usatoday24

Netherlands warns of Russian cyberattacks against Signal and WhatsApp around the world: they don’t need malware

March 10, 2026 by usatoday24

When we think about applications like Signal or WhatsApp we usually immediately associate them with the idea of privacy. Both have been built on a very clear promise: end to end encryption prevents third parties, including the companies themselves, from reading users’ messages. This security model has made millions of people trust these platforms for personal, professional and even sensitive conversations. However, that protection does not mean that accounts are completely safe. The intelligence services of the Netherlands have warned now of a global campaign that seeks to compromise accounts of these unused applications malware nor exploit technical flaws. The objectives. The military intelligence service (MIVD) and the general intelligence and security service (AIVD) indicate that the attacks seek to access accounts belonging to dignitaries, public officials and military personnel. Authorities also acknowledge that Dutch Government employees have been both targets and victims of these attempts. In addition, the report indicates that other profiles that may be of interest to the Russian Government, such as journalists, could also be among the recipients of this type of attack. Social engineering instead of spyware. Unlike other episodes of digital espionage that have affected messaging services in the past, the campaign described by the Dutch services does not rely on malware or the exploitation of technical flaws. The report explains that attackers mainly resort to phishing and social engineering techniques to gain access to accounts. This difference is relevant when compared to tools such as Pegasusthe famous spyware capable of infiltrating mobile phones. In this case, the goal is not to compromise the phone system, but rather to take advantage of the user’s behavior to take control of their account or link a foreign device. “Account take-over”. One of the methods is direct takeover of the account. The attackers, they explain in the report, pose as the official support team of the application and send messages to the victim alerting them of alleged suspicious activities, possible data leaks or attempts to access their account. From there they request that the user complete a verification process and share the code they receive by SMS, as well as the PIN configured in the application. If the victim provides this data, the malicious actor can take control of the account and reassociate it with a number under their control. The trick of QR and linked devices. The report also describes a second access route that does not necessarily imply that the victim loses immediate control of their account. In this case, attackers use social engineering techniques to convince the user to scan a QR code or click on a seemingly legitimate link, for example under the guise of joining a chat group. That QR or link may be designed to link the attacker’s device to the victim’s account using the apps’ linked device features. Once connected, the attacker can access the conversations and, depending on the platform and access mode, see messages in progress or even part of the history, in addition to being able to send messages on behalf of the user. What the intelligence services recommend. The report also includes several practical recommendations to reduce the risk of these types of attacks. Authorities warn that you should never share verification codes or your account PIN through messages, even if the request appears to come from the app’s support service. They also recommend distrusting links or QR codes sent by unknown contacts and always verify these requests through another channel before interacting with them. Another important measure is to periodically review the list of devices linked to the account and remove any devices that are not recognized. The document also adds other useful measures, such as activating the registration block in Signal and notifying contacts by another means if there is a suspicion that the account has been compromised. Images | BoliviaIntelligent | Also AY In Xataka | That they can hack a mobile phone just by entering a website is scary. If that mobile phone is also an iPhone, it’s terrifying

Microsoft wants Copilot to do more complex tasks. To achieve this, it has turned to Anthropic AI

