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☆ FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Spanish FA chief Rubiales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee informed Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final of the Women's World Cup," it said in a statement. "The events may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code." Rubiales, who initially called his critics "idiots", issued a video apology late on Monday, but it failed to quell the uproar . Acting Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz called for Rubiales' resignation because "without any doubt (he) attacked a woman". Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Christina Fincher and Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Juan Medina, Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Rubiales, Yolanda Diaz, Hermoso, FUTPRO, TMJ, Rohith Nair, Christina Fincher, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Spain's, Moncloa, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Spanish, England, Spanish Football Association, Liga, National Sports Council, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Madrid, Spain, Bengaluru

☆ Luis Rubiales: Spain's prime minister says football federation president's apologies for kissing Jennifer Hermoso are 'not enough'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Alex Hardie Claudia Rebaza | Alex Hardie | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The apologies made by Mr. Rubiales are not enough. I even think that they are not appropriate and that, therefore, Mr. Rubiales needs to continue to take steps to clarify what we all saw,” added Sánchez. Spain's national team met the country's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, at Madrid's Moncloa Palace. Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Luis Rubiales has admitted he "made a mistake." His excuses serve absolutely nothing,” Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s acting second deputy prime minister and leader of the Sumar party, said in a press conference.

Persons: Pedro Sánchez, Luis Rubiales, Jennifer Hermoso, Sánchez, Rubiales, ” Sánchez, “, ”, Juan Medina, –, “ I’ve, we’ve, Hermoso, Irati Vida, It’s, AFE, Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s, Cuca Gamarra Organizations: CNN, Spanish, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Association of Spanish, Spain's, country's, Reuters, of Sports Merit, England, Twitter, FIFA, Cadena COPE, Law of Sport, Partido Popular Locations: Spain, Spanish

☆ Spain soccer: Rubiales' apology over unsolicited kiss not enough - PM Sanchez
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The incident - which happened as Luis Rubiales handed the women's team gold medals after they beat England 1-0 in the final on Sunday - sparked outrage within and outside Spain, with many, including ministers, demanding Rubiales' resignation. "We've seen his apology and that's not enough, he must be much clearer and convincing in apologising," Sanchez told a news conference. Sanchez said the federation was not part of the Spanish government, which lacked the power to appoint or fire the federation's president. As criticism mounted, Rubiales issued a video apology late on Monday, after initially calling critics "idiots". "Surely I was wrong, I have to admit," Rubiales said in the video statement sent by the federation.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Juan Medina, Jenni Hermoso, Luis Rubiales, Rubiales, We've, that's, Sanchez, Hermoso's, Inti Landauro, David Latona, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Spain's, Moncloa, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rights, England, YouTube, Equality Ministry, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Madrid, Spain, Spanish

☆ Mutineers silent as Spain enjoy Women's World Cup triumph
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Twelve of the 15 players who took part in the mutiny and ended up not making Spain's World Cup squad decided to stay silent, giving no interviews and making no mention of the Women's World Cup on their personal social media accounts. The 15 e-mails from 15 players sent to RFEF President Luis Rubiales demanded radical changes in the team's structure. PLAYERS SILENTReuters tried to contact the players through their agents, who said they will remain silent. However, Spanish agent Carlota Planas, who represents world champions Mariona Caldentey, Cata Coll and four of the players who were left behind -- Pina, Guijarro, Lola Gallardo and Leila Aouhabi -- told Reuters the revolt played a major role in Spain's World Cup success. "Without them and their bravery, surely the RFEF would not have even considered making any improvements at all," Planas said.

