visited the lingerie department at Bergdorf Goodman, a high-end department store, where the alleged rape took place.

This trial coincides with Trump’s renewed efforts to return to the White House, as he faces additional legal proceedings, including recent charges related to the concealment of bribes paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual affair.