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☆ Spain's top court upholds euthanasia law in blow for far-right party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, March 22 (Reuters) - Spain's Constitutional Court has dismissed a challenge by far-right party Vox against a euthanasia law approved in 2021, dealing a second blow to Vox on Wednesday as its no-confidence motion against the government failed in parliament. Spain is the fourth country in the European Union to have such a law. Both Vox and the conservative People's Party (PP) had voted against the bill. Euthanasia is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church, whose doctrine views life as a divine gift that should not be prematurely shortened. Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Streaking Rangers blow by Predators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

They have scored 15 unanswered goals in their last three games, the longest streak in the NHL this season. Goalie Jaroslav Halak stopped all 22 shots he faced one night after Igor Shesterkin recorded the shutout with 33 saves. Kirill Marchenko and Liam Foudy scored goals and Patrik Laine had two assists for Columbus, which suffered its seventh loss in eight games. Daniil Tarasov made 24 saves on 29 shots before being pulled with 3:03 left in the second period. Hofer made 33 saves in his second game filling in for Jordan Binnington, who completed his two-game NHL suspension Sunday.

☆ EasyJet cabin staff in Portugal plan early April strike over pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, March 17 (Reuters) - EasyJet (EZJ.L) cabin staff in Portugal will go on a three-day strike in early April to demand higher wages to compensate for the soaring cost of living, the SNPVAC union of civil aviation flight personnel said on Friday. Workers at the British low-cost airline, who also seek better working conditions, are planning to walk out between April 1-3. "Due to the economic climate, easyJet workers have lost purchasing power over the last three years," SNPVAC said in a statement. "The increase in the cost of living suffocates workers and jeopardises the well-being and comfort of their families." Reporting by Patricia Vicente Rua; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin tells Russia's billionaires to put patriotism before profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a forum of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) in Moscow, Russia, March 16, 2023. MOSCOW, March 16 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin urged Russia's billionaires on Thursday to put patriotism before profit, telling them to invest at home to shore up the economy in the face of Western sanctions. Addressing Russia's business elite in person for the first time since the day he sent his troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, Putin told them their role was not just to make money but to support society. Last month he told business leaders that ordinary Russians had no sympathy for the confiscation of their yachts and palaces. ECONOMY RESISTS SANCTIONSThe president said on Thursday that what he called an attempt to destroy Russia's economy with sanctions had failed.

☆ Russian lawmaker introduces bill pushing back conscription age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, March 13 (Reuters) - A senior Russian lawmaker on Monday introduced a bill to push back the age of conscription to compulsory military service to 21-30 years from the current 18-27 years. President Vladimir Putin gave his backing in December to Defence Ministry proposals to push back the age range. However, in September Moscow unilaterally annexed four Ukrainian regions where fighting is continuing, and now considers them Russian territory. Deferrals from military service are available on medical grounds, for university students, and for fathers of large families.

☆ Police limit anti-government protest in Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Moldovan law enforcement officers stand guard during an anti-government protest against the recent countrywide increase of power rates and prices, which is organised by opposition political movements including the Russia-friendly party Shor, in Chisinau, Moldova, March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Vladislav CuliomzaCHISINAU, March 12 (Reuters) - Police in Moldova kept several thousand demonstrators away from government buildings on Sunday after officials warned of possible organised disorder at the protest, the latest of a series denouncing pro-European President Maia Sandu. Moldova accused Russia last month of plotting to overthrow Sandu, while the United States pledged to support her government against destabilisation. Andrei Spinu, head of Sandu's administration, denounced Sunday's rally as "not a protest. This was yet another attempt by Russia to destabilise the situation in Moldova."

☆ Fridman, Aven in talks over selling stake in Russia's Alfa Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 10 (Reuters) - Sanctioned Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven are in discussions over selling their stake in private Russian lender Alfa Bank to longtime business partner and Alfa Bank co-founder Andrei Kosogov, the bank said on Friday. "As far as we know, such a deal is indeed being worked out," Alfa Bank said. Alfa Bank has been placed under Western sanctions, imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. Fridman and Aven are seeking to have the personal sanctions on them removed. "Neither Andrei Kosogov nor the seller are under sanctions, so it is likely that the approval of the deal by foreign regulators will not be needed," Alfa Bank said.

