cost

With the new increase, the Netflix plan with ads already costs more than what it cost to watch the platform without advertising two years ago

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Netflix has just confirmed a new price increase in Spain. When the platform presented the plan with ads in 2022, it did so as the economic option for those who did not want to pay the full rate. Four years later, as Antonio Ortiz emphasized in Xthat plan with advertising costs more than the old basic plan cost without any type of advertising, which was eliminated in 2023. The new prices. The increase affects the three rates available in Spain. This is how they look: Standard Plan with ads: It goes from 6.99 to 8.99 euros per month, an increase of two euros or close to 29%. Standard Plan without ads: It goes up from 13.99 to 14.99 euros. Premium Plan: Access to four simultaneous screens, 4K resolution and without ads, scale from 19.99 to 21.99 euros, surpassing the barrier of 20 euros per month for the first time. This is the second price increase in less than two years, since in October 2024 the company increased its rates in Spain. The new prices are now active for new users and will apply to current users in the next billing cycle. Ten years reviewing upwards. Netflix arrived in Spain in October 2015. Since then, the evolution of its rates describes a trajectory without exceptions. In 2017 the Standard plan increased by one euro and the Premium plan by two. The same pattern was repeated in 2019 and 2021. In 2022 it introduced the plan with ads at 5.49 euros, and in 2023 it eliminated the basic plan of 7.99 euros to push towards that advertising option. Already in 2021 we were talking about how the Premium plan had risen 50% in four years. It has not stopped doing so: currently it costs 21.99 euros, in 2017 11.99. Almost double in nine years. The paradox of the cheap rate. As we say, when the plan with advertisements arrived in Spain it did so 5.49 euros per month. Subsequently It went to 6.99 euros and now stands at 8.99 euros, which represents a joint increase of around 64% since its launch. That is, Netflix’s cheapest option has gone above what the old Basic plan without ads cost, which remained at 7.99 euros until its final elimination. In other words: whoever today wants to pay as little as possible on Netflix accepts advertising and pays more than what those who had a completely ad-free subscription paid two years ago. Because. The company often justifies these revisions as necessary to sustain investment in content. Netflix plans to allocate about $20 billion to this aspect in 2026, 10% more than in 2025. But there is a very clear reason for these increases to arrive at a fixed and almost biannual cadence: Netflix has more than 325 million global subscribers and previous increases have not caused significant falls in its user base. Put into practice: the plan with ads accumulates more than 190 million monthly active users and represents 55% of new registrations in markets with enabled advertisingaccording to the company’s own data. It is the segment that has grown the most, and also the one that suffers the greatest percentage increase in this last round. The end of the climbs? At the beginning of this month, a court ruling in Italy It could mark a before and after in the relationship between the platform and the continent’s regulators. A court in Rome ruled that price increases applied by Netflix in Italy between 2017 and 2024 are illegal under the national consumer code, which requires specific and advance justification of any price change. Premium subscribers active since 2017 could receive refunds of up to 500 euros and those on the Standard plan, around 250. Netflix has 90 days to notify all those affected through its website and national media, under penalty of 700 euros per day for delay. The judges’ decision is a good blow for the finances of Netflix, which is going to appeal the ruling, and which could affect the platform’s more than 5.4 million subscribers in Italy. The potential bill for the platform could exceed 2 billion euros. The door to similar litigation in other European countries remains open, although the transposition of European Directive 93/13/EEC on which the Italian court’s decision is based varies between legislations. In Spain, for now, it can be applied but a comparable judicial resolution has not yet been reached, although FACUA has filed a complaint before the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which could also end the platform in court. In Xataka | 29 years later, Netflix has become the television it promised to replace. That’s why Wall Street has punished her

The price of diesel is beginning to fall, but it is still far from what it cost before the war: what can we expect now

