barcelona

Play golf next to the sea while waiting for a flight transfer at Barcelona El Prat Airport

April 5, 2013 01:01 AM | CNA / Esther Romagosa

The Spanish Airport Authority (AENA), which owns and manages Barcelona El Prat Airport, has issued the tender to allocate the construction and management of a golf course located between the sea beach and the airfield’s third runway for 30 years. The golf course will be 175,000 square meters and have 9 holes. It will be for the passengers’ use, mostly those who are transferring through El Prat Airport. It should be operational by summer 2014, profiting from some of the infrastructure of a previously existing golf course. The project will come with restaurants and shops, as well as rooms for relaxing or holding meetings. Furthermore, in the future a beach club might also be built. The aim is to raise Barcelona Airport’s attractiveness as an international hub connecting short- and medium-distance flights with intercontinental ones.

Messi to miss next weekend game but he could be ready by Wednesday to face the PSG

April 3, 2013 08:16 PM | CNA

Leo Messi will miss the next Spanish League match after his injury in Paris, in the first leg of the Champions League’s quarters with the PSG. However, Messi’s availability after the weekend will depend on his progress and therefore he could be ready by Wednesday to face the PSG at the Camp Nou for the return leg. The last time Messi suffered a similar injury was on March 2008 against Glasgow Celtic and on that occasion he was out for five weeks.

PSG vs. FC Barcelona: Cruel ending for Barça in Paris (2-2)

April 3, 2013 03:29 AM | Roger Bogunyà

A 94th minute goal from Matuidi gave Paris Saint-Germain a draw after Messi and Mascherano had both come off injured. Barça went ahead in the first half thanks to a goal from Messi, who failed to reappear after the break after picking up a hamstring injury, before Ibrahimovic brought the teams level with ten minutes left to play. Xavi then slotted home a penalty on 88 minutes which appeared to have given Barça a win, only for Bartra to get the slightest of ricochets on a Matuidi shot in the dying seconds and help it past Valdes.

British Airways-Iberia improve their takeover offer on Vueling’s shares with an increase from €7 to €9.25

March 27, 2013 09:53 PM | CNA

IAG, the airline formed after the merger of British Airways and Iberia, has improved its offer for the total takeover of Barcelona-based Vueling, one of the few airlines in Europe which has earned a profit in the last few years. Earlier this month, Vueling’s board rejected IAG’s offer, presented in November, as they considered it to be too low. Now, the shareholders have had the last word. IAG already controls 45.85% of Vueling. With the new offer, if IAG manages to control 50.01% of Vueling – despite it officially aiming to get 100% of the Catalan airline shares – the operation will go ahead.

Tito Vilanova arrives in Barcelona after his two-month treatment in New York

March 26, 2013 06:01 PM | CNA

FC Barcelona’s Coach has landed on Tuesday morning, at about 8:05 at Barcelona El Prat Airport, after two months in New York when dealing with his illness. Jordi Roura and Aureli Altimira, who joined him on the flight home, will be taking this afternoon’s training session at the Ciutat Esportiva. Last December Vilanova underwent surgery for his parotid ailment relapse and in January he flew to the States to continue with his cancer treatment. In late 2011, Tito Vilanova had a first tumour removed from his parotid gland.

Booking.com to open a customer support centre that will create 250 new jobs in Barcelona

March 20, 2013 04:31 PM | CNA / Carlota Guerra

Booking.com is a Dutch hotel and accommodation booking company. Leader in its sector, it has decided to open in Barcelona one of its 5 customer support centres worldwide. In the context of the current economic crisis, the arrival of the company in the Catalan capital is positive because Booking.com has announced that the opening will create 250 jobs. Catalan Business Minister Felip Puig emphasised that the decision of the Dutch company proves that “Barcelona and Catalonia are attracting poles”.

Italian bombings of Barcelona during Spanish Civil War to be investigated by provincial High Court

March 18, 2013 09:11 PM | CNA / Carlota Guerra

During the Spanish Civil War, from 1936 to 1939, Franco’s rebels received military help from Italy among other countries. The Italian Legionary Air Force, based in Mallorca, was responsible for the aerial bombardment of the city of Barcelona from 16th March to 18th 1938, exactly 75 years ago. For three days, Italian aviation forces bombed civil targets and neighbourhoods and caused the death of approximately a thousand civilians. The bombing of the Catalan capital was one of the most lethal bombing missions of the Spanish Civil War. Barcelona High Court has ordered a full investigation on crimes against humanity.

FC Barcelona drawn against Paris Saint Germain at the Champions League quarters

March 15, 2013 08:28 PM | CNA

Barça have been drawn to play PSG in the last eight of the Champions League. The first leg will be played in Paris’s Parc des Princes on the 2nd of April and the return game will be in Barcelona’s Camp Nou on the 10th of April. The Parisian outfit has made it into the quarter finals for the first time in 19 years after spending 240 million euros in two seasons. The other matches are Real Madrid vs Galatasaray, Bayern Munich vs Juventus and Málaga vs Borussia Dortmund.

The Mortgage Platform has been fighting to stop house evictions in Spain

March 14, 2013 10:05 AM | Carlota Guerra

The Popular Legislative Initiative promoted by the Platform is pending debate in the Spanish Parliament. The Mortgage Platform was founded in Barcelona in 2009. Over recent years, it has worked intensively to prevent and ultimately stop people from being evicted from their own homes. Subprime mortgages, very common during the first decade of this century, were one of the main consequences of the property bubble in Spain and have resulted in more than 400,000 foreclosures in the whole of Spain since 2007. This situation is aggravated due to the economic crisis, which increases social inequality and has placed evictions among the first concerns on the political agenda.

Prostitution complaints in Barcelona reduced by 39% in 2012 compared to the previous year

March 13, 2013 08:33 PM | CNA / Elise Griset

Complaints regarding prostitution in Barcelona have decreased in 2012 but the penalties for drinking on the street and street vending have increased. The Local Police filed 1,091 complaints for offering, asking for or having sexual relations on the street in Barcelona, a 39% decrease compared to 2011 figures. Furthermore, there was a 7.7% decrease in noise-related incidents; 16.6% in public spaces. The number of fines issued for drinking on the street increased by 2.26%.

FC Barcelona vs. AC Milan: Magnificent comeback sends Barça into Champions League quarters (4-0)

March 13, 2013 02:50 AM | Roger Bogunyà

Two first half goals from Leo Messi (2) and two more from David Villa and Jordi Alba cancelled out AC Milan’s two-goal head start. Things looked bleak after the 2-0 reverse at the San Siro, but AC Milan were simply no match for the Catalans on Tuesday. Barça thus gain spectacular revenge for the 4-0 defeat in the Athens final of 1994 and go into Friday’s Champions League quarter finals draw.