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Fira de Barcelona - the Catalan capital trade fair organisation - expects to end 2013 with revenues of €117.2 million, meaning 10.9 % more than targeted, 1.7 % more than last year and 2.2 % more than in 2011. The institution’s management stressed that such good results came from the “ability to attract major international events”, such as the Mobile World Congress or the EVS27, dedicated to the electric vehicle. The foreign sector already contributes to 50% of the Fira de Barcelona revenues. Indeed, the institution, apart from welcoming professionals from all around the world, has also created other trade fairs in foreign countries and next year it will open new fairs in Qatar or Japan.

ICTINEU 3, a scientific submersible designed and build in Catalonia, has entered the water for the very first time in a test dive near Barcelona. For over ten years, particular donations have helped construct this submarine that will be dedicated to “underwater exploration, scientific research and underwater intervention”. This first test was used to verify that all of the submarine’s systems could function underwater, and the next step will be a dive in seawater. ICTINEU 3 was named after the very first air independent and combustion engine driven submarine, ICTINEU 1, which was invented by Figueres’ engineer Narcís Monturiol and dived for the first time in the Catalan capital’s harbour.

The FC Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell, has confirmed that the midfielder, who was on contract until 2015, will now be staying at the Catalan club until June 30, 2018. In 479 official appearances, Iniesta has won 21 trophies at FC Barcelona. Iniesta will be 34 on June 30, 2018, which will mean he will have been at the club for an incredible 22 years. He first arrived at FC Barcelona in September 1996, when he was only 12. By the 2000/01 season he was making the switch from the U19 team to Barça B and in October 2002 he played his first game for the first team in Bruges. Iniesta is one of Europe’s most admired footballers as he helped Barça to its greatest ever period of success.

The Picasso Museum of the Catalan capital will no longer be solely run by the municipality. From the 1^st of January 2014, it will be managed by the public-private Picasso Museum Foundation. This will be the beginning of a new era for the museum, which is set to focus on the conservation, study and development of its own artistic heritage, by launching the ‘Centre de Referència Picassiana on-line’, dedicated to researching and teaching Picasso around the world. The managers of the museum also wish to delve into the influence of Picasso on contemporary art. Such an idea is at the core of the next exhibition dedicated to the illustrious painter: Post-Picasso: Contemporary Artists' Response to His Art, held from the 7^th of March to the 29^th of June, 2014.

The civil society organisation Súmate, bringing together Spanish-speaking Catalans who support independence from Spain, presented its local branch in Mataró, a coastal city in Greater Barcelona. On Tuesday evening, half an hour after the event’s kick off, a group of about six Fascists carrying Spanish flags interrupted the presentation and tried to stop it. They shouted insults against participants and carried banners against the association. “You are a submarine” of pro-independence parties and “You are sold to the ‘nazionalist’ tyranny” were some of the slogans. Ironically, these Fascists called the attendees of a democratic debate on Catalan nationalism ‘Nazis’. Spanish nationalism has compared Catalonia’s claims to Nazism on several occasions, while Madrid’s establishment and intellectuals have barely protested. 

Barça qualify for the 1/8 round of the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) after defeating Cartagena at the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening. Barça came into the match with a 1-4 advantage from the first leg in Cartagena, and Gerardo Martino’s competitive line-up earned passage to the next round. Pedro (min 30), Mariano (og) (min 67) and Neymar (min 88), scored for the Blaugrana. Barça’s Club Member Solidarity Day was a complete success as 47,280 filled the Camp Nou, and the team put in a reaffirming performance.

After getting the job done in Europe (Celtic) and La Liga (Villarreal), FC Barcelona want to close out the Copa del Rey tie this Tuesday evening against Cartagena (22.00 CET). FC Barcelona will play the second leg without Xavi (as a precaution), Sergio and Piqué (for technical reasons). Tata Martino has named a total of 16 footballers to the squad. The 1-4 from the first leg 11 days ago gives Barça a huge advantage as the Blaugrana could lose 0-3 and still qualify for the next round of the competition. However, in Can Barça the challenge is always to win by playing good football.

