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☆ EU's Borrell: Europe prepared to provide heavy tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The European Union's foreign policy said on Friday some European countries are prepared to send heavy tanks to Ukraine and he hoped a decision to provide them will be made at defence ministers' talks at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. NATO and defence leaders from about 50 countries were meeting on Friday at Ramstein, the latest in a series of arms-pledging conferences since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 11 months ago. The main focus at the talks is on whether Germany will allow the re-export to Ukraine of its Leopard 2 tanks, which are used by armies across Europe. "I think Ukraine needs the combat arms and heavy tanks that it has asked for and some European countries are prepared to give and I hope that is the decision that is taken," he added. However, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles, who is not attending the Ramstein talks, told reporters she did not expect any political decisions on tanks there.

☆ Spain, France champion Europe's industry in bilateral summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Joan Faus | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. efforts to boost green technology should not lead to the dismantling of Europe's industry, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday after signing a new bilateral treaty with French President Emmanuel Macron in Barcelona. The industrial references come amid an intense debate within the European Union on how to respond to government support measures under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). "We need to accelerate our green technology, and our 'Made in Europe' strategy," he said. About 6,500 Catalan separatists protested outside the museum where the summit took place against Sanchez's position on independence, according to police estimates. Catalonia's regional leader Pere Aragones greeted Sanchez and Macron before the summit, but left before both countries' anthems were played.

☆ Portugal wants EU green tech package to ensure level playing field
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The European Union's response to the United States' stimulus package for green tech investments should use financing instruments that ensure equality between all members instead of favouring the bloc's most industrialised nations, Portugal's finance minister said on Tuesday. Brussels is concerned that European companies will increasingly move to the United States, which has a $369 billion scheme to subsidise green production. "But it has to be implemented through European mechanisms that ensure equality within the European space," he added. "The smaller European countries cannot lose to the larger countries in an internal competition that would not make sense to open at this moment," he said. Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by David Latona and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spanish pets blessed by priests in annual ritual
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/7] "Lola" reacts upon getting blessed at San Anton Church during celebrations on the feast of Spain's patron saint of animals, Saint Anthony, in Madrid, Spain, January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Susana VeraMADRID, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Spanish pet owners took their animals to church on Tuesday where Catholic priests blessed them on the Day of St Anthony the Abbott, the patron saint of animals. A few dogs barked, but most animals waited patiently to be sprinkled with holy water on the steps of the baroque St Anthony's Church in central Madrid. Priest Angel Garcia then said Mass in front of dozens of pets inside, also to some barking from the pews. Reporting by Guillermo Martinez and Silvio Catellanos, writing by Andrei Khalip, editing by David Latona, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain's Supreme Court drops sedition charges against Catalan separatist leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday dropped sedition charges against the leader of Catalonia's failed bid for independence, Carles Puigdemont, after a reform of the country's penal code abolished the crime. Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Belgium to avoid prosecution in Spain, still faces charges of disobedience and embezzlement, which carry jail terms of up to eight years. Spain's previous bids to have Puigdemont extradited during his stays in Germany, Belgium and Italy have failed. Puigdemont posted a video on Twitter in which he vowed to fight "to the end" against his extradition in European courts. Puigdemont has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since late 2017 and served as a member of the European Parliament since 2019.

☆ Spain to ask EU for extension to Iberian gas price cap until end 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"We would like the gas cap to stay within the lower end of the range, about 45 or 50 euros per megawatt hour, extending it at least until the end of 2024," she added. Ribera said the EU's power grid needs to be reformed to reduce price volatility and make electricity cheaper. She added that mild temperatures in autumn and early winter had helped lower prices and support gas storage levels across Europe. Electricity prices in Spain have fallen steadily since they peaked in August, partly due to higher wind energy production. For a few days in October, the gas cap did not apply as prices were below the 40 euros ($42.70) per MWh mechanism trigger price.

