One Spanish town’s recession

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In Spain, the economic crisis is hitting small towns particularly hard. Many villages got rich during the country’s housing boom. And they assumed they’d keep getting richer. So they borrowed lots of money. But then real estate went bust and their collateral, undeveloped public land, lost its value. Now, basic public services such as trash pick-up are going neglected in places such as the tiny mountain village of Collbato, in northeast Spain. The World’s Gerry Hadden just returned from Collbato, and has the story. Download MP3 (Photo: Gerry Hadden)

• See more of Gerry’s photos from Collbato
• Forbes: Spain to stay in recession

Wall Street still central to global economy

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There’s been speculation that we’re watching the demise of Wall Street dominance, that foreign banks may swoop in and steal business and talent from weakened American banks. Will New York remain the center of banking? The World’s Jason Margolis looked at that question. Download MP3

• Global recession timeline
• Best of the BBC: The Day that Lehman Died
• The World’s Global Economy Podcast

President’s new financial rules

President Obama announced his proposed new rules for the U.S. financial industry today. Anchor Marco Werman explores the global implications with Grep Ip, U.S. Economics Editor for The Economist magazine. Listen

Swine Flu and the Global Recession

In this week’s Global Economy Podcast, it’s all about swine flu. We look at how a swine flu pandemic might affect the global economy, and how the global recession might affect our flu preparedness. Listen