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2 months ago | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
The world’s fastest growing major advanced economy last year was most likely Spain. According to preliminary official data for 2024, Spain’s GDP grew by 3.2%, almost five times the eurozone average and more than the US, which did pretty well too. In December, the Economist ranked Spain first among 37 mostly wealthy countries based on five indicators: GDP, stock market performance, core inflation, unemployment and government deficits. Forecasts for 2025 look good. Why is Spain doing so well?
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
Last October, tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and other big Spanish cities demanding affordable housing. Protesters jingled keys to make noise, held signs denouncing “speculators”, and threatened a “rent strike” while calling for action from national and local politicians. They had good reason to be angry.
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Jan 1, 2025 | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
Last August, I took the train from Trieste to Ljubljana, following a route once used by the Orient Express. Along the way, I admired the Adriatic coast, discovered that Prosecco is a now abandoned railway station dating from 1857, and felt the shift in geography as the train climbed towards Villa Opicina on the Italian-Slovenian border. Crossing into Slovenia now means little more than a change of crew.
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Dec 17, 2024 | 
surinenglish.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
Tuesday, 17 December 2024, 14:40The 'Dana' storms and subsequent flooding that struck several regions of Spain in late October and early November, especially in the Valencia area, has forced the Spanish government to approve various measures to provide financial support for the victims. The line of aid includes 600 euros per student for textbooks, an allocation of funds for the purchase of replacement vehicles and a fund for the repair or reconstruction of homes, among other monies available.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, recently read in parliament a newspaper article from Venezuela about a battered boat that had just arrived on the coast of the South American country with 106 migrants onboard. “The undocumented migrants arrested, among them 10 women and a four-year-old girl, were in terrible condition. The 19-metre boat’s hold emitted an insufferable odour,” he quoted the article as saying.
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Oct 10, 2024 | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
A few hours after the British government announced that it was giving up control of the Chagos Islands and handing sovereignty to Mauritius, Fabian Picardo appeared on the BBC. Gibraltar’s chief minister was “confident”, he said, that the case of the Indian Ocean archipelago set “absolutely no precedent whatsoever” for the UK’s sovereignty over Gibraltar. Reaffirming the identity of this non-self-governing territory (), under British rule since the 1713 treaty of Utrecht, is routine.
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Oct 2, 2024 | 
surinenglish.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
Wednesday, 2 October 2024, 17:05Have you ever wondered what it would be like to eat at Pinocchio's house? A pizzeria in Santomera in Murcia has made this possible by transforming itself into a place that evokes the famous story of the wooden doll. This charming restaurant invites diners to relive the magic of the tale while eating Italian food, the country where the story was set.
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Aug 9, 2024 | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
An egotistical and polarising rightwing election loser addresses his adoring supporters in a speech, casting himself as a victim and questioning democracy, just hours before parliament is set to vote for the formal investiture of the actual winner. The crowd hold aloft pictures of the loser’s face, chanting that he is their rightful president, and then turn their anger on the media, harassing reporters who are covering the event.
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May 16, 2024 | 
theguardian.com | Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
For the first time since 1980, parties opposing Catalonia’s independence from Spain have the support of a majority of voters in the region. Elections last Sunday saw around 54% of the electorate return candidates from non-separatist parties across the political spectrum. The Socialist party scored a momentous victory for the first time.
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May 1, 2024 | 
mckinsey.com | Anu Madgavkar |Marco Piccitto |Olivia White |Maria Ramirez |María Ramírez
At a glance Micro-, small, and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of economies. Across the 16 countries we examine, MSMEs account for two-thirds of business employment in advanced economies—and almost four-fifths in emerging economies—as well as half of all value added. They also power dynamism and will play an important role in preserving competitiveness in an era of shifting global production. Boosting MSME productivity relative to large companies could yield significant value.