Persons: Spain's Misa Rodriguez, Juan Medina, Spain's, Jorge Vilda, Luis Rubiales, Ona, Mariona, Aitana Bonmati, Sandra Panos, Patri, Mapi Leon, Claudia Pina, Carlota Planas, Mariona Caldentey, Cata Coll, Pina, Guijarro, Lola Gallardo, Leila Aouhabi, Planas, Marta Diaz, Manchester United's Lucia Garcia, Diaz, Fernando Kallas, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Rights, La Roja, England, Spanish FA, World, League, Reuters, BePlayer Agency, Manchester, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Spain, Madrid, Sydney, Spanish

☆ At mass grave exhumation, daughter of Spanish Civil War victim seeks closure
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Juan Medina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I want to know where he is because I have never known," Navacerrada told Reuters this week at the cemetery of Colmenar Viejo where two mass graves have been found. A total of 108 civilians, many associated with leftist parties and unions, were executed and buried at the Colmenar Viejo cemetery between April and December of 1939. The exhumation of the first mass grave started last year with the financial support of Spain's leftist government and led to finding the remains of 12 people. Spain transitioned to democracy following Franco's death in 1975 but the legacy of his four-decade fascist dictatorship still divides Spanish society. Reporting by Juan Medina Additional reporting and writing by Joan Faus Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Benita Navacerrada Lopez, Facundo Navacerrada Perdiguero, Francisco Franco, Read, Navacerrada, exhumations, Pedro Sanchez, Vox, Luis Perez Lara, San Sebastian de los Reyes, Juan Medina, Joan Faus, Frances Kerry Organizations: Science Society, Reuters, Socialist, People's Party, Vox, Thomson Locations: Colmenar, VIEJO, Spain, Madrid, Colmenar Viejo, Spanish, San Sebastian

☆ Two dead, 57 rescued from migrant shipwrecks off Italy's Lampedusa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Migrants on board of NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat looks at boat Guardia Costiera heading to Lampedusa island, in central Mediterranean Sea, close to Lampedusa island, Italy, August 19, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File PhotoROME, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italy's coastguard said on Sunday it had recovered two bodies and rescued 57 people off the southern island of Lampedusa, amid reports that more than 30 people were missing following two shipwrecks. A coastguard spokesperson said he could only confirm the number of survivors and the recovery of two bodies. Italy's right-wing government has adopted a policy of assigning far-away ports to charity ships, rather than letting them disembark rescued migrants in nearer Lampedusa or Sicily, with the aim of spreading arrivals across the country. Reporting by Angelo Amante and Alvise Armellini; Editing by Toby Chopra and Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Juan Medina, Ansa, Angelo Amante, Toby Chopra, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Migrants, Uno, Guardia, REUTERS, Italy's coastguard, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, Sfax, Europe, Ivory Coast, Brindisi, Sicily

☆ Spanish Socialists lose seat, after expat vote count, making it harder to form government
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Graham Keeley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Counting of votes from over 233,000 Spaniards living abroad handed one seat in Madrid to the PP that had been awarded to the Socialists in the initial vote count, the PP and Socialists said on Saturday. To form a government, an absolute majority is needed in a parliamentary vote in the 350-seat Congress. This meant Sanchez only had to persuade Junts to abstain, to be voted back into power with a simple majority. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the PP leader, is still determined to try to form a right-wing coalition. Sumar leader Yolanda Díaz called on all "progressive forces" to support Sanchez.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Juan Medina, Sunday's, Esquerra, Junts, Sanchez, EH, Vox, Pablo Simon, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Feijoo, Pedro Rollan, Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, Graham Keeley, Alvise Armellini, Frances Kerry Organizations: Socialist, REUTERS, Spain's Socialists, Reuters, ERC, Socialists, Vox, Union of, Canarian Coalition, Basque Nationalist Party, Galician Nationalist Bloc, UPN, Canaries, PP, Carlos III University, Italian, Repubblica, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, BARCELONA, Catalan, Basque, Junts, Catalonia, Spanish, Rome

[1/4]Spain's opposition People's Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo and People's Party spokeswoman Maria Concepcion Gamarra attend a meeting at the People's Party (PP) headquarters in Madrid, Spain, July 24, 2023. Puigdemont, who still wields considerable influence within Junts, said in mid-July the party would not support Sanchez. "We are sure about that, and that there will be no repetition (of the election)," the source said. Sumar lawmaker Jaume Asens has already begun talks with Junts on the platform's behalf, a source in the party said. Another PSOE source said the party would leave the PP to make the first attempt to form a government.

