North

The Robla Express is the “Orient Express” of the north

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We live in an environment in which having the skyrocketing cortisol levels and rushing everywhere is part of the daily routine. For that reason, travel by train It is once again a symbol of distinction. Not by arriving earlier, but by how you get there. In the midst of the so-called “slow luxury“, where time becomes the true luxury, the La Robla Express emerges as one of the most exclusive railway experiences in Spain. His proposal: recover the pleasure of travel without rushenjoying each section of the journey as if it were part of the destination. A journey where time stops He La Robla Express tours the north of the peninsula on two routes: The Robla route and the pilgrim route. The first connects Bilbao and León over three days and two nights, while the second route is circular and reflects the spirit of the Camino de Santiago with its beginning and end in Oviedo, extending its duration to six days and five nights. Both with a format designed for those looking for something more than a simple trip. Although the trip takes place on board the train, the itinerary is also built around the stops. The days alternate journeys lulled by the gentle rattle of the tracks with guided tours to northern cultural enclaves. From museums and monuments to historic towns, all of them accompanied by a guide and a support coach that transports travelers to visit. Gastronomy is also an essential part of the trip with lunch and dinner served in the luxurious dining rooms of the train that reminiscent of bygone eras. At night, the train remains parked to guarantee a complete rest, maintaining that calm that defines the experience. As in the other luxury trains from Renfetraveling on the La Robla Express is not an economical experience. The average price is between 1,300 and 1,700 euros per persona figure that reinforces its status as a premium product within the Spanish tourism offer. The best thing is to travel like 100 years ago Restored with care to preserve the spirit of the great classic trainsthe Robla Expreso combines lounge cars with large windows, warm compartments with bunk beds and a private bathroom, and an atmosphere that attempts to replicate the golden age of the railway at the beginning of the 20th century. This experience adds to the global movement that has returned prominence to the luxury trains that are resurfacing throughout Europe. The rise of “slow luxury“is reflected in the recovery of mythical routes and in the launch of new proposals where slow travel is the central axis. In recent years we have seen how They returned to the proposed luxury routes such as those of Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, with suites that reach prices similar to those of the most exclusive hotels, are evidence of the extent to which the economic elite has once again looked at the railway as a symbol of lifestyle. In Spain, Renfe has followed the same path with the renewal of the Al-Andalus trainwhich has reinforced its position as a national alternative to the Orient Express model, offering a different way of getting to know the south of Spain at a calmer pace. In that context, the La Robla Express It occupies a unique space in which the aesthetics of classic luxury are combined with a more intimate approach and a tour of some of the greenest and most peaceful landscapes in the north of the peninsula. The new luxury is the experience of traveling slowly, carefully and far from the speed that dominates current transportation. This train represents a way of traveling that turns each kilometer into part of the memory. A luxury that is not measured in speed, but in the ability to enjoy the journey. In Xataka | Hotel chains no longer just offer luxury rooms: Ritz-Carlton dives into the superyacht business Image | Flickr (Luxury Train Consultancy), Renfe

