Catalonia is experiencing a rail and road collapse unbecoming of an advanced economy. When commuter trains stop running, freight traffic to Europe grinds to a halt and the AP-7 motorway is closed; when the AVE high-speed train fails to provide effective and reliable service, the country grinds to a halt and the credibility of the government—which has repeatedly promised investments that never materialize—is seriously damaged. Public outrage at this debacle is more than understandable: no one should be held hostage by a failing public transport system without accountability. Every day of logistical chaos inflicts damage on the productive economy and erodes public trust. Catalan infrastructure has long been operating at its limit, and every serious incident has a direct impact on the credibility of institutions and the economy. The five-day closure of the AP-7—a key artery carrying most of the country's freight traffic—has triggered a chain reaction across the entire road network: paralyzing the AP-7 is tantamount to strangling one of Catalonia's main economic arteries. Similarly, the constant breakdowns on the commuter rail network not only frustrate users but also reduce working hours and productivity across the country. This situation is typical of an underdeveloped environment, not the competitive economic engine that Catalonia aspires to be. Companies face increased logistics costs, and workers are not in control of their time. Inadequate infrastructure acts as a drag on economic growth and the quality of life for citizens.

ARA is not just a news outlet, but also a community of readers and subscribers who share concerns, reflections, and ways of understanding the world. The comments section of articles is where this conversation comes to life, always with a clear objective: to foster open, free, constructive, and respectful debate.

There are phrases that jokingly disguise what is a fundamental idea that inspires the work at ARA. Our mission statement is to practice free and committed journalism that connects with a conscious community. "We are a community, not a sect," and we expressed this at the beginning of Focus: The Solutions Forum, a conference where we brought together more than a thousand people at the CCCB for a day and a half. However, in these dark times, the difference is crucial. A sect only wants loyalty; a community wants critical thinking. A sect imposes a narrative; a community informs itself without fear, discusses, compares, questions, and—if necessary—corrects. And if anything is at stake today, it is precisely that: the collective capacity to maintain critical thinking and sound judgment. To keep a cool head when the world is overheating. To stay informed and not shy away from the truth when the values ​​of liberal democracy and Europeanism are in danger.

British journalist John Carlin; the editorial director of Le MondeSylvie Kauffmann; the American historian Mark Bray; the economist Miquel Puig; and the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, are some of the prominent names who will participate in the conference. We focus: the solutions forumA conference organized by the newspaper ARA will be held on January 23 and 24 at the Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona. Its aim is to debate, reflect on, and seek answers to humanity's greatest challenges: climate change, democracy, housing, and human relationships.

Today is Friday; moreover, it is the Friday on which the Christmas school holidays begin and on which we enter these two hazy days of life in slow motion and from which we will wake up, as if we had hibernated, the day after Three Kings Day.

A rainy afternoon, more London than Barcelona, and that's perfectly fine: I've always found something English about the ARA newspaper that makes me imagine newsroom crises like in the movies, with section heads wielding words like "facts" and "sources," trying to combat the tension with phlegm and irony until, when their strength wanes, the true value of journalism returns and everyone gets down to work. And there's also something distinctly English in the humor of Toni Soler, who will be chatting with the editor this afternoon, a sort of Protestant afternoon, thanks to one of the many events with which ARA is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. They both take to the stage, and it's like holding the Sunday paper open at both ends, the editorial in one hand and the back page in the other.

Less than a week ago, we at the ARA newspaper celebrated our first 15 years, and this Tuesday we celebrate the first ten of the supplement Tarragona countrysideThroughout this time, in the pages of this supplement, we have tried to explain the reality of Tarragona to the people of Tarragona and also to the rest of the country. Quite a challenge, but exciting and necessary.

We reproduce below the speech that the Greek-Swedish writer Theodor Kallifatides gave at the Palau de la Música on Thursday, November 27, when he was awarded the first Diari ARA International Prize as part of the celebration of the newspaper's 15th anniversary.

When the newspaper ARA was founded 15 years ago, most of the staff didn't have children; it was a predominantly young team just starting out in life. We've witnessed weddings, separations, moves, and little by little, births too. The first daughter From the newsroom, Laia, daughter of a colleague who then worked in the international section, is now fourteen years old - she was born in February 2011, three months after the first front page of ARA, the one with the centenary Moisès Broggi and Graciela Noguera- but then more than sixty more children came.

A star seems to have walked in. Is that her? Wow, how amazing. As she walks through the newsroom, she passes the photography section. Francesc Melcion and Xavier Bertral, part of the original team, those who were there before November 28, 2010, stand up and say to her, "We're the ones who took your photos." They're talking about an iconic image for the newspaper, the one from the first issue, where a baby is being held by Dr. Moisès Broggi.

