Month: November 2025

Cheese and oil have skyrocketed so much in Türkiye that travel agencies have a star destination: a Lidl in Greece

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The cost of living has skyrocketed. Except the cocaine marketa multitude of basic products have risen in price when salaries have not grown at the same level. In Spain we have a year-on-year inflation of around 3%. In Türkiye, on the same date, it is 33%, and that is leading thousands of Turks to travel to Greece every week, and not for pleasure. But to Lidl for make the purchase. Supermarket migration. In the mid-2010s, the Greek economy was a drama. The purchasing power is collapsed and the country’s debt crisis forced many households to squeeze every euro. Neighboring countries that also used the euro were no consolation, so they looked east: to Türkiye. Within the economic context, the lira was cheap and the euro strong, so many Greeks, especially from the islands, went to Turkish bazaars and supermarkets to buy clothes, utensils and food. The ferries they were bursting. It is estimated that the cost per visit was about 120 euros and, since filling the shopping cart in Turkey was considerably cheaper, the Greeks bought large shipments of cheese, oil, meat and sausages. One of the “supermarket corridors” was Lesbos-Ayvalik, and in the middle of the decade spoke up to 100,000 visits annually. Now, the tables have turned. The tragedy of the lyre. More than two decades of controversial policiesamong other factors, have led to the collapse of the lira. The cost of imports has multiplied and the inflation rate does not reach 80% of a few years agobut it has stagnated at that more than 30% that is suffocating the population. It is something that is disproportionately affecting food, including basic necessities. Now it is the Turks who have enormous problems when buying fresh productsmeats, cheese and oil. The situation does not seem to be changing in the short term due to massive debt, default rates (with the penalty that entails) and that price increase in subsistence products. It is the “typical”: products that increase a lot and stagnant salaries, the perfect combination to ruin the purchasing power of families. To Lidl in the neighboring country. What is happening? That this dynamic of cross-border purchases has been completely reversed. If a decade ago it was the Greeks who crossed the border, now it is the Turks who, with a euro that is not so buoyant, but enough to make it worth it compared to the prices in their local markets, flock to Greece to make that weekly purchase. In a report by Bloomberg There are concrete figures that compare a Lidl in Alexandroupolis (about 40 kilometers from the Turkish border) and a Turkish Carrefour. For example, minced meat costs 9.36 euros per kilo in Greece, compared to 12.10 in Türkiye. Greek sausages cost half as much as Turkish ones, Gouda cheese costs a third and oil makes one of the biggest differences: 10 euros per liter in Greece compared to 20 in Turkey. Social networks. Social networks are a loudspeaker – let them tell it to the influencers from Australian mines-, and those who visit Greek cities to make purchases share their experience through networks such as TikTok. The word spreads and more citizens are encouraged to take the leap. For Alejandrópolis, it represents an injection of money for both food businesses and restaurants. Bloomberg details how, after a day of shopping, Turks have a drink in Greek restaurants while sharing the experience. and it esteem that there are 3,000 Turks who are making this weekly trip. travel agencies. Because if we have to define this it is as a need, yes, but also with that word: experience. Because although it may be something private for a family to do, travel agencies are organizing tours to Greek cities, with groups of supermarket tourists who do not want to visit the city, but rather the Lidl on duty. For about 50 euros, buses loads of Turkish shoppers leave on Friday afternoons and arrive in Greek cities on Saturday morning and spend three and a half hours in the supermarkets. Then they spend some free time around the citythey can go to eat and, in the afternoon, on the way home with a full cart. The biggest annoyance? Apart from having to go to another country to buy because in yours the cost of living is very expensive, of course, it is the line at border control. How long will this last? Türkiye trust to halve inflation by 2026, but it will still remain extremely high. We will see how long this situation lasts, which, from January to September of this year, has carried to the fact that 6% of the Turks who visited Greece did so only with the aim of filling the car. Images | Zoshua Colah, Aldin Nasrun In Xataka | Private labels are having an unexpected effect on the food industry: the biggest price drop since 2014

In Barajas there is an isolated baroque hermitage in the middle of a roundabout. The question is how the hell did it get there?