Something is moving in the north and the polar vortex is weaker than ever

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Something is happening in the north and we’ve been saying it for days. Forecasts pointed to a huge sudden stratospheric warming during the last week of November. I said ‘huge’ and it is not a rhetorical device: it is normally very difficult to know what consequences such a warming will have; but being so big, meteorologists they already speculate with a complete destabilization of the polar vortex. And the strange thing about all this is not that there is such a big “sudden stratospheric warming.” That’s relatively normal. The strange thing is that we are facing a very precocious one. Surely, before the earliest of the entire record. And that has set off all the alarms. What is the polar vortex? But let’s start at the beginning: the ‘polar vortex’ is a stream of strong winds (west → east) that revolves around the large reserves of cold air found above the planet’s poles. It is formed in the stratosphere; that is, at about 16-48 kilometers high. On a metaphorical (or ‘journalistic’ if you push me) level, the polar vortex is what the cold contains at the pole. Logic tells us that, in summer, the vortex is reduced to a minimum and, although it is true that we have never seen it disappear, it becomes so weak that it loses any influence over the time of the hemisphere. But in winter the situation changes and it does so radically. Very often, during the winter the vortex grows and, although “usually a solitary creature“and harmless, it is common for it to overflow and end up affecting the rest of the hemisphere. That is what it seems we are going to see these weeks. And what is sudden stratospheric warming?? To understand this process well, it is good to remember that the atmosphere is a “lasagna of air layers” and each of them follows its own logic. That is, they function quite differently and independently; but never completely independent. This is what happens between the air circulation in the troposphere (the one closest to the surface) and the circulation in the stratosphere (the layer directly above): they are related, yes; but, in substance, each one goes their own way. During the “sudden stratospheric warming“, a part of the troposphere warms rapidly and, as a consequence, invades the stratosphere, causing a profound alteration of the circulation at high altitude. That is, for a few days, everything turns upside down. Okay, so what’s going to happen? The data begins to indicate that the countdown has already been activated. As they pointed out from Meteored“a record has been recorded in the speed of the zonal wind of the polar vortex, this would be weaker than ever on those dates.” That is to say, we have just found the first sign that warming is already underway. The problem is that, as Víctor González pointed out“the ease of predicting sudden stratospheric warming in the medium term contrasts greatly with the difficulty of anticipating its consequences.” Hence, we already know with almost absolute certainty that something is going to happen in the stratosphere of the north pole, but it is not clear what is going to happen. And we know nothing of its consequences? Not for now. What’s more, it seems likely that the consequences would not be seen until mid-December. For now, the experts will have “monitor the alteration of the stratospheric polar vortex and then monitor its propagation to lower levels, finally observing how the tropospheric circulation and the polar jet may behave.” This is very meticulous work, but very necessary. We already know that this type of event is related to historic cold waves and, in that case, we better be prepared. Image | Severe Weather In Xataka | The last hope of winter in Spain is desperate, but increasingly possible: the breaking of the polar vortex

A very deep polar trough is descending towards North Africa and Spain is right in the middle

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Now Spain is busy with the rain and it is logical: it is not every day that a high-impact storm hits you and turns the country upside down. However, as they said from Navarmeteothe key question is what is going to happen from Tuesday. Let’s fasten our seatbelts, because curves are coming. An early winter. Both the European and American models coincide in a change in weather pattern next week. Towards Thursday, a very deep polar trough will descend from northern Europe towards the south. The interesting (and worrying) thing is that it is going to pass right over us. That is, in a week Spain will be immersed in a polar air mass maritime. But the thing is not limited to that: as a corridor opens that connects us to the north (between the western anticyclone and the storm in the Gulf of Genoa), shortly after the first ‘impact’ a second pulse of even colder continental polar air will arrive. What does this mean? Well, if everything happens as the models say, cold and humid air from the North Atlantic will enter first. That will cause temperatures to drop and rain and snow will return. Then, with the strengthening of the northerly flow, drier and colder air will arrive: a major thermal collapse. Are we sure about this? We have been seeing for days how the great models they were converging around a scenario like this: a huge tongue of cold approaching the peninsula. However, skepticism was more than justified. But things are starting to get real. It seems clear that it will be a cold week throughout the country (except the Canary Islands) and temperatures at altitude are beginning to reach up to 10 degrees below average. Everything will start in the Cantabrian Sea, but by Friday it will have reached the entire peninsula. Things are going to change. We come from the storm Claudia and, although the impact has been considerable, It has been a fairly tempered system. However, things are going to change: even if in the end the trough does not reach that far south, the cold is going to be felt in large areas of the country. And this is the beginning of a winter that, if all goes well, is expected very (but very) moved. Image | Tropical Tridbits In Xataka | It’s going to rain in Galicia. It seems normal but it is something more: the prelude to a total change in the weather in Spain

The North Koreans are hungry, so they have started hunting tigers. It’s just the tip of the iceberg