☆ EU, U.S. start talks on electric vehicle subsidies - Commissioner
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MADRID, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The European Commission has opened talks with the United States to discuss subsidies on electric vehicles sold in the North American trade bloc, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said on Monday. He added that the Commission is also discussing other aspects of the recently approved U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by David Latona and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU Commissioner says he will remind TikTok CEO to respect EU rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MADRID, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Chinese social media company TikTok must remember to respect European Union rules, including transparency requirements regarding its algorithms, Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said on Monday. "I'll remind TikTok's president to respect the integrality of our rules, which are very protective of our citizens, and the obligations they'll have, including on the transparency of their algorithms," Breton said in a joint press conference with Spain's Economy Minister Nadia Calvino. TikTok's Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is due to travel to Brussels to meet with top EU officials later this week. Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Inti LandauroOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Prince Harry's book sold ahead of official launch date in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Charlie Devereux | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Britain's Prince Harry's book "Spare" is seen in a bookstore, before its official release date, in Barcelona, Spain January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho DoceMADRID, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Several bookstores in Spain were selling the much-awaited memoir by Britain's Prince Harry on Thursday, five days ahead of the book's official launch date. At one shop, the seller said the book had already sold out. At another, the book was displayed on shelves but a staff member withdrew it after the reporter asked why it was being sold in Spain earlier than in Britain. "Everything points to the fact that some customers have breached their commitment to the publisher and have put the book on sale before the agreed date."

☆ Ferrovial to build data centre for Microsoft in Madrid - Cinco Dias
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 3 (Reuters) - U.S. tech giant Microsoft (MSFT.O) has commissioned Spain-based infrastructure company Ferrovial (FER.MC) to build a data centre near the Spanish capital, the Cinco Dias newspaper reported on Tuesday. While the amount has not been disclosed, Cinco Dias cited unidentified sources close to the matter as saying the contract could be worth several hundred million euros, as Microsoft plans a number of investments worth more than 12 billion euros ($12.75 billion) across 17 regions in Europe. The data centre is set to be built in San Sebastian de los Reyes, a city with a population of about 90,000 some 20 km (12 miles) north of Madrid. Microsoft is planning another two projects in the Madrid region with the aim of developing cloud services such as Azure, Power Platform, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365, Cinco Dias said. ($1 = 0.9410 euros)Reporting by Jakub Olesiuk; Editing by David Latona, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain's December jobless falls to 15-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Jon NazcaJan 3 (Reuters) - The number of people registering as jobless in Spain fell slightly in December from a month earlier, ending 2022 at a 15-year low, data from the Labour Ministry showed on Tuesday. The number of jobless fell by 1.52%, or by 43,727 people, leaving 2.84 million people out of work. "This data shows that labour protection measures are working," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz said in a post on Twitter. Spain lost 8,347 net formal jobs in December to 20.31 million jobs, after November's record high job creation, a separate report from the Social Security Ministry showed. Unemployment of young people under 25 decreased 5.86% in December, by 12,185 people, compared with the previous month and reaching a record low of 195,751 people.

☆ Spain's 12-month inflation slows down again in December to 5.8%
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Still, core inflation, which strips out volatile fresh food and energy prices, was at 6.9% year-on-year, higher than the 6.3% recorded a month ago, the INE data showed. In November, Spain had the lowest inflation in the 27-member European Union with a rate of 6.7%, after peaking in July at around 11%. Core inflation is taking longer to come down because it took longer to go up," Economy Minister Nadia Calviño said in an interview with broadcaster SER. Spain's European Union-harmonised 12-month inflation was 5.6%, down from 6.7% in November and below the 6.0% expectation from analysts polled by Reuters. Reporting by Joanna Jonczyk-Gwizdala and Belén Carreño, Editing by David Latona and Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain's November retail sales fall 0.6% on year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 29 (Reuters) - Spanish retail sales fell 0.6% in November from a year earlier on a seasonally and calendar-adjusted basis, after rising 1.0% in October, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said on Thursday. As shoppers grapple with the rising cost of living exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, food sales in Spain recorded an annual decrease of 3.6% in November, INE said. Meanwhile, sales of other goods grew 0.5% year-on-year. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a new raft of measures worth 10 billion euros ($10.64 billion) to ease the pain of inflation, which includes slashing value-added tax on essential foods to 0% from 4% during the first six months of 2023. ($1 = 0.9401 euros)Reporting by Jakub Olesiuk; Editing by David Latona and Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain announces $10.6 bln package to ease inflation pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Spain on Tuesday announced 10 billion euros ($10.65 billion) worth of measures to ease the pain of inflation in the third major package this year, bringing total aid to 45 billion euros since early 2022. Spain, like other European countries, has been grappling with a cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices. The package follows similar announcements in March and June that included direct aid, tax cuts, soft loans and rental controls. Inflation for the past 12 months slowed to 6.7% in November, the lowest rate in the 27-country EU bloc. Slowing inflation has been aided by a sharp fall in electricity prices, which decreased by 22.4% from a year earlier in November.

