How much electricity produces each country with renewable energy, exposed in a graphic

Europe has been Up on the Renewable Train. This summer they have SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION REGRESSESwe are installing new huge wind turbines And, although with contradictions such as import energy from Africait is evident that the continent carries a Cruise speed in renewables. However, that train goes to two speeds, with countries in which renewables are hardly nothing in their electricity generation. And it is something that we can perfectly appreciate on this map elaborated by Visual Capitalist. Vanguard. With Eurostat data until December 2024, we can see that The transition to renewables He goes with the wind in favor. The generation of energy from wind, solar, hydroelectric, the Geothermal and the biofuels They already represent values ​​that exceed 99% of the net electricity generation of some countries. In general, it is estimated that, as of December 2024, the European Union obtained almost 42% of its net electricity from the renewable sources, being wind and hydroelectric plant the fundamental legs of this change. Interestingly, despite all Advances in panel technology and wind turbines, the countries in which renewables are more important have as the protagonist the hydroelectric. This is the case of Albania, which leads the list by generating more than 99% of its electricity from renewables, or Norway. In the case of Denmark, a country that occupies third place, it is the wind that marks the guideline. To the tail… When we said that the train goes to two speeds, we refer to cases such as the Czech Republic, Moldova and Malta. In some areas of Central and Eastern Europe, the fossil fuels are still crucialand the three countries mentioned are the least proportion of renewables in their electricity generation. As a red lantern, we have Kosovo with just 8.8% of its energy from renewables. The sources. Something interesting is to know which are those renewables that are pushing clean energy in Europe. In Spain, for example, We throw ourselves into the arms of the plotbut the energy mix that has contributed to these numbers, depends a lot on each country, and in the European photo, the plot is in third place. According to Eurostat, wind energy meant 39.1% of the renewable energy produced in 2024, followed by 29.9% of the hydroelectric and 22.4% of the solar. The biofuel is far, with 8.1%, and the geothermal energy is marginal, contributing only 0.5%. Situation in 2024 A devastating advance. And beyond distinguishing in countries, if we look at the global situation, we see that more than 40% of the net energy produced by the EU in 2024 comes from renewables. According to Eurostat, 47.3% of electric production, which translates into 1.31 million GW/Hy an increase of 7.7% compared to 2023. Evolution of energy production during the last 35 years In that same graph We can see that fossil fuels have fallen by 7.2% compared to the previous year (almost the same as renewables) and nuclear, despite the plans of some countries, grew by 4.8%. We will see what course this has in 2026, since a Eurobarometer survey carried out in June 2025 Indian Strong support from EU citizens to the adoption of renewables, but we will have to see if that renewable deployment is compatible with another that is being performing ambitious and You need huge amounts of energy: the one Data centers. Images | Eurostat In Xataka | Something is happening with wind energy. Its deployment has stopped while solar energy grows unstoppable

Japan is saturating from the hordes of foreign tourists. So in the country they have begun to give them free flights