Persons: Sanchez, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Vox, Feijoo, Sumar, Pedro Sanchez, Esquerra, Carles Puigdemont, Maria Concepcion Gamarra, Juan Medina, Jordi Turull, Turull, Puigdemont, Jaume Asens, Junts, Franco, Spain's, Eurointelligence, Joan Faus, Belen Carreno, Emma Pinedo, Inti Landauro, Charlie Devereux, Angus MacSwan, Aislinn Laing, Christina Fincher Organizations: Conservative, Exiled, People's Party, Socialist, PSOE, Socialists, ERC, Vox, People's, of Navarre, UPN, Canary Coalition, REUTERS, Basque Nationalist Party, Sumar, Puigdemont, Thomson Locations: Spain, Exiled Catalan, BARCELONA, MADRID, Basque, Catalan, Canary, Belgium, Catalonia, Madrid, Bildu, Junts, PSOE, Barcelona

With 99% of votes counted by 11:45 p.m. (2145 GMT), the opposition People's Party (PP) had 136 seats while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's ruling Socialists (PSOE) had 122 seats. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsNegotiations by the two blocs to form governments will start after a new parliament convenes on Aug. 17. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a surprise snap election after the left took a drubbing in local elections in May. In the present scenario, Sanchez' PSOE would rely heavily on Catalan separatist parties Junts and ERC or Basque separatists EH Bildu. In 2019, two more elections were held before the PSOE and far-left Podemos agreed to form Spain's first coalition government.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez's, Vox, King Felipe VI, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Mariano Rajoy, Sanchez, Steve Smith, Pedro Sanchez, Ignacio Jurado, Carlos, Juan Medina, Madrid's Calle Genova, Galo Contreras, we're, Francisco Franco, Teruel Existe, El, Junts, Carles Puigdemont, Podemos, Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, Belen Carreno, Jesus Aguado, Emma Pinedo, Joan Faus, Corina Pons, Charlie Devereux, Nick Macfie, Frances Kerry, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: PSOE, People's Party, Socialists, Reuters Graphics Reuters, European Union Council, Voters, Feijoo's PP, Vox, Carlos III University, People's, REUTERS, Madrid's Calle, PP, Basque Nationalist Party, Teruel, Junts, ERC, Basque, European Council, Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spain, swimsuits, Madrid, Madrid's, Burgos, El Pais, Catalan

☆ Spain 2023 election: PM Sanchez and rival Feijoo in chaotic live TV debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Spanish People's Party candidate Alberto Nunez Feijoo and Spain's Prime Minister and Socialist candidate Pedro Sanchez talk before a televised debate ahead of snap election in Madrid, Spain, July 10, 2023. With just under two weeks to go until the vote, opinion polls predict Feijoo as the likely winner, although he would probably need the support of far-right party Vox. Sanchez highlighted that Spain is among only a few European countries that has tamed inflation to below the European Central Bank's 2% target by 2023. Feijoo himself was recently pilloried for saying a Vox electoral candidate convicted of gender violence had a "hard divorce". Feijoo told Sanchez: "Those men who raped in the street are in the street because of you - there are more than 1,000 of them."

Persons: Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Pedro Sanchez, Juan Medina MADRID, gesticulating, Maria Jose Canel, Sanchez, Feijoo, Vox, Feijoo's, EH, Jose Miguel Contreras, Madrid's King, Madrid's King Juan Carlos University, Belen Carreno, Corina Rodriguez, Aislinn Laing, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Spanish People's Party, Spain's, Socialist, REUTERS, People's Party, Madrid's Complutense University, Socialists, AS, Central, Vox, Madrid's, Madrid's King Juan, Atresmedia, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Ukraine, Basque

The interior ministry said 719 people were arrested on Saturday night, fewer than the 1,311 the previous night and 875 on Thursday night. Their action ... made for a quieter night," the ministry said on Twitter. The biggest flashpoint overnight was Marseille, where police fired teargas and fought street battles with youths around the city centre late into the night. MAYOR'S HOME ATTACKEDIn Paris, police increased security overnight at the city's famous Champs Elysees avenue after a call on social media to gather there. Paris police said six public buildings were damaged and five officers wounded overnight.

