foreign

Japan has been charging a 0% tariff on foreign cars for half a century. It will be very difficult for you to find one on the street.

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Japan is a fascinating country, one of those that is difficult to understand from the point of view of a Westerner. Perhaps because we ourselves have turned our backs on Asian culture during our years of teaching or because, simply, they have historical and cultural particularities that are difficult for us to assimilate. What is certain is that the Japanese have deep roots in the consumption of local products. It must be taken into account that Japanese society is deeply nationalisticperhaps because it is surrounded by other countries where this feeling is also deeply rooted, such as China or the Koreas, which has caused continuous tensions in the area. After the Second World Warthe United States financed the recovery of Japan, with the clear objective of putting a geopolitical plug on the communism that threatened from China and Korea. A movement that could have diluted this nationalist sentiment. Little by little, the country grew and in the 70s it managed to diversify its industry and, at the same time, apply technical innovations that placed it at the global forefront in many sectors. Taking advantage of the weakness of the yen against the dollar, they decided to put all their efforts into export as much of your products as possible. Those exports flooded the world economy with products. One of the most significant were cars. In its technical innovations, the country prioritized the efficiency of its engines, key to flooding the market when the oil crisis. Compared to American and European cars, The Japanese were cheaper and consumed less. It was at that moment that the industry completely exploded and Japan decided to make a decision: it lifted tariffs on foreign cars. Come and see Japanese politicians must have thought something like this in 1978. In order to be more competitive in foreign markets, the country lifted all tariffs for those who wanted to import a car into their country. That is, any foreign brand could sell its cars in Japan without paying a single extra euro. In Japan they should not have any fear of what was going to happen. Its industry was so powerful and the cultural factors were so determining that foreign vehicles have not fully penetrated the market. For testing, In 2016 the European Union lifted the 10% tariff with which it taxed Japanese cars. The 3% that Japanese manufacturers paid for producing in Europe but using Japanese parts was also raised. In exchange, the European Union found the door open to sell other products, such as cheese or wine. So, the European Union came from buying 575,000 cars from Japan worth 9,000 million euros while we only sold them 279,000 vehicles worth 7,300 million euros, they collected in The World. From here we can get two readings. The European Union, a specialist in car exports, had only placed 279,000 cars in Japan in a market in which Almost five million units were sold in 2016. Of the 12 best-selling brands that year in the country, only one (Mercedes in tenth position) was foreign. And none of the 30 best-selling cars in the country were foreign. The cars that the European Union managed to place in Japan were high-priced vehicles. The average unit cost Japan more than 26,000 euros while those purchased by the European Union cost less than 16,000 euros. That is to say, it was difficult for Europe (and very difficult) to compete by volume. When Japan opened its doors to the world, it had to be aware of the country’s particularities. Tough emissions and space regulations have made cars disappear from the center of large cities. Since the 60s is applied in the country Shako Shomeishothe obligation to have a space where you can park your car to have the right to buy a car. In a country that is concentrated in cities, the limitation is decisive. Furthermore, the Japanese customer fully trusts their companies and finds it difficult to open up to new technologies. The reception of the hybrid car compared to any other technology (and the resistance of the Japanese firms themselves to the electric car) is a good example of this. To this we must add that, due to price, the large generalists cannot compete since local vehicles are much cheaper, taking advantage of the fact that production within the country is more competitive. The value of the yen, lower than the dollar, euro or pound, allows them to obtain large amounts of money for the development and manufacturing of a product that allows them to lower prices in their local market. On the contrary, foreign companies that have to sell there face a cut market due to emissions regulations, the barrier of space regulations and that they have the obligation to change the production of the car since when driving on the left they need to position the controls on the opposite side. An added cost that creates another obstacle. The result is that we Europeans and Americans end up offering Japan cars that are not interesting. In Japan, minivans and cars are a religion. kei carcontained on the outside and with a very large interior space. A type of car that has disappeared in Europe while in Japan the Toyota Sienta, the Nissan Note and the Honda Freed occupied the places of third, fourth and fifth best-selling car in the country. And you can continue down the list of 20 best-selling cars in Japan in 2025. You won’t find a single one that is foreign. And, by the way, 13 of them are from Toyota. Photo | toyota In Xataka | Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, on the electric: “I cannot limit myself to seeking profitability or carbon neutrality. We love cars” A version of this article was published in April 2025