Japan is filling with tourists. Only during the first half of the year added 21.5 million of foreign visitors, 21% more than during the same period of 2024. There are many. Many. Enough to he overwhelming It has become a Debate theme priority and be giving wings to the formation of extreme right Sanseitō, who managed to stand out in the July elections with the motto “Japan first”. The problem is that, far from being distributed in the country, that tide of visitors is concentrated in certain mass points. There are those who want to solve it giving flights To tourists. What happened? That Japan Airlines (JAL), one of Japan’s main airlines, has had An idea peculiar so that foreign tourism becomes more bearable to the country’s mass destinations: give tickets. Literally. The idea is that foreigners visiting Japan have free flights that encourage them to go beyond Tokyo or Osaka and explore less known corners, such as Sapporo, Naha either Hakuba. The goal is double: relieve pressure at the busiest points in the country and, incidentally, give a small push to foreigners to visit places that would never include in their itineraries. What do they propose? The first thing to clarify is that it is not a new campaign. Aviation Wire I already talked about her in October 2024but with mass tourism in the center of the debate and Japan turned into one of the most demanded destinations in the world, the campaign has gained popularity again. In recent weeks, media have talked about it as Soranews24, Time out or the specialized website Travel and Tour Worldconfirming that the initiative was launched in autumn without completion date. The idea too He has echoed in Spain. What are your details? The campaign consists of giving national flights to foreign tourists so that they can move through Japan, although (as usually happens) it has a small print. It is not available for all visitors and even those who can opt for it must meet before A series of requirements. From the entry the offer is available to users of certain countries, such as the United States, Canada, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam or the Philippines, inter alia. In addition, the beneficiary travelers must reserve on their own the international round trip from their country of origin. Once in Japan it is when they can opt for one of the national tickets of JAL promotion, which must include in the same reserve. TTW precise An extra detail that demonstrates how the campaign aspires to relieve pressure in the most busy cities in the country: those visitors flying from the US, Canada, Mexico or China and decide to remain more than 24 hours in the city where they land (usually tokyo) must pay a rate of $ 100. Why is it important? Beyond the details of the campaign or if it really goes on account or not foreign tourists, Jal’s idea is interesting for another reason: it shows Japan’s attempts to make tourists’ avalanche more assumed and do not saturate its most popular destinations. That the initiative has had so much impact is also explained by who spears it: Japan Airlines is one of the main country airlines and on its website presume that your group has a total of 133 national routes and 66 international connections. This wide network of domestic connections is what intends to take advantage of foreigners explore places in the country less popular than Tokyo or the Las Geishas neighborhood of Kyoto, like ski slopes of Nisekothe reefs of Okinawathe mountains of Hakuba either Tomamu or the natural landscapes of Hearbetween a long (very long) and so on. In his favor he has the Encrying From Japan Rail Pass (JRP), which makes the plane win attractive in determining routes. So much tourism in Japan? Yes. The latest official statistics show that during the first half of the year he received 21.5 million of foreign tourists, a surprising fact for two reasons. The first, because it is a record for the country. The second, because it represents an increase of 21% with respect to the same semester of 2024, which gives an idea of the accelerated rhythm to which the sector is growing. Only in June the flow of foreign visitors grew by 7.6%. That boom has come accompanied by the arrival of Millions of dollarsbut has also submitted to the country (especially the most massive destinations) to A pressure that has electorally fed the formation of the extreme right Sanseito, which relies on A speech antituristic and antimigratory. The clearest example of that overwhelming It is located in three busy places: the Fuji, where They have started to charge a rate; The neighborhood of the Geishas de Kyoto, where They have prohibited to “paparazzi tourists”; And Fujikawaguchiko, who has had to cover his views to avoid the hordes of tourists to hunt the best Selfie. Does it work to give flights? It does not seem. As the statistics demonstrate, Japan continues to win tourists and Tokyo remains in The lists of the busiest places. The director of JapaneseLaura Tomàs, acknowledges in An interview with The confidential that the campaign also has some clear weak points. “The routes do not always fit the schedules, the information is not clearly communicated and in many cases the tourist ends up opting for the known.” Images | Matt Cramblett (UNSPLASH), Nomadic Julien (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | Japan will copy Venice to stop mass tourism. Two levels of transport price: the tourist pays more