☆ Ford to cut 1,100 jobs in Spain - spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Ford Motor Co FollowMADRID, March 10 (Reuters) - U.S. auto maker Ford (F.N) plans to slash 1,100 jobs at its plant located in Valencia in eastern Spain, a company spokesperson said on Friday. The layoffs, which were shared with unions, are part of the company's changes to its car production lineup in Europe, the spokesperson said. "Ford will work constructively with its union partners to reduce the impact of the separations on employees, their families, and the local community," she said. The electric vehicle production plan would entail job cuts, Ford had said when unveiling the project. Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip and David LatonaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former owner of Portugal's TAP denies overpaying for Airbus planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, March 10 (Reuters) - A former owner of Portugal's flag carrier TAP, David Neeleman, denied on Friday making a deal in 2015 to overpay for Airbus planes after prosecutors said last month they were investigating the complex leasing deal, as well as suggestions he had bought TAP shares with company money. "It is also completely absurd to say that TAP shares were bought with Airbus funds or with TAP's future cash flows," he wrote, adding that TAP exclusively used the $226 million from Airbus in ancillary benefits to pay salaries and for its cash needs. He said Atlantic Gateway had also injected its own funds into TAP and arranged a 90 million euro ($96.04 million) loan from Azul, the Brazilian airline that Neeleman founded, "on very favorable terms for TAP", saving TAP from immediate insolvency. Portugal in 2020 bought Neeleman's stake in TAP, which is under a 3.2 billion euro Brussels-approved bailout. ($1 = 0.9371 euros)Reporting by Andrei Khalip and Patricia Rua; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Ivan Barbashev nets pair as Knights edge Canadiens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Mar 5, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Ivan Barbashev (49) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. The Lightning didn't register a second-period shot on goal, going to the third period with just four for the game. It marked the sixth time in Carolina franchise history that an opponent went an entire period without a shot on goal. Flyers 3, Red Wings 1Nicolas Deslauriers, Noah Cates and Scott Laughton each scored one goal to lift host Philadelphia past Detroit. Laughton scored an empty-net goal at 18:12 of the third period in his 500th career game to seal the victory.

☆ They wined, dined and fled - but law finally catches up with Spain wine thieves
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, March 6 (Reuters) - A former Mexican beauty queen and her partner enjoyed a 14-course dinner at Atrio's Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel in western Spain followed by a guided tour of its wine cellar. They were also ordered to pay damages to insurers worth over 750,000 euros ($799,000), the court said in a statement. They had a 14-course dinner at the hotel's restaurant and were then taken on tour of the wine cellar. The couple left the hotel before dawn and quickly fled Spain, but after a nine-month hunt across Europe, they were detained by border guards while crossing from Montenegro into Croatia. ($1 = 0.9386 euros)Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins bounce Rangers for 10th straight win
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

At the end of a board battle behind Elliott in the second period, Hinostroza one-timed his second goal off a pass from Casey Mittelstadt at 5:35 for Buffalo's first lead. Captain Dylan Larkin scored in the second period and Magnus Hellberg made 32 saves for the Red Wings, who have lost five straight games (0-4-1). Bennett, who had missed six straight games, scored one goal. Capitals 8, Sharks 3Craig Smith scored twice in Washington's four-goal second period and the visitors rallied for a win against San Jose. Predators 3, Blackhawks 1Philip Tomasino, Tyson Barrie and Colton Sissons scored for visiting Nashville in a win against Chicago.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins become fastest to 100 points
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

With their ninth consecutive win, the Bruins improved to 48-8-5 on the season and became the fastest team in NHL history to record 100 points, doing so in 61 games. Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and David Krejci each recorded two assists while Patrice Bergeron and Connor Clifton also scored goals. Casey Mittelstadt scored the lone goal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves for the Sabres, who dropped their second straight. The Lightning are 2-3-3 in their past eight games and have lost three straight for the first time. The Stars gave goalie Matt Murray his NHL debut, and he finished with 19 saves for the win.

☆ US sanctions three people for abuse of Russian opposition politician
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Katharine Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on three Russians it accused of serious human rights abuses against Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested last year after speaking out against the war in Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions target Elena Anatolievna Lenskaya, Andrei Andreevich Zadachin and Danila Yurievich Mikheev for abuses under the Global Magnitsky Act. Kara-Murza, who holds both British and Russian citizenship and was a pallbearer at the 2018 funeral of U.S. Senator John McCain, was a close aide to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in central Moscow in 2015. Kara-Murza has pushed for the U.S., Canada, European Union and Britain to use Magnitsky-style sanctions to target human rights abusers and corrupt actors in Russia, the Treasury Department said.

With Russia embroiled in conflict again in Ukraine, in what the Kremlin says is a fresh existential battle for national survival, memories of the Soviet dictator loom large. "Firstly, thank you for the victory (in World War Two)," said 21-year-old Madina in a typically mixed view of Stalin's legacy among people on the streets of Moscow. said Moscow resident Andrei, 31, praising Stalin as a strong unifying personality whose war victory should be lauded. Today, Gori's Stalin museum, located on the town's Stalin Avenue, is the town's most famous tourist attraction, drawing visitors from across the world. In 2010, the Georgian government ordered the town's Stalin statue removed, saying he did not deserve it.

MADRID/PARIS/STOCKHOLM, March 2 (Reuters) - France and Spain are poised to announce a breakthrough this week in a long-running impasse over hefty costs of what would be their first undersea electricity link, a minister and sources in both countries told Reuters. That was due to unforeseen seabed instability on the French side that required costly re-routing, and rising costs of raw materials. Spain is a growing producer of renewable energy that it exports to France and it wants its neighbour to pay most of the extra costs. That had led to disagreement amid wider tensions between them about pipeline connections and protectionism. Spanish sources said the go-ahead would likely mean that France, whose nuclear power industry has been beset by problems, finally agreed to pay more.