is becoming a destination for foreign weddings

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In 2025 Japan received 42.7 million of foreign tourists, a flood of visitors from other countries wanting to get out selfies with Fuji in the backgroundsee the geishas of Kyoto, marvel at almond trees in bloom of Fujiyoshida or stroll through the famous (and increasingly dirty) Shibuya crossing. Among these hordes, however, there is a group of travelers with very different plans: their objective is not only tourist for the country. In fact, that is not the ‘highlight’ of their trips. If they go to Japan it is basically to get married. And in doing so they are promoting a huge business. Bodorrio in Japan? that Japan is living a real tourist boom It’s nothing new. In fact, not even the diplomatic crisis that broke out at the end of 2025 with Beijing (and the subsequent boycott by China) seems be taking its toll to the sector. Last year the country received 42.7 million of foreigners, an absolute record that exceeds by 15.8% the 2024 record and further strains the (often tense) coexistence between natives and visitors. What is new is that, in the heat of that tourism accelerated, Japan is encountering an increasingly frequent visitor profile: foreign couples who come to the country to say ‘I do’. There is not much data on the phenomenon and what there is suggests that it is not a generalized or massive trend, but it is clear enough that in the last months have dedicated articles several Japanese newspapers. Ceremony with views of Fuji. The last one to report on the subject has been The Japan Timesthat has interviewed to tourists who have decided to get married in Japan and to some of the companies specialized in organizing ceremonies. Specifically, they have talked with Nomad Weddingsa New Zealand firm that is dedicated to planning weddings and romantic getaways and claims to have served a thousand couples from more than 40 countries since its founding in 2012. It has had a presence in Japan for three years. Among its users there are tourists from Oceania, but also Europe, North America and Latin America. “Our business is growing. It picked up quickly in 2025 and this year I’m traveling all over Japan helping couples get married. It’s definitely becoming more and more popular,” comment its founder, James Hirata, before sharing some data about the agency: from registering about four weekly consultations in 2025, they have gone up to 24 this year. Something similar happens with reserves: last year there were 24; So far in 2026 they have surpassed that figure and are at 69. Not big numbers, right? True, but they represent only the balance sheet of a company. A quick Google search shows that there are more agencies who have decided to bet on that business niche and online guides that explain to foreigners how to manage a wedding in Japan. a few weeks ago The Japan News interviewed in fact to another company, Value Management Co., based in Osaka and which has been dedicated to offering marriage services to foreigners since 2024. Their figures are also modest, but those responsible hope to increase them exponentially in the coming years. The figure: 4.3 billion. Beyond the balance sheets of each wedding agency, the market research firm Future Market Insights helps to understand better the enormous potential of the so-called “destination weddings” in Japan. According to your calculationsin 2036 the sector could reach a valuation of 4.3 billion dollars, more than double the estimated volume in 2026. Taking into account the success of destinations such as Okinawa, the popularity of Japan in other Asian countries (China, South Korea or Taiwan) and the “growing acceptance of non-traditional wedding formats”, the firm expects the business to grow over the next decade at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 8.5%. What exactly do they offer? The Japan News share the case Specifically, a couple in their thirties from the US who said ‘I do’ in Osaka. Their case is interesting because it helps to understand what exactly brides and grooms who decide to travel thousands of kilometers to pass through the altar are looking for: first they wanted the ceremony to be in a garden, with cherry blossoms and Japanese architecture in the background; Then, after the wedding, several days in the country followed, traveling through Tokyo and Okinawa. In total they were in Japan for 17 days and mobilized about 20 guests, people who also took the opportunity to visit Yakushima, Fuji or Hiroshima. Another example is that of Ben and Ariella Jacobya couple from California who in the spring of 2023 decided to exchange their vows thousands of kilometers from their home, near Lake Kawaguchi, with Fuji as a backdrop. She had never been to Japan. He did and decided he wanted his wedding to take place there. He is not the only one who makes a decision like this. Among the foreigners who come to Okinawa to get married are former US soldiers who return to the region where the Kadena Air Basein which they served. The experience of course does not come cheap for them, just like the rest of the tourists who want to say ‘I do’ in Japan. Hirata explains that budgets fluctuate between 700,000 and one million yen (3,800-5,400 euros) only for the wedding ‘package’; that is, management and coordination, in addition to photography, hairdressing and makeup services. Opportunities… and challenges. The increase in ‘destination weddings’ coincides with the tourism boom that Japan is experiencing and represents an opportunity for a sector (the one dedicated to organizing weddings and their services) that has seen how the domestic market is gradually becoming more complicated: the marriage rate in Japan has collapsed in recent decades and in the country it is increasingly common That couples who do get married do so in simple ceremonies, with few guests. In contrast, foreign brides and grooms are increasingly attracted to Japan’s landscapes, heritage and culture. Also the possibility of linking the wedding with a trip … Read more

