Archaeologists have been wondering how the drought affected the Mayan collapse. The answer was in a remote cave

The sayinger says that the devil is hidden in the details. Often, when we talk about archeology, key clues too. Archaeologists who investigate the collapse of The Mayan civilization. For years experts wonder if that decline was motivated by changes in commercial routes, wars or climatic factors, such as droughts, a theory that has gained weight over the last years. What historians did not know is to what extent the Maya endured the shortage of rain between the ninth and 10th centuries. Now we finally know. And all thanks to A stalagmit Lost in a remote cave of Yucatan. What happened? That archaeologists have just achieved a valuable clue to better know the history of Mayan civilization. And not any period. What they have discovered is a fact that sheds light on one of their most fascinating chapters, The collapse of the classical period, a phase that extended Between the IX and X Centuries From our era and that he saw how the flourishing Mayan civilization fell into decline and the twilight of large cities arrived. During that stage the southern limestone settlements were abandoned and civilization moved northlosing part of its influence at a political and economic level. What have you found out? That this stage was marked by droughts. To be more precise, archaeologists have found out that between 871 and 1021 of our era they happened Eight long droughts In the Yucatan Peninsula, periods of water shortage that with all probability influenced the population. Not all of them lasted the same, but experts estimate that each of those episodes of agostation lasted at least three years, although there was one in particular that extended 13. Let us talk about extreme droughts It does not mean that it did not rain. With that term archaeologists refer to periods of at least three consecutive years during which the dry station lasted more months than usual or even in which one cannot talk about wet season as such. The experts They recognize That 13 years under these conditions, even with the water management techniques developed by the Maya, leads to “a great impact for society.” Why is it important? Because as the authors of the investigation recognize in An article Posted a few days ago in the magazine Science Advancesthat prolonged drought chain could play a key role in the history of the Maya, “contributing to the collapse of classical civilization.” “This period of Mayan history has fascinated us for centuries”, Recognize Dr. Daniel H. James, author of the study. “Multiple theories have emerged about the cause of collapse, such as changes in commercial routes, wars or severe droughts, based on the archaeological evidence left by the Maya. But in recent decades we have begun to learn a lot about what happened to the Maya and why, mixing archaeological data with quantifiable climate evidence.” Is it something new? Yes. And no. It is not the first time that archaeologists explore the impact that droughts had on the decline of classical Mayan civilization. Over the last years they have already reached more or less similar conclusions thanks to sediment study collected at the bottom of the Chichankanab lagoon or of Stalactite samples Obtained in a cave in southern Belize, clues that pointed to the role played by climate oscillations in The Mayan collapse. The new data obtained by James and their colleagues also fit other signals, as with the dates left by the Maya themselves in their monuments or records in the popular Chinchén Itzá. There, in one of the great settlement of the Yucatan, the inscriptions of dates are mysteriously faded just during the periods in which we now know that there were severe droughts. “It does not mean that the Maya left Chichen Itzá these periods, but it is likely that they had more urgent things than to worry about building monuments, as if the crops on which they depended would be successful or not.” So … why is it important? Although It is not the first time that archaeologists point to the effect of droughts in the Mayan collapse the new study published in Science It is important for several reasons. First, for your approach. Second, for its precision. In this case, researchers have departed from an especially valuable track: the stalagmites located in a Yucatan cave. Thanks to the dating and analysis of the oxygen isotope layers that contain these calcareous rocks, formed on the ground with the water that drips in the cave, experts have been able to obtain “very detailed information” on the climate of the terminal classic period. “Previous studies have measured the isotopes contained in lake sediments to determine the severity of drought, but do not contain enough detail to accurately find out the climatic conditions in a specific year and location,” They clarify From Cambridge. Unlike what happens with the sediments collected from the bottom of the lakes, “excellent to obtain a global vision,” says James, the stalagmites offer a variety of concise data. “They allow us to access more precise details that we were missing,” Write down the expertwho now acts as a researcher at the University College in London. According to the team, this has been the first time that archaeologists have been able to isolate information about the rains of humid and dry stations individually, obtaining the details of each one. How precise are they? Its authors say so. So far the stalagmites had provided data on rainfall annual measures during the classical terminal periodbut that information did not allow scholars to go down to detail. How much did it rain exactly in humid stations and dry? Thanks to the Yucatan stalagmite analyzed by the experts, which contains relatively thick annual layers, of about a millimeter, the experts have been able to analyze oxygen isotopes of each stage, an indicator of the drought. “Knowing the average annual rainfall does not reveal as much as knowing how every rainy season was”, Dr. James points out. “Isolate the rainy season … Read more