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Sometimes the story leaves us with hints of such fine irony that they seem like the work of the best of screenwriters. It happens in Barajas. It has stood there for more than three centuries a baroque hermitage dedicated to Our Lady of Solitude, the landlady of the district. The passage of time and the development of the area, marked by the proximity of the Madrid airport, has made the temple a true tribute to that very thing: loneliness. After all, it stands isolated in the middle of a roundabout. The question is… How the hell did it get there? A nod to history. In a way the hermitage Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is more than just a small baroque temple. It is also a reminder of a style and philosophy of religious architecture that shined in its day and faded with the passage of time. This is what the Official College of Architects of Madrid says, which remember on your website that the building was part of “the network of chapels, hermitages and humiliations that dotted the roads of Castile” centuries ago. “This dense network of small pieces has been progressively disappearing, depending on the growth of neighboring populations and the decline of the program they proposed,” COAM explains. “However, some of these pieces have been saved from the process, almost always for rather random reasons, such as their location in points of little speculative interest or their relationship with the memory of the place. Both occur in the case of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.” But what is the temple like? A baroque hermitage from the mid-17th century made up of four aligned structures: an access portico, the nave of the faithful, the sanctuary and a semi-detached house at the head. “All of this composed with attention to a truly exquisite scale, whose containment in plan reinforces the ascending character of the complex,” explains the school, which refers to the building as “a true treatise on wise popular architecture.” Inside stands out a baroque altarpiece with busts of the Virgin, Jesus and Saint Rita. The most curious thing about the hermitage, however, is not its structure, its interior architecture or the pieces of sacred art that it preserves. Not even its importance as an example of the region’s religious heritage. If there is something that attracts attention, it is its location, something that can be appreciated with a simple glance to Google Maps. Instead of being located at the top of a mountain, a meadow, a square or a town, the hermitage is located inside a gazebo, surrounded by a ring of asphalt. It was actually there before the land became a roundabout. Trapped between cars. Your case is so peculiar that years ago Madrilanea treated him and more recently dedicated a report The Confidential. Both explain that to understand the location of the hermitage we have to go back decades, when the high traffic on the road from Vicálvaro to Barajas led the authorities to think about ways to improve the road. The problem is that there was something that hindered their plans: the temple of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. The possibility of demolishing the hermitage or even moving it was put on the table, an idea difficult to execute considering that it was built based on brick and masonry. Neighborhood pressure ensured that both proposals were shelved and the building remained in place, although next to the road. Was that all? No. In the 90s the temple once again generated debate because it was located in the middle of the project to connect Plaza de Castilla with the airport through the M-11. Once again, the hermitage survived again, but at the cost of being left in an even more peculiar situation: the solution that was put on the table to avoid demolishing it was to open a tunnel under the ground. As the years went by, the old walls of the temple would see another project to improve the connection of an area that has ended up marked by the growth of the capital and the pull of the Madrid-Barajas airport, which today is an entry, exit or transit point for more than 60 million of travelers per year, in addition to thousands of tons of merchandise. The hermitage has endured, but it has not come for free: now it is isolated in a roundabout, converted into a junction of roads. Breaking the norm. The COAM admits that Barajas is not a common case. “We must recognize how unusual it is to know how to make the conservation of these monuments compatible with the layout of large infrastructures such as, in this case, the express access route to the airport,” points out the schoolfor which the temple is today “a strange monument”, “practically useless for its former purposes, isolated at the roundabout at the intersection of the expressway and Logroño avenue.” The situation of the hermitage is far from being ideal in any case. And not only because it has been left “alien” to the town, connected by a zebra crossing. There are those who warn that, like other historical monuments in a similar situation, the temple is very exposed to road traffic, with its load of pollution, smoke and the vibrations generated by the passage of cars, buses and trucks. Images | Google Earth and Wikipedia 1 and 2 In Xataka | There is a new very profitable and not at all legal business in Madrid: charging immigrants a fortune to register them in their homes

is getting married, according to science

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We live obsessed with longevity, trying to extend life as much as possible, despite the fact that Our own biology puts a very clear brake on us that is very difficult to remove.. restrictive diets, intermittent fasting either treatments Very expensive are some of the actions we use on a daily basis to be able to last more and more years in this life. However, there is a factor that we did not expect to influence living longer: getting married and choosing your life partner well. This is an idea that spread Dan Buettner, the expert who popularized the concept of “Blue Zones” like Japan and that at 64 years old he dedicated decades to studying the regions of the world where people live the longest. And the truth is that the conclusion he saw is that the basis of longevity is having a strong marriage (among other things). But this conclusion, which has been drawn through everything he has seen on his travels, must also be found to have a correlation within scientific studies. And the truth is that what he says is not very crazy, and it makes us consider the fact of having to better look for who we are going to share our entire life with. And Buettner points out that on average married people live between 2 and 5 years longer than those who remain single, divorced or widowed. In blue zones, family unity is the central value. Buettner argues that marriage offers long-term emotional stability and helps build social support networks, which drastically reduces the risk of isolation, one of the great enemies of health in old age. In addition, there is a component of shared responsibility: having a partner implies mutual motivation to take care of yourself, from food to having to go to the doctor because your partner reminds you or insists. All because in the end they are worrying about themselves. The studies. Buettner’s claims are not mere anecdotal observations; They are supported by massive meta-analyses that have scrutinized the health of millions of individuals. Specifically, an exhaustive study published in Global Health Research and Policy in 2020 analyzed data from 7,881,040 individuals across 21 prospective cohort studies. The results were compelling: Compared with married people, being unmarried (including single, divorced, and widowed) was significantly associated with higher mortality from all causes such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Difference by sex. In addition to providing this strong conclusion, it was also clearly found that the association between not being married and mortality was stronger in men than in women. Precisely, unmarried men showed a 20% higher risk of dying from a cardiac event compared to unmarried women. As if having a woman by your side was a protective factor from this event. But it does not stop there, since men who had married also had a 31% excess risk of mortality from stroke compared to women who had never married. Although staying single is not the only thing that can attract attention. Being divorced or separated was associated with a higher risk of mortality from any cause in men. But when the marriage dissolved, the risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular diseases increased. Another study. Published in Social Science & Medicine and focused specifically on the elderly population, reinforced this initial thesis that we proposed. To do this, 53 independent comparisons were analyzed with more than 250,000 older subjects, finding that being married was a very important protective factor. If we go into detail, the data indicated that there was a 12% reduction in the risk of dying due to being married. When breaking down the data by marital status compared to married, the risk of death was increasing in all groups. Because. Science wants to understand the reasons that lead to this relationship. One of the first is focused on chronic stress and cortisol, which is undoubtedly a silent killer. It has been suggested that not being married contributes to less intimate social networks and loneliness, which increases levels of stress hormones, especially as the end of life approaches. In addition, it has also been seen that women have a stronger immune system than men, in part because testosterone causes immunosuppression. On the other hand, there are the estrogens in women that have many protective functions. From a social perspective, married men tend to benefit more because they often depend on their wives for their primary social support. Men who live alone are more likely to ignore medical advice and have smaller, less intimate social networks. Images | Eugenia Pan’kiv Aron Visuals In Xataka | Not all brain cells age at the same time: we have found a “hot spot” of aging

