Search: null

The ice rink has been fully funded by the private retail sector. It aims to attract locals and visitors to Barcelona city centre in the hope that consumers will spend more in the Christmas period. Catalunya Square is the location for the largest ice-skating rink of its kind in Europe. The attraction has caused controversy because it occupies public space for a private activity in a time of serious economic difficulties.

IESE has been ranked the fourth best business school in Europe in 2011 and ESADE the seventh. Both Catalan education centres have improved their positions since last year’s FT ranking.

The Great Escape Music Festival, in the UK, known for its commitment to up-and-coming groups, continues to support bands from Catalonia and other Catalan speaking areas. The latest edition of the festival brought together groups that have already performed over the past three festivals such as Mishima or Manel. This year the organisers also decided to include an exclusive space in the programme for bands from the Balearic Islands.

For the fifth year on the run there will be a Barça player on the podium for the FIFA Ballon d’Or, as Messi and Xavi are again amongst the top three candidates. Cristiano Ronaldo, from the Real Madrid, is the third finalist.

FC Barcelona vs Levante was an exquisite Barça performance and ended with hitting five past the visitors, through Cesc (2), Cuenca, Messi and Alexis. The game was virtually done and dusted within 36 minutes and Barça will go to the Santiago Bernabeu full of confidence to play against Real Madrid.

The Parkinson symptoms detector device will help patients fight the degenerative disease and improve their quality of life. The system, partly created by Catalan researchers, now needs to be tested on four volunteer patients from around Catalonia. The initiative has brought together institutions from Italy, Israel, Germany and Spain.

With a marginal increase of 111 people, unemployment stabilised last month. The Catalan Government believes the stagnation in the unemployment figures corresponds to the first effects of its action plan launched at the end of October. In Spain, unemployment increased by 59,536 people at the end of November. The latest data set a new historical record for unemployment in both Catalonia and Spain.

‘Pa Negre’ (‘Black Bread’) and its nomination to represent Spain at the 2012 Oscars reflects the desire of Catalan productions to shine with their own light, without losing their identity nor language along the way. Catalan cinema has reached a new stage in its history. Powered by a generation of young directors and a renewal of themes, Catalonia’s film industry wants to expand its borders and become part of the international cinema market.

Just one week before they face Real Madrid, FC Barcelona Manager, Josep Guardiola, refused to discuss the clásico. Instead he preferred to focus on the next Spanish League game at the Camp Nou against a solid and physical team: the Levante.

British skiers are able to access the Catalan Pyrenees as of December with direct flights to Lleida Airport. The Spanish Government has authorised the arrival and departure of non-Schengen flights, coming from the likes of the United Kingdom and Russia. However, the authorisation’s delay forced a Russian tour operator to cancel the flights for this season and postpone them until next year.

No team has more candidates than FC Barcelona at the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2011. The association of professional footballers announced the final list of 55 players who are candidates for the best eleven of 2011. 20% of them are from the FC Barcelona. In 2010, Barça already had six players in the winning team.

The Catalan capital is hosting the first edition of the ‘SmartCity Expo & World Congress’, which brings together more than 9,000 professionals to discuss interaction between new technologies, urban planning and citizen welfare. In addition, “the father” of electric cars in Asia, Professor Chan, stated that Barcelona has the “great potential” to become the electric car’s “open window to the world”. Last week, the Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, participated in the 10th Metropolis World Congress held in Brazil, where he met with Cisco Systems Vice President to build an innovation centre focused on smart cities in the Catalan capital.

The former President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, believes that the European Central Bank must buy sovereign debt and that governments need to implement budget cuts at a slower rate in order to avoid a drop in economic growth. Borrell also stressed that “the worst is possible”, and that they must act quickly. However, he added that “the euro will not disappear” but if some countries were left out, “it would be a problem for everybody” as “it would cause a big mess”.

Barça stormed to victory against Rayo Vallecano with goals from Alexis (2), Villa and Messi, and have now scored 34 goals to no reply in home fixtures. This victory shows that FC Barcelona’s Spanish League campaign is very much alive.

The Catalan beer company Moritz will open an innovative space at the former factory of the well-known drink and residence of its owners in downtown Barcelona. The 4,500 square metre centre has been designed by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel. It will house a microbrewery, a shop, a beer bar, a wine bar, two restaurants, a museum, a gastronomic classroom, a bakery and a newsagent. It cost €30 million.