Feed MRSS-S Noticias, english.elpais.com, society en-us https://english.elpais.com Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-10-11/sarah-schulman-writer-perpetrators-now-present-themselves-as-victims.html Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-10-11/sarah-schulman-writer-perpetrators-now-present-themselves-as-victims.html Pablo León A decade ago, the intellectual published ‘Conflict Is Not Abuse,’ a book about the use of victimhood to justify cruelty. This practice has now become the norm worldwide A decade ago, the intellectual published ‘Conflict Is Not Abuse,’ a book about the use of victimhood to justify cruelty. This practice has now become the norm worldwide Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Peter Thiel Alice Weidel Zohran Mamdani Capitán Swing La escritora Sarah Schulman Sarah Schulman, author of 'Conflict Is Not Abuse'. Sarah Schulman, author of 'Conflict Is Not Abuse'. <p>Victimhood, its exploitation and its political use to justify cruelty have been among the topics most extensively researched by Sarah Schulman. A decade has passed since the writer, LGBTQ+ activist and AIDS historian published <i>Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair, </i>which is now being released in Spanish. “Sadly, it turns out the book was prophetic,” the 68-year-old author explains to EL PAÍS via video conference. “It came out before Trump was elected, and he’s proven all the arguments presented to be true. All of his rhetoric revolves around him being a victim. <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-09-25/netanyahu-challenges-half-empty-un-general-assembly-accusing-israel-of-genocide-is-the-biggest-lie-of-the-century.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-09-25/netanyahu-challenges-half-empty-un-general-assembly-accusing-israel-of-genocide-is-the-biggest-lie-of-the-century.html">We see the same thing with Netanyahu</a>. This idea of the perpetrator presenting themselves as the victim is now the global norm, unfortunately.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-10-11/sarah-schulman-writer-perpetrators-now-present-themselves-as-victims.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-10-04/maxx-yourself-squeeze-yourself-dry-the-unhealthy-obsession-with-optimizing-everything.html Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-10-04/maxx-yourself-squeeze-yourself-dry-the-unhealthy-obsession-with-optimizing-everything.html Karelia Vázquez A trend that originated in forums for involuntary celibates (incels) advocates improving everything we do, from our physical appearance to our sleep. Experts warn: it’s not a good idea A trend that originated in forums for involuntary celibates (incels) advocates improving everything we do, from our physical appearance to our sleep. Experts warn: it’s not a good idea China Internet Influencers TikTok Instagram CASSIDY ARAIZA ( New York Times / Europa Press / CONTACTO ) The influencer Clavicular in Arizona, last February. The influencer Clavicular in Arizona, last February. <p>There was a time when moderation was a virtue and the middle ground, wisdom. Hyperbole was no more than a literary or rhetorical device. But not anymore. We live at the extremes. Raising everything to its highest possible level is the zeitgeist fate has handed us, and it comes with a suffix that colonizes the internet: maxxing. A highly versatile suffix: placed after the right word it means that, whatever you do, you are giving it your all.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-10-04/maxx-yourself-squeeze-yourself-dry-the-unhealthy-obsession-with-optimizing-everything.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/health/2026-10-04/carl-cederstrom-sociologist-wellness-has-become-a-corporate-tool-it-doesnt-make-you-happier-just-more-productive.html Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/health/2026-10-04/carl-cederstrom-sociologist-wellness-has-become-a-corporate-tool-it-doesnt-make-you-happier-just-more-productive.html Enrique Alpañés In his 2015 book ‘The Wellness Syndrome,’ the author argued that, when health and happiness become moral imperatives, the end result usually isn’t liberation. Rather, it can lead to guilt, anxiety and withdrawal from the world  In his 2015 book ‘The Wellness Syndrome,’ the author argued that, when health and happiness become moral imperatives, the end result usually isn’t liberation. Rather, it can lead to guilt, anxiety and withdrawal from the world  Ozempic Zadie Smith Jean-Paul Sartre Jane Fonda Cortesía de la editorial Carl Cederström, sociologist The sociologist Carl Cederström. The sociologist Carl Cederström. <p>What happens when <a href="https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-03-20/why-achieving-happiness-is-not-the-same-as-being-happy.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-03-20/why-achieving-happiness-is-not-the-same-as-being-happy.html">happiness ceases to be a desire</a> and, instead, becomes an obligation? This is a question that Carl Cederström has been posing for years. The sociologist teaches at Stockholm Business School and is the author of several critical essays on workplace culture and the happiness industry. His popular book <i>The Wellness Syndrome</i> (2015) is a sharp and engaging work, co-authored with André Spicer, dean of Bayes Business School in London. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/health/2026-10-04/carl-cederstrom-sociologist-wellness-has-become-a-corporate-tool-it-doesnt-make-you-happier-just-more-productive.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-10-02/jahel-queralt-essayist-those-who-most-criticize-meritocracy-are-those-who-need-it-the-least.html Fri, 02 Oct 2026 19:25:39 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-10-02/jahel-queralt-essayist-those-who-most-criticize-meritocracy-are-those-who-need-it-the-least.html Noelia Ramírez The jurist and doctor in political science publishes new work that calls for restoring limits to inequalities and dismantling the morality of success The jurist and doctor in political science publishes new work that calls for restoring limits to inequalities and dismantling the morality of success Oxford Pompeu Fabra Barcelona Karl Marx GIANLUCA BATTISTA (EL PAÍS) Jahel Queralt, essayist Jahel Queralt in Barcelona on September 25. Jahel Queralt in Barcelona on September 25. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/LAIOZUDU5VAFPMFYFWGL2ZDNZ4.jpg?auth=7c76b3b414e6ee06c93fa7849734cff73c177b0d86dde527cf5c1372d832bfa0" width="5000" height="3333" alt="Jahel Queralt in Barcelona on September 25."></img><p>Her life could inspire one of those biopics about personal triumph, but Jahel Queralt, 43, says her fate is pure chance. The jurist, PhD and professor of political law at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona went from growing up in an isolated house without water or electricity to feeling “like you’ve gatecrashed a party in the wrong shoes” when she arrived in the world of academia. It happened in 2007, in Oxford, when she met Gerald A. Cohen, a leading figure in analytical Marxism and one of the mentors of her theses. He was so approachable that the young woman let her guard down while eating with the other fellows in the All Souls dining hall, inside the most elitist of the Oxford colleges. There she uttered the forbidden word that starts with F: “<i>You do this in Spain and you are totally fucked</i>,” she stated, and immediately heard the rest of the diners clear their throats. People still ask her at parties if she is “the girl who said <i>fucked</i> in the All Souls dining hall.” That, she says near her son’s public school a few yards from the Barcelona zoo, is what happens when “you learned English watching <i>The Wire</i>.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-10-02/jahel-queralt-essayist-those-who-most-criticize-meritocracy-are-those-who-need-it-the-least.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/KETSIUZKJFFY5LAMZJSH3L2QVQ.jpg?auth=2ec0f14b32f882c7da15a3de50a98254102b4c689caef240b410ba2e26630432" width="5000" height="3333" alt="Queralt in Barcelona."></img> https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-10-01/brett-christophers-economic-geographer-in-contemporary-capitalism-the-right-to-housing-does-not-exist.html Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:08:52 GMT https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-10-01/brett-christophers-economic-geographer-in-contemporary-capitalism-the-right-to-housing-does-not-exist.html Lluís Pellicer Mateu The British academic and essayist, an expert on the strategies of investment funds, says the concept has been replaced by the right to ‘buy a house’ The British academic and essayist, an expert on the strategies of investment funds, says the concept has been replaced by the right to ‘buy a house’ BlackRock Blackstone JP Morgan Goldman Sachs Barcelona Massimiliano Minocri (EL PAÍS) IDEAS 04/10/2026 WEB Brett Christophers Economist Brett Christophers, an expert on investment funds and housing, in Barcelona. Economist Brett Christophers, an expert on investment funds and housing, in Barcelona. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/ROUK6BUT35FJPKC34ZNVLR4VTA.jpg?auth=db2f221de8ce083f39808b5cd367a8430e3c88a862a9c7baa2e5c18d0fdd2e8f" width="5577" height="3718" alt="Economist Brett Christophers, an expert on investment funds and housing, in Barcelona."></img><p>Brett Christophers, 55, has spent years studying the strategies of large corporations. He began by examining big investment banks <a href="https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-07-25/jamie-dimon-the-most-powerful-banker-in-the-world-i-know-europe-doesnt-see-the-us-as-a-friend-but-it-is.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-07-25/jamie-dimon-the-most-powerful-banker-in-the-world-i-know-europe-doesnt-see-the-us-as-a-friend-but-it-is.html">such as JP Morgan</a> and Goldman Sachs. But he soon noticed those names being pushed aside on the agendas of politicians and influencers by investment firms like BlackRock and Blackstone. It was not sudden: for decades they had quietly gained ground, and now control almost every aspect of a citizen’s daily life — the home they live in, the water they wash with, the road or railway they use to get to work, or the hospital they visit for an emergency. That is what Christophers, an economic geographer at the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Uppsala University (Sweden), has been documenting in multiple studies and, more recently, in books such as <i>Our Lives in Their Portfolios: Why Asset Managers Own the World</i> and <i>Rentier Capitalism: Who Owns the Economy, and Who Pays for It?</i>.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-10-01/brett-christophers-economic-geographer-in-contemporary-capitalism-the-right-to-housing-does-not-exist.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-29/lady-gaga-lena-dunham-and-surrogacy-why-isnt-it-causing-a-scandal-in-the-united-states.