North

North Korea accompanies them and not only with troops

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Since the Russian invasion in Ukraine began, a doubt has remained despite the apparent evidence. Neither The videosneither The testimoniesnot even the capture of prisoners North Korea by Ukraine ended up confirming the entire planet that, indeed, Pyongyang was fighting with Moscow. That moment of doubt has come to an end. Both nations They have confirmed How far their ties arrive. It is official. After months of rumors, Russia and North Korea They confirmed publicly that North Korean troops have been fighting on Russian soil next to Moscow’s forces in the war against Ukraine. The announcement, almost simultaneously by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, celebrated the role of thousands of North Korean soldiers who, according to both leaders, contributed decisively to the “complete release” of the Russian border region of Kursk, a territory that had been briefly occupied by Ukrainian troops during the previous summer. So and according to the figures that move, North Korea has already sent about 14,000 soldiersmainly special forces, and replaced to more than 4,000 That, according to southern Korea estimates, they have died or results injured since 2023. But there is much more, since other military personnel, Pyongyang has supplied Millions of projectiles of artillery and ballistic missiles that Moscow has used against Ukrainian cities. Common objective. The joint recognition of this collaboration marks not only a military intensification but also diplomatic, at a time when both nations seek reinforce your position International against the United States. For Russia, the direct involvement of foreign troops allows you to snatch an important negotiation resource (Kursk’s partial control) just when Trump presses by a rapid resolution of the conflict. For North Korea, having poured blood on the Russian battlefield creates a kind of symbolic and political debt In Putin, expanding the margin of Kim Jong-un maneuver in future negotiations with Washington, including its stagnant nuclear program. Symbolism and propaganda. He counted The New York Times That in North Korea, Kim ordered to erect a monument in honor of fallen soldiers in Russia, a gesture that seeks to institutionalize this alliance as a brotherhood sealed by military sacrifice. Putin, meanwhile, exalted Korean fighters as decent heroes The same recognition as its Russian peers, a statement aimed at strengthening the internal narrative of the Kremlin and to consolidate an international cooperation that is increasingly depending on authoritarian regimes. The alliance is based not only on tactical interests but also on concrete benefits: North Korea, subject to hard sanctions, would be receiving in return Direct financial aid and Advanced military technologies that could improve their arms capacity. According to experts, it is not ruled out that Pyongyang Send more troops or expand your presence in the conflict with the aim of deepening your strategic links with Moscow. A clandestine arsenal. According to the Guardian And focused on arms aid, the use of a North Korean ballistic missile in a Russian attack that left 12 dead in kyiv had already put the depth of this collaboration in the foreground. It was a KN-23 missileendowed with an eyelet of up to a ton, which according to the Ukrainian Intelligence Services and South Koreans is part of a broader delivery of at least 148 kn-23 missiles and KN-24 Sent by Pyongyang since the late 2023. To this is added the supply of millions of artillery projectiles, multiple launch rockets and long -range artillery systems, which have reached the front through 64 maritime and railway shipments carefully tracked, representing Up to 70% of the weapons Artillery used by Russia on some fronts. War as a test field. It is another of the slopes of this alliance. The British environment explained that beyond the quantitative, the North Korean contribution has a strategic value that exceeds the simple replacement of obsolete reserves: many of these weapons are modern, and their deployment in Ukraine offers the Kim Jong-a regime Real Laboratory to Test and perfect its military technology. Missiles of the Hwasong-11 seriesself -propelled mortars and multiple pitchers not only reinforce the Russian offensive, but allow North Korea to evaluate the fight in combat of their own weapons systems. As the war extends, analysts of the Stimson Center and Network Nuclear Open foreseen a escalation in the arms supplyincluding anti -tank missiles, joint development drones and anti -aircraft systems that are already being studied for future deliveries. Barter geopolitics. For experts as Hugh Griffithsformer member of the UN sanctions monitoring panel, without the help of Kim Jong-un, Putin could not sustain his current offensive. In exchange for sending weapons and soldiers, Pyongyang I would be receiving Strategic components and technical knowledge that could transform their own offensive abilities, both in the Korean Peninsula and outside it. Redrawing the balances. In short, this war cooperation Between two of the most isolated regimes in the world represents a new chapter in the Ukraine War, one that acquires an increasingly internationalized dimension. While Ukraine disputes the narrative about Kursk control And it maintains the hope of using that land as a currency in peace negotiations, North Korean involvement transforms that front into a symbol of Global rearrangement of alliances. By participating directly in the European conflict, Pyongyang is not only positioned as a more ambitious military actor, but also redouble your challenge to the international order led by the West. In the background and between the lines, what is consolidated is a Moscow -Pyongyang axis with long -term implications for regional security in Asia, European stability and the already tense pulse between the United States, China, Russia and their respective allies. Image | The Presidential Press and Information Office In Xataka | Thousands of North Koreans came to fight with Russia. The question now is where they have gotten two weeks In Xataka | “I wanted to watch romantic films”: This was the surreal capture of the first North Korean soldier in Ukraine