March 10, 2026 by usatoday24

For a long time, when we talked about artificial intelligence at Microsoft, there was one name that came up again and again: OpenAI. The relationship between both companies was decisive for the takeoff of ChatGPT and also for the launch of Copilot. But the AI board is moving quickly. New models, new players and increasingly intense competition are pushing large technology companies to diversify their bets. In that context, Microsoft’s latest move is understood. The advertisement. Microsoft has decided to integrate Anthropic technology within Copilot, the assistant that is already part of tools such as Outlook, Teams or Excel within Microsoft 365. Among the new features is coworka tool based on Anthropic technology aimed at facilitating tasks within the work environment. But that’s not all: Claude’s models will also be available within the Copilot chatbot alongside the more advanced OpenAI models, thus expanding the capabilities of the assistant without depending on a single artificial intelligence provider. From asking for something to delegating work. Microsoft explains that Cowork is designed to go a step beyond the classic model of an assistant who answers questions or writes texts. The idea is that Copilot can take care of entire tasks within Microsoft 365. When the user makes a request, the system converts it into a work plan that runs in the background. To do this, it uses data from Outlook, Teams or Excel. From there, in theory, you propose actions, ask for clarification if needed, and allow the user to review or approve each step before the changes are applied. Some examples. Let’s imagine, for example, that we ask Copilot to review our agenda in Outlook. The system could analyze the calendar, detect conflicts between meetings and identify lower priority meetings. From there I would propose different adjustments, such as rescheduling some appointments or reserving blocks of time to focus on more important tasks. Once those suggestions are reviewed and approved, the system itself could apply the changes automatically, accepting, rejecting or rescheduling meetings and reserving blocks of time to focus on other tasks. The strategy. As we noted above, the move also reflects how Microsoft’s AI strategy is changing. The company has maintained a very close relationship with OpenAI for years and continues to be one of its largest shareholders, with a stake close to 27% after investments of around $13 billion since 2019. However, the rise of new models and the rapid evolution of the sector are pushing large technology companies to not depend on a single technology. Incorporating Anthropic tools within Copilot points precisely in that direction: building an ecosystem capable of relying on different models depending on the task. Platforms before models. What we are seeing with decisions like this is that the race for AI is not limited to developing increasingly advanced models. It’s also about deciding where those capabilities are going to live. In the case of Microsoft, the answer seems quite broad: The company has been integrating Copilot into more and more products and services in its ecosystem (and also external ones). For some users, this constant presence can be very useful; For others it can be somewhat invasive. But beyond these perceptions, the movement clearly shows Microsoft’s strategy. On the whole. So this is not just about adding another technology within Copilot, but rather reinforcing the idea that Microsoft wants to turn this assistant into a meeting point for different AI capabilities within its software. Incorporating Anthropic models alongside those of OpenAI points precisely to that scenario. Rather than relying on a single technology, the company appears to be laying the groundwork for a Copilot capable of combining different solutions as the AI market continues to evolve. Images | Microsoft In Xataka | The best and worst of the Internet we know has been built on anonymity. AI brings bad news

If you want to buy a mansion at a bargain price, it’s easier than ever. The only thing is that you will have to move to Dubai

March 10, 2026 by usatoday24

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have positioned themselves as the favorite destination of the richest people on the planet thanks to very lax taxation and great possibilities to obtain profitability with a rising real estate market. Luxury apartments on the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah, penthouses with views of the Burj Khalifa or luxury mansions on the seafront They were sold in hours to newly arrived millionaires. The Iranian missile attacks on airports, ports and residential areas of the United Arab Emirates have suddenly shattered the image of a safe haven that the region had built for decades. The real estate market, which seemed bulletproof, faces your first challenge: not to sink in the face of the uncertainty of war. The boom that no one wanted to stop. The real estate boom in the Emirates is supported mainly by the investments that foreign millionaires have made in the country to obtain your residency. The UAE offered zero income taxes, long-term visas for investors, and political stability that few countries in the area could boast. By 2025, nearly 90% of the UAE’s more than 11 million residents were expatriates, according to data collected by Reuters. The result was an off-plan apartment sales machinery that worked at full capacity. According to the report ‘Dubai Residential Real Estate FY 2025‘ the consulting firm Betterhomes, 65% of real estate transactions in Dubai in 2025 corresponded to off-plan homes that did not yet exist. Promoters launched projects and sold them out in hours. In Abu Dhabi, real estate prices rose by around 32% in 2025 alone from the previous year, according to the report ‘UAE Real Estate Market Review Q4 2025‘ from CBRE. And then the missiles came. On March 4, the markets of Dubai and Abu Dhabi reopened after two days closed due to missile attacks launched by Iran against US interests and its allies in the area. Shares in Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest listed developer, and Emaar Properties, the company behind the Burj Khalifa, fell 5% in a single session. The bonds of large developers also collapsed and the debt market, key to financing new developments, was practically blocked for new issues. A senior banking manager in the sector explained to Reuters that his firm canceled that same week a capital raising operation for the UAE real estate market. “Investors are not thinking about investing in the region at the moment,” he said, adding that the risk associated with property in the UAE had become “much higher”. Records and sales at the same time. In the midst of the confusion of the bombings, Dubai closed one of its most striking operations of recent years. A 2,900 m2 apartment in the Aman Residences Dubai project, in the coastal neighborhood of Jumeirah 2, was sold for 422 million dirhams (about $115 million), becoming the third most expensive apartment sale in the history of the emirate. It is only surpassed by an operation of 550 million dirhams in Bugatti Residences in 2025. But at the same time, the platform PanicSelling.xyz, that monitors prices on more than 20,000 luxury properties in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, detected 82 discounts that totaled 14.3 million dollars in just a few days after the Iran attacks. Dale Buckner, CEO of Global Guardian, explained to CNBC that the exodus of expatriates showed no signs of slowing down and that just that morning his company had seven corporate clients looking to evacuate between 1,000 and 3,000 employees. “This situation is similar to Ukraine,” Buckner said. The storm that was already seen coming. What aggravates the situation is that the problems do not only come from outside. JPMorgan analysts they already warned before the attacks that Dubai’s population growth would likely not absorb the 300,000 to 400,000 new homes expected by 2028. The market already had an oversupply problem on the horizon before the missiles arrived. Ryan Lemand, co-founder and CEO of Neovision Wealth Management in Abu Dhabi, summed it up: “Real estate investing depends on stability, visibility and investor confidence, and all of these factors tend to weaken during prolonged periods of geopolitical uncertainty.” The excess real estate supply and a complicated geopolitical situation have kept the interest of investors for properties in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, suggesting the best time to invest in the area. The risk in this case is not in profitability, but in the precision of the missiles. In Xataka | While NEOM builds ski slopes in the desert, Dubai is going in the opposite direction: attracting tourism without going bankrupt Image | Unsplash (Duane Mendes), Wikipedia

