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Japan looks for the person who built a road on the largest lake in the country. Does not lead anywhere

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Japan It usually fascinates by The unknown and sometimes inexplicable From our western culture (also It happens to them with us). In a country where many words They don’t even have a translation To our language (or They need a phrase), there are countless situations that cause us curiosity. Then there is another set of stories that not only fascinate us, but also. This is one of them, and it started when someone saw something certain. The road. We are in one of the most famous places in the Japanese country. Located in the center-west of the island of Honshu, in the prefecture of Shiga, northwest of Kyoto, is the monumental Biwa Lakethe most extensive in Japan occupying an area of ​​670 square kilometers. Well, the country lives immersed in a mystery that hardly has a logical explanation: someone has built without permission A road on the lake. And it does not carry anywhere. Lake Biwa from space The Chivatazo. The story began last year, when the Anonymous report He arrived at the Civil Engineering offices of the city of Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. This document reported a strange sighting in Biwa. Someone had built what seemed like a road on the largest lake in Japan. An investigation not only verified the track, but also the measures of that mysterious construction. It was a road about 70 meters long and 3 meters wide made of compacted ground that connected two geographical accidents in the Delta del Río Ado. In addition, you could see tire footprints, which clearly indicates some type of use. Google Maps. The satellite tools like Google Maps gave another track of the antiquity of the road. The satellite shots taken three years ago showed nothing similar to a embankment or road, nor of sediments that indicated some kind of natural formation, and Shiga’s prefecture claimed that “until May last year, the road nobody had confirmed the road.” Location of the “road” on Google Maps Visible. From Google Maps Today it is appreciated that the road has suffered considerable wear, probably due to the water rise. In fact, the area close to the site in question is a wetland that even the locals can access. Takashima residents have no idea, since no one ever goes to that area, “there is nothing to do except that hornets or wild boars,” The premises point out. Television travels. The ball became bigger. If nothing and no one used to approach the surroundings of the construction, who and why the hell did such a work? History has taken such a traction that up there local televisions have been displaced. One of the reporters indicated that when he arrived, he observed that the poor condition had made several areas, which betrayed pieces “that looked like asphalt, iron and concrete.” The last track. After the initial notice, the Department of Civil Engineering reported on the road to the Police. Three days later, the authorities received a call from an anonymous person who told them that he had been the author, and that he had piled up land to make the way. The Civil Engineering Department ordered the person to return the area to their original state. A mystery without logic. If you have come here it is possible that you want to know the reason or reason that led whoever was going to build a road on the most extensive lake in Japan. We talk about a work of days and a lot of work for a single person, one who, apparently, makes no sense. That data Police have not given itand it is only known that there is an accusation for unauthorized development, although the person after the call has not appeared so far. Meanwhile, a year later since the Prefecture instructed those who filled the area to restore it to its original state, but the path that leads to nowhere is still there. Image | A-GIâuYomiuri TV, GLCF In Xataka | The city where it is most snow in the world is in Japan and lives buried under a white mantle: this is Aomori In Xataka | The cities of Japan have begun a fierce struggle to lift their economy. THE KEY RECIPE: Ramen *An earlier version of this article was published in July 2024

In the paradisiaca Tuvalu more than a third of the population has signed up for the same raffle. The prize: flee from the country