David Reber Jr., CSO of Nvidia, on the remote off buttons in AI chips

What if an artificial intelligence chip could not come on if it is in the wrong place? That is the idea that begins to circulate strongly in Washington: demand that last generation GPUs include mechanisms that prevent its initialization If they have been diverted from their authorized destiny. The logic behind this proposal is simple – at least on paper -: If a chip cannot start, it cannot be used. But the involvement is much deeper. It is no secret that the United States wants to avoid at all costs that this technology ends up promoting Chinese arms development, and some legislators believe that control must be integrated directly into hardware. In that context, Nvidia, one of the main global manufacturers, has raised the voice. “They don’t have it. They won’t have it”: Nvidia’s official position The answer was swift. David reber Jr., Security Director of Nvidia, published a blunt message: “Our GPU does not have safety switches. And they should not have them. ”Reber defends that integrating such mechanisms into the hardware would be a strategic error, a risk of self -security and a direct threat to global confidence in American technology. “Permanently integrating a ‘Kill Switch’ into a chip is something completely different: a structural failure outside the user control and an invitation open to disaster. It is like buying a car and that the concessionaire is left with the remote control of the hand brake, in case one day you decide that you should not drive. That is not a sensible policy. It is an overreaction that would irreversibly damage the national interests and national security of the United States. It is not an improvised position. For Nvidia, opening the door to remote control functions is equivalent to creating permanent vulnerability, a weak point that could be exploited by hostile actors. The context is key to understanding the movement of Nvidia. During the last fiscal year, China represented 13% of company’s income, about 17,000 million dollars. However, those numbers are at stake. The successive US administrations have hardening chips export restrictions such as H100 either A100alleging national security motifs. Even so, Those chips continue to arrive in Chinamany times through unauthorized channels. And before that scenario, there are those who believe that the only way to cut the root problem is to introduce control at the silicon level. One of the proper names behind the most radical proposal is Bill FosterDemocratic congressman by Illinois and former particle. He is not a newcomer to the hardware world: he designed chips during his scientific stage and now leads a legislative proposal that I am looking formpon new technical requirements for manufacturers. Last May 6, Foster declared that his intention was Require US regulators the implementation of systems that allow tracking chips and avoiding their implementation if they do not have the corresponding export license. The bill was formally presented on May 15. Although remote deactivation does not explicitly mention, it raises the “implementation of chips safety mechanisms” as a way to detect cases of smuggling or improper use of advanced circuits. A law that does not say everything, but it hints almost everything THE PROJECT TEXT It does not come into technical details about how each mechanism should work, but it does mark a clear direction. It states that the chips covered by law – that is, those subject to export licenses— They must include “security mechanisms” able to help detect cases of smuggling or improper use. In addition, it requires that these systems cannot be deactivated or easily altered. The ambiguity of the text opens margin for interpretations, but makes clear an intention: that the control stops depending only on customs and begins to be integrated into the silicon itself. In any case, Nvidia’s position is not simple. On the one hand, it must comply with the restrictions imposed by the United States. On the other, he knows that losing the Chinese market would be a huge blow. Recently, H20 export was approved as part of a commercial agreement. However, its arrival to the Chinese market It has not materialized as expected: There are delays associated with obtaining licenses and the bureaucratic authorization process. While in the US it is discussed how to control the fate of the chips, China continues to advance in the opposite direction: develop their own. The objective is clear and not new: reduce the technological dependence of the West, especially in critical components such as GPUs. But one thing is the long -term strategy and another the current reality. And the reality is that China, for the moment, continues to need Nvidia chips, especially in full global career for artificial intelligence. Images | Nvidia (1, 2, 3) | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 Flash In Xataka | Ten Chinese companies in Chips and IA have allied with a common goal: to put an end to the domain of Nvidia

The good news for Russia is that the earthquake occurred in a remote area. The bad is that he concentrated his nuclear submarines

Yesterday we woke up with the news of A historical earthquake In an area of the planet that you had not heard in life. Makes sense, Kamchatka It is located at the easiest end of the Russian Eastern Eastern region, such an inhospitable place that has a “good” side of history: we had to tell human casualties in Russia. However, and due precisely to its geographical situation, that is where Moscow keeps part of Its nuclear arsenal. The epicenter of Russian underwater power. Yes, the Magnitude 8.8 earthquake who shook Kamchatka’s peninsula, one of the more powerful registered In modern history, he has put one of Russia’s most sensitive military facilities under the international focus: the naval bases of Avacha Bay. The movement, which generated tsunami waves in the Pacific and coincided with the eruption of the klyuchevskaya sopka volcanothere was only 100 kilometers from the heart of Russian nuclear deterrent power in the Far East. Although the Moscow authorities assure that There are no fatalities No serious damage, doubts revolve around the real state of Rybachiy, the main base of Russian strategic submarinesand from the Naval Complex of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Rybachiy: the bastion of nuclear deterrence. The Rybachiy base It houses the backbone of the underwater strategic fleet of Russia in the Pacific Ocean: The SSBN of the Borei and Borei-A classsuccessors of Ancient Deltacapable of carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear heads. This installation, complemented by shipyards and missile load springs, represents a Central Piece of the Triad Russian nuclear, designed to guarantee the ability to retaliate in case of global conflict. In the area they also operate advanced attack submarines, like Yasen-M (indicated by the United States as one of the main threats under water), in addition to Oscar units and other submersibles of nuclear or conventional propulsion. The vulnerability of these assets in the face of extreme natural phenomena now generates serious unknowns. The Belgorod factor and the possesson weapon. To uncertainty is added the fact that Russia plans to move to Mysterious K-329 Belgorod To this same base. This submarine, the longest in the world, is a deep version Modified of the Oscar II class conceived to transport intercontinental nuclear torpedoes Poseidona strategic system also baptized as Status-6, designed to mock defenses and generate radioactive tsunamis. In addition, Belgorod is designed for underwater intelligence missions and undercover operations. The mere possibility that it would be in Avacha Bay during the earthquake The strategic interest of the natural catastrophe. Immediate technical risks and facilities. At the moment there is no clear evidence of damage to infrastructure or docked units. Bay’s own geography could have acted As a natural shield against the impact of the waves. However, they pointed out the Twz analysts that even minor variations of the sea level can cause critical problems: from submarines, violently hitting their ties (incidents known as Allision) until the entry of water in open gates or in ships subjected to maintenance. The robustness of the facilities, built with the hypothesis of an attack Nuclear in mind, reinforces the thesis that the damage has been limited, but does not completely eliminate uncertainty. The problem of concentrating a point. Beyond the punctual situation, the earthquake It exposes a structural dilemma: the risk of concentrating a substantial part of the Russian nuclear deterrence in a confined geographical enclave. The Avacha Baywith its shipyards, arsenals and strategic units, it constitutes a critical objective both from the military and natural point of view. The threat of an enemy attack was planned in design of the bases, but not that of a seismic phenomenon of historical magnitudescapable of questioning the safety of a key piece of the Russian nuclear triad. Strategic implications. In the background, the episode demonstrates how the stability of the world nuclear arsenal can depend on unpredictable natural factors. A single earthquake, in Second issueyou can compromise operability of strategic submarines whose function is to ensure the balance of nuclear terror. The fact that Kamchatka combines geological vulnerabilities With military assets In addition, the fragility inherent in global deterrence systems reveals. The international community, and especially the rival nuclear powers, will carefully observe the reports that emerge from Moscow, aware that nature, unlike strategic calculations, is impossible to deter. Image | Russian Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Iceland has a key Atlantic corridor for Russia. So the US has sent its first nuclear submarine In Xataka | A British nuclear submarine has discovered a Russian ship in front of its submarine cables. The second time in three months