In 1973 a German dreamed of exploiting Lanzarote. 50 years later no one has been able to move the ruins of his monster

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Of all the ghost architectures and abandoned to their fate in Spain, few like the shadow that rises in a unique place in the Canary Islands. Its history begins in the early seventies, at a time when Lanzarote was opening up to international tourism in the heat of expansive urban planning, laws favorable to foreign investment and a climate of economic optimism that seemed to have no limits. And then a “visionary” arrived. A hyperbolic dream. In that context, the German businessman Erick Becker imagined a gigantic tourist complexmade up of five hotels, an aparthotel, more than twelve hundred bungalows and a capacity for four thousand people. The emblematic piece, the Náutico hotel (renamed over the years as Atlante del Sol), was to be the gateway to an urbanization in German capital that saw Lanzarote as an ideal territory to attract European visitors. The legislation of the time, headed by the Strauss Law of 1968encouraged German investment in developing countries and helped direct a flood of capital towards the Canary Islands that found an apparently perfect opportunity on the island. However, the choice of location would prove to be a major mistake. Tourism against the landscape. The Rubicon coast It had virulent waves, constant winds and rugged geography without a beach or adequate access. In those decades, Lanzarote’s infrastructure was fragile, and the area even lacked a road that connected the place with the inhabited centers. Despite this, the project moved forward in fits and startsraising the main structure of the hotel before the oil crisis of 1973 paralyzed the European economy and brought with it a promotion that would never open its doors. Since then, the unfinished mass was abandonedconverted into an unused concrete skeleton that began to hint at the ghostly silhouette that would mark its future. Abandonment, illegality and law. After the abandonment of the project, the Atlante del Sol was suspended in a legal limbo that the subsequent evolution of Canarian urban planning ended up resolving against it. The Island Management Plan of Lanzarote from 1991a pioneer in the protection of the island territory, reclassified the area as rustic land for natural ecological protection, nullifying the urban character it may have had under the regulations of the 1950s and 1960s. With the passage of time, the area was also incorporated into the Natura 2000 Network as a Special Bird Protection Area, reinforcing its ecological value and further shielding its non-urbanizable nature. In parallel, Spanish and regional legislation chained new land laws in 1976, 1990, 1998 and 2007, which consolidated environmental regulations. much more demanding than existed when the original license was granted in 1972. Final blow. The Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands made it clear in 2016 that this old license was invalid operational, because an unfinished work loses any right protected by obsolete regulations when subsequent laws come into force. In essence, what may have been legal in the 1970s ceased to be legal decades ago. Added to this was a determining fact: the property it was never finished nor to be used, and its current state (absolute ruin, no services, no access and no technical possibility of becoming operational equipment) prevented it from being considered a heritage work. The court concluded that reviving a license from 1972 was as inappropriate as pretending that the island had not changed in fifty years. That ruling legally sealed the fate of the hotel: either remain abandoned or be demolished. The ghost and watchman hotel. With the passage of time, the Atlantean of the Sun It went from being a frustrated project to becoming a strange element embedded in one of the natural spaces most beautiful and unique of Lanzarote: the natural pools from Los Charcones. There, between the wind, the volcanic rock and the crystalline puddles, the abandoned hotel took on a disturbing, almost sculptural presence. For tourists who discover the area, the semi-ruined structure has become part of the landscapean example of beauty in decay that contrasts with the serenity of natural pools. For others, it is an open wound, a reminder of the speculation of the seventies and the urbanism that was promoted without paying attention to the physical reality of the territory. Chaos tourism. His inaccessibility (the absence of roads continues to be one of the main limitations today) has kept it outside the conventional tourist circuit and has contributed to its degradation. The wind, saltpeter and abandonment have turned the building into a dangerous shell, used occasionally as an improvised shelter by campers since the seventies, especially at Easter, when entire families came to occupy the windowless rooms applying minimum standards of coexistence. The picture is as unusual as it is revealing: a hotel that never opened turned into a sporadic camp for those seeking a unique experience in an isolated place. Between memory, business and protection. Over the decades, different owners tried to recover the building’s destiny, either by giving it tourist use or transforming it into healthcare facilities. Among them, the company Hipercan Don Jersey SL tried to reclassify the land to convert the hotel into a social and health center, claiming that the 1972 license was still valid and that the reform would allow the municipality to be provided with a new public service. But the administrations maintained a firm position: Yaiza already had sufficient equipment, the property was in ruins and the land belonged to a protected natural space whose ecological value should prevail about any intervention. The courts confirmed this position repeatedly. Neither the heritage argument, nor the intention to reconvert the building, nor the appeal to old investments managed to reverse a situation that had been legally closed for decades. Even if there was a will to rebuild, the cost of rehabilitation would be exorbitant. And if demolition were chosen, the operation (valued at more than one million euros) would require facing considerable technical and environmental obstacles. Uncertain future. In recent years, the discussion about the future of the Atlantean Sun has regained … Read more