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In the world there are those who look at the future with pessimism, who does it with distrust and then is the island nation of Tuvalu, who looks at him underwater. Literally. If NASA’s projections give in the nail, in the middle of this same century Much of its territory it will be below the level of the pleamar, a scenario that will be Even worse In 2100. The panorama is so unhappy that the country has just lived an unusual situation: more than a third Of all its inhabitants have registered in a raffle to move thousands of kilometers from there. Its objective: start from scratch in Australia, free of the threat of the sea. Goodbye Tuvalu. Tuvalu is a small island nation of Polynesia, halfway between Hawaii and Australia, known for its long beaches and palm trees. For a few days, it is news for something that has little or nothing to do with its paradisiacal landscapes: a surprisingly high percentage of its population, just over a third, has registered in a raffle to get the “First Climate Visa” from the world and move 4,000 kilometers away, to Australia. A figure: 4.052. The data is eloquent. The deadline to opt for the new visa opened on June 16 and a few days 1,124 applications. If the direct relatives of the applicants are taken into account, including spouses and children, the total number of Tuvaluanos who aspire to make their bags and leave their homeland rises to more than 4,000, according to The data that handles the BBC chain. It is not bad if several factors are taken into account. First, that the registration period has not yet been closed (it ends in a few weeks) and the number of visas available is very small: only 280 are offered that will be distributed by a random raffle. Another fact that gives a way to the success of the raffle is that according to the official 2022 census in Tuvalu they live a little more than 10,600 peoplewith what they would choose to make the suitcase and move more than a third of its population. But what exactly do they choose? To climatic visas that allow the beneficiaries to move to Australia and, once there, enjoy a permanent residence permit with the right to work, health care, education, a system of subsidies for studies and care of children and student loans. All this also without renouncing Tuvaluana citizenship. In return those interested just have to register in the draw to opt for any of the visas, pay a small rate (16 dollars) and commit to paying the trip if they are chosen. “The first agreement of this type”. The visas are not distributed because yes. They are part of a much broader agreement signed by both nations last year, The false unionfor which Canberra promised to help Tuvalu before “Military aggressions”Pandemics or natural disasters. In addition (and this is one of the most interesting measures) Australia assumed the concession of 280 annual visas with the right to permanent residence that would be distributed by raffle. “This is the first agreement of this type in the world, it offers a way for mobility with dignity as the impacts of climate change worsen,” stands out The Australian Foreign Ministry. A paradise that makes waters. Tuvalu is a small paradise in the middle of the Pacific formed by reef and atolls, with very long beaches and a capricious geography. His future however is dark. The nation sinks. Literally. A while ago NASA published A report That demonstrates that the sea level has risen almost 15 centimeters throughout the last three decades and that, if nothing changes, the water will continue to rise several millimeters every year, gradually limiting the coast of the islands. In a few decades the process could even accelerate. Perhaps a few millimeters do not seem much, but Tuvalu has a peculiarity: in its territory there is no point that protrudes more than six meters On sea level, which leaves it in a delicate situation as climate change progresses. NASA Calculate That in 2050 “much of its earth’s surface” will be below the pleamar, including “critical facilities.” Other forecasts They go further and point out that in 2100 90% of the country will submerge regularly in the ocean, complicating life in the area. “It’s not an option”. The panorama is so complicated that Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo speaks without half inks of what future the island nation faces. “Internal relocation is not an option. We are totally stagnant. There is no option to move inside or higher areas because there are no higher areas,” I recognized Recently at the UN Conference of the UN of Nice. Australia appears as a possibility on the horizon, although with its pros and cons. “For many, especially for young families, it will represent an opportunity for education. For the government of Tuvalu, the new visa also seeks to boost the economy,” Reflect in The conversation Jane Mcadam, from the UNSW Sydney, after remembering that the money remittances that emigrants send to their countries of origin are already a key part of the GDP of nations such as Samoa or Tonga. The problem is that this exodus could also advise the complicated future of Tuvalu, subtracting labor from its economy. Images | 總統府 (Flickr) and Michael Coghlan (Flickr) In Xataka | Tuvalu runs the risk of disappearing due to climate change. Your solution: created a “digital twin”

In the twentieth century the pipelines were the key to the world. In the 21st century are the electrical networks and a country is winning them: China