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North Korea It is a unique country. so unique as airtight and, therefore, fascinating. Know What is an ordinary day in Pyongyang like?the capital, is tremendously complicated. On the one hand, we have the official speech of prosperity and normality. On the other hand, the stories from people who have been within its borders. But sometimes there are accidents and information is leaked, such as the systematic hunting of any animal that weighs more than 500 grams in order to survive another day. And the problem is so brutal that there are already those who point to a strong risk of “defaunation” of North Korea. In short. Joshua Elves-Powell is a researcher who, a few weeks ago, presented a study which analyzed North Korea’s wildlife trade. Obviously, obtaining first-hand information in the country seemed complicated, but Powell had an ace up his sleeve: the testimonies of 42 North Korean defectors. During 2021 and 2022, participants spoke in both South Korea and the United Kingdom and their testimony was devastating: North Korea has been hunting animals for decades to trade with them… and to eat them. In a serious study, these sources should have a first and last name, but due to the unique conditions of this studyit must be noted that the research was reviewed by the UCL Research Ethics Committee. The sample was large: all were over 18 years old and had left the country between 1950 and 2020. black market. Some context. In the 1990s, North Korea’s economy collapsed. In a period of famine, people do whatever it takes to survive, and the humanitarian crisis transformed the country’s relationship with its wildlife. According to testimonies, professional hunters, but also soldiers, black market regulars and wildlife consumers, set out to hunt animals like tigers and other species. The objective was not only to eat them (that too), but to sell them. One of the participants commented that he had been involved in the illegal trade of tiger bones from the Pyongyang Zoo in 2020 and had been able to obtain bones from professional hunters between 2014 and 2020. The hunted is not only sold on the local black market, but also in countries such as Chona or Russia. This clearly violates international conservation obligations and is supported by the seizure of products from time to time, such as the shipment of more than 100 bottles of tiger bone wine at the border between the two countries. Goals. What do they hunt? The research shows that virtually all native mammals weighing more than 500 grams are a viable target. Apart from Siberian tigers (of which part of their hunting is mentioned for food) and Amur leopards (food too), found in a tremendously sensitive moment Due to their scarcity, the prey are the following: Deer: for their meat and pieces such as antlers. Wild boars: for their meat. Asian black bears: get meat, bile, paws and skin. Asian badgers: to create medicinal oil. Porcupines: for their quills. Otters: for fur and trade. Red fox: skin. Gray wolf: fur. Raccoon: for its meat and for trafficking. Defaunation. This hunting is not usually done with firearms, but with an extensive network of traps that add a problem to the list: being an indiscriminate capture, non-target species fall, such as the Bengal cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). This massive hunt is causing what they have qualified as a “defaunation” process that implies that a scenario is occurring in North Korean forests in which there is no longer any fauna. It is something that affects both North Korea and the neighboring areas of China, Russia and South Korea. The Amur Lepartum And the State? in the garlicaccording to these informants. The problem is that we are talking about a market to, above all, create products focused on traditional medicine. For example, deer antlers are the essential ingredient for producing ointments with healing properties and Asian badger oil is used to treat skin conditions. In fact, there are hunters authorized by the State who must present pieces as a tribute and it is ensured that the country itself raises certain animals (such as bears for their bile) to obtain resources that are export to neighboring markets. They do so in facilities that operate under a façade of legality, but supposedly feeding the black market. Someone do something. Powell’s study presented the information and those defectors allowed us to know that side of North Korea. But of course, doing something is complex. Animal organizations consider that the country is a “black hole” for the recovery of fauna because there are no efforts to protect biodiversity. They denounce that it is a market that violates efforts to recover endangered species and, in addition, is a risk to public health. They call for international pressure, using these refugee testimonies as evidence, and specifically allude to China, asking to tighten monitoring of illegal imports. Finally, there is a call for North Korea to join the CITESthe treaty that regulates international trade in endangered species. And this, unfortunately, sounds quite complicated. Images | Uwe Brodrecht, Ltshears In Xataka | This rocket-shaped skyscraper is the “worst building in the world.” And it’s in North Korea, obviously.

There are fewer and fewer North Koreans fighting with Russia in Ukraine. An army has arrived with an irrefutable promise: Cubans

