decades

For decades, the “00000” has fascinated Christmas Lottery players. The reason: the King’s Number

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All the Lottery numbers They have the same chance of winning the Christmas prize, but not all of them generate the same interest or are surrounded by the same halo of fascination. Perhaps one of the most enigmatic is the “00000”. And it is because the doubts it raisesquestions that resurface every December just like the nougats in the supermarkets, the perfume ads on TV or the LED lights in Vigo. Does it really exist? Can it be purchased? And above all… Is it true that it is the number that gives Lotteries and Betting from the State to the Royal House? There are those who are so sure of the latter that they even refer to “00000” as “The King’s Number”although (spoiler) it is not actually founded. Is 00000 played? Yeah. In the Christmas raffle they play 100,000 numbers different. From 00000 to 99,999. Both included. In fact, a quick search arrives to confirm that the first issue on the list has been sold this year in half a dozen of branches in Cádiz, Las Palmas, La Rioja, Valencia and Murcia. After all, there is nothing written about tastes (and superstitions): there are those who see 00000 as an ‘ugly’ number, a combination to avoid with little chance of receiving the jackpot, and those who bet their 20 euros on it as the winning horse. Have you ever played? No. Not at least if we’re talking about El Gordo or millionaire prizes, although that doesn’t make 00000 a special number either. Although the National Lottery traces its origins to 1812 (when the biggest prize amounted to 8,000 pesos) and the Christmas draw began to become popular 133 years agoin reality there are not so many numbers graced with El Gordo. That doesn’t mean that 00000 hasn’t made more than one person’s day (or Christmas). In 2014 he achieved a stones of 120 euros. It may not seem like a big deal, but that year the same administration in Logroño had sold 160 lucky tickets, leaving money in the pockets of its clients. 19,200 euros. In 1828 luck also happened to him. That year the lucky number was 00523. To many the figure may not be attractive because it is too ‘low’, but the truth is that the drums do not understand low or high numbers. Lotteries remember that Gordo touched figures between 0 and 10,000 61 times, 70 times to bills from 10,001 to 30,000 and 64 times to combinations ranging from 30,001 to 66,000. The King’s Number? One of the most famous myths about 00000 is that, precisely because it is the first in the numerical sequence, State Lotteries and Betting reserves a special destiny for it: a gift for the Royal House. You don’t have to look hard to find articles that remember a story that in reality is nothing more than that: a story, pure urban legend. “No. It is a baseless rumor. Institutionally, no tenth is given away,” they clarified already in 2011 from Lotteries to the newspaper ABC. It is not the only occasion in which he has had to deny the hoax. “No tenth with the number 00000 is given to the king for the Christmas draw,” insist to RTVE. The best proof is that the tenths of 00000 can be found in various administrations in the country and in 2014 the media even they interviewed to one of the winners with the 120 euro stone. Curiously, she decided to play that number and not another because she was convinced that it was the one they used in Zarzuela. Curious, commented… Feared? 00000 not only generates expectation for its history and myths. There is another detail that arouses the curiosity of Christmas Lottery lovers. In case he wins the first prize, if chance showers him with millions of euros… How the hell would it be sung? Would we hear the children of San Ildefonso hum “zero thousand zero hundred zero zero”? Would you opt for a simpler formula? theEconomist assures that 00000 would simply be sung as “zero”, without further flourishes. Although another thing (of course) is that their nerves play tricks on them on the 22nd. Images | SELAE 1 and 2 and Royal House In Xataka | ChatGPT You have the same chance of hitting the Lottery Jackpot as a witch reading the guts of a crow

Mercadona has bought the company that has been supplying pallets and boxes for decades. And there is a very simple reason

