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Spanish elections: uncertainty following general election results

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Spanish elections: uncertainty following general election results

The right-wing bloc which was expected to win, only secured 169 seats. The left-wing bloc won 153 seats – both falling far from an absolute majority.

Sunday’s general election results in Spain have created uncertainty with regards to the future of the next government – causing a possible deadlock. 

The right-wing bloc only managed to secure 169 seats, with the left-wing winning 153 seats. In turn, both parties have fallen short of forming an absolute majority – given the threshold for forming an absolute majority sits at 176 seats.

The respective candidates of the PP (Spain’s Populist Party) and PSOE (Spain’s Socialist Workers’ Party) do not have enough seats for their leaders to be invested to lead the government.

Vox performs badly – down on seats from 2019 election

The PP candidate, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has won the elections without meeting expectations. Chances of forming a majority with Vox were dismantled after the far-right party achieved a worse result than in 2019.

Pedro Sánchez, for his part must hold on. Whether he can find a way to keep his position as the head of the Executive will depend securing the backing of the Catalan pro-independence party, led by Junts de Carles Puigdemont. 

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Given the setback suffered by the Republican Left of Catalonia party – the other Catalan pro-independence party – in these general elections which has lost 6 seats.

Pedro Sanchez performed better than expected

With 94.97% of the votes counted, the PP obtained 136 seats, 47 more than 4 years ago. The far-right Vox party scored 33 seats – 19 less than in 2019 – which adds up to a total of 169 deputies under a coalition in the Congress. 

This figure does not allow them to govern, not even with the hypothetical contribution of the deputy of the Navarrese People’s Union (UPN) and Coalición Canaria – due to the 176 seat threshold. 

The left’s bloc however scored 153 deputies. 122 of these deputies are from the PSOE and 31 from Sumar, the coalition of 15 parties of Yolanda Diaz.

To obtain the 176 seats Sanchez’s party would need a total of 23 more deputies and their traditional allies in Parliament – ERC, Bildu, PNV and BNG (all regional parties) – together have 19 seats. 

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So the investiture of Pedro Sánchez would end up depending on what Junts decides. 

The Catalan ex-president on the run in Belgium already assured before the beginning of the electoral campaign that his party would not support either Sánchez or Feijóo, so everything is still up in the air. 

The surprising twist in events was the result of the left-wing nationalist EH Bildu which came close to becoming the first party in the Basque Country – while the ERC stands as the big loser of the elections, dropping to seven seats.

Most likely outcome is a new election

With these results, there will be a deadlock in Parliament. For the time being this will allow Pedro Sánchez to remain in Moncloa – but could lead to new elections soon.

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

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Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant
Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.
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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. 

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. 

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. 

The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families. 

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations. 

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner. 

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple. 

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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with. 

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence. 

Coquito

Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

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A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source. 

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before. 

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast. 

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo. 

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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico. 

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com. 

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

Woman Wrapping Christmas Gifts

Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)

 

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Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season. 

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades. 

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Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

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Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

Twin-engine plane crashed in largely residential neighborhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff, authorities say.

A small plane has crashed into a tourist hotspot in southern Brazil, killing all 10 people on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, officials have said.

The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a home and the second floor of a different house before crashing into a shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff from Canela, Brazil’s Civil Defense agency said on Sunday.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told a news conference that the aircraft’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, was killed along with nine members of his family.

Leite said that 17 people on the ground were injured, 12 of whom were still receiving treatment in hospital.

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Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that its CEO and Galeazzi’s wife and three daughters had died in the crash.

“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his dedication to his family and for his remarkable career as a leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.

“In this moment of immense pain, Galeazzi & Associados is deeply grateful for the expressions of solidarity and affection received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also sympathize with all those affected by the accident in the region.”

Gramado, located in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is a popular destination for vacationers, especially during the Christmas season.

The crash comes a little more than a year after Brazil suffered its worst air disaster in nearly two decades when a twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.

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