It has been a European country

Germany has the third highest construction in Europe. With its 368 meters, the Fernsehturmor the Berlin television tower, it is a lighthouse in the German city. It will remain the highest construction in the country, but by little. About 130 kilometers, near the town of Schipkau, the works to lift another colossus have begun: the wind turbine higher in the world. And beyond its dimensions, which are imposing, what really attracts attention is that … it is not Chinese. Peculiar design. It was last year when we met the Project for this wind turbine. The idea is that of a tower with a center at 300 meters above the ground level and a total height telling 365 meter blades. It is very high, yes, but the blades are really less impressive than those of the Chinese wind turbine, with its diameter of 270 meters in which Three football fields would fit From one end to the rotor, which is capable of Alter the microclimate. To achieve such a height, the conventional “Palote” design would not be viable, so that those responsible for Gicon have devised a support similar to that of high voltage towers, but crowned with the turbine and blades. It is something that can be seen in this 3D animation: It is not a whim. Operating at that height has two advantages. One is that the wind speed is greater and, theoretically, it would allow to increase wind production by 40%. How we read in the middle HeiseJochen Grossmann, general director of Gicon, comments that “the performance of large -altitude turbines is double that of conventional facilities.” But it’s not just about take faster windsbut to be able to generate more electricity in fields that already had wind turbines. They have defined this project as a three -level generation, with Solar panels On the ground, installed on land where there were already traditional generators and, as their new ‘mills’ are so high, they could be integrated in parallel to the traditional ones. They would not be stolen wind and the gain would be optimized. Ambition. At the moment, they have already started the construction and, although they had planned to start producing this year, a small delay has moved the inauguration until some time of 2026. The idea, however, is to install up to 1,000 turbines of these characteristics by the country before 2030. Complaints. From Gicon it was announced that part of the economic benefits will be shared with the local population, but as we read in the middle RBBnot everyone has felt this giant wind turbine well. The Schwarzheide air club submitted an application to the authorities by stating that its location, about two kilometers from the airfield, will harm its activity. The Superior Administrative Court of Berlin, however, backed down the complaint. And it seems a curious case because the application was filed when the airfield had already been dismantled after the termination of the use contract between Schipkau and Schwarzheide. But well, although it seems that the times are too dilated for the construction of a single wind turbine (for the moment), from the company they have claimed that they prioritize the precision About the speed. And we will see if things march well in Germany and these projects can be exported to countries such as Spain, one of the countries with more wind installed. Image | Gicon In Xataka | China installed in August the most powerful “wind turbine” capable of resisting typhons. Two blades have just been broken

Germany was the country of beers, sausages and the punctuality of their trains. The latter is ending

We live on myths and stories that many times do not fit reality. For example, Germany has long touched together with an external perception where its citizens They are very workerseven more than the rest of Europe (although the data Say something else). Also that they are the nation of sausages, beer and legendary punctuality of their trains. And either. The collapse of a myth. Yes, for decades, Germany cultivated the image of a country where rail punctuality was as part of national identity as beer or sausages. Today that image It cracks: Only 56% of long -distance trains arrive within the official margin of six minutes, a remarkable fall compared to 85% of the nineties. The situation has become so serious that Switzerland He has vetoed The passage of German trains beyond Basel, fed up with the delays that affect their own network. Cases like that of a damaged train near Vienna that left 400 passengers trapped For six hours in a tunnelor the closure For nine months From the Berlin-Hamburg line for repairs, they reflect The collapse of a system punished for three decades of infinance. Between wear and frustration. The railway company acknowledges that 80% of the delays are due to An obsolete infrastructureprone to failures and overloaded, which forces drastic solutions and a expensive modernization. For passengers, experience has become everyday calvary: endless waiting, crowded trains and lost connections that alter both professional and personal life. Travelers such as banker Michael Prieggen or retired Gerald Vogel summarizes it In the Washington Post Non -Rodeos: reliability is already the exception, and the network is in a state of “disaster.” In stations such as wuppertal or bonn, delays accumulate and complaints become a indignation choir that expresses a crisis of trust in one of the symbols of German efficiency. Investment promises. Solutions? Given this scenario, the government has allocated record figures: 25,000 million dollars in 2025 and more than 116,000 million until 2029, with part of the funds from A historical package Investment in infrastructure and climate that is a change of course in German fiscal discipline. Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder has described punctual levels as “unacceptable” and has promised substantial improvements to reach 75-80% of specific trains in 2027. However, experts and user associations They warn that the hole created for thirty years of abandonment will not be solved in a few years and that the network still requires greater injections of capital and structural reforms. National identity. Plus: The German rail crisis is not just a mobility problem. As we said, it touches sensitive fibers of the national identity. In a country where precision and reliability are considered collective virtues, see how the rail system collapses or even It compares With other nations, it results deeply humiliating. That the Swiss (referents in rail efficiency) distrust of German trains is an even greater symbolic blow. If you want, the debate transcends the technical and reflects a broader anxiety about Germany’s ability to maintain the prestige of its economic and social model. Delays and breakdowns, repeated daily, not only hinder trips, but They erode trust in the nation that was once synonymous with mechanical punctuality. Europe Heat. It is the last of the legs to analyze. The current state of Deutsche Bahn It is both an operational crisis as a more than possible mirror of LEuropean dilemmas: infrastructure that age, insufficient investment and a growing tension between national expectations and economic realities. It’s not just that the old continent is not prepared for a war Due to its waysis that Germany, once of rail modernityhas become an ad for navigators. The nation is trapped between the memory of its past perfection and the urgency of reconstructing a system that has stopped complying with the Germanic Puntalidad ideal. In that gap, not only the credibility of a company is played, but part of the country’s own identity, with Europe at the bottom of the frame. Image | Raimond Spekking In Xataka | The myth says that Germans work more than the Spaniards. The data tell a different thing In Xataka | Germany has tried the four -day week and is clear about its verdict: 73% of companies will not return to five

