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☆ Tesla considering building 4.5 bln euro car factory in Spain - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. electric car manufacturer Tesla (TSLA.O) is in talks with the leaders of the regional government of Valencia in Spain to build a car factory, newspaper Cinco Dias reported on Thursday, citing unidentified sources close to the discussions. The company's total investment in the factory could surpass 4.5 billion euros ($4.83 billion), the newspaper said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Spain's central government declined to comment. Valencia is also home to a car manufacturing facility for Ford, which plans to start producing electric vehicles there. Spain is Europe's second-largest car producer, and is using European Union COVID pandemic recovery funds to attract carmakers to invest in the manufacture of both batteries and electric vehicles.

Persons: Cinco Dias, Tesla, Volkswagen, Inti Landauro, Belen Carreno, Joan Faus, Aislinn Laing, Jan Harvey, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Ford, Union, EU, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Valencia, Spain, Sagunto

☆ Prehistoric cave paintings discovered in Spain using drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Archaeologists in Spain have discovered prehistoric paintings in hard-to-reach caves in the east of the country using drone technology. The use of drones allowed researchers to quickly gather evidence of previously unseen cave paintings dating from 5,000- 7,500 years ago, according to a statement from the team at the University of Alicante, Spain. A cave painting of deer found using drones. Courtesy Javi MolinaExploring new heightsResearchers came up with the idea of using drones because “on many occasions we have risked our lives to access cavities located in rugged geographical areas,” Molina told CNN Tuesday. “Secondly, the discovery of new cave paintings in this type of cave indicates that prehistoric man developed sophisticated means of climbing, perhaps by means of ropes or wooden scaffolding,” said Molina.

Persons: Javi Molina, ”, Francisco Javier Molina Hernández, Hernández, Virginia Barciela, ” Molina, Molina Organizations: CNN, University of Alicante, ”, Indiana Locations: Spain, Penàguila, Alicante, Valencia, Portugal, Europe

☆ Party backing Ecuador's Lasso will not field candidates in elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, June 6 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso's political movement Creating Opportunities will not field candidates for the country's early presidential or legislative elections, it said on Tuesday. Lasso, a conservative ex-banker, last week said he would not run as a candidate in presidential elections. Elected officials and the new president will only hold office until May 2025, when voting that had always been scheduled will take place. Members of Creating Opportunities can vote for whoever they like in the upcoming elections, but cannot support candidates who "do not respect the constitution and the law," Bernal said, without clarifying further. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia Writing by Oliver Griffin; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Guillermo Lasso's, Lasso, Ecuadoreans, Esteban Bernal, Bernal, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Assembly, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: QUITO

☆ Seven punished by Spanish government for racist insults against Vinicius
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Seven people involved in different racist attacks against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr have been punished by Spain's State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, the country's Sports Commission said on Monday. 20 shirt on a bridge near Real's facilities before the team's Cup match against Atletico Madrid on Jan. 26. Three other people were fined 5,000 euros ($5,354.50) and banned from sports venues for one year after making racist gestures towards the Brazil international during a LaLiga match at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium on May 21. Vinicius Jr has been in the spotlight for the past couple of weeks after calling LaLiga and Spain racist following the abuse he suffered during Real's match against Valencia. ($1 = 0.9338 euros)Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vinicius Jr, Madrid, Vinicius, LaLiga, Janina Nuno Rios, Ken Ferris Organizations: Real Madrid, Violence, country's Sports, Atletico Madrid, Jan, Brazil, Valencia's, Valencia, Guinea, Thomson Locations: Real's, Madrid, Spain, Brazil, Senegal, Mexico City

CNN —Inter Milan and Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku says the world’s top soccer stars could form a union to tackle racist abuse in the sport. Speaking exclusively to CNN, Lukaku says authorities are currently not doing enough to protect players in the wake of yet more racist abuse aimed at Vinícius Jr. during Real Madrid’s match against Valencia last month. “I think it will start,” Lukaku told CNN’s Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis when asked whether players could form a union. “That’s where you need to start, that’s where we need to have diversity,” Lukaku said of the upper echelons of the sport. “I think that’s how it should happen,” Lukaku added.

Persons: Romelu Lukaku, Lukaku, Vinícius Jr, ” Lukaku, Darren Lewis, “, FIFA ”, “ It’s, Vinícius, Marco Bertorello, Senegal’s, Samoura, Rwanda’s Martin Ngoga, Ghana’s Anin Yeboah, India’s, Mugdal Organizations: CNN — Inter Milan, CNN, Valencia, Inter Milan, Juventus, CNN’s, UEFA, FIFA, La Liga, Getty, ”, Belgian, Board, Twitter Locations: Belgium, AFP, Belgian, European

CNN —One month after four children vanished into the Colombian Amazon, a preliminary report by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority offers clues to how they could have survived the devastating airplane crash that killed every adult onboard. “…Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, 2803, Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, I have the engine at minimum, I’m going to look for a field,” he said. Air traffic control later tracked the plane veering right, the report said. The report says the plane likely first hit the trees of the dense forest, tearing the engine and propeller off, followed by a vertical drop to the forest floor. Two of three seats occupied by the children remained in place and upright despite the crash, according to the report, while one child’s seat came loose from the plane structure.

