scotland

First trip of former president after Spanish courts withdrew European arrest warrant against him, enabling him to return to Belgium from Germany

Ahead of meeting with Scottish First Minister next week, President highlights "peaceful and democratic agreement" between London and Edinburgh on independence vote

Quim Torra and Nicola Sturgeon will hold talks at Bute House in Edinburgh

Deposed Catalan education minister’s extradition case will be decided after July 30

Aamer Anwar accuses Spain of “changing the rules of the game” but trusts Scottish court will reject Ponsatí’s extradition

Aamer Anwar is heading the defense for deposed Catalan education minister Clara Ponsatí, currently in Scotland

Clara Ponsatí handed herself in to the Scottish Police and testified before court following a European Arrest Warrant issued by Spanish judiciary

Campaign to finance her defence raises more than double target amount in a few hours

The authors denounce “violence and alienation” from Madrid and advocate a “peaceful resolution”

SNP, Greens, Labour and Liberal Democrat representatives sign a letter to the Spanish president

Meanwhile, members of the international community stands in support

Edinburgh and Glasgow to screen week of productions in second edition of Homage to Catalonia festival from September 27 to October 5   

The Catalans head north to chilly Glasgow for Wednesday night's Champions League Matchday 5 fixture and the chance to clinch the top spot in Group C (8.45pm CET). Although a bevy of scenarios abound, the Catalans are comfortably in the driver’s seat, and a triumph will usher them into the next round, regardless of what materializes in the group’s other fixture, which pits Borussia Mönchengladbach against visiting Manchester City. If City fall, however, a Barça win will bag them the top spot in Group C, thereby steering them clear of all other group winners in the round of 16, the first knockout stage of this tournament of tournaments. The Barça boss has taken his 19 available first team player plus Marlon from the B squad to Scotland.

Sergi Marcén took office on Thursday with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations between Catalonia and the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland. After the ‘Brexit’ result, Catalonia wants to improve its support and service to Catalan citizens and companies in the UK and Ireland. The new Head of Delegation held his first meeting with the Minster of Foreign Affairs Raül Romeva in Barcelona to analyse the main priorities of action. Marcén replaces Josep Manuel Suàrez, who retired last spring.

Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont stated this Friday that Scotland will have “clear options” to win a second referendum on independence, as some Scottish who voted ‘no’ to independence in 2014 were afraid of being out of the EU if they separated from the United Kingdom. Now that the United Kingdom has voted for ‘Brexit’, this threat no longer exists. “Today they lost both; independence and remaining within the EU”, said Puigdemont, and assured that this should be something “to think about”. The possibility of holding a new consultation over independence in Scotland emerged this Friday, after Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, admitted that a second referendum was “highly likely” to be held after the Scots voted to remain in the EU this Thursday in the EU referendum whereas the UK overall chose to leave.