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Spain
World Books Review: The Hypnotic Monsieur Pain
Set against the background of the Spanish Civil War, Roberto Bolaño’s 1999 suspense novel is one of those rare page turners you won’t want to put down, even after you figure out that essential pieces to the puzzle are missing.
Clandestine dining in Spain
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The police in Barcelona recently raided a suspicious looking dry cleaners. It was late at night and something fishy was going on. People were going in. But they weren’t coming out. It had all the makings of a front for some illegal business. Turns out it was a front. But the cops didn’t find anything nefarious. Just people eating dinner. The World’s Gerry Hadden explains. Download MP3
Health care in Spain
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Health care access isn’t a right in the United States. But it is in many other countries… including Spain. Recently two Spanish towns began to chip away at that. They started by denying benefits to undocumented immigrants. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Vic, Spain.
Catalonia to vote on bullfighting ban
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Animal lovers in one corner of Spain ended the year on a happy note. The Parliament of Catalonia has agreed to vote on whether to ban bullfighting. It is already relatively unpopular among Catalans but activists had to fight for years just to get the issue before legislators. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports. Download MP3
Zapatero and Bean: Separated at birth?
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Visitors to Spain’s European Union presidency website have been greeted by an image of hapless fictional character Mr. Bean (right?) instead of Spain’s Socialist leader (left?). An unidentified person briefly hijacked the site on Monday, replacing Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with that of the bumbling comedy buffoon, played by British actor Rowan Atkinson. The World’s Gerry Hadden has our story. Download MP3
One state’s trade boom…
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During the first three months of the year, trade fell across the board in 49 U.S. states. Which state managed to buck the trend? Tune into the podcast to find out.
Also on this edition of the podcast: A socialist toy fair in Venezuela, Britain begins labeling food from the West Bank as either Israeli or Palestinian, and young voices in Spain talking about their country’s soaring unemployment rate.
Catalans stage mock secession vote
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Yesterday, 166 towns in Spain held a vote on whether to secede from the country. It all took place in the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia. The voting was purely symbolic, because secession votes are actually illegal in Spain. Catalan separatists organized the mock event because many Catalans are upset with the central government in Madrid. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports. Download MP3 (Photo: Gerry Hadden)
Global Hit: Paganini
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For today’s Global Hit, we tackle a very serious subject: classical music. Or maybe not so serious, if you’re checking out Paganini, a comedy string quartet from Spain and Lebanon. The group’s mission is to get the world of classical music to lighten up. The World’s Gerry Hadden went to one of Paganini’s shows in Spain. Download MP3Entire program – October 29, 2009
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Today on The World: Why the new US defense bill includes funds to pay Taliban members, An Egyptian comedian tackles taboo subjects with his own version of Da Ali G. Show, and Spain’s economic woes forces small towns to sweep their own streets.
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)The Economic View in Western Europe
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For more than 180 years, if you wanted to buy an “Evening Standard” paper in London, you had to pay for it. No longer. The paper is now free. Is this a sign of the economic times? On this edition of the global economy podcast, the view from Western Europe: Stories from Spain, Italy, Germany, and England. Download MP3
The cost of getting lost in Catalonia
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The government in Spain’s northwest region of Catalonia says it spends about 3-million dollars a year rescuing ill-prepared hikers from the region’s mountains…but no more. Now it’s charging reckless hikers for their rescues. The World’s Gerry Hadden explains.
World Books Review: A Chic “Celestina”
Written in the fifteenth century, “Celestina” remains a classic work of Spanish literature that, in a lively new English version by the acclaimed translator Margaret Sayers Peden, proffers all the sex, drama, and violence necessary for an HBO mini-series.
It’s your move
It’s your move for today’s Geo Quiz. The city we’re looking for has been called the “birthplace of modern chess.” That nickname stems from the fact that the rules on the movement of the Queen were first documented right here. And so it’s fitting that this city is hosting an exhibition rematch between two former chess greats…
Geo Answer: Barcelona beach
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Download MP3For today’s geoquiz we were looking for Barcelona’s most popular beach. The answer is Barceloneta. Many tourists who visit the Spanish city of Barcelona strip down, because it’s hot and – well – they’re on vacation. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports that the bare-it-all atmosphere is upsetting some Barcelona residents.
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