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Let Mercadona monopolize 30% of the supermarket business is no coincidence. The success of Juan Roig’s chain responds to a cocktail in which, among other issues, its bet on white labelsthe ready to eat dishes and geographic dispersion. Another key to that equation is your supplierswho are responsible for supplying you from cheeses or kebabs to services. Now the chain has decided take the reins from one of those external firms, Logifruitthe same one that has been supplying it with boxes and pallets for decades. There is a word that explains it: logistics. What has happened? That Mercadona has decided to take over the Valencian company Logifruitone of the key suppliers of its logistics, since it supplies it with the boxes and pallets it uses to transport goods. It has been the Valencian chain itself that has been in charge to announce the acquisition, although without revealing the amount or the dates. In your statement Juan Roig’s company simply emphasizes the importance of the purchase for its internal operations and advances an important piece of information: the 1,600 Logifruit employees will join Mercadona’s team directly. What is Logifruit? A crucial piece in the functioning of the Valencian chain. The company was founded in 1996, has 16 logistics platforms and manages more than 18 million of boxes, boxes and reusable pallets designed for the transport of goods. Its network of facilities is spread across a good part of the peninsula, with 14 nodes distributed throughout Spain and two others in Portugal. Is it just another supplier? No. And not only because your rental model of reusable packaging has earned it a strategic role in Mercadona’s structure. Unlike other suppliers of Juan Roig’s company, which maintain extra business avenues (even if they are minority), the history and work of Logifruit is closely linked to that of the supermarket chain. The company itself explains on his website which started in 1996 as a “logistics operator to provide service to Mercadona’s fruit and vegetable suppliers.” Almost 30 years later, that link remains key for both companies. Why’s that? By defining your “interest groups” in the sustainability report 2023, Logifruit identifies the five major actors that shape its business: the workforce, the companies that supply materials, machinery and services, society as a whole, capital and customers. And among the latter he specifically cites two: Mercadona and its suppliers. In fact, although Logifruit talks on its website about “more than 1,095 clients”that ecosystem seems to basically pivot around Roig’s chain. The diary Five Days assures that, in its latest financial report, the box and pallet company recognizes that it did not have “other clients outside of the pool of services established for Mercadona and its suppliers”. At least by the end of 2024. Do we know anything more about the company? Yes. And it helps to better understand the movement that Mercadona has just made. Last year Logifruit invoiced around 164 million of euros (7% more) and obtained a net profit of 5.2 million. Its assets amount to 22.3 million and its liabilities include debts with financial entities, although most of them mature in the long term. The other piece of information that helps understand Roig’s movement is that in 2024 the company rented packaging worth 54 million euros to Mercadona and its suppliers, according to the documentation consulted by Five Days. What does Mercadona say? That the purchase will help it achieve two of its “objectives”: “unify all its logistics processes” and “continue consolidating the efficiency and sustainability of its distribution network.” “The agreement, pending approval by the Competition agencies and the corresponding administrative authorizations usual in this type of operations, will allow Mercadona to capture important synergies and further optimize its resources,” the Valencian firm stands outwhich hopes to “strengthen” its assembly line. And Logifruit? Logifruit also highlights the historical link between both companies. “When we began our collaboration with Mercadona, in 1996, we took on the challenge of offering a service that met their needs and gave them competitive advantages. Three decades later, I am proud to be able to say that Logifruit has overcome that challenge,” celebrates its president. In its financial report the company itself recognized that it would be “complicated” for Mercadona to find a substitute capable of supplying boxes and pallets in the short term and that this operation would also require a high investment. Is it something exceptional? Yes. And no. In addition to his commitment to the white label, the prepared food and geographical dispersion, Mercadona’s commercial success relies heavily on its network of suppliers. Although it is not common, this is not the first time that he has decided to integrate into his structure one of those companies that help him articulate his business. It already happened in 2010 with the Caladero packaged fish company, although years later he sold it to Profand. Images | Logifruit 1 and 2 and Andalusian Government (Flickr) In Xataka | Mercadona has grown so much in Spain that for the US it is no longer just a supermarket chain: it is a “cultural phenomenon”

We have been fascinated, confused and intrigued by Roman “concrete” for three decades. Pompeii is going to solve it for us

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Almost 2,000 years have passed since Mount Vesuvius unleashed a pyroclastic hell that devastated everything that was around it. That was what ended Pompeii, but it was also what gave it eternity. The Roman city began to be excavated in 1739 and, we believe, a third of the city is still underground. That’s why it still continues to surprise us. A work half done. That week in the summer of the year 79 AD, the first domes of the X insula of the IX regio was under construction. This is not surprising, of course. All of Pompeii had been under construction for almost two decades (since the earthquake of 62). However, the curious thing is that on the night of August 24, the workers were caught with everything bogged down. Plumb lines, chisels and weights; stacked tiles, tufa bricks; amphorae filled with lime, reused demolition materials and piles of pozzolans scattered on the ground. Everything has remained there, untouched, until a team from the MIT Department of Civil Engineering found and cataloged them. “The weapon of crime.” By reconstructing the scene and studying the processes, researchers concluded that these masons left incontrovertible evidence of how they mixed “hot” quicklime with volcanic ash to create concrete capable of repairing itself. In fact, as Miguel Ángel Criado collectsthings go further: the chemical and crystallographic analysis of the materials reveals quicklime (calcium oxide) in the structural concrete and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) in the finishing mortars, thus confirming a double differentiated use. Have we finally found the key to Roman concrete? A recurring question. In 2023, I already said that “Every so often, the world rediscovers Roman concrete and is amazed by the durability of a material that allows Agrippa’s Pantheon to stand for 2,000 years.” “While modern concrete cracks after a few decades,” they usually add. By the way, “almost with the same regularity, there is some scientist or engineer who claims to have found the key secret to making this so.” But the truth, the true truth, is that despite its undoubted historiographical interest (and its potential for illuminate our knowledge of the masonry practices of 1st century Rome), the hype is always unjustified. The two mistakes of Roman concrete. When talking about Roman concrete, a lot of mistakes are usually made, but there are two recurring ones: the first is “the survivor’s bias.” As Manuel F. Herrador reminded usprofessor of Structural Concrete at the School of Civil Engineering of the Universidade da Coruña, the idea of ​​the extraordinary quality of Roman concrete comes from studying, precisely, the best structures they made, the ones that have been best preserved. Instead, most of what the Romans built has already completely disappeared and cannot be studied. The second error is even more basic and is based on ignoring that with Roman concrete we couldn’t do even a tenth of the things we do today with modern concrete. For example, today we can make long and relatively narrow “pieces” thanks to reinforced concrete. That was impossible with Roman construction techniques and is what makes our structures corrode faster. Who wouldn’t like a Roman concrete…? We already knew that Roman concrete is not a single miraculous material, but a family of recipes adapted to local environments and resources (ports, temples, roads, thermal baths). This finding only confirms it; but, in a calculated way, it is used to take advantage of the expectation that this material generates in the public imagination. And if it weren’t for making invisible the excellent work of contemporary researchers, it wouldn’t be a problem either. Because what is evident is that we do not make “Roman-style concrete” not because of ignorance; we don’t do it because we don’t want tobecause it does not serve the world we want to build. Image | Andy Holmes In Xataka | We have a problem with concrete: the same technology that allowed us to build the modern world threatens its future

