Madrid

Madrid has found in Usera an unexpected vein to touristify the neighborhood: a "Madrid-style Chinatown"

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If London, New York, Antwerp, Buenos Aires (and so on a long etcetera of cities) have their own “Chinatowns”, why would Madrid be any different? And above all, why would it be if we take into account that these neighborhoods tend to be poles of tourist attraction and Madrid is precisely looking for decentralize your flow of visitors? It sounds like pure theory, but the capital’s City Council is betting on just that: boost “a Madrid-style Chinatown” in Usera. The goal: touristify the area with that new seal. In a place in Madrid… Today’s User has little (very little) to do with the User of a few decades ago. Over the last few years, this district of Madrid has received a wave of Chinese families who have been transforming part of its streets. And not just because they now reside there thousands of neighbors from the Asian giant (in 2022 the City Council spoke of more than 10,000 people of Chinese nationality; other estimates raise the community to 20,000). To the first wave of immigrants, who arrived in the 80s and 90s and who dedicated themselves to opening restaurants and bazaars, have been followed by a second, more educated generation that has set up new businesses, such as pharmacies or law firms. It comes with taking a walk through one of the streets of the neighborhood, such as Dolores Barranco (or directly pull the street view of Google Maps), to see signs in Chinese advertising bars, clinics, shops, agencies, hairdressers, travel agencies, technology stores, food, furniture… and of course pedestrians arriving from the second most populous country on the planet. All between facades, awnings and the occasional business that reminds us that we are in a neighborhood of Madrid. Madrid’s Chinatown? That is the idea (and the brand) that has been taking shape in recent years in the capital. Both on the street and in the institutions themselves, which have not hesitated to talk about “Chinatown of Usera” either “Madrid-style Chinatow”. After all, it is nothing new. Other large cities, such as London, New York or Vancouver (to name only some cases) have their own Chinatowns, characterized by their proliferation of Asian businesses and which stand out for two reasons: their interculturality and great tourist potential. Why is it important? Because the latter (tourism potential) is something to take into account in a town like Madrid, which last year alone received more than 11 million of visitors and has seen how mass tourism became a challenge that affects something as essential as its residential market. Tourism has become a huge businessbut José Luis Martínez-Almeida’s team knows that for keep growing Without suffocating the city, it needs to grow in an orderly manner. And one of its great bets to achieve this is the “decentralization” of the flow of visitors, ensuring that tourists go beyond the Retiro, Sol or the Royal Palace and expand with a “balanced distribution.” To achieve this, the city has some important assets, such as new itinerariesthe bet on Formula 1 and… (exactly!) the “Chinatown-Usera”. What do you have in mind? Convert a part of Usera into “the new ‘Madrid Chinatown’”, as advertisement the Madrid City Council in 2022, when it advanced part of its plans for the area: opting for the decoration of the environment, delimiting the entrance and exit with large arches designed by the Chinese community, pedestrianizing Dolores Barranco street and improving some squares. Initiatives that will favor pedestrians and, Cybele reasons“will boost trade.” Since then the project has continued to advance in several phases to extend almost two kilometers (1.7km) between the Plaza del Hidrogen, the market and Madrid Río with a total investment that approaches nine million of euros. What are you looking for? “One of the most unique aspects of the remodeling will be the installation of elements that reinforce the identity of the environment as ‘Chinatown’ through the incorporation of specific furniture and cultural references in pavements and signs,” pointed out the City Council in May of last year, when it announced the second phase of the project. Among the strengths of the project, he emphasized that it had been carried out “with the involvement of the Chinese community.” Do you have a tourist focus? Yes. Although that is not the only spirit of the project, the City Council itself recognizes that it reflects a large part of its reason for being. “It seeks to reinforce the identity of the neighborhood as a place of residence for an important part of the Chinese community, favoring the integration of some of its cultural features with the traditional ways of life of the neighbors with the complementary objective of progressively decentralizing the city’s tourism, which mostly goes to central districts,” claims the Consistory. Not everything has been easy. Madrid has seen difficulties to find companies interested in manufacturing the access arches, a key part of the project and which identify the Chinese neighborhoods in other cities, such as London or New York. {“videoId”:”x91sz26″,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”This is the PERFECT BOARDING of a plane AND NO AIRLINE DOES IT ❌✈️”, “tag”:”webedia-prod”, “duration”:”567″} Is there more on the table? Yes. On Sunday elDiario.es revealed that not everything will be a pedestrian promenade and decoration with Asian echoes. The City Council also plans a “tourist quality” program that will have as its highlight a “Chinatown de Madrid” seal, according to the newspaper after consulting the contract of the Usera Board. Among other issues, the idea is to assess the quality of certain businesses in the neighborhood (there are at least 280 “with tourist potential”), help them improve and reward those that meet their standards with the quality badge. The objective, collect the sheetsis to “position Usera as an attractive destination for attracting family, cultural and gastronomic tourism” and “attract and capture new local, national and foreign audiences.” All while works progress for the almost two kilometer walk from Madrid Río and the installation of the first arch. The remodeling represents an opportunity for the neighborhood, although there … Read more

