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☆ Ferrovial shareholders vote on Dutch move in possible prelude to U.S. listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MADRID, April 13 (Reuters) - Ferrovial (FER.MC) shareholders vote on Thursday on a plan to move the Spanish construction group's holding company to the Netherlands, paving the way to a listing in the U.S. and potentially access to subsidies available there. The government fears more companies could follow suit and argues that a full U.S. listing is perfectly possible for a Spain-based company, although there are no such precedents. The move must be approved by a majority of shareholders to go ahead in a meeting that starts at midday (1000 GMT). Several investment funds have said they will vote in favour and two independent proxy advisers recommended backing the move. Ferrovial also wants to approach institutional funds in the U.S. willing to buy stakes if it gets a listing there.

☆ Russia plans electronic call-up papers in crackdown on draft dodgers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"(This plan) is not connected to mobilisation," he said, repeating previous assurances that there were no plans for a second wave of mobilisation. Under the current system, men targeted by military recruiters are sent paper summons to their registered addresses. Under the new proposals, summons would be sent electronically to a potential draftee's personal account on the main government portal. Once the electronic summons is received, under the legislation, citizens who fail to show up at the military enlistment office would be automatically banned from travelling abroad. Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Caleb Davis Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew OsbornOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Europe cannot turn its back on China, Spanish minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, April 11 (Reuters) - Europe cannot ignore China's role as a key trading partner and important geopolitical player that could help put an end to the war in Ukraine, or provide debt relief for low-income countries, Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said on Tuesday. "We need to use the time to reinforce our common safety net protecting most vulnerable countries ... and here again we cannot just ignore China. Top officials from China will make their first in-person attendance at the Washington meetings in three years. Calvino said she hoped to deliver good news on debt relief to these countries later this year. Reporting by David Latona and Belen Carreno; Editing by Andrei Khalip and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia plans air defence reform, to bolster defences near Finland - commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, April 10 (Reuters) - Russia plans to overhaul its air defence forces after gaining new experience in the war in Ukraine and will also bolster its air defences to counter Finland's accession to the NATO military alliance, a commander in Russia's aerospace forces said. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year in what it calls "a special military operation", the fighting has descended into a grinding artillery war with extensive use of drones and missiles, testing the air defences of both Russia and Ukraine. In an interview published on Monday with the Red Star newspaper, Lieutenant General Andrei Demin, deputy commander-in-chief of aerospace forces, said air defence forces had faced a number of challenges in the face of Ukrainian strikes. In Ukrainian regions under Russian control, air defence units had been set up to defend key installations, Demin said, while Russia had ramped up production of the RLK-MC anti-drone system. Demin said that Russia would also bolster is defences after Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (800-mile) border with Russia, joined NATO.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid hits 150 points in Oilers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Tomas Hertl scored, and James Reimer made 29 saves for the Sharks, who have lost seven straight against the Oilers. McDavid notched his 150th point when he scored with 1:44 left in the opening period for a 2-1 lead. Jesper Bratt scored the lone goal and MacKenzie Blackwood made 38 stops for the Devils, who had won back-to-back games. Avalanche 4, Kings 3Denis Malgin scored two goals for visiting Colorado in a win against Los Angeles. Alex Nylander, Danton Heinen and Evgeni Malkin each scored a goal and Tristan Jarry made 19 saves for the Penguins.

☆ Russia's Alfa Bank follows in VTB footsteps with record 2022 loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Alfa Bank had made a net profit of 136.6 billion roubles in 2021, a record year for Russian banking sector profits. Provision costs for possible loan losses jumped about five times to 167.4 billion roubles, Alfa Bank's report said. However, net interest income rose to 211.7 billion roubles from 175.8 billion roubles in 2021 and Alfa Bank's assets increased to 5.82 trillion roubles, from 5.62 trillion roubles. Alfa Bank did not respond to a request for comment. Sanctioned Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven are in talks over selling their stake in Alfa Bank to their longtime business partner and its co-founder Andrei Kosogov.