Persons: Nahel, Emmanuel Macron, Laurent Nunez, teargas, Juan Medina, MAYOR'S, Elisabeth Borne, Bruno Le Maire, Yann Wernert, Jacques Delors, Elizabeth Pineau, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alison Williams, Alex Richardson Organizations: Authorities, Twitter, France, REUTERS, China's Consular, MAYOR'S HOME, Finance, Thomson Locations: Paris, North, PARIS, France, Moroccan, Nanterre, Germany, Marseille, China, L'Hay, Nice, Strasbourg, tobacconists, tatters, Berlin

His death, caught on video, has reignited longstanding complaints by poor and racially mixed urban communities of police violence and racism. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said early on Saturday that 270 people had been arrested on Friday night, bringing the total to more than 1,100 since unrest ignited. In Lyon, France's third-largest city, the gendarmes police force deployed armoured personnel carriers and a helicopter to quell the unrest. Darmanin asked local authorities across France to halt bus and tram traffic from 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) and said 45,000 officers were being deployed, 5,000 more than on Thursday. In Paris, police cleared protesters from the iconic central Place de la Concorde square on Friday night after an impromptu demonstration.

Persons: Nahel, Juan Medina, Macron, Emmanuel Macron, Gerald Darmanin, France's, Benoit Payan, Darmanin, we're, Snapchat, Mohamed Jakoubi, Enzo Santo Domingo, Ravina Shamdasani, Laurent, Franck Lienard, didn't, Lienard, Jacques Chirac, Dominique Vidalon, Marc Leras, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Pascal Rossignol, Elizabeth Pineau, Layli Foroudi, Gabrielle Tetrault, Farber, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alison Williams, Sandra Maler, Dan Wallis, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Government, Marseille, TF1, French soccer, Stade de France, de, Meta, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Nanterre, Paris, France, PARIS, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Lille, Spanish, Bilbao, Brussels, Aubervilliers, U.S, Geneva, Amsterdam

☆ New Madrid gallery brings royal treasures under one roof
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A visitor walks past the sculpture "Felipe II" by artist Pompeo Leon at the Gallery of Royal Collections in Madrid, Spain, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, June 29 (Reuters) - Madrid opened a long-awaited multi-million-dollar gallery on Thursday, bringing hundreds of masterpieces from the royal collection, including works by Caravaggio, Velazquez and Goya, under one roof. A third of the exhibits - themselves just a fraction of the total collection - will continue to move between those institutions, officials said. "The museum is born with the vocation of being a cultural and tourist key point in Madrid, Spain and Europe," Ana de la Cueva, head of National Heritage, the state-owned organization that manages the royal collection, told reporters. She said officials hoped the museum would persuade tourists to extend their stay in the city by at least one day, boosting revenues.

Persons: Felipe, Pompeo Leon, Juan Medina MADRID, Caravaggio, Velazquez, Goya, Prado, Reina, Thyssen, Spanish Habsburg, Bernini, Ana de la Cueva, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Royal Collections, REUTERS, Reina Sofia, Fontana, National Heritage, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Almudena, Spanish, Bourbon, Rome's Piazza Navona, Europe

☆ Ready, try to stay steady, go! Men in high heels race at Madrid Pride
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Contestants take part in the annual race on high heels during Pride celebrations in the quarter of Chueca in Madrid, Spain, June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, June 29 (Reuters) - Dozens of people sporting high heels, most of them men, raced down a cobbled street in the centre of the Spanish capital on Thursday as part of Madrid Pride, one of the world's largest LGBT celebrations. It was the 24th edition of the annual race in Chueca, a gay-friendly neighbourhood, which draws competitors from abroad and is one of the most eagerly awaited parts of the festival of the LGBT community. Heels must be at least 10 cm (4 inches) high, and the shoes are measured before the race. Madrid Pride will culminate in a parade in the city centre on Saturday.