China claims that having its own ASML is not that difficult. At the end of the day “ASML is a simple integrator”

March 10, 2026 by usatoday24

China is advancing at a fearsome speed, but they are their own critics. A group of scientists and industry representatives has published an analysis very critical in which they describe their semiconductor industry as “small, dispersed and weak.” For these experts, the problem is that they do not have their own ASML, so they propose creating one, and the curious thing about it is precisely that: that they do not see it as difficult to do. Not authors, authorities. Among the authors of the study are Wang Yangyuan —co-founder of SMIC— or Chen Nanxiang —director of the YMTC NAND chip manufacturer—. Both they and the rest of the participants are recognized personalities in the field of semiconductors. That makes it clear that this articlepublished in the magazine Science and Technology Review China is valuable to understand the state of this industry. The US veto works. This article indicates that the United States has managed to contain China’s advance in three areas: electronic design automation (EDA) used in chip design, the manufacture of silicon wafers, and the creation of chip manufacturing equipment, especially those with extreme ultraviolet (UVE) photolithographic technologya segment that is absolutely dominated by the Dutch ASML and that China has not yet managed to match despite its efforts. There are many companies, but they are too small. The study analyzes in depth the situation of the Chinese semiconductor market, which they describe as small, dispersed and weak. And to prove it they give a significant fact: there are 3,626 domestic chip design companies in China, but “the total value of the industry’s output was 646 billion yuan (approximately 91 billion dollars). In other words: the total sales of these 3,626 companies were less than the sales of NVIDIA alone.” Smartphone chips are doing well. Of course, these experts point out that several Chinese companies have managed to reach “the world’s leading edge” in terms of chips for smartphones. They mention HiSilicon Semiconductor and Unisoc, which occupy the first and second place among the largest smartphone chip designers in China, with market shares of 20 and 10% respectively. And the “mature” chips, too. Something similar happens with chips with much more mature technologies, such as those manufactured with 28 nm photolithography or higher. That problem is already solved in China, which does not have to depend so much on foreign manufacturers. In fact, China now represents 33% of global production in this segment, and design and manufacturing processes are not limited by internal restrictions. Too dependent. Despite its many advances, China remains the world’s largest importer of integrated circuits. It invested $385.79 billion in 2024 in these components, even exceeding its oil imports ($324.7 billion). Here China has a big problem of dependence on chips from third-party foreign manufacturers, and this is especially noticeable in automotive chips (95% of them import) and memory chips (90%): all of them depend on imports. There is a clear bottleneck in high-end integrated circuit production. In search of Chinese ASML. The document also addresses competition with ASML but not as a direct commercial rivalry, but as a strategic challenge of technological sovereignty. The Dutch company is described as “a simple integrator” that coordinates more than 5,000 suppliers to manage the 10,000 components of an EUV machine. The suggestion of the study is precisely to create a Chinese ASML that unifies the advances made by different companies. But. Although progress has been made In this ambitious objective of creating SVU machines, “integrating them with a national effort is a problem that must be resolved during the 15th five-year plan” that concludes in 2030. To do this, these experts assure, there must be financial support and human personnel is required. We already knew that China I was trying to copy ASMLbut for now it is going badly. The document talks about developments such as promising Flip-FET technology (FFET) of Peking University. This advance allows us to reach 3-2 nm nodes without depending exclusively on EUV machines, but it remains to be seen if this method ends up being successful or not. In Xataka | Holland has just declared war on China in the most important battle of the century: control of semiconductors

The big winner of the Hormuz blockade is the country that the West has tried to suffocate for years: Russia

