It took the power of the internet to crack it. By Juan Pablo Garnham.

After the wreck of a Basque galleon—thought to be the San Juan—was discovered off the coast of Canada, National Geographic wrote about its exploration (July 1985 issue). Now, we revisit the 16th-century ship’s history. By Fernando G. Baptista, Riley D. Champine, Eve Conant, Patricia Healy, Shizuka Aoki, Elijah Lee,

The Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who sought refuge is Belgium, has been taken into custody on the Danish-German border. A German judge will now decide whether Germany will execute the European arrest warrant recently reactivated by the Spanish authorities.

Pro-independence parties won a majority in the Spanish region of Catalonia's parliament after a snap election on Thursday.

Twelve Montseny newts – one of world’s rarest amphibians - hatched as part of joint breeding project with Catalan authorities

A Spanish judge has issued European Arrest Warrants (EAW) for sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his allies who went to Belgium. The five failed to attend a high court hearing in Madrid on Thursday when nine other ex-members of the regional government were taken into custody. One of those detained has been freed on bail of €50,000 (£44,000; $58,000). They all face charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for pursuing Catalan independence.

Catalonia’s ousted president, Carles Puigdemont, has said he came to Belgium to act “in freedom and safety”, but not to seek political asylum. Speaking at packed press conference in Brussels, Puigdemont said he would return home immediately if a fair judicial process was guaranteed. On Monday, Spain’s attorney general called for charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds to be brought against him and 13 other separatist leaders. That request showed “a desire, not for justice, but for vengeance”, Puigdemont said.

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has left Spain and travelled to Brussels, Spanish government officials have said. Mr Puigdemont is facing sedition charges from the Spanish government after Catalonia declared independence under his leadership. The move comes after Belgium's asylum and migration affairs minister Theo Francken said the former president could seek asylum in the country.

CATALONIA is working with fintech experts in Estonia to create a new digital currency for the region, it has been reported, even as Spain attempts to bring the would-be republic under state rule. The news comes amid growing fears that Madrid will struggle to impose control over the breakaway region, with experts predicting more of the violence and civil unrest seen during the October 1 referendum.

The Catalan regional parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain, while the Spanish parliament has approved direct rule over the region. Catalan MPs easily approved the move amid an opposition boycott. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had told senators direct rule was needed to return "law, democracy and stability" to Catalonia.

The UK will not recognise the Catalan parliament's declaration of independence, Downing Street says. Theresa May's official spokesman said the declaration was based on a vote that had been declared illegal. The Scottish government said it understood and respected Catalonia's position. The Catalan regional parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain, while the Spanish parliament has approved direct rule over the region.

Spain's public prosecutor's office will file rebellion charges next week against Catalan secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont, a spokesman said Friday after Catalonia's regional parliament voted to declare independence. A court will then decide whether to accept the charges against Puigdemont. Under Spanish law, the crime of "rebellion" is punishable by up to 30 years in jail.

The vote in Barcelona sharply escalated a crisis brewing since a referendum earlier this month backed the region’s break from Spain.

Catalan lawmakers voted Friday to declare independence from Spain, as Madrid vowed in turn to "restore legality" and quash the region's secessionist bid.

When thinking about Catalonia seeking independence, we circle back to metaphors. Romantic breakup or severed-limb mutilation, the language of feelings or the language of the body. What they all have in common is that in most cases breakups are irreparable and painful. In that, the other Catalans and Spaniards are right, too. At his point, nobody knows whether Catalonia will finally secede from Spain, but, if it comes to that, it will feel like the loss of a limb. And for many, the hurt will be unbearable. By Miguel-Anxo Murado.

Mountain community has its own language, culture.

To suggest that the issue with the referendum specifically, and the Catalan government’s pursuit of independence from Spain more generally, is that it is not legal under Spanish law presumes that under Spanish law there exists some legal and democratic path to independence. But the Spanish constitution makes no such provisions for secession. By Eli S. Evans.

There were no winners in the referendum that wasn’t. By Andrew Dowling.

A new paradigm has been coined right inside the lofty European Union: ‘In the name of democracy, refrain from voting, or else.’ By Pepe Escobar.

Catalan separatists have struck an eleventh-hour deal to form a regional government that will work towards independence from Spain. The agreement required controversial secessionist leader Artur Mas to step aside.