For centuries the Christians pilgrimage to a remote cave to venerate Salome. Problem: They were wrong with Salome

There was a time, many centuries ago, in which Christians went to an old cave located in the Judea Lowlandsnear the village of Eliav, in search of inspiration. Over the years even a Sacred place For Islam. There (the remains of Salome were supposed to be, a biblical figure with echoes in the origins of Christianity. Some versions identified it as the midwife that attended the birth of Jesus. Others as one of his disciples and witness of the crucifixion. It is even said that she was Maria’s little sister. Now a group of Israeli archaeologists has reached a fascinating conclusion that relies on vestiges located years ago In the cave: I probably Salome that rested in his day in the crypt was neither the midwife nor disciple of Jesus, but an opulent and powerful aristocrat related to Herod. In a place of Judea … The Salomé cave is a wide sepulcher located in Sefeláthe lowlands of Judea, with an exceptional archaeological value. In fact there are those who consider it one of the funeral caves “More impressive” discovered in Israel and “More elaborate” of his time, the known as period of the Second templewhich extended between the centuries VI AC and I DC Specifically, experts believe that the crypt built between the I AC and I DC The cave itself is no novelty. The archaeologists excavated it decades ago, in the mid -80s, after they were located. Throughout the last years, however, they have expanded our knowledge about the grave. By 2022 A group of experts from Israel Antiquies Authority (IAA) made an excavation in part of the enclosure that revealed new data on its architecture and history. He also confirmed that for several centuries that remote Cave of Sefelá was used as a veneration space. And how is it? Wide. Elaborate. And fascinating. The archaeological set includes a lobby, a large patio surrounded by silry stone walls and a funeral cave with several cameras in which they were preserved Kokhimfuneral niches excavated in the rock, in addition to ossuaries. Although archaeologists studied the thorough crypt in the 80s, a few years ago they wanted to go further, analyzing in depth The 350 m2 courtyard and cleaning the inside of the cave. “The patio turned out to be one of the most elaborate of its kind compared to other cemeteries of the same period,” he says An article Posted by the IAA. Among other things, experts met stones with Jewish motifs and “delicate plant designs,” such as rosettes, grenades and acanthus vases. Nothing to do with most access courtyards to funeral caves found by archaeologists, who are usually excavated, not raised with masonry. Cave … and pilgrimage place. If the grave is so relevant, it is not only because of its size, architectural characteristics or decoration. There is another equal or even more relevant factor. For a while the cave was a pilgrimage place. During their excavations of 2022 and 2023 in the front courtyard, archaeologists discovered a row of positions in which clay lamps were sold and rented. “We find hundreds, complete and broken, dating from the eighth centuries and IX DC”, They explain Nir Shimshon-Paran and Zvi-Fire, directors of the excavation. “The lamps may have served to illuminate the cave or as part of religious ceremonies, similar to the candles that are distributed today in the tombs and churches,” They add. In the cave, Greek, Syriac and Arab inscriptions, recorded crosses and indications that reveal that the funeral space remained in use during the Byzantine and Islamic periods were also located. “The excavations show that, in the Byzantine period, the site had become a place of Christian pilgrimage,” experts say, which tells us about a wide period of worship that covers from the 5th century to the IX DC DC The cave of Salome. The question was obvious … Who belonged to the funeral cave? Who rested in his day in the crypt? And why the archaeologists found crosses and dozens of inscriptions recorded directly on the rocks of the walls? The answer is both simple and complex: the Sefelá cave was the resting place of ‘Salomé’. Among the inscriptions in different languages, archaeologists identified several in Greek that mention that same name, ‘Salomé’, supposedly a religious figure relevant to Christians. In An article Published this year on the sepulcher, IAA experts remember that, in the 1090s, the scholars that analyzed the inscriptions have already concluded that the first monks who arrived in the cave in the Byzantine period discovered an ossary with the inscription ‘Salomé’, a relatively frequent name in the Judea of the beginning of the beginning of Christianity. “During the second temple period it was not common Explain Paran to The Times of Israel. “It is possible that the cave contained an ossuary with the name of Salome, although we did not find it. It could have been looted.” So … who was the famous Salome? The midwife of Jesus? A tradition attributes that name to a figure that appears in it Protoevangelio de Santiagoapocryphal text in which a Salomé is cited as a midwife that doubted the virginity of Mary. The story tells that his disbelief earned him a punishment that ended up turning it into a symbol. “According to the Christian tradition, Salome was the midwife of Bethlehem who was called to attend the birth of Jesus. He could not believe that they asked him to participate in the birth of a virgin and his hand dried. He only healed when he held the baby’s crib,” Remember From the IAA. Other versions They place Salome as a disciple of Jesus, Mary’s sister or has even confused her with the mother of Santiago and Juan. “The cult of Salomé, sanctified by Christianity, belongs to a broader phenomenon: the Christian pilgrims of the 5th century found and sanctified Jewish places. The name Salome could have appeared in ancient times in one of the alter’s already disappeared from the tomb and thus the tradition … Read more

