The Leire case has become a real ticking time bomb for the PSOE. The trickle of information about the investigation and the appearance of names being dragged through the mud has forced the socialists to step forward to distance themselves from what the judge believes was a "criminal structure" to "destabilize" judicial investigations. The mantra repeated in Ferraz is that the accused made "use of the PSOE's name in vain." Pedro Sánchez has finally spoken out, stating during an official visit to the Balkans that everything was done behind his back: "I was never informed about Leire Díez's adventures. I never endorsed and never had knowledge of something I would never have tolerated," he said from Montenegro. The Spanish president acknowledged that everything that has come to light fills him with "disappointment, concern, and indignation" and announced that the PSOE's legal team is studying "what actions will be taken" in "defense of the party's honorability and integrity."

The Tax Agency already has on the table a series of requests from the National Court to review the PSOE's accounts, but, on the other hand, it will not have to do so with those of the PSC. Judge Santiago Pedraz has finally excluded the Catalan socialists from the tax requirements, even though the Civil Guard insisted on including the PSC in the investigation. From the PSOE, and from the people implicated in the Leire case, the magistrate is looking for bank accounts, deposits, withdrawals or cash payments and invoices.

"Educational dignity has won" and "It wasn't about money. We are fighting for a new educational model." These have been the messages of the two main banners of this Friday's teacher mobilization. The first was the banner at the head of the demonstration that gathered about 15,200 teachers in Barcelona's Lluís Companys promenade, according to the Guardia Urbana, and up to 90,000 according to the unions. A banner that, unlike those of recent demonstrations, was entirely yellow – the color in defense of public schools – and without the name of any union. The second banner is that of the stage in Parc de la Ciutadella, where the demonstration ended with speeches and a booing of the teachers at the spokesperson for the USTEC union, Iolanda Segura, after the organization campaigned for a yes vote on the agreement with Education and in its own consultation, 65% of teachers and professors voted against it.

No face-to-face meetings or concessions. The letter that Volodymyr Zelensky sent to Vladimir Putin in which he asked him to end the war in Ukraine has received the expected response: an unappealable no. The Russian president appeared at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum amidst escalating bombings and with his soldiers struggling to advance a few meters on the front, but he showed himself convinced, once again, that the conflict can only end with Russia's victory. 

A window of opportunity for Ukraine. This is how various military analysts describe the situation of the conflict with Russia, after Kyiv has taken the lead in the dominance of medium-range drones, those sent about 150 kilometers from the front line and crucial for disrupting enemy logistics, which are sent about 150 kilometers from the front line and are crucial for disrupting enemy logistics. The Ukrainian army has managed to slow down the Russian offensive on the southern front and is now threatening the roads that supply weapons, food, and fuel to the soldiers. If it is capable of isolating the Russian lines, it could even launch a counter-offensive, some experts point out. However, Moscow will react sooner or later.

A ceasefire is a pause in the war, a moment when the bombs fall silent, either to give a respite to exhausted civilians and soldiers or, in the best of cases, to open an opportunity for diplomacy. But in recent months, in the mouths of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin or Benjamin Netanyahu, this concept has been completely emptied of content to become merely a smokescreen behind which the war continues.

The Prosecutor's Office has asked the Martorell judge investigating the death of Mango's founder, Isak Andic, to order a reconstruction of his fall. This means that the public ministry wants the businessman's son and sole suspect, Jonathan Andic, to return to the Collbató caves to clarify what happened, according to ACN. The Prosecutor's Office has requested several investigative measures, now that the investigation is no longer secret, among which the return to Collbató with the suspect present stands out.

L'Eixample and Ciutat Vella will be the two districts most affected by the visit of Pope Leo XIV this week in Barcelona. The pontiff will land this Tuesday at El Prat airport and an extraordinary security operation will begin, with up to 7,000 police officers. The Pope's passage will also involve road closures that will last for days in some parts of the city and various disruptions to transport.

A passenger traveling from Girona - Costa Brava airport to Brussels last Wednesday was shouted at and reprimanded by a security control agent for asking for instructions in Catalan. According to what he explained to ARA and also stated in the complaint filed with Aena, after passing through the scanner, the man had to stop to go through the explosive substances control. The agent who was checking the luggage asked him "In what language?", to know how to give him the instructions. "Catalan", he said. That's when the shouts started. "I'm not a call center where you press five and I speak whatever language you want!", she told him. And she shouted towards the other security colleagues "They don't pay me enough to learn Catalan!", and other phrases of this kind, with an attitude that the other security colleagues supported.

Before they could judge him, the man confessed that he posed as a police officer to humiliate other men and sexually assault a girl in a Barcelona nightclub. His partner at the time, a Municipal Police officer, admits that she covered for him and also participated in the humiliations. Their confessions have allowed them to reach an agreement with the Prosecutor's Office and avoid the trial that was scheduled for this Wednesday, in which he faced nine years in prison and she faced three. Finally, the sentence is two and a half years for him and two for her, according to the conformity agreement consulted by ARA. The agreement with the prosecution includes that they will not have to go to prison to serve these sentences on condition that they do not re-offend.

Young people and migrants are particularly suffering from the housing crisis in Catalonia, as in many other European regions. These two groups are an important part of the low-income population, who are the ones who suffer the most from this problem.

Raid by Barcelona City Council on a network of illegal tourist flats near the Sant Pau Hospital. The first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, explained this Friday that, following a citizen complaint, the Directorate of Inspection Services (DSI) has detected 31 illegal tourist flats in the same building. During the inspection, several irregularities were found regarding both the fraudulent use of the dwellings as tourist flats and works carried out without the proper license. Consequently, the City Council has initiated 34 proceedings, seven of which may lead to fines of up to 600,000 euros for very serious violations of the tourism law.

Barça is preparing for the first transfer market without restrictions imposed since before the covid pandemic. Joan Laporta has had to win two elections for the presidency of the Blaugrana to be able to go shopping with a normalized salary cap. Incorporating talent for the same value as is freed up – a quick definition of what is known as the 1:1 rule – will allow the president, for example, to fill part of the important space left by Robert Lewandowski with an expensive signing like Anthony Gordon's. He has reasons, therefore, to be happy after so many years of complications.

To my surprise and during a concert, Rigoberta Bandini, the artistic alias of Paula Ribó, has announced important personal news: she is expecting her second child. The singer made the announcement while performing at the Las Noches del Botánico festival in Madrid. "There was a moment in the show when I didn't know whether to say it or not, but I'm not alone doing this show," said Bandini, touching her belly as the audience erupted in applause.

144 years ago the Sagrada Familia began and for more than 100 years it has been the undisputed symbol of Barcelona. If the Eiffel Tower defines Paris and the Empire State defines New York, there is no doubt that what defines Barcelona, and almost Catalonia, is this basilica which has recently become the tallest religious building in Europe. Next Tuesday, the 10th, it will be a century since Antoni Gaudí, the architect who dreamed it up and designed it, died. In fact, he dedicated 43 years of his life to it and is buried there. Pope Leo XIV will commemorate his centenary with a mass, in which he will also bless the Tower of Jesus, the central and tallest of the complex.

The cooling has been forceful this Friday after the active front that crossed Catalan territory on Thursday. We woke up with a lot of coolness everywhere, and at midday the atmosphere was very pleasant, with the heat under control and many highs between 20 and 25º C, or a little higher in parts of Ponent, the Ebro, and Central Catalonia. All this after the spell of showers and strong storms that between Thursday and Friday morning swept through a large part of the country, with downpours and very significant local accumulations (you will find the most outstanding data and images of this episode at the end of this news). A first weekend of June begins that will be quite profitable, but some afternoon showers will still fall in some areas, especially on Saturday. Temperatures will start to rise, with a warmer atmosphere at midday. But the heat will remain moderate, with good sleeping nights.

Actress Sílvia Bel (Barcelona, 1970) discovered the “artistic bug” at a very young age. She came from a humble family: “At home they were very poor, they were republicans and had lost the war.” Her father had started working in a factory at just 14 years old and had always had a great intellectual curiosity: “He had always wanted to go to university, but he didn't have the opportunity due to life circumstances.” For this reason, he placed many hopes in his two daughters and wished they would study a university degree. Although initially she didn't quite fit in at home, Bel decided to study dramatic art at the Institut del Teatre.

Nausicaa Bonnín (Barcelona, 1985) is waiting to do the interview with ARA reading Garlanda, Maria Rovira's book, who confesses it's making her die of laughter. Dedicated to the world of acting from a very young age – she went on stage before she was ten – she conveys a sense of someone grounded, without airs and with great naturalness. This Sunday she premieres 33 días on Atresplayer, the first fiction series born from Carles Porta's factory and based on the case of Brito and Picatoste. Bonnín plays the Mossos d'Esquadra investigator in charge of the case.

Barcelona presented this Friday a new calendar for the transformation of La Model. Nine years after the last inmates left the Eixample prison, the City Council has announced that it has just put out to tender the contract for the construction of the first facilities in the complex, with the aim that the works can begin in November of this year. To complete the remodeling, however, it will still be necessary to wait at least two terms. The horizon set by the municipal government foresees that the project will not be completely finished until 2035.