China is building a megastructure for deep-sea research. For whatever reason, resist nuclear bombs

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China is building a mega thing. It doesn’t matter when you read this: the Asian giant always has a mega dam underwayhe highest bridge in the world either an impossible road in the bag. However, one of the country’s latest projects is not a mega-construction, but a floating artificial “island,” which can navigate and designed to be self-sufficient. Oh, and most importantly: prepared for the end of the world. The “island”. Waiting for it to receive a somewhat more “commercial” name, in a report by South China Morning Post They refer to the facility as the “Deep-Sea All-Wather Resident Floating Research Facility.” It is a name that is equivalent to “what do you want this station to do” and the answer is “yes,” and it is basically a mix between a research center, command center and nuclear bunker. It will be a semi-submersible platform with a 78,000 ton twin hull design and considerable dimensions: 138 meters long. 85 meters wide. Main deck 45 meters from the waterline. Long duration missions. The project specifications show that the platform is projected to house almost 240 people for four months without the need for any replenishment. In addition, it can sail at a speed of up to 15 knots and something that gives us a clue to its colossal ambition is that the engines allow a displacement comparable to that of the Fujian, the brand new Chinese aircraft carrier of 80,000 tons. Bomb proof (nuclear). If you’re thinking about a fortress that could be worthy of a Marvel movie, here’s the shot. The structure will resist waves up to nine meters high and category 17 typhoons, the highest for this type of cyclone. But the most striking thing is that it will have special armor to resist nuclear explosions. Instead of conventional steel armorthe walls of the complex will be built with a design that converts the powerful shock waves of a nuclear explosion into ones that the structure can assimilate. As a “dissipator” of the power of the wave, wow. To do this, they have resorted to a metamaterial which, when subjected to pressure, compresses, creating a denser and stronger structure than much thicker steel panels. According to simulations, its walls resist more pressure than those of a submarine and four times more than those of a conventional ship, but with a plate thickness of only 60 mm. Back.To withstand these long periods at sea, and as describe from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in an article in which they talk about the superstructure, the installation contains critical compartments that guarantee emergency power, but also backup for communications and a navigation center equally protected against nuclear explosions. China is taking leaps and bounds in its fleet Strategy. The SJTU describes it as a research center and, although the project has been described as “civilian”, its specifications make it comply with the Chinese military standard GJB 1060.1-1991 against nuclear explosions. Therefore, although it can be used for deep-sea research, it could also operate in areas where warships could not be accessed (such as waters near diplomatically sensitive countries or territories). This is something that does not frighten a China that does not hesitate to deploy its ships in disputed territoriesand from SCMP they point out that the installation could function as a resilient command center, a logistics center or a surveillance station that, in addition, is less invasive than a fixed structure built on land. It’s not that far away. Although we now know of its existence, this station has been on the drawing board for a decade and is expected to reach operational status in 2028. Once completed, we will be able to see what it is capable of and, above all, what use it is given. Because therein lies its importance as a research center to support the “blue economy” (extraction of deep sea resources, renewable energies and marine research), but also its military component. The photo, by the way, is not of a real structure, but of an interpretation of the SJTU. Images | SJTU, 中国新闻社 In Xataka | China is immersed in a nuclear revolution and needs industrial quantities of uranium. His solution: “fish” it in the sea