For decades rats devastated these Pacific islands. Now we’re finding out what happens when they leave

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Before we get to work I propose a game: open Google Earth, type “Bikar Atoll” either Jemo Island and let the search engine take you to those remote points lost in the middle of the Pacific. What do you see? Beaches with turquoise waters and white sand, leafy trees, nature in its purest form. The typical place that promises paradise on earth and where anyone would want to go for a week’s trip. The problem is that until recently both islands had a problem: they were rat infested that had turned their ecosystem upside down. Until recently. In a remote part of the Pacific… They are found Marshall Islandsan island republic located in the region of Micronesia, Oceania, famous for its paradisiacal images and dreamy sandy beaches. Among its string of islands there are two in particular that in recent months have caught the attention of environmentalists: Bikar Atoll and the Jemo Islandboth included in the Ratak island chain. The reason? After intense conservation work and a campaign that dates back to 2024, the two islands have seen their fauna and vegetation recover little by little. As an example, environmentalists they explain who have found a colony of hundreds of onychoprion fuscatus (sooty terns) with chicks in an area where until not so long ago there was not a single one. Not to mention the thousands of sprouts that have begun to appear on previously bare soil. An annoying (and voracious) stowaway. There is little mystery about this change. It is explained by a campaign launched last year and which focused the focus on the big problem that was devastating the ecosystems of Bikar and Jemo: rats. Although both islands have always stood out for their birds (when Spanish explorers discovered Jemo They nicknamed her ‘The Birds’‘), over time they ended up displaced by another animal with a voracious appetite: rodents that arrived hidden on board ships and fed on eggs and other local species, which drastically impacted the delicate island ecosystem. A date: 7/24. Things began to change in July 2024when Island Conservationtogether with the Marshallese Marine Resources Authority, launched an ambitious campaign to eliminate the invasive rats. With the help of a drone he launched baits throughout the islands, a meticulous task that led him to cover each hectare with around 25 kilos of a product designed especially for rodents without affecting the rest of the native species. Months later the team returned to Bikar and Jemo to assess the scope of the campaign. “As soon as you step onto the island, your senses are activated to the maximum: you look for the rats, you look for birds on the ground, look for any clue that indicates whether we have won or lost,” confesses Paul Jacquesdirector of Island Conservation to CNN. What he obtained during that visit was “a great revelation,” confirmation (confirmed with studies) that the plague had subsided. Change of terrain after the disappearance of the rats. Baby birds found on the island. “Drastic transformation”. The quote is by Paul Jacques, who summarizes what they found on the islands: “A colony of 200 sooty terns where there were none before fed hundreds of chicks.” “We also counted thousands of seedlings of the native tree Pisonia grandis in just 60 supervised 12-meter plots in the forest. In 2024 we had not found any,” relates the person responsible for the project, who remembers that this regeneration is essential for the fauna that inhabits both islands. “Native forests are essential for nesting seabirds and crucial for carbon absorption and the ecological health of the island,” insist. When the rats disappeared, the turtles, crabs and birds were no longer harassed, which was soon reflected in the rest of the ecosystem. More birds translated into more guano, which in turn improved soil fertility, encouraging more native vegetation and reefs. And as a picture always says more than a thousand words, Island Conservation has taken care of document the change with a series of photos that show the before and after of the campaign. Far beyond Bikar and Jemo. Change is important for the islands, but from Island Conservation it is insisted in that the success of your campaign goes further. “This integrated approach offers enormous benefits for biodiversity, demonstrating how land and sea conservation, when strategically linked, can boost resilience and ecological impact.” The organization also recalls that the regeneration of the islands benefits neighboring island communities, such as the one located in Likipe, which have historically come to Jemo in search of natural resources. Without rats, they now find more crabs there and hope to achieve sustainable fishing. Images | Andrew Arch (Flickr)Google Earth and Island Conservation In Xataka | New York rats have become a pest that is impossible to eradicate. They have a secret: their own language

