usatoday24

American chipmakers keep making money there

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China is unequivocally the largest market in the world if we stick to the size of its industrial productionto the volume of your e-commerce already its export capacity. If you look at your adjusted gross domestic product purchasing power parity, also leads. However, if we stick to its nominal gross domestic product and domestic consumption per capita, USA is ahead. Be that as it may, depending on the metric we observe, the country led by Xi Jinping establishes itself as the first or second largest market. Its leadership in some sectors, such as financial services or software, is not entirely clear. And, for this reason, it can be argued. However, in the area of electric cars, steel production either semiconductorsChina leads with authority. In fact, its integrated circuit market is larger than that of the US, Taiwan, South Korea or Japan. And American companies are not at all immune to this reality. The report “Hurun Top 100 American Companies in China 2026”, which has been prepared by the Hurun Research Institute, defend that the income of twenty-six American semiconductor companies grew on average by 20% in China in 2025 despite the trade tensions between the US and China. Nvidia, Qualcomm, AMD or Intel are some of them. In the current confrontation scenario It is surprising that China remains such an important market for American IC companies. The Chinese market continues to grow A note before we move forward: Hurun Research Institute is part of Hurun Inc., a media, data analytics and investment company founded in 1999 by British entrepreneur and analyst Rupert Hoogewerf. The report I told you about a few lines above follows the trajectory of 100 publicly traded US companies and pays close attention to their economic performance in China over the past year. Western Digital, Analog Devices and AMD have led this expansion Curiously, 26 of the 100 companies with the highest income from this Asian country belong to the semiconductor sector, which has been classified as strategic by both the US and China. And among the 10 with the highest revenue during 2025 are Qualcomm, Nvidia, Intel, Broadcom, Applied Materials and AMD. Another interesting fact: Western Digital, Analog Devices and AMD have led this expansion with an interannual growth rate of 43%, 34% and 24% respectively. The three occupy positions 33, 30 and 10 on Hurun’s list. Nvidia is not one of the American companies that has grown the most in China for a compelling reason: it is the most damaged company due to the export controls that the Donald Trump Administration has deployed. Be that as it may, Rupert Hoogewerf has pointed out in a statement that “the strong momentum in this report underscores the Chinese market’s robust demand for computing power for artificial intelligenceof high-end chips, and also the expansion of the semiconductor industrial chain.” Image | Intel More information | SCMP In Xataka | The chip of the future comes from Japan: it is 1,000 times faster than current semiconductors and does not heat up

While Europe looks at Ukraine, the US has sounded the alarms for Spain on a closer front: losing two autonomous cities