Our work is simple and radical: to hold those in power accountable with facts, methodology, verification, and rigor. It is not a war or a crusade; it is a democratic responsibility exercised by professionals who are neither political actors nor passive observers.

All birthdays should be celebrated, and even more so when they mark significant milestones or milestones. ARA is turning 15, and this Thursday evening it met with its readers at the Palau de la Música to commemorate a decade and a half of free and committed journalism. A grand celebration with subscribers, public figures, and authorities served to relive the newspaper's exciting history, but also to discuss a future not without its challenges, which the publication faces with enthusiasm. Minutes before the event began, a crowd of guests greeted each other, embraced each other, and congratulated one another on the success of a newspaper that, in 2010, in the midst of the economic crisis, had the audacity to commit to independent journalism. Time has shown that that ambition, which at the time might have seemed crazy, was anything but.

At the ARA newspaper, we have a new emblem: "The Clever Fox." This animal, screen-printed on a tile, is the prize that will be awarded this Tuesday night. Twenty-five Girona residents received awards in 2025In a society and a communications environment marked by the herd mentality of social media, a fox escapes the flock with the ARA (Argentine Navy) in its mouth. She wants to be well-informed. It is these kinds of discerning readers who make the newspaper possible and who filled the old [newsstand/newsroom] this Tuesday. Odeon Theatre of Girona, brilliantly restored to house a bicycle shop. Yes, Girona is the cycling capitalFor one afternoon, cycling rhymed with journalism, and for one afternoon, the love-hate relationship of Girona residents with bicycles softened. The city's mayor, Lluc Salellas, set foot in the renovated Odeon for the first time. And like him, many other Girona residents. Journalism broke down barriers.

The newspaper Line It has reached eleventh place in the ranking of the most-read Catalan-language digital publications. Last month, it reached an audience of 471,487 unique users and 788,218 page views, according to the OJDinteractiva audit. The metropolitan publication, founded in 1999, is designed for the Barcelona metropolitan area and covers local market niches, including all districts of the city of Barcelona. ARA holds third place, with 1,526,000 readers.

To coincide with the fifteenth anniversary of the ARA, this newspaper has launched a new award this year, joining those already given to Carles Capdevila (education), Tatiana Sisquella (social initiatives), and Ignasi Pujol (entrepreneurship). This is the Diari ARA International Prize, which this year will be awarded to Theodor Kallifatides as its first recipient. This Greek-Swedish writer will receive the award on November 27th, during the ARA Night, which aims to recognize the contribution of individuals or institutions to global progress and coexistence.

The ARA has a clear commitment to art and artists, and therefore, periodically collaborates to provide a different perspective on the day's news, fostering a critical dialogue between journalism and art. This Sunday, we present another special artist edition that you will find at the newsstand. We do so in collaboration with Antoni Muntadas (Barcelona, ​​​​1942), one of the most important creators in our country, who has chosen it as the guiding thread and theme of the dossier. The construction of fear.

There are many ways to keep up to date with current events with the ARA newspaper: buy it in paper, consult the website, follow the newsletters or download the mobile application (iPhone | Android). But there's another one you probably check out, especially if you have an Android phone or frequently use the Google search app: Google News. Well, If you visit the ARA profile on Google by clicking this link, and click the "Follow on Google" button, highlighted in the image at the end of this article, it will be easier for you to not miss this newspaper's most popular articles and you will be less dependent on the tech giant's algorithm. Doing so will help you choose what you see instead of letting Google's algorithm choose for you.

There are coworkers who, as soon as they walk through the door, exude confidence that no matter what happens, they will not fail to take on whatever comes their way. They are clean people, with clear priorities, a positive attitude, and a sense of responsibility that manifests in every assignment, without wanting to lecture anyone. And so, through discretion and a job well done, they earn general esteem.

Vacations are days for leisurely reading and enjoying a summer-clad newspaper. As is tradition, the ARA launches its summer supplement, which this year focuses more than ever on culture, gastronomy, and lifestyle.Now Summer It starts this Sunday in the paper edition (Saturday in Ara.cat) and will be published until Sunday, August 31. On the website, all the contents of the supplement will be gathered in a site special that will have a prominent space on the digital front page.

They are two quite different castles, and yet they are very close together: the castle of Les Sitges, essentially a warrior castle (protected by large buttresses), and the castle of Florejacs, stately, full of rooms and rooms for the lords, guests and servants. Many members of the ARA Premium Club They took guided tours in May, including a lunch in the small town of Montsonís, next to the castle of the same name. During the meal, they engaged in conversations about the experience and also about what connects them, whose journal they not only subscribe to but also loyal readers of. This lunch in Montsonís has become a classic among the Premium Club's offerings, as it is held every year.