35% of Mossos d'Esquadra agents suffer from depressive symptomatology, 39% stress, and 36% anxiety. This is one of the main conclusions of a study conducted by Ramon Llull University that has been published by the scientific journal Frontiers in psychiatry. Apparently, it might seem that the critical situations that agents have to face on the street could be a significant trigger for mental health, but the study reveals that internal factors such as lack of institutional support or bureaucracy have an even greater impact.

After having incurred millionaire losses due to the fiasco of the PureTech gasoline engines in recent months, the Stellantis group faces a new industrial crisis that will involve the recall of more than 40,000 vehicles in Spain manufactured between 2023 and 2026 due to a fire risk alert for the new PureTech engines. This new warning, generated by the European Union's alert system (Safety Gate), affects about fifteen Stellantis group models that use the 1.2 PureTech gasoline engine associated with a semi-hybrid, light hybrid, or Mild Hybrid system.The problem that generates the risk of fire in models with this engine is the small space between the particle filter and the alternator, which, by generating high temperatures and not cooling down properly, can lead to a fire in the vehicle. The Setllantis group admits this risk, although it points out that so far only about a dozen vehicles have been recorded as having caught fire worldwide and states that it has already begun to contact buyers of the affected cars to carry out a revision.

"Quantum computers are in their infancy, but they are already beginning to pose a threat. Encrypted data can be captured today, and later, when we have a quantum computer, that information can be decrypted." Faced with this scenario, described by Enrique Sánchez, head of the European Union's Quantum Flagship (QCN) project, the Catalan government (Generalitat) wants to make things difficult for post-quantum hackers—that is, cybercriminals who, in the near—but unspecified—future, could use quantum technology to steal public data, such as information processed by the Palau de la Generalitat (the seat of the Catalan government). To this end, the government has proposed creating the Barcelona Quantum Ring, a pioneering network in Europe that will cost 8 million euros and will be protected against attacks that could be perpetrated using future quantum technologies. This system will include the Catalan government's main strategic centers, such as the headquarters of the Catalan Government, health services, security and emergency services, corporate data processing centers, Barcelona City Hall, and other research nodes. Broadly speaking, the initiative will consist of installing QKD (quantum key distribution) technology equipment on the existing communications network using mechanisms that, instead of relying solely on mathematical methods, utilize properties of light to generate and share keys between points in the network. According to the Catalan Government, this will allow for the detection of any interception attempt and the establishment of "communications with very high guarantees of confidentiality." The bidding process to find companies capable of installing this quantum key distribution network, which the Catalan Government expects will connect 12 nodes, was launched this Monday. The first four will be connected in 2027, and three of them are already confirmed to be the Palau de la Generalitat (the seat of the Catalan government), the Center for Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CTTI), and Egara, the central complex of the Mossos d'Esquadra (the Catalan police force) in Sabadell, where strategic command and the force's most specialized units are centralized. Later, the following are planned: the headquarters of the Catalan Tax Agency; the Mossos d'Esquadra police station in Les Corts – the Mossos' command center in Barcelona; CATNIX (Catalonia's neutral internet point for the entire Catalan government administration); Santa Madrona, which houses administrative services and cultural facilities; the Bonanova node, which houses the control infrastructure for the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC) network; and the Cerdanyola point, where data processing centers used by the Catalan government are located. With all this, the goal is for the Barcelona Quantum Ring to be ready in 2029.

The Mossos d'Esquadra commissioner, Eduard Sallent, will leave the police force in the coming weeks. He was currently the head of the South Metropolitan Police Region. The Catalan police chief has served in two different periods: first under the government of Quim Torra and then under that of Pere Aragonès. When Salvador Illa's PSC party returned to power in Catalonia, the new Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, and the new Director of the Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, dismissed him and appointed Commissioner Miquel Esquius in his place. Sallent's decision to request a leave of absence, as previously reported by The Country And confirmed by the ARA, it has already been communicated to police headquarters.

Salvador Macip, a doctor, researcher, writer, and science communicator, is being victimized by identity theft perpetrated by a company, currently anonymous, that is using his image to promote pills that supposedly aid weight loss. This supplement promises a 10-kilogram weight loss in three weeks, and the website features a photograph of Macip, along with his name, as if he were presenting the pill and discussing all its benefits. "I would never advertise that; I'm precisely against these things," he stated in an interview with ARA.

The head of the latest Security Boards in BarcelonaOn the day when the country's police authorities take stock of how the year has gone in the Catalan capital, a pattern seems to be repeating itself: property crimes, those most frequent offenses that can affect everyone, continue to decline. There are approximately 239 thefts every day in Barcelona; ten every hour, according to 2025 data. In 2024, there were eleven every hour, about 258 per day. That's a lot, but the city hasn't seen that number of thefts since 2015. In total, 169,000 crimes were committed last year, up to 10,000 fewer than the previous year. This figure hadn't been seen for a decade either.