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For months, reports about foreign fighters in Ukraine indicated to North Korea as the main source of soldiers sent to support Russia. Then there was official confirmation by both nations. Quietly, however, that balance is shifting in surprising ways. On the board of the war in Eastern Europe, another country begins to displace Pyongyang in the role of largest supplier of troops to Moscow, an unexpected turn that reveals both the fragility of Russia and the depth of its authoritarian alliances. The Cuban front. What began as a regional invasion has transformed into a global war, in which Russia not only faces Ukraine and its Western allies, but also mobilize a network of regimes to sustain the war effort. Among them, Cuba emerges as an unexpected actor: according to Ukrainian estimates, up to 25,000 Cubans They could join the Russian front, becoming the largest foreign force in Ukraine, above the North Korean contingents. For the Kremlin, the usefulness of this formula it is evident: The casualties of foreign fighters do not generate internal protests, do not require compensation to Russian families and reduce the political cost of the conflict. In a country with more than one million estimated casualtiesattract soldiers overseas It is also a matter of strategic survival. A formula that is difficult to reject. The main motivation for many Cuban recruits is simple: economic. On an island mired in one of the worst crises in recent decades, where the average salary barely exceeds 20 dollars a month, the promises of charge $2,000 a month They fight any ideological objection. Some accept the contracts convinced, others are deceived with job offers in construction or factories, to discover upon arriving in Russia that their destination is the battle front. Analysts like Cristina López-Gottardi they point out that the economic attraction is irresistible, but they also highlight the political dimension: Havana obtains income from remittances from combatants and consolidates its alignment with Moscow, presenting it as a gesture of “revolutionary loyalty” and, incidentally, a symbolic challenge to Washington. Experts point out that the regime seeks reinforce your narrative anti-American, presenting participation as an act of internationalist solidarity, although in practice it is a source of foreign currency in times of hardship. Mercenaries, coercion and globality. The Cuban presence is part of a broader trend: the growing Russian dependence on foreign fighters. According to intelligence data, in 2025 almost half of the prisoners captured in Ukraine They were not Russian citizenswhen in 2022 they barely represented 1%. From Africans recruited under threats of deportation, until deceived students With false job offers in “shampoo factories”, including North Koreans sent as cannon fodder, Moscow turns to a whole mosaic of forced soldiers or mercenaries. In this sense, the Cuban contribution not only strengthens the Russian lines, but also magnify the image of a war waged by an international authoritarian axis that includes Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and now Cuba, sharing weapons, technology and experience on a battlefield converted into a laboratory for modern warfare with drones, electronic warfare and new combat tactics. Cuba as a diplomatic target. Cuban involvement in Ukraine has not gone unnoticed by the United States. The Trump administration has decided to use it as a central argument in his diplomatic offensive against Havana at the UN. An internal State Department cable, dated October 2, instructed US delegations to pressure allies to vote against the traditional annual resolution demanding an end to the US embargo on Cuba. Year after year, the measure has had overwhelming support (in 2024, 187 countries voted in favor and only the United States and Israel against), although Washington hopes to reduce that margin by presenting evidence that the Miguel Díaz-Canel regime has become in active accomplice of Russian aggression, with between 1,000 and 5,000 fighters deployed on the front. In the documents is underlined that Cuba “has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns” in the war, and the regime is accused of “undermining democracy” in the region, particularly through its alliance with Venezuela. The embargo and sanctions. Washington’s strategy seeks to disarm the Havana narrative, which presents the embargo as the root of all their evils. The diplomatic cable instructs to highlight the corruption and incompetence of the Cuban government, in addition to highlighting that the economic problems do not derive from the sanctions, but from its mismanagement. Trump, upon his return to the presidency, has hardened the restrictions: has reinstated Cuba to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, has further limited financial transactions and has sanctioned third countries that collaborate with Cuban doctors abroad. Faced with this pressure, the Cuban regime accuses Washington of seeking a pretext for aggression and even instrumentalizing the anti-drug fight in the Caribbean as an excuse to increase tension. That said, the backdrop seems different: the combination internal collapse and military alliance with Moscow places Cuba at the epicenter of the geopolitical struggle between Washington and the authoritarian bloc. Military school. Beyond the diplomatic balances, what worries many analysts is that the war in Ukraine has become an involuntary academy for allied armies of Russia. Every foreign contingent that steps on the front learn first hand the techniques of the first great drone war in history: from swarm operations to electronic warfare. As warns Bill Colefounder of Peace Through Strength Institute“the real danger is not the thousands of Cubans or North Koreans sent, but what they learn and then export to other conflicts in Latin America, Africa or Asia.” This transfer of war knowledge turns war into a multiplier of global instability, with authoritarian regimes absorbing tactics and adapting them to their own scenarios. The Cuban paradox. The participation of thousands of Cubans in the Ukrainian war also reveals a paradox: while for the Havana regime it represents both a source of foreign currency and a reaffirmation of its anti-American identity, for Moscow it is a cheap solution and politically comfortable to internal wear and tear, and for Washington an opportunity to intensify diplomatic pressure … Read more

In his mission to follow the movements of North Korea, South Korea has decided to bet on an advanced steering wheel