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While a nation installs almost one hundred solar panels per second, another revitalizes factories to produce gasoline engines. While A build the largest solar plant in the worldthe other promises “Dominant Energy” Based on oil and gas. At first glance, two different strategies seem. Actually, it’s a career. And the prize is not just energy: it is the geopolitical power of the 21st century. Two opposing models. An Ember graph published by Our World in Data He has illustrated The point with amazing clarity. At the beginning of the 2000s you can see China’s gradual rebound. However, the crossing occurs in 2010 where the Asian giant exceeds the 4,000 Teravatios-Hora barrier (TWH), to a vertiginous ascent exceeding 10,000 SWH in 2024. In simple terms, China produces more than double electricity than the United States, which remained in the same line. But the most relevant is not how much it produces, but how it does. Data Source: Ember (2025); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2024) The silent revolution. In just one month, China installed 93 gigawatts of solar capacity, which is equivalent – more or less – one hundred panels every second. To that are added another 26 GW in wind, some 5,300 new turbines underway. According to Lauri Myllyvirta, principal researcher at the Institute of Policy of Asian Society, cited by The Guardian: “Only the facilities of that month would generate as much electricity as whole countries such as Poland, Sweden or the United Arab Emirates.” In total, between January and May 2025, China has added 198 GW of solar capacity and 46 GW of wind, sufficient to match the electricity production of Türkiye or Indonesia. This way, Keep overcoming The more than 1,000 GW, which represents half of the world total. They have known how to get ahead. More and more linked climatic ambitions with the growth of renewable technologies. In a recent speech, cited by The GuardianXi Jinping linked the development of the clean energy sector with China’s economic revitalization: “We have built the world’s largest and most complete energy chain in the world.” The term “new energies” includes renewables, batteries and storage technologies. The Asian giant is currently the largest global supplier of clean technologies: the market of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, electric vehicles and nuclear reactors under construction dominates. In addition, it has almost 700,000 patents in clean energy, more than half of the world total, According to The New York Times. The other face. For a good part of the twentieth century, the United States was the reference in energy innovation: from the first commercial solar cells until The first wind farms. However, since Trump’s arrival, the focus It has been placed again strongly towards fossil fuels. According to The New York TimesWashington has pressed allies such as Japan and South Korea to invest billion dollars in American natural gas infrastructure. At the same time, companies such as General Motors have given clear signs of where the wind blows: the company canceled an electric motion plant near Buffalo (New York) to allocate 888 million dollars To manufacture gasoline V-8 engines. Where asymmetry resides. It is not just two different paths, but in world influence. According to Climate Energy Finance datathe companies of the Asian giant have announced more than 168 billion dollars in foreign investments in clean energy projects: from turbines in Brazil to electric cars in Indonesia, through gigantic solar plants in Saudi Arabia and hydroelectric projects in the Congo. Green energy, for Beijing, is not just a business. It is a soft power tool. A way to gain global land through infrastructure, long -term contracts and own financing. An influence that does not need military bases, but solar panels. In contrast, the United States has cut many of its international energy cooperation programs. Its foreign strategy is more transactional: specific gas, oil or even weapons agreements. But without a structural project that allows you to compete on this new energy board. And this change of roles? Half a century ago, the United States led energy innovation. In 1979, Jimmy Carter He installed solar panels In the White House. Decades later, Barack Obama financed projects like Tesla. But cases Like Solyndra’s failurea solar company that broke after receiving a federal loan, unleashed a conservative narrative against public investment in renewables. China, on the other hand, assumed risks. In the early 2000s, then Prime Minister Wen Jiabao – rare earth geneologist – understood that the country’s economic and geopolitical future went through controlling energy production. Your government invested hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, factories, technical training and innovation. Protected his market, automated manufacturing and dominated access to essential raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and silicon as has developed New York Times. The forecasts. The world is moving towards solar and wind energies, so confirms it The International Energy Agency. The energy demand will continue to grow, but its origin will be different. And that will change the global balance, because whoever leads this new energy matrix will also have a geopolitical, commercial and diplomatic advantage. China is prepared to lead that world. The big question is whether the United States – or any other global actor – is willing to compete with the same strategic vision, patience and scale. Because energy not only moves factories or illuminates cities. Today the global board moves. Image | Unspash Xataka | An explosive ramifications have just opened in the world energy industry: the “Peak Oil” of China

If we want to know what the end of cash will be like, we just have to look at a country that is living it: China