At the turn of the 21st century, globalization—technological, commercial, and cultural—has made the world smaller, but we now have evidence that it has not made it freer or more open to diversity. In fact, the increase in physical mobility and digital connectivity has, in recent years, led to closed borders and a rise in defensive and aggressive nationalisms. In a short time, we have gone from what was heralded as the triumph of liberalism and democracy—the proclaimed end of history—to the current trade war, xenophobic rejection of immigration, and the return of wars and imperialism. This culminated in the second term of US President Donald Trump, who directly and abruptly shattered the balances and consensus of international law and diplomatic multilateralism that emerged after World War II. The result is that today the world is more insecure: the dialectic of confrontation has taken hold, whether directly military—Ukraine, Gaza—or commercial. It has also become ideological and cultural.

The room is large and spacious, with many screens on strategically placed tables. Arranged in a semicircle, they all face the same point: a wall with even larger screens displaying feeds from some of Barcelona's security cameras. They can see all the cameras in the city. This joint police control room is located on Lleida Street. During the Olympic Games, it served as the competition's server room, but for the last 20 years, it has been a nerve center for city security. Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) and the Guardia Urbana (Barcelona's Municipal Police) are present. Next door is another room for the Barcelona Fire Department. On one screen, there is a Excel The system is color-coded: green indicates available resources, and red indicates those currently in use. Today, almost everything is green. It's a quiet day, but those in charge explain that these rooms are bustling with activity on key dates. Two important dates are coming up: New Year's Day and the Three Kings' Day parade.

In the midst of this era of rampant consumerism, a relatively surprising piece of news emerges: one fraud related to the mandatory consumption of the V-16 beacon that all cars will have to have them from January onwards if they don't want to receive a fine. Facua, a consumer rights organization, has accused the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) of promoting massive fraud by the laxity Regarding the approval of this mandatory lamp, many consumers have purchased a model that is theoretically approved but, in reality, is not, meaning they will have to incur additional expenses if they want to avoid the corresponding fine. In the event of an accident, not having a light approved by the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) will cost €200. And €80 if you are caught without one during a routine check. Regardless of what we think about this system invented by two former Civil Guard officers to supposedly prevent accidents when placing warning triangles—and which, for the moment, will only be used in Spain, as if other countries didn't have accidents caused by triangles—and about the possibility that the DGT-approved lights only serve to keep us in the dark. Whoever gets the money. Because, ultimately, poor management always ends up costing consumers extra. And if you have to file a complaint, add the extra time and patience.

It's common for readers to ask, in the comments on news articles about events in ARA, about the nationality or origin of the person arrested by the police. This is just one example that demonstrates how an issue has entered the public debate, often gaining traction in the political sphere thanks to certain political groups: the perceived link between newly arrived people and a greater propensity to commit crimes. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) do not release the nationality of those arrested, as origin is not considered a factor in criminal behavior, but the Catalan police have indicated they will begin providing more details for certain types of crimes starting next year. Currently, foreigners make up 18% of the residents of Catalonia and represent 52% of the prison population and more than half of all police arrests. However, both spokespeople for the Catalan police and experts consulted by this newspaper urge going beyond the raw data and contextualizing it by taking into account the truly decisive factors, such as socioeconomic ones.

Two Japanese tourists board a train on Barcelona's L1 metro line. Upon arriving at Arc de Triomf station, they notice someone rummaging through their bags. It's a young man wearing a Manchester United shirt who, realizing he's been caught, abandons the theft and flees. Two security guards try to stop him, but he assaults one and escapes along the train tracks. He runs to the next station, Marina, where he re-enters the platform, covered in black dust, and flees again. He's a "two-time offender," which in police jargon means he has two prior convictions, and two plainclothes officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) eventually arrest him, placing him against the wall and handcuffing him, while a third security guard, trembling, explains that he had to use pepper spray to subdue him.

In the physical world, we all know what to do when a problem arises: if your house lock breaks, you call a locksmith; if your credit card is stolen, you call the bank. But do we know where to turn if we have a problem with the internet? The answer is simple: 017. Since its launch in 2020, 017 has been the free and confidential number of the Spanish government's National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), which helps with any problem related to digital security on the internet. It is available to everyone, from 8:00 AM. This number has become a digital lifeline for many individuals and companies who have encountered difficulties online. 017 not only assists those who have already experienced an incident but also helps prevent problems before they become a nightmare. As INCIBE's new campaign states, "If something digital worries you, 017 will take care of it." In 2024, more than half of the consultations were preventative: people who, before anything bad happened, preferred to ask experts how to protect themselves.

