- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
Barcelona agree sponsorship deal with Spotify
Barcelona announced on Tuesday that Spotify will become their main sponsor from next season, with the club's stadium to be rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou from July.
Spotify will also appear on the front of the men's and women's team shirts for the next four seasons and on the club's training shirts for the next three.
Barca have not confirmed how much the sponsorship deal is worth although reports have suggested the club could earn up to 300 million euros ($328.6 million) over the four years.
Spotify will replace Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce company, as Barcelona's main sponsor. The Rakuten deal started in 2017 before being renewed in 2020 until the end of this season.
The club's president Joan Laporta called the agreement with Spotify a "pioneering" partnership with a "world-renowned organisation".
"It is also a union with which we continue to take steps forward in this new era that we have started," Laporta added.
Barcelona have been desperately seeking a new sponsorship deal to help ease the club's crippling debts of more than a billion euros.
Laporta insisted in January that Barca are "back as big players" in the transfer market but moves for the likes of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund will depend on a huge improvement in their financial situation.
When asked about Barca's hopes of signing Haaland this summer, La Liga’s director general Javier Gomez said on Monday that Barcelona will have to "reduce costs or bring in more income, there's no other way".
La Liga set Barcelona's spending after the January transfer window at -144 million euros, down from 98 million euros last summer. The Spanish league said Barca's losses were 242 million euros more than expected.
"Barcelona's losses are greater than their ability to bring in income. That's why it is negative," Gomez said.
Barcelona's player salaries accounted for 103 percent of all income at the start of the season and the club will have to shift more players in the summer, with Ousmane Dembele expected to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in July.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho have all been moved on in the last two years while Sergio Aguero retired due to a heart condition.
Gerard Pique agreed to reduce his salary to allow Barca to sign Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia last year.
Yet Barcelona were allowed to make more signings in January as Ferran Torres arrived for 55 million euros from Manchester City and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came on a free transfer after having his contracted cancelled at Arsenal.
Adama Traore also joined on loan from Wolves while Dani Alves, who was out of contract, re-signed.
Barca have significantly improved since, with coach Xavi Hernandez overseeing something of a transformation in performances ahead of Sunday's Clasico against Real Madrid.
Barca are now third in La Liga and looking likely to qualify for next season's Champions League, which is crucial to their financial recovery. Xavi took over in November with the team lying ninth.
J.Bondarev--CPN