Madrid riders have been using municipal bikes for some time despite it being prohibited. The City Council is tired

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When it was released, more than a decadeBicimad was proposed as a public transport service with shared bikes. His idea was very simple: make it easier (and cheaper) for Madrid residents to get around the city by bike. Over time, its network of vehicles and stations has expanded, but it has also attracted a new type of user: riders interested in their benefits and low cost who rent them, skipping the regulation. Now the City Council has said enough. What has happened? That Madrid has grown tired of the riders use during your deliveries Bicimada public bicycle rental service. The message has been conveyed with crystal clear the delegate of Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility of the City Council, Borja Carabante, who recalled that the system was designed to be used by individuals (such as neighbors or tourists) not so that economic benefit could be taken from it, a possibility clearly banned in its regulations. Is the problem that serious? Yes. And no. The Municipal Transport Company (EMT) recognize that he is not aware that the riders are making “massive use” of Bicimad, although it has detected “some cases.” Much clearer has been Carabante, who assures that it is a practice that “we all see” on the street and seems to be getting worse. In fact, the City Council speaks of “an increase”. What does the regulations say? The issue is not so much that the practice is more or less widespread as that it completely fails to comply with the bases (and spirit) that regulate the service. In its chapter XI the document that sets the conditions of use slips several ideas, including one that closes the doors to riders and other delivery people. “The bicycle will be used exclusively for the transportation of users, and cannot transport other people, animals or merchandise,” collect the text. “Nor can the bicycle, nor the stations, be used for commercial purposes.” Why do they use them then? For its advantages. Bicimad offers more than 7,700 bikes and 630 stations spread across 21 districts of the capital. Those who use the service can enjoy electric bikes with a 250W central motor and 70 kilometers of autonomy for a fee of only 10 euros monthly. The service offers free, unlimited rides of up to 30 minutes. After that time, the second 30-minute fraction costs 0.5 and the subsequent three euros. In addition, its users are insured. A rider Anyone who wanted to buy a similar urban bike to deliver orders would have to pay hundreds of eurosat least. This without taking into account the wear and tear of the vehicle and another of the great advantages of Bicimad: the station network and charging points. Those responsible they calculate The service currently has 450,000 monthly users who make journeys that, on average, last just over 15 minutes. What does the City Council want to do? For now he has made it clear that he is aware that the riders They are misusing bikes and he is not willing to turn a blind eye. How he will respond and how far he is willing to go in his endeavor is another matter. The City Council has stated that it will look for a way to “disincentivize” delivery drivers from taking advantage of Bicimad and to do so, one of the options on the table is to apply extra rates to them. “We will have to see if there is some type of specific rate for this type of activity and we are analyzing possible alternatives so that it does not occur,” Carabante specifiedwho recognizes that what has sparked the interest of riders and has caused the use of Bicimad to increase among the group (according to the data managed by the City Council) it is precisely the “low rates” that the service applies, which “makes its use attractive” by the delivery people. Are you considering anything else? Yeah. Increase controls at street level. The City Council of the capital has recognized The World He plans to pay more attention to who rents the bikes to get a more precise idea of ​​the problem. “To assess whether any measure must be taken to avoid this type of use, the EMTE will soon begin a surveillance campaign to monitor these activities,” keep it up. “According to these results, actions will be applied to discourage use for commercial activities.” They won’t have it easy. The riders They use the same cards as the rest of the users and to confirm that they are using the service for commercial purposes, the police would have to stop them. Hence, for example, at the moment the improper use of bicycles is not being penalized either. The problem is not entirely new, but the City Council seems determined to put an end to a custom that, as the delegate alertsharms individuals who want to use public bicycles. Images | Bicimad In Xataka | There are no more 20 euro tickets: the trains between Madrid and Barcelona have become very expensive again for a reason

Renfe has proposed to improve once and for all vicinity. And Madrid will take a pinch of 400 million euros