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:57:57 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-29/lady-gaga-lena-dunham-and-surrogacy-why-isnt-it-causing-a-scandal-in-the-united-states.html María Porcel Estepa Celebrity pregnancies barely spark any social debate about a practice that is banned in much of Europe because it is considered to be exploitative Celebrity pregnancies barely spark any social debate about a practice that is banned in much of Europe because it is considered to be exploitative Lady Gaga Lena Dunham Millie Bobby Brown Stranger Things Gloria Steinem CDC Kim Kardashian Khloe Kardashian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Zohran Mamdani Getty Images Lady Gaga, Lena Dunham and surrogacy Lady Gaga (left) and Lena Dunham. Lady Gaga (left) and Lena Dunham. <p>All three are well-known, globally recognized, and outstanding women in their fields. All three became mothers just days ago, almost simultaneously. All three had children without giving birth to them: one adopted, two used a surrogate. And all three, despite their different methods and the ways they told their stories, received the same warm congratulations. But are the three cases the same? In the United States, for a large majority, the answer is yes.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-29/lady-gaga-lena-dunham-and-surrogacy-why-isnt-it-causing-a-scandal-in-the-united-states.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/356ISKMAOBAV7D54DAMR45BJSY.png?auth=6d233d9b0f81b8257e651efd63b688144a398c99dacb8f3268dee6cebb386e92" width="1232" height="765" alt="Khloé Kardashian with her son, born via surrogacy, in a moment from the reality series 'The Kardashians,' in 2022."></img> https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-28/property-management-company-reaches-agreement-with-maricarmens-representatives-for-her-to-return-home.html Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:19:25 GMT https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-28/property-management-company-reaches-agreement-with-maricarmens-representatives-for-her-to-return-home.html Lucía Franco,Beatriz Olaizola Urbagestión has agreed to allow the 87-year-old woman to return to her apartment in Retiro following a lengthy conversation with its representatives. The tenant must now approve the agreement Urbagestión has agreed to allow the 87-year-old woman to return to her apartment in Retiro following a lengthy conversation with its representatives. The tenant must now approve the agreement Madrid Susana Vera (REUTERS) A protest Spain's housing crisis in Madrid, September 26. A protest Spain's housing crisis in Madrid, September 26. <p>Urbagestión, the owner of <a href="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-24/maricarmen-eviction-of-elderly-woman-in-madrid-sparks-social-and-political-outrage.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-24/maricarmen-eviction-of-elderly-woman-in-madrid-sparks-social-and-political-outrage.html">Maricarmen Abascal’s apartment</a>, reached an agreement on Monday with representatives of the 87-year-old woman — who was evicted five days ago, sparking protests — allowing her to return home, confirmed Ana de Miguel, CEO of the Madrid City Council’s housing company. After more than four hours of talks between the owners, Maricarmen’s lawyer, and family members, and the Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS Madrid) — which acted as mediator — the company has agreed to allow the elderly woman, who had been a tenant of the apartment in the Retiro neighborhood of the Spanish capital for seven decades, to return under a new lease. The Tenants’ Union also participated in the meeting; it had requested to be present during the negotiations and has warned that the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-28/maricarmen-elderly-woman-evicted-from-home-in-spain-becomes-a-global-symbol-for-housing-activists.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-28/maricarmen-elderly-woman-evicted-from-home-in-spain-becomes-a-global-symbol-for-housing-activists.html">protest camp at Puerta del Sol</a> will continue: “This goes beyond that.” Now it remains for Maricarmen herself to agree to the terms.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-09-28/property-management-company-reaches-agreement-with-maricarmens-representatives-for-her-to-return-home.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2026-09-28/the-founders-of-on-the-phenomenon-attracting-kylian-mbappe-and-zendaya-cost-is-not-a-limiting-factor-our-followers-are-willing-to-pay.html Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:14:20 GMT https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2026-09-28/the-founders-of-on-the-phenomenon-attracting-kylian-mbappe-and-zendaya-cost-is-not-a-limiting-factor-our-followers-are-willing-to-pay.html Patricia Rodríguez The running shoe segment seemed completely saturated — until On arrived and upended certainties. EL PAÍS traveled to the brand’s headquarters in Zurich and spoke with its founders to analyze and explain the interest The running shoe segment seemed completely saturated — until On arrived and upended certainties. EL PAÍS traveled to the brand’s headquarters in Zurich and spoke with its founders to analyze and explain the interest Kylian Mbappé Zendaya Real Madrid Loewe Roger Federer Nike Adidas Cortesía de la firma (EL PAÍS) A robot tests one of On's running shoes: the robot will “walk” the equivalent of 300 miles to analyze how the shoe will age. A robot tests one of On's running shoes: the robot will “walk” the equivalent of 300 miles to analyze how the shoe will age. <p>You may have recently come across some of these athletic shoes with unsettling holes in the sole. If you noticed them, you might already have seen a lot of them. It’s not just your imagination: in a few short years, designs from the brand On have spread across the globe. Outside the sports world the label was little known before the pandemic, but it has since become a cultural phenomenon that goes beyond the world of running<i>.</i> The company’s latest headline-making move came last week, when it announced a deal with Real Madrid forward <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-06-19/in-mbappes-banlieue-where-the-message-against-the-far-right-resounds-but-does-not-always-convince.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-06-19/in-mbappes-banlieue-where-the-message-against-the-far-right-resounds-but-does-not-always-convince.html">Kylian Mbappé</a>, who left Nike after 20 years of collaboration. On already works regularly with luxury house Loewe, superstar <a href="https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-07-25/zendaya-the-actress-who-defied-the-disney-child-star-curse-to-become-a-global-star.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-07-25/zendaya-the-actress-who-defied-the-disney-child-star-curse-to-become-a-global-star.html">Zendaya</a>, and former tennis world number one <a href="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-06-21/roger-federer-retirement-is-as-if-you-were-at-a-funeral-of-your-own-life-a-big-slow-motion-blur.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-06-21/roger-federer-retirement-is-as-if-you-were-at-a-funeral-of-your-own-life-a-big-slow-motion-blur.html">Roger Federer</a>. The brand so appealed to Federer that he became one of its shareholders.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2026-09-28/the-founders-of-on-the-phenomenon-attracting-kylian-mbappe-and-zendaya-cost-is-not-a-limiting-factor-our-followers-are-willing-to-pay.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-27/english-speaking-texan-and-from-vulnerable-backgrounds-the-americans-still-accessing-abortion-thanks-to-mexican-feminists.html Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-27/english-speaking-texan-and-from-vulnerable-backgrounds-the-americans-still-accessing-abortion-thanks-to-mexican-feminists.html Roberto González Several studies put a face to the women who were denied the right to end a pregnancy after ‘Roe v. Wade’ was overturned Several studies put a face to the women who were denied the right to end a pregnancy after ‘Roe v. Wade’ was overturned Texas Monterrey Guanajuato Illinois J. Scott Applewhite (AP) Jane Roe and her lawyer Gloria Allred, in Washington in April 1989. Jane Roe and her lawyer Gloria Allred, in Washington in April 1989. <p>The year 2023 was pivotal for understanding the effects of abortion restrictions in the United States. A year earlier, in June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the decision known as <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2022-06-24/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2022-06-24/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html"><i>Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</i></a> (JWHO), which overturned the abortion-rights protection established by a previous ruling from 1973: <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2023-06-24/map-of-a-fractured-country-one-year-after-us-supreme-court-overturned-roe-v-wade.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2023-06-24/map-of-a-fractured-country-one-year-after-us-supreme-court-overturned-roe-v-wade.html"><i>Roe v. Wade</i></a>. Since then, thousands of American women have ended pregnancies with help from Mexican feminist collectives. Several recent studies put a face to those seeking abortions: a large share come from states such as Texas, where abortion is banned, and live in neighborhoods with high levels of poverty.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-27/english-speaking-texan-and-from-vulnerable-backgrounds-the-americans-still-accessing-abortion-thanks-to-mexican-feminists.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/IFFBMHG7UVB2HHYJHCASCEEXR4.jpg?auth=61957fc9dea8a4b93a3d5c406a3f0f63bc4d21a77e42ccea1ad3687e62c05313" width="6000" height="4000" alt="Protest for abortion rights in Mexico, in September 2025."></img> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-25/men-who-walk-ahead-of-their-partners-why-those-steps-matter.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:03:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-25/men-who-walk-ahead-of-their-partners-why-those-steps-matter.html Marita Alonso The way couples walk together reveals a lot about the power dynamics in their relationship The way couples walk together reveals a lot about the power dynamics in their relationship TikTok The Wall Street Journal Thomas Barwick (Getty Images) A couple in step. A couple in step. <p>On TikTok, videos of men walking in front of their partners are trending. “A good husband walks” is the headline of a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-good-husband-walks-cdbd2a79" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-good-husband-walks-cdbd2a79">column written by Allan Ripp</a> in <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>. “My wife complained that I tended to stride ahead of her — so I changed,” he writes. The way people walk together can indicate the power, intimacy and consideration that exist within a relationship. Research in social psychology indicates that, mostly, people’s physical positioning is a reflection of the psychological roles they play. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-25/men-who-walk-ahead-of-their-partners-why-those-steps-matter.