change house doors

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Changing the doors of the house, a seemingly minor and routine renovation, has become one of the most expensive household items in recent years. To the point that many carpenters are already talking about a “new era of prices” in the sector. As a professional said interviewed by El Español: “Before I charged 120 euros per unit; now they go over 250 without a problem.” And it is not an isolated case: specialized platforms confirm that renewing a single interior door can today cost between 150 and 600 euros. This price increase responds to a combination of factors that has strained the entire production chain. A climb from the forest to the factory. Wood, the base of most interior doors, is primarily responsible. As Maderea explainsa reference platform in the sector, species such as radiata pine or oak have recorded increases of up to 20% in Spain. This variation is not punctual: the market is experiencing a period of volatility marked by international demand, the supply crisis, energy costs and the rise of the bioeconomy. The Basoa reports show high values in the radiata pine in all its categories. Although they are prices at origin, they serve as a thermometer: the cost of raw materials continues to be stressed, with no signs of falling. However, not only does the tree go up: everything around it also goes up, from electricity necessary for manufacturing to transportation. A minor reform that is no longer cheap. The result of these increases is evident for the consumer: changing a door no longer costs what it used to. According to Habitissimothe average price of replacing an interior door is around 350 euros, within a range that can go from 150 to 600 euros depending on the material, type of opening or complexity. The Idealista platform offers similar figures In terms of prices, MDF and solid wood are the cheapest, reaching €600. For its part, the Cronoshare portal raises the national average at 300 and 900 euros, depending on the type of door and installation. On the other hand, if we talk about an exterior door, the figure multiplies. Both Idealista and Habitissimo point out that an armored door usually costs between 600 and 1,500 euros; an armored one can go up to 4,800 euros, and those made of aluminum or PVC range between 200 and 900 euros. That’s not all. Added to the increase in materials is that of professionals. According to Idealistaa carpenter can charge between 25 and 50 euros per hour, and removing an old door plus installing the new one can cost between 200 and 300 euros. For its part, from Habitissimo agrees that The installation adds between 60 and 140 euros per unit. The professionals themselves say it clearly. The carpenter interviewed by El Español He explained that today they do not only charge for assembly: “The client believes that it is ‘just hanging a door’, but behind it there are expensive materials, transportation, higher quality hardware and much finer work than before.” In addition, interior design trends—such as lacquered, sliding, large-format or flush doors—also raise the final price. And what will happen from now on? For now, no indicators suggest that prices will decline. According to Madereathe wood market continues to be highly volatile, driven by energy and logistics costs that are pushing upwards. The Basoa reportsfor their part, show high rates and no significant declines in the price of standing timber during 2025. Neither do the reform platforms they foresee reductions in material or labor costs. The conclusion is clear: unless an unexpected economic turn occurs, changing the doors in your home will continue to be an expensive renovation for years to come. Is there a cheaper way to change my doors? What all the consulted guides do agree on is a series of recommendations to contain spending. On the one hand, request several quotes to compare prices and avoid excessive differences between professionals. Also can be useful Take advantage of seasonal offers, such as Black Friday campaigns or sales of discontinued models, where some stores apply relevant discounts. Another strategy for those who want to renovate without completely replacing is to restore or lacquer the existing doors. And it suits avoid special measuressince ordering doors outside of standard sizes can multiply the final cost. We’ll have to think twice. What was once an affordable domestic intervention—changing an interior door for just over a hundred euros—has become a renovation that can easily exceed 300, 400 or even 600 euros per unit, depending on the material and installation. The rise in the price of wood, the impact of energy on manufacturing, logistics and the growing demand for higher quality designs have pushed this item to unprecedented levels. Image | Unsplash and Pexels Xataka | Even when Spain does it well, it goes wrong: becoming the third most forested country in Europe has become a problem