North Africa was outside the bronze age map. A metallic waste has been put in the center of history

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If we look at the map From the Bronze Age, we observe that much of Europe and the Middle East are the protagonists of the period of the Ancient bronze. For a long time it was estimated that Egypt was the only focus of Metallurgical development In Africa during the Bronze age. For years, we thought that the rest of the territories were empty and it was with the Phoenicians when settlements and metal development began. We were wrong. And young archaeologists have shown that Morocco was more connected to other Mediterranean regions of what we thought. And the Kack Kouch settlement is the test. The Phoenicians. The Maghreb was an absent zone in the debates about late prehistory in the Mediterranean region. It was known that he received some influences from the European bronze, but they were pieces, because they did not produce their own metallurgy until the colonization of the Phoenicians. Morocco arrived around 800 AC, founding colonies such as Lixusbut it turns out that there were already stable settlements on the Mediterranean coasts of Africa. In North Africa, the representation is Egypt … and it ended Kach Kouch location Kach Kouch. In 1988, a team formed by Moroccan and Spanish researchers discovered the settlement of Kach Kouch. It was an important finding, since the survey made in 1992 revealed that, at some point between the VIII or VI ac centuries, there had erected a half -hectare camp with cabins built with mud. It was probably an agricultural people and the researchers said that, probably, Kach Kouch had been founded by Phoenician sailors to control access routes to the Mediterranean from the Lau River. Why the Phoenicians? Because the remains found belonged to amphorae of this culture that would have served to transport wine, oil or wheat. Frozen. After the 1992 excavation, the archaeological site had not been analyzed again, until now. He Kach Kouch Archaeological Projectled by researchers from the National Institute of Archeology of Morocco, set out to reach the bottom of the settlement. Literally. The SE development In two phases – in 2021 and 2022 – and, although the archaeological interest was present in both, one of the objectives was that the students of the institute be formed in archaeological methodology. What they found was far beyond what would be expected of training practices: Kach Kouch was not a Phoenician settlement, but had centuries there. Through drones, differential GPS, 3D models and radiocarbon dating, the team of researchers discovered that three phases of occupation had been given in the settlement. Occupation phases | Image of The Conversation, H. Benattia Ancestral occupation. These occupation phases were between 2200 AC and 600 BC and the researchers They have isolated The three phases due to the remains they found. First phase: Between 2200 and 2000 AC the remains are scarce, such as ceramic fragments without decorating, a flint lasc and bovine bones. It could have been a sporadic occupation, but existing. Second phase: Between 1,300 or 900 AC the occupation would have already been stable with circular housing and warehouses, evidencing a sedentary society. Kach Kouch would be agricultural, mainly, due to the silos and grinding stones found. For the remains, it is estimated that they cultivated barley and wheat that complemented with the breeding of sheep, goats and cows. Third phase: Between 800 and 600 AC here and the Phoenicians have played a role. This external cultural influence brought elements such as ceramics to lathe and iron tools, which were mixed with local architecture and stone buildings. From left to right: plant remains, carved bones, flint lacquers The metal. Therefore, the new discovery indicates that, centuries before the arrival of the Phoenicians, Kach Koach was already a stable settlement. But there is a key piece that reveals that the first bronze object found in the region could have arrived through the broader exchange networks of the Mediterranean: among the important recent discoveries, a bronze fragment dated between 1110 and 920 ac This is the oldest bronze evidence in the Maghreb area and, although the phrase is very manida, it is something that changes everything in the archeology of North Africa because the fragment is a waste of the function in a mold, but it is the oldest bronze object known in North Africa if we do not have Egypt into account. In the image on the right, we see a rest of an amphora. On the right, objects A a are grinding tools. E a g are the metal remains so relevant The Phoenician influence. Hanza Benattia is one of the authors of the study, as well as the director of the Kach Kouch archaeological project and, as explained in The conversationevidently the Phoenicians played a role in this story. During the VIII and VII AC centuries, the inhabitants of the settlement had the same material, architectural and economic culture they had during the previous phase, but contact with the Phoenicians introduced new cultural practices. “For example, circular housing coexisted with other squares made of stone and framework of wood and mud, combining phenistic and local techniques,” says Benattia. In addition, he points out that products such as vine and olive tree began to be cultivated, and that was when they began to use ceramics made around and the use of iron objects. This is the first thing that was found in 1992 and for what was considered that the settlement was Phoenician. However, the archaeologist points out that, towards 600 BC, the settlement was abandoned. There is no evidence of violence, so social or economic changes would have pushed the inhabitants to other more prosperous close settlements. To look for. It is curious how a simple waste from a material that should not be there changes the historical perception not only of a specific place, but of a region. As we said, the Magreb was excluded from the conversation about the late prehistory of the Mediterranean, but as Benattia points out, this discovery “not only … Read more

