The French municipal elections this Sunday These were the last electoral test before the presidential elections scheduled for 2027, where the support base of the far right and the resilience of the main parties were tested in a fragmented political landscape marked by parliamentary instability. We've compiled some charts to help understand the results:

Symbolism of colors

Western Europe, North America and Oceania: Influence of classical culture and Catholicism

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The traditional tale says that little Patufet took shelter under a cabbage when it started to rain. Today we know it's one of the healthiest and most versatile vegetables in our kitchen. They say 2026 is the year of the cabbage, but since we're already in March, between turnips and cabbages (which are in the same family), we suggest you discover more about its characteristics.

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Seawise Giant

Also known as Knock Nevis and Jahre VikingWhen it premiered under the name of Knock Nevis, the oil tanker Pierre Guillaumat It was still larger, but after some expansion work, it became the longest ship of all time. It was damaged during the Iran-Iraq War, refloated in 1991, and finally scrapped in India in 2010. It displaced 646,642 tons at full load, the equivalent of about 4 million barrels of oil.

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Humans are living longer, but life expectancy isn't increasing equally everywhere. Statistics show that longevity depends heavily on diet, access to a good healthcare system, and the quality of life offered by a country with a strong economy. One factor not reflected in the statistics but also highlighted by scientists is strong social and community ties. The country with the longest life expectancy, averaging 86.5 years, is Monaco, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, a good healthcare system, and a Mediterranean diet, designated by scientists as one of the healthiest in the world. But the fact that it has only a few tens of thousands of inhabitants also contributes to the higher average age in such a wealthy and affluent country. If we exclude small states (or semi-states), the ranking would begin with Japan, with an average life expectancy of 84.4 years. The Japanese also enjoy a healthy diet, heavily focused on fish and vegetables, and a good quality of life. At the opposite end of the ranking are countries with high poverty rates. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, with 40% of its population living in poverty (in addition to high infant mortality and other factors, such as high levels of violence), has the lowest life expectancy, averaging only 54.6 years. There is a 30-year difference in life expectancy between Monaco and Nigeria.

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Traditionally made to make use of the pig during slaughter, they have gone from farmhouses to markets and contemporary kitchens. The quality of the meat, the climate, the slow curing process, and the experience passed down from generation to generation make Catalan sausages a living heritage that unites tradition, identity, and taste.

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In 1951, after a hunting trip, Sir Hugh Beaver and his friends got into a heated discussion about which game bird was the fastest. They couldn't reach a definitive conclusion because there was no book compiling an official list of this feat. As it happens, Beaver was the managing director of the Guinness brewery, and that discussion in a Wexford County pub led him to commission a book of facts and figures, initially intended as a promotional campaign for Guinness beer.

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They can range in size from a hand's breadth to the 13.5 meters of the American Global Hawk (with a wingspan of 35 meters). They can weigh less than a kilogram or hundreds of tons. Some are suicide drones launched like kamikazes, others lurk in the sky to gather enemy intelligence. But they all share one characteristic: they are pilotless and remotely controlled. Almost every army has them, but the United States, Ukraine, Iran, Russia, Turkey, and China have developed some of the most widely used models. Here's a compilation of the main aerial drones that have changed the rules of warfare.

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There's a saying in France that they have as many cheeses as there are days in the year, but we prefer another: a cheese a day is happiness every day. In Catalonia, we have a cheese with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI): the Garrotxa While Alt Urgell and Cerdanya have a protected designation of origin. Perhaps that's not much, but there's another fact that compensates: the producers' association ACREFA states that up to 250 different cheeses are produced. To understand the significance of this figure, let's compare it to that of France, a traditionally cheese-producing country of considerable size: 1,200. In a territory seventeen times smaller than France, like Catalonia, the density of cheese production is considerable. And we're not just talking about volume, but also quality, which is very high. That's why we can say that Catalan artisan cheeses are experiencing a golden age. In recent decades, small producers throughout the country have revived traditional recipes and created new ones, combining old techniques with an innovative spirit.

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According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for 2024, food waste in Spanish households has decreased by 19.5% since 2020. In addition to greater social awareness about the importance of not throwing away food and microeconomic data, one of the reasons cited is bringing home-cooked food to work.

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The images are shocking and crystal clear. Satellite images show the extent of the destruction left by the Israeli army in two years of war in Gaza: 92% of the buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Three-quarters of the population needs shelter. And while Israel halts all attempts to bring in food, 100% of the population already suffers from some level of malnutrition.