A bottle of red wine with a label of dubious origin. However, with the Pope's name printed in large letters to attract the attention of tourists who want to take home a presumably local product with the pontiff's face. All for 28.99. If the wine doesn't attract so much attention, there are many other souvenirs to buy on the occasion of the visit of Leo XIV to Barcelona that are beginning to appear in the souvenir shops around the Sagrada Família. It will be in the temple where the Pope plans to celebrate a mass on June 10. visit of Leo XIV to Barcelona that are beginning to appear in the souvenir shops around the Sagrada Família. It will be in the temple where the Pope plans to celebrate a mass on June 10.

The medieval monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, in Cap de Creus, has managed to revive one of its greatest lost treasures: its 12th-century marble portal. Through the Eyes of History, an audiovisual project, the monument has recreated the original composition of this Romanesque gem, accompanied by an immersive experience that transports the visitor directly to the feudal era.

Sport makes fairy tales seem real at times. All those youngsters who want to be like Serena Williams or Rafa Nadal dream that one day they will reach a Grand Slam final. Few achieve it. But, from time to time, in tennis, logic seems to break into a thousand pieces and an unexpected guest arrives at the final. It's as if the system fails and a door opens for a modest athlete. This year, a second-tier player who has been competing for years without making much noise has reached the grand final of Roland Garros. The Pole Maja Chwalinska arrived in Paris without attracting anyone's attention and has magically become the woman of the moment.

A naval drone detonated this Friday in the Romanian port of Constanta, in the Black Sea, near an oil terminal, causing a large explosion. The incident, caused by a device similar to those used in the war in Ukraine, left no victims, according to the Ministry of Defense. Images from the scene shared on social media show a large plume of smoke rising on the horizon of the coastal city's port.

The canton of Zurich (Switzerland) has incorporated Catalan as an official language in its Heritage Language and Culture (HSK) program, which will be taught from the 2026-2027 academic year. This is a milestone driven by the Catalan School of Zurich, key for the children of the Catalan community residing in Switzerland.

An oxygen leak in the Russian segment of the International Space Station has caused NASA to order astronauts to take refuge in their respective spacecraft and remain prepared for a possible evacuation. After two hours, however, it reported that they could return to their usual place.

In an election, what is usual is that parties look towards the future. It is also not strange to look at the present if what is sought is to renew the presidency or a majority in Parliament. In certain contexts, some formations, for the future, seek to evoke the past. What is less common is that citizens arrive at the polling station and find that the two options they have to vote for evoke different pasts in their country's history, however different they may be. This is the scenario that Peru finds itself in this Sunday, as it celebrates the second round of the presidential elections.

The peace agreement between the US and Iran is pending the Trump administration unblocking $24 billion of Iranian assets, according to a senior Iranian official in an interview with CNN. "The ball is in Trump's court," said Mohsen Rezaei, military advisor to the supreme leader.

An honorific welcome to Pope Leo XIV with international resonance and a defense of Catalonia and Catalan "national language and identity". FC Barcelona, various social entities such as Òmnium and the ANC, other Catholic organizations, former presidents of the Generalitat and Parliament, and numerous political and religious personalities have signed a manifesto published as an advertisement this Friday in some international media, such as Avvenire or Corriere della Sera, as well as Catalan ones like ARA.

The Supreme Court annuls the fine of 862,496 euros that the Court of Auditors imposed on Vox for income obtained from promotional activities, which the supervisory body considered irregular donations. The high court upholds the ultras' appeal and rules that the penalty has no evidentiary basis.

The two prosecutors in the Leire case request new proceedings to continue the investigation. In a document, to which ARA has had access, they request that Judge Santiago Pedraz summon the president of the PSOE, Cristina Narbona, as a witness. This is a request that Hazte Oír made in December 2025.

The summary of the Leire Díez case, which is being investigated in the National Court, includes the recording of two meetings held by the so-called PSOE's plumber with Francisco Martínez, who was the number two to minister Jorge Fernández Díaz as Secretary of State for Security and who is currently sitting on the defendant's bench for the Kitchen case. On July 15, 2024, he himself told Leire Díez how Gonzalo Boye – Carles Puigdemont's lawyer – and Javier Pérez Dolset – who is also under investigation – had offered him to be included in the amnesty law. As can be heard in the recording to which ARA has had access, it was the businessman who contacted him to put on the table a "collaboration" under which, in return, he would have to "give explanations" and "recognize the authenticity" of some documents to the investigation commission on Operation Catalonia. He was surprised by it all: "It seems strange to me, I didn't see any possibility that I could be included in the amnesty in legal and political terms, but I thought I had nothing to lose by sitting down. And I sat down many times with the businessman Javier and the lawyer Gonzalo," he explained.

La Sagrada Família is a Catholic church, a monument, and a tourist attraction. But it is also one of the economic engines of the city of Barcelona, both for the business it indirectly generates, for example through tourism, and also for its direct business volume, for the investments it makes, and for the jobs it creates. The figures are clear: in 2025, the basilica closed with generated income of 134.5 million euros. A turnover that has been growing in recent years.

The meat industry is the main agri-food sector in Catalonia, both in terms of business volume and employment. And within this field, the cured meats sector has a very significant weight and is a benchmark within the State. According to a new mapping of the sector published this Friday by Promotora d'Exportacions Catalanes (Prodeca) – an organization attached to the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food – the cooked and cured meats sector in Catalonia has consolidated itself as a leader in production and export in Spain as a whole, with a share of 44% of turnover volume and 58% of export sales volume.

Grup Salas has bought the land from Incasòl to build a hotel in Martorell. It is the last plot of land for economic activity that this public body had in La Sínia.

Durant anys, els visitants de la seu a Shenzhen de BYD, el principal fabricant mundial de vehicles elèctrics (VE), han presenciat una demostració de seguretat amb explosius. Mentre observen l'interior d'una cambra amb un gruixut vidre protector, un trepant perfora una bateria convencional de VE, que s'incendia. A continuació, es perfora de la mateixa manera una de les bateries blade característiques de BYD, però sense l'explosió posterior.

Taipei and San Francisco have been the scenes this week of a trend change in personal computing. At Computex in Taipei, Jensen Huang announced Nvidia's entry into the PC processor market with the RTX Spark chip, shaking up a sector dominated for decades by Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and Apple. In San Francisco, Microsoft held the Build 2026 conference at a particularly symbolic moment: exactly two months after formalizing its separation from OpenAI (which has just surpassed 1 billion ChatGPT users), the company wants to demonstrate that it can walk alone in artificial intelligence.

Around 150 workers have been evacuated due to the large-scale fire that is burning this Friday the factory owned by Montesa Honda in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (Vallès Occidental), both from this company and from nearby factories, according to the Local Police of the municipality.

"I believe that today or tomorrow they will take us to Montjuïc. [...] I have nothing but to thank our Lord God who gives me reason and occasion to suffer [...] Do not lose hope. Cheer up!".These are the words written by Domènec Ribas Prat on November 11, 1938, two and a half months before Franco's troops occupied Barcelona. Ribas (1888-1955), manager of Magatzems Jorba —Can Jorba, on Portal d'Àngel in Barcelona—, addressed it to his wife, Neus Jorba, just after learning of the sentence condemning him to death. Although his file has not been preserved at the Model Prison, the text indicates that when he wrote the letter his transfer to Montjuïc Castle was imminent. Together with the text, Oriol Font, the businessman's grandson, has handed over to the association Memòria i Història de ManresaMemòria i Història de Manresa an unpublished drawing by an unknown author that portrays the businessman during his captivity in Montjuïc.

The Mossos are investigating a new shooting in the Sant Roc neighborhood of Badalona, after a 10-year-old girl was injured by a stray bullet on Sunday. The new shooting reportedly took place at the same spot, on Còrdova street. However, police sources indicate that the two incidents are not related.

They first started in the network of Libraries of Barcelona and the Diputació, but now the staff stoppages of the Public Reading System have spread throughout Catalonia. As of this Friday, public libraries in Catalonia will go on an indefinite strike – called by the CGT – which includes stoppages every Friday and Saturday until the labor dispute, which they claim affects the sector, is resolved. They are demanding better working and salary conditions, and denounce a lack of staff, work-life balance problems, and a "precariousness" of the service.

More time to evaluate the document and reprimands for not sending it before the meeting. This has been the response of the unions to the new proposal from the Valencian government to end an indefinite strike in education that already adds up to four weeks during a meeting that has been broadcast online.

The topic of the week has been the regularization of half a million immigrants. Although you might think it's not an economic issue, it's a topic that comes up in all my economics classes.

Coinciding with the start of university pre-registration, UNPORTAL and ARA offer you a search engine with the offering of university degrees that are taught next academic year at the 12 Catalan universities (the 8 that participate in the pre-registration system and the 4 that apply their own admission processes) to help you choose your studies.