Persons: Hernando Murcia Morales, Herman Mendoza Hernández, Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, “, ”, …, Dirección, Fidencio Valencia Organizations: CNN, country’s Civil Aviation Authority, Colombian, Caracol Locations: Colombian, Colombia, Araracuara

☆ I'm an NYU student and just returned from my semester abroad in Madrid. Here's what I wish I knew before I moved overseas.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Isabel Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I'm a New York University student, and I just returned from my semester abroad in Madrid. Now that I'm back home in my NYC apartment, I realize I learned a lot from my semester abroad. I learned that language barriers were not a reason to stop talking, dim your personality, or expect others to accommodate you. Many students felt pressure to travel, and I did, too. Besides that, I was in Madrid — a global city with so much to see and learn.

Persons: pickpocketing, —, didn't, Adolfo Suárez, it's Organizations: New York University, Service, Madrid, NYU, Adolfo Suárez Madrid, Barajas Airport Locations: Madrid, Morocco, Chamberí, Barcelona, Spain, Toledo, Valencia, Canary, it'll

☆ Opinion: Why I won’t take my young Black son to a European soccer game
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Opinion Keith Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —My little boy, who is not quite 9, would like to go to a professional football game here in Britain where we live. A 2021 survey found a third of ethnic minority football fans had experienced racism at stadiums, and in England and Wales, race-related hate crimes at matches are on the rise. Clubs whose fans or players commit hate crimes should have points deducted, impacting their position in their league. For national teams, racist behavior by fans or players should result in a tournament ban. While diversity among football players is high, representation off the pitch is shockingly poor at every level.

Persons: Keith Magee, I’m, Keith Magee Arron, Martin Luther King Jr, “, ”, Shaka Hislop, Vinícius Júnior, othered, Mesut Özil, Vinícius Organizations: Newcastle University, United, University College London Institute for Innovation, CNN, Black, Real Madrid, Football, United Nations, FIFA, UEFA, La Liga, Liga, Twitter, Facebook, German Locations: United Kingdom, Black Britain, Britain, Valencia, Spain, Europe, Italy, British, England, Wales, White

☆ Factbox: Companies invest in EV battery factories in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Below are recent investments announced by companies:GERMANYSweden's Northvolt said on May 13 it will invest 3-5 billion euros ($3.3-5.5 billion) in an EV battery plant in Heide in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein as long as subsidies are approved. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to build six battery factories in Europe totalling 240 gigawatt (GWh) of capacity by 2030. Production at its first battery plant, "SalzGiga", in Salzgitter in the Lower Saxony region will start in 2025. Slovakian battery manufacturer InoBat said last October it had signed a declaration of intent with the Spanish government to set up an EV battery factory in central Spain's city Valladolid, expected to cost 3 billion euros. POLANDLG Chem EV battery in Wroclaw started production in the second half of 2017, with a capacity of 100,000 batteries per year.

Persons: Helena Soderpalm, GERMANY Sweden's Northvolt, China's CATL, Germany's, Mercedes Benz, Elon Musk, Berclau, Taiwan's ProLogium, Jean, Luc Monfort, Mata, BASQUEVOLT, InoBat, China's BYD, AEHRA, Poland's, Alessandro Parodi, Tiago Brandao, Matteo Allievi, Barbara Lewis, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Volkswagen, EV, Germany's BASF, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Stellantis, Tesla, FRANCE Joint, France, Renault, Basque Country, Spanish, India's Tata Group, ITALY Joint, POLAND LG, European Commission, SWEDEN Northvolt's Skelleftea, Thomson Locations: Vasteras, Sweden, Europe, Asia, United States, GERMANY, Heide, Schleswig, Holstein, Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, China, Erfurt, Thuringia, Schwarzheide, Brandenburg ., Ludwigsfelde, Berlin, Kaiserslautern, Rhineland, Palatinate, Gigafactory, FRANCE, Billy, France, Dunkirk, Douai, Ruitz, Ergué, Quimper, Montreal, SPAIN Spain, Europe's, Germany, Navalmoral de, Extremadura, Sagunto, Valencia, Spain, Basque, Slovakian, Spain's, Valladolid, Britain, ITALY, Termoli, POLAND, Wroclaw, HUNGARY