Historians have been trying to understand Hitler for decades. DNA just gave us a clue about your sex life

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“We didn’t know what we were going to find. It could have been the most boring genome on the planet, but it turned out amazing.” As if the promise of new (and morbid) revelations about Hitler weren’t enough to grab the world’s attention, that phrase of Turi Emma Kinga famous geneticist, has helped the documentary ‘Hitler’s DNA’ generated a huge stir even before its premiere. Logical. After all, the work is based on scientific research that reveals that the Nazi leader suffered from a genetic disorder that affected his sexuality. And that is just one of his many conclusions. Yes, Hitler again. The 20th century was prolific in wars, milestones and historical figures, but probably few arouse the fascination of Adolf Hitler. For his disastrous role as fuhrer but also because of the enormous amount of conspiracy theories and hoaxes that surround his figure. About his death, your habits and tasteshis supposed Jewish ancestry and his equal alleged offspring So many pages have been written that they would cover (several times) the bunker in which he committed suicide on April 30, 1945 with a sip of cyanide and/or a bullet. So it’s no surprise that any new revelation about him generates considerable excitement. Especially if it is one like the one that promises ‘Hitler’s DNA’a documentary produced by Channel 4 and which boasts of having thoroughly studied the DNA of the Nazi dictator. The piece premiered yesterday, Saturday, but its authors have taken it upon themselves to air their main conclusions in advance to warm things up. And although there are those who question their rhetoric or the solidity of some of their statements, one thing is clear: they have not done badly in their endeavor. Adolf Hitler’s DNA? Exact. To understand how the producers obtained a genetic sample from Hitler, we must go back to May 1945, shortly after the Nazi leader’s suicide. Among the allied soldiers who were able to access the Führerbunker There was one especially clever one, Roswell P. Rosengren, who came up with an idea: Why not take proof of the very couch on which the dictator had taken his life? No sooner said than done. The American officer cut off a blood-stained scrap and took it home. The piece was guarded by his family until 2014, when it passed to the Gettysburg History Museum. There the producers of Channel 4 found him, who had to face the following challenge: Was that really Hitler’s blood? Was there some way to establish the link, beyond Rosengren’s story? The answer was yes, although it forced them to take a new time jump (this much shorter one) to 2008, when the journalist Jean-Paul Mulders obtained a DNA sample from a relative of Hitler, a person with whom he shared paternal ancestors. Mulders’ purpose was to investigate the rumor of an alleged illegitimate son of Hitler, but in the end it served the creators of the documentary to compare the sample with the blood on the couch. The result: a perfect match. Double check which reinforced the conviction that the cloth contained Hitler’s DNA. “I thought about it a lot”. The next mission was to sequence that DNA to find out everything it hid about its owner, another far from easy task. Not so much because of the technical complexity itself but because of the enormous controversy that accompanies Hitler. In fact The Times assures that there were several laboratories that refused to collaborate in the documentary. Professor Turi Emma King, the lead geneticist on the research, also had her reservations when it was proposed. “I thought about it a lot,” recognize to the British newspaper the scientist, known for identifying years ago the remains of King Richard III. If he decided to embark on the project it was for two reasons: first, why not do it when the DNA is already being used for historical research it would mean giving a prominent role to Hitler; second, by the conviction that sooner or later someone would do it. “We wanted to make sure it was done methodically and rigorously.” So King decided to join the other main expert in the investigation, Dr. Alex Kayexpert on Nazi Germany and professor at the University of Potsdam. Clearing up unknowns. The experiment did not disappoint. As King acknowledges, the team risked not getting convincing results or anything substantial to justify the effort. Quite the opposite happened: the DNA analysis yielded some surprising conclusions that help debunk myths and expand the keys to understanding the Nazi leader. “We didn’t know what we were going to find. It could have been the most boring genome on the planet, but it turned out incredible,” relates. One of their most interesting findings is that the rumors about Hitler’s Hebrew ancestry appear to be basically that: rumors. At the time, there was speculation that the dictator’s paternal grandfather could have been Jewish (Hitler’s father, Alois, was an illegitimate son), a theory so deep-rooted that in 2022 it came to light. share it publicly Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He was wrong. Channel 4 analysis reveals that Hitler was of Austro-German descent and supports the family tree drawn up by the Nazis. “Confirms that the story of Jewish ancestry through his parents is false,” concludes King on CNN. Kallman syndrome. If there is a revelation that has generated interest and grabbed headlines, however, it is the one that tells us about a much more personal aspect of Hitler: his physiology. Scientists claim to have found solid evidence that Hitler suffered from some form of Kallman syndromea genetic disorder that affects the development during puberty and of sexual organs. The most common thing is that the syndrome causes hypogonadism (insufficient production of testosterone during adolescence), but as the British press has been responsible for reminding these days, it has another peculiarity: up to 10% of those who have the disorder have micropenis. Beyond the obvious morbidity of this revelation, the data is interesting because of the stories that … Read more