Nine of the ten hottest villages in Europe this summer are in the same country: Spain

The Second heat wave of the year It does not seem willing to give ground yet. Not even before the storms announced for these days they will improve the situation, which will last at least until Tuesday 12 according to the last special notice of the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet). Coping the top positions. Last Tuesday the heat in the Iberian Peninsula caused a picturesque image: nine of the 10 largest records of maximum temperatures collected by a weather in European countries were captured in Spain. So He reviewed through his social networks the Meteorology fan magazinethat cited data of the platform Ogimet. Temperatures in this rankingThey ranged from 41.1 celsius registered in Coria, Cáceres; Until 42.3º of the Écija station, Seville. All of them above the Batman Turkish weather station, which with 41º remained in the tenth place of this particular classification. The maximum temperatures of the last hours have been reduced, and now it is Türkiye that is in the eye of the hurricane. The situation It has been invested And now Spain has a weather station in this peculiar “Top 10”. This is the Granada airport station, which registers 40.6º. The heat wave continues. More moderate temperatures than those registered a few days ago but still high. That is why Aemet Maintain yellow and orange notices (for important risk) In good part of the country, at least until Saturday (the notices begin to announce three days). Today the notices for important risk will affect not only the entire community of Madrid, also to areas of Andalusia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, and even Galicia. Tomorrow the notices for important risk will also extend to Aragon and Navarra. A stagnant situation. According to Explain Aemetthe situation is propitiated by an “quite stationary” atmospheric situation, which opened its way to a warm and dry air from Africa. An air mass that extends throughout the Peninsula and that, thanks to the high insolation, has allowed temperatures to be triggered during these days. To the point that, despite yesterday’s thermal descent, the situation could be aggravated again today and during the weekend. The forecasts z of temperatures above 40º in the depressions of the Northeast and in the valleys of Miño, El Tajo, El Guadiana and the Guadalquivir. Until Tuesday? The question that many will be asking is how long this will last. Aemet’s special notice It will remain active at least until Tuesday, but that does not mean that the heat wave will end there. The forecasts talk about temperatures that will continue on Monday and Tuesday, but the agency indicates that the uncertainty starting Wednesday is too high, although the models indicate a possible drop in temperatures. That is why the only answer that can be given is that we still do not know how long this heat wave will last. In Xataka | The Catalan and Segura basins toured different paths during the drought. Now they share something: the passage of the trough Image | ECMWF

OpenAI is already generating GDP size benefits from a small country. Follow light years of being profitable