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In July 2002, a handful of Moroccan soldiers landed on the islet of Perejil and raised a Moroccan flag there. The Spanish response came days later with a military operation so rapid and measured that it ended up becoming one of the diplomatic-military episodes strangest of the recent Mediterranean. What worries Spain. While Europe concentrates much of its military attention in Ukraine and the eastern flank of NATO, a much closer concern is growing in Spain: the south of the Strait. The problem is not just Morocco or the military balance in the Maghreb, but the change in the United States’ attitude toward the region. The appearance in Washington of official documents that describe Ceuta and Melilla like cities “under Spanish administration” in Moroccan territory has generated unprecedented alarm because it breaks a historical diplomatic taboo. For decades, the sovereignty of both cities was considered out of the question for Western allies. Now some American political sectors are beginning to treat her as an open dispute susceptible to future negotiation. US pressure. Spanish concern does not arise solely from a parliamentary report, but from the political context that surrounds it. Republican congressman Mario Diaz-Balartclose to Marco Rubio’s entourage and aligned with positions very favorable to Rabat, has not only publicly defended that Ceuta and Melilla are “in Moroccan territory”, but that the own report encourages the State Department to promote diplomatic talks about their status. All this coincides with the deterioration of the relationship between Donald Trump and the Spanish Government for military spendingNATO and the disagreements over Iran. In certain strategic Spanish sectors, the feeling is beginning to spread that Washington increasingly considers most useful to Morocco as a regional and less essential partner to Spain within its Mediterranean architecture. Morocco and the new balance. The most profound change may be occurring on the other side of the Strait. Morocco has been accelerating for years its military modernization through agreements with the United States, Israel, Türkiye and France, while also promoting its own arms industry. Since 2021, industrial projects linked to drones, weapons and advanced military production have multiplied. At the same time, Rabat has consolidated his diplomatic position in Washington after the American recognition of Western Sahara. For many Spanish analysts, the problem is no longer just migratory pressure or specific border crises, but the emergence of a regional power much more militarily connected to the West and increasingly secure in its strategic position. Spain is left out. The other big concern is that Spain seems have been left out of the new network of military alliances in the Maghreb. Italy has become the main strategic partner of Algeria in the Mediterranean, expanding defense agreements, industrial cooperation and military coordination with one of the most powerful armies in Africa. Morocco, meanwhile, close ties with Washington, Paris and Tel Aviv. Spain has managed to rebuild diplomatic relations with both neighbors, but it hardly has any relevant agreements on defense matters. This vacuum is beginning to be perceived as a serious problem in certain strategic circles, especially when linked reports to the Ministry of Defense they already admit that “South of the Strait of Gibraltar, military pressure is a reality.” Ceuta and Melilla as vulnerable points. That is why the reports of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies raise with increasing clarity the need to a specific plan defense for Ceuta and Melilla. The focus goes far beyond the military and includes logistics, cybersecurity, maritime surveillance, institutional resilience and protection of critical infrastructure. Fear does not necessarily point to an open conventional conflict, but rather to hybrid scenarios constant pressure: migration crises, diplomatic tensions, partial blockades or political attrition campaigns. Autonomous cities thus appear as especially sensitive enclaves due to their logistical dependence and geographical isolation. A brutal return: geography. If you like, all this reflects something broader: the return of geography as a central factor of European politics. For years, Spain observed the Maghreb mainly from a migratory and commercial perspective, while the greatest threats seemed to be far from the western Mediterranean. But the war in Ukraine has accelerated regional rearmament and has reorganized alliances throughout the area. And in the midst of this transformation, Spain begins to discover that one of its potentially most delicate fronts is not in the Baltic or in Eastern Europe, but just in the other side of the strait. Image | US Army In Xataka | The US threatened to take the Rota base to Morocco. Spain has buried it with an unbeatable offer: more territory In Xataka | ANDhe tunnel between Spain and Morocco seemed like a chimera. Now a tunnel boring machine manufacturer says it is viable

Spotify has spent months deleting music made with AI. Now he wants to sell it as a premium product

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In just a few weeks, Spotify has been changing its position on AI-generated music: months ago it removed more than 75 million fraudulent tracks, launched a distinctive seal so listeners knew when there were human hands on the other side, and tightened its filters against synthetic spam. But the turn came in the talk for investors on May 21, where it became clear that what worries Spotify is not AI, but generating income with it. The precedents. Let’s start with the moves Spotify has made to control the rampant presence of AI on the platform. In September 2025 the company revealed that had removed more than 75 million fraudulent leads of its platform in the previous twelve months. Many of the AI ​​actions were malicious: massive raises designed to steal royaltiesunauthorized voice clones and content which the company’s own executives called “slop.” By then Deezer had detected that it received more than 30,000 AI-generated tracks per day, and that up to 77% of its reproductions were fraudulent. Just a few weeks before the meeting with investors, on April 30, Spotify launched the “Verified by Spotify” seal, a verification mark that distinguishes human artists from the artificial ones, which are increasingly proliferating on the platform. To achieve it, musicians must demonstrate authentic activity, have linked social media accounts and concerts on the agenda (something that, as we have said over the last few months, does not guarantee anything, given the latest successes of AI-generated music, which have their following on networks and their continuous stream of releases). Deals with Universal. The main news before shareholders is a licensing agreement with Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the world, which will allow Spotify Premium subscribers create covers and remixes with generative AI of songs from the artists participating in the agreement. The tool will arrive as a paid add-on to the usual subscription. It was already known that Spotify was considering charging up to an additional $5.99 per month for a “Music Pro” tier with superfan features. Co-CEO Alex Norström said that with this tool, “one song would become 10,000 songs.” The agreement contemplates a revenue sharing model with participating artists, and it was made clear that participation will be completely voluntary by the musicians. This announcement is no surprise: we already knew that Spotify was working on AI products with Universal, Sony, Warner, Merlin and Believe, but without a closed legal framework. Universal had previously licensed its catalog to smaller AI platforms, such as Udio, Klay Vision and Stability AI, but here it is already we enter in the 761 million monthly active users and 293 million paying subscribers. Long live AI. In an interviewNorström made it clear that, faced with multiple tools that allow songs to be manipulated without permission, they want to be the “legal” and “controlled” option. Norström affirms that the synthetic music market already exists and that trying to stop it would be useless, so he proposes regulating it from within, with agreements between labels and platforms, and turning it into a source of income for all actors. To combat AI content that “makes you feel good in the moment” but ultimately leaves the user feeling like they’ve “wasted their time,” Spotify offers verified authors and artists who charge for it. High tension. The announcement comes at a time when many powerful players are beginning to understand the extent of what they are risking. On May 13, a week before the investor meeting, famous producer Jack Antonoff (he has worked with Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey) posted on Instagram against those who use AI to make music. Norström acknowledged in the interview that there is “some negativity out there” regarding AI and called it “reasonable,” although he added that it is due to “poorly aligned AI.” swerve I mean, potify has spent months arguing that the problem with AI in music was fraud, spam, and impersonation. Now it announces that the same synthetic content, controlled and profitable, may be desirable. As we said in our analysis of the algorithmic model that Spotify has built for years linked above, the platform has been encouraging listening that prioritizes the state of mind over the identity of the artist for some time. That is, the ideal breeding ground for synthetic music. All that was left was monetization. In Xataka | We put Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music to the test: music streaming has changed and there is no longer an obvious winner