This is heavy machinery remote control technology

Each morning Monica Kyrö starts her work as millions of people, in an office. In his position, yes, there is something strange. His own company shows it In an image of the employee. And it is not unusual only for the two huge curved monitors, but for the Two joysticks That Monica begins to handle quickly by getting to the homework. But it is that this employee of the Swedish company Lkab It has a very peculiar job. Monica is mining. But a different mining company. He works as a remote operator of heavy mining machines, but does not conduct them or operates in the conventional sense of the word. Instead, control these machines remotely since its advanced job. It is an example of an interesting transformation in several industries. Miners who do not need to go down to the mine These types of systems have gradually conquer some industrial scenarios, and Mining It is certainly very appropriate. This dangerous profession He has adapted to the new times, and “going down to the mine” is no longer rigorously true. With these machines remotely controlled by human operators, the work of these miners is not only more comfortable: it is infinitely safer. There are various companies specialized in this area. Immersive Technologiesone of them shows how his simulation solutions Avoid risks to workers in real scenarios – such as mining exploitations – in which the risks are high. But that does not prevent other problems from arising. By removing the operator from that seat on the heavy machine itself, there may be problems by not having the range of vision that one would have in that cabin and also not completely perceive its environment – for example that another employee that does not initially appear on video suddenly appears in that area – and the possible impact of using those machines at a point and in a certain way in each moment. The impact on the work is for now an inconite, but a priori it does not seem that the role of the traditional operator of these machines is in danger. In fact, what was precisely demand for new professionalswhich can now be more interested thanks to that change in the paradigm and much greater security and comfort in these jobs. Remote control trucks and robots Heavy machinery is gradually becoming autonomous and robotic heavy machinery, they explained On robotics. In Spain companies like Epiroc either Sandfire Matsa They have this type of solutions in the field of mining, but there are other areas in which heavy machinery remote control is a perfect option. It is for example the case of the control of machines in commercial ports such as Guangzhou, in China. Months ago a video appeared on social networks in which remote operators of this port worked from the offices controlling trucks and cranes to move those containers and moving them from one place to another. Everything without human personnel near those containers and large machines, something that once again avoids important risks and that allows these operators to do everything from a much more comfortable and safe environment. Certainly it seems that they were playing a simulation video game, but no. The video is hypnotic. These solutions have been in operation for years, although they do so in very specific environments due to the complexity of these works. Husqvarna, Swedish manufacturer of construction machines, was one of the firms that participated after the catastrophe of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Over there your remote control robots They helped in the controlled demolition tasks of the central. Companies like the Norway Steer They are specialized in this type of solutions for dangerous scenarios such as underground operations, work with explosives, or scenarios in which there is a risk of radioactivity or others such as avalanches and detachments. To the remote control options that require a human operator, the new autonomous vehicles for industrial applications are added. Here is a clear example in the field of agriculture. Autonomous tractors are already a realityof course, but these types of vehicles are also being used more and more in other fields. Mining is another reference: Caterpillar – of the protagonist in these markets – has autonomous trucks that already operate in that industry and that make use of “see” their environment, as well as in some robotaxis Like the Waymo. These autonomous vehicles are notwithstanding challenges to overcome: as in the case of self -employed cars, technology remains difficult to perfectespecially before the diversity of scenarios in which these solutions try to apply. That joysticks is of the last generation, but it is not to play This heavy machinery remote control segment has also caused the creation of (at least) a small segment totally associated with these systems: there are companies such as Comtium either JR Merritt specialized in calls industrial joysticks. These models are applicable to all types of heavy machinery and offer different designs and buttons according to the field in which they are used. There are even models with controlled precision systems with the thumb and even Control chairs For operators with everything necessary for this type of applications. This type of specialized peripherals can resemble traditional video game joysticks, but in reality they are quite different. To begin with, they must meet some requirements for very high durabilityand resist vibrations, extreme temperatures, dust, moisture and especially intensive use. That causes stainless steel axes and other equally resistant elements to be used. In the case of precision components that are usually translated for example in Minijísticks for the thumbswhich can have different configurations and shapes to adjust to specific heavy machines. Some of them have the Hall Effect technology that lately it has become popular in keyboards and that is especially useful in these areas. This type of joysticks use magnetic sensors to determine the position of the lever without physical contact between mobile parts and sensors. This makes the possible effects of a wear of the … Read more