Winning 12,000 million dollars a year seems somewhat prodigious for any company, but not when that company is called Openai. The evolution of income is being remarkablewithout a doubt, but both her and others – and here Anthropic is another good example – something serious happens to them: that they continue to spend more than they win. 12,000 million for OpenAi in 2025. As indicated In The Informationa new estimate that Openai’s “annualized” revenues will be 12,000 million dollars in 2025. The figure is a projection, but it is significant taking into account that in 2024 the estimated revenues were according to various sources of 3.7 billion dollars, although In Reuters They talked about the fact that they had actually reached 5.5 billion dollars. And 4,000 for Anthropic. The same media also recently indicated how the estimate in the case of one of its great rivals, Anthropic, has also risen and now It is 4,000 million dollars. Just two months ago that figure had already been checked and was 3,000 million, which means one thing: both are growing in number of subscribers. 700 million “Chatgpteros”. Another of the data to which the information article points out refers to the number of weekly active users. According to their data, 700 million people use chatgpt at some point in the week, which marks a unique milestone for the company. It is true that the vast majority of them are users of the free version, but that base is what allows part of those who use the service for free They end up pointing out to any of the chatgpt subscription plans. Income growth is being unusual in OpenAi and Anthropic, but both companies are spending absolute fortunes to end up being profitable. Source: Reddit. It will win 12,000 million, how much will it spend? In Reuters indicate that the internal estimates of the company also point to higher expenses. According to those projections, OpenAI will spend 8,000 million dollars, but that figure is dentra on direct operational expenses. There are many more associated expenses – investments, infrastructure, other financial obligations – and that makes OpenAi not profitable for now. We do not have estimated spending data for Anthropic, but it has an identical problem: Spend more than you earn. Spectacular, but. Although this growth in income is certainly extraordinary, it must be taken into account that to achieve this, these companies carry “Burning money” for years. The investment rounds that Anthropic and especially OpenAi have captured have allowed them to have a lot of room for maneuver to lose huge amounts of money without that at the moment that worries too much. And they will continue to spend as possess. Especially in the case of Openai, which thanks to SoftBank support It has great plans that will make it necessary to spend true fortunes. They have done it to Buy the Jony Ive design study for 6,500 million dollars, but above all they will do it with the project Stargatewhich still seems like very difficult to complete. But no profitability until 2029. Those responsible for OpenAi do not seem too worried, and we knew what the company’s financial road map was known weeks. They will continue losing money until 2029when supposedly – all is a free estimate, not a promise – will earn 100,000 million dollars. It will be then when the company will begin to be really profitable, but again, All this is a promise (or maybe a hope). It could not perfectly be fulfilled … and even ending up falling short. Image | das | Fortune Brainstorm Tech In Xataka | Chatgpt takes the step to conquer students and teachers: their new mode does not give the answer, I build it with you

Cut the Internet in half a country

The war between Russia and Ukraine is far from being symmetrical: while Russia attacks Shaheds of thermobárica load, Ukraine does so with pellets. However, kyiv is reaping great successes with drones, as in the Spiderweb Operation. They are among the main reasons why the higher commanders of the Zelenski army believe that the country You can resist this year and beyond. And they are causing havoc in infrastructure and Internet cuts to the population. Reality. Associated Press collects the complaints of many Russian citizens who complain about the normal MOBILE NETWORK In his country: “We have the Internet until 12 at night, and recently there has been no connection,” the blogger Pavel Osipyan on Instagram was rapped from the city. In that city the cuts are frequent, but also in others such as Voronezh, near Ukraine or Samara. A difficult day by day for citizens. Internet cuts are leaving many people without being able to pay by card, without being able to use transport applications or even unable to get money from ATMs. The Na Svyazi activist group, whose name translates into Russian for “being connected”, He has reported mobile internet cuts in 73 of 80 regions. And in 41 of them, there are also cuts from the domestic Internet. The official reason. Russian authorities are making internet cuts in many regions because Russian and Ukrainian drones depend on mobile networks to operate and operate key aspects such as navigation, according to, Kateryna StepanenkoRussian analyst at Institute for the Study of War. The mobile connection is also key to sending video in real time and receiving orders. The trend began in May, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Germany in World War II. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremim confirmed deliberate restrictions. How long? “It will be done as necessary.” In the Duma, these blockages were talked about as a form of “Preventive protection aimed at suppressing possible threats“ The suspicion: Russia kills two birds with a shot. In Russia they have been common internet cuts and Social Network Blockingand experts like Anastasiya Zhyrmont, of the group Access Nowframe these new Internet blockages as another form of population control. In this sense, constantly chase VPN services. YouTube, for example, is not blocked, but Very slowedalready end of the year was in a 20% of its normal level of activity. From Human Rights Watch They have indicated in the past their restrictive measures as censorship. Disconnection and alternative. Russia has been preparing for a total internet disconnection for years. In 2019 he tested disconnect your network infrastructure of the rest of the Internet, and the experiment was listed as ‘success’. At the end of 2024, the country successfully simulated a Internet disconnection in several regions. Before a possible forced disconnection, such as asked Ukraine in 2022 To the Icann, there are A whole plan ready. Image | Maxim SubotinXataka, Trong Khiem Nguyen (Flickr) In Xataka | The production of Russian drones was so huge that Ukraine has opened them looking for clues. The surprise is China