The robot vacuum cleaner that climbs stairs is real, it arrives in Spain and no, it is not a robot vacuum cleaner

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Robot vacuum cleaners are capable of navigating without getting lost, removing socks with one arm, take out the paw to better clean the corners and even clean themselves. They do a lot of things, more and more, but what none of them did until now was climb stairs. Due to their very format, robot vacuum cleaners have been limited to solid floors. Then Dreame arrived, said “hold my bucket” and launched the Cyber ​​X, a conceptual robot vacuum cleaner that was capable of climbing stairs using caterpillars. At IFA 2025 they taught the conceptthen they turned it to exhibit at CES of this year and today, at last, we can say that it is no longer conceptual. Is a finished productdefinitive, with release date and price in Spain. And no, although it may seem like it, it is not a robot vacuum cleaner, but rather an accessory for robot vacuum cleaners. Stairs up, stairs down This is a conventional robot vacuum cleaner. With those wheels you can overcome an obstacle, but not a step | Image: Xataka As a general rule, a robot vacuum cleaner has two rear wheels that propel it forward and make it pivot by playing with the speeds or direction of travel. Some have a lifting system that allows them to overcome small obstacles, such as a curb, but none usually exceed eight to ten centimeters. What has Dreame done? Inspired by tanks to launch not a robot vacuum cleaner that climbs stairs, but an attachment with four tracks in which the robot vacuum cleaner is attached to overcome the stairs. The Cyber addonan additional product to the robot vacuum cleaner, which makes all the sense in the world if we think about using it in the long term. Few product categories have evolved as much in such a short time as robot vacuum cleaners. Putting legs on a single model makes no sense while, probably, it would be outdated in a few years. Putting it on an accessory that a robot vacuum fits into is simply a much better idea. This is what the Cyber ​​X looks like without any robot vacuum cleaner inside | Image: Dreame And this is what it looks like with a robot inside | Image: Dreame How does it work? The device has four rubber tracks, an independent ladder vision and detection system, and its own charging base. When the robot vacuum cleaner has to climb stairs, it approaches the Cyber But the robot does not move, the accessory moves. The robot is simply a passenger inside. When it reaches a ladder, the Cyber speed of 0.2 meters per second. It takes 27 seconds to climb a step, according to the company, and supports all types of stairs: straight, L-shaped, with floating steps and spirals. It may not seem very fast, but it is faster than what was available until now, which was nothing. In theory, the robot can overcome all types of stairs | Image: Dreame Upon reaching the top, the Cyber the robot undockscleaning as normal. When finished, the robot returns to the Cyber ​​X and can either go up another floor (it can accommodate up to four floors) or go down. It is when it goes down that the Cyber ​​X shows another of its tricks: it is capable of sweeping and vacuuming the steps. On the inside of the rear track there is two little arms with two brushes that sweep the dust and the dirt on the steps. This moves towards a vacuum cleaner with 6,000 Pa of power located in the rear, which in turn is directly connected to a HEPA filter and the dust container of the robot vacuum cleaner that is a passenger. On the back there are little brushes to clean the steps as you go down | Image: Dreame When it reaches the end, the robot activates a soft landing system, so that the front track rests gently on the ground while the rear track descends the last step. This prevents sudden hits on the ground. If necessary, the robot has a braking system that allows it to stop if it detects pets or people while going up or down. Versions and price of the Dreame Cyber He Cyber It will have a price of 1,199 euros to which the cost of the robot vacuum cleaner will have to be added. In this first phase, the Cyber ​​X is only compatible with the series Dreame X60 Pro (all models regardless of the type of mop), whose cheapest model costs 1,499 euros. It is, by all accounts, a premium product at a premium product price. It will be launched in September of this year. Images | Dreame In Xataka | Best robot vacuum cleaners in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and six recommended models