LISBON, April 6 (Reuters) - Portugal's government approved on Thursday the abolition of the scandal-hit immigration agency SEF, whose border force officers, uncertain about their future, have mooted industrial action during the usually busy Easter period. It was not immediately clear whether the strike will go ahead from Friday. Parliament approved SEF's abolition in November of the same year, but the process has been slow. There will be a transition period of six months, and SEF officers will help to train their replacements, the government said. Additional reporting by Patricia Rua, editing by Andrei Khalip and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iberdrola aims for US subsidies after Mexican asset sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Pietro Lombardi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Iberdrola SA FollowMADRID, April 5 (Reuters) - Spanish power company Iberdrola (IBE.MC) will seek to expand in the United States and take advantage of its green subsidies after announcing the sale of gas assets worth $6 billion in Mexico, Chief Financial Officer Jose Sainz said on Wednesday. "Due to IRA, we will probably review our renewable plans in the U.S.," he said, adding that the Mexican sale could also allow acquisitions. Mexico remains a core market for the company, which aims to grow its renewables operations there, he added. Mexico's president hailed his government's purchase of 13 power plants from Iberdrola as a "new nationalisation" that will increase state control. For Iberdrola, RBC analyst Fernando Garcia said in a research note it "got rid of the Mexican headache".

☆ Russia's VTB eyes rebound after sanctions-hit $7.7 bln loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CEO Andrei Kostin has blamed the bank's losses squarely on Western sanctions against Russia's financial sector. VTB posted a net loss of 612.6 billion roubles ($7.73 billion), down from a record profit of 327.4 billion roubles in 2021. Provisioning costs increased 343.3% to 514.3 billion roubles and net interest income slumped 50.3% to 321.0 billion roubles. It purchased rival Otkritie for 340 billion roubles from Russia's central bank late last year and is planning a second additional share issue this quarter, in which it plans to raise 50-125 billion roubles. The disposal of those subsidiaries cost VTB 229 billion roubles before tax.

☆ Portuguese NGO sues TikTok, says platform 'profits from children'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The lawsuit came a day after Britain's data watchdog said it had fined TikTok 12.7 million pounds ($15.81 million) for breaching data protection law, including by using the personal data of children without parental consent. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told Portuguese newspaper Publico in a statement that protecting its users and their data was of "utmost importance". Ius Omnibus claims TikTok ends up collecting and processing children's personal data in breach of Portugal's constitution, the European Union's general data protection regulation and the unfair commercial practices law. Despite TikTok's age limit, it "does not implement mechanisms to prevent registration" by users aged below 13, the group said. In a separate lawsuit, it claims users older than 13 are also victims of "misleading business practices" and that certain personal data is used without their full consent.

☆ Is global warming helping loggerhead turtles colonise the Med?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Borja Suarez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Borja SuarezTALIARTE, Spain, April 5 (Reuters) - Growing numbers of loggerhead sea turtles are nesting and laying eggs on western Mediterranean beaches in what some scientists suggest could be a case of climate change causing habitat expansion of a threatened species. Along with the warming sea water, another factor probably benefiting the world's largest hard-shelled turtle, which is considered a vulnerable species, are protection programmes in countries like Spain and Cape Verde. The group rescues injured turtles in Spain's Canary Islands and studies their population in Cape Verde, the eastern Atlantic's main reproduction area. Their size and hard shell generally protect them from predators, but fishnets, ship rotors and pollution have become significant threats. Reporting by Borja Suarez, writing by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip and Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Carter Verhaeghe nets career-best 4 goals in Panthers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Sabers 6, Flyers 3Alex Tuch scored his second career hat trick to help Buffalo to a win against host Philadelphia. Morgan Frost scored twice and Felix Sandstrom made 23 saves for the Flyers, who had their seven-game point streak snapped. Avalanche 5, Stars 2Nathan MacKinnon had two goals, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists, and host Colorado beat Dallas. Ben Hutton, Zach Whitecloud and Brett Howden also notched goals for Vegas, which is 5-1-1 in its past seven games. J.J. Moser and Milos Kelemen scored for the Coyotes (27-37-13, 67 points), who have dropped seven straight games (0-5-2).