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Last Wednesday, April 8, the announcement of a temporary ceasefire two weeks between the United States and Iran, conditional on the partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, triggered an immediate reaction in energy markets. The barrel of Brent oil accumulated a weekly drop of 13.77%the highest in nine months, placing the price more than 15 dollars below the level at which it was trading just a week before, when it was still above 110 dollars. That shock has arrived, with a dropper of course, to Spanish gas stations. What you see at the pump right now. On Friday, April 10, the average price of diesel in Spain was around 1.87 euros per liter, with a drop of 1.67% in the next 24 hours compared to the previous day. A still timid drop if one takes into account that diesel was quoted at an average of 1,881 euros per liter during the week of March 27, the highest price since it came into force. the fuel tax reduction approved by the Government. And filling a 55-liter tank of diesel cost about 103 euros, according to data of that same period. Why oil has fallen. The key is in the Strait of Hormuz. Around 20% of the world’s oil passes through it, and its blockade since the beginning of the war had skyrocketed crude oil prices to almost $146 per barrel at the worst times. When talks between the US and Iran were announced for the start of a truce, the price plummeted from $110 to $94 in a matter of hours. Why does it take so long to be noticed at the gas station? Here comes into play what we have been explaining these days in our coverage: the rocket and feather effect. When oil rises, the price of fuel at the pump reacts almost immediately; when it goes down, the correction arrives weeks late. Distribution companies quickly transfer crude oil increases because they anticipate that replenishing fuel will cost them more. But when the price drops, they claim to have stock previously purchased at higher prices, thus delaying the drop. According to Bloomberg Linein Spain the movements in the price of gasoline have been minimal, even upward at times, with variations of less than 1% despite the sharp decline in crude oil. How long do you have to wait? The deadlines vary depending on the source, but there is consensus that the drop will not be immediate. Just like they count From Autopista, the most favorable purchase prices take between 14 and 28 days to reach gas stations significantly, and after four weeks. But of course, all this in case nothing else happens that affects the price, something that we unfortunately do not know about. The tax reduction what we have in Spain. The Government approved fiscal relief measures that have acted as an extra cushion. The first vice president and Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, wait that the fall in oil prices “will also end up resulting in a drop in fuel prices”, after the reactivation of maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the European Commission has warned Spain that the reduction in VAT on fuel from 21% to 10% has failed to comply with Community regulations, which adds uncertainty as to whether this aid can be maintained. What can happen from now on. The most favorable scenario, and also the most fragile, depends entirely on the ceasefire holding. Matt Smith, of business analytics firm Kpler, warns that “there will be a lot of reluctance and caution when passing through the strait because it seems that Iran will still be patrolling it,” which will delay the normalization of maritime traffic and, with it, the sustained drop in crude oil. As if that were not enough, oil production in the region fell more in March than in the worst times of the pandemic, and recovering that productive capacity will take time. The American EIA (Energy Information Administration) foresees that the price of crude oil could begin to moderate in the second half of 2026, as long as the international situation stabilizes. But there is no guarantee. What we must not lose sight of. Although the current trend points to a downward correction, current prices are still much higher than before the conflict. The price of fuel in Spain had been relatively stable at the beginning of 2026, with gasoline at around 1.45-1.50 euros per liter, before the escalation of the war changed everything abruptly in March. Returning to those levels is not something that will happen overnight, so for now it seems that we will have to stay alert to learn more information about the situation. Cover image | Roberto Rodríguez and engin akyurt In Xataka | With oil skyrocketing, Japan has resurrected an old idea to extract infinite energy from the ocean

There is a company that remains committed to saving the manual gearbox no matter what the cost: BMW