Insects have been traveling to space for decades. Now the ESA is studying putting them on the astronauts’ plates

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For years, many of us have thought of insects as something foreign to our table, but they have been part of space history for much longer than we imagine. Even before the first astronauts reached orbit, these small species they had already shown that could withstand the conditions of flight. Today, with long-duration missions on the horizon, the conversation has changed. Europe wonders if these animals, so nutritious and easy to maintain, could become a real option to feed those who live far from Earth. Why insects. Although they are still a culinary rarity in Spain, insects are part of the regular diet of billions of people. The FAO estimates more than 2,000 species consumed on different continents, valued for their contribution of protein, iron, zinc and beneficial fats. Their ability to develop with few resources and transform waste into useful biomass makes them an attractive candidate for controlled food systems. That is why several European teams are analyzing its nutritional potential and its viability in environments where every gram counts. What we know about microgravity. Research with insects in space has accumulated decades of datafrom early suborbital flights to tests at orbital stations. During this journey, different species have been tested, with very different results: some managed to complete essential phases of the life cycle in microgravity and others showed sensitivity to factors such as movement or radiation. This contrast has been useful to understand what biological mechanisms remain stable outside of Earth and what processes are altered even in very resistant organisms. What the ESA is looking for. The European team work with a specific idea: to know in detail how these organisms behave in key phases of their development when they spend prolonged time in orbit. The agency has brought together diverse profiles to study their ability to recycle nutrients and produce protein under controlled conditions, a line that already has candidate species such as the common cricket and the mealworm. This research aims to clarify what biological requirements should be met before considering its production in long-duration missions. Fruit fly habitat used for scientific research in space Although there is an extensive history of testing with insects, much of the results are scattered and come from short missions. The majority of experiments did not reach times that allow the complete life cycle of a species to be followed, an essential requirement to evaluate its use in long missions. Furthermore, many of these investigations are old and used different methodologies, making it difficult to compare them. That is why ESA is preparing new studies specifically aimed at measuring changes in reproduction, development and behavior in orbit. Drosophila model. NASA’s experience with Drosophila melanogaster has demonstrated its usefulness as a model organism to understand physiological changes in space. The agency highlights that it shares a good part of the genes related to human diseases and that its accelerated reproduction facilitates the analysis of several generations. He Fruit Fly Lab, installed on the International Space Station, it allows us to follow their behavior and freeze samples for study on the ground. It also incorporates a centrifuge that helps distinguish which effects depend on gravity and which are linked to space radiation. Astronaut James D. “Ox” Van Hoften examines a bee experiment From the laboratory to the menu. For now, the food use of insects in space missions continues to be a line of study and not an immediate application. Researchers need to check how they behave in prolonged phases and what it would mean to stably grow them in inhabited modules. Added to this is the challenge of transforming this biomass into safe, manageable and acceptable products from a nutritional and sensory point of view. Everything is moving in the direction of exploring options, not automatically incorporating them into the astronauts’ menu. Images | ESA | POT In Xataka | Astronauts’ food is not appetizing at first, especially in China

Cuenca has been watching its “Palace of Versailles” fall apart for decades. There are those who have proposed to change it