☆ Seventh body found in river after bus accident in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 26 (Reuters) - A seventh body was found in northwestern Spain after a passenger bus careened off a bridge and plunged into an overflowing river, bringing the accident's final toll up to seven dead and two injured, regional authorities said on Monday. The remains were recovered downstream after being spotted by a rescue helicopter, the Spanish government's representative in the Galicia region, Jose Miñones, told reporters. Earlier on Monday, search-and-rescue efforts resumed following a missing person report filed by the victim's son two days after the accident. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter he was "appalled at the tragic accident", expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least 3 dead, 4 missing in Spain after bus plunges off bridge into river
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 25 (Reuters) - At least three people died and four were missing after a passenger bus careened off a bridge and plunged into a river in northwestern Spain, local emergency services said on Sunday. The survivors were taken to nearby hospitals with varying degrees of injury, they added. It skidded off the road on the bridge for reasons that remain unclear and plunged into the water at around 9.30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT) on Saturday. According to preliminary data, the bus carried nine people in total, the driver and eight passengers, said regional official Maica Larriba. "There are no more bodies inside the bus, so we are continuing the search for the four missing people," Larriba added, referring to the findings of police divers who inspected the wreckage.

☆ Six dead after bus plunges off bridge into river in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Six people died and two were injured after a passenger bus careened off a bridge and plunged into an overflowing river in northwestern Spain, emergency services said on Sunday. Two survivors - the vehicle's 63-year-old driver and a female passenger - were pulled out of the river by firefighters with rope and taken to nearby hospitals with varying degrees of injury. The spokesperson added that the search-and-rescue operation around the bridge had now concluded, while engineers attempted to find a way to safely recover the wreckage from the river Lerez. Shortly afterwards, they received a second call from inside the bus as it was filling up with water. The river remained above its overflow threshold throughout the night, forcing emergency rescue workers to suspend the operation for nearly two hours before resuming in the morning.

☆ Police arrest in Spain one of FBI most wanted fugitives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Spanish police on Friday said they had arrested one of the U.S. FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives, who was staying at a hotel in Madrid under a false identity. Michael James Pratt, a New Zealand citizen, had been sentenced to life in prison for child pornography, sexual exploitation and sexual assault in the United States. Police said he was involved in the audiovisual production of pornography, recruiting underage girls and young women through deception between 2012 and 2019. Only 57 criminals on the FBI's Most Wanted list have been apprehended outside the bureau's jurisdiction, Spanish authorities said, adding that it was the first time this has occurred in Spain. He paid other women to act as "bait" and convince the victims the recorded material would not be published online.

