US President Donald Trump said that he has “always liked” Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed hope for China’s help in a peaceful resolution of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“I hope China will help us stop the war, particularly with Russia, Ukraine, and they have a lot of power over this situation. And we will work with them. And I mentioned that during our phone call with President Xi, and I hope we can work together and stop it,” he said during an online chat after a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.
According to Trump, his administration “looks forward to getting along very well with China.”
The US leader also noted that he “really likes President Xi” Jinping. “I’ve always liked him. We’ve always had a very good relationship,” the US president added.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order declassifying documents on the assassination of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“More than 50 years after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Pastor Martin Luther King Jr. the federal government has not made all of its records related to these events public. Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth,” the text of the decree reads.
The document emphasizes that within the next 15 days, the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General must submit to Trump a plan to fully disclose records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and within 45 days – those related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
Spain has for decades been one of the most popular destinations in the world for migrants from all countries due to its mild climate, quality of life and employment opportunities. Spain’s migration policy has undergone significant changes in recent years, which directly affects the labor market and social infrastructure of the country.
According to the National Institute of Statistics of Spain, in 2024, the number of foreign nationals in the country exceeded 7 million people, which is about 15 percent of the total population. Among the main groups of migrants can be distinguished:
Moroccans. One of the largest migrant groups in Spain. Many migrants from Morocco are employed in agriculture, construction and services. They number about 1 million people.
Romanians. Romanian citizens are the second largest migrant group, reaching more than 700 thousand people. The main areas of employment are construction, logistics and services.
Britons. About 400 thousand British citizens live in Spain, most of them retirees, concentrated in the provinces of Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. Young people, in turn, most often work in the tourism industry.
Italians. Over 300 thousand Italians live and work in Spain, mainly in large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Employment in this group is split between technology, education and gastronomy.
Latin Americans. Migrants from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru make up a significant proportion of the foreign population. They work in elderly care, home care, and retail.
Ukrainians. In 2024, the number of Ukrainians in Spain exceeded 200,000. Many of them are involved in construction, logistics and agriculture, as well as working in the IT sector.
Spain provides migrants with access to a number of social and economic programs. The main aspects of the assistance system include – registration and legalization. Migrants have the opportunity to obtain temporary or permanent residence permits. The main criterion is the presence of a work contract or proof of independent income.
Health care. All officially registered migrants are entitled to free health care. This is especially important for families with children and pensioners.
Education. Migrant children have access to public schools, and adults can take advantage of language courses and vocational training programs.
Housing programs. The state and municipalities offer rental support, especially for low-income families.
Social benefits. Temporary payments are provided to migrants who find themselves in a difficult life situation, for example, when they lose their jobs.
Migrants play a key role in the Spanish economy, especially in agriculture, construction, hospitality and services. About 60 percent of migrants are employed in low-skilled sectors, while 20 percent work in high-tech industries. For example, EU nationals are more likely to be employed in IT and education, while migrants from Latin America and North Africa are more likely to be employed in construction and elderly care.
Over the past ten years, Spain’s population has shown moderate growth due to migration flows. While the population was around 46.5 million in 2013, this figure rose to 48 million by the end of 2024. The growth has been driven by an increase in the number of migrants, who are compensating for the natural population loss caused by the decline in the birth rate. In particular, nationals from Latin America and Eastern Europe have played a significant role, as well as a steady influx of Maghreb nationals.
Spain continues to be one of the leading countries in Europe in terms of the number of migrants. Their integration into the country’s economy allows it to maintain growth in key sectors despite demographic challenges. Increased competition in the labor market is expected in the future, especially in low-skilled sectors. However, thanks to a balanced migration policy, Spain has a good chance of maintaining stable population and economic growth.
http://relocation.com.ua/analiz-mihratsii-v-ispanii-u-2024-rotsi-vply/
The administration of the new US President Donald Trump is taking the first steps to change the regulation of the cryptocurrency market. During his election campaign, Trump promised to create a more friendly environment for crypto assets.
Mark Ueda, the acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), announced the creation of a working group to “develop a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets.”
“The task force will help the SEC define clear regulatory boundaries, propose realistic pathways for registration, develop reasonable disclosure schemes, and prudently allocate resources for enforcement,” the regulator said in a statement.
Ueda is acting as SEC chairman temporarily while Trump’s nominee, lawyer Paul Atkins, awaits confirmation by the Senate.