1 million passengers are expected to use the new direct High-Speed Train between Barcelona and Paris within a year. The Spanish Transport Minister Ana Pastor, her French counterpart Fréderic Cuvillier and the Catalan Minister for Planning and Sustainability Santi Vila, have described the High-Speed connection as a “milestone” that will further develop the bond between states and develop their economy. The very first direct train from Barcelona to Paris circulated last Sunday, connecting seventeen cities between the two states. Both Catalan and French ministers have stated they had taken measures to accelerate the construction of the Perpignan-Montpellier section, where trains are still circulating at a regular speed, making journeys significantly longer.

FC Barcelona will face Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League following the draw held this Monday lunchtime in Nyon. The exact dates of the two legs will be announced shortly. The first leg will be played on 18, 19, 25 or 26 February at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and the return on 11, 12, 18 or 19 March at Camp Nou. Manchester City were one of the strongest teams in the runners’ up group of the draw, having only finished second to Bayern on goal difference in Group D, despite beating the Germans in Munich. However, this will be the first time that City have played in the last 16 of the Champions League, despite their enormous wealth and quality squad.

Two Neymar goals bring FC Barcelona victory over Villarreal at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona go five points clear of Real Madrid, who drew at Osasuna’s Stadium in Pamplona. They say that the best things are those you have to fight to earn. And on Saturday evening, FC Barcelona certainly had their work cut out to get the better of a defiant Villarreal at the Camp Nou. A Neymar penalty set things up nicely, but Musacchio’s early second half goal meant it was all back to square one for Barça. But some terrific football eventually paid off with Neymar grabbing his second goal of the evening to ensure three vital points.

Barça are looking to keep up the good work and consolidate top spot in the Spanish League in their game against Villareal this Saturday evening (20:00 CET). FC Barcelona could become the first club to ever lead la Liga for 54 consecutive weeks. Barça seem to have corrected their errors in Amsterdam and Bilbao with convincing wins against Cartagena in the Copa del Rey and Celtic in the Champions League, playing precisely the kind of football that has already brought the club one trophy this season, the Supercup, and put them in top spot in both the domestic championship and their Champions League group. However, following the setback at San Mamés, Barça’s lead has been cut down to mere goal difference, and an exciting weekend of football awaits.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Grífols and Barcelona’s Alzheimer Treatment&Research Center of Fundació ACE – a family charity – have announced that they will run tests of a vaccine against this neurodegenerative illness from January 2014. It will target 365 Alzheimer’s patients at mild and moderate stages of the illness. The first investigation project that ACE’s centre will host is called Ambar. The 365 participants will be randomly divided into three treatment groups plus a fourth control group. The patients will come from 17 Spanish hospitals and 20 United States’ medical centres. From 1996, the ACE Foundation has evaluated more than 14,000 people, 47% of whom were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It has the largest bank of genetic data in Europe.

Barça have secured top spot in the Champions League H group thanks to goals from Piqué, Pedro, Neymar (3) and Tello. The Brazilian was the hero of the night with an awe-inspiring display. Barça only needed a point to clinch top place in their group, but did much more than against a Celtic side that was only playing for pride but was instead played off the park by an intense, ambitious display from the Catalans. After going into an early 1-0 lead and with the win already as good as settled by half-time, Barça were able to play for the crowd and regain some lost confidence, with hat-trick hero Neymar on stunning form.

Next February, the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world’s most important event in the mobile industry, will open its doors in Barcelona for the 9^th consecutive year. The major companies in the sector will introduce new products or give conferences on applications designed for many innovative uses. By hosting the fair each year at least until 2018, Barcelona, named Mobile World Capital, is looking to become an international leader in this industry. The city has also created a HUB to develop the sector even further. The 2014 edition of the fair expects to break all records. The Director of the MWC, John Hoffman, stated that 75,000 visitors were expected, meaning 3,000 more than last year. Besides, once the fair will be over, it is estimated the local economy could have gained €340 million from it.

Barcelona’s El Prat Airport has again registered positive passenger figures in November with the number of people transiting through its facilities reaching 2.38 million, 4.5% more compared to November 2012. Furthermore, the number of intercontinental passengers grew by 22.8 %. According to the Spanish Airport Authority (AENA), El Prat is currently on an upward trend. On the other hand, Madrid Barajas Airport registered 2.98 million passengers in November, representing a 5.3 % decrease compared to the same month last year. Since January 2013, 32,903,000 passengers have transited through Barcelona El Prat, a 0.2% decrease compared to the first eleven months of 2012. At Spanish level, the figures registered a 3.9% drop due to the economic crisis.