that foreign truck drivers validate their licenses

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Almost everything you consume has traveled in a truck at some point in the process. From the fruit that arrives in the supermarkets to the Amazon package that you have been waiting for all day. Road transport moves a good part of the economy in Spain and, at this moment, this gear has a serious problem: there is a lack of drivers for these trucks. Many drivers. The situation has reached a point where Spain has been exploring for months an avenue that a few years ago was unthinkable: exchanging foreign licenses so they can drive transport vehicles on Spanish roads. A deficit that gives no respite. According to the data provided by the Government to EFEthe road transport sector has a deficit of more than 20,000 professional drivers that must be covered urgently. However, the Spanish Confederation of Freight Transport (CETM) expand that figure up to more than 30,000 unfilled positions so as not to be in the same situation again in the medium term. In statements to The VanguardFilippo Welter, director of the fleet solutions company Eurowag Spain, assured that “more than 50% of current drivers are over 55 years old. This means that in the coming years there will be many retirements and very few young people are entering the profession.” He sector It estimates that it will need about 24,000 new drivers per year to compensate for the rate of retirement of current staff. The solution: validate cards. According to data from the DGT published by EFEIn 2025, 15,589 exchanges of type C (truck) and type D (bus) driving licenses were processed for foreign citizens. This represents an increase of 12% compared to the previous year, when the figure stood at 13,903 exchanged permits. The trend does not stop growing and reflects how urgent the situation is for a sector that has been warning for years that it has no relief. In May 2025, the DGT launched a new system digital permit exchange, available to citizens of countries with which Spain has bilateral agreements of reciprocal recognition. This system was intended to speed up the validation process to attract more foreign drivers. Peru, Morocco and Colombia, those that request the most exchanges. The three countries where the most professionals have exchanged their license in Spain are Peru, Morocco and Colombia. In 2025, Peruvian drivers were the most numerous, with 4,317 exchanges, which represents 27% of the total processed that year, compared to 3,781 in 2024. They are followed by Moroccan drivers, with 2,248 exchanges in 2025, compared to 2,142 the previous year; and the Colombians, who went from 639 to 1,206 exchanges. To further facilitate the incorporation of Moroccan drivers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it maintains a flexibility in the validation requirements for holders of Moroccan professional licenses, exempting them from taking the theoretical exam, although they do They must pass a practical test and obtain the Certificate of Professional Aptitude (CAP). A structural problem with no quick solution. The exchange of licenses is an urgent response, but no one in the sector considers it sufficient to address the driver deficit. It is not just a problem for Spain, It is a global problem. to try change that dynamicthe Government approved last November a Royal Decree that regulates the Reconduce Planwhich grants aid of up to 3,000 euros for obtain permits C and D. Furthermore, the executive has signed special agreements with countries like Türkiye to make it easier for Turkish drivers to work in Spain. The problem: there is no generational change. However, beyond the agreements and facilities that the Government is applying, the underlying problem that is putting the road transport sector in check is the same one that many other sectors suffer: absence of a generational change. According to data from the International Road Transport Organization (IRU), the average age of truck drivers in Spain is 47 years old and only 3% of professionals are under 25 years old. Even though sector salaries have been on the rise in recent years driven by staff shortages, the profession does not attract young people for reasons that go beyond salary: long hours away from home, schedules incompatible with family conciliation and a process of accessing permits that can take almost a year and cost between 3,000 and 4,000 euros. In Xataka | Public transport has a problem: drivers are retiring and there is no one left behind the wheel Image | Unsplash (Konstantin Kitsenuik)

The island has so little oil that foreign airlines will not be able to refuel

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There is no fuel. A message as simple as it is terrible. It is the one that the Government of Cuba has sent to foreign airlines. This is what the news agency claims EFEfrom where they point out that none of the island’s airports will be able to refuel planes arriving from abroad. JET A1 FUEL NOT AVBL. That is the message that appeared yesterday in the database of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. “A1 jet fuel not available” is what that message means. It arrived, they assure EFEin a Notam message, one designed to alert pilots and air traffic controllers of a dangerous and unexpected situation. The fuel deficit is confirmation of the problems that the island is having in supplying itself. Without Venezuela supporting and Mexico in clear retreat, the Cuban Government has an almost impossible mission to replenish the 70,000 barrels of oil per day who have stopped coming to the island. And now? The big question is how airlines are going to operate in order to maintain their operations, as far as possible, within normality. The simplest thing, obviously, is to refuel with enough fuel near the island to be able to leave it without impediments. The situation It is not new for airlines who have had to play with restrictions of this type before. The biggest problem is with long-haul direct flights to the island (those in which you have to cross the ocean) because they would have no choice but to stop in countries in the area such as the United States, Mexico or the Dominican Republic, among others. In Xataka We have contacted Iberia. When we write these lines we have not received an answer as to whether they already have an alternative plan on the table. More pressure. The lack of fuel is, as we said, a direct consequence of the strangulation that the United States is carrying out on the country through pressure on countries that until now supplied crude oil to Cuba. Since US special forces will take away by force To Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela is not supplying barrels to a country that, until now, had an oxygen cylinder in its ally. days later, Donald Trump already announced in their own social network that no more oil or money would reach Cuba, in a clear movement to continue suffocating the Cuban regime. These statements referred to oil that arrived from Venezuela But over time we have learned that Mexican oil has not been reaching the Cuban coasts either. In total, it is estimated that it has represented a deficit of 70,000 barrels per day of the 110,000 barrels that Cuba needs to function with a certain normality. Now, this shortage is being felt in air traffic but for a long time people have been living on the streets with Regular power outages that can last more than a day. Humanitarian aid? In its pressure to prevent more oil from reaching Cuba, the United States focused on Mexico. As confirmed France 24a few days after the overthrow of Nicolás Maduro the last successful shipment from Mexico to Cuba occurred. The freighter that was to take over in mid-January never left the port. Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico, has defended her ability to decide whether to “sell or give” crude oil to Cuba. That “da” makes all the sense in the world because, supposedly, since 2024, Mexicans have been delivering oil to Cuba as “humanitarian aid” but according to Pemex accounts Oil worth almost 500 million dollars was sold to Cuba in 2025 and the figure rises to over 1.4 billion euros if the accounts are backdated to 2023. And the company’s own directors have confirmed that they are being paid daily. The question is whether or not Mexico has actually been sending barrels to Cuba as “humanitarian aid.” And it is that chow we count on XatakaWhile the oil business has very tight accounts, the supposed humanitarian shipments are very opaque. Shipments that the United States threatens to collect for itself with more tariffs on countries that help Cuba in managing this crisis. We have already seen this. With Venezuela out of the game, Mexico was supposed to be Cuba’s energy lifeline. Without the entry of oil from abroad, the Cuban Government faces suffocation. The current situation forces the same rationing that was already experienced in the so-called Special Periodwhen the island faced the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was then its safeguard against the American blockade. “How do we farm our land? How do we get around? How do we keep our children in class without fuel? We are going to take measures that, while not permanent, will require effort. What else can we do? Are we going to give up? There is so much to defend,” Miguel Díaz-Canel, president of Cuba, stated just a few days ago. In his speech, Díaz-Canel also sent the message to the United States that they were willing to negotiate: “Cuba is willing to have a dialogue with the United States on any of the issues that we want to debate or discuss.” Less than a week later, the island is experiencing one of the most complicated energy situations in decades. Photo | Tacorontey and Edward Galitsky In Xataka | For the first time, electrified cars are outselling gasoline cars. It is the beginning of the inevitable