Russia and North Korea

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A few days ago, Donald Trump set up in anger, or at least that seemed like face the public. The president showed his anger with Putin for the obstacles in the negotiations of a high fire in Ukraine. The apparent initial closeness for this agreement with the Russian leader, where he even seemed to blame him for the war, gave way to a threat: to impose secondary tariffs up to 50% About Russian oil. Today, and after knowing each other An almost universal list Of tariffs by Washington, we lack two nations: Russia and North Korea. Indulgence to adversaries. It We count this morningto. In a new and unknown phase of his commercial war, President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on some of the closest allies and partners in the United States, a list where we find Japan (24%), South Korea (25%), India (26%) or Taiwan (32%). Territories were also included tiny and remote like Tokelau (New Zealand) and Svalbard (Norway), However, it seems that it exempts from rates to adversary nations such as Russia, North Korea, Belarus and even Iran, a country to which only applied 10%less than Israel Tax (17%), its historic ally. Background: a policy that aligns with Trump’s strategy In his second term, one characterized by punishing allied countries, threatening them even with military actions, and showing themselves, although with asterisks, with traditional adversaries from Washington. The official position. The White House has left the step giving A justification. The total absence of tariffs to Moscow, together with countries such as Cuba, Belarus and North Korea, is due to the fact that “these nations already face sanctions and rates so high that they limit their trade with the United States.” However, the data show that, despite the sanctions, Russia still maintains commercial exchanges significant. Privileged relationship. They remembered a key In Firstpost To understand what is happening. Trump had formalized your affinity With Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to transform Russia as an adversary to partnerand this despite the fact that Moscow has not yielded in its aggression to Ukraine or has moderated its position towards the West. Despite the official justification from the White House that Russia, North Korea and others are already subject to sanctionsthe truth is that commerce with these countries is nothing less null. Namely: in 2024, the United States maintained exchanges with Russia by value of 3.5 billion dollars (yes, in 2021 the bilateral trade was from 35,000 billion of dollars), including US exports of Medical supplies and essential pharmacists. Even North Korea and Iran, under sanctions, maintain Reduced commercial flowsbut existing, in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, chemicals (and even works of art in the case of Iran). Meanwhile, allies as Ukraine (In full war) they also entered that 10% of tariffs, contradicting the logic that policy seeks to protect strategic partners. The validity of Russia. Moreover, like They explained in Axiosin practice, the United States trades more with Russia than with many of the countries sanctioned by new rates, evidencing a contradiction in the official justification. Karoline Leavittspokesman for the White House, he reiterated that Russia could face “new and strong sanctions” in the future, especially after Trump expressed that public discomfort towards Putin for his recent statements about Ukraine and threatened Impose secondary rates to Russian oil. Stagnant negotiations. Russia, on the other hand, has asked the Trump administration Partial withdrawal of sanctions As a key to negotiations for a fire in Ukraine, a process that remains practically frozen. Meanwhile, Trump seems to have chosen to hit traditional partners and smaller economies before Russia, maintaining that pattern that seems to characterize its foreign policy: hardness towards allies and flexibility, or At least containmenttowards strategic adversaries. The Israel-Iran case. We said it at the beginning. Especially striking is The case of Israelwhich recently eliminated its tariffs on American products as a gesture of good will, waiting for the exclusion of sanctions. It has not been so, and finally Trump has not only imposed a 17% tariff to Israelbut has applied a minor one, only 10%, to Iran, country considered declared enemy both from the United States and Israel and “sponsor” of hostile groups to both. What’s doubt, the decision has caused outrage at Tel Aviv And it has been interpreted as a sign that Trump’s commercial policy in his second term does not distinguish between strategic friends and enemies. Controversial turn. What seems clear is that the choice of some and the exclusion of others in the list is not due to random (not with other micro territories and uninhabited spaces). As a result, the strategy has generated bewilderment between Washington experts and allies, seeing how the country hardens its treatment with historical partners and, at the same time, softens your measures Against geopolitical rivals. Far from being only an economic measure, the pattern seems to reaffirm the Trump approach to destabilize traditional alliances in favor of direct relations, although inconsistent, with adversaries, even if they have not offered diplomatic or commercial concessions in return. Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation In Xataka | The most surreal victims of US tariffs: remote islands, islets only inhabited by penguins and a secret base