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In South Korea, the surveillance of heaven It is a constant task that is never terminated. Missile tests and the use of low flight drones The need to strengthen detection systems has highlighted by the north. Radars on land, conditioned by the country’s geography, do not always offer the necessary coverage against threats that seek to go unnoticed. To respond to that challenge, Seoul has decided to bet on a new generation of Early alert planescapable of expanding surveillance and ensuring more stable control of your airspace. It is not just about incorporating technology, but ensuring that the country has sufficient means to anticipate any scenario. The search for a new early alert plane It started in 2020when the Defense Procurement Agency (DAPA) approved the second phase of its AEW & C program. By then, South Korea already had four E-737 Peace Eye acquired from Boeing in 2006 and delivered in 2012, but the experience had made it clear that they were not enough. Parliamentary documents revealed in 2019 indicated Availability problems and technical failuress that prevented maintaining the planned patrol rate. To that limitation was added the pressure of an increasingly complex strategic environment, marked by the expansion of North Korean arsenal. A jump in the air surveillance strategy Seoul has opted for an unusual combination until a few years ago: an executive reactor Bombardier Global 6500 equipped with radar The/W-2085 developed by Elta. This system, with active electronic exploration antennas on the sides and additional sensors in the nose and tailallows to monitor in all directions promising a much greater scope than that of conventional radars. With this model, the country is looking for a more compact platform and with operational costs contained compared to larger solutions. The contest was marked by a struggle between two proposals that started from the same base plane, the 6500 global. L3Harris offered to integrate it with the radar the/W-2085, while the European Saab presented its globaleye solution, equipped with the radar Erieye Extended Range. Dapa’s evaluation concluded that there were no major differences in technical performance, but in other aspects. As the agency explainedthe American proposal received more points in operability, maintenance costs and contribution to the local industry, while the Swedish firm stood out in price and contractual conditions. Conceptual Image of Global 6500 for South Korea According to Dapa, the approved budget amounts to 3.87 billion wones, about 2,820 million dollarsand contemplates the incorporation of four planes until 2032. The goal is to have permanent patrols capable of monitoring the national airspace without interruption and coordinating the response in case of crisis. Deliver planning up to that horizon will progressively integrate aircraft in the operations of the Air Force. An E-737 Peace Eye in the United States The industrial component presumably had a relevant weight in the decision. L3harris has been supplying equipment to the South Korean armed forces, from electro-optical and infrared surveillance systems to safe communications and night vision devices. The company has an authorized service center in the country, which reduces maintenance times and simplifies logistics in case of breakdowns. The 6500 global is expected to reinforce the air defense of the Asian country. These devices will be integrated into the grid national Istarconnecting combat sensors and units to generate a complete image of airspace. Its main mission will be to detect intrusions and coordinate the immediate reaction, but its regular use is also contemplated in periods of calm to maintain training and preparation of crews. Images | L3harris (1, 2) | United States Air Force In Xataka | The F-47 will not only be the most advanced hunt in the United States: the filtration of its badge has revealed what country it aims

