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☆ Asylum Seekers 'Missing' After Crossing Russia Border to Finland
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Greta Rosen Fondahn(Reuters) - Some 160 people who applied for asylum at Finland's eastern border last year have since disappeared, amid a sudden surge of asylum seekers arriving via Russia, Finland's immigration authority said. Finland closed its eastern border with Russia late last year amidst a growing number of arrivals from countries including Syria and Somalia. Now 160 people are missing from reception centres, most with unknown whereabouts, Migri's Director of the Asylum Unit, Antti Lehtinen told Reuters. Earlier in January, Finland extended the closure of its border with Russia until Feb. 11, saying it was likely that the inflow of asylum seekers would restart if the border opened. "Smuggling activities have taken advantage of the border security disruptions on the eastern border," the coast guard said in a statement.

Persons: Greta Rosen Fondahn, Migri, Antti Lehtinen, " Lehtinen, Lehtinen, Sauli Niinisto, Greta Rosen, Anne Kauranen, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Kremlin, Asylum Unit, Reuters, EU, Finnish Border Guard Locations: Russia, Finland, Syria, Somalia, Moscow, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, EU

☆ Sweden's SBB posts bigger Q3 loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Marie Mannes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Debt-laden Swedish property group SBB (SBBb.ST) reported a widening of its pre-tax loss in the third quarter on Monday. The landlord, which owns properties across Sweden including hospitals and care homes, reported a pre-tax loss of 3.13 billion Swedish crowns ($287 million) for continuing operations, compared to a loss of a revised 2.56 billion a year ago. This was weaker than Carlsquare analyst Bertil Nilsson's expectation of a loss of 2 billion crowns. SBB slashed its property values by 3.52 billion crowns in the quarter, after analysts had warned property values in the sector could continue to see pressure from high interest rates. Its net operating income came in at 0.93 billion crowns, down from revised 1.02 billion a year earlier.

Persons: Marie Mannes, Bertil Nilsson's, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Terje Solsvik Organizations: SBB, REUTERS, Rights, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, Rights STOCKHOLM, Swedish

☆ Volvo Cars' promise of EV boom falls on deaf ears as shares drop 12%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Marie Mannes | Thomson Reuters | Stockholm-Based Company News Correspondent Who Mainly Covers Anything To Do With Retail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As the company reported third-quarter earnings, Chief Executive Jim Rowan told Reuters that he saw healthy demand for its cars, and was optimistic the margins would increase further in the fourth quarter. Volvo's BEV margins were 9% in the quarter, a sharp increase from the previous quarter's figure of 3%. Rowan said he expected the trend of falling prices of raw materials to continue, helping the company increase margins further for the fourth quarter. Investors proved unconvinced, as Volvo shares, down 10% by 1014 GMT, after having fallen as much as 12%, looked set for their biggest ever one-day drop. EV makers have engaged in stiff competition this year, after Tesla ignited a price war intensified by new Chinese players.

Persons: Aly, Jim Rowan, EVs, BEV, Rowan, Jefferies, Philippe Houchois, Houchois, Tesla, China's Geely, Marie Mannes, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Terje Solsvik, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Volvo, Auto Shanghai, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Benz, Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, China's, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights STOCKHOLM, EVs

Swedbank estimates the current shortfall for Heimstaden Bostad could be roughly 30 billion crowns ($2.7 billion). Sweden's financial regulator launched an inquiry into why and how Alecta had invested $4.5 billion in the property giant, in the first place. "If interest rates continue to rise and it's coupled with unemployment, that's what we are afraid of." With interest rates still climbing, analysts such as Marcus Gustavsson of Danske Bank, believe the worst is not yet over. "With rising interest rates, that funny money has turned into real money and it is painful."

Persons: Heimstaden Bostad, Alecta, Christian Dreyer, Karolina Ekholm, Heimstaden's Dreyer, we're, Dreyer, Niklas Wykman, Heimstaden, David Perez, Marcus Gustavsson, Andreas Cervenka, Sweden, Simon Johnson, Johan Ahlander, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Chiara Elisei, John O'Donnell, Hugh Lawson Organizations: International Monetary Fund, GOVT, Sweden's, Financial, Reuters, SBB, Danske Bank, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Nordic, Stockholm, Berlin, Sweden, Heimstaden, Germany, Gdansk, London

☆ Factbox: Moscow takes control over assets of Western companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 27 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed decrees to take temporary control of assets belonging to some Western companies in Russia, in retaliation against foreign moves against Russian companies abroad, and warned in April the Kremlin could seize more. CARLSBERG (CARLb.CO)The Russian state took control of Danish beer company Carlsberg's stake in local brewer Baltika Breweries on July 16, putting it under "temporary management" of government property agency Rosimushchestvo, according to a decree signed by Putin. DANONE (DANO.PA)The Russian state took control of the French yoghurt maker Danone's Russian subsidiary Danone Russia on July 16, according to a decree signed by Putin, and brought it under temporary control of the government property agency. FORTUM (FORTUM.HE)On April 25, Putin signed a decree that established control over the Russian subsidiary of the Finnish utility company Fortum, which operates power plants in Russia. Compiled by Agata Rybska, Greta Rosen Fondahn; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Agata Rybska, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Nick Macfie Organizations: CARLSBERG, Baltika Breweries, Putin, DANONE, Danone Russia, Unipro, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Finnish

☆ Sweden sees 'cause for concern' on retailer margins as food prices surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Marie Mannes | Thomson Reuters | Stockholm-Based Company News Correspondent Who Mainly Covers Anything To Do With Retail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sweden's competition authority on Tuesday will publish the initial findings from an investigation into food prices and competition requested by Sweden's finance ministry in March. "When we look at the margins on the retail and wholesale side, we see some cause of concern in terms of how they're developing," Martin Mandorff, head of market abuse at the competition authority, told Reuters. The agency is investigating the whole food supply chain from producers, wholesalers to the retail sector and has collected data from Sweden's main supermarkets on prices and margins. Premium food chain ICA had a 53% market share in 2022 according to the competition authority. "We have a frequent and constructive dialogue with the Swedish Competition Authority and look forward to the conclusions of the investigation," the company said.

Persons: Anders Wiklund, Martin Mandorff, Mandorff, Coop, discounter Lidl, Elisabeth Svantesson, Svantesson, Axfood, Marie Mannes, Helen Reid, Simon Johnson, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Conor Humphries Organizations: TT News Agency, Reuters, ICA, Finance, SVT, Swedish Competition Authority, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, STOCKHOLM, Hungary, Ukraine, Swedish

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