Madrid and Catalonia are losing national population while gaining foreign population

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The latest data of the INE on population flows show a curious phenomenon (almost contradictory) in two of the most populated regions of the country: Community of Madrid and Catalonia. Although both maintain their capacity to attract emigrants from other countries, they have been losing already resident populations for some time. in favor of other autonomieswhich translates into an “internal” migratory balance in the red. In short: your migratory motor has two speeds. The big question is to what extent it is the result of housing cost. What has happened? that the latest data from the INE confirm that Madrid and Catalonia remain the favorite destinations for immigrants who decide to move to Spain, but at the same time both communities see how many of their own neighbors pack their bags to move to other regions neighbors, such as Castilla-La Mancha (case of Madrid) or the Valencian Community (case of Catalonia). The data is especially interesting if we take into account that they arrive with a residential market with skyrocketing prices. Community Total immigration balance SM Exterior indoor SM Andalusia 61,912 67,770 -5,858 Aragon 18,024 17,048 976 Asturias 14,225 10,340 3,885 Balearics 17,118 15,735 1,383 Canary Islands 27,770 27,331 439 Cantabria 5,977 5,051 926 Castile and León 26,407 24,316 2,091 Castile-La Mancha 27,746 23,819 3,927 Catalonia 122,593 129,030 -6,437 Valencian Community 115,742 104,776 10,966 Estremadura 4,008 5,096 -1,088 Galicia 30,325 27,730 2,595 Community of Madrid 100,971 113,964 -12,993 Murcia region 17,531 18,704 -1,173 Navarre 6,976 7,264 -288 The Basque Country 24,190 23,420 770 Rioja 3,906 2,998 908 Ceuta 217 416 -199 Melilla 630 1,460 -830 Is the trend so clear? Yes. It comes with taking a look at the tables of INE immigration balances to verify it. If we look at the balance of foreign migration (the difference between the population from other countries that moved to Spain and the Spanish population that settled in other nations), in 2034 the Catalan community registered a clearly positive result: +129,030 people. Things change when we talk about “internal migration”, which reflects population movements between the different Spanish communities, always within the country. In that case the balance left a negative result: -6,437. That is, there were 53,585 people from other regions who settled in Catalonia, but 60,022 Catalans who packed their bags to go to other autonomies. And in Madrid? The ‘photo’ It’s not very different. Its external migration balance showed a positive result of 113,964 people, but that of “internal migration” left a negative balance, with the loss of 12,993 residents. In 2024 there were 100,342 people from other communities who registered in one of the municipalities of Madrid, but 113,335 did exactly the opposite: they decided to pack their bags and change the capital for other regions. In fact, the Community of Madrid shows the worst internal migration balance (at least in net terms) in the country. Only Catalonia (-6,437) and Andalusia, which showed a negative balance of -5,858, come close (and by far). It’s not really a surprise. In May we told you how there are people from Madrid moving to Valladolid and taking the AVE every day to continue working in the capital. Can it go further? Yes. The INE allows you to go beyond the autonomous communities and obtain data at the municipal or even submunicipal level, by neighborhood. It is an interesting tool because it confirms how this double phenomenon is exacerbated in the two main cities of the country: Madrid and Barcelona. In the first (Madrid) the external migration balance was 73,959 people and the internal one was -18,722. In Barcelona these indicators marked +46,974 and -17,020, respectively. Valencia also presents a positive external balance and a negative internal balance, despite the fact that the community as a whole gained migration. Why is it interesting? Because population flows are not isolated phenomena. They occur in a context marked by multiple factors, among which is (especially if we talk about recent years) the increase in price of housing and an increase in ‘overcrowded homes’those in which people reside in overcrowded conditions. There are also another clear trend: the increase in certain migratory flows, such as those of Venezuelan origin, a phenomenon that is being felt in neighborhoods of all types of income. A recent study from Idealista confirms that Madrid and Barcelona are two of the most expensive cities in Spain. And he is not the only one. Photohouse calculate that Madrid and Catalonia are two of the regions with the most expensive second-hand housing in Spain, only surpassed by the Balearic Islands and (in the case of Catalonia) the Canary Islands and Euskadi. Does housing have that much influence? The INE study suggests this, especially because it appreciates differences within the municipalities themselves. “In some of the main cities it is observed that the most central districts are losing population, while the most remote ones are gaining it,” comments the organizationwhich cites several specific cases already confirm the trend: “In 2024 in Madrid, the subdistricts on the southeastern periphery were the ones that had the highest balance. In Barcelona and Valencia, those in the south were the ones that gained the most.” Of course more factors come into play. The Canary Islands or Balearic Islands, two regions very marked by rising housing prices and tourism, closed 2024 with a positive balance in both external and internal migration, just like the Basque Country. Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León also grew, receivers of a good part of the population that decided to leave the capital, and the Valencian Community, also a destination for internal migration from Barcelona. Images | Joshua Aguilar (Unsplash) and INE In Xataka | The silent surprise of Venezuelans: the number of immigrants has skyrocketed in Madrid, eclipsing Romanians and Moroccans

