A vanilla ice cream inside a plastic casing shaped like a toucan. In mid-March, the ice cream maker La Menorquina announced that they would discontinue the iconic Punky, the company's vanilla ice cream sold in a very original wrapper. "New generations are looking for other things and adults... well, you remember it fondly, but you're too embarrassed to order it in public," explained the Minorcan-Catalan company on its social media. From here on, the island's most famous toucan became a viral phenomenon on social media; especially thanks to an Instagram account that dedicated itself to demanding its return with a handful of pranks at La Menorquina's offices.

"Europe must be strategically autonomous in everything possible, also in the defense sector". The Government announces the creation of a new program to train 400 Catalan companies so that they can enter the security and defense sector. As announced this Friday by the Minister of Business and Labor, Miquel Sàmper, the new program – called Dual Technology & Industry Readiness Programme– will be aimed at introducing SMEs that are dedicated to automotive, space, metallurgy and machinery with dual technologies into the market. The plan foresees offering sessions where key aspects will be discussed for those who wish to invest in the defense and security market, such as the various certifications necessary to operate, the homologation processes that must be carried out, and the access routes to state and European contracting processes.

The crisis in energy markets stemming from the war in the Middle East will worsen "significantly" heading into April compared to March, according to the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol. The Turkish director, who visited the podcast of Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), explained that while during the last month shipments from the Middle East were still arriving at ports, by April "there will be nothing".

In April 2022, the major labor reform by Yolanda Díaz came into effect. The Minister of Labor promised that the new measures would foster a profound transformation of the Spanish labor market and combat one of its endemic problems: high temporality. Four years later, however, can we say that the initiative has achieved its main objective? According to Jordi Garcia, professor of Labor Law and Social Security at the University of Barcelona, no. "Or at least that's what it seems with the little data they provide," he assures. Different reports, such as one published a few weeks ago by the liberal think tank Fundación Civismo, agree with the expert and say that the changes have been, truly, "statistical".

"The conflict in the Middle East will test the resilience of the global economy." No beating around the bush. The new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revises its growth forecasts taking into account the impact of the war initiated in Iran.

Two residents of Sabadell have filed a lawsuit against Sareb —the so-called bad bank— after the entity is demanding more than three million euros from them for a mortgage they never took out, neither directly nor voluntarily. According to the lawsuit, which has already been accepted for processing, the affected parties—now deceased—never received the money they are now being asked to return. In fact, as the lawsuit explains, the loan was granted to a third party: the real estate developer Wilder Bay SL, which subsequently went into administration. From then on, the mortgage debt was subject to several financial transfers until it reached Sareb, which is now demanding repayment from the daughters of the deceased neighbors, aged 79 and 74.

The Association of Rental Property Owners (Asval) announced on Tuesday the creation of a permanent commission in Catalonia. During the presentation, Asval asserted that they need greater legal certainty and a more ""Clear, stable, and predictable." In fact, the association's new delegate in Catalonia, Carlos Muñoz, has asserted that this lack of legal certainty is what, in many cases, leads to "conflict" between landlords and tenants. "Landlords and tenants share a common interest: that the system works," Muñoz affirmed. "Without landlords, there is no supply; without tenants, there is no one to request housing."

Salvador Illa announced on Monday an initial aid package to address the effects of the war in the Middle East on the Catalan economy. Specifically, on Tuesday the Catalan government will approve the mobilization of €400 million in direct aid, tax breaks, and financing instruments to protect the country's businesses and families. The aid will focus particularly on transportation, agriculture, and fishing, the sectors most affected by the war, and the package is expected to be expanded depending on how the conflict evolves. This set of measures is in addition to... the protections deployed last week by the Spanish governmentThe aid that the Government plans to allocate to the economic sector, which will amount to up to 216 million euros, will be conditional on companies wishing to participate preserving jobs. The main pillars of the aid are an expansion of two financing lines between the Department of Economy and Finance and the Catalan Finance Institute (ICF), direct aid to the agricultural and fishing sectors, and tax exemptions. Business advisory and promotional services are also planned. The plan announced by Salvador Illa includes allocating 154 million euros to accelerate the energy transition and sustainable mobility. Regarding social aid, as the president explained at a business conference organized by ExpansionThe measures will be aimed at ensuring that the most vulnerable families can cope with food and energy expenses. To this end, the Catalan government will mobilize up to €30 million to create an open line of aid for families and to offer support to municipalities by reinforcing emergency social assistance, for example. Coordination of temporary layoff schemes (ERTEs) due to force majeure with the Spanish administration is also planned to protect job stability. "I make an explicit appeal for everyone to act in the general interest and the common good," said Illa, who demanded "responsibility" from large companies and the financial system.