It was April 28th, a sunny spring Monday that was expected to be calm. It was the day chosen by the Catalan Civil Protection agency to film an advertisement about the kit An emergency kit: it's a backpack everyone should keep in their front door, containing essential items to cope with a crisis for 72 hours. The advertisement explained what should be packed in the kit and why it was important to have one. What happened that day further highlights the need for these kits. kitsSuddenly, the circuit breakers in every house tripped, trains stopped, and cell phone coverage began to fail. in a general blackout on the Iberian PeninsulaThe recording of the advertisement was postponed, and the campaign was finally launched this Monday.

Together continues to focus on the issue of security. It is the main battleground for the mayors and councilors of Carles Puigdemont's party, who, a year and a half before the municipal elections, are concentrating their efforts on combating crime in their towns. This Monday morning, several local officials from the Girona region, including the deputy mayor of Girona, Gemma Geis, and the mayor of Figueres, Jordi Masquef, met to discuss insecurity and repeat offenses. "It's an issue that citizens are asking us to address. We need to speak objectively and without resorting to alarmism. The possibility of having your phone stolen or your purse snatched on the street creates a great sense of insecurity," explained Gemma Geis, in front of the new police station in the Girona neighborhood of Santa Eugenia.

Hidden in the hall From a hotel, you only have to wait a few seconds to start seeing the parade. The glass is translucent, but leaves a small transparent opening at eye level that allows a clear and unobstructed view of the doorway. It's important to hide. The dealers are on the lookout to see if anyone is watching for too long and, if in doubt, they always choose to abort the transaction. The receptionist doesn't object to the hotel becoming a lookout point, and some tourists curiously watch what a person is doing pressed against a window.

The room is filled with screens. They display footage from cameras along some of the country's major highways, but above all, there are four aerial maps: one of Catalonia, one of the metropolitan area, one of Barcelona, and one of the airport. Various symbols appear, such as blue dots, red zones, and red dots. These represent installed drone detectors, protected airspace zones, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) currently in flight. All of this is located in the central command room of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), at the Egara Central Complex, enabling them to detect everything passing overhead. Often invisible to the naked eye, imperceptible to the ear, drones represent a "new challenge for the security of Catalonia." The head of the Mossos, Josep Maria Estela, explains that until a few years ago, police work focused primarily on the ground. But the emergence of drones, among other devices, has forced them to look to the skies: "We have adapted to this new reality to face threats ranging from the protection of critical infrastructure to large crowds," says the commissioner. To this end, five years ago they launched Project Kuppel, a pioneering plan based on a NATO-approved system, which creates a kind of protective dome over Catalan airspace to detect drones flying over the country and even disable them if they pose a threat—although this is the final stage. "The goal is to have more antennas; they are our eyes on the ground," Estela affirms. Currently, there are several in Barcelona—such as at the Sagrada Família and Camp Nou—and at the airport. Every drone flying near these locations is detected, and its registration, altitude, and the location of the operator can be determined.

Pedro Velázquez (Barcelona, ​​1967) has been the head of Barcelona's Guardia Urbana (municipal police) since 2019, a force he joined more than three decades ago. After years of rising crime rates, the indicators began to decline, especially those for robberies. But insecurity remains among the top concerns of Barcelona residents.

The Catalan Alliance currently doesn't even have an official candidate for the municipal elections in Girona, but its specter has been haunting the plenary session for weeks, causing friction within the pro-independence coalition governing the city. The marriage of convenience between Guanyem (the formation that integrates the CUP) and Junts, which two years ago served to oust, also with the help of ERC, the victory of Silvia Paneque's PSC in the last municipal elections, has been shaken by the emergence ofa tougher speech of the regional council member Gemma Geis on matters of security and also immigration.

Girona City Council is cracking down on squatters. This week, after days of surveillance and a permanent police presence in the area, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and the Municipal Police carried out an operation to evict the squatted building on Tomàs Mieres Street, next to the train tracks. A troubled building where, since before the summer, around thirty squatters had been living with their electricity tapped, causing much unrest among the residents, with recurring complaints of fights, dirt, and noise until late into the night.

"Do you have a light?" The question was asked by a man looking for a cigarette on September 13th near the Sant Carles Market in Granollers. While searching for a lighter on the street, he ended up asking a man whose back was turned. The answer he got was negative. No, he didn't have a lighter on him. And that was the origin of a completely unexpected reaction: the man who wanted to smoke stabbed the man who had refused to light him, leaving him seriously injured.