They actually signed North Korean cybercounts

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Finding technological talent has become a career with more expected obstacles. For many companies, expanding their teams is no longer just a matter of publishing an offer: it is to deal with processes that often lengthen and with the possibility of not having chosen the right person. And when, finally, an incorporation closes, The high rotation of the sector threatens to return everything to the starting point. But what many companies probably do not imagine is that, without knowing, they could be hiring North Korean cybercounts. This threat, that began to gain strength in the United Stateshas begun to spread. According to Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG)the environment has become more hostile for these actors in US territory, and are now displacing their attention to Europe. A threat in Europe. GTIG details the case of one of the workers linked to North Korea, whose modus operandi reflects the usual pattern of this type of operations. This individual used at least 12 different identities to run for jobs in Europe and the United States. In addition, it resorted to other identities controlled by himself to provide false references and gain credibility to recruiters. List of countries affected by North Korea’s workers Objective companies. Although the range of companies that hire IT profiles is broad, North Korean actors have focused their efforts on very specific sectors: above all, companies linked to the industrial defense base and government agencies. To achieve this, they took advantage of the rise of remote work and infiltrated false identities carefully prepared to overcome security filters. Income for North Korea. Every time the North Korean regime exhibits a new military advance, the same question returns: Where do you really finance it? Although the data on their economy are scarce and deeply opaque, it is clear that the international sanctions have been trying to stop the war machinery of one of the most isolated and hermetic countries on the planet. There are several investigations that point to at least two revenues for the country led by Kim Jong-un. One of them is the theft of cryptocurrencies: North Korean attackers have perfected their techniques and now hit high -value international objectives. The other is the deployment of false workers, such as the one we are seeing at this time, to carry out data theft and extortion practices. Not only attempts. Real cases. Although there is no exact figure of false workers hired by European companies, the GTIG notes that it has detected a diverse portfolio of projects in the United Kingdom executed by employees linked to North Korea. Among them include web developments, bots, content management systems (CMS), advanced artificial intelligence and applied blockchain technology. Images | Tai Bui | Xataka with chatgpt In Xataka | North Korea’s military tactics that prevents defections. Pyongyang’s “trick” to maintain the loyalty of his army

North Korea has built a “Manhattan” of 10,000 apartments … only for the most loyal to Kim Jong-un

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We could say without fear of being wrong that North Korea has a very clear plan in an economic key for this 2025: open (A little) abroad. How much? It will depend, not only on the nation itself, but on the rest of the countries and the ability to seduction for tourists from outside. Wonsan It will be the cornerstone that will define the rest of that expansion. And the locals? For them there is also great news: a new mega district in the capital, although it will not be for everyone. Hwasong and what we don’t know. North Korea has proudly revealed its new residential district of no less than 10,000 homes in Pyongyanga work that remembers the famous New York enclave and that symbolizes both the propaganda desire of the regime and some of its internal contradictions. Located In Hwasongthe new neighborhood of imposing skyscrapers and large avenues has been presented through the state agency KCNA as a sample of the Kim Jong leader’s commitment a with the improvement of the level of urban living. The official inauguration is scheduled for April 15day that, of course, has not been chosen randomly, since the birth of Kim Il Sungfounder of the country and grandfather of the current leader. The new urbanization represents the third stage of a ambitious five -year plan announced in 2021 for Build 50,000 apartments In the capital, an objective that is inserted into a greater offensive to renew infrastructure in a country whipped by poverty, international isolation and a wobbly economy. Luxury on the outside, doubts inside. Despite the images that show modern buildings and an architecture urbanistically imposing, including two towers linked by a bridge High, reality can be far from a luxury standard. Counted in a wide CNN report That, in North Korea, life on high floors is complicated due to the frequent power cuts left by inoperative elevators. In fact, that is the reason why the floors are assigned based on age of residents: young people occupy the upper floors, while the elderly receive units at low levels. This organization illustrates how structural deficiencies camouflage under a facade of urban modernization. Although Pyongyang enjoys conditions significantly better than other areas of the country, housing in rural regions and mining cities They are still precariouswith limited access to electricity, drinking water or basic sanitation services. The new district in Hwasong The modernization plan. The Hwasong project is not an isolated case. Adds to other recent urbanizations such as Look Scientists Street and Songhwa Streetthis last home of the second highest tower in the country, completed in 2022. All efforts of the regime to show a renewed image of the nation, while they underpin the cult of the personality of Kim Jong Un. Plus: As the state press explained, the leader has been directly involved in the design and planning of the new district, repeating the classical narrative of the regime that associate each achievement with your address staff. In fact, even constructions are designed to reinforce the country’s privilege system. As? Housing are assigned by the Government to people loyal to the regime or considered strategically usefulsuch as scientists, engineers or allegates of the party. Inequality. A report From the South Korean Institute of Civil Engineering and Construction Technology, it estimated that North Korea has enough homes only for 70% to 80% of their homes. Beyond Pyongyang, the housing situation seems critical. Despite the new projects in mining and rural areas, these works depend on the forced labor of soldiers and civilians, which work in hard conditions and Without worthy remuneration. Plus: Construction in North Korea is mainly driven By the popular armywhose participation not only responds to the magnitude of the works, but also to an ideological logic: each brick becomes a piece of propaganda that reinforces the image of the State as a modernizing force. Facade of glass. Although the regime promotes the speed with which it rates skid (as the case of the 70 -story building in Ryomyong New Town whose structure was completed in just 74 days), experts have expressed concern about The quality of the materials and technical supervision. In 2014, the collapse of a building in Pyongyangwhich allegedly housed dozens of families, highlighted the risks of an accelerated construction without adequate controls. The state press attributed the disaster to An “irresponsible supervision”without providing dead figures or assuming clear responsibilities, in a country where transparency is little less than non -existent. “Military” construction. It is another of the legs on which the civil “work” is sustained. The military apparatus it’s a central role In all these developments. With More than one million soldiers In active duty and a mandatory conscription system of at least ten years since the age of 17, the state labor becomes the main engine of these works. Even after serving their service, former soldiers are usually integrated into civil paramilitary forceswhich consolidates a system in which the population remains subject to state control through military obedience structures. Urbanization, therefore, not only responds to housing needs, but also to social surveillance and containment mechanisms. Reopening and isolation. In addition to everything described, the inauguration of the Hwasong district coincides with the first steps of North Korea Towards a reopening controlled after more than five years of closing by the pandemic. We have it: although the capital has remained mostly inaccessible, in 2024 the entry of A small group of Russian tourists. Another foreign group could only visit Rasona special economic zone near the borders with China and Russia. This still shy reopening context also serves as a backdrop to show internal achievements such as the new district, whose symbolic value exceeds the direct benefit that it can represent for North Korean citizenship. Seen this way, Hwasong is not only a residential district, but an emblem of how North Korea tries Project modernityhiding Behind concrete A reality closer to scarcity, control and structural inequality. Image | KCNA In Xataka | After years with its closed … Read more