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If you go to China and enter a trade, the most normal thing is that you cannot pay with cash. The blue and green logos of Alipay (Ant Group) and Wechat Pay (Tencent) dominate everything, and have been relegating to traditional coins and bills to an absolute background. While in the West we discuss what to do With cash And Europe considers What will happen to the digital euroIn China they are clear. Cash, nothing. Supermarkets, coffees, taxis, or public transport are some of the many types of scenarios in which The Chinese already pay with Alipay or Wechat Pay. At any point where it is necessary to pay the blue and green logos of these applications, everything dominate, and in fact many businesses do not even have a cash register. According to Le Mondemany taxis and local businesses refuse to accept cash payments, and if they accept them, they do not even have change for buyers. Source: Wikimedia Only the elderly pay with tickets. Ma Dian, a Hubei fruits and vegetable seller, commented in this newspaper how the disappearance of cash payments has lived. “I only accept effective to help the elderly. Below the 80s, practically everyone has made the change. Above, it is much more difficult to adapt.” The elderly are here the greats harmed, and they must ask their relatives for help from the difficulty that they propose to make mobile payments with Alipay or Wechat Pay. QR codes everywhere. The QR codes that we usually see in restaurants in Spain to consult the letter dominate everything in China. There the shops have static or dynamic codes (on screens such as TPV) that customers scan. If we are facing a static code, the client usually has to introduce the amount to be paid. In dynamic codes, the amount is automatically shown. The last step is to authenticate with a password, facial recognition or a fingerprint. Although initially Alipay and Wechat Pay used different codes, in some cases unified QR codes are already used for both apps and it is the client who chooses with which app works on his mobile. Banks lose relevance. The absolute presence of these two digital payment systems have caused Chinese banks – government supplies – also have a secondary role for many clients. It is necessary to have a bank account to have it linked to these applications, but its mobile applications and services are totally overshadowed by Alipay and Wechat Pay, with which users do it practically everything in the field of payments and economic transactions. As John Engen said In American Bankerbanks are often reduced to “passive actors.” Powerful, but at bay. Although both Alibaba and Tencent have managed to monopolize these transactions, the Chinese government It has already demonstrated that remain entities that can be punished in a wrecking way. It happened in 2020 when Ant Group He was about From going to heel. Jack Ma criticized his government at that time, which caused The cancellation of that IPO and An exile of years for one of the great figures of entrepreneurship in China. China wants its digital renminbi. The Chinese Central Bank has been looking for a digital currency for years. Your digital renminbi or Yuan Digital You are also getting more than being an alternative to the dollar: is creating a parallel system. The objective is to have an alternative to the popularity of cryptocurrencies, but a controlled by the Chinese authorities. Although the deployment of this digital currency has been in progress for years, its prominence is very limited, and Momne both Alipay and Wechat Pay continue to dominate everything. And tourists, what. Both platforms, which before They made it difficult To tourists, they have progressively adapted to their needs. For approximately two years both Alipay and Wechat Pay allow foreign visitors to create an account in these applications and associate it with a credit card. Last year too They increased The transaction limits, which in Alipay went from $ 1,000 to 5,000, for example. Better with Chinese mobile number. In Wechat Pay it is even possible to access a kind of purse that they can fill in so as not to associate your Credit card to the app, and thus make small payments. It is necessary to have Internet access for these payments, and hire a SIM or a local ESIM to get a Chinese number – for example, for Validations with SMS – is especially recommended to facilitate this type of transactions. Image | Sergio Kian In Xataka | China has made a drastic decision and unpredictable consequences: prioritizing “its” technology, even worse

Spacex has asked Mexico to stop invading its property and returns the starship pieces that fell into the country

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The tension between Spacex and the Government of Mexico has climbed this week after explosion of a starship prototype of June 18. While the Mexican government investigates the remains that crossed the border as illegal pollution and studies possible demands, Elon Musk’s company says they are of its property and asks to stop hindering its recovery. Context. On the night of June 18, a stage of the Starship rocket suddenly exploded during a fuel load for a motor ignition test. The explosion destroyed the ship and spread fragments around Starbase. A few days later, the local media of Tamaulipas reported that part of the remains They had reached the beaches of La Burrita in Matamoroson the Mexican side of the border. There were gas tanks, steel sheets and aluminum parts. Civil Protection, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Environment of Mexico went to the place to remove the remains and take water, sand and vegetation samples for analysis. Mexican anger. The situation has ended up climbing this week until the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, who described the remains of “pollution” and a possible violation of sovereignty and Mexican environmental legislation. According to Sheinbaum, his government will make “the necessary demands that have to be done” according to international laws. Spacex’s response. In one publication of xElon Musk’s company formally requested the Mexican government to return the remains of the rocket, arguing that they are of their property and that their attempts have been hindered. “Despite Spacex’s attempts to recover related remains (with the explosion), which are and remains tangible property of Spacex, these attempts have been hindered by unauthorized parts that invade (our) private property.” “They are not pollutants.” Spacex states that Starship materials do not represent “chemical, biological or toxicological risk.” And offers resources for cleaning. The company claims to be entitled to recover its property and asks Mexican authorities “local and federal assistance.” It is a shock of narratives. Mexico qualifies the incident as an environmental and security impact against Mexicans. Spacex frames it as a non -polluting private property recovery. Spacex embarked the ball into the neighbor’s house. The neighbor is angry and wants to sue. Image | D Wise, NSF

