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On Thursday, the European Space Agency will launch Europe’s largest telecommunications satellite, Alphasat I-XL, into space using technology designed and built by Catalan company MIER Comunicaciones. The device, weighing 6.6 tonnes, will allow secure connections to be made via the satellite and mobile terminals around the world. The company, based in La Garriga (Greater Barcelona), has produced 240 low noise amplifiers capable of receiving signals from mobile terminals up to 36,000km away. The technology created is of a compact design and uses a very low consumption of energy. The satellite will be launched on Thursday from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

FC Barcelona begin the 2013/14 preseason with a friendly against the reigning champions of Europe, Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola and Thiago Alcántara, now on the bench and in the midfield of the German team, will face off against their ex-team. Barça is made up of 12 first team players and 11 Barça B players. After the match against Bayern, the Catalan team will travel to Oslo.

The President of the Spanish Congress, Jesús Posada, has set 1st August at 9am to be the date in which the Spanish Prime Minister will face congress to explain the Bárcenas corruption scandal. It will be a debate similar in which Rajoy will have unlimited time to explain himself while the opposition will have two turns to respond. No votes or motions shall be taken following the questioning. Rajoy has been under pressure from opposition parties to explain the scandal which involved illegal cash payments given to the Prime Minister and senior members of the PP from former party Treasurer Luis Bárcenas. Spanish law stipulates that it is illegal for government ministers to receive an extra salary aside from their government income.

From July onwards Barcelona’s music museum will give visitors the chance to view 50 guitars from their collection which is considered to be one of the best in the world according to experts. The collection includes historic guitars such as that of internationally renowned Catalan guitarist Miguel Llobet. The museum has undertaken an extensive restoration and research project in order to restore the original sound of many of these unique instruments. The Museu de la Música is part of the L’Auditori complex hall and entrance into the exhibition includes a guided tour of the collection as well as a concert in which two of the historic guitars will be showcased.

Between January and June of this year, the port of Barcelona received a total of 1,040,823 cruise line passengers. This figure represents an increase of 15% over last year. The amount of cruises docking in the Catalan capital for at least one night is also up on last year to 351, an increase of 15% over the first six months of 2012. Of the total cruise line passengers that visit Barcelona, 56% begin or end their journey in the Catalan capital. These travellers make a major contribution to the local economy as they tend to spend a few days before or after their cruises exploring the city.

FC Barcelona has reached an agreement for the Argentinian to be manager for the next two seasons. The schedule for his trip to Barcelona, signature of his contract and official presentation will be announced in the next few hours. The man known as ‘Tata’ as extensive experience of South American football, first as a player and after as a coach, most recently on the bench at Newell's Old Boys, with whom he won the 2013 Final Tournament.

The Catalan president argued that if strict deficit targets are imposed upon his government budget again, it will be impossible to promote growth and create jobs, thus affecting the economy of Catalonia, Spain and the whole of southern Europe. The Spanish government will publish in the next few days new regional deficit targets for 2013 and Catalonia is asking for more flexibility. “If they do not offer us what we need, we won’t be able to stimulate our economy, and if we can’t do that, the whole of Spain and southern Europe will be affected”, stated Mas.

The Spanish Prime Minister has finally declared that he will stand before the Spanish Congress to face questions over the alleged illegal financing of senior members of his People’s Party (PP). During a press conference on Monday, Rajoy announced that in late July or early August he will face questions from parliamentary groups in an attempt to resolve the ongoing Bárcenas scandal. Rajoy has been under pressure from opposition parties to explain the scandal which involved alleged illegal cash payments given to the Prime Minister and senior members of the PP from former party Treasurer Luis Bárcenas. Spanish law stipulates that it is illegal for government ministers to receive an extra salary aside from their government income.

