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The number of pensions has grown in Catalonia by 1.7% in comparison with August of last year. The pension statistics were published this Tuesday by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Immigration.

Wine culture has taken roots in Catalonia. The Harvest Celebration and the Wine Museum of l'Espluga de Francolí (in Tarragona, south of Catalonia) are just 2 examples of this phenomenon.

Josep Ramon Castells, the president of the Federation of Mollusc Producers from the Ebre Delta, explained in an interview the properties and the quality of the mussels and oysters they produce. They have a stronger flesh and greater sea taste than those from France and Italy.

The longest kidnapping by Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and the Sahel has now ended after 268 days. The 2 men arrived last night at Barcelona from Burkina Faso, where they took a plane after a long journey by car and helicopter across Mali, where they were kept. They were kidnapped in Mauritania last November when they were travelling with a cooperation aid convoy heading to Senegal and The Gambia. The freeing operation has been very complex and there are unconfirmed rumours of a ransom payment.

The Catalan clothing company Mango collaborates with United States’ department store JCPenney. Mango has opened in their malls 77 new shops throughout the U.S. In addition, the Catalan company plans to have 300 stores opened by next April and 600 by Fall 2011.

According to date from the General Workers’ Union, Catalonia invested only 3.6% of its GDP to education in 2007, putting the territory behind less developed countries such as Romania and Bulgaria. Also, the number of Catalan students dropping out of university is double than the EU average.

The Aragonese airline company Pyrenair will begin offering flights from the Lleida-Alguaire airport starting in January to destinations such as Vigo, Madrid, and Lisbon. Pyrenair will also operate from the Osca-Pirineus Airport.

Lleida has become a clear example of how a high-speed train can change a city. The economic impact after the high-speed train arrival of the conference and meeting sectors has doubled from 8 to 17 million euros.

The county of Garraf, 20 minutes South from Barcelona, has recently begun a new programme for tourists of the area, a route that combines elements of landscape, culture, and gastronomy. The itinerary includes panoramic views of the Garraf Natural Park and wine tasting, among other activities.

Catalan rural agents patrol the Costa Brava shore to prevent illegal fishing and protect wildlife and natural spaces. They are patrolling with boats as well as with a helicopter.

The Barcelona City Hall has invested 6.8 million euros to the development of social centres that will attend to families with a high risk for social exclusion. The Centre Obert of Sant Martí is an example of the success of social centres.

A new guide book has hit the shelves which maps out the bottom of the Illes Medes sea for potential scuba divers who wish to explore the area. The guide intends to give divers a preview of the seafloor, preparing them for their dives.

The Catalan Minister for Public Works is confident about the construction along the Mediterranean shore of the passenger and freight high-speed railway connection, which will connect Catalonia and southern Spain with Europe

In Catalonia, there has been an annual growth in exports of 19.12% while the commercial deficit also rose by 39.22%.

Wine from Alella, in the northern coast of Barcelona, captivates the public and goes beyond borders in this time of economic crisis.