rice from Myanmar and Cambodia

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These are difficult times for Spanish rice. Not so much because of the crops but because of the context in which farmers are forced to compete. After several campaigns marked by a adverse weatherthe sector has achieved increase the surface harvested and your estimates For the 2025/2026 campaign they point to a clear increase compared to the previous one. Both indicators are positive, but they have not prevented the sector from being concerned about another reason: falling prices and pressure imports. There is Who is speaking of an “extreme” situation. Coming back from the drought. The last few years have not been easy for Spanish rice growers. Among other issues, they have been forced to deal with a drought that has conditioned the cultivated area and (what is the same) production. According to the Esyrce surveyprepared by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA), so far this century the average area dedicated to rice has never fallen below 100,000 hectares (in 2011 it even reached 122,300). That changed in recent campaigns due to the serious shortage of water. This season things are a little different. In June the MAP estimated that the cultivated area will reach 97,000 hectares, 15,400 more than those calculated in spring and 12.9% more than last year. And it is not the only positive indicator. Agro-Food Cooperatives already speaks that the national rice harvest for the 2025/26 campaign will reach 761,515 tons. In practice, it means improving production by 27.43% compared to the 2024/25 campaign. These are data that are still far from what the sector managed a few years ago (in 2011 it exceeded 900,000 t), but encouraging. Fantastic, right? More or less. Although these figures lend themselves to an optimistic reading, another feeling prevails in the sector: caution. Just yesterday, in the statement In which it reported the increase in the national rice harvest, Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias acknowledged facing an “uncertain future” for national crops. And it is not the first message he has launched with that tone. Just a few weeks ago, during an interview With the Efe agency, the group already reported that it is going through an “extremely extreme” situation marked by prices that in many cases do not cover production costs. What worries you? To the farmers it worries them the impact of the 2024 DANA in La Albufera, how the hail has punished the crops in the Ebro Delta or the influence of the summer rains and heat waves. Also “the increasingly pronounced lack” of tools to confront pests, “phytosanitary restrictions” that condemn the sector to a “competitive disadvantage”. If there is something worrying in the sector, however, it is grain prices and imports. Outstanding prices. The message was conveyed clearly. a few weeks ago Félix Liviano, president of the rice sector of Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias: “In Extremadura it is likely that we will not be able to market 20% of the long rice (indica variety) produced because there is so much imported grain that it is very cheap in the markets.” At that time the indica variety Cascara was priced at 310 euros per tonfar from the 453 in 2024 or the 555 in 2023. The updated data MAPA shows that both indica and japonica are still well below the levels of recent years. “We can’t compete with them”. There is another point, closely related to the drift in prices, on which the sector focuses: the import of merchandise. I told it recently EFE. For some time now, Spanish farmers have been demanding that the entry of rice from other countries be stopped. Above all, they target Cambodia and Myanmar, nations benefiting from a community initiative (EBA, Everyting But Arms) that left cereal imports without tariffs in 2009. The situation has undergone changes since then (between 2018 and 2021 clauses that taxed imports were introduced), but even so the Spanish sector warns that it is under excessive pressure. “Imports are sinking prices in the sector since the safeguard clause disappeared several years ago. We cannot compete with them, because in the EU we have prohibited many phytosanitary active materials, higher labor costs and we produce with sustainability requirements,” explains Ignacio Huertas, from UPA. Hence, it requests “reciprocity” in Brussels’ trade agreements with third countries or the sector emphasizes the importance of providing itself with “automatic safeguard clauses” against imports. Does that much rice arrive? The EU recognizes that it is not self-sufficient in rice cultivation and needs to import tons of rice every year, especially of the indica variety. Its main origins are Cambodia, India and Thailand, although the photo changes slightly if we talk about the Spanish market. “The European sector is at a critical crossroads in the face of ongoing negotiations on the GSP. The current framework, combined with preferential trade agreements, bilateral agreements and tariff quotas, allows the annual entry into the EU of around 635,690 tonnes of milled rice without tariffs, in addition to significant quantities of husked rice, especially basmati varieties from India and Pakistan,” remember Cooperativeswhich warns: “Without minimum corrective measures, the future of the sector could be compromised.” Images | Darío Méndez (Unsplash), Shayan Ghiasvand (Unsplash), MAP and European Commission In Xataka | Rice has just done the unthinkable: from inflationary threat to historic price collapse

The best science comedian does not have any scientific training. And that’s the key to your success.

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Tom Gauld is one of the most accessible and yet peculiar cartoonists of today. His vignettes are a mixture of a wink for the initiated and simple, white humor.which often makes his cartoons a mix of “everyone can understand them” and “if you’re interested in science and literature, sure.” A real rarity in these times when you have to show up at franchise fan clubs with a very clear identification and resume. Because Gauld may talk about quantum physics, multiverses and the secrets of the cosmos, but he doesn’t leave anyone out either, all thanks to deceptively simple, but highly expressive graphics. Able to make an Escherian architectural nonsense believable or to perfectly portray the interior of an impossible dimension with just a couple of lines, Gauld reduces the complex to a couple of gentle strokes, and hence his popularity on the internet and in media of indisputable prestige such as ‘The Guardian’where he makes literary jokes, or ‘New Scientist‘, where it focuses more on science and technology. It is precisely a compilation of jokes of this last type, ‘Physics for cats’, which Salamandra is now publishing. Thanks to this brand new volume we have had the opportunity to speak with him and have him explain his creative processes and his career as a scientific comedian… who does not have much knowledge of science. We started, of course, by asking him how his collaboration with ‘New Scientist’ began and what impact it has had on the way he approaches scientific topics in his comics. It tells us that we have to go back very far in time. “My grandfather was a scientist, a marine biologist, and he always read the ‘New Scientist’. So when he went home, the magazine was always there, and when he finished reading the magazine, he would give it to my father, who was also interested in science. When I was little, I would look at the pictures and diagrams and, from time to time, I would read a little bit of the text.” And from there, a few years later and now a professional cartoonist, he began to collaborate with them. Gauld states that a magazine of this type is a splendid workplace for an illustrator: “Some concepts about reality or other universes cannot be photographed, so in These types of magazines have a good tradition of using illustrationsand in fact most of its covers are illustrations rather than photographs. Then, I don’t remember exactly why, I thought it was strange that they didn’t have a comic strip in the magazine.” He proposed it a decade ago and it was accepted, but, he says, “I got a little scared because I stopped studying science when I was about 16, so I’m not an expert at all.” How to draw science It is obvious that this approach to science from a non-scientist perspective will entail difficulties. But contrary to what it might seem, “the really difficult thing with vignettes is not getting the scientific details right.” His process is: “I read the magazine, I follow scientists on social media, I listen to podcasts and radio shows about science, and anything that I think could make a joke I write down in my notebook.” And his approach is clear: “I’m giving my own light-hearted, fun take on something that’s quite serious and thoughtful. I try to do it without being derogatory, like when you make fun of a friend you respect.” Which inevitably brings us to the next question: how do you balance scientific precision with the artistic freedom to create such abstract concepts? And in fact, here the lack of scientific training is revealed as an advantage: “When creating the strips, the fact that I have no scientific training, that I am an ordinary person, not a professional, perhaps helps me judge the level of knowledge at which the jokes should be.” And he adds: “I never want to make a cartoon that makes people feel stupid.which makes one think that a doctorate is needed to understand it”. What happens then when he stumbles upon concepts that even he can’t understand? “When some real science is mentioned in the cartoon, I like to get it right, so I do some research on the Internet or ask someone at New Scientist to check my formulas or whatever. Or I do it so badly that it’s obvious I’m not trying to get it right. In fact, last night an astrophysicist mentioned that one of the formulas in the background of one of my strips was correct and that he liked it, which I was very happy about.” When we ask him if there are any scientific ideas or theories related to physics that he finds especially inspiring, he tells us that two come to mind. “One that I think I keep coming back to in the cartoons is, and I guess this is more of a philosophical question than a physical one: What is reality? That and the idea of ​​many worlds. The other is quantum theory, which I still don’t understand. I’ve made some jokes about it and I’m proud of them, but I think they could be improved if I ever managed to understand all of quantum theory. Which may never happen, but I keep trying.” And here we enter into a personal question, but we couldn’t help but ask him: does Tom Gauld like Gary Larson’s humor? (Larson, for those who don’t know, is the creator of ‘The Far Side’, absolute master of comics with background geeka mix of surreal humor and deep knowledge of biology and science absolutely unmatched). “I’ve mentioned Gary Larson as an influence in almost every interview I’ve done today,” he confesses, “so I’m glad you brought it up.” Typical Gary Larson: “‘Hey! What is this, Higgins? Physics equations?… Do you like your job as a cartoonist, Higgins?” And he adds: “The cartoons from ‘The Far Side’ appeared in my local newspaper when I was a teenager and I have … Read more