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The vicinity service in Madrid is having a performance, according to Renfe, of “positive” but it is very likely that if you ask travelers who take this service daily give you a different answer. To launch this assessment, the company is based on the fact that the 85.3% of the services provided In the Community of Madrid they arrive on time. And to maintain this valuation, more than 400 million euros will be invested. Assiduous incidents. Despite what Renfe says, the truth is that the incidents in Madrid trains are usual. Although generalized incidents are lower and are a few minutes of waiting, it is not uncommon for situations such as last July in which All lines were affected either delays that are especially complicated Now that the city is full of works. In fact, criticisms have long been part of the Madrid political debate. The Government of Spain has taken advantage of subway delays repeatedly for CRiticate to local entities and These have returned the ball Remembering that the city suffers from nearbyver breakdowns, which are the competence of the government. A patch that exceeds 400 million euros. In two games that will break that figure. First, Renfe has tendered a contest for a new maintenance contract for interurban trains for the next three years. This contest has 61.5 million euros assigned in the case of Madrid (Catalonia, Galicia, Andalusia, Extremadura, Aragon and Castilla y León also have their own lots). But, in addition, the 2025-2030 Industrial Installations Plan has been launched, which is assigned a game of 350 million euros in the case of Madrid. That is, in total it is planned to spend about 411.5 million euros in the near Madrid. Trains maintenance. In The Spanish newspaper They point out that the game of 61.5 million euros is dedicated exclusively to the maintenance of 82 trains of the 465 series that will be reduced to the 60 vehicles. This maintenance will be carried out at the base of Madrid Atocha. This investment is part of the 485 million euros that this year has confirmed Renfe for the maintenance of this type of trains throughout Spain. In total, there are 430 trains (a fleet in which there are also medium distance trains) that will gradually be renewed because they are at the end of their useful life. In Madrid there will be 22 who should get out of circulation. The Industrial Facilities Plan 2025-2030. This project is focused on improving the maintenance capacity of the rail network, as well as adapting the rolling material and, above all, to improve operational efficiency so that trains find unforeseen lower. Those 350 million euros are part of A package of up to 1 billion euros that will be distributed throughout Spain. The new trains that are going to reach the fleet forces to renew the existing facilities and the material so they are going to create new maintenance bases (Aranjuez, Alcalá de Henares, Móstoles-El Soto and Vicálvaro in Madrid). The new trains. The reduction in the fleet of the 465 series of the trains that Renfe has available is included in A much greater game that the company is dedicating to improve and renew the fleet and facilities throughout Spain. The plan began in 2020 and has been receiving various backs. The new trains will be manufactured by Alstom, Stadler and CAF and some of them are already testing. The renewal of more than 400 trains comes after 15 years of drought in which Renfe has not bought any train to renew the fleet. Of course, it has been sold that the new vehicles will have more and better sensor -based systems to monitor the components more closely and advance the possible breakdowns, taking out the trains of the circulation for their maintenance before the failure occurs. Photo | Germán Poo-Caamaño In Xataka | Renfe is delighted to have competition in Madrid-Galicia. Especially since he knows that he will not have competition

A very high percentage of fines that are used in Madrid for the Zbe end up annulled: two reasons explain it

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The courts 558 sanctions have lying imposed by the Madrid City Council in its low -broadcast areas. The figure represents 97% success in the judicial resources presented by conductors through the platform provided by the dove. Since the Justice of Madrid annulled several of the articles From the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance in 2024, the legality of the Fines System of the Zbe of the capital is questioned. Judicial failure. Only in 2025, the Consistory has accumulated 383 unfavorable sentencesof which 224 included condemnation in procedural coasts, which represents almost 60% of cases. Of all cancellations, 60% corresponds to the Centro District ZBE, 25% to Madrid Zbe and 15% to Elliptical Plaza. Each of these sanctions has a minimum amount of 200 euros. Two reasons. Courts support their decisions on two legal pillars. First, the City Council does not comply with article 242 of the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance, which requires “documenting the installation of visible informative posters that warn about the collection of data or images for access control.” In no case, the Consistory has been able to demonstrate the existence of such regulatory signage, which has caused the cancellation of sanctions. The cancellation of the legal framework. THE SECOND Pilar: The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid annulled The part of the Mobility Ordinance relative to the ZBE, leaving without legal base all the sanctions issued under that regulatory framework. This nullity assumes that the fines lack legal basis by being supported by a regulation canceled by the courts. Despite this, the Madrid City Council He has resorted This decision and continues to sanction. A fundamental fund machine. Madrid foresee Collect this year more than 208 million euros in traffic fines, of which approximately 110 million come from the ZBE. This means that more than half of the proceeds in fines by the Madrid town hall comes from the sanctions in these areas. The figure makes Madrid the Spanish city that enters the most for this concept, raising 3.5 times more That Barcelona, ​​the second on the list. Of the ten cities with the largest population in Spain, Madrid is the most fine. “I despise for legality.” Pedro Javaloyes, Dvuelta spokesman, affirms that this implies “the contempt for the legality and rights of citizens by the Consistory.” “The courts are stopping the city council systematically for the massive and unjustified use of Zbe fines,” he adds. “Not only is there a normative abuse: there is a clear collection intention, at the expense of the drivers, that justice is dismantling sentence.” It is worth resorting to fines. Resorting to these sanctions is becoming what Javaloyes define as “a civic reaction” that “balances the balance between an administration that tends to turn the fine into a collection instrument and a citizen who, otherwise, would be helpless,” he said. For its part, the Madrid town hall assures that Zbe are necessary to meet the air quality objectives. Also remember that the cancellation of the TSJM It is appealedso until the Supreme Court does not apply any other action, the fines will continue. Cover image | Madrid newspaper In Xataka | 2025 is being a relief for the sale of electric cars in Europe. For everyone, except for Tesla

Europe has filled with Stellantis cars that are not sold. And Madrid and Zaragoza will pay the consequences