“When I was little I lived huddled in a dark street. The sea was humid there, but the sun was cheerful there”. This is how one of Joan Maragall's poems begins, masterfully recited by actor Jep Barceló in the show Maragall at home, a splendid monologue woven from articles, poems, and correspondence from one of the most listened-to voices in Catalonia at the turn of the last century. The show takes place in what was the dining room of Maragall's house, in Barcelona's Sant Gervasi neighborhood. In this room every afternoon, at five o'clock, punctually, the couple had tea (Joan Maragall's wife, Clara Noble, was of English origin on her father's side).

Teachers and professors rejected the agreement between the unions and the Department of Education and the strikes will continue. In fact, this morning, a group of teachers occupied the building of the territorial services of the department in the Zona Franca of Barcelona, in the first of the mobilizations that will continue from here until the end of the school year. All of this is very bad news because everything that interrupts the daily life of the school ends up harming the students' education. And with a child poverty rate (under 18 years old) of more than 30%, if school fails, almost everything fails. Consider that there are thousands of Catalan children who, besides learning, go to school to eat a hot meal.A 65% of teachers who participated in the consultation (which was 60% of the total staff) voted against the agreement reached by the majority unions and the Government. Therefore, the responsibilities for the situation are widely distributed, between the Government and the unions.To begin with, the Government made a complete mistake the day it signed an agreement with UGT and Comissions, which are not the majority unions, as if to suggest that the teachers' protests had already ended or no longer had any reason to continue. That was an almost reckless error, because it angered the teachers even more. And USTEC, which later signed an improved and expanded agreement, has now been disavowed by its own people. In other words, as Murphy's Law states, if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, and today we are in an unknown situation, and in a conflict whose end is not in sight.And for that very reason, it would now be very important not to make any more mistakes so that we don't all get hurt any further. Because look, we have problems in this country (as in all countries in the world), but that of education is the most serious problem that Catalonia has. The most serious. Because it affects the present and the future of the country, it affects millions of people, in their training, their critical thinking, their possibilities for personal development, their professional future…Not being wrong means the direct involvement of the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. It means that the opposition should be very selective in its wear and tear on the Government and that we should all try to reach agreements for the country. Because the person responsible for the current situation is the current government, with Councillor Niubó at the helm. But that schools in Catalonia are not doing well is not new. There are responsibilities of all the parties that have governed in the deterioration. We are facing the deep malaise of an education system in emergency and I fear, I notice, how would I put it... that we are facing it with old negotiation categories from the government as an employer and the unions, but that no one with authority is bringing wills together to define the problem, much less the solutions.

More games, more original and more adapted to mobile. This summer, the ARA has improved and expanded its hobby website of language with four new games. The popular success of activities such as the ARA website Trobamot and the Crossword, which are among the most viewed content every day, added to the readers that the Saturday game supplement has been cultivating, Capficated, has made the newspaper double down on its games portal with four signature puzzles, which are added to the four we already had.

The subscriber Antoni Soler Ricart sends me a very detailed email in which he shows his disgust and disagreement with the editorial of May 10, titled “Defence and technology: a Catalan bet”, as it represents “the official position of the newspaper”. The reader understands that in the Opinion section there may be articles for and against the defence and security industry, but adds: “I find it very difficult to understand why a newspaper like yours, which has always been characterized by its sensitivity against wars and militarism, by a progressive vision of international relations and by its independence, should express itself so enthusiastically on such a sensitive and controversial topic”. Immediately afterwards, Antoni Soler, former president of the Fundació per la Pau (FundiPau) with an accredited pacifist trajectory, develops at length and with criteria his position, emphasizing the gap between, for example, the resources allocated to the military industry and those allocated to healthcare or education, in a Catalan society that has excelled in the “no to war”.The deputy director, Ignasi Aragay, specifies that the editorial "was indeed focused exclusively from an economic and business point of view". He highlights the "strong roots of pacifism in Catalonia from the Spanish Civil War onwards", but already coming from a tradition and looking to the future from Europeanism which, "strengthened after the Second World War, has also been based on the idea of avoiding new wars on the continent". However, "the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the fact that the United States is renouncing its role in ensuring, via NATO, security in Europe in the face of Putin's threat, has changed the situation", and it is considered that "Europe's need to assume its own defense means, indeed, having to think about the military industry", not only from an economic point of view but also for geopolitical responsibility. Aragay concludes: "Defending Europe against the danger of Russian aggression is, in ideological terms, defending social-liberal democracy and consolidating this democratic space globally. The alternative is to be at the mercy of the military and economic power of a United States that is no longer a reliable partner or of a dictatorial China".The head of Opinion, Toni Güell, reviews the articles that have profusely defended pacifist positions: “In the newspaper, the dissemination of opinions from experts in the antimilitarist and/or anti-armament line is mainly distributed between the Debate and International sections. In Debate, opinion articles by Vicenç Fisas or Jordi Armadans stand out in this regard, as well as those by analysts who, like Carme Colomina, David Fernàndez or Natza Farré, have pointed out from different perspectives the cost that European rearmament could entail for the maintenance of the welfare state. For its part, International monitors the reports and positions of organizations such as the Delàs Centre, the ICIP (Catalan Institute for Peace) or the SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute). The newspaper also dedicated a dossier to the position of pacifism in current Europe and created an interactive on unarmed civil resistance to the war in Ukraine”. The final sentence of the complaint that Antoni Soler Ricart has handed to me has made me think a lot and a lot: “If they continue down this path, my conscience will oblige me to unsubscribe.” We talk about the habit of the conscience clause of professionals, but little or nothing about that of users, who nevertheless also have it: a patient can choose to change doctors and the reader of a newspaper can decide to stop reading it or subscribing to it. Defending the reader is, therefore, proclaiming this right. Another thing is that, by synecdoche in the customary tradition of misappropriation of generalizations, a specific and thematically circumscribed editorial can be considered the editorial line of ARA, and that the newspaper has actually published articles of the opposite sign, as Toni Güell demonstrates. Based on all this, I thank the subscriber for putting their rights in black and white and I ask them to renew their trust in us and help us keep the ethical ceiling high.Of you or of usted and a consideration about Saint George's dragon

Reader Fèlix Tarrida sends me a reflection on the treatment between journalists and interviewees. He says: “Yesterday Monday [May 4th] was published "an interview with Mrs. Vania Arana, founder of the Las Kellys union, where the journalist addressed her using 'tu' and not 'vostè'. Yesterday, in an interview with a water polo player, he was addressed using 'vostè'. I would say that the newspaper should always use the 'vostè' form of address. I can't imagine an interview with any politician, for example, being addressed using 'tu'. In the case of Las Kellys, furthermore, someone could see a certain lack of respect for who they are and the work they do. So, Mr. Batista, what are the newspaper's criteria regarding this matter?”Newspapers, in general, have maintained the vostè at least formally in their interviews, in the spirit of the distance that is also proclaimed when we invoke the third informative person. It is distance rather than respect, because tu does not necessarily imply a lack of respect, one would have to impute the connotations and context to endorse the negativity. The criterion of ARA that subscriber Tarrida asks me is flexible, it varies according to people, generations, situations, formality or relaxation. Without this ad hoc criterion, there would be informal address as forced as formal address, and sometimes the corset makes interviews conducted on a first-name basis, for example due to friendship between journalist and interviewee, be transcribed as formal address. for familiar, friendship, colleague proximities...; tu (you, informal) for family closeness, friendships, colleagues...; vostè(you, formal) for elegant distance and vós (you, plural formal) as an expression of respect for those who, by generation or custom, were not new to a form that can be considered archaic in our habitat of “viral” informal address. And from the words to the image, Xavier Abertí writes to me: “It’s not that I want to give it any importance, and I think it’s more due to convenience than centralism, but the fact is that, in the Sant Jordi special where a good bunch of dragon images were inserted, I think they were all from Barcelona. And we have more elsewhere. Just to name three close to home and that I think are very successful: one from Cassà de la Selva, under the balcony of the house of Can Trinxeria (today municipal); the other, contemporary, in Plaça de Catalunya in Figueres. The first is the work of Enric Clarassó and the other of Mercè Riba. And still a third, the mysterious dragon of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. And surely hundreds more would be found.”Albertí elegantly dismisses the topic, but from this platform his commentary is valuable for highlighting what other readers have also reproached us for: the prevalence in the newspaper of a Barcelonian perspective of Catalonia, the "city of Catalonia" – I refer to the studies by Oriol Nel·lo, who was precisely Secretary of Territorial Planning appointed by Pasqual Maragall–. Newspaper mastheads explain the world from their national viewpoint, but this must begin by well explaining all possible registers of their own inner reality, which sometimes involves a dispute against the metropolitan potential for news creation. Let us leave to Saint Eulalia and La Mercè the patronage of Barcelona and, given that Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia, it would have been more appropriate to look for dragons in the biodiversity that remains outside the walls of The City of Wonders.The Reader's Advocate takes note of doubts, suggestions, criticisms, and complaints about the newspaper's content in its digital and print editions, and ensures that the treatment of information is in accordance with the deontological codes.To contact the Reader's Advocate you can send an email to eldefensor@ara.cat or record a message of no more than one minute to the WhatsApp number 653784787. In all cases, identification with name, surnames and ID number is required.