March 10, 2026 by usatoday24

The script was written and the West was already celebrating the definitive economic strangulation of Russia. However, geopolitics has a bad habit of blowing up office plans. Today, the world is witnessing a historical paradox: the United States has just opened the back door to Vladimir Putin’s oil to try to stop a global energy collapse. The war between the United States and Israel against Iran has set the markets on fire, pushing up barrel prices above 100 dollars. Faced with the abyss of an unprecedented crisis, diplomacy has had to surrender to the stubborn reality of infrastructure. The “digital fog” and an emergency rescue. To understand the magnitude of the paralysis you have to look at the maritime traffic monitors. As detailed Bloombergthe Strait of Hormuz has become a “digital fog.” The few ships that dare to sail do so by turning off their location transponders (AIS) and suffering constant interference and GPS spoofing (spoofing) fruit of electronic warfare. In this scenario of physical suffocation, India was on the brink of collapse. The Asian giant is heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East, and the closure of Hormuz has cut off its rennet supplies. Reuters reported last week that state refineries like MRPL (Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd.) have been forced to close entire processing units due to the simple and simple shortage of crude oil. The unexpected lifesaver? In a turn of events, the US administration has had to swallow its own sanctions. As confirmed The Moscow Times and it is observed in the official OFAC document (the Treasury Department’s General License 133), the United States has issued a temporary 30-day waiver, valid until April 4, 2026, allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil loaded on vessels by March 5. Paradoxically, how to explain BloombergIndia had drastically reduced its purchases from Moscow at the beginning of the year after facing the threat of punitive 50% tariffs from Trump himself. Now, cornered by the crisis, dozens of Russian oil tankers that were wandering aimlessly are changing their coordinates on the high seas to come to the rescue of Indian ports. The political story versus the reality of the market. Officially, Washington tries to minimize the impact of this capitulation. In statements collected by The Kyiv Independentthe US Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, assured that “there is no change in policy towards Russia” and that the exemption is only a “pragmatic decision.” For his part, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended that this measure “will not provide significant financial benefits to the Russian government” as it is applied only to crude oil stranded at sea. But the reality of the markets tells a very different story. According to CNBCRussian crude oil of the Ural variety has gone from being sold with humiliating discounts of between 10 and 20 dollars, to being traded at a historical premium of between 2 and 4 dollars above the barrel of Brent in its deliveries to India. This injection of capital to Moscow has unleashed an internal political storm. The Democrats They have demanded Trump to immediately reverse the exemption, accusing him of strengthening an adversary. From the humanitarian field, the NGO Global Witness, cited by Guardian, has been blunt, accusing the White House of “feeding Putin’s war machine” to cover up a price crisis that the United States itself has unleashed. Putin rubs his hands. To understand the magnitude of the Russian victory, you have to look at where they were just a month ago. Bloomberg, in your market analysishighlights that Russian exports were under unprecedented pressure. The Kremlin had nearly 140 million barrels stuck in the sea (65% more than usual), and was forced into a suicidal price war against Iran to try to place its surpluses in the limited Chinese refineries. Overnight, the Hormuz blockade removed all of its Middle Eastern competition from the equation. The crisis has been a gift from heaven. From Moscow they don’t even hide. How to collect CNBCKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov publicly boasted to the press: “We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy resources in connection with the war in Iran,” reminding the world that Russia “remains a reliable supplier.” Hurt pride and a sea of uncertainty. As Russian ships sail south, the battle of public perception rages in India. Although in the BBC estimates that the country It barely has crude oil reserves for about 25 days, the Indian government is trying to project absolute calm. As reported Mashable Indiaauthorities insist that “there is no shortage in the world.” However, on social networks the narrative is one of deep sovereignist indignation. Politicians like Rajiv Shukla cried out on social network X against American paternalism: “Who is the United States to dictate to us that we can only buy oil from Russia for a month?” Added to this is the harsh reality that there are no easy alternatives. Although Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates They have pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, its maximum capacity barely covers a fraction of the 20 million barrels per day that the world has just lost. The laws of thermodynamics do not understand sanctions. This whole scenario returns us to a conclusion that We already analyzed in the recent crisis of the Druzhba pipeline in Europe. The West has spent years writing laws, imposing price caps and signing embargoes on elegant offices to isolate Russia. But geopolitics always ends up submitting to mathematics and thermodynamics. While China watches the crisis calmly, with its reserves filled to the brim after years of silent strategic purchases, the European Union and the United States have had to swallow their own sanctions in record time to avoid collapse. The energy embargo on Russia has proven to be a gigantic house of cards; It only took someone to cut off the passage through the Strait of Hormuz for everything to collapse. Image | Coded and kremlin.ru Xataka | The EU has a perfect plan to suffocate Russia. The … Read more