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Zaragoza and Madrid will suffer a temporary stop in vehicle production. This has been confirmed to us from Stellantis, who we have asked about the rumored machine stop in six European floors. With a stock that is not giving out, the company does not want to return to past times. Temporary. That is the makeup: a temporary stop. Although we have asked in Stellantis about stops distributed throughout Europethe company has only confirmed in our case those related to Madrid and Zaragoza. Nor have we been offered data on when and how long these stops will take place. If it is confirmed that the company for the Poissy factory, which produces the DS 3 and Opel Mokka, from October 13 to 31, 2025, according to the French media Echos. In Bloomberg They expand the stop to the Italian Pomigliano factory where the Alpha Romeo Tonale and the Fiat Panda are manufactured. There are already four confirmed plants but in the French media it was ensured that the strikes could affect up to six European factories. Spain. What is manufactured in our country? In Madrid, Stellantis produces the Citroën C4y C4 X, as well as its completely electric variants. For its part, in Zaragoza produces the small electric electric. That is, Los Lancia Ypsilon, Opel Corsa Ey Peugeot E-208. In addition, it had recently confirmed that the B10 Leapmotor would arrive in Spain and, everything indicates, should land in Zaragoza. The one that will not stop is the Vigo plant. There Stellantis produces the commercial vehicles of Peugeot and Citroën, as well as the 2008 Peugeot and its completely electric version that takes advantage of the lines of the electric vans. The stock. Stellantis’s intention is to reduce the stock of his stores. The company has long dealt with its stores at a healthy level. In fact, during The last call with shareholders Following the middle of the year results, the message was sent that the company had maintained a “strong discipline in inventories after the corrective actions of 2024” and that it is “maintaining that discipline throughout 2025”. These messages are not causal. The company has been dealing with an enormous overstock, especially in the United States. So much so that in that market some of their concessionaires came to accumulate so many fiat 500 electric that ended give them away to take them off. The company does not want to be in a similar situation but some of its products are becoming outdated and are increasingly complicated to sell. That is why the production of cars such as the Alfa Romeo Tonale or the DS3, which do not reap good results. A serious problem. In your latest results reportStellantis confirmed that the network has more than 1.2 million cars without selling. Of these, 300,000 are possession of the group but there are more than 900,000 cars distributed by independent dealers to those who have not given exit. In Europe, in addition, this inventory has grown by 7% compared to 2024 because products to the available cars portfolio have been added. Among the data maremagnum, he emphasizes that Stellantis has produced fewer cars but his margin has also collapsed. If we talk about Europe, the company had already reduced its production in about 100,000 units but its benefit for the sale of these cars has collapsed at 2,000 million euros, because of discounts to sell vehicles in stock, low sales and the obligation to repurry units set on the market. Sales. In that last fact, sales were made. At the end of August, According to AceaStellantis has reduced its sales by 8.9%. And what is worse, the rivals eat ground because their market share has gone from 17,%to 15.9%. The reorganization in the portfolio of its range leaves us dramatic falls in what we have been. For example, Opel, its third best selling brand, falls 11.8%. Fiat, its fourth best brand, falls 19%. Lancia, which only has the electric ypsilon, falls by 72.8%. And the electric? When it was confirmed that Zaragoza was going to continue receiving electric cars, Like the Leapmotorwe already explain that the news can be seen from two perspectives that seem contradictory. The optimistic is that Zaragoza will manufacture the electric cars of Stellantis, which should guarantee the future of the long -term factory, especially if we take into account that, together with CATL, the company will raise a battery production plant To nurture your lines. This should be the confirmation that the bet is very serious. The pessimistic is that although the small electric car Sales should increase (especially if manufacturers want to meet the maximum limits set and flee) They will have to put these cars on the market. But, for now, they continue to demand certain complications from their owners and, therefore, they are being more complicated to sell even if they lower their prices. And a financial situation … difficult. To all of the above we must add what we have already counted a few weeks ago. Stellantis is going through a complicated moment in some decisions made by Carlos Tavares in the past. His commitment to the multienergy platform has forced the company to make great efforts to develop the Stla Medium and Small. Those economic results are still green. But, in addition, they have gotten into investments such as hydrogen and two electricity cars that They have been canceled. In total, 3.3 billion euros in the trash. Photo | Stellantis In Xataka | Before developing a pile of hydrogen or competing with Chinese electric, Stellantis has chosen a third way: surrender

In the full boom of foreign tourism, Metro de Madrid has had an idea to make its brand profitable: luxury merchandising

