Society

Archaeologists discover a 56,000 year old wooden tool, the oldest of its kind ever to have been discovered in the Catalan town of Capellades. The tool is thought to have been used by Neanderthals for maintaining their fires and is "unique in the world".

Plans to change the location of Barcelona zoo have been put on hold indefinitely. The zoo, which has been housed in Park of the Ciutadella since 1892, is now turning its attention to modernisation, aiming to become a "leader in the defence and conservation of biodiversity". Popular with tourists and locals alike, visitors increased by 13% from January to July this year. Coinciding with the zoo’s new plans, two spotted hyenas have arrived, the first in the last 25 years.

Each year, thousands of seasonal workers come to Lleida's fields to work picking fruit; most of them are Muslim and thus have to work during Ramadan. They claim that, despite the Ramadan being tough, this year it has been made a little easier thanks to the weather, there is "less heat than last summer" they say.

Researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Research of Bellvitge (IBIDELL) have shown how brain areas interact as if the person is resting or active. Networks active when resting should be deactivated when awake, but a dysfunction in this process may be behind some diseases. The study has been published in the journal ‘PLoS ONE’.

The Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, the Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia and IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic of Barcelona are included in the 131 medical institutions that participated in the world study.

Modern day Tarragona was once one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire, Tarraco. The ruins are one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Tarragona’s Roman Temple of Augustus, which can be found beneath the foundation of the Gothic Cathedral, is currently being studied. The second archaeological excavation concludes with the discovery of several medieval coins, medals and a twelfth-century lamp.

Marine biologists insist that the presence of jellyfish in Catalan waters is similar to previous years but that sea currents are not bringing them to the shore. Rain water also appears to have helped keep the jellyfish away, forming a layer on the surface of the sea which is less rich in salt; this has restricted the movement of the jellyfish.

The technique is minimally invasive and involves little scarring, a shorter hospital stay and less pain for the donor. So far the Hospital has performed 32 of these operations

The 2011 edition of the sports event will coincide with the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Police officers and fire-fighters from 70 countries will compete in more than 60 different sports

Barcelona hosts what is likely to be its very last bullfighting season after the Catalan Parliament banned it last summer, but the support of the Spanish conservative party could force a moratorium until 2015

The Catalan capital secures this global event despite competition from Paris, Milan and Munich. The economic impact for the entire period of 2013-2018 is estimated at a staggering 3459 million.

Barcelona, the so called 'Pick pocketing Capital of Europe' takes small steps to changing its reputation by ensuring a police presence on the metro. For the last three years, the estimated 150 thieves who operate on Barcelona's metro have been met by the lone efforts of Eliana Guerrero, a native Colombian who has made it her mission to warn the city against the dangers of pick pockets.

"Catalanophobia exists" and "Catalonia has to communicate its ideals if it is to be understood by the rest of Spain" says the socialist candidate to the next Spanish general elections

The final 365 boxes of the controversial civil-war archives were returned on Wednesday, ending a 5 year process to reinstate them in Catalonia. However several artefacts still remain in Salamanca.

50 international experts are working in Lleida on the Base Plan, which aims to be a reference tool for the United Nations. The project makes “radiographies” of cities to point out the physical and strategic aspects of the urban areas over the next ten years.