☆ Zara shopworkers call off strikes in company's hometown after pay rise deal - union
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A union representing shop assistants at fashion retailer Zara has called off planned strikes in the company's hometown in northern Spain following an agreement on a pay rise, a union leader said on Friday. Around 1,000 workers at Zara shops and other Inditex (ITX.MC) fashion brands had announced they would strike on Dec. 23 and Jan. 7 to demand higher wage increases after rejecting the company's previous offer. CIG had pushed for a bigger pay rise after rejecting a hike of 200 euros in monthly salaries by 2024. The company will start to pay the newly agreed wages in January, Naveiro said. ($1 = 0.9432 euros)Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by David Latona and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Fat One' lottery spreads Christmas cash and joy across Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The top prize, known as "El Gordo" (The Fat One), rewarded many winners across several regions, as the same number was sold multiple times. As Spain, like other European countries, faces a cost-of-living crisis and stagnating wages, the Christmas lottery draw has taken on added significance. Commotion erupted in the theatre when Perla, a Peruvian-born unemployed mother of two sitting in the theatre, realised she had a winning El Gordo number in her hand. [1/5] People celebrate winning numbers in Spain's Christmas lottery "El Gordo" (The Fat One), in Madrid, Spain December 22, 2022. The best-selling ticket, dubbed "decimo" (tenth), costs 20 euros and its holders can earn 10% of the prize money awarded.

The article was one of a series of reports this year by the news agency on Binance's financial compliance and relationship with regulators across the world. Reuters also asked representatives of the local Binance units and affiliates about their relationship with the main Binance exchange. In Italy, Binance's public corporate filings detail just the unit's capital base and its ownership by a separate Binance company in Ireland. The Italian company, Binance Italy S.R.L., has its listed address in a block of shops and apartments in the southern city of Lecce. Just two of the Binance units analysed by Reuters offer more substantial details in their filings.

☆ Spanish police find more 'bloody packages' sent to Ukraine missions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Spanish police intercepted three more envelopes containing animal eyes addressed to Ukraine's embassy in Madrid and its consulates in Barcelona and Malaga on Monday, police sources close to the investigation said. Last week, Ukraine said a series of "bloody packages" were sent to its missions across Europe, soon after a letter bomb detonated at Ukraine's embassy in Spain and police defused others sent to, among others, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The postal service's security staff detected the new envelopes during screening on Monday morning and alerted police, the sources said. Ukrainian embassy in Madrid had already received a package with animal eyes on Friday that the interior ministry said carried a foreign stamp. Evidence from that package shared with the postal service helped its staff detect the latest one, police sources added.

☆ Spain to lend Airbus 2.14 bln euros for miltary programmes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Spain will lend Airbus (AIR.PA) 2.14 billion euros ($2.26 billion) to help the company to develop its military drone and helicopter programmes in the country, Industry Minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday. The two multi-year loans include 1.43 billion euros for Airbus Defence and Space as part of the European Union's military drone development programme, an Industry Ministry statement said. An additional 707 million euros will be lent to Airbus Helicopters to help to modernise the Tiger helicopter fleets of Spain and France within a bilateral programme. The ministry said the EUROMALE RPAS drone development programme, which is scheduled to begin deliveries in 2028, is expected to generate 3,000 jobs a year in Spain over the next 15 years. ($1 = 0.9458 euros)Reporting by Belen Carreno Writing by David Latona Editing by Inti Landauro and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

After making antisemitic comments and praising Hitler on Thursday, the rapper Ye has been suspended from Twitter. The account for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, read as "account suspended" early Friday. Twitter owner Elon Musk said it would be suspended after a post on Ye's account Thursday night showed an image that appeared to show a swastika inside a Star of David. Account will be suspended.”Ye's Twitter account has been restricted before over antisemitic comments, but he returned to the platform in November. To the now blocked post featuring the Star of David, Musk wrote: “This is not.”

☆ Ukrainian embassy in Madrid receives 'bloody package'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MADRID, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Spanish police have cordoned off the area surrounding the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid after it received a "bloody package" similar to the ones sent to other embassies abroad, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Friday. This comes after a spate of six letter bombs targeted high-profile targets in Spain related to the war in Ukraine, including the United States' embassy, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the Defence Minister, an arms manufacturer, an air base and a European satellite centre. On Friday, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said several of the country's embassies abroad have received "bloody packages" containing animal eyes. Reporting by David Latona in Madrid and Tom Balmforth in Kyiv; Editing by Aislinn LaingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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