"The members vote to decide who will represent them, and that's unique in the world. It's a wonderful thing about our club. Thank you, Barça," said Joan Laporta after being declared the winner of the club's presidential elections. Barça members renewed their confidence in Laporta. The leader of Defensem el Barça (Defend Barça) obtained 68.18% of the votes, defeating Víctor Font, who fell short with 29.78% of the vote. In absolute terms, Laporta garnered 32,934 votes, while Font received 14,385. Blank votes represented 2.04% of the total. After a whirlwind campaign of just one month, Barça fans opted for Laporta's continuity model, who in recent weeks has focused his entire discourse on explaining how he has led the club's economic recovery over the last five years. Font's proposals, therefore, were not enough to convince the members, and the plebiscite he so fervently called for ended up turning its back on the "change" spearheaded by the Nosotros (Us) movement. Laporta will begin his third term at the helm of the institution.

The election campaign for the presidency of FC Barcelona has now ended. The day of reflection comes after candidates Joan Laporta and Víctor Font spent Friday carrying out their final campaign events to win over undecided voters. The promises, proposals, and projects now remain in the minds of the club's supporters, who will have to decide on Sunday whether to re-elect Laporta or opt for the change proposed by Font. The final day of the campaign served to deliver the last messages and tie the finishing touches to an intense month of events and commitments, culminating in a closing ceremony for each candidate. It was a way to honor and thank the numerous volunteers who supported the projects, from collecting signatures to providing logistical support for the presidential hopefuls. Joan Laporta chose La Pedrera for his final event. The president, seeking re-election, gave a nod to the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death at a party that brought together 250 friends. To shouts of "President, president," Laporta indulged in one last bask in the adulation of the crowd, during which, as he admitted, he would eventually become emotional.

Carles Planchart (Arbúcies, 1965), Albert Puig (Cambrils, 1968), and Francesc Cos (Terrassa, 1965), all three with a history at Barça and extensive experience in the world of football, are Víctor Font's picks for the club's sporting director position. All three advocate for maximizing the potential of Hansi Flick's current squad, emphasizing that the club already has excellent professionals working there, but that "more professionalism" and "better communication and coordination between the three key areas" are needed: the transfer market, performance – which includes everything from medical services, physical conditioning and injury prevention to nutrition – and La Masia.

Ferran Olivé has gradually gained prominence at Barça during Joan Laporta's second term. A psychiatrist by profession, Olivé has been one of the key figures on the board, where he has served as treasurer.

Five years after the elections that put him on the map, Víctor Font still wants to be president of Barça. Running under the "Nosotros" (We) banner, the candidate claims to have created a broad-based list that brings together all the different factions within the Barça fanbase. After the signature count – in which Marc Ciria and Xavier Vilajoana were excluded – Font now has the head-to-head debate against Joan Laporta that he has so often requested.

"We need the elections to be a plebiscite between the Barça of the past and the Barça of the future." Víctor Font's mantra for the past few weeks has finally become a reality: as Barça announced this Thursday, Marc Ciria obtained 2,247 valid member signatures but did not reach the threshold of 2,337. Therefore, the incumbent Joan Laporta (7,226 valid signatures) and candidate Font (4,440) will face off on March 15. This Monday, Ciria submitted 2,844 signatures at the Auditori 1899, 598 more than those validated in the final count. The signature validation process was much more unforgiving than expected: while approximately 6% of signatures are typically lost, Marc Ciria saw 21% of his signatures discarded. Joan Laporta has lost 944 signatures, 11% of those submitted, and Víctor Font, 704 (14%).

