One of the last things you want to do after a heated argument is sit down and have a meal with the person you’ve just fallen out with. But Spain may have found a surprisingly tasty way around that awkwardness, and it seems the answer could be sitting right in the middle of the table.

A new study has found that 90 per cent of people in Spain believe one particular meal can help bring people back together after a disagreement. And the findings suggest it may do rather more than simply give two people something to eat while they avoid looking at each other.

Spain has found its peace offering

The study, commissioned by Arroz La Fallera, asked 1,000 people aged between 18 and 65 about the role food plays in bringing people together. Across Spain, 85 per cent said sharing a paella can help people reconcile after a conflict, while in the Valencian Community, where the dish has particularly strong cultural roots, that figure climbs to 90 per cent.

The results also suggest this isn’t just something people like the idea of. More than half of those surveyed, 54 per cent, said they had already used a paella meal to smooth over differences with someone, while another 44 per cent said they had actually made peace with someone over a paella. So while nobody is suggesting that a plate of rice can magically settle every family feud, plenty of people apparently believe there is something about sitting down together that helps.

A meal that gets people talking

The survey also looked at what happens during the meal itself, and this is where the findings become particularly interesting. A huge 93 per cent of respondents said sharing a paella makes them more willing to listen without interrupting, followed by 92 per cent who said they would be prepared to discuss their differences respectfully. Another 92 per cent said they would be more willing to look for common ground. Perhaps that makes sense when you consider how paella is normally eaten. It isn’t usually a quick meal grabbed between two appointments.

The pan goes in the middle of the table, everyone gathers around it and the meal becomes something shared, creating time to talk, listen and, perhaps, remember why you liked the person before you started arguing with them. In the Valencian Community, 90 per cent also said sharing paella was a good way to reconnect with family or friends, giving the dish an even stronger connection with social occasions there.

Paella beats tortilla

The research also asked Spaniards to name their favourite dish, and paella came out on top. Forty-five per cent chose paella as their favourite, putting it comfortably ahead of tortilla de patatas, which was selected by 24 per cent. That gives paella a fairly impressive double role: it is not only the dish most strongly associated with bringing people back together in the survey, but also the one most people chose as their favourite.

Its connection with social occasions may help explain why. Paella is often associated with family meals, weekends, celebrations and gatherings where the food is prepared for several people rather than served as an individual plate. The cooking, the waiting and the meal itself all create reasons for people to stay together.

Could food really end an argument?

There is an obvious catch. The survey shows what people believe about sharing paella; it cannot prove that eating one will actually end an argument. The research was also commissioned by Arroz La Fallera, so the findings need to be viewed in that context. But the responses do show how strongly food is tied to socialising in Spain. The fact that 54 per cent of those surveyed said they had already used a paella meal to smooth over differences suggests this is not simply a theoretical idea.

And with 44 per cent saying they had actually reconciled with someone over one, there are plenty of people who can apparently point to a paella as part of a successful peace treaty. The study was released around World Paella Day on September 20, when the dish was already taking centre stage across Spain and beyond. Perhaps there is something to be said for a solution that requires neither a mediator nor a carefully worded apology. If you’re still refusing to speak to each other, someone just needs to make the first move and bring out the paella.

Scientists studying 3I/ATLAS have uncovered another surprise around the comet that captured worldwide attention. Measurements show gas escaping around the interstellar visitor is moving more slowly than expected, raising questions about what is driving its activity.

The findings published by IRAM on September 14 draw on observations made near the comet’s closest approach to the Sun in October 2025. They also reveal chemical proportions that differ from those found in comets belonging to our Solar System. For researchers, those differences offer clues about the distant environment where 3I/ATLAS formed.

What scientists found around 3I/ATLAS

A team led by Nicolas Biver used the IRAM telescope to examine the cloud of gas and dust surrounding the comet, known as its coma. They found that some chemicals were present in different proportions from those typically measured in Solar System comets. Hydrogen cyanide was depleted, while the ratio of sulphur to carbon was particularly low.