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/climate/2026-09-25/goodbye-to-the-mandatory-garage-big-city-architecture-bypasses-personal-parking.html Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:18 GMT https://english.elpais.com/climate/2026-09-25/goodbye-to-the-mandatory-garage-big-city-architecture-bypasses-personal-parking.html Miguel Ángel Medina Rodríguez Experts believe that the initiative approved by Barcelona helps to discourage car use while promoting sustainable mobility, but supporting measures are vital Experts believe that the initiative approved by Barcelona helps to discourage car use while promoting sustainable mobility, but supporting measures are vital Barcelona Oslo Ámsterdam Helsinki París California Zaragoza Málaga Valladolid Albert Garcia A block of flats in Barcelona’s Eixample complete with parking lot. A block of flats in Barcelona’s Eixample complete with parking lot. <p>Spanish cities have typically required parking spaces for each home as each family is expected to have at least one car, although young people are increasingly less likely to own a vehicle. <a href="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2025-06-30/madrid-tops-barcelona-in-quality-of-life-despite-being-more-expensive.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2025-06-30/madrid-tops-barcelona-in-quality-of-life-despite-being-more-expensive.html">Barcelona’s Metropolitan Area</a> (AMB) has just eliminated this regulation for new apartments being constructed in downtown, depending on their proximity to public transportation. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/climate/2026-09-25/goodbye-to-the-mandatory-garage-big-city-architecture-bypasses-personal-parking.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-24/turning-offices-into-homes-manhattans-solution-to-its-housing-crisis-but-with-some-risks.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:05:17 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-24/turning-offices-into-homes-manhattans-solution-to-its-housing-crisis-but-with-some-risks.html Pedro Torrijos A structural failure in early July forced evacuation of Pfizer’s former headquarters, an empty office building that was being converted into a residential complex A structural failure in early July forced evacuation of Pfizer’s former headquarters, an empty office building that was being converted into a residential complex Pfizer Chrysler Zohran Mamdani Anadolu (Anadolu via Getty Images) Falling debris on July 7 at the former Pfizer headquarters (in the center of the image), which is currently undergoing renovation to become a residential building, led to an evacuation on 42nd Street in New York. Falling debris on July 7 at the former Pfizer headquarters (in the center of the image), which is currently undergoing renovation to become a residential building, led to an evacuation on 42nd Street in New York. <p>There are cities that grow outward, spreading across the landscape like an oil stain. That kind of growth is, broadly speaking, more convenient but harder in other respects, because to serve any development on the outskirts — any planned residential area, any subdivision — you have to deploy a whole system of services, communications, and infrastructure there, which sometimes — often — arrives after the housing in those new neighborhoods has already filled up with people.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-24/turning-offices-into-homes-manhattans-solution-to-its-housing-crisis-but-with-some-risks.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-17/juan-jose-tamayo-theologian-jesus-is-a-vulnerable-fragile-person-by-no-means-a-hero-rather-he-is-a-failure.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:30:58 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-17/juan-jose-tamayo-theologian-jesus-is-a-vulnerable-fragile-person-by-no-means-a-hero-rather-he-is-a-failure.html Manuel Jabois The venerable professor, on the eve of his 80th birthday, discusses God, Jesus, Christianity’s betrayals and politics with EL PAÍS: ‘A new religion has arisen with an increasing number of followers: christoneofascism’ The venerable professor, on the eve of his 80th birthday, discusses God, Jesus, Christianity’s betrayals and politics with EL PAÍS: ‘A new religion has arisen with an increasing number of followers: christoneofascism’ José Saramago Pilar del Rio Sofia Gandarias Ernst Bloch Madrid Opus Dei Elie Wiesel Auschwitz Pablo Monge (EL PAÍS) Juan José Tamayo, theologian and philosopher, at his home in Cadalso de los Vidrios. Juan José Tamayo, theologian and philosopher, at his home in Cadalso de los Vidrios. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/T6HMAVHVWFGBDLHQWQAVGCWS4Q.jpg?auth=dce331cd17ab294c53122e89d5cccfc2b4b14335a18c53652b6724ba9167d7c4" width="6000" height="4000" alt="Juan José Tamayo, theologian and philosopher, at his home in Cadalso de los Vidrios."></img><p>January 2006. Nobel laureate in Literature José Saramago and theologian Juan José Tamayo walk out of the Los Seises Hotel in Seville together. At 9.00 p.m. they pass in front of the Giralda and the bells begin to toll.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-17/juan-jose-tamayo-theologian-jesus-is-a-vulnerable-fragile-person-by-no-means-a-hero-rather-he-is-a-failure.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/6Y36ZPX3K5HZ3DWIIVYUMOZDXM.jpg?auth=749901dd49b9e2954f7ffaeb895c3f00dfe5051f97117877e89b14d3017ed429" width="6000" height="4000" alt="DVD1336. 15/09/2026 Madrid. Juan José Tamayo, teólogo y filósofo, en su casa de Cadalso de los Vidrios /PABLO "></img> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-14/dining-outdoors-in-spain-from-popular-custom-to-neighborhood-protest-against-mass-tourism-and-the-privatization-of-public-space.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:23:11 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-14/dining-outdoors-in-spain-from-popular-custom-to-neighborhood-protest-against-mass-tourism-and-the-privatization-of-public-space.html María Arranz Residents across the country are mobilizing to claim back their cities by sitting down to dinner in streets and squares Residents across the country are mobilizing to claim back their cities by sitting down to dinner in streets and squares Mallorca Valencia Madrid KIKE TABERNER (EL PAÍS) Neighborhood protest on Valencia’s Paseo Marítimo on September 5. Neighborhood protest on Valencia’s Paseo Marítimo on September 5. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/IADWIUKACVAUJLY4EJFUUC7UUY.jpg?auth=436c7256618ff68c933c956a1ec2dc5972bcd9f96fe48159839bf931eb5cf5b8" width="6048" height="4032" alt="Neighborhood protest on Valencia’s Paseo Marítimo on September 5."></img><p>Taking out a table and chairs and sitting in the street to have dinner in the fresh air with friends, family or neighbors, especially in the hottest months of the year, has recently assumed the character of protest in several parts of Spain. As cities and municipalities are increasingly <a href="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-03-01/spain-straining-at-the-seams.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2026-03-01/spain-straining-at-the-seams.html">stressed by mass tourism</a> and public spaces are progressively privatized, the option of being on the street to socialize free of charge has become akin to a revolutionary act by locals aiming make their demands visible.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-09-14/dining-outdoors-in-spain-from-popular-custom-to-neighborhood-protest-against-mass-tourism-and-the-privatization-of-public-space.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/6SKZ4TDY5FCUXBCFZMG3VMHKJQ.jpg?auth=0f49609640dcaa44c2c424a23abd88ab8fd2a5081ad41d78dae0724d5dbb5aed" width="6048" height="4032" alt="Residents of Valencia dine on the beach during the neighborhood protest in defense of this popular tradition."></img><img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/ABDFEUKUY5D4NMVHNBMVVWCNKA.jpg?auth=3b5043c9521ae82a9a18a71003f7fae594cff7a36da7b1c609b65acf360e2a9a" width="6048" height="4032" alt="Neighbors share food during the al fresco dinner organized on September 5 in Valencia."></img> https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-02/conservative-us-gays-drop-the-t-for-trans-people-we-are-an-lgb-organization.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:47:51 GMT https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-02/conservative-us-gays-drop-the-t-for-trans-people-we-are-an-lgb-organization.html Pablo León The Log Cabin Republicans organization excludes transsexual rights from their field of action The Log Cabin Republicans organization excludes transsexual rights from their field of action Donald Trump California Joseph Biden Kevin Carter (Getty Images) A man at the World Pride march in Washington on June 7, 2025. A man at the World Pride march in Washington on June 7, 2025. <p>The U.S. organization Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative group that defends the rights of gay people and is linked to the Republican Party, has abandoned trans people and the defense of their rights. The organization — “America’s oldest and largest organization for LGB conservatives and our straight allies,” as it now describes itself <a href="https://logcabin.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="https://logcabin.org/">on its website</a> — <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-conservative-gay-rights-group-says-it-is-ending-advocacy-transgender-causes-2026-08-26/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-conservative-gay-rights-group-says-it-is-ending-advocacy-transgender-causes-2026-08-26/">has decided to</a> “concentrate specifically on issues of sexual orientation ​and conservative values — in other words, we are an LGB advocacy organization.” Numerous LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have condemned the decision. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/natstonewalldems/posts/we-will-always-be-there-fighting-for-every-single-member-of-our-community-stone-/122192683940680652/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" title="https://www.facebook.com/natstonewalldems/posts/we-will-always-be-there-fighting-for-every-single-member-of-our-community-stone-/122192683940680652/">Among them</a>, the National Federation of Stonewall Democrats, affiliated with the Democratic Party: “[The Log Cabin Republicans] are throwing trans people under the bus.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-09-02/conservative-us-gays-drop-the-t-for-trans-people-we-are-an-lgb-organization.