Primavera Sound launches its most intense and exultant edition

Yesterday The vaselinas and Yo La Tengo opened the ninth edition of the Primavera Sound festival, where 130 groups will go on stage until Saturday. The six locations in the Forum Park already attracted 20.000 visitors on the first day and thousands more are being expected this weekend. The Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, together with the Sonar, is the most famous festival of rock, pop and electric music in Catalunya. This year people even received free plugs for the ears as a remedy to listen to the famous rock group My bloody Valentine, known for its great passion for the noise.

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Neighbours promote a commemorative plaque for Catalan poet and literary critic Manent

The people living in the district of Raval campaigned for the placement of a commemorative plaque dedicated to the poet, literary critic and translator Marià Manent on the façade of the house where he was born and had lived the early years of his life. Yesterday the revelation of the plaque took place within the scope of his family, neighbours and friends, announced the delegate of culture of the city of Barcelona, Jordi Martí. Roser Manent, the daughter of Marià Manent said that it was an honour to see, that even twenty years after his death her father was still remembered.

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Catalans make more claims for loans and fees because of the crisis

In the first quarter of 2009, the number of requests for loans to the Agencia Catalana de Consumo (ACC) has increased up to 42%. In 2008 the number of inquiries had already increased by 51%. Especially the information technology has to face a great amount of complaints, as 43% of last years complaints were in the sector of telephony and internet. Jordi Anguera, director of the ACC claimed yesterday, that 2008 has been a difficult year, as all indicators related to consumption have fallen. He said that people have changed their consumer behaviour and are more aware and demanding.

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Catalan government to give $ 500 for buying vehicles that cost up to 49.000

Yesterday the government passed the Catalan plan for the direct aid to the purchase of a new, low-polluting car. The Catalans will receive discounts of 2.000 euros for the purchase of a vehicle up to 30.000 euros with the aim to limit the CO2 emissions. For purchasing a vehicle up to 49.000 euros with higher emissions, people will receive $ 500. The condition to obtain the discount is to scrap a more polluting vehicle with more than 250.000 kilometers or older than 10 years. The principal aim is to induce people to purchase low-polluting cars to sustainably reduce the CO2 emissions.

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Festival Tàrraco Viva claims the biggest audience of the first weekend since its beginnings

The roman festival Tàrraco Viva started with the biggest audience on the first weekend since the first edition. Not only citizens from Tarragona visited the festival, but the organisation of Tàrraco Viva could also claim an increasing number of visitors from other parts of Catalunya and from other european countries. The festival represents the former life and history of the romans, as well as its customs and literature. Magí Seritjol, the coordinator of the festival, explained that in the future the organistaion would like to attract even more people from european countries.

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New wine route through Empordà and Catalunya Nord to be opened in 2012

The wine route of the Catalan Pyrenees. This is going to be the name of the new touristic location that will be released in 2012. The idea of developing a wine route now has a specific date, as introduced officially by the Minister for Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, Josep Huguet. The project will be started this year and has the aim to link the two territories through their wine resource, heritage and historical landscape.

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The price and employment of 4 and 5 star hotels in Barcelona will fall to 26%

As an effect of the recession of the touristic activities in big cities all over the world, the price and employment of the 4 and 5 star hotels in Barcelona will fall about 26% on average, according to Jones Lang, consultant of the LaSalle Hotels. The negative trend of the year 2008 will intensify even more and the hotel market will have to absorb about 3.600 rooms in the Catalan capital, of which 47% will be 5 star establishments.

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Montjüic Castle: make peace, not war.

Barcelona yesterday wrote another chapter in its history and finally closed the military museum opened by the dictator Franco 47 yars ago, in the Castle of Montjuïc, from where the city of Barcelona were bombed so many times in the past. Music and chocolate made a festive note to a crowded but not massive act. Yerterday was the last of three days of open doors of the castle and hundreds of people, including tourists, citizens of Barcelona and other towns in Catalonia, did not want to miss this appointment with the history of the city and the country.

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Carsharing services grow fast in Barcelona

The number of subscribers to the multi-car service has increased by 326% in the past two years. The crisis seems to be the main cause of the CarSharing boom, a kind of Bicing for cars that has won fans since its kick-off, in 2004. The service is available in Barcelona, Sabadell, Granollers and Sant Cugat del Valles, but they are thinking on extending it to other populations. This formula is fairly standard in some countries. In Switzerland, for example, is visible in all the cities and now has about 70,000 users.

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Reus' airport will have a new railway station with a TGV direct link

Spanish minister José Blanco announced a new railway station in the south of the airport of Reus, linked with the great central station of Tarragona, with a planned investment of 62 million. The station will be located between the runways at the airport and the road T-11, along with access to the AP-7.

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