The strange thing is not that Spain has opposed 5% of GDP for defense. The strange thing is that it was the only country

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At the gates of the Great summit From The Hague, NATO has seen how their debate on military spending had a Unexpected protagonist: Spain. Pedro Sánchez’s refusal to expand that chapter until reaching 5% of GDP has resulted in a strip and loosen between Madrid and the alliance that has resulted in a covenant in extremis which will give greater flexibility to Spain. The key will be that it meets the objectives agreed by the rest of the members, not whether or not you need 5% to achieve it. The position of Spain is interesting because it opens a background debate: should defense capacities be set based on a random percentage or based on the real needs of each country? Are general spending thresholds? A percentage: 5%. Beyond the capacities, objectives, pacts or the role of each country, over the last months the debate within NATO has revolved around a figure: 5%, the percentage of GDP that, According to the allianceeach member nation must allocate to the investment in defense. To be more precise, the idea of ​​NATO is that 3.5% is dedicated to basic expenditure, and the remaining 1.5% to “related investments”, which allows infrastructure or expense in industries. The figure is not accidental. Is exactly the commitment that He claimed Donald Trump, who in December, before even settling in the White House, already He complained openly of the low level of investment of the rest of NATO members and accused the alliance of “taking advantage” of the United States. A protagonist: Spain. With that backdrop and after months, emphasizing the idea that the allies had to increase their expense in defense, to early month NATO made it clear what its new requirement would be for the allies: to raise the 5% defense expense of GDP in 2035. The agreement was accompanied in addition to an investment plan and a list of new objectives that must be validated at the summit that will be held this week in The Hague. Before that date arrived, however, a voice that was not willing to comply with the 5%goal arose: Spain. “For Spain to commit to a 5% goal would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive,” said Pedro Sánchez in A letter Sent to NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte. In his letter he remembered that raising the investment in 5% defense of GDP would be “incompatible with our welfare state and vision of the world.” With its position, the Moncloa became A loose verse Within the alliance, which even annoying To Washington. The Giro: A letter. The disagreement between the NATO dome and Madrid did not last too long. Yesterday Sánchez revealed that both parties have reached an agreement that basically gives Spain wide to decide what percentage of its GDP dedicates to meet the objectives set by NATO. That is, the country undertakes to reach the new Capacity objectives military of the alliance, but without having to dedicate 5% of their GDP. The key is to get there, not how it gets. Sanchez even shared in X Mark Rutte’s letter confirming that NATO will be flexible in that last aspect. In it, the general secretary of the Alliance is clear: “I assume that Spain is sure that the new capacity objectives can be met with a spending trajectory of less than 5% of GDP,” Explain: “I confirm that the agreement reached at the next NATO summit will grant Spain the flexibility to determine its own sovereign trajectory to achieve the objective.” The agency, of course, will review its advances in 2029. New percentage: 2.1%. The million dollar question arrived at this point is … How much does Spain plan to invest? In 2014, NATO It was marked and the goal that the defense spending reached 2% of GDP, but many of its members were maintained last year far from that threshold that is considered today “insufficient”. Among the lags are Portugal, Italy or Canada, countries that, in some cases, have made a effort To get to the Hague Summit fulfilling 2%. In the list also appears Spain, whose investment in defense was around last year, according to The data from NATO, 1.3% of GDP. The Government It has moved token Already for the investment to reach this year in 2%, but they do not seem willing to go much further. In yesterday’s statement in which he announced the agreement with NATO, Sánchez insists that the country is in a position to comply with the rest of the allies without moving too much from the 2%threshold. “Spain will need 2.1% of its GDP to acquire and keep all personnel, all equipment, all infrastructure requested by the Alliance to deal with our abilities to those threats,” Sánchez wields. And emphasize: “2.1%, no more, or less.” “Going from 2 to 5% from here to 2035 would demand to spend about 350,000 million euros, which could only be achieved based on raising taxes at 3,000 euros per year, eliminating benefits, reducing pensions by 40% or cutting in education.” The substantive debate: capacity or percentage? The case of Spain is interesting both for what it represents within NATO and for the debate that opens: does it make sense to link the objectives of GDP expenditure percentages? What is that general threshold for? Is it only political, a mesurable consensus point, or is it really related to the capabilities of the different allies? Sanchez has gone to the background of that discussion and throws doubts about the usefulness of setting an expenditure objective such as 5%, shared by the 32 NATO members. “They think that, for example, in some countries the average salary of a soldier is three times greater than in others who are also NATO members, or that producing or acquiring these defense capacities in certain countries costs half than in others,” reason The socialist. It is not the only one in which it points in that direction. A WARNING: “Insufficient”. In A recent article Published by Andrew Horton and Putri Handrianti and … Read more