6,400 panels north of the Arctic Circle

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The world is immersed in the Renewable Energy Revolution. China is the Great powerin Europe we are seeing The sorpasso of renewables And even states like Texas have Uploaded to wind and photovoltaic car. However, there is a region in which bet on solar panels It looks like a contradiction: the Arctic. The reason? With a sun that for much of the year is up to the horizon, traditional panels sound like a waste. The trick is to stand up. And in the city of Troms the largest installation of bifacial solar panels in the world has just finished. Tromsøterminalen. North of the Arctic Circle is the city of Tromsø. Is at the upper limit of Norway And in a storage installation the world installation record of vertical photovoltaic units has just been exceeded, known as VPV. The roof of the trumsøtermine has hostel 1,600 VPV units that, in total, have 6,400 individual solar panels. It covers an area of ​​about 2,670 square meters and the installed capacity is 320 kWp. As they point in Interesting Engineeringthe CEO of Over Easy Solar (Norwegian company that He was in charge of the installation) comments that it is the vertical solar system located on a larger roof in the world. Too many ‘asterisks’, but the truth is that the orientation is impressive responds to a need. Vertical panels. Northern Norway has some Very capricious solar patterns. Focusing in Tromsø, from May to July there is a period known as the ‘midnight sun’. The sun remains visible 24 hours a day with different intensity, but there is also the opposite phenomenon: the ‘polar night’. From the end of November to mid -January, the star barely rises above the horizon. Depending on the area in Norway, there are between two and four months of continuous sunlight and another two to four at polar night. Traditional panels could not capture virtually anything when the sun affects too sharp angles, and that is where the VPV come out. If a traditional panel would reach 485 kWh yields in suitable conditions in this region, verticals can generate up to 55% more energy: about 750 kWh per year. Sun … and snow. In the winter months, that difference can become three or four times higher, but in addition to being more suitable to capture the sun when it is in the horizon line, these vertical solar panels take advantage of the Albano effect caused by the snow that accumulates between the ranks of panels and reflects the sunlight. That is: VPVs are capturing light from both the sun and what is reflected in the snow. It is estimated that this can increase energy production by more than 30% and, obviously, the advantage of vertical orientation is that snow does not accumulate on top of the panels, facilitating so much cleaning (The snow either Dust are enemies of photovoltaic plates) as ensuring a more continuous production. Tromsø is not the first system of this type and, in fact, is inspired by the success of the 1,200 VPV units installed a few years ago at the Oslo Ullevaal Stadium. In addition, it is an easy installation to perform (it was installed, according to The company, in four days for three people) and the CEO of Over Easy Solar trusts that that of tromsøterminate is an example for other cities of extreme latitudes. Although, really, they are not only useful in these conditions and there are already those who explore this solution on roads or in the Agrovoltaic facilities. Scalability. In fact, Over Easy is performing tests in which they measure the production of vertical panels not in extreme areas: but in one of the paradises of the photovoltaic: Spain. In the video below we see how a cluster of these panels produces on a roof in Elche: And that is on a roof is interesting because a problem that solar panels can have is their measured weight in kg/m². A traditional panel can weigh Between 15 and 25 kg/m² taking into account both cells and structure, hardware and other units. The one installed in the trumsøterminalen has a weight of 11 kg/m², which facilitates both the assembly work and the being able to fill roofs with panels. Images | Over Easy In Xataka | Something unpublished has just happened in Norway: there are already more electric cars circulating in total than gasoline

The last to get to the China parade was Kim Jong Un. Because in North Korea the leaders do not fly, but they travel armored

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Where is Kim Yong Un? The question shortly before the beginning of the Military Parade in Beijing For the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, it began to circulate among the attendees. The answer would come shortly after. Just because The missiles that North Korea He had shown hours before they fly at a vertiginous speed, the nation leaders do it slow and on land, but completely safe. A trip loaded with symbolism. The displacement of Kim Jong-un a Beijing represented much more than a simple transfer: it was his reappearance in the multilateral scene accompanied by an emblem of dynastic power, the known armored train as “the sun” (Taeyangcho). This convoy, painted green off and armored in each of its wagons, has been the means of favorite transport of the Kim family from the Foundation of North Korea, linked to both the personal security of the leader and the propaganda staging of the dynasty. Its use reinforced the continuity narrativetradition and strength in an event where state leaders of more than 20 countries coincided, including strategic allies such as Russia and Iran. The rail legacy. The train predilection comes from afar. Kim Il-Sung used it as Modernity symbol and closeness to the people, and Kim Jong-il made him Your exclusive vehicle for fear of flying, reaching a journey of thousands of kilometers Until Moscow in 2001. His trips were long expeditions in which the train became a residence, command room and meeting space with foreign leaders. After his death in 2011, occurred precisely on this train, one of his wagons was converted in exposed relic In his mausoleum in Pyongyang, consolidating the image of the railroad as an essential part of the cult of personality. Kim Jong-UN has continued tradition, although it combines the train with rented aircraft when travel demands to cross oceans, as happened at its summit With Donald Trump in Singapore In 2018. A armored office. Beyond tradition, the train is today an authentic Mobile Command Center. Their wagons have offices, meeting rooms, sofas, satellite communication systems, televisions and computers, in addition to a permanent bodyguard and medical staff. Security measures include Comprehensive armor and weapons Heavy on board, in addition to space to transport the leader’s own car. This infrastructure makes it an Rself -sufficient and safe efugiobut also in an extremely slow medium: its maximum round speed 60 km/hwhich, together with the precarious state of the North Korean roads, prolongs any journey for days. Thus, in 2019 he needed almost three days to reach Hanói from Pyongyang in his meeting with Trump. Luxury and ostentation. The train not only guarantees protection and functionality, it is also the scene of the excesses associated with the dynasty. For example, during the trips of Kim Jong-il, I They served live lobsters and delicacies of various international kitchens, while French wines arrived in air cargoes along the journey. They even organized shows on board with singers and actors to liven up displacements. Although similar anecdotes have not been documented in the era of Kim Jong-UN, South Korean intelligence services believe that the leader has inherited his father’s inclination by the Refined gastronomy and the ostentation. The train as a metaphor. So, “The Sun” It is much more than a vehicle: it symbolizes the rigidity of power that moves slowly, but with Absolute armorwrapped in luxury for the leader and sacrifice for the people. In each international trip, the image of the green convoy touring borders becomes a metaphor for the survival of an isolated regime, which combines tradition, ostentation and fear in equal doses. Kim Jong’s arrival a Beijing in this kind of strength about Raíles not only evoked his father and grandfather’s legacy, but sent the world a continuity message: The dynasty remains firm, armored against external threats and determined to maintain its rituals even in the era of hypersonic missiles and autonomous drones. Image | Heute In Xataka | China has just told the world the place it wants to occupy. And he has done it with a parade of weapons that seem like science fiction In Xataka | In 2021 North Korea drew a stage as a power. Russia and a secret base have turned the plan in four years