Japan has discovered rare earth tons on its most remote island. Casually, a Chinese aircraft carrier has just approached

Year 2022. Japan Make a decision That he was going to be fruit months later. The Japanese nation did not want to depend so much on China in a matter of rare earths, so decides to start a series of projects to search for them even at the bottom of the ocean. In the summer of 2024 they give a treasure in that seabed: a site of 230 million tons Of those “precious” lands, a swag that are under the easternmost island of the nation. Chance or not, something unprecedented has just happened in front of the enclave: a Chinese fleet With an aircraft carrier. An unpublished maneuver. For the first timea combat group headed by the Chinese liaoning carriers He has entered the exclusive economic zone (ZEE) of Japan, marking a new phase in Beijing’s naval projection and awakening immediate concern In Tokyo and Washington. The group, composed of the aircraft carriers, two destroyers with guided missiles and a supply ship, penetrated waters to about 300 kilometers to the southwest of the Japanese Minamitori Islandthe easternmost point of the archipelago, before leaving the area to perform aircraft takeoff and landing exercises. Although Japan He avoided confirming If he presented a formal protest, he said he had transmitted an “appropriate” message to the Chinese authorities: he displayed the Haguro destroyer To follow the activity of the Naval Group. Minamitori and his treasures. As We explained at the beginningthe incident is not just symbolic: Minamitori It is not inhabited by civilians, but houses facilities of the Japanese weather agency, self -defense forces and coastguards. Beyond its isolation (about 1,900 km from Tokyo), this remote island has become a point of Geoeconomic interest Due to the vast submarine deposits of rare metals, especially manganese nodules. In fact, recent studies estimate that nearby seabed contain More than 200 million of tons of these resources, fundamental to Strategic technologies and high capacity batteries. The passage of Liaoning so close to the enclave adds a warning dimension on Chinese interest not only territorial, but also economic in areas where Japanese sovereignty is not in dispute. Minamitori Island Leave Vú. Although this has been the first documented incursion of a Chinese aircraft carrier in this part of the Japanese ZEE, the truth is that it is not An isolated fact. Liaoning himself had already sailed Last month Between two Japanese southern islands, also within another region of the Japanese ZEE. In September 2024, he crossed between Yonaguni and Iriomote, two islands near Taiwan, even entering into adjacent watersthat extend to 24 nautical miles from their coast. In each of these movements, Beijing has rehearsed navigation patterns that expand the operational scope of its navy, reinforcing its ability to operate far from its coastline and projecting power in sensitive areas. Tactical climbing. We have gone counting. These incursions occur in a context of Regional tensions persistent. Japan and China keep years ago A dispute over the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu in Chinese), uninhabited, but strategically located in the Eastern China Sea. Beijing has not stopped pressing its claim with regular naval patrols (even with buoys), while strengthening its presence in the Western Pacific through demonstrations of force such as Liaoning. The repetition of these maneuvers suggests A deliberate campaign to expand the regional tolerance threshold in the Chinese presence in areas traditionally dominated by the United States and its allies. Contained response. The spokesman for the Japanese Ministry of Defense has been clear when interpreting the maneuver as An effort from China For “improving its operational capacity in distant areas”, a reading that coincides with the recent evolution of Chinese military doctrine, more ambitious and less disguised. Although Tokyo has opted for a rather mesurated response, focused on intensive surveillance instead of direct confrontation, the underlying message It seems unequivocal: Japan is not willing to normalize Chinese military traffic in its maritime influence areas, especially in areas close to resources strategic However, the lack of a formal diplomatic protest could be interpreted as an attempt to avoid an immediate escalation while alliances are consolidated and countermeasures are evaluated. A red line. What just a few years ago would have been unthinkable, that a Chinese combat fleet with an aircraft carrier would navigate so close to the Japanese eastern end, today is an operational reality with lasting implications. As China strengthens its fleet and displays your assets With greater confidence, the Pacific maritime border becomes a board increasingly unstablewhere the strategy of the consummate threatens with redefining the rules of the game. If you want also, the Liaoning transit Together with the Japanese island, not only defies the regional balance, but also rehearses the normalization of a Chinese military presence in key areas for the energy, territorial and technological security of Japan. A Key Chess Chart Oceanicone where each movement is a reaction test. Image | BaycrestUS Air Force In Xataka | China has been claiming as its islands from Japan 130 years. So he has made a decision: surround them with buoys In Xataka | Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

The remote roads of Teruel are filled with trucks loaded to the top of clay. The reason: Ukraine

