Search: null

Catalan should not be the only main language of instruction for small children, says Spain’s Supreme Court

June 27, 2012 11:48 PM | CNA

The tribunal declares null and void the 2008 Catalan government decree which stated that Catalan “should be used as the language of instruction” for pupils between 3 and 6 years old. The Supreme Court also overturned the article that banned the separation of pupils for linguistic reasons and the one that established that teachers should guarantee that foreign pupils learn Catalan in order to achieve “rapid integration”. The Catalan minister for Education, Irene Rigau, says “all stays the same” because the education law is newer than the decree affected by the ruling and also states that Catalan is the language of instruction in Catalonia.

Barcelona’s Summer Arts Festival 2012 more international, more contemporary and more multidisciplinary

June 23, 2012 12:34 AM | CNA / Pere Francesc / Marc Mosull

This year’s ‘Grec ‘Festival offers 68 plays, dancing, music and circus performances from July 1st to the 31st, 30 of them from international artists. Ramón Simó, the new director of the event, considers that this year’s Grec is more international, contemporany and multidisciplinary than ever before and its objective is to bring to Barcelona the best shows from Europe and the world.

Catalonia is presented as a biotechnological cluster at Bio Boston 2012

June 23, 2012 12:00 AM | CNA

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, travelled to Massachusetts and New York to promote Catalan businesses and present Catalonia as one of the main biotechnological clusters and tourist destinations in Europe. In addition, Ernst & Young presented their report on life sciences companies and research centres in Catalonia, which indicates that almost 30% of this sector’s turnover in Spain comes from Catalan businesses.

Catalonia will sell tourist packages to promote thermal centres among young people across Europe

June 22, 2012 08:51 PM | CNA / Jordi Pujolar / Anna Corbatera

Thermal tourism continues to increase, but the sector still has to get rid of the stigma that associates it with the elderly. As a result of this image and the current economic context, people from the sector want to reinvent their business in order to reach publics of all ages. In the coming months thermal centres will begin to sell tourist packages destined for young people across Europe.

CaixaBank, BBVA and Santander resist the stress test and would not require bailout money

June 22, 2012 01:05 AM | CNA

Independent auditors state that in the worst possible scenario the Spanish banking system would need up to €62 billion. The Eurozone agreed to put at Spain’s disposal up to €100 billion if needed. In the most likely scenario, the Spanish banking system would require between €16 billion and €25.6 billion. Within the most stressed case, Spain’s three main banks would have enough resources of their own to face difficulties and would not need any additional funding. They are the Barcelona-based CaixaBank and the two international giants BBVA and Banco Santander.