What North Korea is a global threat by land, sea and air

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It happened a few hours ago. Kim Jong Un revealed A plan to develop a new intercontinental ballistic missile of solid fuelthus showing the advances of your arms program just before traveling to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping and Putin in the framework of the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Because North Korea has gone from being a possible threat To confirm as a challenge to international order. The new axis and an impulse. The weekend, The Washington Post dissected the latest advances by Pyongyang. Since 2021, when Kim Jong a presented a five -year plan to develop nuclear capabilities of great powers, North Korea has made unexpected advances thanks to a favorable international context and the direct support of Russia. We have gone counting. The war in Ukraine opened a Cooperation channel Strategic: Pyongyang He provided artillery and troops to a moscow eager for ammunition, I have already received Technological transfermilitary assistance and economic support. This turn reduces North Korean dependence of the United States as an interlocutor and reinforces Kim’s ability to challenge the West with a more diverse and modern arsenal. Progress in eyelets and deterrence. One of the recent milestones has been the presentation of the HWASAN-31a miniaturized tactical eye that reflects progress in the adaptation of nuclear weapons to missiles. Although it has not yet been tested in detonation or atmospheric reentry, its mere existence suggests that Pyongyang advances towards a more flexible and difficult arsenal to neutralize. At the same time, Kim maintains the ambition of completing the development of a bomb high -power hydrogensupported by continued production of highly enriched uranium, which reinforces the threat of an increasingly varied repertoire of weapons. Missiles, satellites and saturation. In the last four years North Korea has tried Intercontinental Balistic missiles with reach to American continental territory, in addition to tactical missiles for Japan and South Korea. After several failed attempts, he managed to put a Military Recognition Satellitea long -distance strategic objective. The current challenge lies in the development of multiple reentry vehicles (MIRV), which would allow a single missile transport several heads nuclear towards different targets, complicating the American antimile defense. An essay in 2024, although failed in its propulsion phase, confirms the seriousness of the project and anticipates more evidence in the immediate future. Nuclear and hypersonic submarines. It We also count. The regime has shown the structure of what it states will be its first submarine of nuclear propulsiona technology reserved for a small world club. Although experts believe that it is far from operability, the Russian experience in this field could accelerate the deadlines, as already happened with India in the 1980s. At the same time, Pyongyang has tried hypersonic missiles and a new generation planning vehicle, The Hwasong-16bwith an alleged flight of 930 miles at speeds superior to Mach 12. Although doubts persist about the veracity of this data, the continuous effort suggests that North Korea wants to enter the most advanced technological career of contemporary weapons. Drones and the lesson of Ukraine. The use of drones has become A plan pillar North Korean. Pyongyang has deployed recognition models and is producing armed devices capable of launching GPS guided bombs. His direct learning of war in Ukraine, together With Russian cooperation In manufacturing of geran drones (Derivatives of the Iranians Shahed), has allowed a qualitative leap. Russian instructors They train to North Korean pilots, consolidating a new dimension of the Technological Alliance. The slowness of Seoul to develop an equivalent strategy reinforces The tactical advantage of Kim in the Korean Peninsula. Satellite image that shows the Operational Base of SinPung Dong missiles in North Korea on August 12 The magnitude of the program. Had a few hours ago The CNN that the discovery of the secret missile base of Sinpung-Donglocated just 27 kilometers from the border with China, confirms the existence of strategic facilities that Pyongyang has never declared and that are part of a hidden network of between 15 and 20 complexes of storage and deployment of ballistic missiles. The report The Center for Strategic and International Studies warns that from there they could deploy to nine intercontinental nuclear capacity missiles with their respective mobile pitchers, configuring a direct threat not only for East Asia, but also for much of the United States continental territory. Location and base size. Raised in a mountainous valley and crossed by a stream, the base occupies an area of 22 square kilometerswhich makes it more extensive than, for example, the JFK International Airport in New York. The first evidence of its construction date back to 2004, and satellite images point out that it has been fully operational since 2014. Since then, it has remained in good condition, with continuous extensions that reflect the modernization of North Korean Arsenal. The site also gives a Geopolitical advantage: By being so close to the Chinese territory, any military operation against the base entails the risk of triggering an incident with Beijing, a strategic calculation that reinforces the deterrent value of the complex. So that. Although it is not known with certainty what type of missiles are stored in Sinpung-Dong, analysts consider it likely to be The Hwasong-15 or Hwasong-18both intercontinental and with nuclear capacity. The complex would also be equipped with Mobile transport units And launch, capable of leaving the enclosure in crisis situations, meeting with nuclear eyelets and executing shots from previously prepared scattered positions. This operation scheme increases the survival of arsenal and the difficulty of neutralizing it with a preventive attack. Camouflaged infrastructure. There are more, since The study details The existence of control stalls, warehouses, command buildings and small homes inside the complex, some of them camouflaged under thick trees and thickets, invisible in most satellite images except in winter. In other words, this degree of concealment seems to reveal a dispersion and deception strategy that seeks to guarantee the operational continuity of the program. The base fits what experts call The “missile … Read more