When in de February 2022 The Kremlin troops advanced on Ukraine a complex domino effect was activated that ended up letting himself be felt far beyond the battlefield. The war altered global geopolitics, the Financial systemthe agriculturethe energyhe air transportthe world market … and also (in a turn as unexpected as surprising) The national roads of the Maestrazgo and Bajo Aragón regions, in the province of Teruel. The pumps and bullets fly about 3,000 kilometers away, away from Aragon, but its effect is evident on Turolenses roads. There the war has unleashed an intense heavy traffic that is saturating the roads “Feeling of insecurity”. Aguaviva, more of Las Matas, Castellote, breast, mills and the Parras de Castellote are six municipalities of Teruel that in April They joined forcesnext to the town of Cuevas de Cañart, to send A joint letter to the Government of Aragon and the Provincial Council. In it basically they alerted a problem that worries the residents of the seven territories: in just a few years their roads have been filled with hundreds of trucks, which has generated concern for the security or the state of infrastructure. Accidents. The municipalities do not speak only of risks or abstract threats. His letter was written weeks after a truck collided Against a bus in Aguaviva and just two months after Another trailer I would have overturned after leaving the road, an incident that It was not new either. The result, as the mayor of Aguaviva recognized in April to the newspaper Heraldis that neighbors live with “a very large sense of insecurity.” That without counting on The deterioration which causes heavy traffic on tracks and roads that are not prepared for trucks. From asphalt to regional policy. The issue did not take to transcend the municipalities of the regions of Bajo Aragón and Maestrazgo to make the leap to regional policy. Teruel exists took the issue to the courts of Aragon, which A few weeks ago He claimed the regional government to seek a solution for Vials A-225 and A-226. In the background, the same problem: the transfer of hundreds of trucks, which according to some calculations overcome the 400 daily In Aguaviva, more than respectable figure if one takes into account that some live some 500 people. A few days ago the Diputación even went further and promised to invest 150,000 euros In the improvement of one of the roads affected by the trucks, the road that goes from the sale of La Pintada to Castellote by Molinos. A priori, money will be used to improve soft, correct the deformations caused by the daily transfer of trucks and renew the signaling. And why so many trucks? The key is what they transport. In their trailers they carry clay, raw material extracted from the MINES OF THE AREA For the ceramic industry and Castellón tile. That was for example the cargo of the truck that ended up colliding in Aguaviva against a bus or the one that overturned end of February. According to Ascer data (The employer of the sector nationwide) The ceramic industry represents around 22.2% of the industrial GDP of the Valencian Community and more than 32.2% of the total of Castellón’s GDP. As They point from The regionclay -loaded trucks leave Teruel and advance Morella, leaving an intense flow of vehicles that in some locations reaches several hundred daily. Recently the mayor of Castellote explained to The confidential That in the school where he works they have to keep the windows closed by the intense transfer of trucks that pass to about 300 meters from the center. “If I open them, I don’t hear the creatures,” he says. And what does it have to do with the Ukraine War? Simple. Ukraine is a huge supplier of the clay that is used in the manufacture of tiles. At the beginning of the war it was calculated that around the 70% of the raw material that imported the Spanish ceramic sector arrived from Donetsk, in the Donbás region. In February 2022 Ascer recognized his “worry” And the truth is that the sector has not taken to look for alternatives, including neighboring Mines de Aragón. In October 2022 Aragon News already pointed out that the clay mining of the region were seeing how their activity shot. If in 2020 the quarries of Teruel had produced a million tons, two years later it was expected that this volume exceeds the five million. And not just that. The increase in activity was accompanied by multiple studies to activate farms. The earthquake. Since 2022 the trend does not seem to have stopped. While Ukraine is still shaken by bombs and drone attacks, Teruel has seen how her clay mining was sued. The data of Aragon News are eloquent again: production has shot, with dozens and tens of permissions for farms. Joaquín Moreno, councilor of Utrillas and deputy of Teruel exists, calculates that with the outbreak of the Ukraine War the number of exploits and investigation licenses has been quintupled. Just a year ago Portsur de Castellón received The first ship With clay of Ukraine from the outbreak of the war, a cargo of 52,000 tons for the company Vesco Clays Spain. That has not prevented, however, that the peoples of Bajo Aragón and Maestranza warn of how they are affecting the changes in the sector to their roads. It is the (another) face B of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Images | Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (Flickr) and Manel Zaera (Flickr) In Xataka | Aragon wanted his children to eat more fruit at school. So he went to look for her 10,000 kilometers away

In 2023 some explorers entered a remote cave in Mexico. They found the last archaeological treasure of the country