The Spanish minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, says comments by Juan Carlos Gafo were “intolerable” and “absolutely inconsistent” with the organisation which aims to promote the Spanish image abroad. The now sacked Deputy Director said on Twitter: “F*** Catalans. They do not deserve anything at all. His words caused outcry in Catalonia, so he later apologized saying he has “nothing against Catalonia or Catalans”. He said he got “mad at hearing the Spanish national anthem booed” during the Barcelona 2013 FINA Championship.

The President of FC Barcelona, Sandro Rosell, announced on Friday evening that the Catalan manager will not continue at Barça due to ongoing treatment of his illness. FC Barcelona will not travel to Poland on Saturday. During this evening’s press conference, president Rosell announced: “After evaluating the results from the routine check-ups, which Tito Vilanova underwent this week, he was presented with the option to continue treatment to control his illness which will make it impossible to continue his responsibilities as the first team manager of the senior side.” On 22 November of 2011 FC Barcelona announced that Tito Vilanova had a tumor on his parotid gland and he underwent emergency surgery.

In February, the offices of the private detective company Método 3 in Barcelona were searched by the Spanish Police, who brought to court many documents and computers in order to start a thorough investigation on political espionage in Catalonia. The case is affecting the People’s Party (PP), the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) and the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC). The judicial investigation is still ongoing, but much of the information – most of the time contradictory – has been leaked in the past few months. The case’s main focus is the recording of a private conversation at a Barcelona restaurant between the leader of the Catalan PP, Alícia Sánchez-Camacho, and the former girlfriend of the oldest son of the CiU’s historical leader, Jordi Pujol. Who is behind the recording is still a mystery, but some voices have pointed towards the PP, the CiU or the PSC. However, the PSC is the first one to have one of its members indicted.

From 19th July to 4th August, Barcelona will host the 15th FINA World Aquatics Championships and will bring together 2,500 athletes from 180 countries to compete at the highest level. Events will be held at 4 unique facilities all within a 10 minute walk of each other, which will enable spectators to gain access to a wide variety of events. Ten years after hosting 10th Championships, Barcelona will again unite the world of aquatics for two weeks of events that is bound to create a spectacular atmosphere throughout the city. The budget of the Championships is roughly €25 million and will be broadcast to an estimated 520 million viewers in 160 countries.

The tourist slogan for the north-eastern Catalan county of La Garrotxa is “Rough land” because of the touch of the area’s volcanic clay. Aside from that unappealing logo, La Garrotxa is one of the most interesting tourist zones not only in Catalonia but also in Spain. This volcanic area, the widest in the Iberian Peninsula, has numerous natural, cultural and gastronomic interests. Its privileged location, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees, makes the zone a perfect place for tourism in the heart of the countryside, allowing the visitor to forget about stress and discover unique landscapes, gastronomy, history and folklore.

After 32 years of success in the world of haute cuisine, this internationally renowned restaurant will cease its operations due to financial reasons. The restaurant located in Sant Celoni, 50km north of Barcelona, was decorated with 3 Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years, being the first restaurant in Catalonia to receive such a distinction. Can Fabes became famous under the leadership of Catalan chef Santi Santamaria, who passed away in February 2011. Santamaria was the first Spanish chef to be awarded with 7 Michelin stars, with restaurants in Catalonia, Madrid, Toledo and Singapore. Following his death the group of restaurants was directed by his daughter Regina Santamaria. “We tried to keep fighting for Can Fabes, but it was not possible as the restaurant was no longer economically viable” she told the CNA.

The family of Montserrat Serra has confirmed to CNA the release of the two aid workers. The Catalan Montserrat Serra and Blanca Thiebaut, from Madrid, were working for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and they were captured in the Ifo2 refugee camp of Dadaab in Kenya on the 13^th of October 2011. MSF has ensured the two workers are “in good health conditions and they are waiting to join their loved ones as soon as possible”. An MSF team is already assisting the two aid workers. It is believed that immediately after the capture Serra and Thiebault were moved to Somalia, where they have been kept prisoners since. During the 645-day ordeal, silence and caution has been imposed by the negotiators.