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The Christmas and January holidays represent a peak in household spending. Given this reality, the key is not only to have planned ahead, but also to take advantage of the start of the year to establish a solid monthly budget. We're often told to cut back on "small expenses"—like coffee at the bar—but the goal isn't to deprive ourselves of little pleasures, but rather to better manage the big picture. To improve our financial health, there are only two paths: increase income or reduce expenses.

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The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal on points of law filed by the Bishopric of Mallorca against the ruling that recognized the Hieronymite nuns of the monastery of Santa Isabel de Palma as owners of the property. Thus, the high court considers the decision issued by the Provincial Court of Palma in May 2024 to be final.

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"Discovering these Hebrew fragments has been one of those wonderful coincidences," says Laura Tienda, director of the Terra Alta Regional Archive. They are the first parchments in the Hebrew language found in the Terres de l'Ebre and were in Casa Coll, an imposing building of medieval origin located in the historic center of Vilalba dels Arcs, on the corner between Carrer Major and Carrer del Call. The house belonged to the same family until recently and has a very long history: it served as headquarters for the Carlist general Ramon Cabrera during the 19th century and suffered severe damage during the Civil War.

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With the exciting aroma of the paellas that would serve as a popular lunch and with some fireworks escaping in the background, Sala Beckett presented its new season this Friday on a street-level stage. "Welcome to the Beckett's birthday party in Poblenou!", exclaims director Toni Casares with a burst of voice. Ten years ago, the venue moved from a basement in Gràcia to this large headquarters in the old industrial neighborhood, a former cooperative exceptionally renovated by the award-winning Flores i Prats studio. "It is a success story resulting from a conflict that could have ended badly. The process of expelling activities inherent to the city due to speculative processes was then beginning," recalled the current Secretary of State, Jordi Martí, formerly delegate of Culture and deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council. He participated in the search and capture of the new space to save a theater project that had proven fundamental for Catalan authorship and with a historic past of commitment. As recalled by the Councilor for Culture, Xavier Marcé, "the venue was founded in the late 70s by José Sanchis Sinisterra and Teatro Fronterizo".

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The Hitchcockian thriller of Cinema Truffaut has reached its end. After weeks of extensions and uncertainty, the Girona City Council announced this Friday that it has finally awarded the public tender to the company Rambla de l’Art - Cambrils, which had achieved a higher score, for economic reasons, than the current project of the Col·lectiu de Crítics de Girona. Therefore, Truffaut will cease to be managed by the non-profit association that created the project and has managed it in an exemplary manner for the last 25 years. In the next fifteen business days, the critics will leave their positions and lower the cinema's blinds, awaiting the arrival of the new managers.

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From time to time, rain claims a spot as a headliner at Primavera Sound. It happened a couple of years ago during PJ Harvey's memorable concert and it happened again this Thursday evening, when the Fòrum venue was already full of a crowd ready to spread out among the different stages. The combination of rain and wind, with gusts of up to 80 km/h, conditioned the first day, and "for safety reasons" performances on the two main stages on the marine platform (where four concerts were cancelled) were temporarily suspended, and later on other stages. It was the decision taken diligently by the festival's management, and communicated in Catalan, Spanish, and English throughout the venue. The festival will announce on Monday the protocol for the return of Thursday tickets.

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Sometimes, environments outside your bubble allow you to speak more freely than in front of an expert but disapproving audience. Eager to see if I can catch fresh fish, I attend a talk about creative industries organized by BCD at Juno House (an elegant club located in the old flour mill on Aribau street) with the general director of Penguin Random House, Núria Cabutí, and the editor of Edhasa and president of the Catalan Publishers' Guild, Daniel Fernández. The talk begins with a brief but interesting linguistic dispute (and the event ends up being held in Catalan) which links to the fact that "Barcelona is the capital of publishing in Catalan and Spanish". "There is no other industry that, from Catalonia, leads as the publishing sector leads", highlights the event's presenter, the publicist Enric Jové. "Well, it has been difficult for us to get the Ministry of Industry to understand that we are an industry. The book's business volume in Spain is 3,000 million euros. In a very good year, Spanish cinema grosses 80 to 100 million. But they have the Goyas and a brutal propaganda machine —says the president of the Guild—. However, we are an industry that has intellectual prestige. That's why Amazon started selling books".

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Fundació Enciclopèdia Catalana has announced that it is beginning a new phase two and a half years after going through a delicate moment, which resulted in a reduction of staff through an employment regulation file (ERO) to dismiss 15 people. After managing to overcome the latest crisis, and coinciding with its sixtieth anniversary, the editorial conglomerate has made public its new business strategy, which bets "on education, on knowledge in Catalan (also in digital environments) and on the international projection of the catalog".

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The most important and anticipated sporting event of the year is almost here. On Thursday, June 11th, the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico begins, the first to be contested by 48 national teams (instead of the current 32). Three countries and sixteen cities will host the 104 matches, culminating on Sunday, July 19th (9:00 PM) with the grand final to be played at the MetLife Stadium located in New Jersey (near New York City). This event will mark a generational shift in the world of football, as it will be the last World Cup for Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, and the emergence of new global stars like Lamine Yamal, who will play in his first World Cup.

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On June 11, millions of people will be paying attention to everything that happens at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. For the third time in its history, this venue will host the opening match of a World Cup, in this case the duel between Mexico and South Africa. Never before has a stadium been the venue for three different World Cups, although this year it will not be able to host the final, as it will take place on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In a modern 21st-century World Cup full of newly built stadiums with commercial brand names, the Azteca connects with the past. A stadium with its own personality, now that all modern stadiums look alike. The venue in southern Mexico City has undergone a major renovation to adapt it to new times, although it remains that stadium where in 1970 Pelé led the most beautiful team of all time and where in 1986, Maradona touched the sky with Argentina. A stadium to which songs have been dedicated, which appears in films and which hides a surprising story, as to build it, one man was on the verge of losing everything.

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The former coach of Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, Vicente del Bosque, has joined Enrique Riquelme's candidacy in the white club's elections, alongside names like Hierro, Raúl, or Iker Casillas.

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In early 1993, Pedro Masaveu Peterson died. He was the man who had amassed the largest fortune in the history of Spain: some 350 billion pesetas, which, converted to euros and without adjusting for inflation, would have been more than 2.1 billion. His name was (and still is) unknown to most people, and his image is even more so, as no one would have recognized him on the street (he was known to be a heavily built man with a 19th-century beard). To get an idea of the size of his estate, it's worth knowing that a few months after his death, another major financier of the time, Emilio Botín-Sanz de Sautuola y López, president of Banco Santander between 1950 and 1986, died. His heirs had to pay half of what they had earned in inheritance tax. A tax bill of that amount could not go unnoticed by the public administrations, so the autonomous communities of Madrid and Asturias spent more than a decade litigating to keep the loot, in a fight that the Asturians ultimately won.

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In the bazaar of Khuyand, the second largest city in Tajikistan, until May of last year, women walked around with hijabs and abayas, others in European clothing with their hair uncovered, and others with scarves tied at the nape of their necks and colorful tunics. Now, however, one of these garments has been banned. In a country with over 90% Muslim population, one might think the state has banned uncovering their hair. But no. In Tajikistan, which is constitutionally secular, the fined woman is the one wearing a hijab.

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None of them are willing to have their real names appear in this report, and most prefer to conduct the interview by telephone. Some are minors, teenagers: their voices and manner of expression give them away. However, their ages are irrelevant because they all tell similar stories. Soraya is 20 years old, of Moroccan origin, and claims that her parents don't let her leave the house alone. She always has to be accompanied by her nine-year-old brother or her fifteen-year-old sister. Sukleen, 16, born in India but raised here, laments that her parents don't let her socialize with boys. And Laila, also 16 but originally from Bangladesh, was beaten by her father simply for wanting to study music.

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Psychologist and writer Jaume Funes and Mari Carmen have been together their entire lives. They met when they were 17 and 21 and married when they were 21 and 26, in 1973, "the same week Carrero Blanco was blown up," Jaume recalls. They were married by Juan Garcia Nieto, "a Jesuit priest and worker who was a leading figure in the social struggle in Cornellà," with whom both Jaume and Mari Carmen had collaborated in more or less clandestine activities since they were teenagers, and through whom they met. "Back then, we didn't have adolescence; we studied and worked. We were children of working-class families, and we both inherited the desire to know more and learn more," explains the psychologist.

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"This building is like a Bach fugue." Anna Bofill means it, and she will explain it later, sitting on one of the benches in one of the four blue courtyards of the building she helped build from the Taller de Arquitectura. We are in Walden 7, this great mass in Sant Just Desvern that stands out from the highway and most people know only from hearing about it or from photographs. It's cold, and the interior is somber and imposing. It's no wonder some compare the building to a cathedral, perhaps Baroque like the musician, because in these ground-floor communal spaces there is a clear—and perhaps too obvious—desire for monumentality. But they achieve their effect. They are imposing, they fascinate. The apartments will be another matter later, which are of different types but in many cases cozy and, surprisingly, bright.