There are foreign bus companies trying to compete with Alsa and Avanza. And Spain is making it impossible

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The Spanish bus map is in the process of changing. Routes that do not make money, corridors that no one wants to access, companies that want to completely liberalize the sector and the doubt of, to what extent, foreign companies can enter to play in a foreign country. And Spain is trying by all means to ensure that the latter does not happen. What’s happening? If we adhere to Spanish regulations, right now a company dedicated to the transport of passengers by bus You cannot make international trips with stops to drop off and pick up travelers within Spain. Not, at least, permanently. The rule only allows this service to be carried out temporarily, in order to protect national routes. That is, this prevents a company from opening a route, for example, between Lisbon and Paris and from picking up and dropping off passengers within Spanish territory at its stops within Spain (in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​for example). It is understood that if this is possible it would be a direct competition to those who have been awarded those corridors. How do buses work in Spain? Spain uses a concessional model for its bus lines. This means that a broker goes out to tender and companies present their proposals playing with the price. The best offer is the one takes the concession and the one that begins to operate during the agreed years. The system has its advantages and disadvantages. Confebús, an association that defends this model, points out that it gives security to the client because transportation is guaranteed during the agreed years and a route cannot be abandoned. Companies like FlixBus are contrary because they understand that competition is limited and that they prevent the company from adapting to new circumstances. These circumstances, for example, leave some expired concessions or concessions that have never been put out to tender. It is especially serious on bus lines where a high-speed railway operates in parallel, since the train is much more competitive in price and time. Of course, the main people affected by the abandonment of these lines are the residents of towns with intermediate stops. And what about international travel? For some time now, Europe has wanted to liberalize the sector, as it has done with trains. Despite this, Spain is resisting and although at first it was proposed to jump to the direct competition model, finally we want to maintain the concessional system but with profound changes in the current map. With this system, services through cabotage are prevented. That is, the company picks up and delivers passengers within the same country along an international route. This is the argument of Avanza and Alsa to defend the latest ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union that has ruled in favor of Denmark before the opening of a file from the European Commission. However, the case that both companies put forward is not very representative of the open debate in Spain. What has happened in Denmark? Denmark has regulated the occasional bus service that operates through cabotage in the country to a maximum of seven calendar days in a month. The formula is also applied at other times in France, as both companies use in a statement collected by 20Minutes. Understanding that this contravened community rules, the European Commission has opened a file against Denmark but the Court of Justice of the European Union closes it, understanding that Denmark does not prevent the service, it only regulates it. That is, a company can act with a discretionary service through cabotage but within the regulations established by the country. But… what is discretionary? Here is a big part of the issue. European bodies have been discussing Whether or not Denmark allows cabotage service through discretionary routes but not regular routes. Discretionary routes are those that do not have a fixed route or established times. That is, they do not always leave on the same day of the week and at the same time from a specific city, for example. They are the typical routes for trips by tourists or supporters who go to watch a soccer match in another country. The limitation of those seven consecutive days within the same month that Denmark applies is designed so that foreign companies do not compete unfairly with their national companies, offering a regulated service camouflaged as discretionary. Implications in Spain? None. This is what FlixBus defends. The travel company maintains that this regulation, contrary to what Avanza and Alsa points out, has nothing to do with the regular and international routes that companies like them propose for our country. Routes in which they would use cabotage to make the line more efficient. They give as an example the route between Trier (Germany) and Madrid that FlixBus has requested with intermediate stops in Zaragoza and Barcelona that passengers could use to move within the national territory. The line has not been authorized and FlixBus appeals to the resolution of the European Commission of April 16 that forces Spain to open its lines to this service. Spain filed an appeal against this decision was dismissed by the Court of Justice of the European Union. What is Spain doing? Place all obstacles to the entry of new actors or the liberalization of bus lines, as demanded by Europe. The approval of the Sustainable Mobility Law On October 8, 2025, article 50 was eliminated, which allowed certain routes to be authorized in free competition. That is, for now, the battle to open new international routes that allow the transfer of travelers within the same country continues. Spain has the obligation to comply, if we adhere to what is required by the European Commission, but, for the moment, it still has not given the green light to this possibility. Photo | FlixBus and Eleazer Glez In Xataka | Until a few years ago, the towns between Madrid and Valencia had trains and buses. Now they only have one problem: the AVE