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-09-01/egg-freezing-gains-traction-among-elite-athletes-there-arent-enough-studies-on-how-it-affects-them.html Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:46:42 GMT https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-09-01/egg-freezing-gains-traction-among-elite-athletes-there-arent-enough-studies-on-how-it-affects-them.html Domitila Diez Federations, clubs, and unions are beginning to cover treatments to preserve the fertility of their players, who are torn between becoming mothers at the peak of their careers or postponing the decision Federations, clubs, and unions are beginning to cover treatments to preserve the fertility of their players, who are torn between becoming mothers at the peak of their careers or postponing the decision RFEF Kentucky UEFA Chelsea FC FC Barcelona Femenino Levante UD WTA Tour WNBA Harriet Lander - Chelsea FC (Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Chelsea has reached an agreement with a fertility clinic and set up a fund to cover players’ assessments, treatments, and counseling. Chelsea has reached an agreement with a fertility clinic and set up a fund to cover players’ assessments, treatments, and counseling. <p>Elite athletes have been choosing to freeze their eggs on their own for years, when they find a gap during holidays or even while rehabilitating after surgery for an injury. Right at the point when they are focused on winning and setting records, they must ask themselves whether they will want to become mothers, because the peak of their careers coincides with the highest quality of their eggs and the best time to get pregnant. What’s new now is that national teams, leagues, and clubs are beginning to take charge of the process. The <a href="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-07-15/how-the-spain-coach-spent-over-a-decade-recruiting-the-players-who-will-be-at-the-world-cup-final.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-07-15/how-the-spain-coach-spent-over-a-decade-recruiting-the-players-who-will-be-at-the-world-cup-final.html">Royal Spanish Football Federation</a> (RFEF) is finalizing an agreement with a fertility clinic to offer vitrification treatments to its players, which it will make public in September. In addition, the Spanish Footballers’ Association recently announced a collaboration agreement with a private hospital “to make the experience of its assisted reproduction unit available to members.”</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-09-01/egg-freezing-gains-traction-among-elite-athletes-there-arent-enough-studies-on-how-it-affects-them.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/eps/2026-08-25/victoria-bodean-the-mother-with-cerebral-palsy-showing-the-world-how-to-overcome-disability-barriers.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:08:15 GMT https://english.elpais.com/eps/2026-08-25/victoria-bodean-the-mother-with-cerebral-palsy-showing-the-world-how-to-overcome-disability-barriers.html Luisa Arditi After fulfilling her dream of having a daughter, the 27-year-old English teacher hopes to use social media to show what life with a disability really looks like After fulfilling her dream of having a daughter, the 27-year-old English teacher hopes to use social media to show what life with a disability really looks like EPS América Influencers Jacobo Medrano (EL PAÍS) EPS 2604 INTRO AUDAZ VICTORIA BODEAN Victoria Bodean, at a hotel in Madrid. Victoria Bodean, at a hotel in Madrid. <p>For many women, not having children is a form of emancipation. Ultimately, that emancipation lies in the ability to choose, a choice made possible by material circumstances, physical factors and access to education and opportunity. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/eps/2026-08-25/victoria-bodean-the-mother-with-cerebral-palsy-showing-the-world-how-to-overcome-disability-barriers.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-23/is-it-time-to-abolish-prostitution.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-23/is-it-time-to-abolish-prostitution.html Luisa Arditi The sex industry continues to expand. Across Europe, the debate over whether to regulate or abolish it has returned to the political spotlight The sex industry continues to expand. Across Europe, the debate over whether to regulate or abolish it has returned to the political spotlight Internet Ricardo Rubio ( Europa Press / Getty Images) IDEAS 23/08/2026 PROSTITUCIÓN Sign supporting the abolition of prostitution at a demonstration in Madrid. Sign supporting the abolition of prostitution at a demonstration in Madrid. <p>Few issues in feminism are as politically charged as the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-09-14/getting-your-nails-done-at-a-secret-brothel-the-rise-of-asian-falangmei-in-madrid.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-09-14/getting-your-nails-done-at-a-secret-brothel-the-rise-of-asian-falangmei-in-madrid.html">debate over sex work</a>. Back in the 1980s, the ideas of Andrea Dworkin and legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon helped lay the foundations of what became known as radical feminism, then associated with its uncompromising opposition to prostitution and pornography. Dworkin’s determination to eradicate both led her to ally with conservative groups, forging a connection between abolitionism and the political right. Today, however, political debate is resurfacing in several European countries, and in some cases that alliance — perhaps one that lasted too many years — is beginning to fracture.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-23/is-it-time-to-abolish-prostitution.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-20/the-parenthood-paradox-parents-are-less-joyful-but-feel-more-fulfilled.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:58:08 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-20/the-parenthood-paradox-parents-are-less-joyful-but-feel-more-fulfilled.html Rodrigo Santodomingo Having children reduces day-to-day satisfaction but increases the sense that life has meaning Having children reduces day-to-day satisfaction but increases the sense that life has meaning SOPA Images (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Parents with their children on the way to school in Madrid. Parents with their children on the way to school in Madrid. <p>When studied together, parenthood and happiness form two clearly distinct layers. In the foreground are sleepless nights and financial juggling. Endless negotiations and untimely crying. <a href="https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-04-22/how-to-deal-with-parental-burnout.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-04-22/how-to-deal-with-parental-burnout.html">Pressing doubts and disappointments</a>, real or imagined. The repeated, blunt collision with the reality of curtailed freedom.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-20/the-parenthood-paradox-parents-are-less-joyful-but-feel-more-fulfilled.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-08-20/brazils-evangelical-media-empire-pastors-with-millions-of-youtube-followers-and-a-booming-business.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:49:05 GMT https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-08-20/brazils-evangelical-media-empire-pastors-with-millions-of-youtube-followers-and-a-booming-business.html Naiara Galarraga Gortázar The programming features sermons, personal testimonies, quiz shows, Christian ballads and countless ways for believers to donate The programming features sermons, personal testimonies, quiz shows, Christian ballads and countless ways for believers to donate São Paulo Youtube Religión Axel Rangel (EL PAÍS) BRASIL-ZAPPING canales evangélicos <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/WIF2THKF4NBPFLRZE76PKW7J4Q.jpg?auth=b10c6cc64bdf3be8bba53b3bb35d7b552aa7d6dbe3e03b3d4481aa1d710e5ec8" width="3000" height="2000" alt="."></img><p>Before dawn even begins to break in Brazil, evangelical bishop Bruno Leonardo uploads a video to YouTube in which he preaches and prays for his followers. Within hours, it typically racks up a couple of million views and hundreds of thousands of comments. Those numbers offer a glimpse of the enormous scale of the evangelical media universe in this <a href="https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2014/01/10/inenglish/1389372091_518037.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2014/01/10/inenglish/1389372091_518037.html">deeply religious country</a>.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-08-20/brazils-evangelical-media-empire-pastors-with-millions-of-youtube-followers-and-a-booming-business.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-14/look-at-his-arms-hes-hot-how-looks-impact-politics.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:04:41 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-14/look-at-his-arms-hes-hot-how-looks-impact-politics.html Marita Alonso The online presence of US senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed sparks a broader debate about the relationship between appearance and political success The online presence of US senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed sparks a broader debate about the relationship between appearance and political success Michigan Donald Trump Zohran Mamdani Abdul El-Sayed Pedro Sánchez Gabriel Rufián Julia Demaree Nikhinson (AP) Políticos guapos Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, progressive Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate, during the recording of a video for his social media accounts. Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, progressive Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate, during the recording of a video for his social media accounts. <p>“Hairstyles, clothing, shoes, the general appearance of the body, and everything of that sort,” constitute the unwritten laws on which a state is founded, Plato wrote in his philosophical work <i>Republic</i>, thus demonstrating that even in 375 BC the physique of politicians played a fundamental role in their power and influence. </p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-14/look-at-his-arms-hes-hot-how-looks-impact-politics.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-08-13/how-betting-platforms-are-using-pop-culture-to-attract-women.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:30:44 GMT https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-08-13/how-betting-platforms-are-using-pop-culture-to-attract-women.html Marita Alonso Prediction markets are courting female audiences via social media and empowerment messaging. What happens when betting is packaged as a lifestyle product? Prediction markets are courting female audiences via social media and empowerment messaging. What happens when betting is packaged as a lifestyle product? Polymarket Maria Korneeva (Getty Images) Hands holding a credit card and using a laptop under neon light. Online shopping. A woman provides her bank card details on a website. A woman provides her bank card details on a website. <p>“It’s not gambling, it’s girl math,” is the headline of an <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/04/kalshi-polymarket-gambling-women/686646/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/04/kalshi-polymarket-gambling-women/686646/">article by Nancy Walecki in <i>The Atlantic</i></a>, in which she reflects on how the gambling industry is trying to win over female audiences with matcha tea memes, girlboss-style advertising, and <a href="https://english.elpais.com/technology/2026-04-16/experts-call-for-tighter-controls-on-prediction-markets-they-pose-underappreciated-threats-to-democratic-integrity.