This app was passed through a file administrator, but it was a North Korean spyware

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Download applications from the official store of our Android device is the safest option. However, that does not mean that it is free of risks. Despite Google’s efforts to improve the security of Play Store, every so often some threat is filtered. This time it has been a North Korean spyware, which has managed to sneak out without raising suspicions. A spyware disguised as file administrator. Cybercriminals have perfected their tactics for camouflating malware within applications that seem completely harmless. Many of them even work normally, but in the background they execute malicious actions. File Manager, as his name suggests, was presented as a Android file manager, but actually hid something very different. According to the cybersecurity firm Lookout, File Manager hid a malware known as Kospy, which they believe with “high confidence” that was linked to North Korea. They have reached this conclusion, among other things, discovering that the malicious application uses domain names and IP addresses that were previously identified as present command and control infrastructures used by the groups of North Korean Cadincommers APT37 and APT43. What could the malicious app? Experts warn that this application collected a Alarming quantity of confidential information, including SMS text messages, call records, device location, stored files and even user key pulsations. In addition, I could access details of the Wi-Fi network, obtain a list of installed applications and perform even more intrusive actions, such as recording audio, taking photos with the camera and capturing screenshots in the background. A threat that was quickly neutralized. Although the Kospy spyware managed to infiltrate the Play Store, Google acted quickly. A company spokesman confirmed to TechCrunch that all identified applications were eliminated. According to a lookout screenshot, the malicious app came to download a dozen times before being removed from the Android store. Integrated protection measures. Android devices have several layers of safety, including Google Play Protect, which analyzes applications before discharge, inspects the device in search of malicious software and, if it detects a threat, can automatically deactivate the harmful application. In addition, some manufacturers incorporate their own safety solutions, adding an extra layer of protection for users. Avoiding the hook. The best defense against malicious apps is caution. Before installing any application, you should check what permits request. If a simple flashlight app requests access to our files, contacts or accessibility settings, something does not block. Another effective strategy is to download applications from official sources. Instead of looking for “Microsoft Authenticator” in the Play Store and risk falling into a malicious imitation, it is safer get the link directly from the official Microsoft website. The same applies to any other service: if we need the BBVA app, Better go to your website and find the corresponding link therethus avoiding falling into traps. Images | Xataka with Dall · E 3 In Xataka | A group of North Korea hackers signed the greatest robbery of cryptocurrencies in history. Now we know how they did

South Korea has done an exercise with its F-16. They have mistakenly bombard a city near the border with the north