undetectable sounds that hack AI chats

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You have a podcast or YouTube video playing at home and, without realizing it, it starts playing a sound that is undetectable to you, but is sending commands to your AI assistants. The assistant then begins to share sensitive data with the attacker or installs malware. We already had the prompt injection attacks and now comes the injection of sound prompts. The experiment. It sounds like science fiction, but it is perfectly possible. A team of researchers from China and Singapore have discovered a way to create malicious sounds that can “hijack” voice AI models, causing them to execute commands without you knowing or being able to stop them. In statements to IEEE Spectrumthe leader of the study assures that “It only takes half an hour to train this signal and, since it is context-independent, it can be used to attack a model whenever you want, regardless of what the user says.” The authors tested this technique against thirteen AI models, including services from Microsoft and Mistral. In the test they had these models perform sensitive searches, send emails with user information and download files. They achieved a success rate of between 79 and 96%. Undetectable. LALMs (Large Audio Language Models) have a critical security flaw. Since they receive instructions in audio format, it is possible to inject malicious commands into manipulated sounds. Worst of all, these sounds are not voices with instructions, which would be fairly easy to detect, but rather they use a method called “convolutional mixing” that masquerades the sound as a natural reverb or echo in the room. Why it is important. An attack of this type completely changes the defenses that we have internalized (do not click on links, do not download things, do not give out your data…). Something as harmless as playing a YouTube video, a podcast, or watching a TikTok in the background can trigger an attack without us even realizing it. If we also take into account that the power of AI agents, such as the recently announced Gemini Sparkis precisely having access to our entire digital life, an attack of this type can wreak havoc. Hijacking attention. Pre-instructing the model with examples of malicious commands so that it ignores them barely reduces attack success by a dismal 7%. Similarly, asking the AI ​​to “reflect” on whether its response matches what the user has actually asked for only manages to detect 28% of attacks. Current security measures are useless because manipulated audio hijacks the model’s mathematical “attention,” inducing the AI ​​to execute high-confidence outputs and making it impossible to distinguish between a legitimate user command and an adversary attack. Open source. The “good” part is that at the moment this type of attack has only been able to be carried out with open weight models. However, researchers have seen that once malicious audio is trained, it can be transferred to breach closed models. As we said, the authors put it to the test with services from Mistral and Microsoft. At the moment Mistral has not commented, but Microsoft sent the following statement to IEEE Spectrum: We appreciate the work of the researchers to deepen the understanding of this type of technique. This study assesses model resilience through controlled, direct interactions with the model itself, helping to define our approach to building resilience. In practice, AI models are often integrated into user applications, and we provide developers with tools and guidance they can use to implement additional layers of protection to help safeguard users. Image | Yassine Ait TahitUnsplash In Xataka | The most used passwords in Spain are hacked in seconds: if yours is on this list, you have a problem

refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and much more arrive

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Dreame is one of those Chinese companies whose deployment is worthy of study. In just eight years it has happened from being a Xiaomi supplier to expanding throughout the worldspend a million on a Super Bowl ad and enter every segment possible. It arrived in Spain in 2025 with robot vacuum cleaners and cleaning products, but it was no secret that I wanted to go further, much further. The firm wanted, at some point, to go from small to large appliances, a sector historically American, Korean and Japanese. That moment has arrived and yes, we are going to have Dreame products even in the soup. All the new Dreame products that will arrive in Spain in 2026 The Chinese firm has summoned us to Paris to announce its latest product portfolio in what, without a doubt, has been one of its biggest launches to date. The company has confirmed the prices of the series Dreame X60 Pro announced just a few days ago, the launch of Cyber (the robot vacuum cleaner that climbs stairs) and a whole arsenal of products ranging from a sandbox to a two-door refrigerator. According to Dreame, their goal is to develop “a more connected smart living experience that goes beyond cleaning and integrates into everyday life.” Appliances Dreame FizzFresh | Image: Dreame The most interesting thing is, without a doubt, the arrival of the Dreame FizzFresh. It is a two-door refrigerator that, beyond cooling and freezing, has some tricks up its sleeve. The first is Sparkling Bar, a technology that allows you to offer sparkling water. The second is IceDUO, which generates both cubed and crushed ice. The third is FreshFlex, a system that allows you to set a specific temperature in a drawer to adapt it to the content (fruit, drinks, meats, etc.). It has a capacity of 308 liters in the refrigerator and 203 liters in the freezer. Needless to say, it connects to the mobile. Price and availability: from 1,699 euros from the second half of 2026. Dreame AI Inverter L9 | Image: Dreame Another great appliance that the company has brought is the Dreame AI Inverter L9a washing machine with 11 kilos of capacity, automatic detection of clothes and dirt, automatic dosing depending on the content and a detergent nebulization system whose purpose is, according to the brand, for it to dissolve more and remove stains better. Something interesting is FreshLoop, which is basically a system of rotating clothes in the drum and circulating air designed to prevent odors. The selection of modes falls on a button with a very curious TFT screen. Price and availability: 899 euros and available from the second half of 2026. Dreame AI Twin Inverter Dryer L9 | Image: Dreame The previous model has a brother called AI Twin Inverter Dryer L9. It is the same, but with nine kilos of capacity and an integrated dryer. The most striking thing about this model is, in addition to the obvious intelligent humidity detection systems, the PressFree system. It is a kind of ironing system (for already dried clothes, needless to say) that works thanks to a 480 milliliters of water tank dedicated to generating steam. According to Dreame, a shirt can be ironed in 25 minutes, but we’ll have to see. Price and availability: 1,099 euros and available from the second half of 2026. Home cleaning Dream Pano 10 | Image: Dreame Moving on to the small appliance, the first eye-catching product is the new window cleaner, something Dreame is not new to. In fact, At Xataka we have already tested some of their models with mixed results. The main problem that these devices have is the lack of uniformity and that they do not reach the edges well. In his new Pano 10 rangeDreame has solved this by implementing one of the nicest functions of robot vacuum cleaners: an extendable arm that reaches edges and corners. The Station model also has a base that integrates cleaning, washing and drying the pads, charging, storage and daily maintenance. The price, of course, varies depending on whether we choose the model with or without a station. Price and availability: 399 euros without station and 599 euros with station. Both will launch in July 2026. Dreame T16 Pro Heat | Image: Dreame When it comes to cleaning the floor, and in addition to the already well-known X60 Pro series and the Cyber T seriesa new batch of wet and dry vacuum cleaners (aka electric mops) with ultra-thin profile (9.85 cm thick). All models include an anti-tangle system for hair and a self-cleaning and drying system with hot air at 95ºC. The range is composed in this way: T16 Pro Heat: the flagship, cleans with hot water at 90ºC, has 30,000 Pa of suction power and the arm can be extended towards the edges and corners for better cleaning. 629 euros and available at the end of June. T16 Pro Steam: similar, but with a steam sterilization system at 200ºC and self-cleaning, more designed for homes with pets, for example. 649 euros and available in August. T15 Pro Heat, T14 Pro and T12 Pro: each one simpler and, therefore, more affordable. For example, the T15 Pro Heat (599 euros) cleans with hot water, something that the other two do not do. The T14 Pro (499 euros) has automatic dirt detection, something that the T12 Pro (319 euros) does not have. Dreame Aqua Air | Image: Dreame Closing this section we have the Dreame Aqua Aira cordless vacuum cleaner with 20,000 Pa of suction power, anti-tangle brush, slim profile, waste container, real-time brush cleaning and less than a kilo in weight. Roughly speaking, it is Dreame’s proposal to stand up to the Dyson Pencil Vac. Price and availability: 499 euros and available from July. pet products Moduloo Pure Litter Box | Image: Dreame Finally, the company has announced five pet products. There is a self-leveling sandbox that looks like a sofa (very cool, all things considered); a smart bed and carrying … Read more

