Politics
europe
Business
Nestlé to invest €102 million to expand its Girona plant producing Nescafé
Business
American Airlines and Vueling to connect short and long-distance flights through Barcelona El Prat
Politics
North African gas to reach Central Europe through Catalonia by 2020 to reduce 40% Russian dependency
Politics
1.4 million Catalans signed international complaint against Rajoy for banning self-determination vote
Culture
'Two days, one night,' 'The great beauty,' 'Nymphomaniac' and 'La isla mínima' nominated for Gaudí Best European Film
Politics
Catalan representatives to send a complaint to international organisations against Spanish Government for blocking self-determination
Culture
Jaume Cabré’s novel 'Confessions' hits English bookstores
Business
Hong Kong telecomm company opens its European offices in Barcelona
Society
The European Court of Human Rights temporarily stops the eviction of an apartment block near Girona
Politics
Baden-Württemberg Vice President: “It’s up to the Catalans to decide if they feel better in Spain or on a stand-alone basis”
Life & Style
Russian tourism could increase by 10% in the Costa Daurada thanks to a new orthodox church
The Friends of Russia Foundation is planning to build an orthodox church on the Costa Daurada, the southern coast of Catalonia. The new temple would be the first Russian orthodox one in Catalonia and the biggest one in Spain. It is aimed at Russian visitors, the most emerging touristic market in the area over recent years. The construction of the temple could mean a 10% rise in Russian tourists on the southern Catalan coasts. Its location will be made public at the end of March. Besides, according to the Catalan minister of Business and Occupation, Russian tourism will grow 40% in Catalonia this year. Last year one million Russians spent their holidays in Spain, and 600,000 stayed in Catalonia. Out of this 600,000, 70% chose the Costa Daurada, followed by the Costa Brava.
Business
The 2013 BIO-Europe Spring conference turns Barcelona into the capital of the biotechnology sector once again
Between the 11th and 13th of March, Barcelona will host the spring meeting of Bio-Europe, the continent’s largest partnering conference of the global biotechnology industry, for the second time. 1,300 biomedical companies will participate in the event, with more than 2,000 delegates and executives. 60 out of the 100 Spanish companies attending are from Catalonia. In the last decade, Catalonia, particularly the Greater Barcelona area, has become the most important centre in Southern Europe within the biomedical field and one of the main centres internationally. Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs, Sònia Recasens, praised the importance of the event as it boosts those “added-value sectors that are strategic for the city’s economic growth”.
Life & Style
The renovated Turó de la Rovira wins the European Prize for Urban Public Space
The project, which aims to restore a historic viewing point of the city of Barcelona, was carried out by a group of Catalan architects in 2011. The prize is shared with the project to renovate the banks of the River Ljubljanica, in Ljubljana (Slovenia).
Business
Twice the number of tourists from Ukraine to visit Catalonia in 2012
Tourism from Russia and former Soviet republics has been increasing in Catalonia over the last few years. The Russian tour operator Natalie Tours announced that it will bring 35,000 Ukrainian tourists to Spain, 80% them going to Catalan beaches and the rest to the Canary Islands. Within the next 5 years, the number of Ukrainian tourists is expected to reach half million people. Furthermore, the number of tourists from Eastern Europe is expected to increase between 35% and 40%.