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.
Today was the last day for the Catalan President to dissolve the Parliament and announce if the Election Day would be in October. He has not done so and therefore the most likely election date will be the 28th of November. The last legal possibility would be the 16th of December.
The sector has widened its offers, projecting itself both nationally and internationally in recent years. Only 15% of the cheese produced in Catalonia is consumed by Catalans. The sector produces 10,000 tons of cheese a year and has grown in recent years both in quality and international recognition.
The future is here. Digitalisation in school classrooms is now a reality. This summer, a large step has been taken in order to provide Catalan high-school students with laptops and digital books. Catalan Minister for Education Ernest Maragall says it is “an extraordinary step in changing our educational system”.
Internationally recognised thinker Panikkar was expert in interreligious dialogue. He wrote more than 50 books and 1,500 journalist articles and directed the Fundació Vivàrium Raimon Panikkar. He died in Tavertet, a small village in the Catalan county of Osona, where he was living since 1987 when he came back to Catalonia.
Catalan wine cellars sell their products abroad in order to compensate the large difficulties they find in Catalonia. However, it is not always easy for small wine producers to make their way onto the big market. So how can they do it?