Persons: Juan Medina MADRID, Silvio Catellanos, Marco Trujillo, Andrei Khalip, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Chueca, Madrid, Spain

☆ Benzema's Real exit 'surprise to everyone', says Ancelotti
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Athletic Bilbao - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - June 4, 2023 Real Madrid players throw Karim Benzema in the air after the match REUTERS/Juan MedinaJune 5 (Reuters) - Karim Benzema's decision to leave Real Madrid after 14 trophy-laden years was a surprise, manager Carlo Ancelotti said, but insisted that the Ballon d'Or winner has earned the right to choose. The 35-year-old striker will exit Real as a free agent in the close season, with the Frenchman linked with a big-money move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad. "His departure has come as a surprise to everyone, but it has to be understood. It was a last-minute decision," Ancelotti told reporters after Real's clash against Athletic Bilbao. He's earned the right to choose, and we all thank him for everything he's done for this club.

Persons: Karim Benzema, Juan Medina, Karim Benzema's, Carlo Ancelotti, Ballon, Frenchman, Ancelotti, Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo, I've, He's, he'll, Real, Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, Florentino Perez, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Soccer, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Santiago Bernabeu, REUTERS, Bilbao, Sunday, Bernabeu, Atletico Madrid, Real, Olympique Lyonnais, Juventus, Thomson Locations: Real, Madrid, Spain, Saudi Arabian, Al Ittihad, Bengaluru

[1/4] Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears after he casts his vote at a polling station during Regional elections, in Madrid, Spain, May 28, 2023. he said in a televised speech that took even some of his political allies by surprise. "...I believe it is necessary to respond and submit our democratic mandate to the will of the people." But it is highly unusual for a Spanish government to call a snap ballot after a poor performance in a regional vote. The PP potentially took as many as eight regional governments from the Socialists, depending on how successful the opposition party is in negotiating alliances with Vox.

☆ Spain holds regional elections ahead of year-end national vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appears after he casts his vote at a polling station during Regional elections, in Madrid, Spain, May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 27 (Reuters) - Spanish voters head to the polls on Sunday in regional and municipal elections, the results of which will serve as a barometer for an end-of-year general election. Voting is taking place in 12 regions and 8,000 towns and cities, most currently run by the governing Socialist Party (PSOE). Polls are predicting gains for the conservative People's Party (PP), which if replicated later in the year could unseat the current left-wing coalition. Voting opened at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) and will close at 8 p.m. Over 35 million people are eligible to vote.

☆ Real Boss Ancelotti hopes to get mental edge over Man City at Bernabeu
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We need to play a complete game tomorrow and be aware that the decisive match will be the second leg. So our aim is to travel to Manchester with a small advantage," Ancelotti told a press conference on Monday. "As for an advantage I mean it’s not only about the result, it’s attitude, the mental part of the game too. "If you play well, give trouble to your rival, put them in an uncomfortable position, it’s a mental advantage. "Manchester City didn't change their style to accommodate Haaland, they have more options vertically with him using long balls and a more direct approach," he said.

☆ Sabalenka hoping to extend 'amazing' rivalry with Swiatek after Madrid win
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sabalenka had a 2-5 win-loss record against the Pole prior to Saturday's win, with four of those losses coming in 2022. Hopefully we can play many more finals this season," Sabalenka told reporters. I improved a lot, and I really want to win against her, because she's such a great player. Asked if their rivalry could be beneficial for the sport, Sabalenka said, "I think women's tennis needs this kind of consistency, to see world number one and world number two in the finals. That's something amazing, and hopefully we can keep doing what we are doing this season."

