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.
Montserrat Tura, Catalan Minister for Justice, has stated that several departments are working together on this plan. She stressed that the plan focuses more on brothel regulation rather than targeting specific people. Joan Boada, Catalan Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, accused Spanish Government of not acting on the issue.
Spanish police detained the Russian man responsible for the death of 156 people last year in a nightclub in Perm, Russia. The man set off fireworks inside the nightclub, resulting in the deadly fire.
According to data from the Catalan Ministry of Employment, the number of unemployed people receiving additional job training education is 49.6%, exceeding the European average by 16.3%. Among young people, many are dropping out of the courses to return to formal education.
The automotive company SAS has just announced the closure of its factory in Martorell. The closure will result in 124 employees out of work. SAS made the decision to close its factory after loosing its contract with its cockpit supplier.
The Tàrrega Theatre Fair in the county of Urgell, in Western Catalonia, next to Lleida, will fill the streets with theatre and performance from the 9th to the 12th of September. The festival, similar to the famous Edinburgh International Festival, is one of the most important street theatre festivals.
Ryanair begins operating 197 flights per week in 23 destinations from Barcelona-El Prat from today on. The company is decreasing its flights from the Girona and Reus airports but, in global terms, the number of Ryanair flights to and from Catalonia is rising from 326 to 412 flights per week.
Catalan President José Montilla visited the Chinese car manufacturer Chery to convince the board to set up its Western European factory in Catalonia. The factory would produce 300,000 cars per year and bring 10,000 new jobs to Catalonia. A task force has been set up, although a final agreement has not been reached.
Studies show that mushroom production in the Catalan woods will be at great levels this season, between 55 and 70 kilos per hectare, way above average. Year after year, the end of summer heat is associated with the start of mushroom season, which will very likely be splendid, according to Catalonia’s Forest Technological Centre, thanks to the copious amount of rainfall throughout the year.
The famous Barcelona jazz venue Jamboree commemorated its 50th anniversary last night as part of the Mas i Mas Festival. The musical event took place in the city centre’s Plaça Reial, where local jazz musicians captivated crowds.
Josep Huguet, the Catalan Minister for Innovation, Universities, and Businesses, said that the Catalan Government is preparing a decree-law that obligates university professors to prove their level of Catalan. Huguet argues that this is a measure of “equilibrium”, to ensure Catalan is used in the university.
This Monday, the Catalan town of Vilafranca del Penedès hosted the Sant Fèlix festivity, the human tower day of excellence. Various human castle groups surrounding towns wowed the crowd with their towering formations.
Amnesty International has released information suggesting that over 114,000 families from the Spanish state still have no solution to the disappearance of their loved ones as a result of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime. They have asked the Government to take responsibility on this “gross violation of human rights”.
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Barcelona Mayor Jordi Hereu visited the Barcelona Pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo this morning. The Pavilion presents two projects this year regarding the transformation of Cituat Vella and the 22@ industrial project.