Government to approve raft of new measures
The Spanish cabinet will meet this Monday in their last meeting of 2024 to approve a final raft of measures before January.
This will include approving a new tax for energy companies, which will have to be validated by Congress, and the extension of the suspension of evictions of vulnerable families.
They will also formally approve extending the aid for public transport, which will mean free regional train travel and transport discounts will continue for the next six months until June.
They will not, however, be extending the VAT reductions for basic food items and electricity, meaning this prices will rise in the new year.
READ ALSO: Free regional trains and transport discounts to continue in Spain in 2025
El Gordo winners in La Rioja and Madrid
Spain’s much-anticipated Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo or the Fat One, took place on Sunday December 22nd as it does every year.
This year saw the top €4 million prize for the winning number be collected in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja region, as well as a basketball club in Madrid.
The lucky number this year was 72480 and was worth €400,000 per tenth, which is what the majority of people buy rather than a full ticket. The number shared between people across Logroño and some in Madrid.
This means a total of €420 million was awarded to residents in both cities. The total prize pot in the state-run national lottery this year reached €2.71bn.
El Gordo: Everything you need to know about Spain's Christmas lottery
Weather to remain stable over Christmas period
After the notable drop in temperatures last week and the arrival of storms which brought snow to several regions, Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued its forecast for the coming days.
It is predicting mostly stable weather conditions with cold temperatures, which will not be too extreme, except in mountain areas.
The beginning of the week will be marked by anticyclonic and stable weather in much of the Peninsula, although there will be instability in certain regions. The northern part of the country such as Galicia, the Cantabrian area, the upper Ebro will see cloudy skies and rain.
In the Pyrenees, snow is expected at levels between 700 and 1,000 metres.
Consumption, exports drive Spain growth in third quarter
Spain's economy grew 0.8 percent in the third quarter as domestic consumption and exports increased, reinforcing a buoyant performance comfortably outstripping the EU average, official data showed on Monday.
Household spending in the European Union's fourth-largest economy jumped 1.2 percent between July and September while exports rose 0.4 percent, the National Statistics Institute said, confirming a provisional estimate from October.
The agriculture and service sectors expanded strongly during the period, which coincided with the crucial summer tourism season in the world's second most-visited country.
The bullish economy has provided political capital to the often beleaguered minority left-wing government, which has set a growth target of 2.7 percent for 2024.
Earlier this month, the Bank of Spain raised its annual growth forecast to 3.1 percent, well above the eurozone figure of 0.8 percent predicted by the European Central Bank.
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