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins clinch league's best record
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Pastrnak took Hampus Lindholm's feed into the offensive zone and finished with the backhand for his 53rd goal of the season. Tyler Bertuzzi scored the lone Bruins goal of regulation, tying the game in the second period. Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist and Oskar Lindblom and Tomas Hertl also scored for San Jose. Defenseman Henry Thrun, making his NHL debut after starring at Harvard, added two assists, and James Reimer finished with 23 saves. Blues 5, Blackhawks 3Brandon Saad scored one goal and set up another as St. Louis handed host Chicago its seventh straight loss.

☆ In Beijing, Spanish PM urges Xi to speak with Ukraine's Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Eduardo Baptista | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sanchez told a news conference in Beijing he had informed Xi, who visited Moscow on March 20-21, that Spain supported the proposals made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. They include a demand to restore Ukraine's territory to the status quo before Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. "I transmitted our concern over the illegal invasion of Ukraine," Sanchez said, adding that he "encouraged Xi to talk to President Zelenskiy". Last month, Beijing put forward its own 12-point peace plan and called for a comprehensive ceasefire in the conflict. Sanchez urged China to seek a more balanced economic relationship with Spain and called for greater transparency.

Summary Russia accuses detained U.S. journalist of spyingSays he was trying to gather state/military secretsWall Street Journal denies the allegationsMove latest blow to dire Russia-U.S. tiesLONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had detained a reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal on suspicion of spying for Washington, the most serious public move against a foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement it was "deeply concerned" for Gershkovich's safety and that it "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter". TOUGH CENSORSHIP LAWS[1/5] Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich appears in an undated handout image taken in an unknown location. Other foreign journalists covering Russia expressed support for Gershkovich online, saying he was a professional reporter, not a spy. Gershkovich, who has covered Russia since 2017, previously worked at The Moscow Times newspaper and at Agence-France Presse news agency before joining the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau in January last year.

☆ Wildfires ravage Spain's Asturias as temperatures hit record highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, March 30 (Reuters) - More than 100 wildfires broke out in Spain's northern Asturias region on Thursday, most of them started on purpose by arsonists and others, authorities said, as temperatures soared to record highs. Flames raged near a road as cars drove by in Asturias, a lush region with rainy oceanic climate, local TV footage showed. Spain registered its hottest March 29 on record on Wednesday, with temperatures exceeding normal levels by seven to 14 Celsius (44.6-57.2 Fahrenheit), the meteorological agency AEMET said. The Canary Islands registered temperatures more common for the summer, with 37.8C in Tasarte, Gran Canaria. Other regions in the Basque Country and some parts of central Spain also recorded record temperatures for the time of year.

☆ Bank of Spain sees turmoil rising funding costs, requiring liquidity sourcing review
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jesús Aguado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Non-performing loans stood at nearly record lows of 3.56% in January, far below the all time-high of 13.6% in December 2013. Deputy Governor Margarita Delgado also said that amid a tighter financing conditions following a period of abundant, cheap liquidity, banks should assess liquidity risks and have diverse, credible and plan-based funding sources to allow them to "adapt flexibly to the changing environment." In its report, the Bank of Spain said it expected Spanish lenders to maintain comfortable excess liquidity positions. As of February, Spanish banks' liquidity coverage ratio stood on average at 175% among the significant lenders, well above the global average of 140%, according to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Olano said that Spanish banks' exposure to Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) stood at between 300 million euros ($325.23 million)and 400 million euros.