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No matter where you go or who you ask. There are certain icons that everyone recognizes worldwide. They are part of a border -proof visual heritage. A clear example are The Olympic ringsthe symbol of peace or the dollarthe arroba or the Celebrate Smilethe smiling yellow face designed decades for Harvey Ball. If we probably did a survey most people would include in that list of universal symbols The subway logo from London. Madrid It seems determined The same thing happens with your suburban. What happened? What Metro de Madrid has surprised with A peculiar proposal. One that has little to do with trains, infrastructure and schedules. Or yes. The institution has just presented an official clock, a submersible Berbier piece, stainless steel and sapphire crystal ‘inspired’ in the capital’s suburban. The images that they have already been seen show the red, blue and white logo of Madrid in the sphere and how the marks of the hours are decorated with The colors of the different lines. One, light blue; two, red; three, yellow; four, brown … in another historical wink at the bottom of the sphere appears The figure “1919”the year in which the First Line Four Caminos-Sol was inaugurated. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Is more known? Yes. Sunday The world slid Some details of the launch. The idea is to create only 50 numbered units that will be sold for 395 euros. Too much money? No problem. In case the Limited Editing Berbier clock is exhausted or the client wants to pay less, Metro plans to market another, cheaper model, which will incorporate a similar sphere with interchangeable silicone straps in four colors. The price in that case will be 120 euros. However, there is much more interesting fact. Not by what he tells us about the clock itself, but of the Metro plans. According to Precise The worldthe new accessory can be bought unocidly in the store that the operator plans to release at the opera station. It will be The third (There is already one at the Sunstation and another in the Plaza de Castilla) and the idea is that not much to open its doors. In January He pointed to the second half of 2025 already early summer It was specified that the space is probably available in the last quarter of the year, which will allow you to take advantage (at least partly) the Christmas campaign. Metro stores? That’s how it is. In itself, stores are not a novelty. As Remember Europa Pressthe history of the Metro store can be traced at least 1984, when it opened its sun sales space. Several decades later, at the end of 2017, added the place of Plaza de Castilla. Today its catalog of items can be consulted (and buy) also in latientademetromadrid.com. In addition to selling merchandising Officer and pieces such as the new Berbier watch, the opera space will serve travelers as office Customer service. But … What do they sell? They don’t sell, better. His articles list It is amazing broad: bolis, bags and backpacks, cushions, sweatshirts, fans, bottles, socks, notebooks, toys, cups and even lames with stations posters such as Santiago Bernabéu or metropolitan state. All related in one way or another to the Madrid suburban. Most show the famous blue, red and white logo or incorporate the colors of the different lines. In the wide metro catalog there is also Bestsellers They have stood out for their commercial success. For example, Some shoes Sports designed in collaboration with Titocustoms to celebrate the company’s 105 years. They launched as a limited series, but given their “great reception” Metro decided to create a new edition. In total more than 1,000 pairs have been sold. Another product with pull is The Christmas sweater. It was released in 2023 and they have already been dispatch More than 3,000 units. Are there more figures? Yes. Not many more, but there is some that helps us understand the scope of the commercial stores of Metro de Madrid and especially its evolution. At the beginning of the year, when the plans to open the opera store were announced, the Europa Press agency wakefulness That in 2023 the volume of sales before taxes reached 127,470 euros, a record that exceeds the box of the previous year, which had been 81,619. That is, the billing shot more than 56% in a year. Most sales were channeled through physical stores (75%), highlighting above all sun, with almost 65,400 euros. Why do you do it? To understand Metro’s commitment you have to know your data, but also (and even more) the context. His decision to open a new opera store coincides with two clear trends. The first is the increase in travelers. In January the company estimated that in 2024 it had reached its “historical user record”, with 715.2 million trips8% more than in 2023. The data of fact improves those registered by the company in the years before the pandemic. The other trend is the increase in tourism. Especially that of foreign origin. Spain is close to passing the historical barrier of the 100 million of international visitors and there are those who believe that in not much time, By 2040will be the great tourist referent of the planet, surpassing France or the US. Much of that flow is directed to destinations of the Mediterranean coast, the Canary Islands or Northern regions, such as Cantabria either Galiciabut Madrid also plays a key role in the national tourist fabric. In 2024 Madrid received More than 11 million of visitors. It is estimated that the international market meant 56% and generated more than 16,000 million euros, 21% more than in 2023, with a key weight of the US, Italy and France, although the Chinese are the ones who have grown the most, 74%. And what is Metro? Everything indicates that taking advantage of that pull of visitors and users. After all, the new store will not open in any place. … Read more

For decades, Spain has been oblivious to the boom of evangelical churches worldwide. Until they arrived in Madrid