Another unexpected result came from the gas itself. Its measured speed was slower than researchers anticipated for the comet’s activity and distance from the Sun. One possible explanation is that heavier molecules, such as carbon dioxide, are driving the outflow. Another involves icy grains releasing water as they evaporate around the comet. The observations leave both possibilities open.

Why this visitor is so valuable

Most comets astronomers study formed within our Solar System. 3I/ATLAS arrived from beyond it, carrying material from a different stellar environment. As NASA explains, it is only the third known interstellar object discovered passing through our celestial neighbourhood. Its trajectory shows that it came from outside the Solar System.

That makes every measurement valuable. Astronomers can compare its ingredients with familiar comets and investigate how the building blocks of other planetary systems might differ. For the background to its discovery and journey, read EWN’s guide to the rare comet from another star system.

A telescope in Spain uncovered another clue

Separate research announced in September used the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma to examine charged gases in the comet’s tail. According to the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, the measurements suggest 3I/ATLAS formed in extremely cold conditions, likely below minus 240 degrees Celsius, far from its home star.

The team identified five different ions simultaneously, providing an unusually detailed view of the tail of an interstellar object. This adds to earlier work examining its history, including the research covered in EWN’s report on why 3I/ATLAS could be an exceptionally ancient comet.

Does 3I/ATLAS pose a threat to Earth?

No. NASA says 3I/ATLAS posed no threat to Earth. Even at its closest approach, it remained around 270 million kilometres from our planet. Its scientific importance comes from its origins and composition.

As researchers continue analysing the observations, the question is whether its unusual chemistry is common among comets from other star systems, or whether this visitor is an exceptional example. Answering that will require more interstellar discoveries. For now, 3I/ATLAS is giving astronomers a rare opportunity to investigate material formed around another star.

Residents on some roads between Mijas and Fuengirola are set to see better-maintained road markings after the two councils agreed to work together on streets shared by both councils.

The four-year agreement, which can be extended for another four years, covers pedestrian crossings, road lines, painted symbols and other road markings. Fuengirola will carry out the work during 2026, starting on Sunday, October 4, on Calle La Union.

What makes the arrangement particularly interesting is the way the municipal boundary runs through some of these streets. In places, one side of a road can fall within Mijas while the opposite side belongs to Fuengirola. That means residents can be living on the same road while technically being subject to different different bylaws.

Local rules can change at the boundary

National laws obviously apply across both municipalities, but town halls have their own powers to regulate many aspects of everyday life, from public cleanliness and noise to the use of streets and other public spaces. One good example involves dogs.

Fuengirola dog-urine ordinance information

Mijas already requires owners to collect their pets’ little messages and dilute urine in public places. Police issued 12 reports for failing to collect dog waste or dilute urine during enforcement operations in February 2026, while earlier municipal guidance said owners must carry water for the job.

Fuengirola has gone into more detail with its own rules. Its updated Citizen Coexistence Ordinance requires dog owners to carry a bottle and use water mixed with cleaning vinegar to dilute urine, with failure to clean up urine initially attracting a €100 fine. Minor offences under the ordinance can carry fines of up to €750.

Noise and DIY rules can differ too

Noise is another area where residents need to look at local regulations rather than assuming that every Costa del Sol town has identical rules. Mijas sets specific quiet periods for noisy building and gardening work. Its rules prohibit noisy building work from 8pm to 8am on weekdays, from 3pm Saturday until Monday morning, and on Sundays and public holidays, although some gardening work is permitted between 10am and 3pm on Sundays and public holidays.

Fuengirola has its own municipal noise and vibration ordinance, covering domestic activities, building work, machinery, vehicles, businesses and behaviour in public places.

This side of the street, yes. That side, no

For people living or working on roads where Mijas meets Fuengirola, knowing exactly where the boundary lies can therefore matter for more than road markings.

A dog owner, DIY enthusiast or neighbour dealing with noise may find that the rules applying outside their front door depend on which side of the municipal line they are standing.