☆ Two people killed in knife attack in Lisbon's Ismaili centre
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LISBON, March 28 (Reuters) - At least two people died in an attack in the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon on Tuesday, Portuguese police said, without giving further details. CNN Portugal said the alleged author of the attack, an Afghan national who wielded a large knife, had been shot and detained. Reporting by Catarina Demony, writing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Endangered Komodo dragons hatch at Spanish zoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jon Nazca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Embum, a one-month-old baby Komodo dragon, one of the five Komodo dragons born at Bioparc Fuengirola, rests in a terrarium in Fuengirola, southern Spain, March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jon NazcaFUENGIROLA, Spain, March 28 (Reuters) - Five Komodo dragon hatchlings have been born at a zoo in Spain, the first successful breeding of the world's largest lizard - an endangered species - in the country for a decade. "This is a great achievement for all of us," Milagros Robledo, the head of the Herpetology department at the Bioparc Fuengirola zoo in southern Spain and self-described "mother" of the dragons, told Reuters on Tuesday. The baby dragons' parents mated on June 24 last year, when Spaniards celebrate the feast of St John. In the wild, newborn Komodo dragons tend to move to the treetops and need no maternal or paternal care, Robledo said.

☆ Spain's conservatives seen winning general election, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Spain's opposition People's Party (PP) leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo listens to Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speak during a session at the Spanish Senate in Madrid, Spain, September 6, 2022. The conservative PP would win 32.4% of the vote, or between 139 and 143 seats in the 350-seat lower house, largely in line with where it stood in the previous GAD3 poll in November. PP head Alberto Nunez Feijoo has said he would rather not ally with Vox in parliament, but may have no other option. In May, Spain will hold municipal and regional elections that will help gauge support for the main political parties in the general election to be held in December. Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Villagers flee as winds fan wildfire in eastern Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] An evacuated resident from Los Peiros, is driven back to her home from San Agustin, following a wildfire raged in eastern Spain, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Lorena SopenaMADRID, March 27 (Reuters) - Officials evacuated people from three small villages in eastern Spain on Monday as winds and dry weather fanned a wildfire ravaging the area. "The climate emergency is not a future emergency, it is a current and urgent crisis," he said. Spain is experiencing a long-term drought after three years of below-average rainfall. Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins lock down Atlantic Division title
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Hathaway has scored three goals since joining the Bruins in late February, two of which have been go-ahead tallies. Linus Ullmark made 11 of his 26 saves in the third period, improving to 11-1-0 in his last 12 starts. For the Lightning, Victor Hedman scored the lone goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy was credited with 32 saves. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Zach Hyman and Warren Foegele also scored for Edmonton. Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk scored his seventh goal in seven games and Mark Kastelic and defenseman Thomas Chabot also tallied.

☆ Spain says world must listen to China's voice to end war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, March 24 (Reuters) - The world should listen to China's voice in order to find a way out of the war in Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, ahead of his state visit to Beijing next week. "China is a global actor, so obviously we must listen to its voice to see if between all of us, we can put an end to this war and Ukraine can recover its territorial integrity," Sanchez told a news conference in Brussels following a meeting of the European Council. He is set to visit the Chinese capital on March 31 for talks with President Xi Jinping. Sanchez has publicly backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's peace proposal, which includes demands to restore Ukraine's territory to the status quo before Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Reporting by Inti Landauro; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cocaine use has risen across Europe, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, March 22 (Reuters) - Cocaine use has increased across Europe, an EU-wide wastewater study showed on Wednesday, with the highest levels of residues found in Belgium, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. The study, the largest to date by the Lisbon-based European drugs monitoring agency EMCDDA, analysed daily wastewater in the catchment areas of treatment plants serving some 54 million people in 104 European cities. More than half of the 66 European cities with data for 2021 and 2022 recorded increases in cocaine residues. Ketamine was included for the first time in the 2022 analysis due to "signs of increased availability of ketamine in Europe". The highest amount of residues were found in wastewater in cities in Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

☆ NHL roundup: Alex Ovechkin hits 40 goals for record 13th time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY SportsMarch 22 - On a night he was honored for passing one NHL legend, Washington's Alex Ovechkin made history by eclipsing another. Before the game, Ovechkin was honored in a 20-minute on-ice ceremony for passing Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time NHL goals list on Dec. 23. On Tuesday, Ovechkin scored his 40th goal of the season, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history with his 13th. Barrett Hayton scored the lone goal for Arizona (27-33-11, 65 points), which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. Alex Chiasson and Filip Zadina scored regulation goals for the Red Wings, who earned just their third victory in their last 13 games.

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