Sony is already testing it in the PS Store

March 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Since November 2025, Sony is carrying out in relative silence an experiment with the final prices of your games– Different users see different prices for the same game on the PlayStation Store. What started with 50 titles in 30 regions now covers more than 150 games in 68 countries. At the moment, the company continues to say nothing on the subject. Crazy prices. The first sign came when a Reddit user He noticed that his wife saw a lower price than his for the same game on the PlayStation Store. The gap was too large to be a rounding error by region. No one knew if it was a technical failure or something deliberate, until Pspricesa website that monitors PlayStation Store price history in more than 50 regions, found the answer in Sony’s own infrastructure: identifiers embedded in the store’s API responses, with labels like IPT_PILOT and IPT_OPR_TESTING. We are facing a controlled test. How testing works. Sony randomly assigns users to a control group or a test group. Those in the test group see different prices. According to the data collected by the site, all experimental prices detected so far are lower than the official price, with discounts ranging between 5.3% and 17.6%. ‘WWE 2K25’ is listed at €61.82 for some compared to the standard €74.99. ‘God of War Ragnarök’ and ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’ drop from €79.99 to €69.99 for certain users. ‘Astro Bot’, from €69.99 to €61.16. There are extreme cases like ‘Helldivers 2’, which reached a 56% discount. What Sony measures is the price elasticity of demand: to what extent price determines the purchase decision of each user profile. Evolution of the experiment. The program began in November 2025 with about 50 games in approximately 30 regions. Three months later, according to Psprices data, it covers more than 150 titles in 68 regions including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa. The expansion itself is already a sign that the test is yielding data that interests Sony, and it is striking that the company has included its own AAA franchises in the experiment, such as the aforementioned games. It means that Sony considers it necessary to measure price sensitivity even in games where demand seemed guaranteed. Two territories (the United States and Japan) are outside the experiment, and the possible cause is stricter regulation and greater market sensitivity in both countries. Why now. A look at Sony’s financial context may shed some light on why this decision has been made. According to the company financial report Through December 2025, PS5 shipments fell 15.7% year-over-year in the Christmas quarter, with hardware revenue down 15.1%. CFO Lin Tao spoke of “monetizing the console installed base” as a priority. With 80% of software sales already in digital format, it is important to find a way to boost PlayStation Store sales. That store also operates without the competitive pressures of PC (market that Sony seems to be abandoning), where the user can buy the same game at different prices on Steam, GOG or many other stores. On PlayStation, the ecosystem is closed: there are no authorized third-party distributors, there are no game codes in physical stores as is the case with Xbox and Nintendo. If Sony controls the discounts and customizes them per user, whoever wants that game on PS5 only has one way to access it. The terror of dynamic pricing. To the user These types of policies do not suit him well. Airlines, hotels, vacation rental platforms or mobility services like Uber adjust rates in real time according to demand, time or area. The controversy has reached the world of concert tickets, with demands included. In video games, there is also an extra issue: on a plane, a hotel or a concert venue there is a real limitation on the tickets that can be sold. The inventory of a digital game is, by definition, unlimited. What Sony is going to do is called in economics “first degree price discrimination“and that is what has generated the main user complaints. Although there are no official statements about Sony’s plans, the truth is that the company, for the moment, has not raised prices above the official RRP, but rather has offered discounts based on various criteria that have not yet been revealed. Some bets: Users with less purchasing history could receive greater incentives to encourage them to spend. Thus, the question remains whether we are dealing with a discount for those who do not usually buy or a premium for those who usually do. If the promotion escalates, we’ll eventually find out. In Xataka | Playstation 6: all the information we know (or think we know) so far