☆ Birthday boy Alcaraz beats Coric to reach Madrid final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 5, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his semi final match against Croatia's Borna Coric REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 5 (Reuters) - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday by storming into the Madrid Open final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Borna Coric on Friday to stay on track for his fourth title of the season. "It means a lot to me, playing a final again here in Madrid. I have great memories since I came here to play Under-12s," Alcaraz said. After wrapping up the first set on serve, Alcaraz grabbed an early break and raced to a 4-2 lead in the next, dictating terms against a fading Coric. Russia's Karatsev later plays German Struff 10 days after easing past him in the final round of qualifying.

☆ Dominant Sabalenka ends Sakkari's run to reach Madrid final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 4, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning her semi final match against Greece's Maria Sakkari REUTERS/Juan MedinaMay 4 (Reuters) - World number two Aryna Sabalenka brushed past Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-1 in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open on Thursday to set up a potential second straight final showdown with top ranked Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka and Sakkari's ninth meeting on tour and first on clay ended with the 24-year-old Belarusian extending her win-loss record over the Greek ninth seed to 6-3. Sabalenka, who was champion in Madrid in 2021, stayed on track for her second title of the season in style after winning the Australian Open in January. She won an impressive 70.7% of her first serve points and saved five of six break points while sending down four aces against Sakkari. The Belarusian will next face the winner of Swiatek or Russian Veronika Kudermetova in Saturday's final.

☆ Alcaraz downs Khachanov to reach Madrid semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 3, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his quarter final match against Russia's Karen Khachanov REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 3 (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course for his fourth title of 2023 by powering into the semi-finals of the Madrid Open with a 6-4 7-5 win over Russian Karen Khachanov on Thursday. Alcaraz managed to break the Russian's serve in the seventh game, closing the first set 6-4. Alcaraz has reached 18 consecutive wins in Spanish clay-court tournaments since losing to Rafael Nadal in Madrid two years ago on his 19th birthday. In the women's singles, Russian Veronika Kudermetova beat American Jessica Pegula 6-4 0-6 6-4 and reach the Madrid Open semis. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain to exhume fascist movement founder's body from Madrid mausoleum
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Charlie Devereux | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, April 24 (Reuters) - Spain on Monday will dig up the body of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the fascist Falange movement that supported the Francoist regime, and remove it from a mausoleum carved into a mountainside near Madrid. Last year, the Valley of the Fallen was renamed Valley of Cuelgamuros - the original name of the site - under Spain's new Democratic Memory law. "It's another step in the resignification of the valley," Presidency Minister Felix Bolanos told reporters in Barcelona on Friday. The son of dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera, who governed Spain from 1923-1930, Jose Antonio was shot by firing squad in November 1936 by left-wing Republican forces in Alicante. Franco, a conservative general, and Primo de Rivera, a flamboyant playboy, had little love for each other, according to Francos's biographer Paul Preston.

☆ EU lawmakers demand obligatory hosting of migrants under looming overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Evidence, from Nigeria, looks at the sea on his sixth day waiting for a safe port to disembark on board of NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 22, 2022. The bloc's migration and asylum system collapsed in 2015 when more than one million people - mostly fleeing the war in Syria - reached Europe's southern shores. But Mediterranean arrivals rose last year, with the bloc's border agency Frontex reporting some 330,000 unauthorised arrivals. With irregular immigration on the rise, those including Italy's far-right government are leading growing calls for the EU to do more to reduce sea arrivals. While the EU wants to overhaul its defunct system before a bloc-wide election in 2024, the issue of obligatory relocations seems as stuck as ever, according to diplomats.

[1/5] Javier Ramiro, Co-Chief Scientific Officer of Spanish indoor hops farming start-up Ekonoke controls the plantation of hops in Alcobendas, Spain, March 23, 2023. "We're on a mission to save the world's beer," Ines Sagrario, chief executive and co-founder of Ekonoke, told Reuters. Strict hygiene measures such as protective clothing for staff ensure the space remains pest-free, taking the pesticides on which traditional farming often depends out of the equation. The most obvious challenge indoor farming faces, he said, is its high energy cost. "Demand from breweries is quite inelastic; you can't make beer without hops and they don't want to produce less," Sagrario said.

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