During the last few winters, snow and ice have paralysed Central Europe for days and sometimes weeks. Lorries from all over Europe transport up to 60,000 tons of salt a month from Súria (Bages County) to spread on roads throughout the continent. The mines have tripled production in the last 2 years and are the largest of Southern Europe.
The Mobile World Congress will be held in the Catalan capital for the seventh time. It will take place between 14th and 17th of February and will bring have an economic impact of 200 million euros on the city. Visitors are predicted to occupy 30,000 hotel rooms, 25% higher than last year. However, Barcelona could lose the Mobile World Congress’ organisation contract as the current one ends and other cities put forward their candidature.
Lionel Messi crowned his triumph in winning the Ballon d'Or this week by hitting a stunning hat-trick as FC Barcelona took a huge stride towards a place in the Copa del Rey semi finals with victory over Real Betis.
Politicians and businessmen from Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia and Andalucía participated today in an event pushing for the so called Mediterranean Railway Corridor for freight and passengers. They push the European Union to declare it a European priority, an axe that would vertebrate Europe, from Gibraltar to the Baltic Sea. However, participants criticised that the Spanish Government has yet to show its commitment to building freight railway with European-standard width that would connect Andalucía, Valencia and Barcelona to Central Europe. Besides goods, the corridor should also count with a high-speed train connection for passengers.
The tower is located beside the sea in the first number of Diagonal Avenue in the Forum area. It will host the company’s I+D centre and will bring together all the Telefonica offices from around the city.
It is a record figure for the company and represents a 35 percent increase in passengers since 2009. Vueling plans to offer 10.5 million seats for the 2011 summer season, almost 7% more than the same period in 2009. The company plans to open new bases in Amsterdam and Toulouse to foster its international growth.
Barça receives Betis in the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey (22.00 pm) two days after being the main attraction at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich. Leo Messi will be sharing the trophy with fans before kick off.
Catalan ski slopes attracted thousands of tourists this holiday season. Between the 24th December and the 9th January, heavy snow and pleasant weather conditions ensured an increase in visitors compared to this time last year. Ski-resorts in the Pyrenees contribute greatly to the tourism industry in Catalonia.
The Spanish Vice President for Economy Elena Salgado refused the idea proposed by three Catalan parties to allow mortgage holders end their debt by returning their house to the bank. This measure already exists in the US and other countries. In Spain, a country with a high unemployment rate, many people are not able to afford to pay their mortgage. However, at the moment, debt does not disappear when banks execute mortgages and take away the house. Salgado wants to keep the current system in order not to harm the banks and thus the recovery, but at a high social price.
The new Catalan Government announced today that the budget for 2011 (currently the 2010 has been extended) will be ready within the next 4 months and approved before the summer break. The Government’s Spokesperson, Francesc Homs, said that for the first time, the budget will be “clearly smaller” than the previous year’s. In addition, the new Government asked for an external audit on the Catalan public administration’s finances.
If South Sudan citizens finally vote for independence, the Spanish Government will respect it and recognise their independence. However, the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trinidad Jiménez, announced that Spain would not review its stance on Kosovo. The Balkan country declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 but Spain is one of the 5 EU Member States that still refuses to recognise it.
Two bar owners have publically declared their resistance to the new smoking ban after having lost many clients, they said. So they have decided to let customers smoke again and hope that other bars will do the same.
Leo Messi is the winner of the 2010 FIFA Ballon D’Or after taking the trophy for the second year on the run. Messi won 22,65% of the votes, ahead of teammates Andrés Iniesta (17,36%) and Xavi Hernández (16,48%).
After the Pope’s visit last November, the Sagrada Família will be open 4 Saturdays in a row along January. The measure seems to be a success among Barcelonans. The figure is four times the number of visits recorded on a normal Saturday.
The Spanish Government states “it’s good news but not THE news” it was waiting for. The Socialist Party, the People’s Party and most of the Spanish opinion leaders insist that ETA’s only way out is through its own total disarmament and dissolution. The President of the Basque Government affirmed that he “would not allow ETA to dictate Basque Country’s future”. However, he underlined that ETA’s statement means that the terrorist group acknowledges the inevitability of its demise. CiU and other Catalan parties are optimistic but prudent.