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The F-16 They are possibly one of the most popular fighters. These are monomotor combat airplanes developed by the American General Dynamics that went from being listed as “light hunting” to evolve to versatile. Inside, one of the most common air weapons on the planet: the pump without guide Mark 82. Up to eight of them have fallen near the border with North Korea by error. The incident. Two KF-16 fighters of the South Korean Air Force (Rokaf) They accidentally launched eight bombs MK-82 on a village/city in the Nogok area, on the outskirts from Pocheonabout 40 kilometers from Seoul and no less than 32 kilometers from the border with North Korea. Because? The error occurred shortly after 10 am during a real fire exercise in preparation for joint maneuvers with the United States. As a result, 15 people were injuredtwo of them in serious condition, and dozens of residents were evacuated, in addition to destroying, among other things, a church. The causes and the answer. The first investigations indicate that the pilot of one of the planes incorrectly introduced coordinates of the objective, causing the fall of the pumps in an inhabited area. However, it is not yet clear why the second plane also launched its explosive load. The South Korean Air Force has suspended all exercises of real fire to clarify the facts and have formed an emergency committee to investigate what happened. In An official statementthe authorities expressed their apologies and have promised assistance to those affected. Damage and testimonies. The explosions caused severe damage to infrastructure local, including homes, trucks and, as we said, a church. The impact of the pumps was strong enough to shake a center for people over more than half a kilometer from the place. Among the testimonies collected by local media, residents have described chaos scenes, with smoke rising to heaven, broken pipes and people trapped in vehicles. A witness reported that some houses They were “games in half” and that several people were injured inside a car en route to a construction work. Impact on joint safety and maneuvers. In addition, the incident occurs at a time of High voltage in the Korean Peninsulawith South Korea, the United States and Japan concerned with the growing military alliance Between North Korea and Russia. Seoul has repeatedly denounced that Pyongyang has sent soldiers to fight in Ukraine, and South Korean intelligence sources say that recently More North Korean They were deployed in the Russian city of Kursk. Plus: accidental bombardment has happened a few days before the start of the joint exercises called Freedom Shield, scheduled to start next Monday (from March 10 to 20). Although the South Korean authorities have ensured that the incident will not affect the development of these maneuvers, the security of real fire exercises has been, in question.

After years with its closed borders, North Korea has opened to foreign tourism. The price: more than $ 600

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Very shy, limited and with restrictions, but North Korea begins to open to foreign tourism five years after have sealed its borders to protect yourself from the propagation of COVID-19. The hermetic nation led by Kim Jong-un is about to be somewhat less hermetic, both for travelers from China and Western. Of course, at least for the moment and despite the fact that the country is building His own ‘Benidorm’ In Wonsan, the tours will focus on a specific (and controlled) area: Rason. No visits to Pyongyang. Border closure. Five years ago, even in the initial bars of the Covid-19 Pandemia, North Korea took A radical decision: At the end of January 2020, the view of how the virus spread for the Chinese neighbor, the authorities decided to close foreign tourists. The measure made sense if one takes into account that in 2019, tens of thousands of travelers arrived from the Asian giant had visited North Korea. Some sources speak of 350,000. Others point out that the country received in total 300,000 tourists foreigners, of which 90% were Chinese. One (long) temporary measure. The idea was that the borders remained “temporarily” as “preventive measure against coronavirus.” Or so He announced it In January 2022 Young Pioneer Tours, an agency that was dedicated to organizing trips to the country of Kimg Jong-un. What was not clarified was what exactly “temporary” meant, an uncertain horizon that extended one, two, three … until five yearswhich is what has ended up lasting the closure. The government already made A first gesture In 2024, allowing Russian tourist delegations, which were already pointed out as The first foreign travelers who accessed the country from the pandemic; But now North Korean authorities have decided to go one step further. Coinciding almost with the fifth anniversary of the closing of the borders, the country has allowed The passage of several travel companies and a very small group of visitors. What exactly? The Straits Times Explain that at the beginning of February the North Korean authorities allowed the country of a select group of travel operators. Select and Very small. Experience served to tote the land for the really important date: tourism reopening February 20although the latter has also been done in a limited way. Among the operators who stepped on North Korean soil after years of border closure was the Australian Rowan Beard, of the Pioneer Tours agency, based in Beijing. His business was expected to take A dozen tourists To the country, a figure similar to the one that was handled by another of the selected operators, Koryo Tours, who when Corea’s apartment already had a group of 15 people eager to walk around the country. And who have visited it? After the first trip of recognition and “familiarization”, that of Beard, foreign tourists have arrived, including people from Singapore, Australia, Germany or Romania, according to Precise The country. Other media They holdthat among visitors there are also citizens of the United Kingdom and Jamaica. The CNN even assures That among the “pioneers” is an American, Justin Martell, who would have mocked the prohibition of his country after becoming a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean nation. Looking at China. After A first approach To Russia, the nation of Kim Jong-un already looks at its great tourism market: China. Kyodo News agency I advanced A few days ago the country prepares to resume tourist trips of the Asian giant, which until the closing of borders moved a flow of tens of thousands of travelers a year. The perspective of knowing North Korea may be more or less appealing from countries such as Spain, where the government even advised The visitbut it has its market. Packages for $ 670. Beard remember that when his agency announced the trips the company’s email “saturated” consultations. And that the experience requires scratching the pocket: Young Pioneer Tours, one of the few authorized, offers a five -day and four night package for $ 670. Another option is to pay $ 720 With several nights in Yanji, China. “For many people it is a very mysterious country,” Beard comments: “Technically there is no Internet or is limited. So life there works in a similar way to what we had in the 1980s.” Those who have already been in the country after reopening ensure that the rules when taking photos have relaxed, which does not mean that visitors can film what they want. “They only scold me once,” Recognize the CNN Gerg Vaczi, by Korko Tours, “and was to film a guide.” Opening, but with quotes. North Korea’s policy change has been important, but also limited. That he has decided to allow the passage of tourists again does not mean that they will move freely through the country or move to the capital, Pyongyang, supposedly closed For any tourist who Do not come from Russia. Visitors must settle at least for the moment with Rasona special economic zone established in the early 90s and presents certain important peculiarities. A special destination. To begin its location, it is strategic, northwest of the country, near the borders of China and Russia. It also does not have an international airport, with what the only way to arrive is to cross the limit with China under the control of the Border guards. The area also has peculiar administrative conditions and has been raised, Precise ABC News, as a kind of evidence field to test new economic policies. The idea It is that tourists who can reach drops visit spaces such as a factory, an aquaculture farm, Schoolsor have the experience of open an account Banking in the Golden Triangle Bank. Rason is also in a border and coastal area. Beard Recognize In any case that the area presents certain “logistics limitations”, such as the number of hotel places, guides and buses. And why now? The other big question. It is estimated that before the pandemic the country received hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists generated … Read more