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They do not run good times for the Catholic Church, which dealt with a Vocations collapse and one clear loss of practitioners. However, others that are going better. As the Latin American community has gained presence In the Madrid region it has also been done by the Evangelical Church, increasingly present in its streets and with greater influence. Both, in fact, that there are those who calculate that they are opening places of worship to A past speed. Your data are of course amazing. What’s happening? That evangelical faith is extending strongly in Spain. And specially for the Community of Madrid, where he has been experiencing a real boom for years that can easily be traced in two areas: hemeroteca, who have been echoing of the trend; And on the streets (and polygons) of certain districts, which have seen how apartments, commercial bass or even old industrial workshops and ships were reconverted in places of worship. Are there data to try it? Yes. The observatory of religious pluralism in Spain leaves two interesting. The first is that, according to the registration available right now on its website, in the Community of Madrid there are 834 places dedicated to evangelical cult. The second is that, with that figure, the evangelists are (from afar) the minority confession with more presence in the region. They monopolize more than 69% of the totalquite above the Muslim, which barely reaches 12%. The Observatory itself points out that its data starts from a directory of places of worship that was last updated in October 2021. To have a more complete photograph it arrives with a look at the local press. In August The newspaper dedicated A wide report to the expansion of the evangelical temples in Madrid that spoke of the religion also passed the 800 centers of worship, which even exceeds the number of Catholic parishes, 702. How does it expand? At a surprising speed. Especially if we take into account that it coincides with a moment of weakness of the Catholic Church, marked by A serious vocations crisis that has forced him to pull imagination to maintain temples operations located in the rural. According to The data published yesterday by The countryover the last five years the Madrid region has seen how places of evangelist worship opened at a record rate: one every four days. The proliferation of this kind of temples is not in any exclusive case of the capital. The Observatory reveals that there are also hundreds and hundreds distributed throughout the rest of the country, especially in Catalonia, Andalusia and the Valencian Community. The Board of Directors of the Agency He attributes themrespectively, 984 and 731 and 495. In all Spain Newtral calculates 4,653 distributed for just over 800 municipalities. What reveals Madrid? Several things. Especially the force with which the cult expands and where it does. Although the number of temples has grown clearly in the region, it has not done so homogeneously. While the most central district brings together 21 temples, in Carabanchel we find almost 90, which has made some practitioners refer to it as the “evangelical gold mile.” The Observatory Board of religious pluralism shows that confession also has A rather relevant community Distributed by Alcalá de Henares, Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Parla, Torrejón de Ardoz, Leganés or Getafe. Any of these locations has dozens of points of worship. What is the reason? There is not one. But the phenomenon coincides with another clear trend: the increase in the population of Latin American origin in Madrid. Last year the region lived a historical milestone when overcoming the symbolic barrier of the Million residents born in Spanish -speaking countries. The data is relevant because it confirms the exponential increase that the community has experienced in recent years, after successive migratory waves. As a reference, at the beginning of this century they barely went from 81,500. Beyond its evolution, it imports (and much) the weight that Americans have reached within Madrid’s society, already representing one in seven population. Why is it important? Because although Catholicism still has a key weight in Latin America, Protestantism and more specifically evangelism (and the Pentecostal movement) movement) has gained strength On the other side of the Atlantic. Upon arriving in Spain, immigrants not only retain the faith they professed in their countries, but helps them preserve their identity and establish ties. “They bring practices, leaders and networks already consolidated in origin that are reproduced in neighborhoods and municipalities where they settle, and find in the Pentecostal churches a space to maintain the identity community,” reflects the sociologist Paola García in A study On the phenomenon published in 2010. Religion abounds, allows them to “maintain identity continuity and, at the same time, mitigate the loneliness and vulnerability of the migratory process.” Are they just temples? No. They are anchor points. And its function goes beyond religious celebrations. They also serve as a space for socialization and support, which partly explains how temples They have expandedoccupying low, old workshops and even ships that come to rent by thousands of euros. “It is a form of social reconstruction that explains why Pentecostalism has found in Latin American flows a conducive land to grow,” he abounds. In Spain they live 1.5 million of people who declare themselves evangelists: to represent 0.2% of the population in 98 became 2% in 2018. Is there anything more than religion? Yes. Although the places of worship have a valuable social function and it is not an exclusive problem of evangelism, there are those who question the approach of some congregations from Latin America that are implanted in Europe. “It is difficult to know when we are talking about an evangelical church and when of a sect”, duck Luis Santamaría del Río, Ries expert, in an essay on the matter published in 2023 cited by The country. The researcher remember that in Spain the groups meet the same population as on the other side of the Atlantic, but “with a different purchasing power.” … Read more