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The manual gearbox has been around for years on the tightrope within the motor world. More and more brands are abandoning it, emissions regulations are stifling it and suppliers are not exactly in favor of manufacturing it in smaller quantities. However, BMW’s M division has not yet signed his death certificate. What BMW said. Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President Customers, Brand and Sales at BMW M, confirmed in an interview with the German media Automobilwoche that the division’s engineers continue to actively work to find a solution that allows the clutch pedal to be maintained in its future models. Neubauer did not go into technical details, but according to the publication, the executive “promises a solution.” The technical problem. The obstacle is not so much power as torque. BMW M’s inline six-cylinder engines generate torque figures that current manual gearboxes cannot absorb without mechanical compromise. A clear example: the BMW M2 CS arrived without a manual gearbox option precisely because the transmission was not capable of managing the engine torque. The same S58 that produces 553 HP in the 3.0 CSL has torque limited to 550 Nm with manual, while in other configurations it can deliver an extra 100 Nm. And developing a completely new and more robust manual transmission for use in only a handful of models is, according to the head of BMW MFrank van Meel, “something that does not add up economically.” The possible solution: decelerated engines. What the engineers would be exploring is artificially limit torque output in engines that are paired with a manual transmission. It is not a new concept, it is already happening currently with the M2, whose automatic version has 50 Nm more torque than the lever variant. The question is whether buyers will be willing to accept that compromise in upcoming models. What models are left with a manual. After the Z4 M40i goes out of production this month, BMW M is left with only three cars equipped with a stick shift: the M2, M3 and M4. The current M3 is close to the end of its life cycle, with a replacement expected in 2028. What we do not know is if its new generation will arrive with a manual gearshift. From BMW Blog they are not very clear. The M2 and M4, however, still have plenty of power for a while. Why is it so difficult to save he manual. It is a constant pressure that comes from several fronts. Emission regulations in Europe they tighten more and more (in 2030, manufacturers must reduce fleet emissions by 55% compared to 2021) and automatic vehicles consume less in the approved cycle. Driving assistance systems are designed almost exclusively to work with automatic transmissions. And the transmission providers themselves They prefer to work with large volumesnot with short runs of manuals for niche enthusiasts. What this means. BMW M isn’t closing the door, but it isn’t opening any wide either. The brand is betting on saving time (and not disappointing its most purist customer base) while solving an engineering problem that is very economical. If the solution is to decelerate the engines with manual transmission, that could generate debate among those who expect maximum performance in each configuration. But for those who value the driving experience over the information on paper, it may be enough. In Xataka | China has been boasting about its driverless robotaxis for years. Until more than 100 have stood at once in Wuhan

A comedian has explained what the song from ‘The Lion King’ means in Zulu. It was fake and could cost you 27 million

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A Zimbabwean comedian went viral last month after claiming on a podcast that the Zulu phrase that opens the legendary theme song of ‘The Lion King’, ‘Circle of Life’ meant, simply and plainly, “Look, there’s a lion.” However, it was a joke: a false translation. Now the original composer, the South African Lebo M, is demanding $27 million from him in a federal court in Los Angeles. Aaaaa stork. Since 1994, millions of people have hummed “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba” without having the slightest idea of ​​its meaning. The phrase opens ‘Circle of Life’, the song with which ‘The Lion King’and is written in isiZulu and isiXhosa, two of the twelve official languages ​​of South Africa. The official translation used by Disney says: “Everyone hails the king, we bow before his presence.” It’s a Praise Imbongia form of oral royal praise poetry rooted in South African cultural tradition. Author, author. The song composed and performed by Lebohang Morakeknown artistically as Lebo M. Morake lived in exile in Los Angeles during apartheid. Hans Zimmer asked him to contribute his voice and his knowledge of African music to ‘The Lion King’ and the result was that initial scream that, as dawn broke on the savanna and the Disney logo rose, made the hairs on the back of the viewers of the time stand on end. The song was nominated for an Oscar for best original song and a Grammy, although it lost both to another piece from the same film, ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’. The false translation. In February, Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, known as Learnmore Jonasi, appeared on the ‘One54’ podcast. The presenters began to sing the phrase from memory, like every neighbor’s son does. Jonasi stopped them: “That’s not how you sing, don’t destroy our language.” He then offered his translation: “Look, there’s a lion! Oh my God!” When one of the incredulous drivers asked him if he was serious, Jonasi insisted: “That’s exactly what it means.” The clip went viral in a matter of days. The song that seemed like an epic proclamation was actually just pointing to an animal. The demand de Morake acknowledges that “ingonyama” can be literally translated as “lion” in Zulu, but argues that in the context of the Praise Imbongi The word functions as a metaphor for royalty and ancestral authority. Jonasi’s translation would be, in the words of Morake’s lawyers, “a manufactured and trivializing distortion, intended as a crude joke for personal gain.” According to the same legal document, Jonasi has been making this joke in his repertoire for eight years. Who is Jonasi? The comedian, born in Zimbabwe and based in Pittsburgh, rose to fame in 2024 when he placed fifth in that year’s edition of ‘America’s Got Talent’. His comedy usually revolves around the contrasts between his life in Africa and American culture, and part of his regular repertoire includes criticism of the representation of Africa in Hollywood, such as the lions in ‘The Lion King’ having American accents or the baboon Rafiki speaking English with a South African accent. The joke was, in that sense, consistent with his usual discourse of questioning how Disney had treated African culture. Can a joke cost 27 million? The legal key to the whole matter lies in a well-established principle in American law: the First Amendment protects parody and artistic satire, but not false statements presented as true, even if said in a comedic context. Morake’s lawyers argue precisely that: that Jonasi did not present his translation as a joke but “as authoritative fact.” The lawsuit also cites: Jonasi’s attempt to monetize virality through merchandising. The amount requested amounts to more than $20 million in actual damages, plus $7 million in punitive damages. It is alleged to justify it that the viral is directly damaging Lebo M’s professional relationship with Disney and reducing his income from royalties. Disney has not made any statements on the matter. The answer. Jonasi launched a GoFundMe campaign titled ‘Help Learnmore Fight an Unjust Lawsuit‘ with which he has raised more than 16,000 of the 20,000 dollars he asks for. There he says that he never intended to cause harm and that he needs support to “protect his right to speak and tell jokes.” Before that, posted a video on Instagram in which he declared himself a fan of Lebo M’s work and proposed making a video together explaining the real meaning of the song. In networks, the composer responded that Jonasi “crossed a line by insulting African culture and spreading colonialist propaganda.” In Xataka | We all assumed that ‘The Simpsons’ would never end. Now, its showrunner has just confirmed it

