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Catalan students are back to the books, or in some cases, laptops. The 2010-2011 school year began this morning with over 1,200,000 students and 88,467 teachers back in the classroom.

Catalan President José Montilla has finally announced the voting day after weeks of rumours. He surprised many people last week when he did not dissolve the Parliament and did not call for elections on the 24th of October, the most likely day. The opposition as well as a party in his Government coalition were asking for an urgent clarification and to have the elections as soon as possible.

Muslims in Badalona celebrate Ramadan in the old fire station, offered by the City Hall to be used during the entire month. The decision has however carried some controversy by conservative parties.

This summer saw a higher percentage of tourist flat occupancy than last year. David Rida, the president of the Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona stated that this improvement is due to the “higher numbers of days people are staying and the recuperation of the North American, French and German markets.”

Data released by the Department of Health shows that 40% of Catalans are overweight and 16.5% are obese. Marina Geli, the Catalan Minister for Health, is optimistic about health in Catalonia, stating that people are “changing their tendencies” and adopting healthier lifestyles.

The economic crisis has not had much effect on the theatre sector in Catalonia. The sector has experienced only a 2% drop in production attendance for its 2009-2010 season.

Barcelona and València’s Chambers of Commerce have quantified the economic net benefit that building the Mediterranean railway corridor would represent, not speaking of the political, social and cultural consequences. The Mediterranean railway, going from Gibraltar to France going along the Mediterranean shore, should be a EU priority.

Predictions point to harvest increases, especially in hazelnut crops, a sector looking to profit from its high-quality products.

The petrochemical sector in the Catalan region of Tarragona is doing well despite the effects of the economic crisis. The cluster is rapidly becoming one of the most important referents for knowledge and innovation on an international scale.

Catalonia and Andorra are working together to develop juridical framework for attending to patients in both territories. The agreement would allow the sharing of patient records and information so that Catalans and Andorrans may seek out medical services more easily when being in the other side of the border.

Celestino Corbacho would go on the Catalan Socialist Party list headed by the current Catalan President, José Montilla. Opposition parties underline that Corbacho has been the Minister for Employment with the worst results in decades.

Visitors can now see the completed stained glass windows of the legendry Sagrada Familia Temple. Left with only a few indications from Gaudi, the stained glass artist Toni Vila-Grau has spent the last 10 years designing the emblematic works of art.

The multinational Japanese company Sony plans to leave Catalonia, but the industry is seeking alternatives for employees that will soon be out of work. The company plans to close its television factory next to Barcelona, which will leave 1,030 people out of work

August ended with 555,894 unemployed people registered within the Catalan Public Employment Service (SOC). 4 months in a row of continuous decreases has come to an end. This figure means 16,703 more unemployed people, 3.10% more than those who registered in July.

A high-speed train will link Figueres, in the Girona Province, and Perpignan, the capital of the French Roussillon, crossing through the Pyrenees. However, the Figueres-Barcelona part has not yet been finished and will enter into service in 2014. Besides, France has not yet started the construction of a high-speed railway between Perpignan and Montpellier, which could take up to 10 years time.