The initial idea of ​​Adrián Beltrán and Yekaretina Katiya Pavlova, Mexican guide the first, Russian speleologist the second, had little to do with archeology. In September 2023, both professionals decided to take their bártulos behind their backs and enter the Tlagoococ cavelocated in the middle of Sierra de Guerrero (Mexico), to map their galleries. Once there they discovered, however, something that made this goal happen to the background: after traveling 150 meters to the bottom of the cave and entering a submerged passage, the couple met with An archaeological treasure hidden for several centuries. The legacy of an ethnicity already extinct, The tlacotepehuas. In a remote cave in Mexico … The Cave of Tlayócoc, in the Sierra de Warrioris well known in the area for its natural resources. It provides water. And a guano that farmers usually resort to pay their orchards. What was not known until Beltrán and Pavlova entered the cave in September 2023 It is also hiding a valuable archaeological treasure that will allow historians to expand their knowledge of pre -Hispanic cultures. To get to him the guide and the speleologist entered 150 m in the cave, submerged to move towards the grotto and reached a camera. What did they find there? Two bracelets made with shells arranged in stalagmites. The image was so shocking that, as I would report later Pavlova to the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH), the first thing that came to mind was that it was garbage. Maybe plastics. When he approached and looked at those more close pieces, he realized that he was facing something different. “It was very exciting! An experience similar to discovering a well of more than 300 m inside the cave. Here we were lucky,” Recognize The Russian cartographer. Was that all? No. In the area there were more pieces, including another bracelet, a large shell and fragments of black discs, similar to pyrite mirrors. Pavlova took photos and raised some theories about the possible origin of all that, but decided to leave the discovery in the hands of experts. He notified the discovery and the ejido authorities and the Carrizal de Bravo Surveillance Committee were responsible for ensuring that the site was not looted. Recently local authorities decided to go further They asked the INAH Let the cave register again. The area is not easily accessible, it is located at an altitude of 2,387 meters and to get to it you have to cross ravines, a river and a road where travelers risk finding snakes or pumas, but in March a team of experts registered the site. Thanks to this work today we have a more precise idea of ​​the archaeological treasure of the Tlayócoc cave: 14 pre -Hispanic objects Among which include bracelets and stone discs similar to pyrite mirrors. Clearing unknowns. Archaeologists recorded in total three shell bracelets, a fragment of bracelet of also malacological origin, the shell of a giant snail (experts believe that of the species Strombus sp.) perforated and with decorations, a fragment of carbonized wood and remains of stone discs, but also fixed in the environment. In the camera they observed, for example, the stalagmites had been retouched during rounding their shape. When examining in detail the bracelets also verified that they were made from shells (TRIPLOFUSUS Giganteus) that someone had dedicated themselves to decorating with engravings of symbols and anthropomorphic figures, including faces, brands in the form of “s” and lines in Zigzag. The brands, the position of the bracelets and the shape of the stalagmites suggested a theory to the experts: the cave was a ritual place. “Possibly the symbols and representations of characters in the bracelets are related to pre -Hispanic cosmogony regarding creation and fertility,” Comment Cuauhtémoc Reyes, of the INAH Guerrero Center. Why is it important? Clarified what and where was another pending question: when. Archaeologists concluded that the pieces are from the post -classic period and were probably placed in the cave between the years 950 and 1521 AD, which leads them to think that they are related to the Tlacotepehua culture, which inhabited that region several centuries ago. “It was a branch of the Tepuztecas, an ancient group that lived in the mountains and was dedicated to working the metals, hence its name,” adds archaeologist Pérez Negrete in A statement of INAH. There are also bracelets that remind other pieces located in guerrenses deposits and farthest areas. “Find of great relevance.” The phrase is again from Pérez Negrete, who insists on the scope of the discovery. “With the study of the contextual relationship of the pieces of the cave, we can interpret symbolic notions, cultural, manufacturing and even commerce aspects, to characterize pre -Hispanic societies settled in the Sierre de Guerrero,” claims. Experts also handle very little information about the Tlacotepehua culture, which It ended up extinguishing at the beginning of the viceregal era. As if that was not enough, the INAH remembers that it is the first time that its experts go to the community of Carrizal de Bravo, which marks “the beginning of a campaign” to promote the awareness and preservation of heritage. Images | Cinah Guerrero and INAH (Katiya Pavlova) In Xataka | We have found remains of an unknown civilization in Mexico: the closest thing is an artistic style of Bolivia and Peru

A controversial hippie community wanted a remote place in which to celebrate its lunar party. And Huesca has chosen