buying it will cost 100 euros more in Europe very soon

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That one is very far away PlayStation 5 launch price that many of us had in our heads when this generation began. We are talking about the end of 2020, when the console arrived in stores for 499.99 euros in its version with a disc reader and 399.99 euros in the digital edition. Since then, several things have happened that have marked its trajectory, but there is one that is especially striking: instead of becoming cheaper with the passage of time, something more common in mature generations, Getting a PS5 has been becoming more and more expensive. That journey takes us directly to the announcement that Sony has made todayMarch 27, 2026, in which it confirms a new price increase for its consoles in Europe with effect from April 2. The company recognizes that this is a sensitive decision for users, but frames it in a context of “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” According to Isabelle Tomatis, vice president of global marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment, after evaluating the situation they have concluded that this adjustment is “necessary.” A generation that has become more expensive With that announcement already on the table, what really interests us is how much it now costs to enter the Sony ecosystem in Europe. As we say, to starting April 2, 2026these are the recommended prices that the company has set for its consoles in this market: PS5: 649.99 euros. PS5 Digital Edition: 599.99 euros. PS5 Pro: 899.99 euros. To fully understand the current moment, it is worth looking back and seeing that this is not the first time that Sony has revised the price of its console upwards in Europe. The first movement arrived in August 2022, when the PS5 with reader went up up to 549.99 euros and the digital version up to 449.99 euros. Another adjustment was added to this adjustment in April 2025, focused on the Digital Edition, which reached 499.99 euros. What we see now, therefore, is not an isolated case, but another episode within a trajectory of upward prices that has been consolidated over time. In this scenario there is an important nuance that should not be lost sight of: the PS5 Pro He plays in another league within this story. The console was launched in Spain in November 2024 with a recommended price of 799.99 euros in its 2 TB version without a disc reader, and until now it had not undergone adjustments. The increase announced now places it at 899.99 euros in Europe, which represents its first increase since the launch. If we put all the pieces together, what remains is an unusual photograph for a console that has been on the market for several years. Far from getting cheaper over time, the PS5 has been chaining reviews of rising price around the worldincluding the one now announced by Sony. This pattern, conditioned by economic factors that the company mentions in its statement, changes the rules for the consumer. Today, getting a PS5 is more expensive than ever. Images | Sony | Xataka In Xataka | Almost 20 years later, Sony continues to release updates for the PS3: there is a clear reason behind it