a labyrinth of reserves that not even the G7 masters

March 9, 2026 by usatoday24

The alarms went off early on Monday, March 9. The barrel of Brent it shot up and touched the barrier of $120, figures that the market had not seen since the war broke out in Ukraine back in 2022. The fear of suffering the worst energy crisis in half a century has forced the G7 finance ministers to make urgent moves. Extraordinary meetings have already been called to try to stop the blow: The idea that is on the table is to suddenly release between 300 and 400 million barrels of its strategic reserves. But the real problem is not just the price, but the logistical collapse. The blockage has made it disappear from the board about 20 million barrels per day. To put it in perspective, this physical “hole” is five times larger than the impact of the historic Arab embargo of 1973. In the midst of this Western panic, all eyes point to a vital actor that could act on its own to save the furniture: Japan, holder of the third largest strategic reserve in the world, sAccording to energy expert Javier Blas. The Japanese dilemma. Japan is one of the most vulnerable economies to this blockade. According to oil pricethe country imports about 95% of its crude oil supply from the Middle East, and about 70% of those shipments transit through the now blocked Strait of Hormuz. Time is of the essence, since ships take between 20 and 25 days to get from there to Japanese ports. At the official level, the message is one of caution. The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ryosei Akazawa, has stated that there are “no immediate plans” to release reserves with the sole purpose of lowering prices, remembering that these are used to ensure supply. However, behind the scenes, the machinery is already moving. Akira Nagatsuma, an opposition lawmaker, in statements for Reuters, revealed that the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) already instructed the Shibushi national storage base on Friday to prepare for a possible release of crude oil. Stagflation and industrial paralysis. The consequences of this blockade are already palpable in the real economy. Bloomberg warns that an oil above $100, combined with a very weakened yen (around 160 per dollar), raises the risk that Japan will fall into stagflation. On the streets, the blow is evident. According to NHK World, Gas stations are already raising prices, which suffocates land transport companies for which fuel represents 10% of their costs. The manufacturing sector is also bleeding: giants such as Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsubishi Chemical have had to suspend or reduce their production of ethylene, a crude oil derivative essential for the plastics industry. Japan’s complex and hermetic armor. To understand why Japan is key, you have to look at how it stores its oil. While other countries have more transparent systems, the Japanese model It is a three-layer bunker: national storage (government), private sector storage (mandated by law) and joint reserves with producing countries. The figures vary slightly depending on the source, but reveal a colossal volume. Javier Blas estimate the total at about 440 million barrels, enough for 204 days of imports. For its part, the METI and report of Argus Media They place reserves at around 449-470 million barrels, covering between 214 and 254 days of consumption. The facilities are engineering feats. In addition to traditional above-ground tanks, the country uses underground rock caverns and, as highlighted Shirashima basegigantic floating tanks in the ocean, protected by double hulls and breakwaters. But Japan’s real commercial “Trojan horse” is its international agreements. According to data from JOGMECthe Japanese government rents tanks in its own territory to state oil companies from Saudi Arabia (Aramco), the United Arab Emirates (ADNOC) and Kuwait (KPC). In normal times, these companies use Japan as a trading base for Asia. In case of emergency, Japan has the priority right to buy that crude oil. The Asian contrast. Western suffering contrasts sharply with China’s situation. Beijing did its homework, the country has record commercial inventories of almost 988 million barrels, in addition to its strategic reserves, and keeps 166 million barrels floating safely off its coasts. Its massive transition towards electric vehicles and renewable energies acts as an impenetrable national shield in the face of this crisis. In South Korea, the response has been blunt. According to the medium UDNSouth Korean President Lee Jae-myung has not waited to take internal measures, ordering the preparation of caps on fuel prices and demanding severe punishments against refineries and gas stations that hoard oil for speculation. The country is well equipped: its private companies have reserves for more than 220 days, and the State stores strategic crude oil for another 116 days. A pulse between diplomacy and the physical world. The current scenario has made it clear that financial projections collide head-on with the harsh reality of immobilized ships. While Washington attempts to calm the markets by assuming that high prices are a minor cost for global security, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns that the barrel could rise to $200 if the offensive is not stopped. In the midst of this escalation of threats, Asian operators are clinging to a purely tactical deterrent: they trust that the sea route will not be completely blocked for fear of angering military powers such as China, South Korea or Japan itself. However, the paralysis of the oil tankers does not lead to commercial hopes and the diplomatic room for maneuver is quickly exhausted. If the G7 does not achieve convincing coordinated action in the coming hours, Japan could be forced to open the taps of its colossal and complex reserve alone. It will be the litmus test to discover whether its sophisticated three-layer bunker is enough to prevent Asia’s third-largest economy from drying up in the face of the biggest logistical collapse of the last half century. Image | sanjo Xataka | In 2015, Japan showed the world a train capable of reaching 600 km/h. Ten years later we … Read more