In an increasingly aging country to become old, it is a condemnation of poverty

G. Young Soo has done everything reasonably well In life. At least in work. At 23, she began working as a office worker in an insurance company and throughout the last three and a half decades, she has gradually climbing in the organization chart, through the positions of a branch director and team leader in several departments. Now, with 59 years, his future is quite black: his salary has been trimming during the last five years until he stayed in the middle of what he charged at 55 and in a few months, when he reached 60, he will have to leave his post. It is not that Young Soo has angry at its bosses or that has been accommodated after 36 years of loyal service. No. His employment situation is explained simply and plainly by the complex (and controversial) Employment Laws of South Korea based on age. “Alone on a road with curves”. Young Soo is a pseudonym, but its history is real and reflects the situation in which many South Korean workers are about to turn 60. We know it because it is one of the 34 employees in the country Interviewees By Human Rights Watch (HRW) to know the work overview (and vital) they face. All share several characteristics: they are between 42 and 72, they work in Seoul (some in the public sector, others in private companies) and will have to deal with the country’s labor policies. Their stories often go along the same lines as G. Young Soo: after years (or even decades) of work their professional/financial/vital perspectives darken as they approach their sixty birthday. Another similar case is that of Young Sook, 59 too and that has been working as a nurse for almost four decades. At 60 he will have to retire, yes or yes, a perspective that causes authentic unease. “I can’t imagine outside this organization”, confesses The woman during her talk with HRW. “It would be like being alone on a road with curves.” “Punished for aging”. His stories are part of A report of 72 pages in which HRW warns of the serious consequences that Corea’s laws and policies have for the oldest population. The document is so critical that its tone already advances in the same title: “Punished for aging”. It may seem exaggerated, but the analysis indicates that the country’s regulations often end up condemning its elders to a gradual loss of purchasing power, worse quality jobs, low remuneration and undercurred mental health. “The laws and policies of South Korea to protect older workers from age discrimination actually have the opposite effect,” Bridget Sleap warnsHRW researcher. “They deny older workers the opportunity to continue working on their main jobs, they are paid less and force them to accept precarious jobs and with lower salaries, all simply because of their age. The government should stop punishing workers just to age.” In your report there is an idea that slides several times: “Remove Ageism“ A percentage: 38%. The report of HRW not only exposes specific cases. It also slides some figures and percentages that help to better understand the situation that the elders live in the country. According to the data it manages, in 2023 the relative poverty rate among people of 65 or more years was 38%, The worst result of the countries that make up the OECD. In practice, that means that almost four out of ten elders have 50% (or less) of the national average income, which in 2023 stood at approximately $ 28,200. HRW quotes another report that reveals that the average monthly salary of 60 or more years were 29% lower than their younger colleagues. The percentage is not too surprising if we take into account two factors. The first is that in the country there is a system that allows to reduce wages in the years before retirement. The second, that 69% of people over 60 who worked in 2023 did it in precarious jobs. If we talk about the South Korean population as a whole, that data does not reach 40%. A problem with three legs. The big question arriving at this point is … Why are so many older ones attached to that situation? Although there are many factors at stake, there are three keys, three laws or labor policies based on age for HRW. The first is the mandatory retirement age. South Korean legislation is fixed from the age of 60, which means that companies can force a work to retire when they are fulfilled. No need to claim more reasons. They are the companies those that decide whether or not they set a retirement age, but the measure is widespread. Both in the public sector and among private companies. Especially in organizations of more than 300 employees. According to the South Korean Ministry of Labor, they accept that possibility 95% of companies With that last profile, signatures that usually set forced retirement in the 60 years. Among small businesses it is not so normal. In the country I already has opened the debate on the need to rethink (and increase) retirement age. In fact, President Lee Jae Myung has committed to approximately 65 years old, but HRW’s study slides that the key is not when the elderly are withdrawn, but how they do it. The maximum salary rule. The other standard that HRW quotes is the “maximum salary” system, which marks the last years of the elderly in its companies. “It allows employers to reduce workers’ salaries during the three or five years prior to their mandatory retirement,” says the agency, recalling that this practice “causes financial and psychological damage” to those affected, in addition to “based on a discriminatory stereotype.” Without counting on its impact on the quotes, compensation for dismissal or unemployment payments. And why does that system apply? The initial idea was to reduce the cost of hiring major personnel in a salary system based on antiquity and at the same time favor the creation of … Read more

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

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

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”

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.