The Hong Kong police may ask you for your mobile and computer passwords: refusing can cost you prison

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Traveling with your cell phone in your pocket and your laptop in your backpack is part of the routine of many travelers. In places like Hong Kong, however, that normality has just taken on a different nuance. Recently, refusing to comply with a police request to facilitate access to these devices in certain investigations is no longer just an uncomfortable decision, but can lead to criminal consequences. What could previously be interpreted as a privacy issue now falls squarely within the scope of the law. The change. The Hong Kong Government amended on March 23, 2026 the application rules linked to the national security lawintroducing new powers for security forces in this type of investigation. According to the Consulate General of the United States in the cityfrom then on refusing to provide passwords or decryption assistance may constitute a criminal offense. The obligation is not limited to delivering a code, but includes decryption methods and the assistance necessary to access the information contained on mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices in investigations related to national security. Scope of measurement. This is not an issue reserved for residents of US origin or especially exposed profiles. The change affects anyone in the city, including foreign citizens, as well as those arriving at or simply transiting through the international airport. At the same time, the information collected by Euronews specifies that the measure operates in investigations connected to the national security law and that it affects not only the owner of the device, but also anyone who controls it, is authorized to access it or knows the keys necessary to unlock it. Legal consequences. Refusal to collaborate does not remain an administrative clash, but can lead to specific criminal sanctions. Refusing to provide passwords or required assistance can lead to up to one year in prison and a fine of up to HK$100,000 (about €11,000). The scenario becomes even tougher if the person provides false or misleading information, since in that case the penalties can reach up to three years in prison and fines of up to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 55,000 euros). Beyond the password. The scope of the reform is not limited to specific access to a device. Authorities now have greater ability to seize and retain mobile phones, computers or other personal equipment as evidence if they allege they are linked to national security crimes. Added to this is another relevant element collected by the aforementioned medium: the obligation to collaborate can be imposed even when there is a duty of confidentiality or other restrictions on the disclosure of information, as in the case of journalists, doctors or lawyers. Context. Hong Kong authorities maintain that these tools are necessary to prevent, suppress and punish activities that put national security at risk, and defend that the rules respect the Basic Law and human rights protections. Faced with that position, Reuters picks up criticism from jurist Urania Chiuresearcher and law professor in the United Kingdom, who considers it disproportionate to grant such broad powers to security forces without judicial authorization. That is where this reform stops being a simple procedural change and begins to reopen the debate on privacy, communications and freedoms. Images | Jiachen Lin | Nick Low In Xataka | A woman spent six months in prison because an AI made a mistake. The terrible thing is that no one checked it

There are 75-inch televisions that already cost less than 500 euros. The last one to drop in price has been a Xiaomi with Google TV

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Little by little we are seeing more offers on TVs with diagonals that exceed 55 inches, and the truth is that their prices are often quite low. MediaMarkt, for example, has only today (during The Great Renove) the Xiaomi A Pro 75 inchesa very large TV for only 499 euros. Xiaomi TV A Pro 2026 (75 inches) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links big and cheap The Xiaomi A Pro 2026 It is a smart TV that initially started at a price of 849 euros, but over time we have seen discounts through a wide range of offers. Today’s one at MediaMarkt is not the best, but it is one of the best because it remains for about 20 euros above its minimum price historical in the same store. We are talking about a Xiaomi television that comes with a panel 75 inch QLEDso it is a fairly large size for its price. Obviously it offers a 4K resolution, but its refresh rate remains at 60 Hz. However, what we do have are 178º viewing angles both horizontal and vertical, so you can see the TV well from different angles. It also supports the format HDR10+comes with Filmmaker mode for watching movies and its speakers are compatible with Dolby Audio. Furthermore, its operating system is Google TV and it has a good assortment of connectivity options: WiFi, Bluetooth, three HDMI ports, Ethernet, USB and optical digital audio output. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: xiaomi pro offer today ✅ THE BEST Yesu size: We see more and more offers on large TVs, and this one from Xiaomi has an excellent quality-price ratio considering that its diagonal is 75 inches. Your viewing anglessomething already distinctive in the brand that offers the possibility of viewing the content well regardless of whether we are in front of the television or on one of the sides. ❌ THE WORST TOand, the 60 Hz… Something that we also usually see in the Xiaomi brand, at least in most of its television catalog. You will not be able to watch TV with the fluidity offered by many that offer a refresh rate of 120 Hz. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a good television to watch movies and series, that is of considerable size and also has a good panel such as the QLED. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Above all, you want to get the most out of your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series, since the screen only offers 60 Hz, so you will not be able to have the best possible experience. You may also be interested Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, compatible with Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR10+ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG DS60T – Sound Bar, Bluetooth, 340W, 3.1 Channels with subwoofer, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