I want one to sleep in

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There are more and more technological gadgets for dogs and cats. We have talked about self-cleaning litter boxes, automatic feeders and waterers, GPS collars and even ‘Mi Band’ activity collars for cats. The Dreame company already has several products for pets to which it has just added the Dreame Moduloo Clima, a bed with air conditioning so that your dog or cat is neither cold nor hot. Not only does it have temperature control, the bed also has extra functions, such as a scale that allows you to see the weight of the animal in real time and also a sensor that adjusts the temperature depending on the environment. With how hot it is starting to get as soon as I see it, I thought: I need one in human size. Cool pets in summer and warm in winter The first thing that catches your attention is the “convertible” design. There are pets, especially cats, that prefer shelter-type covered beds, but in this case it also has one objective: it conserves heat better. The cover can be removed to convert it into an open bed that also takes up less space when stored. It supports up to 20 kilos, although its 54 centimeters in diameter may be a little short for medium dogs, so it is more recommended for cats or smaller dogs. Regarding its functions, the bed offers a temperature range that goes from 20 to 32 degrees centigrade and, according to Dreame, it adjusts the temperature in just 10 minutes after connecting it. As we said, it has a function that modifies the heat depending on the ambient temperature, to maintain a similar sensation throughout the day. On the front of the bed there is an LED screen where you can see the temperature and also the weight of the animalbecause yes, the bed incorporates a scale. One thing it lacks is app control; It would be very interesting if the evolution of each pet’s weight was stored to detect significant changes that could lead to possible health problems. Regarding safety, the bed connects to the currentso you will have to be careful and hide the cable in case your pet is one of those who tends to bite them. Dreame highlights that it uses an integrated semiconductor system that offers a uniform temperature without the risk of direct contact. At the moment we do not know when it will go on sale in Spain, but they have announced that it will cost 199 euros. In Xataka | Humans aren’t the only ones obsessed with screens. Cats also enjoy them and even have their own ‘Catflix’

Japan is desperate to revive its birth rate, so an idea is spreading across the country: free daycare