Earlier, the Experts Club think tank, Brian Mefford and Maxim Urakin, released a video analysis of what changes await US domestic and foreign policy under Trump, the video is available on the Experts Club YouTube channel – https://youtu.be/W2elNY1xczM?si=MM-QjSqGce4Tlq6T
The global equity market is approaching the formation of a bubble, according to UBS global equity strategist Andrew Garthwaite.
Garthwaite, whose opinion is cited by MarketWatch, compares the current conditions to the dot-com boom of the late 1990s and the Japanese market bubble of the 1980s. According to him, the stock market already meets six of the seven criteria for a bubble.
First, the structural bull market, which UBS defines as a period when the dynamics of stocks over ten years outpaces the dynamics of bonds by at least 5% per year, has ended.
Secondly, corporate profits are under pressure, and their growth is slowing, especially in cyclical sectors.
Thirdly, the breadth of the market has been lost. Its dynamics are determined by the stock prices of a small number of tech giants, while smaller companies lag behind.
Fourth, 25 years have passed since the last bubble.
Fifth, investors believe that “this time it’s different,” expecting a significant increase in productivity due to generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Sixth, retail investors are actively involved in the auction, buying speculative assets ranging from “meme” stocks to cryptocurrencies.
At the same time, the seventh criterion – loose monetary policy (LMP) – has not yet been met.
We should be worried if the yield on ten-year US Treasury bonds exceeds 5%, according to Mr. Hartwright. Currently, it is about 4.65%, but UBS predicts that it will decline to 4.25% by the end of the year.
The expert also prefers “defensive” stocks of issuers with low debt burdens, such as SAP, Microsoft Corp. and BAE Systems, to securities of non-financial companies in cyclical industries.
In the UK, he sees opportunities for investors in interest rate-sensitive sectors, such as real estate and utilities, which are trading at a significant discount.
Ukraine’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.4% in December 2024 compared to December 2023, and by 3.2% for the whole of 2024, but its growth to 3.7% is not excluded, depending on the contribution of the public sector, according to experts of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER).
“Russian shelling of industrial and energy infrastructure and the offensive of Russian forces at the frontline had a negative impact on the industrial development indicators in December. According to IER estimates, electricity production decreased by 5.2% in December (compared to December 2023 – IF-U),” the IER states in the Monthly Economic Monitoring.
At the same time, real gross value added (GVA) in the extractive industry probably remained close to the previous year’s figure due to higher production of natural gas and iron ore, which continued to offset the decline in coal production.
It is noted that stable demand and logistical export opportunities contributed to the development of metallurgy (in particular, exports of finished metallurgical products continued to grow).
The machine building industry grew due to defense procurement and export growth. As a result, according to the IER, real GVA in manufacturing increased by 4.2% in December compared to December 2023.
Due to higher budget expenditures, the growth rate of GVA in construction grew faster in the fourth quarter than in the third.
As for GVA in livestock, it is declining. This applies to milk production, the number of cattle, etc. Corn harvesting continued, but at a slower pace. According to IER estimates, real GVA in agriculture declined by 3.7% yoy in December.
At the same time, central fiscal expenditures in December were record high, although complete data on the state budget are not yet available.
“Therefore, we may not have fully taken into account the impact of government spending on the performance of the public sector and the sectors of the economy that received additional funds from the budget. This may mean that our estimate of real GDP in December may be too pessimistic,” the IER said.
The Institute also added that for a more accurate assessment of the results for 2024, there is a lack of updated quarterly GDP structure for 2023, as the State Statistics Service has revised the annual figures quite significantly.
Speaking about the results of December, the IER notes that Ukraine has increased electricity imports by 2.6 times compared to December last year – to more than 430 thousand MWh.
In addition, as of January 1, 2025, the transit of Russian gas to Europe was terminated due to the expiration of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Ukrainian GTS Operator LLC and Gazprom.
In 2024, Ukraine’s seaports handled 97.2 million tons of cargo (+57% compared to the previous year), Ukrzaliznytsia transported 174.9 million tons of cargo in 2024 (+18%), and exports by road amounted to more than 10 million tons (+5%).
In December 2024, exports fell due to a decrease in stocks of agricultural products, while imports of machinery and equipment exceeded pre-war levels in dollar terms.
“In December, inflation accelerated once again in annual terms, this time to 12% compared to December 2023. The price increase in 2024 primarily reflected higher costs for producers and retailers, a poorer harvest this year, and likely some recovery in trade margins amid recovering consumer demand. The most significant increase was in food prices,” the IER emphasizes.
It is expected that in 2025, the largest funding will come from the ERA mechanism, which provides a total of $50 billion in assistance from the G7. Part of this aid will be used for military spending, so funding for non-defense needs will be lower.