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/technology/2026-04-16/experts-call-for-tighter-controls-on-prediction-markets-they-pose-underappreciated-threats-to-democratic-integrity.html">prediction markets</a> tied to pop culture. On the popular prediction market platform Kalshi, some wagers focus on whether <a href="https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-02-01/timothee-chalamet-bound-for-glory.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-02-01/timothee-chalamet-bound-for-glory.html">Timothée Chalamet</a> and Kylie Jenner will get engaged this year, or whether Gigi Hadid or Adriana Lima will wear the coveted Fantasy Bra at the upcoming Victoria’s Secret fashion show.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-08-13/how-betting-platforms-are-using-pop-culture-to-attract-women.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-12/seven-thousand-days-without-madeleine-mccann-the-disappearance-that-shook-the-world.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:32 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-12/seven-thousand-days-without-madeleine-mccann-the-disappearance-that-shook-the-world.html Tereixa Constenla Nineteen years later, police from several countries are still investigating what happened to the British child who vanished while sleeping in a tourist apartment in the Algarve region of Portugal Nineteen years later, police from several countries are still investigating what happened to the British child who vanished while sleeping in a tourist apartment in the Algarve region of Portugal Algarve Portugal EL PAÍS Crimenes Madeleine <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/67VWH2UKVVG7NAHYEW5L3TKGQE.jpg?auth=ce223ddfc278a32fceefea91b2c46244ad46461b31fb6c9d2f507f1c8592a1ca" width="2400" height="1800" alt="."></img><p>One spring night, the McCanns went to dinner with seven friends at a restaurant inside a residential estate <a href="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2025-12-12/fugitive-natalio-grueso-in-hiding-with-a-glass-of-wine-on-an-island-in-the-algarve.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/spain/2025-12-12/fugitive-natalio-grueso-in-hiding-with-a-glass-of-wine-on-an-island-in-the-algarve.html">in Portugal’s Algarve region</a>, and by the time dessert was served they had become the parents of the most famous missing girl in the world. It has been 7,042 days and no one has been able to explain what happened to little Madeleine in apartment 5A of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on Thursday, May 3, 2007. It was her mother, Kate McCann, who cried out “They’ve taken Maddie!” after finding the bed empty and the window open when she went to check that everything was in order.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-12/seven-thousand-days-without-madeleine-mccann-the-disappearance-that-shook-the-world.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-08/half-a-century-exiled-in-the-algerian-desert.html Sat, 08 Aug 2026 03:30:00 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-08/half-a-century-exiled-in-the-algerian-desert.html Silvia Laboreo,Mònica Torres In the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, set up after the 1975 exodus, about 173,000 people live trapped in a limbo that has now lasted five decades. Their lives are increasingly dependent on precarious humanitarian aid In the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, set up after the 1975 exodus, about 173,000 people live trapped in a limbo that has now lasted five decades. Their lives are increasingly dependent on precarious humanitarian aid Planeta Futuro USAID Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) 50 aniversario campamentos Saharauis , recortes . The desert wind whips the canvas of the tents pitched beside the houses and stirs the sand, which creeps into every corner. It is impossible to sweep it completely out of the schools, clinics, or homes where some 173,000 people live, according to United Nations figures. The rocky landscape of Algeria’s hamada, a desert within the desert, a barren wasteland where life barely takes hold and temperatures reach extremes, has seen several generations of Sahrawis born, raised, and die in the Tindouf refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. Originally conceived as temporary settlements, the camps have become the setting for one of the world’s longest-running exiles. For half a century, they have been home to those who fled following the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, as well as their children and grandchildren, who have grown up knowing little other land than this corner of the Algerian desert. Their inhabitants, who depend heavily on humanitarian aid that is steadily dwindling, have built schools, hospitals, film academies, and even fish farms in an effort to create a life in a place that was meant to be temporary. In the image, a general view of the Auserd camp on April 29, 2026. The desert wind whips the canvas of the tents pitched beside the houses and stirs the sand, which creeps into every corner. It is impossible to sweep it completely out of the schools, clinics, or homes where some 173,000 people live, according to United Nations figures. The rocky landscape of Algeria’s hamada, a desert within the desert, a barren wasteland where life barely takes hold and temperatures reach extremes, has seen several generations of Sahrawis born, raised, and die in the Tindouf refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. Originally conceived as temporary settlements, the camps have become the setting for one of the world’s longest-running exiles. For half a century, they have been home to those who fled following the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, as well as their children and grandchildren, who have grown up knowing little other land than this corner of the Algerian desert. Their inhabitants, who depend heavily on humanitarian aid that is steadily dwindling, have built schools, hospitals, film academies, and even fish farms in an effort to create a life in a place that was meant to be temporary. In the image, a general view of the Auserd camp on April 29, 2026. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) 50 aniversario campamentos Saharauis , recortes . The desert wind whips the canvas of the tents pitched beside the houses and stirs the sand, which creeps into every corner. It is impossible to sweep it completely out of the schools, clinics, or homes where some 173,000 people live, according to United Nations figures. The rocky landscape of Algeria’s hamada, a desert within the desert, a barren wasteland where life barely takes hold and temperatures reach extremes, has seen several generations of Sahrawis born, raised, and die in the Tindouf refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. Originally conceived as temporary settlements, the camps have become the setting for one of the world’s longest-running exiles. For half a century, they have been home to those who fled following the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, as well as their children and grandchildren, who have grown up knowing little other land than this corner of the Algerian desert. Their inhabitants, who depend heavily on humanitarian aid that is steadily dwindling, have built schools, hospitals, film academies, and even fish farms in an effort to create a life in a place that was meant to be temporary. In the image, a general view of the Auserd camp on April 29, 2026. The desert wind whips the canvas of the tents pitched beside the houses and stirs the sand, which creeps into every corner. It is impossible to sweep it completely out of the schools, clinics, or homes where some 173,000 people live, according to United Nations figures. The rocky landscape of Algeria’s hamada, a desert within the desert, a barren wasteland where life barely takes hold and temperatures reach extremes, has seen several generations of Sahrawis born, raised, and die in the Tindouf refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. Originally conceived as temporary settlements, the camps have become the setting for one of the world’s longest-running exiles. For half a century, they have been home to those who fled following the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, as well as their children and grandchildren, who have grown up knowing little other land than this corner of the Algerian desert. Their inhabitants, who depend heavily on humanitarian aid that is steadily dwindling, have built schools, hospitals, film academies, and even fish farms in an effort to create a life in a place that was meant to be temporary. In the image, a general view of the Auserd camp on April 29, 2026. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) fotogalería Sáhara no tocar sin preguntar a Planeta Futuro The Sahrawi population has lived in exile since the mid-1970s in five refugee camps named after the towns they left behind in the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara: Bojador, Dakhla, El Aaiún (Laayoune), Auserd, and Smara. It is a territory that is currently around 80% controlled by Morocco, from which tens of thousands of people were forced to flee following Spain’s withdrawal from what had been its 53rd province and the beginning of the Moroccan occupation at the end of 1975. The occupation followed the so-called Green March, through which King Hassan II ordered a mass civilian advance into the Spanish colony. In the image, two women accompanied by two girls wearing school smocks pose in the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd, in Algeria’s Tindouf province. The Sahrawi population has lived in exile since the mid-1970s in five refugee camps named after the towns they left behind in the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara: Bojador, Dakhla, El Aaiún (Laayoune), Auserd, and Smara. It is a territory that is currently around 80% controlled by Morocco, from which tens of thousands of people were forced to flee following Spain’s withdrawal from what had been its 53rd province and the beginning of the Moroccan occupation at the end of 1975. The occupation followed the so-called Green March, through which King Hassan II ordered a mass civilian advance into the Spanish colony. In the image, two women accompanied by two girls wearing school smocks pose in the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd, in Algeria’s Tindouf province. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) Planeta futuro - Sahara Life in the camps depends to a large extent on humanitarian aid that is becoming increasingly precarious. Food distribution, healthcare, access to clean water, and education remain possible thanks to the support of international organizations, although funding cuts are placing ever greater pressure on the refugee population. “In November last year, the Sahrawi Red Crescent presented its humanitarian response plan. A total of €177 million is needed to cover needs between 2026 and 2027. None of the response plans previously submitted have ever fully met those needs across all sectors. They have always been underfunded,” explains Aida Sanz, coordinator of Médecins du Monde in the camps. In the image, taken in May 2026, a man loads trucks with sacks of food from the World Food Programme (WFP) as they leave the central warehouses of the Sahrawi Red Crescent in Rabuni, the administrative center of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. Life in the camps depends to a large extent on humanitarian aid that is becoming increasingly precarious. Food distribution, healthcare, access to clean water, and education remain possible thanks to the support of international organizations, although funding cuts are placing ever greater pressure on the refugee population. “In November last year, the Sahrawi Red Crescent presented its humanitarian response plan. A total of €177 million is needed to cover needs between 2026 and 2027. None of the response plans previously submitted have ever fully met those needs across all sectors. They have always been underfunded,” explains Aida Sanz, coordinator of Médecins du Monde in the camps. In the image, taken in May 2026, a man loads trucks with sacks of food from the World Food Programme (WFP) as they leave the central warehouses of the Sahrawi Red Crescent in Rabuni, the administrative center of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. Mònica Torres Planeta Sahara The Sahrawi population has been subjected to a double exile for half a century. Living conditions and the lack of opportunities have driven many Sahrawis to migrate, or to spend periods abroad, in order to work or study. Schools, hospitals, and other services rely on the voluntary work of the refugees themselves, who receive modest financial stipends every three months through United Nations funds and other NGOs. However, these payments are very small, and in sectors such as education, teacher turnover can reach 25%, as many periodically leave their positions. “This means that children build relationships with their teachers and then, suddenly, stop seeing them because those teachers are refugees too,” says Tamara Abu Saham, UNICEF’s field office chief in Tindouf. A similar situation affects the healthcare sector. “The Ministry of Health is responsible for managing these stipends for all healthcare workers at every level. The problem is that most of the funding comes from humanitarian aid. Because there is an almost total dependence on that aid, when it is cut, the impact on salaries is immediate,” explains Sanz. The Sahrawi population has been subjected to a double exile for half a century. Living conditions and the lack of opportunities have driven many Sahrawis to migrate, or to spend periods abroad, in order to work or study. Schools, hospitals, and other services rely on the voluntary work of the refugees themselves, who receive modest financial stipends every three months through United Nations funds and other NGOs. However, these payments are very small, and in sectors such as education, teacher turnover can reach 25%, as many periodically leave their positions. “This means that children build relationships with their teachers and then, suddenly, stop seeing them because those teachers are refugees too,” says Tamara Abu Saham, UNICEF’s field office chief in Tindouf. A similar situation affects the healthcare sector. “The Ministry of Health is responsible for managing these stipends for all healthcare workers at every level. The problem is that most of the funding comes from humanitarian aid. Because there is an almost total dependence on that aid, when it is cut, the impact on salaries is immediate,” explains Sanz. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) Planeta futuro - Sahara More than 65,000 children and adolescents are growing up in one of the world’s oldest refugee camp systems. Many of them have never known any life beyond the desert, where temperatures can reach 50°C (122°F) during July and August. The camps’ heavy dependence on humanitarian aid means that children face daily challenges affecting their health, nutrition, and education. Currently, around 40,000 children attend school across the five camps. “For children, school is not just a classroom. Education is a lifeline: it allows them to learn essential life skills, grow, safeguard their mental health, interact with other children, play, and imagine a better future,” explains Abu Saham. Their education is made possible by the work of 2,000 teachers and education professionals, all volunteers from the Sahrawi community itself. “Our main challenge is ensuring that children have access to quality education. Around 60% of schools require improvements to water supply and sanitation services, while 80% need some level of repair and rehabilitation,” she explains. Some schools are already 35 years old and have very basic infrastructure that was never intended to be permanent. They are also frequently affected by sandstorms, flooding, and extreme temperatures. In the image, a fifth-grade class at one of the schools in the Auserd refugee camp. More than 65,000 children and adolescents are growing up in one of the world’s oldest refugee camp systems. Many of them have never known any life beyond the desert, where temperatures can reach 50°C (122°F) during July and August. The camps’ heavy dependence on humanitarian aid means that children face daily challenges affecting their health, nutrition, and education. Currently, around 40,000 children attend school across the five camps. “For children, school is not just a classroom. Education is a lifeline: it allows them to learn essential life skills, grow, safeguard their mental health, interact with other children, play, and imagine a better future,” explains Abu Saham. Their education is made possible by the work of 2,000 teachers and education professionals, all volunteers from the Sahrawi community itself. “Our main challenge is ensuring that children have access to quality education. Around 60% of schools require improvements to water supply and sanitation services, while 80% need some level of repair and rehabilitation,” she explains. Some schools are already 35 years old and have very basic infrastructure that was never intended to be permanent. They are also frequently affected by sandstorms, flooding, and extreme temperatures. In the image, a fifth-grade class at one of the schools in the Auserd refugee camp. Mònica Torres Planeta futuro - Sahara For Abu Sham of UNICEF, one of the main concerns is the impact of being born and raised in the camps, and the consequences that this protracted crisis has for children’s mental health. “There is limited evidence about that impact. However, we do know that many children, according to observations made by teachers and parents, show signs of anxiety and stress. This is linked to living in the harsh conditions of the desert, as well as being exposed to numerous extreme weather events that, frankly, no human being should have to endure on a regular basis. Added to that are their basic living conditions and the knowledge that they will probably continue living as refugees until a solution is found for them,” she explains. This situation, she stresses, not only shapes the present but may also have long-term consequences. “When that child grows up and becomes a young person and then an adult, what will their emotional well-being really look like? Mental health and overall well-being are, for us, a genuine concern,” she adds. For Abu Sham of UNICEF, one of the main concerns is the impact of being born and raised in the camps, and the consequences that this protracted crisis has for children’s mental health. “There is limited evidence about that impact. However, we do know that many children, according to observations made by teachers and parents, show signs of anxiety and stress. This is linked to living in the harsh conditions of the desert, as well as being exposed to numerous extreme weather events that, frankly, no human being should have to endure on a regular basis. Added to that are their basic living conditions and the knowledge that they will probably continue living as refugees until a solution is found for them,” she explains. This situation, she stresses, not only shapes the present but may also have long-term consequences. “When that child grows up and becomes a young person and then an adult, what will their emotional well-being really look like? Mental health and overall well-being are, for us, a genuine concern,” she adds. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) Planeta futuro - Sahara Another of the most pressing problems is the shortage of childhood vaccines caused by funding cuts. “By September, we will not have the vaccines needed to immunize all the children who are due to receive certain vaccines against preventable diseases, despite the funding appeal and UNICEF’s efforts to internally reallocate resources to cover part of the shortfall. Even so, we cannot fully make up for this deficit. For us, this is truly a child health emergency,” explains Abu Sham. “We have recently launched an appeal to raise more than $1.1 million to address this situation,” she adds. The UNICEF official warns that the impact of global aid cuts is “immediate, but also long-lasting,” especially for children who should be receiving routine immunizations or be able to attend school without interruption. “When these cuts affect programs aimed at children, what we are witnessing is, unfortunately, the development of a catastrophe,” she concludes. In the photograph, a girl walks through the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd at sunset. Another of the most pressing problems is the shortage of childhood vaccines caused by funding cuts. “By September, we will not have the vaccines needed to immunize all the children who are due to receive certain vaccines against preventable diseases, despite the funding appeal and UNICEF’s efforts to internally reallocate resources to cover part of the shortfall. Even so, we cannot fully make up for this deficit. For us, this is truly a child health emergency,” explains Abu Sham. “We have recently launched an appeal to raise more than $1.1 million to address this situation,” she adds. The UNICEF official warns that the impact of global aid cuts is “immediate, but also long-lasting,” especially for children who should be receiving routine immunizations or be able to attend school without interruption. “When these cuts affect programs aimed at children, what we are witnessing is, unfortunately, the development of a catastrophe,” she concludes. In the photograph, a girl walks through the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd at sunset. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) Planeta futuro - Sahara Each family in the camps has water storage tanks, and it is common to see flexible “bladder” tanks beside homes, large canvas or PVC reservoirs used to store water for household consumption. The water comes from a treatment plant located about 31 miles away and is then distributed among the different camps by tanker trucks operated by the Association of Workers and Technicians Without Borders (ATTsF), the Navarre-based NGO responsible for maintaining and repairing the fleet and managing water distribution in the camps. This sector has been one of the hardest hit by cuts in humanitarian aid funding. Eduardo Irigoyen Soria, director of ATTsF, explains that in 2023 the fleet consisted of 36 tanker trucks. By 2025, UNHCR was financing 26 vehicles, as well as the salaries of drivers and mechanics and the costs of maintenance. That funding disappeared in January 2026. For several months, the system operated with only 10 tanker trucks. However, an agreement with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) made it possible to expand the service to 16 vehicles, with funding guaranteed through March 2027. Ahead of the summer season, the fleet increased to 28 tankers thanks to the addition of four vehicles financed by local institutions in Navarre and 12 more tanker trucks provided by the Algerian government, Irigoyen explains. In the image, one of the tanker trucks fills water tanks at a home in Auserd. Each family in the camps has water storage tanks, and it is common to see flexible “bladder” tanks beside homes, large canvas or PVC reservoirs used to store water for household consumption. The water comes from a treatment plant located about 31 miles away and is then distributed among the different camps by tanker trucks operated by the Association of Workers and Technicians Without Borders (ATTsF), the Navarre-based NGO responsible for maintaining and repairing the fleet and managing water distribution in the camps. This sector has been one of the hardest hit by cuts in humanitarian aid funding. Eduardo Irigoyen Soria, director of ATTsF, explains that in 2023 the fleet consisted of 36 tanker trucks. By 2025, UNHCR was financing 26 vehicles, as well as the salaries of drivers and mechanics and the costs of maintenance. That funding disappeared in January 2026. For several months, the system operated with only 10 tanker trucks. However, an agreement with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) made it possible to expand the service to 16 vehicles, with funding guaranteed through March 2027. Ahead of the summer season, the fleet increased to 28 tankers thanks to the addition of four vehicles financed by local institutions in Navarre and 12 more tanker trucks provided by the Algerian government, Irigoyen explains. In the image, one of the tanker trucks fills water tanks at a home in Auserd. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) planeta futuro Harsh living conditions, poverty, and funding cuts have exacerbated health problems in the camps. The latest nutrition survey, conducted in 2025, revealed that acute malnutrition among children under five stands at 13.6%, a level considered critical according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, while chronic malnutrition affects 37% of children. In addition, nearly one in three children suffers from stunted growth, and around two in three are affected by anemia. Iron deficiency also affects 60% of pregnant women, increasing the likelihood of high-risk pregnancies and deliveries, as well as the risk that newborns will be anemic at birth. According to Médecins du Monde, this makes babies more vulnerable to infections from birth and throughout their lives. “Another major challenge is that a significant number of people, between 11% and 20%, live with chronic illnesses that require follow-up care which is currently inadequate. We are also facing considerable food insecurity, with 67% of the population experiencing food insecurity,” says Sanz. In the image, a healthcare worker enters one of the departments of Bachir Saleh National Hospital in Rabuni, the administrative center of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf. Harsh living conditions, poverty, and funding cuts have exacerbated health problems in the camps. The latest nutrition survey, conducted in 2025, revealed that acute malnutrition among children under five stands at 13.6%, a level considered critical according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, while chronic malnutrition affects 37% of children. In addition, nearly one in three children suffers from stunted growth, and around two in three are affected by anemia. Iron deficiency also affects 60% of pregnant women, increasing the likelihood of high-risk pregnancies and deliveries, as well as the risk that newborns will be anemic at birth. According to Médecins du Monde, this makes babies more vulnerable to infections from birth and throughout their lives. “Another major challenge is that a significant number of people, between 11% and 20%, live with chronic illnesses that require follow-up care which is currently inadequate. We are also facing considerable food insecurity, with 67% of the population experiencing food insecurity,” says Sanz. In the image, a healthcare worker enters one of the departments of Bachir Saleh National Hospital in Rabuni, the administrative center of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf. Mònica Torres Planeta futuro - Sahara “We are trying to guarantee the bare minimum, the minimum operational capacity of the healthcare system,” explains Sanz of Médecins du Monde. “All the links in the chain are fragile when it comes to strengthening the health of the population. Take, for example, an elderly person with diabetes and hypertension who does not have continuous access to the medicines they need. That can have rapid and irreversible consequences for their quality of life,” she says. “Every year, through funding from ECHO and Médecins du Monde, we secure 75% of the essential medicines needed by the Sahrawi refugee population. But you never know when stocks may run out because needs can increase. There is still 25% that is not covered, and that is a huge gap when it comes to monitoring and treating all the conditions that depend on these essential medicines,” she adds. In the photograph, taken on April 29, María Ofelia Benítez, a gynecologist with the Cuban medical brigade, attends to a woman pregnant with twins during a consultation at Bachir Saleh National Hospital in Rabuni, the administrative center of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. “We are trying to guarantee the bare minimum, the minimum operational capacity of the healthcare system,” explains Sanz of Médecins du Monde. “All the links in the chain are fragile when it comes to strengthening the health of the population. Take, for example, an elderly person with diabetes and hypertension who does not have continuous access to the medicines they need. That can have rapid and irreversible consequences for their quality of life,” she says. “Every year, through funding from ECHO and Médecins du Monde, we secure 75% of the essential medicines needed by the Sahrawi refugee population. But you never know when stocks may run out because needs can increase. There is still 25% that is not covered, and that is a huge gap when it comes to monitoring and treating all the conditions that depend on these essential medicines,” she adds. In the photograph, taken on April 29, María Ofelia Benítez, a gynecologist with the Cuban medical brigade, attends to a woman pregnant with twins during a consultation at Bachir Saleh National Hospital in Rabuni, the administrative center of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) Planeta futuro - Sahara Western Sahara remains one of the most heavily mined places in the world, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), which warns that explosive devices left behind from the conflict fought between the Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991 continue to pose a threat to civilians, nomadic herders, and livestock, especially camels. Hundreds of miles from those minefields, in Tindouf, Algeria, the consequences of that war are still deeply felt. The Martyr Chreif Center for War and Mine Victims, built in the middle of the desert, has for decades been home to people who survived explosions caused by these devices. One of the residents is Ahmed Salam, a 78-year-old native of El Aaiún. Sitting on an animal-skin rug, this light-eyed man, who still keeps his Spanish identity card, calmly recalls how, on December 31, 1984, he lost both hands and one of his companions. That day, he was with two fellow soldiers in the Zamour area, near the border with Mauritania. They had stopped to rest in the shade of some trees. They lit a fire and, suddenly, everything exploded. Ahmed lost both hands, one of his companions was killed, and the other suffered minor injuries. He has lived at the center for years. Today, it accommodates around 50 patients, most of them elderly men, according to its director, Moulud Saklma. Western Sahara remains one of the most heavily mined places in the world, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), which warns that explosive devices left behind from the conflict fought between the Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991 continue to pose a threat to civilians, nomadic herders, and livestock, especially camels. Hundreds of miles from those minefields, in Tindouf, Algeria, the consequences of that war are still deeply felt. The Martyr Chreif Center for War and Mine Victims, built in the middle of the desert, has for decades been home to people who survived explosions caused by these devices. One of the residents is Ahmed Salam, a 78-year-old native of El Aaiún. Sitting on an animal-skin rug, this light-eyed man, who still keeps his Spanish identity card, calmly recalls how, on December 31, 1984, he lost both hands and one of his companions. That day, he was with two fellow soldiers in the Zamour area, near the border with Mauritania. They had stopped to rest in the shade of some trees. They lit a fire and, suddenly, everything exploded. Ahmed lost both hands, one of his companions was killed, and the other suffered minor injuries. He has lived at the center for years. Today, it accommodates around 50 patients, most of them elderly men, according to its director, Moulud Saklma. Mònica Torres fotogalería Sáhara no tocar sin preguntar a Planeta Futuro After three decades, the ceasefire agreement between Rabat and the Polisario Front collapsed on November 13, 2020, following an incident in the demilitarized zone of Guerguerat, in southern Western Sahara near the Mauritanian border. Moroccan forces dispersed a group of Sahrawi civilians who had blocked the road to Mauritania in order to press the United Nations to hold the self-determination referendum that had been promised since 1991. Since late 2020, Morocco and the Polisario Front have been engaged in a low-intensity conflict in Western Sahara. The fighting reached one of its highest levels last June, when a Moroccan drone strike near the sand berm built by Hassan II killed three Sahrawi fighters, including Lahbib M. Abdelaziz, 37, a Polisario Front leader and military commander and the son of former Sahrawi leader Mohamed Abdelaziz, who headed the independence movement from 1976 to 2016. Weeks earlier, another incident had taken place when the Polisario launched an artillery attack against a Moroccan military base in Smara, in northeastern Western Sahara. No casualties were reported. In the image, a group of Polisario Front soldiers