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He Gosálvez Palacea mansion built at the beginning of the last century in Casas de Benítez (Cuenca), near the Júcar River, is not going through its best moment. In its day it was the luxurious residence of the industrialist Enrique Gonsálvez and his extended family, but the building has been suffering plunder and abandonment for decades to the despair of the neighbors. Or at least it has been until now. In March the news broke that the mansion was changing hands to be reborn as accommodation and event venue. The question is whether the known as “Versailles of Cuenca” Will he be reborn or will he only write one more chapter in the sad chronicle that he has dragged on for decades. An unknown gem. They know him as “the Versailles of Cuenca” either “from La Mancha” and (although without reaching the size or splendor of the French building) the truth is that the Gosálvez Palace It is a gem worthy of admiration. In fact, this old palatial residence built around 1900 in the province of Cuenca by order of the businessman Enrique Gosálvez is cataloged as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), attracts the interest of hundreds of visitors and even has its own ‘admirers’ associationa group that has been calling for some time to stop the deterioration that the property has suffered for decades. Is it that important? arrives with take a look to the Catalog of Cultural Heritage of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha to understand that the palace is a unique piece. Both from a historical and architectural point of view. The construction is of French inspiration, “a little Versailles” very much in line with the palaces that were built in the north of Spain at the beginning of the 20th century. There, in its nearly 20 rooms, the industrialist Enrique Gosálvez once lived with his very extensive progeny between luxuries, elegant furniture and sumptuous gardens. Beyond the architectural interest of the palace, the complex includes additional pieces, such as towers, a neo-Gothic style chapel, a gazebo… and an extensive garden that, remembers the Department of Cultureis a reason in itself to visit the farm. “Some species are unique in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha,” he highlights. As if that were not enough, among its decoration the palace included a fountain popularly known as “The Tsarina”a gift (it is said) that the wife of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II gave to Enrique Gosálvez. A gem in low hours. Neither its splendor nor its rich history prevented the palace from ending up in the worst possible way: ruined after the death of Gosálvez. Although it is protected as a BIC, the construction has clearly deteriorated until it fell into disrepair. “red list” of Hispania Nostra, a list that includes Spanish heritage “at risk of disappearance.” Over there is warned that the building is the victim of decades of “disastrous neglect” and “mutilations” that have caused the structure to degrade and suffer looting. A ray of hope. The future of the property seemed to change a few months ago, when he became interested in it a swiss couple who set out to recover it with a clear purpose: to dedicate it to accommodation, social events and visits. at least like this He published it in March. elDiario.es, which reported that the couple had taken ownership of the venue. They themselves had taken care of announce it through Instagram, from an account in which he accumulates 24,400 followers. The news of the change of owners was echoed other media premises and even the Friends of the Gosálvez Palace and its Surroundings Association through your Facebook account. The issue was actually discussed at an extraordinary assembly in August. “The good news of the change of owners and their interest in bringing the palace and its surroundings back to life have been paralleled by a renewed interest from many heritage lovers to be part of the association,” celebrated. Perfect, right? Not at all. On Monday The Confidential public a chronicle that updates the situation of the palace and shows that its recovery is probably not going to progress as quickly as the Swiss couple wanted. The land has been cleaned and cleared, but when the new owners wanted to touch the construction, Heritage put the brakes on them. At least that’s what it says another post published on the same Instagram account at the beginning of October. “We have been informed that neither basic maintenance work, nor provisional protection of the building, nor removal of debris are authorized.” The authors of the post remember that the mansion is a BIC, a figure that “in theory” seeks to protect the heritage, but in his opinion “in many cases” achieves the “opposite” effect. “The immense bureaucratic and administrative regulation to obtain permits means that no one dares to restore them since costs multiply and work times are prolonged,” abound. “This makes any investment unfeasible, both by individuals and public administrations. This is the reason why we find countless BIC buildings in ruins. The intention of wanting to save buildings does not matter. Only respect for rules that are impossible to comply with.” “They were a little wrong”. The Confidential has interviewed also to the mayor of Casas de Benítez, the municipal area in which the mansion stands. In his opinion, the couple has been optimistic. “They were a little wrong about what this process entails,” he reflects. “They believed that everything could be managed with the City Council and I accompanied them to Cuenca so that they could see that each step must be approved by Heritage. They discovered that it was going to be longer and more expensive than expected. They planned to make it profitable in three months with garden parties.” Pedro Pablo Correas, from the Association of Friends of the Palace, clarify also that “they have only been asked to meet certain minimums”, such as “that there be an architect in charge of the project.” “This couple came from … Read more

The coast of Huelva has been touristed for decades. Now one of its last virgin areas will become a megaurbanization