☆ Colombian Amazon plane crash: children's plight is the latest in a long list of air travel mishaps
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The three adults onboard, including the pilot and the children’s mother, Magdalena Mucutuy, died in the crash. Calderon dismisses the idea that his job is particularly high risk, but he concedes flying in the Colombian Amazon is not for the faint hearted. Soldiers stand next to the wreckage of a plane during the search for child survivors on May 19, 2023. Moreover, this type of older airplanes are often the most apt to operate in the limited infrastructure of the airfields in the Colombian Amazon. This year the Colombian government budgeted the equivalent of over $200 million to boost airports across the Amazon region over the next 30 years, and to open eight new commercial flight routes Amazon region.

☆ Pedro Sanchez: Spanish PM calls snap elections after setbacks in local polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Al Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Madrid CNN —Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced snap parliamentary elections in July, hours after his ruling Socialists suffered major setbacks in regional and local elections. Sanchez, 51, became prime minister in 2018 after winning a vote of no confidence in parliament against then-conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. He formed a coalition government with the leftist Podemos party, which also suffered setbacks in Sunday’s local elections. The prime minister is making “a complex chess move,” Andres Villena, a professor at Madrid’s Complutense University, told CNN. “Sanchez’s decision to move up the elections could neutralize the honeymoon for the incoming conservative leaders” in the local elections, Villena said.

☆ Racist abuse of players is getting worse, says Stephens
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Racist behaviour directed at athletes is getting worse and even software designed to protect them from it has little impact, world number 30 Sloane Stephens said on Monday. The American, speaking after her straight-sets victory over Karolina Pliskova in the French Open first round, said she had had to endure it her whole tennis career. "Yes, it's obviously been a problem my entire career," said Stephens, who is Black. Tennis players, including greats Serena and Venus Williams, have been the targets of such abuse as have professional athletes in all sports, with Real Madrid soccer player Vinicius Jr. the most notable recent case. Tottenham Hotspur were working this month with the Metropolitan Police to investigate an allegation of racial abuse towards South Korean striker Son Heung-min.

☆ Spain's conservative PP elbows Socialists out in regional elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Spain's ruling Socialists suffered heavy losses to opposition conservatives in Sunday's local election, with around 95% of the votes counted, showing their electoral vulnerability ahead of an end-of-year general election. Only three of the 12 regions holding elections will retain Socialist dominance by very narrow margins, with the rest likely go to the conservative People's Party, albeit with coalitions or informal support agreements with the far-right Vox party. The gains for the People's Party (PP) indicate the conservatives could unseat the current left-wing coalition led by the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) if they replicate the performance in national elections by December. The numbers showed few clear majorities, except in the Madrid region where regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso of the PP looked set to win re-election with an absolute majority. Campaigning had been marked by several controversies, from allegations of voter fraud in small towns to an unprecedented case of kidnapping.

[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.

☆ Vinícius Jr.: Spanish soccer's inaction over racist abuse of Real Madrid star could prove costly for LaLiga
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Except, this week, nobody is talking about the ‘beautiful game’ after the shameful racist abuse of Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. sent LaLiga into crisis management mode. Instead, it must pass investigations into incidents of racist abuse onto local prosecutors, who deal with them as legal cases. 10 when nine previous incidents of racist abuse seemingly were not enough to spark meaningful action? Vinícius Jr. points to a fan in the stand who allegedly racially abused him during Real Madrid's match at Valencia. Fort says CEOs called Sepp Blatter to ask him to step down as FIFA president.

☆ Vinícius Júnior Charges Racism Is ‘Normal’ in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vinícius Júnior has had enough. This time, he took aim not only at his abusers but Spain itself. “It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third,” Vinícius Júnior wrote in a post on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. “Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, the federation does too and the opponents encourage it.” Spain itself, he said, was becoming known in his native Brazil “as a country of racists.”On Sunday, Vinícius Júnior was met by fans chanting the word “mono” — monkey — even before he stepped off the Real Madrid bus outside the Mestalla stadium in Valencia.

☆ Spanish football admits it has racism problem after Vinicius incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MADRID, May 22 (Reuters) - Spanish soccer has a racism problem, football federation chief Luis Rubiales said on Monday, after Real Madrid lodged a complaint following alleged insults hurled at their Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. It is "a serious problem that also stains an entire team, an entire fan base, an entire club, an entire country." "Probably Vinicius is more right than we think and we all need to do more about racism," Rubiales said. Real Madrid said on Monday they have lodged a hate crime complaint following the incident in Valencia. It is the 10th episode of alleged racism against Vinicius that has been reported to prosecutors this season, according to LaLiga.