Japan already knows how to get out of the demographic catastrophe in which it has sunk: with foreign babies

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Japan seems to have found the key to solve its demographic crisisperhaps the most serious problem, entrenched and apparently unsolvable (apparently) that the country faces. The latest data of the Government show that last year the nation softened its birth rate thanks to babies born to foreign couples. Not only did they grow in net terms, they also grew proportionally, partially alleviating the disaster of Japanese households. It is nothing that many other countries have not experienced before, including Spainbut there, in Japan, the data fuels the debate on immigration. What has happened? That the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare show that Japanese demographics are advancing at two very different rates. If we talk about Japanese households (local population), the birth rate is clearly declining, with around 41,000 fewer babies in a matter of a year. Things are, however, very different when we look at foreign couples. Among them, the same indicator has skyrocketed to almost total 23,000 babies3,000 more than in 2023. The global birth rate remains negative, but it casts little doubt on its demographic driver. What does the data say? That immigration is the lifeblood of Japanese demography. And without a doubt also. The government figures, which show the balance for 2024 and have been published by Nikkei, They reflect how immigration has softened the country’s population setback. In 2024, the government registered 22,878 births of “foreign citizens in Japan,” a label that identifies babies born to foreign parents or a single foreign mother. The data is interesting for three main reasons. First, because they represent 3,000 more than in 2023. Second, because if we look even further back to gain perspective, we see that it represents a growth of 50% in a decade. And third, because thanks to this trend, foreign newborns now account for 3.2% of all births in Japan. It is a percentage very similar to the weight of the foreign population in the country: 3.6 million on a total of 124 million. And Japanese couples? The opposite has happened with them. Among Japanese couples, 686,173 births41,115 less than in 2023. If the blow of that ‘hole’ was not greater in the country’s final census, it was precisely because the foreign birth rate grew to provide almost 23,000 babies. Particularly noteworthy is the number of children born to mothers of Chinese origin (4,237), Filipino (1,897) and Brazilian (1,351). The remaining 14,425 births are attributed to a much broader and more diffuse category called “other nationalities”, which include, for example, Vietnam or Nepal. How many foreigners are there in Japan? Not that many, actually. The Nikkei agency specifies that at least at the end of 2024 in Japan there were around 3.77 million resident foreigners, more or less 3% of the global population. It represents a historical maximum and, above all, a sufficient volume to have strained the migratory pressure between the hottest topics of the national public debate. It is especially relevant that the big surprise of the July elections was Sanseito, a populist party that stands out (among other things) for the harshness of his speech against foreigners and tourism. In fact their motto was “Japan first”with which it won 14 seats and became the third force in the opposition. Even the candidates to preside over the PLD, including Sanae Takaichiwho will probably be the country’s new prime minister, toughened their speech. Why is it important? Because it shows the extent to which Japan faces an existential dilemma. The increase in the foreign population has become a topic of debate, but at the same time official data show that right now it is its demographic float. And that is not a minor issue in a country that has long been mired in a deep birth crisis that is undermining its census and aging society, with all the implications that this entails at an economic, labor, social and health level or even for defense of the nation. Is the situation so serious? In 2024 the country lost more than 900,000 people, a historic collapse that left its global census around 124.3 million of people, far from the maximum 126.6 million registered in 2009. Not only that. The ‘national’ birth rate (among Japanese) stood at its lowest level since there are records (1899) and the country has seen how those over 65 years of age have come to represent around 30% of the global population. Among foreign residents, 56% They move between 20 and 30 years old. Images | Yanhao Fang (Unsplash) 1 and 2 In Xataka | Japan has found the three most serious problems with the massive arrival of tourists. And none of it has to do with tourists.

In the full boom of foreign tourism, Metro de Madrid has had an idea to make its brand profitable: luxury merchandising