Barcelona's controversial sponsorship contract with the Democratic Republic of Congo could end up in court. On Monday, the National Financial Prosecutor's Office of Monaco confirmed to The Team An investigation has been opened into corruption, money laundering, and misappropriation of public funds related to an agreement with the same characteristics as Barcelona's deal with AS Monaco. The contract with the Monegasque club, signed in June 2025, reached the courts after a complaint filed in early September by lawyer Hervé Diakiese on behalf of two Congolese citizens residing in France. According to the same source, the complainants believe the contract with Barça could be part of the same controversial financial strategy and are not ruling out taking the agreement to Spanish courts. However, Barcelona's offices deny any connection and explain that they closed the deal "directly" with the country's government and that the funds come from "public coffers." AC Milan could also end up in court over the same transaction.

Pending official confirmation, Joan Laporta will face two rivals in the FC Barcelona presidential elections on March 15. The deadline for submitting the 2,337 valid signatures required to qualify for the election closed this Monday, and in addition to the incumbent, who obtained 8,171 signatures, Víctor Font (5,144) and Marc Ciria (2,844) also reached the minimum threshold. Xavier Vilajoana (1,593) is therefore out of the running, as was the case in the 2021 elections. The other two pre-candidates, Daniel Juan (84) and William Maddock (9), played only a minor role.

Leo Messi has become a secondary figure in the Barcelona elections. Although just a few days ago Marc Ciria presented his project for his return to the club with a large banner above Diagonal AvenueVíctor Font has announced his plan to bring Messi "home." His proposal includes seeing the greatest player in history back in action, but goes further: he wants him to be honorary president of Barça. "As everyone knows, the only obstacle to Messi's return is Joan Laporta," he asserted. According to the Barça presidential candidate, he presented the proposal to Messi's family over a year ago and it has the player's approval: "We've spoken with everyone." As Font presented it, his plan consists of three pillars: institutionally, they consider it important to bring back an "icon" who "exports Barça to the world." For this reason, the leader of Nosotros proposes that the members' assembly approve a statutory reform that would allow Messi to be named honorary president of the club, a lifetime position previously held only by Johan Cruyff. In the sporting arena, Font has stated that he wants Messi to "say goodbye to Barcelona fans on the pitch." However, his role will have to be defined according to "the player's wishes, the sporting director's criteria, and the coach's plans." "We mustn't forget that Messi has been deceived twice: in 2021, when he arrived in Barcelona to renew his contract, and in 2023, when he wanted to return to the club of his life with Xavi Hernández. After raising his hopes, the board once again closed the door on him."

Since Barça approved the renovation of Camp Nou and its surroundings in a 2014 referendum, the project's cost has steadily increased. What was initially budgeted at €600 million was revised upwards by Josep Maria Bartomeu's board, a year before his resignation, to €815 million. Once Joan Laporta inherited the project, the total expenditure skyrocketed by 250% compared to the initial estimate, reaching €1.5 billion. It was estimated that the Camp Nou renovations would cost €900 million, while those of the Palau Blaugrana would reach €420 million.

Last summer, Jaume Guardiola (Barcelona, ​​1957) stepped down as president of the Círculo de Economía and the board of trustees of the Esade Foundation after a long career in the business world. The former CEO of Banc Sabadell and, previously, BBVA, is returning to the forefront with the Barça elections. He admits to being a lifelong Barça fan and losing sleep when the team loses. He also says he is worried about the club's current situation.

The strong westerly winds forecast for the coming hours will bring Catalonia to a standstill this Thursday. The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, has announced the suspension of all educational and university activities tomorrow, as well as non-urgent healthcare and all sporting activities—both individual and team—in open spaces, natural parks, and urban gardens. The resolution, which will be signed by the Catalan Government, will be in effect from midnight tonight until 8:00 PM on Thursday.