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The Catalan Ministry of Economy and Knowledge has released its macroeconomic outlook for 2011. At the end of the current year, the unemployment rate will be 18%, up from 2010.

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, presented a road-map with 474 objectives to be reached during his term in office. The Catalan Government’s plan faces three main crises: the economic slowdown, the relationship between Catalonia and Spain, and citizen trust in the democratic institutions. The strategic plan is organised along eight main axes, with economic recovery being the first priority.

In the year of its 130th anniversary, the historical flagship of the Catalan press, the spokesperson of the business world and centre-right nationalism has launched an edition in Catalan. ‘La Vanguardia’ has finally taken this step after many years, or even decades, of rumours. Also some months after a new newspaper in Catalan aimed at a similar but younger target began publication. “Our DNA is Catalan”, states the newspaper’s editor Javier Godó to explain their decision.

Barça have qualified for the Champions League final at the expense of Real Madrid following tonight’s draw at the Camp Nou. Pedro scored the winner for a side that dominated the possession and produced most of the chances.

FC Barcelona look to build on their 0-2 lead from last week when they take on Real Madrid this evening (20.45h CET) in the fourth and final ‘clásico’ between the two sides over the last few weeks. Guardiola welcomes back Iniesta and Abidal to the squad.

Barça trained on the Nou Camp pitch on Monday evening ahead of their Champions League semi final second leg against Real Madrid. The great news for Guardiola was that Iniesta and Abidal trained normally and are in the squad for the Champions League game against Mourinho's Real Madrid.

East Asian and South Mediterranean countries are the two regions with the largest cargo exchange at Barcelona Port. In total, 538,700 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) passed through Barcelona during the first quarter of 2011.

Catalan and FC Barcelona flags, as well as a message of thanks formed by 95,000 cards handed out to the fans will greet the team at the Nou Camp on Tuesday. It will cheer the team before the Champions League game against Real Madrid. Fans can take part in this homage to the team via Twitter, with the hashtag #graciesequip.

FC Barcelona suffered their second defeat of the season in Donosti tonight, going down 2-1 to Real Sociedad, who came back from a first half goal by Thiago with two goals in the second half. The results tonight mean Barça need 4 more points to take the Spanish League title, as the 8-point distance with Real Madrid is kept after Madrid’s loss against Zaragoza in the Bernabeu stadium.

The measure is a reaction to the large number of people, many of them tourists, who in the summer months only wear swim suits across the city or walk with their naked torso, even in the underground. The area next to the more than 5 kilometres of beaches is excluded from the ban, although complete nudity will also be banned. Four weeks before the municipal elections, the two main parties at Barcelona City Council have agreed on the measures.

The Catalan Minister for Finance Andreu Mas-Colell has unveiled the main guidelines for the budget proposal for 2011, which he said are shaped with “austerity, seriousness and credibility”. Public expenditure will be cut by 10%, although he warns that it is impossible to meet the 1.3% deficit objective, as it is a transition year and some revenues have not been paid. However, he insisted that the 2012, 2013 and 2014 objectives will be met. The Spanish Government warned that not meeting the deficit objective for 2011 is not an option. Mas-Colell also explained he has not included, not even as a pending revenue, the 1.45 billion euros for the Competitiveness Fund.

More than 727,000 people were unemployed at the end of March 2011 in Catalonia, 40,900 jobseekers more than at the end of 2010. In Spain as a whole, the unemployment rate has reached 4.91 million people, a rate of 21.29%.

Barça's coach Josep Guardiola hasn’t been distracted by Mourinho's controversy and the complaints before UEFA. On Saturday, FC Barcelona can go a big step further to the league title at Anoeta, and the coach guarantees that his players’ only concern is that game.

The Catalan Government is benchmarked by the American company for using this technology that has enabled saving up to 20% of the costs, according to a representative from the CTIT.

FC Barcelona will present an official complaint about the Real Madrid manager to UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body for what it considers “a violation of basic standards of behaviour”. The UEFA already decided to look on Wednesday's events. In the evening, it was known that Real Madrid also decided to file a complaint against Barça players for going against fair-play. The latter accusation seems quite surprising after having watched the game and Real Madrid's behaviour on and outside the pitch.