saying that opera and ballet don’t matter to anyone

March 9, 2026 by usatoday24

A conversation about the future of cinema in theaters unleashed, almost accidentally, one of the most unexpected cultural controversies of the final stretch of the awards season that we are experiencing. Timothée Chalamet had the unfortunate idea of using opera and ballet as symbols of cultural irrelevance, and the institutions in the sector have responded, while Chalamet’s chances of winning an Oscar that many took for granted have begun to be questioned. I didn’t want to dance. Chalamet did not intend to talk about opera. The conversation, held last March 4 with his partnerInterstellar‘ Matthew McConaughey, revolved around something broader: whether theatrical cinema has a future and whether actors should beg audiences to come see it. Chalamet defended that good films (he gave as an example the Barbenheimer phenomenon) they don’t need anyone to promote them. And to illustrate the alternative, he resorted to a somewhat cornerstone image: “I don’t want to work in ballet or opera, which is like ‘hey, keep this alive even if no one cares anymore.’” And he added: “with all due respect to the people of ballet and opera.” Too late. Some answers. The institutions linked to opera and ballet were the first to respond: the Royal Ballet and Opera of London posted on Instagram on Friday a video of artists and technicians on the theater stage. In the description they invited the actor to reconsider his position, without any conflict. The English National Opera was somewhat more aggressive: posted a photo of Chalamet along with his viral date and offered him free tickets with the code “Timothée” so he could “fall in love with opera again.” The Seattle Opera went in the same direction: 14% discount on your production of ‘Carmen‘ using the same code. In a later interview, the Royal Ballet and Opera made it clear: Ballet and opera have influenced contemporary theatre, film, fashion and music for centuries, and millions of people around the world continue to attend their performances. That is, it is not a dying industry. In addition, it was mentioned how the company distributes its productions in more than 1,500 movie theaters in 50 countriesand its own executive director noted in the presentation of that season that three quarters of the institution’s activity occurs outside the Royal Opera House. The artists come in with a bang. People like the Colombian opera singer Isabel Leonard have been less diplomatic, saying on social media that “only a weak person or artist feels the need to belittle the arts that precisely inspire those who seek slower and more contemplative experiences.” The Colombian dancer Fernando Montaño published a formal letter on Instagram: comparing artistic forms, he wrote, limits growth and blocks the ability to develop one’s talent. London dancer Anna Yliaho was more succinct: Only an insecure artist, she said, destroys another discipline to elevate his own. The Irish baritone Seán Tester commented that confusing popularity with value is a fundamental error. From Spain, the orchestra director Alondra de la Parrafrom the Orchestra and Choir Foundation of the Community of Madrid extended the invitation of so many other institutions to Chalamet to come see them and change his mind. Many of these statements were collected in the aforementioned article from The Hollywood Reporter. The worst moment. The statements come at the worst possible time for Chalamet’s campaign in search of the Oscar for Best Actor for ‘Marty Supreme’, one of nine for the film, including the top prize. Chalamet has had a certainly notable career in awards, since at only thirty years old he became youngest male actor to accumulate three nominations for best performance since Marlon Brando. For months, in fact, it has been the favorite, and won at the Critics Choice and the Golden Globes. But the back-and-forth of the months leading up to the awards seems to have taken its toll on the film: first an article about director Josh Safdie’s behavior on a previous shoot. Then the defeat at the BAFTAs (without a single award and with 11 nominations, a record for failure in the contest), followed by the defeat at the SAGs, where Michael B. Jordan won for ‘Sinners’ (becoming the new Oscar favorite). And now, these statements, in line with the Chalamet’s aggressive promotion stylebut that can turn away the most traditional voters. In Xataka | Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ was going to be a flop. Until a trailer that broke several Hollywood rules changed the narrative

Mobile phones in China are suffering the biggest price increase in five years. The culprit is not a manufacturer: it is AI

March 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Smartphones face a year of challenges due to the price of basic components such as RAM. The predictions They are already talking about increases of between 90 and 150 dollars for basic mobile phones, and between 300 and 400 dollars in the case of high-end mobile phones. AI is about to blow up an industry that has claimed its first victim: Meizu. Go for it, leave almost everything. I still remember that MWC last year when I stopped by the Meizu stand. I liked what I saw: new batch mobiles, with balanced hardware, the design and ROM that I fell in love with almost a decade ago and a shocking promise: the manufacturer was preparing its global launch. A history of mobile manufacturing in China, about to return to Europe as an alternative to manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Honor or OPPO. what has happened. Recently, Meizu has announced its exit from the smartphone market to focus their efforts on AI. In addition to the strong competition in its local market, the sharp rise in RAM prices makes it difficult for the manufacturer to be competitive against more established brands. It is a movement similar to that of ASUS, which He has said goodbye to his Zenfone family to focus on AI solutions and other types of products. The death of the quality-price mobile phone? 2026 will be a critical year for quality-price mobile phones. For years, manufacturers have been able to play with relatively comfortable margins: RAM abundance Component recycling A supply chain at your entire disposal The RAM giants have their shelves collapsed due to requests related to AI, and cheap modules have completely stopped being a priority. The dilemma. IDC analysts make it clear that we are witnessing a major shock in the supply chain. It’s not a temporary high: AI has completely changed market priorities, and things like RAM won’t stabilize in price anytime soon. Historically, we have normalized annual cycles and launches “just because”, even though there was no hardware or news to justify the launch of clone phones year after year. Maybe and just maybe, the price crisis will make manufacturers have to rethink their strategy. Image | Meizu In Xataka | Expensive and premium mobile phones are not a fad: they are the new standard, and Motorola knows it