France is the most radical country against technology among children. And now it plans something extreme: prohibit social networks

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“We must ban social networks to children under 15 years.” This blunt was the French president, Emmanuel Macron, speaking before the TV cameras. The measure It would be a pioneer In Europe, which studies initiatives in this regard, but there is a problem: France’s regulatory role is having negative consequences For companies and users. What happened. The statements of the Gallic president occurred after the Tuesday tragedy In a French school: a 14 -year -old boy stabbed and killed a member of the teaching staff. As they point out In EuronewsIt is not clear if this attack is associated with something that the teenager had seen on social networks. No knives. Macron intends to prohibit social networks to children under 15 “in the coming months” if there is no progress in a similar regulation at the European level. The tragedy in Nogent’s greate Indian that “a 15 -year -old can no longer buy a knife on the Internet. That means we are going to impose massive financial prohibitions and sanctions.” And either of social networks. But the highlight was that intention to ban social networks, something that even announced in X said intentionIn addition to stating that platforms have the possibility of verifying age to be able to implement this type of control and prohibition. Actually the message is not new: said exactly the same thing more than a year agobut the recent events and European inaction have re -promoted those intentions of Macron. They are already doing it with porn. On June 7, the law that forces pornographic platforms to verify age of users. The objective, prevent minors can access this type of content. But it is not going well. As a consequence of these measures, services such as Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn have decided to leave the Gallic country and stop serving there. According to those responsible, this regulation is inefficient and potentially violates users’ privacy. Also propose a solution Device dependent and in which Google and Apple would have to make some modifications to their operating systems. The struggle of minors and screens. France was a pioneer in 2018 when prohibited mobile phones in schools for students under 15 years. Other countries They followed the wake, but the country continues to alert the dangers of the screens for the minors. In fact, a process was recently initiated to try prohibit the use of any screen (Mobile, but also TVS or computers) to children under six years. According to French experts In pediatrics or child psychiatry, not doing so exposes them to permanent damage to brain development. Spain, in the line of France. In our country the future law of the minor advocates Prohibit registration on social networks of children under 16 yearsclimbing the current limit two years. There are also measures to limit access to technology according to age, and for example from zero to three years the use of children should be prohibited from children, while from three to six years it is advisable except exceptions and under the supervision of an adult. The Spanish “pajorto”. The Government of Spain also launched a year ago The implementation of the Beta Digital Portfolio, popularly known as “Pajorte”. It is a mobile app that will theoretically serve to perform age verification and thus avoid or mitigate access to pornographic content by minors. Its implementation is limited, although the platforms that are already implementing it have detected A colossal fall of its traffic. Europe begins to move card. As they point out In politicianthe European Union has raised a proposal led by Greece and France and Spain as great support. In it the objective is to establish a new regulation to significantly limit the use of social networks by minors. According to the project, minors could lose direct access to networks Like Tiktok or Instagram and would need parental permission to visit these platforms. Denmark, which will occupy the presidency of the EU in the next six months, is in favor of these measures Image | Anthony Choren | Mary Borozdina In Xataka | There were two paths to regulate technology in children: the government has chosen the one with zero screens

North Korea has run out of the Internet this weekend. The question is who uses the Internet in this country