A brotherhood in Sagunto has closed its doors to women during Holy Week. The decision threatens to cost the entire town

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What weighs more, tradition or equality? It seems like a whimsical question, but it’s exactly the same as yesterday they had to consider hundreds of brothers from Sagunto. There the members of Sang de Sagunt have had to make a controversial decision with Holy Week around the corner: Keep the doors of their brotherhood closed to women, preserving the status quo with which they have functioned in recent centuries, or accept the requests increasingly pressing of the women who want to procession just like the men of the town? For them there are few doubts. What has happened? That nothing will change in Sagunto. At least for now. Yesterday the brotherhood of the Sang de Sagunt decided by an overwhelming majority that it will remain faithful to tradition and keep its door closed to women. The members of the brotherhood with the right to vote were called to a conclave in which they had to decide a crucial question: whether or not to alter the statutes so that where it now says “male” it now includes “any baptized person”, a small change that would nevertheless allow women to participate in the work of the entity. The brothers voted for do not touch a single comma. What was the result? The vote was held behind closed doors, but its results were not long in coming. To begin with, we know that of the 1,627 brotherOnly 403 voted, all men, of course. Regarding the result, the ‘no’ to the change won resoundingly. 267 people spoke out against altering the statutes compared to 114 who supported it. Another eight brothers abstained, 12 voted blank and two issued invalid ballots. The result throws a bucket of cold water (the umpteenth) on the claims of the dozens of women of the Semana Santa Inclusiva Sagunto collective who were waiting gathered at the doors of the temple where the summit was held. Why is it important? Beyond the vote and what it means for the brotherhood, the result is important for several reasons. To begin with, it shows that, despite the attempts at Inclusive Holy Week, the message of equality is far from reaching the brotherhood. It’s not just that the ‘no’ won overwhelmingly, it’s that it’s the third time that the brotherhood has spoken out in that sense. A similar vote was held in 1999 in which only nine brothers They spoke out in favor of the inclusion of women. In 2022 the experience was repeated with the same result, although the ‘yeses’ shot up to 135, leaving at least a positive reading for women. Yesterday the vote did not even leave that little consolation. Support plummeted to only 114. Are there more reasons? Yes. Yesterday’s vote is also relevant for what it may represent for Holy Week in Sagunto. In February elDiario revealed that the Ministry of Tourism had initiated an investigation file to decide whether or not to remove the label Festival of National Tourist Interest (FITN). The reason: precisely the lack of gender equality in the brotherhood that has been in charge of the central events of Holy Week for centuries. The loss of the title would be a lot more than a simple administrative formality. The FITN label clears the way to benefit from promotion channels and subsidies, so if Sagunto loses that label it could be affected at a tourism level. The Government already has advanced which, after yesterday’s vote, has decided to initiate a file to “revoke” the 2004 declaration. Why did they vote against? In the background there is a key debate: Maintain the current status to preserve tradition or adapt it to the values ​​of the 21st century for greater equality? As the reporters who were waiting yesterday for the result of the vote at the doors of the temple explained, arguments in favor of both positions could be heard in the streets of Sagunto. At the summit, however, the first one won with arguments like “tradition is tradition” or that women can set up their “own brotherhood.” “We are sad, above all disappointed,” admits to The Newspaper Blanca Ribelles, from Holy Week Inclusive. “I thought that our society would have evolved and that we would be more mature than three years ago, because equality is something that is no longer questioned. It is not about being more, but about equality.” After collecting signatures to encourage voting, Ribelles recognizes that now the next move may be to go directly to court, although assures which is a path “that we would never have wanted to reach”. Is it a unique case? Not quite. What the group demands is that women not have to limit themselves to mending their clothes, cleaning the hermitage or raising funds. They want to go out in procession in “the usual brotherhood, the one they have always had.” It is not the only place in Spain where the debate has arisen. A year ago the Constitutional gave the reason to a woman from La Laguna (Tenerife) who reported a similar situation. The case has been resorted at the European level, however, which explains why yesterday it was not decisive in the Sagunto vote. Images | Sagunto Tourism and Valencian Community In Xataka | Holy Week has been a huge marketing campaign for decades. Now it even has board games