Abellada is A town of the municipal term of Sabiñánigo, in Huesca, which has just been swelling the growing list of ghost peoples of The emptied Spain. A quick look comes with the help of satellite photos of Google Maps to verify that today there are little more than a church and a handful of collapsed houseswith sunken roofs, naked beams and facades overcome by time and weeds. That has not prevented Abellada from being held today in the Aragonese press and nationaljust like did it in 2016. Then, like now, the person responsible is an organization that a priori has little to do with the Rural Oscense: the organization Rainbow communitybetter known by its original name in English, The Rainbow Family. What happened? The news He advanced it last week Diario del Alto Aragón: The rainbow community has chosen the ghost town of Abellada to celebrate one of its annual meetings, the Rainbow Gatheringswhich usually last a lunar cycle (more or less a month) and are organized with tents. In fact, The newspaper requiresthe town has already arrived in the town that will be in charge of setting up the “Seed Camp” and the Civil Guard Comandancia itself Recognize have proof of a “settlement of the rainbow community in the Guarguera area”. “Control of the people who go to the place,” they guarantee. But … who are they? The rainbow community is somewhat a “non -organization of non -members”, as defined by the unofficial website WELCOME HOME! “We have no leaders or organization. To be sincere, the rainbow family means different things for each person.” Hence it is not easy to define it. Broadly speaking, the group was founded in the 1970s, in the US, with a clear hippie inspiration and starting from a philosophy of nonviolence, egalitarianism, absence of hierarchies and respect for the environment. In their meetings they seek to share experiences of community coexistence outside the cities. In fact The collective insists in which it is formed by “people who love the mother earth” and want to “live in harmony with nature.” And what do they do? That link explains that the Rainbow Gatherings are held in remote places, in the middle of nature. In fact Diario del Alto Aragón assures That people who are arriving in the region travel aboard buses or doing Caketop to get as much as possible to Abellada. The rest of the road to the camp covers it on foot, guiding themselves with clues like fabrics tied to trees. Other of its most striking peculiarities is that some members (not all) They are nudists. In their meetings a basically vegan diet is practiced, they are not allowed Neither alcohol nor drugs and can deny the use of electrical devices or cameras. Meetings serve to meditate, play music or do yoga. Why are they news? That rainbow community decides to settle temporarily in the Rural of Huesca is striking in itself, but so far the news has been involved in controversy rather than by the meeting itself (or its content) by how it is organizing. Although at the beginning of May to subdelegation of the Government I recognized Being that “a group of people” planned to settle temporarily in Alto Gállego, the newspaper claimed last week that the rainbow community seems not to have requested permission. “In the region we have no request for authorization,” assured The entity. In An article Published today, eldiario.es affects that same idea: the settlement lacks official permits, which is especially relevant if it is taken into account where it is located: in the peripheral area of ​​protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the protection of the Natural Park of the Sierra and Los Canons de Guara. In fact, the authorities of Alto Gállego have confirmed to the newspaper that in the entity there is still no record of any request for authorization. At the moment, yes, the sub -delegation confirms that the Civil Guard is “monitoring the situation”, especially to monitor the environmental regulations. And to date, he maintains, “no incident has occurred.” Is it the first time? No. Throughout the last years the rainbow community has already met in other parts of Spain, such as La Rioja, The Sierra de Grazalema either Cerulledain León. In fact, this is not the first time that its members visit Abellada. They already did during the summer 2016 (between July and August), when a hundred and a half people gathered in the abandoned village. The newspaper Herald dedicated them at the time A chronicle in which he explained that the camp had also mounted illegally and began to deploy around a bonfire in the Sierra de Guara Park. “Spanish anti -fire regulations do not allow fire. However, we believe that the natural environment is our home and the system is removing it,” reasoned Then one of the members of the community in one of his forums. “We don’t know who they are”. The memory of that camp has served to increase the controversy now. In 2016 the camp was accompanied by cars and vans that ended parked In the accesses to the villages of the Guarguera and complicating the passage through some roads, for the anger of the neighbors. “It is not just a matter of space, we do not know who they are or what impact they can have in the area,” warn now A resident to eldiario.es. Images | Wikipedia, Guano (Flickr) and Satemkemet (Flickr) In Xataka | Remote town of Segovia is sold for 180,000 euros. Just for what it shows on Google Maps is already worth it

After the blackout, Adif has a serious problem on its ways: three “lost” trains in remote states of the network

Although electric service has begun to recover, almost medium Spain continues in the dark and the sequelae of the blackout remain palpable. In the field of transport, 35,000 passengers trapped were rescued by Renfe, Adif and the Military Emergency Unit (UME). However, there are still three trains to recover. The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, He explained that these units are in areas especially difficult to access. Rescue equipment deployed throughout the morning. Since the supply cut occurred on Monday after 12:30, ADIF, Renfe rescue teams and the UME work continuously to recover trapped trains in different parts of the rail network. The difficulty does not reside solely in the lack of electricity, but that some convoys were isolated in difficult access areas, which complicates rescue maneuvers. Adif had already warned That the average and long distance services would not operate throughout the day, regardless of the evolution of the supply, and the suspension also extended to the nearby and rhodalies lines. A clear objective: to recover rail mobility. The government has stressed that one of the priority objectives is to restore the trains circulation as soon as possible, starting with the nearby lines. Pedro Sánchez has pointed out that the objective is to restore mobility in vicinity as soon as possible and also in average and long distance throughout Tuesday, the media and long distance services can also be resumed, although he has clarified that the recovery will ultimately depend on how the electric supply evolves. In parallel, the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has pointed out That the tension is beginning to stabilize in some areas of the rail network, allowing several trains to resume their march. At the Atocha station, in Madrid, the arrival of at least seven trains that were detained is expected. Click to see the original message in x Open stations as improvised shelters. To mitigate the impact on travelers, Adif has enabled several of its main stations as places of night shelter. Stations such as Atocha, Chamartín, Sants, Valencia, Bilbao, Sevilla, Córdoba, Zaragoza, Valladolid and Malaga will remain open during the night so that those affected can be protected. Besides, The UME has deployed Mantas and basic resources to serve passengers who have been forced to spend the night in the stations. The origin of the blackout, still under investigation. While the recovery work advances, the cause of the blackout remains a source of research. The Government has explained that it occurred The sudden loss of 15 GW of electricity generationa phenomenon that has no precedents in the Spanish energy system. At the moment, no hypothesis about what happened is ruled out. Images | Renfe In Xataka | The fact that illustrates the magnitude that Spain has lived with the blackout: 60% less demand in five seconds

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