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A dinner on the terrace of the Windsor restaurant in Barcelona (Còrsega street, 232) with live music on Fridays and Saturdays for fifty euros flat, all-inclusive, desserts, coffees, and drinks. It is the proposal launched by the director and owner, Joan Junyent, who explains that the dishes follow the basic premises of the restaurant: Catalan and local cuisine.

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“Never leave us!”, shouted a gentleman. “Return!”, “Hospitality!”, “Main festival!”. The public shared what they thought of when they thought of Motel Empordà. We are at this pilgrimage site on its 65th anniversary. On June 4, 1961, Josep Mercader inaugurated this temple of good cuisine and culture just outside Figueres. Culture understood in a broad, generous, and deeply rooted way.

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The singer Maria Jaume (Lloret de Vistalegre, 1999) is one of the emerging voices in Catalan music, with a proposal that combines joy and rootedness: songs that draw from popular culture without losing sight of social concerns or giving up the freshness of pop. In her latest album, Sant Domingo forever, released in February, she pays a joyful and honest tribute to her town's main festival.Sant Domingo Forever is an album animated for such internationally turbulent months…

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The managers of BSM, the municipal company that manages the Tibidabo amusement park, have described it as a "crazy idea" and a "dream come true". The fact is that they have wanted to reinforce the gastronomic offer of this leisure space for some time. Enrique Tomàs and Christian Escribà are already present. Soon, it will be the turn of Albert Adrià, who cannot yet specify what, but they are already working on various proposals. In fact, it was Adrià himself who recommended Rafa Zafra to take charge of La Masia Tibidabo, the project that is starting this Friday and which they presented today to authorities and civil society.

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It is a spring Saturday, it is twelve o'clock noon sharp, and the chef Joan Roca sits at one of the tables at bar Normal, located in Plaça de l'Oli in Girona, opposite the Normal restaurant. Ten minutes later, all the tables are full. The bar Normal was inaugurated just a few weeks ago, and it is clear that they have succeeded again with an informal offering, which can serve for having a vermouth (they always open at twelve noon) as well as for all other meals of the day. Bar Normal has its own kitchen, but they share the wine and beer menu with the Normal restaurant, so you can have some fried potatoes with chipotle sauce, which are Joan Roca's favorites, with a good Catalan wine from Empordà, as is fitting where we are, or from Burgundy.

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Anabel and Vicente opened their little refuge in El Born eight years ago: Orvay. They weren't just looking to open a restaurant, but to give shape to a way of understanding the pleasure of eating and drinking, a space where gastronomy and wine would dialogue naturally, without artifice. This idea also runs through the premises. They decided to paint the walls as a journey through the colours and times of wine: at the entrance, the beige tones of the earth, the origin of everything; in the centre, the green of the living vineyard, still full of light, and in the background the deep purple, almost violet, that recalls the ripe fruit and the wine when it reaches its final destination.

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In Europe, the debate about children, adolescents, and technology is intensifying. There is increasing pressure to limit access to social networks and strengthen age verification mechanisms. This shift responds to a legitimate concern. But, even so, the question remains too simple: how many hours do they spend in front of a screen? Reducing the problem to a sum of hours is convenient, but it distances us from what truly matters.

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It can be love, protection, and welcome; but it doesn't give it. It can be care, attention, and dedication; but it is absent. Not having her because she has died is an intense and painful absence; knowing she is here and realizing she is far away is also grief. The figure of the mother when she does not offer shelter can cause a void in the child, which will be realized over the years. Dysfunctions that can manifest in very diverse ways, such as insecurities and emotional friction: by looking at them, fortunately, they can be transformed.

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From the moment of birth, Jone needed me but in a disconcerting way, very different from anything I had imagined.See that your baby doesn't need you.

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“So far, things were going great, but you arrived and it all started to go wrong.” This is the typical comment grandparents make when we go to pick up the children. Sometimes we interpret that the child behaves worse with their parents, but, as Dr. Montse Arellano, a neuropediatrician from the pediatric service at Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa, points out, in many cases the opposite is true: "It is with them that they feel much more secure”. Children spend a large part of the day striving to adapt to school, with other adults, with friends... And there – Arellano states – they tend to behave more reservedly because there are rules and less trust to express what they feel. In reality, a boy or girl letting loose in the presence of their parents and not others, she points out, is usually "a reflection of emotional security", given that they know they are in a trusted environment where they can show themselves as they are, even when they are tired or overwhelmed.

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"Too much vegetable protein", "Excess legumes", "What do we do about sugar?" The menus served in schools – in accordance with regulations and under nutritional criteria – generate a disparity of opinions among families. In Catalonia, 49.5% of children use the school canteen service, according to data from the Program for the Review of School Menus of Catalonia (PReME), based on the centers evaluated. Some schools have their own kitchens and others are supplied by companies that serve them meals. The objective is, in all cases, to offer menus adapted to needs, whether medical or for religious or moral reasons, which go beyond food: sufficient time to eat in peace – if the din allows – added to a care service before and after sitting at the table.

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Generosity is not born out of pressure, but out of respect for children's times and needs, and out of support that sets limits with empathy and without imposition.“You must share” is one of the most repeated phrases in parks, schools, and family gatherings. It is said with good intentions, almost as an automatic response, as if it were an unquestionable rule of coexistence. But what if this ingrained demand were interfering with a much deeper learning? What if, instead of educating in generosity, we were promoting responses based on pressure, obligation, or even fear of conflict? Often behind this imperative lies the adult need to resolve situations quickly, to avoid tears or tensions, or even to look good rather than to accompany what is truly a learning process. We turn “sharing” into an immediate duty, with no room to understand what the child is feeling or what they need. And in this apparently harmless gesture, we may be overlooking a key opportunity: to help them build, at their own pace, an authentic understanding of what it means to give, to wait, and to consider others.Sharing is not a simple or spontaneous gesture, no matter how often we take it for granted. It is a complex skill that is built up little by little and involves a whole series of internal learning processes: recognizing that others also have desires and needs, understanding that giving something up does not equate to losing it forever, learning to wait without anxiety, reading the emotions of others, and, above all, feeling that what is one's own is protected. Without this foundation of security, genuine generosity can hardly emerge.

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The first steps you take when you enter Puzzlemania is to step on a puzzle displayed on the floor representing a selection of the world's most popular monuments. A puzzle with 42,000 pieces! It was made by the cousin of Caroline Bellés, the owner, and it took her a year and a half to complete it. Entering this shop on Diputació street next to Enric Granados is like entering a museum, you see a selection of the world's best art, landscapes from all over, fantastic scenes and animals, many animals. All in puzzle format, you can choose from about six thousand possibilities, a truly spectacular selection. And all the puzzles are displayed, as if they were paintings, which is greatly appreciated, since in most department stores and toy shops, they are on their side and you have to take them off the shelf to see if you like them or not. It is the advantage of the large space of the premises and a specialization that has lasted for three decades.

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At El Prat airport, just before boarding the plane, Revolut is everywhere. The logo of this bank appears in vinyls on the boarding bridges, in flashing advertisements in the terminal corridors, and also on ATMs that allow you to get one of their cards in a few minutes. The promise is simple: pay with different currencies in any country and reduce the commissions that have traditionally accompanied travel. The same scene is repeated on the other side of the journey. In cities like Budapest, Lisbon, Paris, Milan or Amsterdam, it is increasingly common for someone, between coffees, taxis, dinners, and transport tickets, to take out their mobile, open the app, and pay with Revolut's virtual card.Neobanks are on the rise. They are entities born on mobile that have taken advantage of the fatigue with traditional banking, the expansion of digital payments, and the normalization of traveling without cash. Revolut is today one of its great exponents. In 2025, it closed with 68.3 million individual clients, 30% more than the previous year, and a turnover of 5.2 billion euros. Now, the company no longer wants to be just the card that many activate when they go on a trip, but the main bank for its users. In this offensive, Barcelona plays a prominent role: after opening its technology hub for Southwest Europe, Revolut will inaugurate the first physical store in the world there. It is an almost paradoxical move for a company that has grown by promising that its bank would fit inside a mobile phone.But where does Revolut come from? Who is behind this branchless bank that has managed to sneak into the pockets of millions of people? The answer can be found in London in 2015.The drama of commissions

The story begins in the British capital eleven years ago. The protagonist is Nik Storonsky, a former trader with Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse used to moving between currencies, markets, and airports. Like many other travelers, Storonsky had suffered the drama of commissions: returning from a trip and discovering that the bank had charged him more than he expected for paying, withdrawing money, or exchanging currencies. Moving money around the world continued to be slow, expensive, and not very transparent. That's why he imagined a multi-currency card that would allow spending and transferring money abroad with less friction than traditional banking. Vlad Yatsenko, a computer engineer with experience in large investment banks, soon joined the project. Today, Revolut is one of the most valuable technology companies in Europe.The official launch of Revolut took place in July 2015. The initial proposal was very specific: an application and a card designed to spend money abroad with competitive exchange rates and without the small print that had often accompanied traditional banking. It was very well received. In fact, by 2016, Revolut had already reached 300,000 customers and had raised 15 million dollars in a funding round. It was still a young fintech, but it had already found a market niche.From here, Revolut accelerated. In 2017 it launched Revolut Business, the premium plan and the first cryptocurrency operations; in 2018 it obtained the banking license from the Bank of Lithuania and raised 250 million dollars; and in 2019 it already had 7.8 million customers and began to expand outside of Europe, entering Australia and Singapore. The pandemic further pushed digitization: in 2020 it surpassed 11 million customers, raised 580 million dollars, and landed in the United States and Japan. In just five years, the card against travel fees had already begun to resemble a global bank.In 2021, Revolut raised 800 million dollars in a new round and launched services linked to travel and expense management. In 2022, it already surpassed 26 million individual customers; in 2023, it entered Brazil and New Zealand and began offering local IBANs in markets like Spain. In 2024, it reached 52.5 million users and was valued at 45 billion dollars. In 2025, coinciding with its tenth anniversary, it made another leap: it reached 68.3 million individual customers, opened its first own ATMs in Spain, and received a valuation of 75 billion dollars. Today, the fintech that was born to avoid travel commissions is starting to play in the league of big global banks.