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The Internet connection of all North Korea has fallen for several hours this weekend. At first it seemed reasonable to anticipate that the interruption of the connection could be caused by A cyber attack from the outside as response to attacks against foreign institutions and companies Orchestrated by Lazarusa group of hackers North Korean elite. However, according to ReutersSeveral experts defend that the origin of the problem lies in North Korea and not in an external cyber attack. Junade Ali, a United Kingdom researcher who monitors the behavior of the North Korean Net They hold which seems to be an internal problem and not an attack from abroad due mainly to the fact that connections through China and Russia were also affected. In any case, the main news services of the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Air Koryo airline were some of the web pages that remained inaccessible for several hours. North Korean citizens do not have free Internet access North Korea has one of the most restricted Internet connection infrastructure on the planet. The North Korean government controls it in a strong way with the purpose of preserving the isolation of the country against abroad and ensuring that the administration led by Kim Jong-un exercises absolute control over the information that citizens can access. In practice, the main consequence of this strategy is that North Koreans have a much more limited Internet vision than that we can form the users of other countries. Some north Korea institutions do have total access, or almost total, to the Internet Interestingly, some north Korea institutions do have total, or almost total access to the Internet. The hackers They work for the government, the political elite, the army, government agencies and scientists presumably access to many more resources on the Internet than citizens, although these groups also They are subject to strict supervision of the administration. An interesting note: North Korea is connected to the outside only through two fiber optic links. One of them links this country with China thanks to a connection managed by China Unicom, and the other unites Russia. Whatever the most shocking thing for people who live outside this enigmatic Asian country is that citizens only have access to a completely closed national intranet and controlled by the government known as Kwangmyong (in Spanish it means ‘bright light’). As we can intuit, this Intranet is isolated from the Internet and only brings together a few resources that the Kim Jong-un government considers appropriate so that they can be enjoyed by citizens, such as news and propaganda of the government itself, an internal email service, educational websites and several encyclopedias that, again, are controlled by the administration. This is all. Image | Lukas Kindl More information | Reuters In Xataka | North Korea has been sending armament for months to Russia. In return, Russia is giving him what longs for her: a functional army

Pornhub leaves the country

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You may not sound the name of Aylo Freesites. It does not matter, because what will sound to you are the names of three platforms that are under their umbrella: Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn. The three – and especially the first – are among the most visited porn content websites in the world. And the three They will stop being available in France. What happened. Aylo freesites has the legal obligation to implement a solution to verify age on its platforms before June 7. Restriction is one of the key measures that the French government has imposed with an already known objective: protect minors and prevent them from accessing inappropriate content. It’s my scattergories and I take it. The owners of the celebrated Pornhub have decided to refuse that imposition, and leaves France. It is an especially hard decision, especially considering that according to its own statistics for 2024France is the second most important country for its business, only behind the United States (the most important long) and in front of the Philippines, Mexico and the United Kingdom. An “inefficient” regulation. In politician They cite the words of Solomon Friedman, partner of Ethical Capital Partners, owner in turn of Aylo. In a conference with the media he indicated that the French Law on Age Verification was “dangerous”, in addition to being “possibly an infringement of” and “inefficient” privacy. Until now France allowed Pornhub sites to appear a simple “Are you over 18 years old?” When you log in to the platform, but the new system is much more complex and delicate. Double anonymity. For age verification It is necessary A document issued by the Government (identity card, passport). It is no longer useful to use a bank card. In addition to protecting that identity, the standard obliges porn sites to use external sites in which to perform this age verification. The idea of ​​double anonymity. The principle of “double anonymity” theoretically allows porn sites to receive confirmation that everything is correct in addition to preventing them from knowing the identity of its users. The supplier of that service does know the user’s identity, but not the reason for the age verification or the sites that that user will visit. What a solution Aylo raises. Instead of that process, he explains that he is totally in favor of age verification, defends another method. For them that process should be carried out directly on the device Used to visit those sites, not on websites. This solution would require working with Google and Apple so that with modifications to Android and iOS they were the ones who confirm that the device is being used by an adult or a minor. That, they indicate in Aylo “dramatically reduces the risks of privacy and data theft and creates a very simple process that regulators could promote.” The EU also attacks the porn industry. In the European Union They started Recently an investigation against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVIDEOS for suspecting that they had violated the DSA (Digital Services Act), since one of the objectives of these regulations is to protect minors from access to inappropriate content. All these platforms are considered Vlops (Vray Lark Online Platforms), have more than 45 million monthly users throughout Europe, and therefore have additional obligations. Age verification is one of the systems derived from these obligations. It remains to be seen what everything is left, but the threat is clear: a fine of up to 6% of the global annual billing. Pajorto. The Government of Spain advertisement last year Beta digital portfolio creationpopularly known as “Pajorto“Although its implementation could be delayed until November 2026 (which is the maximum date to comply with the European regulations eidas2which forces member states to have digital identity systems), it was supposed to be ready by the end of this year. Interestingly, Cumlauder, a well -known Spanish website, He advanced to the “parsport” with a system based on or verification of DNI or through a selfie. Spain, European model. The European Commission liked the idea of ​​’pajorto’ so much that now wants to create a European version based on the Spanish system. The idea is to validate the project and that the resulting age verification tools are interoperable among the Member States. The regulations gone2 —That forces states to have insurance digital identity systems before November 2026 – is the legal basis. But privacy is at stake. The system, of course, is not exempt from criticism and continues to threaten the privacy of users. There is Technical alternatives possible, but also others that already exist such as making use of parental controls in minors. It is something that for example Allows Family Link application Google on Android devices. Image | Franco Alva In Xataka | What we know about ‘porn on the Internet’ and its influence on the sexuality of men and women