escort visitors and officials during the FiSahara festival held last May. After three decades, the ceasefire agreement between Rabat and the Polisario Front collapsed on November 13, 2020, following an incident in the demilitarized zone of Guerguerat, in southern Western Sahara near the Mauritanian border. Moroccan forces dispersed a group of Sahrawi civilians who had blocked the road to Mauritania in order to press the United Nations to hold the self-determination referendum that had been promised since 1991. Since late 2020, Morocco and the Polisario Front have been engaged in a low-intensity conflict in Western Sahara. The fighting reached one of its highest levels last June, when a Moroccan drone strike near the sand berm built by Hassan II killed three Sahrawi fighters, including Lahbib M. Abdelaziz, 37, a Polisario Front leader and military commander and the son of former Sahrawi leader Mohamed Abdelaziz, who headed the independence movement from 1976 to 2016. Weeks earlier, another incident had taken place when the Polisario launched an artillery attack against a Moroccan military base in Smara, in northeastern Western Sahara. No casualties were reported. In the image, a group of Polisario Front soldiers escort visitors and officials during the FiSahara festival held last May. Mònica Torres (EL PAÍS) Planeta futuro - Sahara In the photograph, taken on April 29, 2026, a soldier sits at a checkpoint at the entrance to the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd, one of the five settlements where the Sahrawi refugee population has lived for the past 50 years. In the photograph, taken on April 29, 2026, a soldier sits at a checkpoint at the entrance to the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd, one of the five settlements where the Sahrawi refugee population has lived for the past 50 years. Mònica Torres fotogalería Sáhara no tocar sin preguntar a Planeta Futuro The camps are home to a range of local initiatives, including a fish farm, a pharmaceutical production laboratory, a culinary school, a beauty center, and a nursing school. They also host cultural and sporting initiatives such as the Sahara Marathon and even a film festival, which each year transforms this territory shaped by exile through open-air screenings, talks, and workshops. “FiSahara was born in 2003 out of a shared desire among the Sahrawi people, solidarity activists, and the Spanish film community at a time when a solution still seemed within reach, because there had been some progress in the negotiations to hold a referendum in Western Sahara. However, the cause lacked visibility and needed renewed momentum,” explains María Carrión, the festival’s executive director. “The idea was also to celebrate Sahrawi culture, make it visible, strengthen it, and do so through cinema, opening a two-way window: from the camps and Western Sahara to the outside world, and from the outside world back to them,” she adds. Since then, this traveling film festival has held nineteen editions (it was not possible to organize it every year) in different Sahrawi refugee camps. Over time, it has grown, become more international, and expanded to include other peoples and causes from different parts of the world. The camps are home to a range of local initiatives, including a fish farm, a pharmaceutical production laboratory, a culinary school, a beauty center, and a nursing school. They also host cultural and sporting initiatives such as the Sahara Marathon and even a film festival, which each year transforms this territory shaped by exile through open-air screenings, talks, and workshops. “FiSahara was born in 2003 out of a shared desire among the Sahrawi people, solidarity activists, and the Spanish film community at a time when a solution still seemed within reach, because there had been some progress in the negotiations to hold a referendum in Western Sahara. However, the cause lacked visibility and needed renewed momentum,” explains María Carrión, the festival’s executive director. “The idea was also to celebrate Sahrawi culture, make it visible, strengthen it, and do so through cinema, opening a two-way window: from the camps and Western Sahara to the outside world, and from the outside world back to them,” she adds. Since then, this traveling film festival has held nineteen editions (it was not possible to organize it every year) in different Sahrawi refugee camps. Over time, it has grown, become more international, and expanded to include other peoples and causes from different parts of the world. Mònica Torres fotogalería Sáhara no tocar sin preguntar a Planeta Futuro In the image, a group of people attends one of the activities organized as part of the FiSahara Film Festival in Auserd. For one week, the Sahrawi population, international guests, activists, and journalists live together in the camps during an event that combines cinema with efforts to raise awareness of the Sahrawi cause. In the image, a group of people attends one of the activities organized as part of the FiSahara Film Festival in Auserd. For one week, the Sahrawi population, international guests, activists, and journalists live together in the camps during an event that combines cinema with efforts to raise awareness of the Sahrawi cause. Mònica Torres Planeta futuro - Sahara The festival also gave rise to another initiative in the camps: a film school. Carrión explains that every year FiSahara offered short-film workshops whose productions were screened at the end of the festival. “Until there was a demand for something more permanent, and that’s when the film school was conceived. It opened its doors in 2011,” she recalls. “You can’t conceive of the festival without the school, nor the school without the festival. One project was born from the other, and they continue to nourish each other. When the FiSahara projectors are switched off, the school’s projectors are switched on, not only for classes but also for screenings throughout the year. At first, FiSahara was a very unfamiliar concept for many people in the camps and could be perceived as rather Western because of the type of films shown and the nature of the event. But the existence of the school, and the fact that those films are now Sahrawi films, has led to much greater acceptance,” explains the festival’s director. Sahrawi filmmakers use cinema not only to tell the story of their people’s struggle and history, but also to explore issues such as unemployment, drugs and addiction, as well as comedic themes and social attitudes within Sahrawi society. The festival also gave rise to another initiative in the camps: a film school. Carrión explains that every year FiSahara offered short-film workshops whose productions were screened at the end of the festival. “Until there was a demand for something more permanent, and that’s when the film school was conceived. It opened its doors in 2011,” she recalls. “You can’t conceive of the festival without the school, nor the school without the festival. One project was born from the other, and they continue to nourish each other. When the FiSahara projectors are switched off, the school’s projectors are switched on, not only for classes but also for screenings throughout the year. At first, FiSahara was a very unfamiliar concept for many people in the camps and could be perceived as rather Western because of the type of films shown and the nature of the event. But the existence of the school, and the fact that those films are now Sahrawi films, has led to much greater acceptance,” explains the festival’s director. Sahrawi filmmakers use cinema not only to tell the story of their people’s struggle and history, but also to explore issues such as unemployment, drugs and addiction, as well as comedic themes and social attitudes within Sahrawi society. <img src="https://images.english.elpais.com/resizer/v2/VRCRWR3Z3BCPNCQTOBVWMZ6ADY.JPG?auth=ed5548dbab96eaaa2f2bbcf49f373ab15b8c5dd3994cf03f054ddffc1f320ad0" width="5871" height="3916" alt="A girl walks through the Sahrawi refugee camp of Auserd at sunset."></img><p></p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-08-08/half-a-century-exiled-in-the-algerian-desert.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p> https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-07-29/living-through-a-world-cup-with-a-gambling-disorder-winning-is-the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-to-you.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:51:21 GMT https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-07-29/living-through-a-world-cup-with-a-gambling-disorder-winning-is-the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-to-you.html Bárbara Ayuso The major sporting event put gambling addicts on alert, many of whom now have new profiles linked to online betting The major sporting event put gambling addicts on alert, many of whom now have new profiles linked to online betting UN Internet China Primera división Iker Casillas Beatriz Festa () World Cup gambling disorder A user in front of online betting advertising. A user in front of online betting advertising. <p>Óscar’s euphoria after <a href="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-07-19/spain-beat-argentina-to-win-the-world-cup.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2026-07-19/spain-beat-argentina-to-win-the-world-cup.html">Spain’s World Cup win</a> resembled other bursts of joy: ecstasy, the national team shirt and arms raised for a collective triumph. But it was also an intimate celebration, because this time he didn’t have any betting slips crumpled in his hands. “This is the first World Cup I’ve watched without betting; during Qatar it was really bad and I can’t even calculate how deep in debt I got — I bet on every match,” he says. He is 25 and describes himself as “a gambler in advanced rehabilitation, although I’ll be a gambler forever.” Agustín, 37, had to watch it in a safe environment, at home with his girlfriend. He has been in therapy for nine months for <a href="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-05-08/americans-bet-220-billion-on-sports-in-five-years-since-legalization.html" target="_self" rel="" title="https://english.elpais.com/sports/2023-05-08/americans-bet-220-billion-on-sports-in-five-years-since-legalization.html">sports-betting addiction</a>, but has been gambling for almost a decade. He has no access to money or cards. “I didn’t even consider going to a bar to watch it, because now there are machines there that let you bet and no one asks for ID,” he says. At 39, Carlos calls himself a “rehabilitated gambler” and takes detours on the street to avoid passing betting shops. If someone saw Sergio, 37, enjoying the final at home with his son, they would notice nothing unusual. He is blind and, listening to the match, feared it would go to penalties because that could recreate the adrenaline rush he gets from betting. He hasn’t bet since March, his phone app reminds him.</p><p><a href="https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-07-29/living-through-a-world-cup-with-a-gambling-disorder-winning-is-the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-to-you.html" target="_blank">Seguir leyendo</a></p>