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On Saint John's Day in 1826, a historic event occurred in the center of Barcelona which, despite its great significance, is not entirely known. Generally, the beginning of public street lighting is remembered as the moment in 1843 when the Societat Catalana per a l'Enllumenat per Gas, founded by Pere Gil Babot and Charles Lebon, began to operate. But the reality is that a few years earlier, a solitary entrepreneur named Josep Roura Estrada illuminated a building in Barcelona for the first time using gas. The Saint John's Day we mentioned a few lines back was the date chosen by Roura to install a lighting system in the Llotja building, which was the seat of the Junta de Comerç school.

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In Catalonia, in 2025, 158,000 home sales were formalized. According to the College of Notaries, 46% were made without a mortgage, that is, in cash. If we consider that the average price of a home in Catalonia is around 220,000 euros, the figure is, to say the least, surprising. But there's more: in 2024, this percentage reached 49%.

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Changes in the governing bodies or management positions of companies are not only driven by new hires. Sometimes, departures gain more weight. In just a few days, two of the main Ibex-35 companies have experienced this firsthand: Naturgy and Indra. In fact, a question mark hangs over the composition of their boards of directors due to the departure in Indra's case of the Escribano brothers, who held 14.3% of the company's share capital, while at Naturgy, it was the English investment fund CVC (13.8%) that divested. Other musical chairs are added to these movements.

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It seems to us that we are reading an entertaining novel, with a young character, in his twenties, and without a penny in his pocket, who goes with a lily in his hand and doesn't stop walking (especially due to lack of money): what has always been called a coming-of-age novel or apprenticeship novel. In reality, however, it is an ambitious chronicle, with some episodes with a lot of spice, starring this passionate pilgrim (godless) who decided to risk everything on the gamble of becoming a poet-writer. An admirer of Fyodor M. Dostoevsky and Friedrich Nietzsche, from whom he draws much inspiration, and of William Shakespeare and François Villon. Born in La Selva del Camp in 1882, a bastard son, repudiated by his father (which will mark him deeply), self-taught, often scorned for his lack of academic culture. Of a timid disposition (“The old timidity of the Ferreters put into the blood”). For this reason, despite loving books madly, the protagonist – the author himself, Puig i Ferreter, with no additions – advocates, convinced, for lived culture before learned culture: “This is how I have always used reality to turn it into art. Not by hunting for documents with a notebook in hand, but by taking advantage of the ‘things’ I have lived or that have impressed me deeply and have remained within me with all their colors, in that depth of human experience which, transposed by imagination and fantasy, is the vital treasure of the artist”.

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After the storm comes the calm, they say, but also laments, anger, criticism, understanding, and resignation, often all at once. After the rain and wind wiped out a large part of Thursday's headliners at Primavera Sound, on Friday there was a great desire to enjoy a good day of concerts and to discuss the situation that left Massive Attack, Doja Cat, and Bad Gyal out of the festival. The warmth of the sun on a breezy afternoon was also celebrated as a victory, and doubts were shared about how the refunds for Thursday's tickets would be handled. The festival management announced that on Monday the "refund operation will be detailed", which will only be made to people who bought a ticket for Thursday – which cost 150 euros – and not to those who purchased a pass for the entire festival – priced at up to 390 euros.

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"My life has always been a bit like an auca," states Joan Pera. That's why, when he decided to write a show about his life, his comedies, feelings, and memories, he thought of doing it with this structure of panels in which, alone on stage, he reviews his career with a comic tone: when he went to school, when he started dedicating himself to theater, when Capri, Paco Morán, and Woody Allen appeared in his life. L'auca del senyor Pera, directed by two of his usual accomplices, Daniel Anglès and Jaume Viñas, is playing starting this Thursday at the Teatre Condal.

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"Due to a family emergency, Rosalía has to postpone her upcoming concerts in Miami and Orlando", promoter Live Nation communicated this Thursday. The singer was scheduled to perform this Thursday and Saturday at Miami's Kaseya Center and next Monday at Orlando's Kia Center.

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From June 14 to 17, the fourth edition of the international cinema and artificial intelligence festival +RAIN Film Festival will be held, an event promoted by Pompeu Fabra University that renews the debate on the impact of AI in cinema, audiovisual, and digital culture. As explained at the presentation by the festival director and professor of communication theories and quantitative research methods Frederic Guerrero, in the first editions, the discussion revolved around art and cinema created with artificial intelligence, while, for now, the thematic focus has shifted towards the social impact of AI in different aspects, such as accessibility, sustainability, and ethical implications.

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It has been fifteen years since Mercat de les Flors, Festival Grec and Temporada Alta first brought shows by Peeping Tom to Catalan audiences. The fascination with those incredibly original creations by a Belgian company, with never-before-seen dancer movement and a hyperrealistic, almost cinematic atmosphere, sealed their love affair with the city. Directors Gabriela Carrizo and Franck Chartier even moved to Barcelona, although Peeping Tom maintains its headquarters in Brussels, and, especially in alliance with the Teatre Nacional, they have staged their latest shows from here, international co-productions that tour mainly in Europe and North America with a Catalan hallmark. This is the case with Chroniques, which can be seen in the Sala Gran of the TNC for more days than usual for dance: from June 4 to 14.

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Can Gabriel is a house that explains how it is made. Also how the building in the historic center of Palma where it is located is made. The radical intervention carried out by the architects of TEd’A, the team led by Jaume Mayol and Irene Pérez, is explained through an architecture that turns construction processes into part of the daily experience of living. This is a work that claims the beauty of bare materials, of joints, of seams, of textures, and of visible imperfections. And it shows that, sometimes, a good way to transform a space is to start by leaving it to the bones. This project has become one of the most celebrated works of recent Spanish architecture: awarded at the XVII Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, distinguished with an award by La Casa de la Arquitectura, finalist of the FAD 2025 awards, and selected for the Mies van der Rohe awards.

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When we talk about beautiful bodies, we tend to imagine a kind of natural grace or exceptional physical attributes that only a minority of people are lucky enough to have received at birth. But what we consider beauty is not a universal or immutable reality, but a cultural construction that each society defines according to its values, imaginaries, and ways of looking. A beauty that, far from being sought for the personal enjoyment of inhabiting one's own body, needs the external gaze to exist and acquire meaning through the approval of others. It is no coincidence, then, that throughout the 20th century and as the means of reproducing and disseminating images multiplied, beauty ideals became increasingly conditioned by technologies of visibility.

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A.J. Alfafara is 47 years old and has a life rebuilt on the ashes of a past that civil law refuses to bury. Although she hasn't heard from her husband in over a decade, the Philippine state still considers her his wife. This activist encountered the cruelty of the system when trying to buy a home: a routine procedure became a wall when the notary informed her that, without the signature of a man who had been missing for ten years, she had no legal standing to acquire her own roof over her head. Her case is not an anecdote, but a reflection of a legal structure that keeps tens of thousands of women in the Philippines – one of only two countries in the world, along with the Vatican, where divorce is illegal – trapped in marriages that now only exist on the republic's stamped paper.

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When Marilyn Monroe died on August 4, 1962, her belongings went to Lee Strasberg, who had been her teacher at the legendary Actor's Studio and had become her confidant. Among the actress's possessions were a handful of manuscripts, letters, and some of her own poems, texts that Monroe often scribbled on hotel stationery wherever she stayed. All these personal writings were first edited in 2010, under the title Fragments" (Spanish edition published by Seix Barral), and they offer a privileged glimpse into the inner world, expressed in the first person, of this actress who was born a century ago, on June 1, 1926. They also give us a lesser-known image of the star: that of the avid reader; that of the actress who feels secure in front of photographers but not when she has to speak with journalists; that of the woman who connects with the progressive political concerns of the time; that of the performer who finds in New York a territory for artistic enrichment at the antipodes of Hollywood glamour.