Coinbase is going from being “Remote First” to harden teleworking. The reason: North Korean hackers

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Coinbase, who was born as a digital native company and an defender of the work in a remote work, has reversed in the labor policy that he assumed mostly from the pandemic. Now require that all new employees travel to the United States for your face -to -face orientation. Those who access sensitive information must be American citizens and undergo fingerprints. Reason does not have so much to do with Teleworking setbacks that we have seen in other companies. It is rather a matter of survival: they have detected North Korean technological workers trying to systematically infiltrate the company To steal information and cryptocurrencies. The threat. The CEO, Brian Armstrong, explained that they have detected a constant flow of highly qualified North Korean candidates. “It’s as if 500 new each quarter graduated,” he said. And they are not simple amateur hackers: the FBI has confirmed that They operate with accomplices in US territory That they forward portable companies, attend virtual interviews posing as candidates and set up screen companies. It also occurs in Europe. For the Pyongyang regime, cryptocurrency theft is a more income source of financing whose income They also help the nuclear weapons program. Only this year they would have stolen $ 1.4 billion Exchange Bybit Between bambalins. Infiltrates are not the only problem. Coinbase has discovered bribes of hundreds of thousands of dollars to customer service workers to obtain account information. Some came to introduce mobiles in supposedly safe facilities to photograph screens with sensitive data. The company has responded with drastic measures: employees work in armored facilities with Chromebooks safe and limited access to information. “When we catch someone, we do not accompany him to the door; he goes to jail,” Armstrong said. Turning point. This security crisis marks a before and after in the debate on remote work. Coinbase has had to choose between what was its business culture and its survival. And he has done the second. In fact he has opened a new office in North Carolina to concentrate critical operations in US territory. The interviews now require keeping the camera on to verify that the candidate is the one who claims to be and is not being supplanted or directed. And now what. The Coinbase case can be just the tip of the iceberg. If a leading technology company with security as one of its pillars cannot keep remote work safe, what can others expect? Pandemia normalized teleworking, but security threats can reverse that trend. Especially in sensitive sectors such as finance, technology and defense. In Xataka | In 2011 a group of investors bought 80,000 bitcoins. They have been sold by 17,000,000% more expensive Outstanding image | Xataka

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