Right now there are 4500 North American students advised psychologically by a chatbot. It’s just the beginning

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Right now, while I write this, there are about 4,500 North American students being “psychologically advised” Through an application Sonny called. It is nothing surprising. In the US, around 17% of secondary schools have no counselor or school psychologist. Most of them are in rural areas or in economically depressed zones and applications of this type bring psychosocial assistance to everyone. The problem is not that. The problem is that Sonny is An artificial intelligence chatbot. Is the chatbot? Let it be put. The idea is not new: in fact, it is one of the first ideas that comes to everyone worried about mental health. In the last 50 years We have concluded that psychotherapy is tremendously effective. For now we have not been able to climb it: that is the promise of the chatbots. Sonny’s example Help to understand it: Students have access to chatbot 18 hours a day (from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.) and the “Solo” service costs each district between $ 20,000 and $ 30,000. Much less than a school advisor to use. It is true that it is not so effective that the counselor, but for many environments it is the best that can be allowed. And, in fact, according to some of its users explainbeyond its final therapeutic effectiveness, these types of approaches allow school to identify almost real problems among students. In Berryville (Arkansas), they discovered that more than half of the users sent messages just before exams and allowed them to develop emotional support interventions. Is this the future? A couple of years ago, Zara Abrams published an extensive analysis In the American Psychological Association, where it was concluded that “artificial intelligence chatbots (AI) can make therapy more accessible and less expensive.” Just what Sonny does. However, as also explained Abrams“Despite the potential of AI, there are still reasons to worry: the tools used in the health field have discriminated people depending on their race and disability status and there are malicious chatbots have widespread erroneous information, They have professed their love for users either They have sexually harassed minors“That is precisely what Sonny tries to avoid. How is it possible? In principle, as they explain from the company, Sonny has a team of people with “experience in psychology, social work and online support” that supervise and even rewrite the Bot responses. Each technician supervises between 15 and 25 chats at the same time. It is the form that has HEALTH mental soundthe company behind the app, to avoid the great original sin of the LLM: its tendency to delir, fantasize and give advice that may not be correct. In addition, the hybrid chatbot is designed to notify parents and teachers to the slightest possibility of danger (either for oneself or for others). Have you solved the problem? The truth is that we do not know (because there are no studies on it), but it is honestly unlikely that they have achieved it: we are in a very early phase as for trust that all associated problems are resolved. But it is a radical step. As Abrams said, It is possible that “psychologists and their abilities are irreplaceable”, but since the arrival of AI is inevitable we have to bet on a “reflexive and strategic implementation.” Something that, indeed, is very similar to saying anything. There is much that we still do not know and, therefore, making concrete predictions is dangerous. What is clear is that the question is not if we will have gpteraputas, we already have them. The question is how we can use them to Not worsening the attention that is being given today (a temptation always preset) and turn them into a key tool to reduce human suffering. Let’s hope to answer it soon. Image | Dream / Sigmund In Xataka | 50 years of research on depression psychotherapy leave a surprising fact: we have not improved anything