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For a long time in Japan there has been a more delicate issue than unemployment, tourist overcrowdingthe relationship with China either the weakness of the yen: babies. Or rather, the lack of babies. Despite his multiple (and costly) attempts to revive the birth rate, the country has been seeing for years how its demographic chronicle is filled with catastrophic headlines. The last one arrived last Marchwhen the Government confirmed that in 2025 births fell in the country for the tenth consecutive year to mark a new low historical. Faced with such a panorama, an idea is gradually gaining strength in the country: daycare open bar in a desperate attempt to encourage the population to have children. One figure: $142,000. a few months ago Mainichi Shimbunone of Japan’s leading newspapers, echoed from a curious survey by the National Center for Child Health and Development: how much it costs to raise a child in the country. According to their calculations, taking care of a boy or girl (at least the first one) up to the age of 18 costs $141,700, a figure that is close to $170,000 if extra expenses are included. If we go down to detail, at least in 2024 the raising of preschool children was between 5,800 and 7,200 dollars annual. That figure, added to other factors, such as cultural changes, difficulties in reconciling professional and family life or one’s own aging dynamics the nation has been plunged into, leading more and more Japanese to choose not to become parents. In 2025 they signed up only 705,809 birthsalmost 15,200 less than in 2024. Lightening the load. In view of these data and with the country immersed in a “silent emergency”Japanese society has been looking for ways to make parenthood more bearable for some time. A change in the labor model has been put on the table (betting on the four-day weekly), the ban of overtime in the office or ‘pro-birth’ programs millionaireswith government support per child comparable to Sweden. Some initiatives come from companies, others from regional governments or the central Executive, but they all basically seek the same thing: to make parenting more bearable and activate birth rates once and for all. One of the measures that has sounded the loudest in recent years is free preschool education. That is, allowing families to leave their little ones in daycare. without any cost. Not all experts share that economic aid policies are going to get Japanese demographics out of the hole (they point to much more structural reasons, such as changes at a social level); but they certainly show the importance that the authorities give to the issue. October 2019. One of the most important steps in that direction was taken by in 2019 the Government of Japan. As details The Children and Family Agency (CFA), since October of that year, attendance at kindergartens, nurseries and children’s centers is free for children between three and five years old. The program also includes the same facility for children under three, but as long as their homes comply certain conditions. Since then, other institutions have moved to fully cover that group, that of children between zero and two years old. “No time to waste”. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has stood out in this effort. In 2023 It also began offering free childcare to children under two years of age. The only requirement, in a clear effort to encourage births, is that they have an older brother. In other words, the measure was limited to the second child onwards. In 2024, however, that coverage already knew little and the governor of the region, Yuriko Koike, advertisement that free birth would be extended to all children under two years of age (including first-born children) starting in September 2025. The idea, Koike stressed at the time, was to “continue promoting efforts to combat the low birth rate without sparing resources.” “There is no time to waste.” At the beginning of last fall BCNR echoed that the measure had already begun to be implemented in the Japanese capital. Setting an example. The most curious thing is that Tokyo has not been the only city that has decided to make it easier for families who want to expand. In early 2026, Urayasu, a town in Chiba Prefecture, advertisement also their plans to offer free daycare starting in April for children up to two years old. The idea was the same: to alleviate the financial burden of parents and, in the process, give a boost to the local birth rate. Your goal, according to Mainichiis to cover 55 schools in the city with an investment of almost four million dollars in 2026 and benefit 1,900 children. Is there more? Yes. With the birth rate indicators not rising and collapsing at a speed that even exceeds the worst forecasts of the experts, Japan has redoubled its bet. In April Kyodo revealed that the country has implemented a public system that allows children between six months and three years old to be left in daycare for ten hours a month. The initiative is important because several reasons. To begin with, it provides extra help to families with younger children, preschool age, regardless of whether or not they live in municipalities with similar programs. On this occasion, however, the Japanese authorities have wanted to go further: the measure does not take into account the employment situation of the parents, which also covers children of couples with an unemployed member, who until now faced certain limitations. Images | Design for Health by Ann Forsyth (Flickr) and Note Thanun (Unsplash) In Xataka | In a Japan in the midst of a birth crisis, an idea is gaining traction: late-night cafes for crying babies

What are the dates in each autonomous community for the selectivity exam?

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Let’s tell you what they are the dates of the PAU for each autonomous communitythe old selectivity which has also been known as EvAU or EBAU. This is one of the most important exams for students in Spain, the one that will determine which university degree they can take. Although almost all communities hold the exams on very similar or even the same dates, there are some exceptions. Therefore, we are going to give you the list with each of the communities and their specific dates, so that you know when it is your turn. Dates of the 2026 selectivity in Spain Below we leave you a list of the dates on which the university entrance tests will be carried out in each autonomous community. You will have two dates: the ordinary and extraordinary call. This way, you will know in each case. Andalusia: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Aragon: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Ceuta and Melilla: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 (they are governed by the Andalusian calendar) Canary Islands: Ordinary call on June 2, 3, 4 and 5, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Asturias: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on July 6, 7 and 8 Cantabria: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Castile-La Mancha: Ordinary call on June 8, 9 and 10, and the extraordinary call on June 29, 30 and July 1 Castile and León: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Catalonia: Ordinary call on June 9, 10 and 11, and the extraordinary call on September 2, 3 and 4 Community of Madrid: Ordinary call on June 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Valencian Community: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Basque Country: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Estremadura: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Galicia: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Balearics: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Rioja: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Murcia: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 30, July 1 and 2 Navarre: Ordinary call on June 2, 3 and 4, and the extraordinary call on June 24, 25 and 26