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In the first Bad Bunny concert in Barcelona, fans who had paid five hundred euros to enjoy the show from the VIP area posted very distressing videos on social media. Trapped in a supposedly privileged space, they were compressed, with no possibility of moving. They were stuck against each other as if they were traveling on the worst Renfe routes. Some videos showed people crushed against the fences, asking staff for help to leave that place, lamenting an inhumane situation that barely allowed them to breathe. The organization has contradicted the complaints, but, in any case, the situation for fans who had spent the equivalent of a month's rent for a small apartment to see Bad Bunny seemed more like an ordeal than a night of euphoria.

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In 1874, Jules Duruof and his wife got lost while trying to cross the Atlantic in a balloon. At that time, balloons – and airships too – had no maneuverability and were often at the mercy of the wind. They fell into the water, but a fishing boat was able to pick them up. Other aeronautical adventurers were not so lucky. All this led Baldomer Oller, an aeronautics enthusiast born in Calaf and exiled in Paris, to want to devise a device that would allow the balloon to be directed wherever its crew wished, and from this came the patent for the airship Catalunya. But the story of this Catalan exiled in Paris is much more interesting and goes beyond technological entrepreneurship. It is a story of unionism, anarchism, imprisonment and torture, exile and return, with the culmination of a surprising invention that was never built.

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The commercial name of a new car is one of the elements that an automotive manufacturer takes the most care in, analyzes, designs, and evaluates. It is not easy to find a word that is easy to remember, has an attractive sound, and can be pronounced in most languages of the world, let alone make this word associated with the collective imagination of buyers. However, in recent years, several manufacturers have named some of their models with at least curious and fun names that will surely make you smile.

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The battle for the electric car between Europe and China has seen another chapter with the new Xpeng P7+, a luxury electric sedan manufactured (or rather assembled) at the brand's plant in Graz, Austria, which is 5.07 meters long and costs 45,990 euros, not including promotional discounts and institutional aid.In return, Xpeng offers a vehicle with rear-wheel drive versions and power outputs of 245 or 313 HP, and ranges of 450 and 530 kilometers respectively, and an all-wheel drive version with two motors that offers 503 HP and a range exceeding 500 kilometers. Up to this point, this Xpeng P7+ does not offer any particularly relevant element that serves as a differentiating factor from its competitors BMW i5, Volvo ES90, or Lexus ES, among others.The differentiating element of this Chinese electric sedan is its ultra-fast charging capacity of up to 446 kW for the higher-end versions, which allows the vehicle to be charged from 10% to 80% in just 12 minutes, a possibility that brings it very close to any combustion model. However, it will be complicated to find a charging point that offers such high charging powers and, therefore, this technical possibility seems impractical in the current ecosystem of fast charging points.

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Seat has gone more than 7 years without presenting any new model, and its current range is limited to the Arona, Ibiza, and Leon, after having stopped manufacturing the Ateca and Tarraco SUVs, and previously having also canceled the continuity of the Alhambra minivan and the Mii urban electric, among others.During recent years, the financial and industrial efforts of the Volkswagen group have pivoted around the new Cupra brand, which has concentrated new models and electrified versions as a market consolidation strategy. The result of this industrial commitment has been clearly successful, as Cupra has become one of the commercial pillars of the Volkswagen group, but it has postponed electrification and the arrival of new models for Seat, the rational, practical, and more or less affordable brand of the group.A leadership in Spain difficult to give up

Despite having a very short commercial offer, Seat is capable of placing the Ibiza and Arona on the lists of best-selling cars in Spain every year, and of maintaining a good volume of sales in European markets such as the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium or Germany, among others. In this regard, in the framework of an interview with the British medium Autocar, the new CEO of Seat, Markus Haupt, has confirmed that he will develop new mild hybrid or light hybrid versions of the Arona and Ibiza to reduce consumption and emissions of its models through a practical and simple approach, especially in a complicated horizon due to the tightening of European regulations on CO₂ emissions.What Seat will not yet have is an affordable urban electric car manufactured under the brand's logo. At the moment, the Volkswagen group prefers to bet on the Cupra Raval or Volkswagen ID Polo to generate a commercial margin that justifies the necessary investments to manufacture electric cars. Although these models are manufactured in Martorell, the group's management wants to wait a few more years before taking the step of electrifying the Seat brand. The costs of development and production of new vehicles, the production cost of batteries, and especially the scarce demand for electric cars in Seat's price segment and buyer profile would hardly justify a new electric vehicle with the Seat emblem.In this regard, the future of Seat is secured until 2029 or 2030, when, as Haupt himself points out, "the future of the brand will need to be evaluated" in the context of "a new scenario with the entry into force of new regulations affecting combustion vehicles". Until then, however, the CEO states that "Seat will continue to bet on the continuity of combustion models that are still commercially successful".Differentiation strategy with Cupra

Although Cupra was born as a sporty and aspirational appendix of Seat, the new CEO of the brand is clear: “We need to deepen the differentiation of Seat and Cupra”, to reinforce with the confirmation that “we will not see a Raval with the Seat logo”.Cupra's new strategy involves differentiating its product from Seat cars, and in this regard, we will never again see shared models with Seat and Cupra versions, as in the case of the Ateca or the Leon. “That was an intelligent and appropriate decision at the time –affirms Haupt–, but it is no longer useful if we want to consolidate Cupra's takeoff as a brand with a completely independent product portfolio, far from Seat.”

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Pope Leo XIV will land next Tuesday in Catalonia, a country with a strong link to the Holy See since its birth. Relations have had their ups and downs, especially when Catalonia had a voice and vote in the world, with the Catalan kings of the Crown of Aragon. After the disappearance of the Papal States in 1870, the great shift occurred with the Second Vatican Council. The bond, however, also raises a question: why does the senyera have the same colors as the flag of the Papal States?

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That the Sagrada Família has a strong political charge in itself has been demonstrated this very week by the controversy over the use of Catalan in the blessing of the tower of Jesus by Pope Leo XIV on June 10. As the poet Joan Maragall said in 1905 in an article in the Diario de Barcelona: "The Sagrada Família is the monument of Catalan identity in Barcelona, it is the symbol of eternally ascending piety, it is the concretization in stone of the yearning for height, it is the image of the popular soul". The symbolism of Antoni Gaudí's work had a political and social message from its beginnings, not just a religious one. It connects with the unique personality of the architect, a deeply Catalanist, conservative man involved in social Catholicism.

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"We have been working for many, many years for the Patum to be a success, and above all an example of harmony, of sharing, of friendship and of joy, and the City Council's plea is that this continues to be so." In this way, the mayor of Berga, Ivan Sànchez, called on Wednesday to maintain the complicity of recent years at the start of the festival. This festive atmosphere has soured this Thursday, just one day later, due to the presence of Sílvia Orriols on the balcony of the City Council. The president of Aliança Catalana was met with an unprecedented booing at the first jump of the full Patum, in which the 'guita' carried the anti-fascist flag. Hundreds of people, some with whistles, have heckled the also mayoress of Ripoll with shouts such as "Out with fascists from the Patum!" or "Jump, jump, jump, fascist whoever doesn't vote!".

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Volodymyr Zelensky warns Vladimir Putin that if he does not decide to end the war in Ukraine, he runs the risk of being a victim of a coup. In an open letter to the Russian president, the Ukrainian leader assures that it is not a threat, but that this is how Russian history works. "When Russia gets tired, changes occur," he writes. According to Zelensky, if Putin does not come to the conclusion that this conflict must end, "he will have to fight for his own survival".

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For just a few hours, Washington managed to create the impression that a new era could be opening in Lebanon. After two days of trilateral negotiations, the United States announced a ceasefire agreement late Wednesday between Israel and Lebanon, presented a roadmap for the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south, and set new talks for the end of June. But while the statement circulated among government palaces, another reality was asserting itself on the ground.

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Thousands of Albanians are occupying streets and beaches across the country to protest against tourist investments that have taken over the entire coast and threaten its biodiversity. A flamingo-shaped float is passed from hand to hand in the center of Tirana. Other flamingos are also seen in different formats: posters, flyers, badges, and even on sugar packets. Thousands of Albanians display the image of this bird in one way or another, which has become the symbol of what is the largest environmental mobilization recorded in Albania in recent years. This is why the movement has been dubbed “the flamingo revolution,” in reference to this bird that inhabits the protected landscape of Vjosa–Narta, one of the country's most important natural areas, and which developments linked to luxury tourism threaten.

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We interview the delegate president of the Sagrada Família Construction Board Foundation, Esteve Camps, a few days before Pope Leo XIV visits the temple to mark the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death.

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In 2022, the Ministry of the Interior, then led by Esquerra Republicana, approved an internal instruction to try to stop sanctioning with the so-called gag law people who protest peacefully, especially in cases of preventing an eviction. We are talking about situations like sitting on the floor in front of the home, gathering around the residence, protesting by offering peaceful resistance and encouraging other people who are not part of the mobilization to participate, and which until then often ended with a fine for disobedience. Now, however, several entities report that with the new Ministry of the Interior, led by the PSC since the end of 2024, this has changed.