Tour the entire Madrid subway in just 12 hours

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His name is Adham Fisher and his name is in the history books. Provided that we put in that bag the bizarre challenges that They are collected in the Guinness book of the records. His crushing is as simple as crazy and strategic. Fisher is the man who has taken less time to travel all the Madrid subway lines. No matter the order, the arrival station or the departure. It only matters to have gone through each and every one of the stations that are part of the Madrid Metro network. The record has been held since 2017 When he registered 12 hours, 15 minutes and 48 seconds touring the Madrid subsoil. The judges’ note says the following: “Adham possessed the record to travel faster the Paris subway and that of New York.” Also a notice: “record attempts will not be admitted if the applicant is under 16 years.” It is not mentioned in the notice if it is a matter of security or that they understand that with less than 16 years there are better plans than spending half a day underground running between stations. Anyway, Fisher has returned to Madrid. And it has an objective: to lower your time. Noon under the ground Adham Fisher’s relationship with the Madrid suburban is long. Although his best time in Madrid dates from 2017, he also held a record with 13 hours in the accountant. And although he tells ABC who knows that at least some students have tried to snatch their record (The attempt was carried out in 2021)we do not know if there have really been many more attempts. The strategy is the same as the one that already told The world That same year. Then I tried to find the limits of Madrid’s vicinity and, as on this occasion (Fisher is one of the claims of the European Mobility Week In Madrid), he already pointed out that the project takes a lot of study, noting the times in stops and Analyze what its origin and destination should be. Of course, keep them a secret until the challenge is launched and finished, if there is luck, to the edge of the half -time. This time, Fisher was doubtful. Madrid Metro Line 6 is being renovated And therefore, it is largely closed. It was not a big problem for the British who uses the special bus service that the city has available to follow the line of the line. However, perform part of the path on the asphalt already seemed an insurmountable handicap. And although Fisher also knows what he faced because He already tried to tour all London’s bus lines In less than 24 hours, from the Madrid subway they have confirmed that, finally, the British has preferred to devote its passage to Madrid to take times for a future attempt. These successive attempts and their years of dedication hatched three years ago in a documentary called Team Fisher in which his attempt is to travel the 272 stations of the London Metro before the end of the day. And he also tells his experience in the book Tube Challenge: The Ultimate Ride. And is that the challenge of touring all the stations of the London suburban It began in 1960. Since then, they have accumulated to 22 new records that, yes, dance slightly in the number of stations. At the moment, the innumerable works by Madrid It seems that they have delayed a new attempt by the British that has been one of the subway claims for this week mobility. But something tells us that we will find it again in one of the hundreds of platforms of the Madrid Metro, notebook and stopwatch in hand. Photo | Annie Mole and Deniz Demirci In Xataka | The icing on the cake to the works of Madrid: the city has become a gymkana of reforms, cuts and discomfort

Madrid had one of the underground labyrinths without more complex GPS. Google and Waze have tamed it with 1,600 Bluetooth beacons

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We are so accustomed to GPS that, when suddenly disappears, a simple journey can become a headache. It is not that we have lost the ability to interpret the signs of a lifetime, but that the way of moving through the big cities has changed so much that this technology has become indispensable. The M-30 is a good example. Their tunnels form one of the most complex systems in Europe and, for many drivers, entering them is a risk of disorientation. Taking a wrong way and ending kilometers from fate is not a rarity, but an experience shared by both Madrid and visitors. The reason was clear: The GPS signal was easily lost underground and sometimes returned absurd data. Aware of this, the Madrid City Council presented in September 2024 a plan to display electronic beacons with Bluetooth technology. Installation works began in April 2025 And, five months later, The system is already underway. The idea is to continue adding new beacons over time, but the current network already allows assisted navigation to work in the M-30 tunnels. For a road that acts as a real ring ring of the capital, the difference is not less: moving through it should no longer be an act of faith. An aid that comes at the right time Moving through the M-30 not only requires dealing with its tunnel framework: works at critical points such as A-5 or the sales zone, together with the usual congestion, make any waste of time weigh more than ever. Being sure that we are not going to mislead in the middle of the curve or to take the wrong exit is not a whim, it is a way to win minutes and avoid dislikes on a day -to -day basis. ⠀ 1,600 devices have been installed along 48 kilometers of tunnels, with an investment of 141,000 euros. The objective is to reach 2,700 beacons at the end of the year, once the installation is completed in the rest of the underground network. They are low consumption devices that work with batteries, with an autonomy between four and six years, and issue a unidirectional signal without collecting user information. When detecting that signal, the smartphone calculates the position of the driver in real time and keeps navigation activates, even without GPS coverage. The impact on the mobile battery is minimal thanks to the use of Bluetooth Low Energy. A huge impact on daily mobility The M-30 supports the passage of More than half a million vehicles. Solving a problem such as low -ground loss means improving the experience of hundreds of thousands of drivers That depend on this route to get to work time, home or any point in the city. Another key aspect is that beacons do not require additional mobile data or complicated configuration: it is enough to have activated bluetooth and grant permission to the application. The project makes Madrid the European city with the largest network of active beacons and in the second in the world after Sydney. It has been possible thanks to the collaboration between the City Council of Madrid, Madrid Calle 30, Waze, Google and Imalesapi, the company in charge of the installation. The challenge was not minor: The M-30 has a large number of tickets and exitsin addition to especially complex sections, such as the one from the Prague bridge to the Toledo bridge, with two parallel but overlapping tunnels. The Paris Network, with the Tunnels of the Défense and La Péripherique, is also equipped with beacons of this type. And outside Europe we find even better examples: the Lincoln tunnel under the Hudson River in New York, Queens-Midtown under the East River or Hugh L. Carey, which connects Brooklyn with Manhattan. Madrid thus adds to a very small list of cities that have decided to bet on this technology, and does so in one of the most demanding scenarios on the continent. How is it activated on Google Maps and Waze The system already works in the two most used navigation applications, although with nuances. Google Maps: In Android, you have to go to Navigation settings and activate the option Bluetooth tunnel beacons. In iOS, for now, it is not available. Waze: Simply have the bluetooth on and the permits granted. If the user has it deactivated, the app itself will show a notification when approaching a tunnel with beacons so that it can activate it at the time. Images | Google | Madrid City Council In Xataka | Spain fined Ryanair to stop collecting hand luggage. I did not count on Ryanair had a more powerful ally