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No matter where you go or who you ask. There are certain icons that everyone recognizes worldwide. They are part of a border -proof visual heritage. A clear example are The Olympic ringsthe symbol of peace or the dollarthe arroba or the Celebrate Smilethe smiling yellow face designed decades for Harvey Ball. If we probably did a survey most people would include in that list of universal symbols The subway logo from London. Madrid It seems determined The same thing happens with your suburban. What happened? What Metro de Madrid has surprised with A peculiar proposal. One that has little to do with trains, infrastructure and schedules. Or yes. The institution has just presented an official clock, a submersible Berbier piece, stainless steel and sapphire crystal ‘inspired’ in the capital’s suburban. The images that they have already been seen show the red, blue and white logo of Madrid in the sphere and how the marks of the hours are decorated with The colors of the different lines. One, light blue; two, red; three, yellow; four, brown … in another historical wink at the bottom of the sphere appears The figure “1919”the year in which the First Line Four Caminos-Sol was inaugurated. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Is more known? Yes. Sunday The world slid Some details of the launch. The idea is to create only 50 numbered units that will be sold for 395 euros. Too much money? No problem. In case the Limited Editing Berbier clock is exhausted or the client wants to pay less, Metro plans to market another, cheaper model, which will incorporate a similar sphere with interchangeable silicone straps in four colors. The price in that case will be 120 euros. However, there is much more interesting fact. Not by what he tells us about the clock itself, but of the Metro plans. According to Precise The worldthe new accessory can be bought unocidly in the store that the operator plans to release at the opera station. It will be The third (There is already one at the Sunstation and another in the Plaza de Castilla) and the idea is that not much to open its doors. In January He pointed to the second half of 2025 already early summer It was specified that the space is probably available in the last quarter of the year, which will allow you to take advantage (at least partly) the Christmas campaign. Metro stores? That’s how it is. In itself, stores are not a novelty. As Remember Europa Pressthe history of the Metro store can be traced at least 1984, when it opened its sun sales space. Several decades later, at the end of 2017, added the place of Plaza de Castilla. Today its catalog of items can be consulted (and buy) also in latientademetromadrid.com. In addition to selling merchandising Officer and pieces such as the new Berbier watch, the opera space will serve travelers as office Customer service. But … What do they sell? They don’t sell, better. His articles list It is amazing broad: bolis, bags and backpacks, cushions, sweatshirts, fans, bottles, socks, notebooks, toys, cups and even lames with stations posters such as Santiago Bernabéu or metropolitan state. All related in one way or another to the Madrid suburban. Most show the famous blue, red and white logo or incorporate the colors of the different lines. In the wide metro catalog there is also Bestsellers They have stood out for their commercial success. For example, Some shoes Sports designed in collaboration with Titocustoms to celebrate the company’s 105 years. They launched as a limited series, but given their “great reception” Metro decided to create a new edition. In total more than 1,000 pairs have been sold. Another product with pull is The Christmas sweater. It was released in 2023 and they have already been dispatch More than 3,000 units. Are there more figures? Yes. Not many more, but there is some that helps us understand the scope of the commercial stores of Metro de Madrid and especially its evolution. At the beginning of the year, when the plans to open the opera store were announced, the Europa Press agency wakefulness That in 2023 the volume of sales before taxes reached 127,470 euros, a record that exceeds the box of the previous year, which had been 81,619. That is, the billing shot more than 56% in a year. Most sales were channeled through physical stores (75%), highlighting above all sun, with almost 65,400 euros. Why do you do it? To understand Metro’s commitment you have to know your data, but also (and even more) the context. His decision to open a new opera store coincides with two clear trends. The first is the increase in travelers. In January the company estimated that in 2024 it had reached its “historical user record”, with 715.2 million trips8% more than in 2023. The data of fact improves those registered by the company in the years before the pandemic. The other trend is the increase in tourism. Especially that of foreign origin. Spain is close to passing the historical barrier of the 100 million of international visitors and there are those who believe that in not much time, By 2040will be the great tourist referent of the planet, surpassing France or the US. Much of that flow is directed to destinations of the Mediterranean coast, the Canary Islands or Northern regions, such as Cantabria either Galiciabut Madrid also plays a key role in the national tourist fabric. In 2024 Madrid received More than 11 million of visitors. It is estimated that the international market meant 56% and generated more than 16,000 million euros, 21% more than in 2023, with a key weight of the US, Italy and France, although the Chinese are the ones who have grown the most, 74%. And what is Metro? Everything indicates that taking advantage of that pull of visitors and users. After all, the new store will not open in any place. … Read more

Tether is the great cover of the world of crypts. Aspires to value 500,000 million for doing something simplistic: save foreign money

