Trains with origins and destinations in Catalonia will be managed by the Catalan Government beginning in 2011. Medium-speed trains (called Avant) are not included. A commission will quantify the cost of the service. The agreement follows what has already been agreed on in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, approved in 2006.
A collaborative study has shown that if consumers know if fruits are acidic or sweet, fruit consumption in supermarkets may raise up to 30%. The study has also concluded that about 75% of the population prefers sweet fruit while the rest prefer acidic.
The project funded by the Institut Ramon Llull –the institute promoting Catalan language and culture abroad– aims to promote the use of Catalan beyond the areas of Romance Language Studies and Philology.
The pop-rock music festival will use one of its previous locations, the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona’s Montjuïc hill. The most talked about performances from the first round of confirmed acts are Ariel Pink, the Fiery Furnaces, Broadcast and Half Japanese.
The difference between what an autonomous community produces in terms of revenues and what it finally receives, once the Spanish State has redistributed those revenues among all the communities, has only officially been quantified once in history. It was in 2005, following an agreement of Prime Minister Zapatero with the Catalan nationalist forces. Catalonia’s political and business class have called for the systematic publication of the “fiscal balances” several times.
The Catalan post-hardcore band Standstill is presenting their new album ‘Adelante Bonaparte’ with their new show ‘Rooom’ at Barcelona’s L’Auditori.
The Celler de Can Roca Restaurant, which owes 3 Michelin stars and has been rated by 5th best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine, participated in the campaign ‘Tinc sang de Sibarita’ (I have Sybarite blood) that aims to promote blood donation.
The Catalan Government has declared the Collserola hills as a Natural Park. The old project has experienced several delays, but today it got the green light. The mountains will now have special protection and further construction will go through strict controls.
‘El Molino’, Barcelona’s Moulin Rouge, reopened its doors last night after a 13-year closure, a change of ownership and a complete renovation. On its first night, the theatre offered a spectacle typical of Paral·lel Avenue, the Catalan Broadway. The re-opening has created great expectations.
Candidates from all the parties represented in the current Catalan Parliament participated in the pioneer initiative ‘Twittervista’, an interview made by the citizens via Twitter. From the 6 parties, 3 party leaders and 3 other main party figures all on the ballot for the November elections participated. The avalanche of questions caused some technical problems, which were mostly solved.
The UK rating agency stresses that measures to cut public expenditure will have to be accelerated. The recent decision by the Catalan Government to issue bonds to obtain cash have influenced the agency. Moody’s is sticking to its short-term rating and lowers-down the long-term one. The Government will now have more difficulties in getting funding in international markets.
On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, NGOs ask the Government to focus on policies that reduce social exclusion.
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently hosting an exhibition that juxtaposes Catalan artist Joan Miró’s work with Dutch Golden Era paintings that he was inspired by.
Today Iberia unveiled its colossal reparation hangar, able to host the giant A-380 airplane. In addition, after 5 years of decreasing its flights from Barcelona, especially at an international level, Iberia announced that it will operate direct flights linking Sao Paulo and Miami with the Catalan capital.
In response to a parliamentary question by the Member of the European Parliament, Ramon Tremosa, from the Association of Liberals and Democrats of Europe (ALDE) group, the EC wages for this railway network to be built before the end of 2012. This rail track is an essential part of the Mediterranean Rail Corridor, which will link Southern Spain to France via the Mediterranean harbours.