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'The tasty fruits'. Josep Carner (1928)

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As anyone with access to family heirlooms knows, school supplies have changed radically in just a few decades. Not only because of the arrival and dominance of plastic over other materials: fashions, technological advances, and concerns about the muscular and bone health of young people have transformed a school landscape that had a very different appearance for previous generations. From briefcases and pens to wheeled backpacks and small tables, the evolution of school supplies reveals a constant tension: to relieve the body and the expense without losing functionality. The objects change, but the underlying question remains: what resources does a child need to learn well and grow without overload, either physical or financial?

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That intense red, centuries ago, could only be the work of the devil. That's what the first people to see them arrive from America believed. They had a reason to believe so, and not just because of the color. The leaves and roots of the tomato plant, as with many other plants in the Solanaceae family, contain a toxic alkaloid, which wreaked havoc on those who tasted them. All that is a thing of the past. The nutritional properties of tomatoes and their flavor have made them a sought-after food. Let's talk more about their properties: they are rich in lycopene, which is what gives them their red color and is also an antioxidant. Another property: beta-carotenes, which are the precursors of provitamin A, which, in turn, is an ally for maintaining bone tissue. And finally, their flavor, which is different and unique compared to many other summer fruits.

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Candied fruit

This is the classic way to celebrate the San Juan festival. The base is made of bun, the shape is oval, and it's decorated with brightly colored candied fruit. The pine nuts and pearl sugar give it a crunchy touch that contrasts with the fluffiness of the bun.

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If you're from a household where every meal must always be accompanied by a salad in the center of the table, or if you're looking to get a little innovative, this infographic will give you ideas for ingredient combinations. Remember that if you plan to pack them in a lunchbox, the best option is to pack the dressing separately and dress them just before eating. Although some ingredients, such as avocado or salmon, aren't locally sourced, we've added them due to their popularity.

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Astronomical tourism is one of the fastest-growing trends among travelers in recent years, according to International Dark Sky Places. This is quite an event, considering that 83% of the world's population lives under light pollution, representing 23% of the world's land surface located between 75°N and 60°S. This figure is growing at a rate of 2% per year, according to data from the Starlight Foundation. Furthermore, the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) had already shown in 2021 that light pollution had grown by around 50% in the last 25 years. Fortunately, there are still more than 200,000 km of light pollution.² of territories in more than thirty countries with skies protected and accredited by international institutions, in addition to the public request to include in the 2030 Agenda the creation of a new sustainable development goal to guarantee the quality of the night sky and access to starlight, #SDG18. A demand that planted its seed in 2007, when the World Declaration in Defense of the Night Sky and the Right to Observe the Stars, known as the La Palma or Starlight Declaration, was approved.

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The transition period after the death of Pope Francis This week ends with the celebration of the conclave, the ritual for electing the new pope. The name comes from Latin cum key (under key) and evokes the secrecy surrounding the ceremony, which is held in the Sistine Chapel, beneath Michelangelo's frescoes.

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Fruits can cease to be ephemeral and become everlasting thanks to a few culinary techniques. Then we'll eat them with a different texture, spreadable, stored in airtight glass jars that preserve their aromas. But then we won't call them fruits, but rather jams, preserves, jellies, or chutneys. In the pantry, they become the lifeline for a hastily prepared breakfast. Or what we treat ourselves to on a holiday, when the hours pass slowly and the bites into the colorfully spread slice of bread are accompanied by a leisurely rhythm. Preparations based on fruits, vegetables, and aromatic herbs have evolved, as have many other recipes. These preparations no longer mask the taste of the raw ingredients with large amounts of sugar. Today, the use of less sugar and, above all, the use of other alternative ingredients have made them suitable for every hour. And not just for sweet breakfasts, but for savory dishes of all kinds. This is what the late Georgina Regàs, founder of the Confiture Museum in the town of Torrent, said. To remember her and, above all, to honor her great legacy, the publishing house Planeta Gastro has just published the book Jams and preservesAnd, among the big changes, there are combinations that have shown us that we need to break the molds or the fixed ideas we've had until now, such as lemon and celery jam, pickled gherkin jam, or blueberry and violet jam. A few years ago, we might never have thought we could spread calçot or chanfaina jam on breakfast toast, but now we've accepted it. All fruits and vegetables can be encapsulated in a jar. Here are some recipes.

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The world says goodbye this Saturday to the Pope who tried to modernize the Catholic ChurchBefore his death, Francis arranged for his burial to be as close as possible to his idea of living his faith: humble and austere. Despite the Vatican's opulent symbolism, the ceremony will have a place reserved for the poor and migrants, and the funeral will be simpler than those of his predecessors, with a wooden and zinc coffin instead of the traditional three coffins, and only the inscription. Franciscus, his papal name in Latin, on the tombstone.

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