The auction of a Barça shirt signed by the players has raised 210.000 euros at the China Foundation for Disabled Persons (CFDP) Gala. CFDP helps more than 80 milion people in China. The FC Barcelona delegation will also visit the University of Beijing and will meet with the city Mayor.
The 2012 Michelin Red Guide has awarded a second star to the Barcelona restaurant Àbac, and a first star to the family restaurant Casamar on the Costa Brava. However, the total number of Michelin stars in Catalonia has dropped due to the untimely death of the chef Santi Santamaria and the closure of three restaurants, including Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli, considered for many years to be the best restaurant in the world. The Celler de Can Roca and San Pau maintain their 3 stars, as well as the rest of the restaurants with two and one. This confirms that Catalonia continues to be a reference point for Haute Cuisine.
On Tuesday, the Catalan President announced a series of measures that will be included in the 2012 budget in order to meet the 1.3% deficit objective. The Catalan Finance Minister said that the fall in public spending will be smaller than that of this year. Ministers from the Catalan Government have been providing more details about the measures. The so-called “moderating ticket” to reduce the Catalan public healthcare system’s pharmaceutical bill has been questioned by the Spanish Government, as Barcelona “does not have the powers to do so”, despite managing the public healthcare system in Catalonia.
An exhibition on Barcelona’s Sagrada Família Basilica and Antoni Gaudí’s architectural techniques are on show in the Vatican. It focuses on the art, science and spirituality displayed at the Catalan architect’s church. Pope Benedict XVI declared the Sagrada Família a basilica one year ago during a visit to Barcelona. At the time he commented on the beauty of the temple and spoke of his personal admiration for the work of Gaudí.
The 21-year-old Mexican midfielder will have a buyout clause of 30 million Euros. Jonathan dos Santos started his Barça career with the Infantil B team and has worked his way up to the Barça B squad. Guardiola calls him sometimes to play wit Barça’s first team, such as in the last Champions League game against AC Milan.
Goals from Van Bommel (o.g.), Messi (pen), and Xavi, defeated AC Milan in a fantastic match, and Barça come away from the San Siro Stadium with the first place in the group mathematically secure. Ibrahimovic and Boateng twice leveled the score, which could have been greater in Barça’s favour.
The brain damage a foetus may suffer during pregnancy is sometimes not detected in the first few years of a child's life. If that damage could be detected early, psychological stimulation could reduce future learning disorders. Scientists from Barcelona’s Hospital Clínic have identified biomarkers indicating possible brain damage while carrying out a brain scan.
Married to viol player Jordi Savall, the Catalan Montserrat Figueras was one of the world’s most recognised experts and talented instrumentalists specialised in medieval music, as well as music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Together with Savall, they founded the groups Hespèrion XXI, the Capella Reial de Catalunya and the orchestra Le Concert des Nations. Figueras received many accolades, such as the ‘Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ in France and a Grammy Award.
Who tops the Champions League group to be decided at San Siro. A Barça win would mathematically mean they finish top with one game to play. Alves, Iniesta, Adriano, Cassano and Gattuso amongst the players out.
Artur Mas, the President of the Catalan Government, has announced the main austerity measures to reduce Catalonia’s public deficit and meet the 1.3% objective for 2012. Mas stressed that these measures are to be taken in order to reduce the deficit and not harm social policies. The Catalan People’s Party was satisfied with the plans, while the Left-Wing parties warned that they would harm the middle classes. The Catalan President also sent a warning to the next Spanish Prime Minister: a new “fiscal agreement” for Catalonia might be “one of the few opportunities left” to rebuild relations with the rest of Spain.
The Fumanya palaeontological site, located in the northern Catalan County of Berguerà, has one of the most important collections of dinosaur fossils in Europe. The remains of more than 3,500 footprints, as well as bones, eggs, and other remains were discovered accidentally in 1985. Between the years 2000 and 2008, the palaeontological site was analysed and tourist visits have since been organised. Furthermore, in 2012, the site’s new information centre will open its doors to the public and will explain dinosaurs in great detail.
The FC Barcelona travelling squad has arrived in Milan where they will face AC Milan in a battle to top their UEFA Champions League group. The injured Iniesta is the main absentee, with Adriano and Afellay also out through injury and Alves suspended. Barça’s assistant coach Tito Vilanova stays home for surgery.
In an international conference taking place in Barcelona of Ombudsmen from Europe, America and Africa, the Catalan Ombudsman, Rafael Ribó, has warned that the institution has “less influence”. Furthermore, in some areas of Europe there is a threat that they will “disappear”. The Ombudsmen have been discussing their role in the face of the privatisation of basic services. The conference has been organised with the ‘Cercle d’Economia’, which is mainly an economic forum, open to businesspeople, academics and economic professionals.
The conservative People’s Party (PP) has won the Spanish General Election with an absolute majority. The PP obtained 186 MPs in the 350-seat Spanish Parliament, its best ever result. The Socialist Party (PSOE), who are the current Spanish Government, obtained the worst results in its history, winning just 110 MPs. In Catalonia, another historical change has taken place: the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalists (CiU) have won in the Spanish elections for the first time. The Socialists lose 44% of their MPs in Catalonia, and their main candidate Carme Chacón, is in a bad position to lead the PSOE after Zapatero. The PP continues as Catalonia’s third party, despite an improvement in its results.
Catalonia is the only autonomous community where the Socialist Party has clearly won, but has lost around 35% of its MPs, according to the exit poll released by TV3. The People’s Party (PP) will remain Catalonia’s third biggest force, behind the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalists (CiU), who will increase their share by some 40%. The exit polls released at 20.00 CET, when the polls closed, indicate an absolute majority for the PP and an historical defeat for the Socialists throughout Spain. The PP will get between 181 and 185 MPs, when the absolute majority is 176 seats. The election day has been calm, with a lower turnout than in the 2008 elections, particularly in Catalonia.