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“With more than 130 hectares next to the Pinares de Cartaya, it aims to become one of the main urban developments in Andalusia, creating a residential and leisure center in one of the most unique enclaves of the Andalusian Atlantic.” The phrase is part of the presentation of ‘Saggita El Rompido Living Club’, a real estate mega project that a Basque developer is promoting on the coast of Andalusia, on the second line of the Huelva coast and where there is now extensive trees. The initiative has already aroused the suspicion of politicians and environmentalists who warn that it will pervert one of the few remaining virgin areas on the coast of Huelva. What has happened? That Huelva is preparing for a radical transformation of the environment The Brokenin the municipality of Cartaya. There the Loiola company plans to promote a macro urban project with hundreds of homesvillas, a golf course, hotel accommodation, swimming pools and a commercial area. An extensive development that will extend throughout 130 ha in an environment that, like presume the promoter itself, represents “a privileged enclave between marshes, ocean and pine forests.” What do you want to do? They have named the project Saggite“arrow”, in Latin, a nod to one of the most characteristic places in the area: the Broken Arrowa wide sandy formation that stretches for about ten kilometers parallel to the coast. The promoter has several ideas in mind: a golf course, several hotelsa commercial area and above all generate residential offer. Specifically, on his website he talks about two projects: Sagitta Silvawith 128 homes (106 multi-family apartments and another 22 single-family homes) and Sagitta Navisa complex of 18 semi-detached houses with four bedrooms spread over two floors. Is there more? Yes. The Rompido Living Club does not stop there. When promoting the project, those responsible they talk of a huge residential and leisure center of 130 hectares with 800 exclusive homes (in some media they talk about 1,000), to which places for tourists and swimming pools will be added, “one of the main developments urban developments of Andalusia”. To complete it, the company claims that Sagitta Living Club will cover some 522,600 square meters of green areas. Is it just a project? No. In August 2024 Environment awarded the Unified Environmental Authorization for “Nuevo Rompido Este” in order to develop the land and pave the way so that it can accommodate homes, hotels, the golf course and the shopping center. Months later, in November, Ecologists in Action warned that work had already begun on the ground, with “the dismantling of the rich and varied vegetation of the Mediterranean forest” in the area and excavators and trucks removing bushes. The latest news about the project reached early summerwhen Loiola began marketing the first 150 homes in your residential complex. In the promotional information published on those dates it was stated that the works would start before the end of this year to have them lists in 2027. Perfect, right? Not everyone thinks so. The macroproject has the planning permission of Cartaya and the Junta de Andalucía has also given the green light to the urbanization of 1.3 million of square meters. THE complex even snuck into the presentation carried out last year by the City Council at FITUR. That does not mean that Sagitta has unanimous support. There are those who have warned of its impact on the environment, both environmentally and socially. For example, Izquierda Unida crosses out the “monstrosity” and warns of its effects. Why’s that? “It will double the population of El Rompido at once, destroying a forest of pine, juniper and other protected vegetation and exposing this nucleus, which already suffers serious problems such as periodic water cuts of up to 24 hours, to unsustainable urban tension.” I insisted a few months ago David F. Calderón, spokesperson for Izquierda Unida in the Cartaya City Council. In his opinion, the megaproject suffers from “serious legal loopholes” and “puts at risk the ecological balance and carrying capacity of the territory in a high-value area.” “El Rompido, one of the coastal towns in Andalusia where housing has become more expensive in the last decade, does not need more luxury homes, nor more hotels, nor more golf courses, but rather social housing that allows youth to continue living in their town,” Calderón stressed. The project focuses on the northwest of El Rompido, in a space located 800 meters from the beach. Is it the only critical voice? The answer is again no. One of the most critical voices of the project has been that of Ecologistas en Acción. And not only because in November warned of the arrival of machinery to the area, initiating “the destruction of (a) space with important natural values.” Since then has insisted in that the 130 hectares of the complex represent land “of extremely high biodiversity and environmental wealth” and that the project itself is “the greatest example of unsustainable, illegal and predatory urban planning on the Andalusian coastline.” Hence, the environmental association has filed a contentious-administrative appeal and requested a precautionary suspension. His main argument: the alleged risk of causing “very serious and irreversible” damage to the territory. “The works involve destroying a substantial part of the environmental values ​​of this privileged enclave, with serious consequences for protected fauna and taxa.” What does the promoter say? In your advertisingthe company highlights that the promotion will seek “environmental, social and economic sustainability”, which includes, among other issues, measures to minimize the carbon and water impact or the preservation of biodiversity. It also highlights that the Sagitta Living Club complex will include more than 522,000 m2 of green areas, a large area that will play a key role in the complex. The environmental authorization actually recognizes that there are protected plants in the environment, but their future is clear because they will be located in the free spaces left by the megaurbanization. Images | Loiola and Ecologists in Action In Xataka | There is a virgin beach in … Read more

For decades a silent boom has been taking hold in many regions of China: Christianity

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The recent history of Christianity in China is anything but simple. First for the Cultural Revolution and more recently, with Xi Jinping at the helm of the Communist Party, for repression against the unofficial churches. However, despite this troubled chronicle, experts tend to agree on something: in recent decades the Christian faith has expanded with force for the country. So much so that it already clearly dominates certain regions and there is who considers that in no time China will be “the largest Christian nation in the world.” How many Christians are there in China? The question is quite simple. Answer it, not so much. The China General Social Survey shows that between 2010 and 2018 the percentage of Chinese adults who identify as Christians (Catholic and Protestant) it was around 2%a percentage that can be found in essays about the matter. However, there is a quick search to find authors which differ significantly from that estimate, placing it at 3%, 7% or even 9% of the total population, which also includes children. In 2020 The Economist pointed that only Protestants make up 3% of the country’s population, although there are studies that suggest the real figure could be much higher if unregistered clandestine churches are taken into account. The reality is that it is not easy to have a precise figure. The reasons are multiple: the control of information by Beijing, the diversity of sources and methods in making calculations or even the “linguistic and conceptual differences between religion in East Asia and other regions”, such as warns Pew Research. How many believers are we talking about? The answer is again the same: it depends on the source. Although given the large size of China (1.4 billion inhabitants) even the most conservative calculations would leave a census of tens of millions. How many? Years ago, a Peking University study spoke of 40 millionWorld Population Review raises the estimate to 49.2 million and Visual Capitalist has even gone further, placing the figure close to 72 million. Is there more data? Yes. Other sources speak of some 20 million of adults, 60 million if the global population is taken into account, or even 100 million. Although its considerable disparitythe data lends itself to two clear readings. The first is the enormous weight of Protestants in the Chinese Christian community (some studies claim that represent 90% thanks to your great expansion). The second is that it is not necessary to resort to the most optimistic calculations to verify that China already surpasses (by far) the number of Christians in countries like Germany, France or Spain and would even be a handful of millions of believers in Italy if both Catholic and Protestant Christians are taken into account. How are they distributed throughout the country? A few years ago Reuters produced a map based on the studies of Professor Fenggang Yang, from Purdue University, which shows the dominant confession in the different regions of China. The plan reflects that Buddhism prevails in most of the southern and southwestern regions while other areas such as Xinjiang or Gansu are Muslim. Catholicism and especially Protestantism shine on the eastern flank. Even in Zhejiang areadespite the challenges that believers have encountered there. And what is the evolution? A quick Google search shows there are experts convinced that Christianity will continue to expand strongly in China and even place it among the countries in which the religion is experiencing greater growth, especially if we talk about Protestantism. In 2016 Professor Yang predicted that in 2030 the Asian giant will be “the largest Christian country in the world” despite its enormous Buddhist and Muslim population, among other confessions. “If we use an average annual growth rate of 7%, there will be more than 224 million Protestants in China by 2030,” the expert reflectedwho specifies that they would represent 16% of the population. “If we add Catholics, it would take even less time for China to become the largest Christian nation.” Does everyone have the same opinion? No, not everyone is so optimistic. In 2023 Pew Research published a study which suggests that, although Christianity expanded during the 80s and 90s (between 1982 and 1997 its faithful base went from six to 14 million), in recent years it has shown signs of “stabilizing.” As proof, they are based on official data that reflect that the percentage of Christian adults has barely changed between 2010 and 2018, without the pandemic having altered that picture. Still, Pew Research recognize that, in general, “survey-based estimates of China’s Christian population could be conservative,” as there are believers who choose not to reveal their faith “for fear of negative social or economic consequences,” especially if they belong to an unregistered church. Images | Gary Todd (Flickr) and Visual Capitalist (Pallavi Rao) In Xataka | China faces a bigger problem than the birth rate crisis: its young people are too busy to form couples