We thought smoking was no longer fashionable among Gen Z. Until Sabrina Carpenter and Jeremy Allen White arrived

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For decades, the cigarette starred in some of the most iconic images in popular culture. In the imagination of journalism, that reporter from the last century always reappears leaning over his typewriter, surrounded by wisps of smoke while writing an urgent chronicle. In television fiction, that scene evolved into Carrie Bradshaw typing on her Mac with a half-consumed cigarette butt in her New York apartment. And in the cinema, the cigarette was almost a visual code: from the dark seduction of Humphrey Bogart to the melancholic aura that enveloped so many classic characters. Smoke, more than an accessory, functioned as a symbol of charisma, mystery or vulnerability. All of that seemed to be extinguished with the advance of anti-smoking laws. The terraces they cleared themselves of smokeHollywood moderated its use and audiovisual culture stopped associating the cigarette with glamour. The gesture was relegated to a stale past, linked to the strong smell of bars before the ban. But something unexpected has happened: the cigarette has returned. And it has done so hand in hand with the only sector capable of resurrecting what seemed forgotten: celebrities. The visible return of the cigarette to pop culture. The warning signal came from the mecca of cinema. According to a report from the anti-smoking organization Truth Initiativehalf of the movies that debuted last year included cigarettes, cigars or tobacco. In addition, it detected a 110% increase in representations of tobacco in programs aimed at young people between 15 and 24 years old, and a quadrupling in the most viewed series. The figures confirm the obvious: the cigarette has regained prominence. And, to give a couple of examples, it is being observed in music: Sabrina Carpenter appears in the video clip for Manchild smoking and posed for some photographs wearing a corset made from packets of Marlboro Gold. In cinema, films like Saltburn, Materialists or Oppenheimer They have returned tobacco to an almost omnipresent place. Fashion has not been an exception either, during New York Fashion Week, models they smoked on the catwalk as another accessory. And there is still something else, I couldn’t forget about social networks. The Instagram account @cigfluencerscreated in 2021, publishes images of celebrities smoking and has accumulated more than 80,000 followers. The cigarette as a symbol? The most curious thing about this phenomenon is that it is not mass tobacco consumption that is returning, but rather its aesthetics. That nuance is essential to understand what is happening. The point is that the cigarette returns as part of the revival Y2K and aesthetics indie sleaze and heroin chicthat mix of grunge, decadent glamor and soft rebellion that dominated the 2000s and that today inspires fashion, music and social networks. In this framework, the cigarette functions as a retro accessory, a vintage gesture that provokes more visually than addictively. This aesthetic dimension also operates as a narrative tool. In a report for The New York Times point out that the cigarette re-emerges as a symbolic resource on screen: Dakota Johnson smokes in Materialists to underline the emotional emptiness of his character; Jeremy Allen White, in The Bearuses smoke to intensify his melancholy; Sabrina Carpenter holds a makeshift mouthpiece in an ironic tone. According to the medium, the cigarette does not get in the way of the shot: it fills it with aura, drama and texture. And the fundamental question, does it have attraction for young people? There is a component of minimal rebellion. According to the BBCsmoking functions as a gesture of light transgression within a generation accustomed to self-care, permanent surveillance and implicit norms of well-being. The aesthetics brat popularized by Charli XCX It combines hedonism, irony and a touch of nihilism: a perfect territory for the cigarette to recover its provocative role, more suggestive than dangerous. Hence, the great paradox when observing the real behavior of Generation Z. While they watch celebrities smoke on screen, young people consume less and less substances. Already we have explained in Xataka how they are succeeding coffee raves —alcoholic-free daytime parties, where you dance with a cappuccino in hand—, and Tinder registers a boom in dry datingwith one in four young people preferring alcohol-free dating. In other words, cool aesthetics no longer have anything to do with actual habit. Should we worry? The problem appears when cultural trends intersect with health data. The WHO remember that tobacco It kills more than seven million people a year and that there is no safe level of exposure. EPData confirms that its global consumption has fallen from 32.7% in 2000 to 22.3% in 2020, but institutions like the CDC —cited by Wall Street Journal— warn that repeated exposure to tobacco images increases the likelihood that young people will start smoking. In fact, the BBC collected testimonies from American doctors who already observe cases of young people who, after normalizing vaping, have switched to cigarettes because “it gives more credibility” or is “more aesthetic.” Constant exposure to so-called “digital smoke”, pointed out by the Spanish Association Against Cancercan normalize a habit that seemed on the way to disappearing. However, a study carried out by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) showed that Tinder profiles of smokers receive between 29% and 52.7% less matches. Young people do not want to date someone who smokes, but they do want to consume – from a distance – the aesthetics of cigarettes on screens. The contradiction is clear: in the video clip it adds glamour; In real life, it reduces romantic interest. Fad or cultural turn? Perhaps the cigarette has not completely returned: perhaps its ghost, its iconography, its gesture has returned. Aesthetics are back, not addiction. The smoke, not the habit. But while celebrities hold it up as if it were just another jewel in the photo, health organizations remember that tobacco continues to kill half of those who don’t quit. And although on the screen it is pure aesthetics, in real life it is still a tangible risk. The cigarette, that old protagonist of classic cinema, today experiences its … Read more

