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NATO Summit in Madrid comes right after the G7 Summit. Just days before the NATO Summit in Madrid a number of important steps are taken. The NATO Response Force is increased from 40,000 which lacked deterrence to 300,000. Additional military spending of $100 billion announced will increase spending by the amount of the entire Russian defense budget. Turkish backing for Finland and Sweden to join NATO was negotiated bringing more capabilities and a long border with Russia in the Baltic into the picture. The G7 Summit will be seen as setting the framework of close cooperation and understanding of leaders of western and eastern democracies in the world including Africa, Latin America and Asia. Invited were leaders of South Africa, Argentina, India and Indonesia, major parts of the Free World in the 20th century and now into the 21st century. NATO Summit in Madrid adds to these leaders the leaders from Australia and South Korea. The idea here is to address the changing situation in Asia with China's aggressive posture in the Himalayas, the South China Sea, and with Taiwan, and the close cooperation with Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. ...

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The Guardian's John Brevin looks at the best soccer players this week in the Champions League including Phil Foden of City, Vitinha and Mbappe of PSG, and Valverde of Real Madrid.

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Phil Foden and Kevin DeBruyne find a way through Atletico Madrid's defense as Manchester City prevail.

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Two British teams Liverpool and Manchester City and two Spanish teams are all that remain in the semifinals of the Champions League soccer. Manchester City face Real on April 26, May 4, and May 28. Pep Guardiola says it is an honor to play a side like Real Madrid.

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This is what Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said during the game in Valencia, Spain. 

"If a stadium insults a player racially the game has to stop, and I would say the same if we were winning 3-0. Stop the game there is no other way. The referee says the fans have to be informed first, and then if it continues we stop the game. But for me, he doesn't need to inform them. I am curious to see what happens now."

The incident in which Vinicius Jr, 22 years, was given racial insults in the Real Madrid Valencia La Liga game has led to repercussions all over the world. 

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Spain's Opposition PP party wins 7 million votes compared to Socialists in government winning 6.3 million. PP party won an absolute majority in the Madrid area which means it does not depend on the far right Vox party. Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez and Socialist leader calls for a snap general election on July 23.

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"It's an immense pleaure, a dream come true, a lot of emotions" says Mbappe of his joining Real Madrid on July 1, 2024 after 7 years at PSG. Kylian Mbappe will captain the French team at Euro 24. He was the all time lead scorer for PSG with 256 goals, scored 44 goals in 48  games this season winning the French League- yet after faltering in the Champions League games with Dortmund he was not satisfied with his performance. It shows the constant stress players and coaches in soccer face. After differences with PSG president Nasser Al-Khalaifi when he did not agree to a 1 year extension he transfers to Real Madrid. He says some people made him feel unhappy and someone who is happy has more chances of playing well. Mbappe posted on X in February that he would not play another season at PSG, the club left him out of a preseason tour of Japan.

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Spain's princess Leonor, who will succeed King Felipe, will complete 3 years of military training like her father at the Zaragoza Military Academy. This will be followed by postgraduate studies. Here she is shown at the annual military parade in Madrid. She is known as Cadet Borbon.

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Juan Carlos of Spain in his memoir in 2025- says about moving away from Spain to the UAE that it was to "help his son, and so that journalists cannot find me." The king remains popular with the Partido Popular and its support in the Madrid region, less popular in other parts of Spain, in the fractious nature of Spanish politics. There is a sharp contrast to how he was perceived in the years of transition to the EU in 1981 and the decade after that and today. The problems of the British royal family and Charles are seen in the perceptions of the Spanish royal family, the only two major monarchies in Europe.

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Dean Santiago Iniguez de Onzono of the IE Business School in Madrid, says the humanities and knowledge of history helps students be reflective, and have a better understanding of other countries and cultures. IE Business School sees itself as a bridge between Europe and Latin America. He points to the need for small groups and smaller classes for maximum personal interaction in business education.

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Real Madrid player Rodrygo is a product of training at Brazil's club Santos. His father is a manager of soccer teams in Brazil, and retired to focus on Rodrygo's career. He was just 11 when he signed with Nike ,a younger age than Neymar at age 13 who is also a product of Santos club training. The support of his dad has played a large part in his development as a player.

He is expected to play a big role in the Champions League final with Liverpool.

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Spain's soccer icon Iniesta's support for Jennifer Hermoso and the rest of the Spanish women's soccer team speaks for everyone. Here Laia Herrero tells the story of Hermoso's grandfather a goalkeeper for Athletico and her father who encouraged her to play soccer at the park in her Madrid neighborhood. She started playing for Athletico when she was 14 years and has also played for Barcelona. She has a record as Spain's most prolific goal scorer.  

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Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez faces calls for resignation of his minority government after a corruption scandal involving the secretary of his Socialist Party Santos Cerdan. It involves kickbacks for government contracts. Sanchez is not said to be involved. The Partido Popular won the 2023 election but lacked a majority and was unable to form a government. Sanchez depends on the support of regional separatist parties in the Catalan region to remain prime minister. A recent rally in Madrid of the Popular Party was held to call for Sanchez's resignation.

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The Partido Popular party wins the most votes but loses its parliamentary majority in most of the country's provinces. Ada Colau in Barcelona, and a retired judge Manuela Carmena in Madrid supported by a left wing party, Podemos, are likely to become the new mayors. Spain's ruling Partido Popular party faces national elections in November 2015.

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Pep Guardiola talks about the toll on his players from playing so many games. He says most were exhausted after the game with Bayern Munich. Ofcourse he says they all want to play, they all want to play, but he has to assess their physical condition. He says it is not about that game but about the many games every 3 days, that "the mental fatigue is big." Talk about winning 3 titles, FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League, is just that, far, far, away. He faces Real Madrid in the next match in the Champion's League semi-final, a team that has its own record.

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The pro-independence party of Catalan president Arturo Mas called an election two years ahead of schedule in an effort to increase autonomy for Catalonia in relations with the central government of Spain. He failed in negotiations to reduce the tax burden for Catalonia in relations with the federal government in Madrid. Arturo Mas's party lost seats in the regional election, ending up with 50 seats compared to the 62 seats it held previously in the 135 seat regional parliament in Barcelona. Other pro independence parties gained seats. The left leaning Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya party increased its seats from 10 to 21 seats. The Partido Popular of Spain's premier Rajoy won 19 seats, up one seat from the 18 it held earlier. There is considerable questioning inside Spain about whether this issue should be brought up at a time of 25% unemployment and negotiations with the EU for loans to restore the health of Spain's banking system.

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Matt Dickinson says in The Times that Pep Guardiola goes at it with fascination for the game, and with a singular drive and curious search to find the best he can in his players. It is not just that he has players like Kevin Bruyne, Foden and Mahrez. It is not just the money that backs the team. There is he says an extraordinary amount of creativity that Guardiola brings to his coaching efforts. Manchester City are now in the finals of the Champions League ready to face either Chelsea or Real Madrid.