Catalonia to double tourist tax from April
Increase first to apply in Barcelona before progressive rollout around rest of territory
Society
Current affairs and social issues
Pope Leo XIV to visit Barcelona in June, coinciding with Sagrada Família inauguration
Official inauguration of newly finished Tower of Jesus Christ scheduled for June 10
Spain considers banning the sale of energy drinks to under-16s
Announces regulations that will also ban those with more caffeine to under-18s
Almost 100 criminal networks dismantled in Catalonia in 2025
More than half dedicated to drug trafficking, while 633 arrests made
Initiative lets people with intellectual disabilities work as informers at Igualada Hospital
Collaboration allows people improve communication skills and autonomy: "It was a big challenge and I overcame it"
2,000-year-old Roman forum unearthed beneath Barcelona hotel
Old pavement forces archaeologists to rethink the city's ancient layout
Migrants celebrate chance to work legally through new regularization plan
Merly Arévalo hopes to find work beyond caregiving and cleaning after four years in Barcelona
Catalan parliament marks 4th anniversary of Russian invasion by raising Ukrainian flag
Hundreds marched in Barcelona in solidarity with Ukrainians, including Parliament speaker Josep Rull
Half of pedestrians feel unsafe walking in Barcelona, new survey finds
Electric scooter users cited as causing most sensation of insecurity in Catalan capital
Only 15% of people speak exclusively in Catalan with friends, lowest figure in last 20 years
Language loses status as primary tongue in all areas analyzed over past two decades
'What if you fail?' Catalan female entrepreneurs fight gender bias
Six women share their experiences of running a startup
Spain to declassify 1981 coup documents after 45 years
Archives will be published in the Official State Gazette and on government website
Barcelona's average rent hits €1,153 amid ongoing rent caps
Catalan rents rise 2.5% with Tarragona the only region to see a slight dip
Sagrada Família reaches final height of 172.5 metres as cross is installed atop Tower of Jesus
The highest part of the basilica's structure is now finished, 144 years after Antoni Gaudí laid the first stone
One month after Gelida rail crash: Rodalies down 25%, metro up 700,000 trips, car traffic up 5%
Rail disruption lingers, with only 80% of services running
Latest updates and breaking news on society, social issues, and current affairs from Barcelona and Catalonia. Keep up to date on protests, the housing crisis, the ongoing drought, the climate crisis and environmental management, urban development and management, the language immersion system, and much more here.