Iran’s Achilles heel is a tiny island located 25 km from its coast. The question is whether the US will dare to attack it

March 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Until practically the day before yesterday Kharg island It was unknown to the vast majority of Europeans. Normal. To begin with, because it is thousands of kilometers from the heart of the EU, in the Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometers from the Iranian coast. It’s not particularly big either. It measures about eight kilometers long and 4.5 km wide. Despite all that, Kharg is perhaps the point that attracts the most attention. is hoarding (from Europe, but also the United States, China and Russia) in the convulsive geopolitical board with which March has started. The reason: the island is the key link of the Iranian oil sector. In a place in the gulf… Kharg Island is not exactly big. It measures 22 km2. What it does not have in surface area, however, it makes up for with its location. Located just 25 km from the Iranian continental coast and a few hundred kilometers from Strait of Hormuzis a strategic point for the global oil industry. The reason: that tiny island channels almost all of the crude oil exported by Iran. And those are big words if we take into account that, according to OPEC calculations, it is estimated that the Islamic Republic has confirmed reserves of 208.6 billion barrelsalmost the 12% of the total world. Is it that important? Yes. Iran enjoys a strategic position that (among other things) allows it to control the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic point for the commercialization of Middle East oil. In fact, it is estimated that almost a fifth of the world’s crude oil and gas pass through that narrow strip of a few tens of kilometers. However, not all are advantages for Tehran. Most of the Iranian coastline is bathed by shallow waters that complicate the movement of oil tankers. To operate with them, companies need to rely on Khrag, an island equipped with deeper docks and which since the 60s has had a powerful infrastructure built with the help of the firm. Amoco. Today it is the largest terminal exporter of the country. A percentage: 90%. Kharg’s role is best understood by dealing with various data. The main one is the volume of merchandise that it channels. It is estimated that almost 90% of Iranian oil exports pass through there, a bottleneck through which black gold flows before being shipped to the Strait of Hormuz. It may seem like an exorbitant percentage, but the island has the necessary infrastructure to charge seven million of barrels daily. Added to this are underwater pipelines connected to the country’s oil fields, storage tanks and housing for the complex’s operators. In the spotlight. Khrag has become the key link in the Iranian oil trade, but it also represents a kind of ‘Achilles heel’. Hitting the island means hitting the Iranian oil industry squarely. It’s nothing new. In the 80s Kharg has already suffered Iraqi bombings. The big question on March 9, 2026, with the US and Israel attacking the Islamic Republic is… Does Washington have any plan that involves controlling the island in one way or another? It is not a whimsical question. The Israeli army already has attacked several crude oil deposits and an oil transfer center located in Tehran and Alborz. The Axios weekend wakefulness In addition, Israel and the US have discussed sending special forces to Iran for various purposes: the main one would be to secure uranium reserves, but Kharg would also be in their sights. Ground operation? However, it is one thing to attack oil deposits and another to invade the island. For a start, remembers CNBCbecause it would require going one step further in the offensive in Iran and undertaking a ground operation. A hypothetical attack could also add more volatility and uncertainty to the industry at a time when a barrel of oil has risen to around $100. In the last hours the Brent even it touched 120. Cutting off the tap. The maneuver would also have advantages for Washington and Tel Aviv, especially when it comes to putting pressure on Tehran. Petras Katinas, an expert in energy and defense, recalls that if the United States controlled the island it could cut off “the oil livelihood” of the Iranian regime. “Looking ahead, confiscation would give the US leverage during negotiations, regardless of which regime is in power once the military operation ends,” insist. “It would deal a severe blow to the regime, since it would deprive it of a crucial source of income,” adds Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM, who draws a parallel between what happened in Iran and the US intervention in Venezuela. in january. Why doesn’t the US act? For several reasons. We mentioned two (fundamental) before. Experts point out that taking Kharg would require a ground operation. And that, among other issues, could lead to even more instability in the region and the oil market at a delicate time. “Kharg could focus a multi-week attack campaign with Iranian drones and the island has mines and soldiers,” remember Marc Gustafson, who warns that an intervention of this type would not be without risks for the United States. He even mentions the possibility that, if the situation escalates, Iran will destroy its oil pipelines. One island, many drifts. If the US and Israel decide to comply with Kharg, Tehran could also see legitimacy to hit the oil infrastructure of other Gulf countries. That’s not counting, insists Michael Doran (from the Hudson Institute) in that it could complicate the post-war Iranian economy and the stability of any new government that takes the reins of Iran once the war ends. Images | Google Earth and Wikipedia In Xataka | Satellite images have revealed that Iran knocked down four of the US’s eight unique defense systems. If they reach zero a new war begins

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