Many Russians injured in Ukraine are not returning home. They are flying with the expenses paid to North Korea

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During the last months, there have been times in the Ukraine War North Korean soldiers They have been the closest to ghost troops. Actually, and as usually happens in the contests, participants figures vary according to the sides, so we may never know the exact number of “shipments”. That said, and if there was any questions of The ties forged in the Cold War for both nationsin parallel, an unprecedented event is happening. Russian soldiers are not returning home, they are going to Pyongyang. From the battle front to Korea. From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Thousands of Russian soldiers have returned home injured or with physical and psychological sequelae. Many of them have participated in state rehabilitation programs in sanatoriums distributed throughout Russia. However, an increasing number of military have had another destination. This group, secret until very recently, It has been sent to North Korea To receive medical care and rest, which marks a new chapter in the growing cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Recovery with expenses paid. In The Guardian had cases of soldiers like Aleksei (fictional name), who, after suffering a shrapnel wound in the leg, requested a stay in a state sanatorium. The man hoped to be sent to one of the traditional rehabilitation centers in the Black Sea or the Altái mountains, but in the absence of availability, his unit in the distant Russian East offered him an unexpected destination: North Korea. Aleksei, like others, approached a two -hour flight from Vladivostok to Pyongyang, followed by A trip to a sanatorium in Wonsanon the eastern coast of North Korea. There, he spent a week with two other dozen Russian soldiers, in an environment that, although he says that clean and well maintained, lacked the specialized medical care he expected. The “healer” role of North Korea. He Shipping Russian soldiers injured to North Korea has not been publicly promoted through the Russian government, images of visits have not been disseminated. However, in a recent interview, Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang, Aleksandr Matsegora, confirmed that “hundreds of Russian soldiers” have been treated in Sanatorium and North Korean medical centers. Not just that. The diplomat stressed that Accommodation, food and care services were totally freeand that when Russia tried to compensate for North Korea for expenses, North Korean authorities felt “offended” and rejected any payment. An exchange that is part of that close military and political collaboration between the two countries that we have been countingand that has intensified since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Rest without treatment. Aleksei told the British environment that during his stay in Wonsan he had access to swimming pools, saunas and recreational activities such as ping-pong and card games. But as we said, he noticed several limitations. Namely: he did not receive the expected specialized medical treatment, the meals “were tasteless and had little meat”, it was forbidden to leave the enclosure at night or interact with the local population, and Alcohol was extremely difficult to get. Aspects that, As the New York Times pointed outthey contrast with the image of the traditional Russian sanitariums, who usually offer a combination of physical therapy, rehabilitation and rest in natural environments. Be that as it may, for Aleksei, The experience was “different from the expected”and you are not sure if I would accept to return in case of a new offer. The doubt and strategic background. Some analysts have suggested that these soldiers’ shipments could have a hidden purpose beyond the rehabilitation itself. Like what? He Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based in Washington, has indicated that the arrival of Russian troops with an experience of fighting North Korea It could be an opportunity to train and share tactics with the North Korean armyunder the appearance of rest and recovery. The possibility of greater cooperation in this area reinforces concerns about the growing military alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang. A summer camp for Russian children. It The New York Times had exclusive. In parallel to the arrival of Russian military in North Korea, Pyongyang has also begun to receive children of Russian soldiers who died in the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin first mentioned the initiative in June 2023thanking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un organizing a camp for these children in the Songdowon complex, near Wonsan. This center, which already received Russian visitors before the war, has now become a symbol of the bilateral relationship. In fact, the Russian media have widely covered these trips, Showing images of children posing in front of statues of North Korean leaders. The Times said that even a young participant described the experience as a “total digital detox”highlighting the strict discipline of North Korean children, who were marching in training and continued with military precision. In short, the presence of Russian soldiers in North Korea seems to symbolize that growing convergence between both nationsin a context of international isolation. As military and economic cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang intensifies, these exchanges could represent more than simple rehabilitation, consolidating a new geopolitical dynamic in the 21st century. Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation In Xataka | Russia gave animals, artillery and raw to North Korea. His last gift places his army at another level: space In Xataka | Thousands of North Koreans came to fight with Russia. The question now is where they have gotten two weeks

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