Word: catalonia
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...sports team that sponsors language study? In Catalonia, the semi-autonomous region that makes up the northeastern corner of Spain, the coalition hasn't taken anyone by surprise. Barça has been a symbol of Catalan nationalism since its founding in the late 19th century. Under the Franco dictatorship, which suppressed the Catalan language as part of its campaign to create an authoritarian centralized state, the team provided an outlet for the expression of local identity, a place where Catalan flags could be waved and Catalan cheers shouted. And now, at a time when Catalonia has achieved an unprecedented...
...team to learn Catalan, and who has fashioned himself as an international ambassador of sorts. He even popped up, for example, at this year's Frankfurt book fair to promise that his team "would continue to be an instrument for Catalan culture." But his activism, coupled with Catalonia's demands for increased autonomy, has provoked conflicts with political conservatives who view the team's cultural involvement as one more portent of Spain's disintegration. Tuesday's declaration was no exception. "Barcelona is a bilingual city, and the team should reflect that," says a spokesperson for the Catalan branch...
...after Milan for the Food Wine and Arts Experience at the landmark Raffles Hotel (Jan. 30-Feb. 3). Among those on hand will be Thomas Keller from the French Laundry in Napa Valley, California; Alain Passard from L'Arpège in Paris; Santi Santamaria from Can Fabes in Catalonia and Nicolas Le Bec from Lyon. Wineries from world-renowned regions including Chateau Haut-Brion from Bordeaux and Frescobaldi from Tuscany will host tastings, and German painter Hella Nohl will discuss red wine's place in her palette. www.rhwfae.com...
...after more than 30 years, would the King come under fire now? At a time when nationalist sentiment is running high in Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia, it makes sense that the monarchy, that most Spanish of symbols, would come under questioning. But a broader change is afoot as well. After decades of silence about its Civil War and 40-year dictatorship, Spain is experiencing a dramatic revival of interest in its recent past: witness the slew of books and movies documenting the crimes of the Franco regime, or the teams of volunteers who spend their weekends unearthing mass...
...Catalonia's announcement raised a series of pressing questions. Are governments or businesses the best entities to build wide-area wireless broadband networks? And what technology should those networks employ? Funded by citizens' tax dollars, governments generally look after roads, schools and defense. But telecoms? Haven't most governments been privatizing their fixed-line phone networks over the past 25 years? Why jump back into the same business? Wouldn't state-backed initiatives undermine free-market efforts to build networks and offer wireless services...