Every time the Vatican has warned of the danger of a technology, that technology has ended up changing the world. It’s up to the AI

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Let’s do a little memory. The 15th century was ending and The Christian Church found the printing press wonderful.almost providential. The adoption of that invention by ecclesiastical institutions was enthusiastic because it allowed them to amplify their mission. It didn’t take long for the discourse to change noticeably. in the bull Inter multiplies In 1487, Pope Innocent VIII praised it but warned of its risks: the same thing that served to spread the word of God, could serve to spread heresies and false ideas. It was then that censorship was introduced according to which no book should be printed without the approval of the ecclesiastical authorities. That laid the foundations for the future Index librorum prohibitorum which established a list of prohibited works for all of Christendom. That didn’t go too well. Martin Luther precisely took advantage of that divine invention to distribute your propaganda during the Protestant Reformation, and if this movement ended up being successful it was undoubtedly thanks to the printing press. It is not in vain that Luther is considered the first author of best-sellers of history. The encyclicals in the face of technological advances Let’s move forward. In 1891 Pope Leo XIII published his encyclical Rerum Novarumpossibly the most famous social encyclical in history. In it the pontiff focused on the rights of workers as response to the disturbing Industrial Revolution. He denounced the concentration of wealth and new technologies “in the hands of a few,” and warned that this was turning workers into slaves. Let’s keep moving forward. 90 years ago, Pius XI launched his act Vigilanti Cura (1936), dedicated exclusively to cinema. It recognized the technological progress that cinematography represented, but warned that if it was not strictly regulated, it would become the greatest instrument of moral corruption and mass manipulation in history. That message would be accompanied by the encyclical Miranda Prorsus (1957), by Pius XII, which extended that warning to both radio and televisionwhich had as much or more capacity than cinema to be beneficial but also toxic to humanity. There have been other social encyclicals related to technology: Pacem in Terris (1963) by John XXIII spoke of the atomic danger, while Evangelium Vitae (1995) by John Paul II was a wake-up call against eugenic biomedical techniques and embryo manipulation. The curious thing is that most of these encyclicals were published many years after certain technological advances had occurred. That would make one think that there are one or several encyclicals dedicated to the internet, mobile phones or social networks. There are not, although these topics have been mentioned by the last Popes in other messages. Arrives Magnificent Humanitas Therefore it is surprising that Pope Leo XIV has dedicated an entire encyclical to artificial intelligence. He has done it just three years after ChatGPT was launched, and he has also done it with a unique title: Magnificent Humanitas (2026). A fact: Robert Fracis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV, graduated in mathematics in 1977 from Villanova University in Philadelphia. This encyclical follows a very clear historical line of argument: on many occasions in which a disruptive technology appears, the Vatican adopts the role of “ethical brake” and tries to warn of something relevant: technical and technological advances must be subordinated to human beings. In Magnificent Humanitas the discourse is known and reasonable: warning that large AI companies They will end up imposing their moral vision on the entire planet. It is not just that hyperscalers (Amazon, Microsoft, Google) or companies like OpenAI or Anthropic dominate this market in the commercial section: it is that this dominance also translates into a form of influence that is even more worrying than cinema or television were (and are). The encyclical also warns of how AI is causing a “cognitive displacement” in which human beings end up preferring that algorithms think for them instead of making a reflective effort. The text is very long (40,000 words, which is approximately equivalent to a novel of about 150 pages) and ambitious, and covers many more areas, but the univocal message is that of a warning about the dangers of this technology. If one looks at this entire catalog of papal warnings from a historical perspective, it is impossible not to see the paradox. Most of the technologies that the Vatican once denounced as existential threats ended up, in the end, making the world a better, more prosperous and more connected place. The printing press democratized culture, the Industrial Revolution raised the global standard of living, cinema and television enriched the collective imagination, and biotechnology saves lives. History shows us that these bad omens of the Popes never came to pass completely, but we must be careful. The value of these encyclicals is not in their ability to predict the future, but in their function as ethical counterweights. It’s okay and necessary that someone warns about the risks, because those dangers were and still are real. Image | The Holy See In Xataka | Spain has been a Catholic country for more than 1,500 years. “The Change” now wants to turn it into an evangelical one

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