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The day has arrived. After 72 hours of voting, teachers revealed this midday that they reject the preliminary agreement of the majority unions and Education. They did so in a consultation in which more than 60,000 teachers participated (approximately 60% of the teachers and professors in the public education system). Of these, 65.1% rejected the agreement and, therefore, have committed to continuing to mobilize. In contrast, those who viewed the preliminary agreement favorably remained at 34.9%.

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The Catalan biopharmaceutical Ona Therapeutics has closed a Series B funding round of 74.2 million euros to continue developing its cancer treatments. The new capital injection has been co-led by Valencian investor Columbus Venture Partners and French manager Mérieux Equity Partners, in addition to the public Cofides and the family office Korys. Current partners also participated: Asabys Partners, Alta Life Sciences, Bpifrance, CDTI, FundPlus NV, and Ysios Capital.

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The North American investment multinational Blackstone has limited the withdrawal of money from investors in its main private credit fund following a surge in investment liquidations. This is another case of massive money withdrawals from an investment vehicle dedicated to private credit, a branch of the financial industry that has been showing problems in recent months in the United States, where it operates as a shadow banking sector. shadow banking.

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New warning from the European Commission to Spain over the legislation the Spanish government used to block the failed public takeover bid (OPA) launched by BBVA against Sabadell. Brussels has sent a new letter to the State reminding it, as it already warned last summer, that it is not complying with European regulations on banking acquisitions, mergers, and spin-offs. This is Brussels' prior warning before what is known as a reasoned opinion, which, if not heeded, will lead to the case being brought before the European justice system.

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On June 7, 1926, Antoni Gaudí was run over by a tram in Barcelona. The injuries sustained would eventually cause his death. One hundred years later, this dossier celebrates his life and work.

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The Asland cement factory, promoted by Eusebi Güell in Castellar de n’Hug (Berguedà), forever marked the history of the neighboring town of La Pobla de Lillet. The factory's impact on the municipality's urbanistic and social structure has been defined as the transition, in a few years, from the Middle Ages to the modern world. And in the entire project, two works by Antoni Gaudí stand out: the Xalet del Catllaràs and the Artigas gardens, an commission from the businessman Joan Artigas Alart. For this reason, after celebrating Güell Year five years ago, the town is now celebrating Gaudí Year with some sixty events, organized by the Lillet Study Centre with the collaboration of the La Pobla de Lillet Town Council. Highlights include a film about the relationship between Güell and Gaudí with the town and an exhibition with large-format models of the old Asland factory, which began operating in 1904, and Gaudí's works.

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Barcelona's underground is dotted with air-raid shelters, and they all have a story behind them. 1,322 have been located, but there could be many more. The latest to be discovered could be shelter 230 of the Passive Defense Board and would connect to the area around the Abaceria Market.

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Barça, bewildered by the refereeing and the zonal defense set up by Sito Alonso, lost to UCAM Murcia (87-90). The Blaugrana team played with fire and ended up getting burned against an opponent who knew how to play their cards. The quarter-final tie will be decided on Saturday in Murcia. Joel Parra and Kevin Punter missed two three-pointers to force overtime, but the final stretch was conditioned by some refereeing decisions heavily criticized by the locals. "We fought and we competed, but the last two personal fouls decided the game. They had great success," lamented Xavi Pascual.

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If Enrique Riquelme defeats Florentino Pérez at the polls on Sunday, Erling Haaland will be a Real Madrid player. This is the announcement made by the candidate in the white club's elections. Riquelme presented it with a Real Madrid jersey showing the name of the Norwegian star from Manchester City and the number nine, accompanied by a notarized document in which he commits not to sell any percentage of the club if he becomes president. "I have signed a personal notarized guarantee where if I fail to keep any of my promises, I will pay 100% of all fees for Real Madrid's 100,000 members next season," he confessed.

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Twelve days after relegation to the Second Division, Girona has broken the cold and distant silence in which it had settled. It has done so without subterfuge, with most of the top officials facing the music. Such an act is not remembered at Montilivi. The president, Delfí Geli; the chairman of the board of directors and owner of 16% of the club's shareholding, Pere Guardiola; the general director, Ignasi Mas-Bagà; and the sporting director, Quique Cárcel, have conveyed an image of unity and defense of a project that will remain strong and stable despite the setback.

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Thursday night, Florentino Pérez went to campaign for the Real Madrid presidency elections on Horizonte, the far-right television nest at Mediaset. That Iker Jiménez, an expert in aliens and psychophony, interviewed him is the real paranormal phenomenon of journalism. Obviously, it was an act of revenge against Atresmedia for having invited his opponent, Enrique Riquelme, to El hormiguero the night before. But it was a bad idea to choose a program that was broadcast while the Spanish national team was playing. Part of the electorate must have been watching La 1 at that time.

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The New York Times has made a striking deployment: it has dedicated itself to analyzing the 602 times Elon Musk has made one of his fabulous promises and has set a date for them. It turns out that only in 19% of cases has he met the announced deadlines. This does not mean that the rest are failures, because there are projections for years to come, but the report sheds light on an interesting pattern: that of the promising technological carrot that is dangled in front of people's noses. And what we should ask ourselves is why he makes this profusion of projections that no one demands of him. The answer is that all the wealth of the richest man in the world is not based on assets that have a concrete value, but rather, in reality, when his fortune is calculated – and publicized – what is done is a calculation of the value of his companies. And this value is never an analysis of present-day assets, but fundamentally estimates of the future. Now that he is preparing for the IPO of SpaceX, the 1.8 trillion dollars he aspires to be valued at are, fundamentally, expectations.

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June is shaping up to be relatively quiet in terms of releases, and the avalanche of presentations accumulated at the beginning of the month will monopolize the sector's attention. Nevertheless, the calendar offers us essential proposals that are worth keeping an eye on, including a new dose of local talent.

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Lifting weights has become very fashionable in the world of sports. If a few years ago running became the trend of the moment, now more and more people are signing up for the gym to do strength training. However, unlike aerobic training, which is known to have good consequences for health, until now there was little evidence of the benefits of lifting weights. But that has just changed: a new study has shown that doing moderate strength training, between 90 and 120 minutes a week, reduces mortality.

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EL ARA suggests some plans across the country for this weekend.

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Lola Casademunt, one of the benchmark Catalan fashion brands, celebrated its 45th anniversary this Wednesday with a fashion show at Barcelona's Llotja de Mar, where it presented the spring-summer 2027 collection, a proposal greatly inspired by the city's spirit. "La Joya [collection name] aims to pay homage to Barcelona, the city that is part of our DNA and has inspired us for 45 years. The architecture, the light, the colors, and this unique blend of tradition, art, and modernity have guided the entire collection," explains Maite Casademunt, president and creative director of Lola Casademunt.

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Everyone is talking about Bad Bunny. And not just because of the magnitude and buzz of the twelve mega-concerts he's holding between Madrid and Barcelona these weeks, but because of a decision that is as aesthetic as it is intentional and has tinged the tour of the album with controversy Debí tirar más fotos: the placement of an element that functions as a second stage during the show and has become the height of exclusivity. It is La Casita, a reproduction of a traditional house from Puerto Rico, intended to be a symbol of the singer's identity and his homeland, but which has received a shower of criticism for lack of inclusivity and for sexism.

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Singer Dua Lipa married actor Callum Turner this Sunday in London in a ceremony attended only by family and eight of the couple's closest friends.

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It is quite sad that one of the few real job assignments for royal families is to procreate until they obtain possible heirs to their throne and they cannot even succeed in that. This has happened in Europe on some occasions. Perhaps one of the most remembered is that of King Baudouin of the Belgians, who, together with his wife, Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, did not succeed, and the throne ended up being inherited by the monarch's brother, Albert, who was already 60 years old when he acceded to the headship of the Belgian state. If that case was sad because, despite trying, they unfortunately could not have children, the current case of Thailand is more convoluted, in which King Rama X has had 7 children and not one is suitable for the position, which will remain vacant when he is gone. And he is already 71 years old...

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Andrea Marín (Barcelona, 2001) is a psychology graduate and one of the technicians researching at the Barcelona Institute of Neurosciences, where she works with cutting-edge equipment to conduct research on brain behavior.

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Almost a decade after closing the shop she had in Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Pilar still frequently meets neighbors in the neighborhood who stop her to remind her, gratefully, that they have half their house set up by her. "It was the family business, of electricity and spare parts, which I gradually transformed into decoration," explains this cheerful 70-year-old woman.

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New scientific milestone for Barcelona, which continues to take steps to consolidate itself as one of the European capitals of knowledge, research and innovation. This Thursday, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) has officially presented its third quantum computer, the EuroQCS-Spain, which with a cost of 9.8 million euros makes the institution one of the few centers in the world that combine supercomputing and quantum technology. "It is the only one with three quantum computers connected to a classic supercomputer," claimed the director of the BSC, Mateo Valero, during the presentation of the new technology, which has been co-financed by the European Commission and the Spanish government.

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