It is already the second most attacked country in the world by cybercriminals

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Almost daily news of Spanish companies and institutions arise that have been Cybernetic White. In recent months we have seen from data leaks, like the one that affected Telefónicaeven incidents that affected government systems, such as those of the La Rinconada City Council. The digital threat has ceased to be a remote possibility to become a constant reality, and the latest data only confirm it. Spain has once again occupied the second place in the world ranking of countries more attacked by cybercriminals, As confirmed Secure & ItSpecialized in information security, during a day dedicated to regulations and cybercraft held in Madrid. The general director of the company, Francisco Valencia, explained that the country had historically oscillated between the third and fifth place, but that in 2025 he has recovered second place. The position in the ranking is no accident: there are weight reasons The reasons, according to Valencia, are multiple. Spain has a commercial presence in all International markets and occupies a prominent place at the Gross Domestic Product level (GDP). Its geographical situation, as the western end of the European continent, also reinforces its strategic value as a link between Europe and America. But there is a more political component: “Before Brexit, the United Kingdom was the second most attacked country in the world,” Valencia recalled, for his ability to destabilize the European Union. This new ascent also occurs in a moment of special geopolitical sensitivity. During the conflict between Russia and Ukraine there was a temporary descent of Spain in the classification. Now, Spain has once again been one of the favorite whites. From the government, direct allusion to this new ranking has been made, but it has been alerted to the growing gravity of the threat. At the end of April, the president Pedro Sánchez spoke about him Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defense, where he warned that “Spain is the object of more than one thousand cyberattacks to essential services already critical infrastructure” The president said that many of these attacks do not appear in the media, but that directly affect objectives such as hospitals and airports. “Until now our systems have managed to repel the most serious and contain the impacts of the rest, but the threat, far from disappearing, it is clear that every day is greater,” he said. The plan contemplates promoting new telecommunications and cybersecurity capabilities, both military and civilians. Measures include new satellites, 5G infrastructure, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and cloud capabilities. The objective, in the words of the president, is “to create a digital shield for Spain.” The panorama described by Secure & It is equally alarming. According to its latest reports, cybercrime already reaches a global cost close to 1.5% of the global gross domestic product, with groups such as Ransomhub and Lockbit 3 among the most active. Only in 2024, cyber attacks increased 64% Regarding the previous year, according to CCN-CERT data. “The digital crime has everything: it is profitable, scalable and anonymous. There are even platforms that value the reputation of malware suppliers,” Valencia said during his speech. One of the most disturbing elements is the democratization of attack tools. “Today we can talk about Ransomware Diy. A teenager with access to Google, a prepaid card and some time can deploy ransomware,” he warned. Meanwhile, the number of attacks continues to grow, and efforts to contain them also seem to be increasing. Images | Freepik | Xataka with Grok In Xataka | We visited the National CNI cryptological center: here is the epicenter of Spanish cybersecurity In Xataka | How to change all our passwords according to three cybersecurity experts

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