Yesterday in the return and in Madrid it exploded in the face

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The return 2025 will not be the Jonas Vingegaard nor that of any of the other cyclists and teams that have spent weeks pedaling through the ports of Spain. The 2025 return is and will be for the story ‘The return of the proportions’the same as They marked their stages In Basque Country or Galicia and what They have frustrated His grand final in Madrid. The return of 2025 will also be something else: the competition that shows us that the financed/sponsored teams aligned with states marked in one way or another by the controversy, such as EAU, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia (or in this case Israel) can become watchmaking pumps. And that is something that transcends Spain. What happened? We said it before: that very much that of 2025 will not be the return of Vingegaardnot that of his team, Visma Lease-A-Bike. The prominence has been monopolized by another group for reasons that have little to do with sport: Israel-Primer Tech (ITP)an UCI Pro Team qualification with Headquarters in Tel Aviv And in the hands of Sylvan Adamsan entrepreneur who It has not hidden His good harmony with Benjamin Netantayahu. Itp’s role as Israel representative in the middle of Gaza’s genocide has caused a deep discomfort in part of Spanish society, which has marked several stages of the cycling return with footprint protests. Has it so serious? Yes. We saw it Two weeks ago In Bilbao, where the protesters left moments of tension and forced those responsible for the return to end the stage Three kilometers Before the goal. It happened again in Galicia, where cyclists found even A tree crossed on the road. And he repeated himself yesterday on the final day, in Madrid. Not even the huge Police deploymentwith hundreds of police, he prevented the one who should be the golden clasp of the competition Be ruined: The stage ended earlier than expected, without podium. In between about twenty stages marked by the controversy and an increasing tension that even led the technical director of the competition, Kiko García, to slide that he only saw “a solution” to the problem: that IPT itself understood that its presence between the squad compromised the test. Little served. Nor that neither Threats of the cyclists to stand up to the Tel Aviv team, which only lent themselves to Delete the mention To your country in the jersey. Why is it important? Beyond what he has implied for the 2025 Vuelta, one of the great appointments of international cycling, what happened on the roads of Spain reveals some things about cycling and of course the future of Israel First-Tech. His odyssey in the Iberian competition may have finished, but in Quebec he has already encountered similar protests of annoying activists for their participation in the city grand prize. At the moment IPT He has resigned to take a measure similar to the one he adopted in Spain and retouch his name. The objective is to save episodes such as those lived in recent weeks in Spain, very difficult to avoid in great tests such as the return. Cycling has a world audience that follows its evidence through traditional networks, websites and media, as well as basketball or tennis, but unlike those sports, their competitors beat copper in kilometric stages, impossible to control one hundred percent, as well as well Madrid has proven. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Is it the only problem? No. What happened in Spain reminds us of something else: the ‘watchmaking pump’ that the equipment that in one way or another is linked to controversial states, either through sponsorship or financing or (IPT case) for its clear alignment with their governments. An especially serious problem when we talk about cyclist tournaments in which, as we pointed out before, it is almost impossible to have total control over the layout and prevent protests. It is not something exclusive to the Vuelta, nor from Israel-Primer Tech and the state of Israel. United Arab Emirates is represented, for example, the UAE Team Emirates XRGa professional team of the UCI WTORLDTEAM category that assures which aims to “represent the entire nation.” In front it has Kill Suhail Al Yabhouni, trusted man of the heir prince of Abu Dhabi, and among his sponsors includes key signatures of the country, such as Emirates, FAB either Ich. The Australian team Jayco Alula (UCI Worldteam) also counts among its main sponsors to Al-ulain Saudi Arabia. And something simulate occurs in Baréin, represented in professional cycling by TEAM BAHRAIN VICTORIOUSwhich as they recognize have “A strong connection” With the kingdom, a link “represented by the proud support of the Bahréin Economic Development Board, Bapco, Batelco, the Bahréin National Bank, to Salam Bank and Alba, among others.” And the case of Israel Tech-Premier? IPT is marked by its link with Israel and the tune of one of its maximum responsible with Netanyahu. That has weighed in his participation in the return and promises to do it in Other competitions. In his Official website The team does not cite the Hebrew State as a direct financier and Its origins (11 years ago, like Israel Cycling Academy) They were marked by the involvement of businessman Ron Baron and the former Ran Margaliot. However, the team has been positioning itself as an informal representative of the country worldwide. In fact claims that “he sees himself as an ambassador.” Since 2022 its main sponsor is the Canadian company Premier Tech and the main figure at the head of the team is Sylvan Adamsa millionaire with A key weight in the World Jewish Congress to whom It is attributed A narrow friendship with Netanyahu and the Sportwashingimage washing through sport. “In physical war we have done miracles with things that seem science fiction, but in the war of communications we are failing miserable,” I lamented recently Adams in JNS. “The situation is getting worse and worse for us and this manifests itself in the terrible anti -Semitism in the world. … Read more

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