The electric rental car still cannot find its place. Hertz tried it and it cost him 4 billion to discover it

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In October 2021, Hertz announced with great fanfare that bought 100,000 Teslas worth 4.2 billion dollars. It was the biggest bet by a vehicle rental company on electric vehicles. He didn’t know what he had gotten himself into. And four years later, that bet has ended up becoming one of the most expensive lessons in history, because between 2023 and 2025, the company has accumulated losses of more than 4.5 billion dollars, a good part of them directly linked to that decision. What went wrong from the beginning. The business of a car rental company is not just renting, as they also need to sell the vehicles when they are paid for at the best possible price. And that is where the electric became a basic problem. electric cars They depreciate faster than combustion ones in the first three to five years, something that Hertz saw firsthand. When the fleet of Teslas began to lose value, the company was unable to place them on the second-hand market at a profitable price. The final blow came when Elon Musk decided reduce the price of new Teslaswhich automatically dragged down the value of the used cars that Hertz had in its fleet. In detail. Added to that were other problems that were not in the script. Electrical repairs they were more expensive Compared to combustion vehicles, tires wore out faster and many drivers simply did not want to rent an electric car. In addition, it should be noted that the charging network in the United States was (and partly still is) insufficient for travelers who do not fully know the specifics of charging an electric car. According to MarketWatch, electric cars in the United States they are not popular among rental customers precisely due to the scarce network of charging points in the country. And a car stopped in the parking lot does not generate income, but it does generate costs. The numbers of the disaster. In 2024 alone, Hertz registered a net loss of $2.9 billionafter having closed the first nine months of the year with 1,332 million in the red. The company rapidly sold the 30,000 electric vehicles that it planned to liquidate, and in 2025 it closed the year with a net loss of 747 million, although with an improvement of more than 2,000 million compared to the previous year. The results of 2025 We met them precisely a few weeks ago, in their financial report. The numbers are improving, but right now Hertz’s stock is trading near historic lows and the market does not quite believe the recovery. It’s not just Hertz. The company has not been the only one that has gone through this bad experience, in fact it has been a warning sign for the rest of the competitors. Avis Budget Group, the second largest global vehicle rental group, closed 2025 with losses of nearly 1 billion dollarsthe main reason being its electric fleet in the United States. The company had to register more than 500 million in asset impairment by reducing the estimated useful life of its electric cars, which caused them to plummet in the stock market by more than 20% in a single day after presenting results. Avis CEO Brian Choi even publicly acknowledged to investors that the quarter’s results were “unacceptable,” according to picked up SherwoodNews. Between the lines. A McKinsey report from April 2025 pointed out that only one in ten American consumers is considering going electric with their next purchase. If the customer who rents a car does not want an electric one, because he does not know where to charge it, because it generates range anxiety or simply because it is not comfortable, the rental company has an expensive vehicle that depreciates quickly and that spends too much time without generating income. Therefore, the equation does not work. And now what. Hertz has promised that 2026 will be the year of the turning point. The company anticipates revenue growth of between 4% and 6% in the first quarter of this year and has once again placed the depreciation target below $300 per month per vehicle, which was the figure it always indicated as the profitability threshold. Avis is also looking ahead cautiously. Both companies hope to improve results in 2026, relying on younger fleets and managing its electric cars more conservatively, adapting its presence in markets where there is a more mature charging infrastructure, as is the case in California. What is clear is that the great bet of massive electric rental in the United States has failed, at least in its first version. The electric car may have a future in rental fleets, but not at any price, not in any market and, of course, not without the customer being willing to get into it. Cover image | Ernie Journeys In Xataka | No matter what you do: the wheels of your car are revealing your position to anyone who wants to monitor you