Iberian ham has been synonymous with the highest quality for decades. Now Guijuelo wants to blow him up

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“Race is not a parameter of quality.” With that simple idea, the Salamanca town of Guijuelo wants to open a gap in one of the flagships of our country’s gastronomy: ‘low cost’ Iberian ham. With the endorsement of the Ministry of Agriculture and the opposition of the rest of the denominations of origin (which call it “deception of the consumer”), Guijuelo’s movement has just unleash a whole Civil War in the ham sector. And it’s no wonder. What has happened? That the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) of Guijuelo (Salamanca) approved a modification of its regulations to certify, as Iberian, “hams and pork shoulders that are 50% Iberian breed and 50% Duroc”. Until now this was something that could only be done with 75% or 100% Iberian hams. On September 1, the General Directorate of Food He has limited himself to saying that the change is legal and various communities they have supported him (although others, as we will see, have opposed it). After all, The Iberian Quality Standard (RD 4/2014) covers legally this movement; as long as it is well labeled. If this had been done by a small DOP, it would have been controversial; but it surely would not have unleashed the enormous earthquake that it has unleashed. However, Guijuelo has done it: the oldest denomination and the largest in number of marked pieces. The rest of the DOPs have come out in a rush. Let us remember that there are only four DOPs of Iberian ham in the country. Well, the other three (Jabugo, Dehesa de Extremadura and Andalucía) have denounced the change because they consider it “unfair competition” and what is worse, a “trivialization” of the DOP seal and the Iberian in general. In recent days, regulatory councils, communities (especially Extremadura and Andalusia) and professional groups have announced appeals and do not rule out going to trial if Agriculture does not take action on the matter. But if it’s legal, what’s the problem? In slightly more technical terms, the conflict is not whether a “50% Iberian” ham can exist; but whether that type of ham should carry the DOP seal. We must not forget that these seals are designed to ‘make visible’ in the market a special relationship with the territory and the product. The rest of the Regulatory Councils that want to maintain stricter racial criteria (as has been customary) believe that there is a reputational risk and that it could end up confusing the consumer. And the issue of price, of course. Guijuelo is accused of wanting to burst the market by lowering prices and moving production towards less demanding specifications. The DOPs fear that the seal and label will harm livestock farmers and dryers who have been betting on higher quality standards. In fact, as reported from the Pedroches valley, the regulatory change in Guijuelo “facilitates more intensive productions (a jump in densities per hectare in “field bait” is cited within the specifications), which threatens the pasture and the sustainability story associated with traditional Iberian. And from Jabugo they assure that “Brussels said that can’t be done.” What do they say in Guijuelo? From the PDO of Salamanca, in addition to describe many of these statements as “barbarities”focus on defending that a) the movement is legal and b) that “race is not a quality parameter, food is.” And now what? The question is whether the changes to Guijuelo’s regulatory document are indeed “normal” or require the approval of Brussels. And the most likely thing, if the regulatory councils decide to go ahead, is that it will reach Brussels. Or at least Image | Tim Sackton In Xataka | A tax on ham? There are those who already propose it as the best way to eat less meat

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