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Tether Holdings SA is the company responsible for issuing and controlling the most important stablcoin in the world – also called “Tether” (USDT) -. And those responsible are in negotiations with investors for lift up to 20,000 million dollars. If that round becomes effective, Tether would become a company with an assessment of 500,000 million dollars, and the question is obvious: how can a company be worth so much that nobody has heard? What is Tether (USDT). Launched in 2014, Tether is a cryptocurrency With its own block chain. It is designed to facilitate the use of Fiat currencies (such as the dollar or the euro) digital. Tether is specifically A stablecoina cryptocurrency whose value is strongly linked to the US dollar, which makes its volatility virtually nil. One would think that it is much more interesting to operate with Bitcoins or Ethereum, but care: Tether is a giant for a much simpler reason than it seems. As big as Netflix. If this investment round is confirmed, Tether would be at the level of companies such as Netflix, the 18th company for market capitalization According to Companies Market Cap. Unlike other technological companies focused on future innovation, Tether is a company whose business model is strongly tied to current cash flow. Sources close to negotiations talk that this investment round could be “significantly lower”, so the estimated assessment could be much lower. Interest gains. This is Tether’s main source of income. For each USDT token, the company keeps an equivalent amount in reservations, and does so largely in assets that generate interest, such as US Treasury Bonds. Its current market value is 173,000 million dollars, and thanks to that you can invest those huge reserves and obtain mass profits. In fact Tether is currently one of the great debt holders of the United States government. Extraordinary benefit margin. The CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, He has affirmed Recently the company has a 99%benefit margin. That means that their COESTE operations are incredibly low compared to their income. Tether Holdings Sa is an efficient money to make money. The reference stable. Its success is also based on having become the most popular stablcoin in the cryptodivsis market. Thus, while the current market assessment of Tether S of 173,000 million dollars, the following stablecoin in relevance is USDC, with an assessment of 74,000 million, less than half. But. Although the company has a privileged position and an apparently promising future, Tether He had problems in the past that also threaten their projection. Thus, in 2021 He had to pay A fine of 41 million dollars for a lawsuit for misrepresenting its reserves. The company has also been criticized for the opacity of its reserves: although it publishes quarterly reports, these are not audited by any of the Big Four (such as PWC or Deloitte), but by less recognized signatures. Regulation. The true Damocles sword for Tether is the regulatory tensions. That has left her out of the US market for years, but the company has moved a card hiring a former White House official and it seems that there is now a clear and favorable approach Bajo Trump. However, the US continues Approve laws that will force Tether to restructure its model to access that market. In Xataka | In 2011 a group of investors bought 80,000 bitcoins. They have been sold by 17,000,000% more expensive

The lowest birth rate forced South Korea to a desperate measure: hire foreign nanny

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Of all the problems in South Korea, one was certainly shocking in September last year (things have changed a little Since then): they had the lowest birth rate in the world, of 0.72 children per woman. In recent years, governments and administrations have been passing, but no one managed to stop the descent, nor the super checksnor the rocambolesque idea that Girls begin the school before. The next measure was a symptom of the crisis: they are being forced to Hire foreign nanny. Nannies and visas. As part of the Government’s strategy, the hiring of 100 Philippine nannies that could work in the country since then. The measure was just the beginning, since approximately 1,200 foreign nannies for the first half of 2025and a “more affordable” program Last March. A problem without solution. Despite government efforts during the last 17 years, including An expense of 380 billion wones (Around 284,000 million dollars) In various incentives to increase fertility, the birth rate has continued to plumn. The desperate situation that in Seoul was warned that the country could be the first of the world to disappear due to this demographic decline is such. Moreover, the administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol recognized that drastic measures are needed to reverse this trend, and that was the first of the ideas: the introduction of foreign nannies with the aim of relieving the load of the care of children of parents who work, especially in households with double income, and ultimately increase the birth rate. The new policy. As The Government reportedthe entrance was formed between 24 and 38 years old who have the national level II certificate of care certification of the Filipino Government and who have received wide training. Their skills, according to the government, include the care of children, domestic tasks and the basic domain of the Korean language. In addition, the workers do it with an E-9 visa, which allows employment in non-professional sectors in the country, and will be part of a pilot program restricted to Seoul residents. This six -month program aims to provide affordable child care services with homes with children under 12, single -parent families and those with several children. Who pays the party. The lack of affordable nurseries is one of the main concerns among the parents who work, hence the question is more pertinent than ever, who paid the babysitters? According to the Seoul government, hire a foreign nanny for eight hours a day I could cost households around 2.38 million wones per monthalmost half of the average monthly income of Korean households. This generated many doubts about the affordability of the program for average Korean families. “We are seeing complaints about the cost burden of foreign domestic employees,” You Hye-Mi saidmain secretary of the president, in an interview. “Therefore, we are trying to explore ways to mitigate the burden it supposes for an individual home to hire them.” The controversy of the minimum wage. In addition, the program also faced criticism from work activists and immigrant rights groups. It happened in 2023, when the mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-Hoon, proposed to hire foreign nanny to A monthly cost of approximately 1 million woneswhich is significantly lower than the minimum wage in South Korea. Not just that. Deputy Cho Jung-Hun also proposed a bill that would exclude immigrant domestic employees from the requirement of the minimum wage law, arguing that the salaries of these workers should be in line with those of their countries of origin, a proposal highly criticized by human rights organizations, which argue that it violates the rights of foreign workers and violates the norms of the International Labor Organization (ILO). And birth rate? As we said at the beginning, the introduction of foreign nannies is part of a broader government effort to boost female participation in the workforce, which is considered essential to improve the country’s birth rate. The number of households with double income in South Korea has increased constantly, reaching 5.82 million in 2021. The problem is that many women end up abandoning the workforce due to the responsibilities of child care. Therefore, by offering more affordable child care options, the government expects to create a more conducive environment for young couples to have children, thus addressing, in theory, the worrying birth rate in descent. A version of this article is PUblicó in 2024 Image | Pexels, Pexels In Xataka | South Korea has taken the rivalry in the classrooms to the extreme: 84% of its children go to academies to be even more competitive In Xataka | Seoul lives an unprecedented birth crisis. The idea of ​​its mayor: set up a municipal dating program

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