☆ Real Madrid lodges hate crime complaint over Vinicius incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, May 22 (Reuters) - Real Madrid have lodged a hate crime complaint with Spanish prosecutors over racist chants hurled at Brazilian player Vinicius Jr during Sunday's match at Valencia's Mestalla stadium, the club said in a statement on Monday. "Real Madrid C.F. shows its strongest rejection and condemns the events that occurred yesterday against our player Vinicius Jr," it said. The attacks, in its view, "constitute a hate crime" for which the club has filed a complaint with the State Attorney General's Office, the club said. Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Inti LandauroOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Real Madrid player Vinícius Jr. racially abused during Spanish La Liga match
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Matt Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Vinícius Jr., Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward, was subjected to racist chanting during his team’s defeat to Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in Spain’s La Liga, according to club manager Carlo Ancelotti. Vinícius Jr. was sent off in the final minutes of the game for his involvement in an altercation with Valencia player Hugo Duro. ‘This isn’t football, this is @LaLiga’”The Real Madrid player then posted a longer statement on his Twitter. “Valencia CF wishes to publicly condemn any type of insult, attack or downgrading in football,” it reads. “Valencia CF can’t tolerate someone accusing our fans of being racist, we strongly reject Ancelotti’s comments,” the post said.

☆ Vinicius Jr calls LaLiga and Spain racist for chants after sending-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - LaLiga - Valencia v Real Madrid - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 21, 2023 Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior gestures towards a fan after witnessing abuse as Valencia's Jose Gaya and... Read moreMay 21 (Reuters) - Real Madrid's Brazil forward Vinicius Jr has called LaLiga and Spain racist after receiving racial slurs from the stands in Sunday's defeat at Valencia's Mestalla stadium. The competition considers it normal, the federation considers it normal and the rivals encourage it," Vinicius posted on Twitter after the game. I am sorry for those Spaniards who disagree but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. The Spanish league has previously lodged complaints of racist chanting or insults against Vinicius Jr, the latest of which was a claim before a court in Mallorca after fans were filmed racially abusing the forward. Spanish police are also investigating a possible hate crime against Vinicius Jr after a mannequin wearing his number 20 shirt was hung from a bridge outside Real Madrid's training ground in January.

CNN —As the Colombian military frantically searches for four children missing after a jungle plane crash over two weeks ago, new details are emerging about the plane’s history – and local concerns over the safety of air travel in that part of the Amazon. Colombian Military Forces/ReutersIndigenous activists who mourned the deaths in a statement earlier this week said the crash was no surprise, accusing airline companies operating in the Amazon of chasing profits and the Colombian government of failing to uphold safety standards. Speaking to CNN, OPIAC president Julio Cesar Lopez pointed out that the ill-fated plane had previously crashed in the same region, on July 25, 2021. The report states that the plane was built in 1982 and, prior to the 2021 crash, had accumulated over 10 thousand flight hours. Relatives say the children knew the jungle well, and are holding out hope that they will be found alive.

A court in Ecuador sentenced Correa to eight years in prison in 2020 over accusations he broke campaign finance laws. His party, Citizen Revolution, was the biggest party in the assembly with 47 seats before Lasso dissolved it. The former lawmakers from Citizen Revolution will run in the snap election, Correa said, adding that he hopes the party wins at least 50 seats. Lasso - who has said he will not run in the upcoming elections - will rule by decree until the snap election, with laws subject to approval by the Constitutional Court. Any laws issued by decree - including an earlier move by Lasso to loosen gun controls - will be targeted following the election by Citizen Revolution politicians in government or the legislature, Correa said.

☆ Ecuador could hold early elections on Aug. 20: electoral court
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, May 18 (Reuters) - Ecuador could hold early legislative and presidential elections on Aug. 20, the electoral court said on Thursday, a day after President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by decree and brought forward the vote scheduled for 2025. The embattled leader cited Ecuador's serious political crisis and domestic turmoil as reasons for making the move. Opposition lawmakers are hoping the Constitutional Court, Ecuador's highest court, will rule quickly to block Lasso's dissolution, which they have described as illegal. Lawmakers of the dissolved National Assembly said they will respect the court's decision, even if it upholds the president's actions. Lawmakers elected to power in the early elections would only serve until regularly scheduled elections are held in 2025.

☆ Ecuador president dissolves legislature, bringing elections forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso testifies at the National Assembly, as part of the impeachment process against him for alleged corruption, in Quito, Ecuador May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, May 17 (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in a decree on Wednesday, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections, a day after he presented his defense in an impeachment process against him. Ninety-two votes form the 137-member legislature would have been needed to remove Lasso from office. Those voted into power in the early elections would only serve until the regularly-scheduled 2025 elections take place. The impeachment process was the first against a Ecuadorean president in decades.

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