Science is clear that being a good person gives happiness. The problem is the hidden cost of “overdoing it”

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Since we were little, society has bombarded us with a very clear message: you have to be good people. It’s a moral imperative, yes, but over the past few decades science has attempted to answer a much more pragmatic question: does being kind to others have a real impact on our happiness? This is where A group of researchers wanted to give an answer. What we know. The answer to this question is ‘yes’ according to the latest articles that have been published on the matter. But we must keep in mind that taking kindness to the extreme, leaving our ‘skin’ for others without attending to our own needs, has a real impact that translates into burnout and also in a great emotional exhaustion. And surely, some people can see themselves very reflected in these concepts of literally being very ‘burned out’ for being very kind to others and attending to all the favors they ask of you without thinking about oneself. The positive part. The idea that “good people are happier” is not a simple phrase of Mr. Wonderfulbut it is a conclusion with solid empirical support, especially in the field of positive psychology. Here the researchers were able to see, for example, in a Japanese sample that happier people performed more daily acts of kindness. What’s more, they found that forcing people to simply “count” their own kind acts for a week measurably increased their happiness. There are more studies. Beyond this case, which is very classic, the bibliography leaves us with a great meta-analysis that reviewed decades of research to conclude that help, donate or support others is consistently associated with persistently higher well-being, even if modest in some cases. Something that was also demonstrated in the experimental works of Sonja Lyubomirskywhich made it clear that assigning a group of people the task of “performing acts of kindness” significantly increases their well-being compared to control groups. The negative part. If being good is so positive… Should we give ourselves to others without limit? The answer here is a resounding ‘no’. As has always been heard, the middle ground is where virtue lies, since reaching absolute altruism causes compassion fatigue and burnout. And it is no wonder, because altruism taken to the extreme, especially in highly demanding contexts, is dangerous. The studies on health professionals and caregivers clearly show that high exposure to the suffering of others, combined with a strong compassionate orientation but without clear limits, triggers the risk of psychological collapse and, therefore, serious problems such as anxiety. Its consequences. An empirical study on altruism that exists among co-workers revealed that, although constantly helping colleagues encourages cooperation, in the long term it is associated with great emotional exhaustion and depersonalization of the relationship. That is, the system collapses if aid becomes chronic and absorbs own resources. And the problem is that when people are very compassionate with the rest of the world, they are usually incapable of being very compassionate with themselves and have much greater wear and tear. Here empathy needs a protective shield that is nothing more nor less than a series of limits regarding interpersonal relationships. Although logically there are cases that are difficult to mark because we tend to be too kind. The society. To fully understand the picture of human goodness, one must do zoom out since it is not about what we do individually, but about the ecosystem where we are living. Here the World Happiness Report 2025 dedicate an entire chapter to analyze on a global level how kindness and happiness interact. And their conclusions are revealing, since they point out that the greatest predictor of individual happiness is not the frequency with which we do good acts, but the expectation that others will do good things too. In this case, the report gives a very illustrative example: the expectation that, if you lose your wallet, a stranger will return it to you. Here, believing in the goodness of others has a brutal impact on reducing inequality of happiness within a country, and as the SDSN network points out In their adaptation of the data for Spain, “believing in the goodness of others is much more related to happiness than previously thought.” Images | Brooke Cagle In Xataka | If the question is “where is the secret to happiness,” an expert believes it is hidden in these 15 statements

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