Yes, the Strait of Gibraltar is “about” to disappear. Within 50 million years, specifically

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In recent days, we have been able to see some voices that pointed to an almost apocalyptic event in our country: the Strait of Gibraltar this “about to disappear“, making two continents come together. The image in this case is quite powerful: the Mediterranean turning into a salt lake or completely disappearing before our eyes because its water intake would be cut off. However, when geologists say ‘soon’, they don’t mean next week. The reality. This new wave of fear over this fact arises as a result of a publication in the magazine Geology which is undoubtedly fascinating. In this case, geologists have used the capacity of supercomputers and 3D geodynamic models to see that under Gibraltar there is a subduction zone that right now she is ‘asleep’ and could wake up at any moment. The study, led by João C. Duarte together with researchers from the University of Mainz, addresses one of the great debates in plate tectonics: is the Gibraltar subduction zone dead? The discovery. For years science has pointed out that the sinking of the oceanic lithosphere under the Gibraltar Arc had stopped. However, the authors have applied new computer simulation techniques with the 3D ‘gravity-driven’ model to be able to reproduce the evolution that the western Mediterranean will follow where this strait is located. This is something fundamental, since the ancient models had us quite limited, but with technology you can see the processes over millions of years. The result of what was seen is quite clear: subduction is not dead, but is in a period of ‘rest’ or ‘silence’. Although the model believes that at some point this is something that will be activated or unblocked again. The future of the Atlantic. Something that must be clear is that the oceans are not static, but rather follow what is known as the Wilson Cycle. According to this model, the Atlantic is a young ocean that is expanding right now. But like everything in this life, it is doomed to die, just as happened in the past with the Tethys ocean, which is the ancestor of the Mediterranean Sea. However, for this to occur, subduction zones need to be activated where the tectonic plate sinks under another. breaking plates. The problem is that breaking a tectonic plate to start this subduction process is mechanically very difficult. The solution proposed by this team is that this area already exists in the Mediterranean, and its effect will spread to the west, crossing the Strait and invading the Atlantic. This is something that would give something called the ‘Atlantic Ring of Fire’, analogous to the famous Pacific beltcharacterized by volcanoes and earthquakes. When will this occur? This is where the important nuance comes in that must be taken into account when we talk about something in geology happening ‘soon’. According to this simulation, the current phase of inactivity will last for some time yet. But not a few days, but the propagation of subduction towards the Atlantic will gain traction in 20 million years and the development of the new subduction system can be delayed up to 50 million years. Saying that the Strait is “about to disappear” based on this study is like saying that the Sun is about to go out because it has “only” fuel left. 5 billion years. It is true on the scale of the universe, but irrelevant to our daily lives. Why it is important. Beyond the time it will take for this to occur, this model demonstrates how subduction zones can migrate from dying oceans like the Mediterranean to expanding oceans like the Atlantic, helping us understand how the Earth has been shaped throughout its history. Images | Malcolm Ketteridge In Xataka | Cádiz has decided to prepare for something that has happened five times in 7,000 years: its destructive potential justifies it

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