☆ NHL roundup: Linus Ullmark's record night lifts Bruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Dmitry Orlov scored twice in a three-point game while Pavel Zacha also scored for the Bruins. Panthers 4, Lightning 1Eric Staal, Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen scored first-period goals as Florida broke Tampa Bay's club-record 16-game home point streak. Sergei Bobrovsky's 29 saves helped him set a record for most NHL wins by a Russian goaltender (354). Jesse Ylonen, Kaiden Guhle and Christian Dvorak scored third-period goals for the Canadiens, who have won three of four. Travis Boyd, Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain also scored goals and Clayton Keller added a pair of assists for Arizona, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid's 49th, 50th goals can't stop Bruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Edmonton's Connor McDavid scored twice for the first 50-goal season of his NHL career. Rantanen has goals in five straight games and MacKinnon recorded at least a point in his eighth consecutive game. Andrei Kuzmenko scored the winner 48 seconds into the overtime for the Canucks, who are 3-1-1 in their past five games. Isac Lundestrom, Jakob Silfverberg and Troy Terry also scored goals for the Ducks, with Silfverberg recording his 150th in an Anaheim uniform. Tyler Johnson and Andreas Athanasiou each scored goals for the Blackhawks, who saw their season-best five-game winning streak come to an end.

☆ NHL roundup: Roope Hintz's SO goal lifts Stars past Knights
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Rookie Wyatt Johnston also scored a goal and Jamie Benn added two assists for the Stars. Eichel and Michael Amadio both scored goals for Vegas, which saw its five-game home winning streak snapped. Patrik Laine had a goal with two assists and Kirill Marchenko scored twice for the Blue Jackets, who swept the two-game season series from Edmonton. It was Oshie's first career game with a goal, assist and a fight, known as a Gordie Howe hat trick. Tyler Toffoli scored, Jacob Markstrom turned away 18 shots and Nazem Kadri had an assist in his return to Colorado.

☆ NHL roundup: William Nylander's OT goal lifts Leafs past Wild
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 25 - William Nylander scored at 1:05 of overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Friday night. David Kampf also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won two in a row. Brandon Duhaime scored for the Wild, who had won their fourth straight game 2-0 on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Canadiens 5, Flyers 2Jesse Ylonen had one goal and one assist to lift Montreal past host Philadelphia. Compher and Nathan MacKinnon each had a goal and an assist for visiting Colorado in a win over Winnipeg.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins edge Kraken on Jake DeBrusk's late tip-in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brandon Carlo scored the first of the Bruins' two third-period goals, while McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm had two assists apiece. The winning goal was DeBrusk's third goal in three games since returning from injuries. Minnesota killed off its 22nd straight penalty in the win and has not given up a power-play goal in nine straight games. Oilers 7, Penguins 2Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists as Edmonton scored seven straight goals to defeat host Pittsburgh. Vincent Trocheck scored the only goal for the Rangers, who have lost three straight following a seven-game winning streak.

☆ Kim Jong Un may be prepping his daughter as his successor because he wants a woman in charge to modernize North Korea's image, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But it will likely have little impact on the lives of ordinary North Korean women. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong attend a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27, 2018. "Kim Jong Un is a feminist — at least if judged by the incredibly low standards of North Korea," Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert recently wrote for NK News. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talks with his daughter Kim Ju Ae at a banquet in Pyongyang, North Korea February 7, 2023. "Discrimination against women and girls in North Korea is widespread and is accepted as a natural part of everyday life in North Korea," said Joon.

☆ IAG agrees to buy 80% stake in Air Europa for 400 mln euros
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Charlie Devereux | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Air Europa, which will maintain its brand but will be managed by Iberia, owns 50 planes and has a further 15 on order, the company said. It said the first 200 million euros will be paid once the deal gets the go-ahead from antitrust authorities. Another 100 million euros will be paid in IAG shares while the final 100 million euros will be paid in cash. As the pandemic tipped the airline industry into crisis, hitting Air Europa particularly hard, shareholders in both companies agreed to cut the deal's price tag to 500 million euros. Negotiations had all but ground to a halt until March 2022 when IAG agreed to grant Air Europa a 100 million-euro loan convertible into a 20% stake.

☆ Life and death in shattered Mariupol - a survivor's tale of war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MARIUPOL, Russian-controlled Ukraine, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Shells were exploding nearby but Tatiana Bushlanova didn't flinch when she spoke to Reuters in front of the shattered remains of her home in Mariupol last May. Tatiana, who is still in Mariupol, said the death and destruction visited on the city had hardened people's hearts. Their old apartment block was demolished - "the excavator stood there and took the building down bit by bit" - but getting compensation is a drawn-out process. "They said we'd find out in 70 days' time (if they get the handout) and if not, they'll probably put us in the queue for an apartment," Tatiana said. Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan/Andrew Osborn; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Ryan O’Reilly's hat trick leads Leafs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

O'Reilly's goals -- his first since joining Toronto in a trade with St. Louis last Friday -- marked his fourth career hat trick. John Tavares added a goal and three assists, William Nylander had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting also scored for Toronto. 700, has collected nine points (five goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak. The Canucks scored goals just 51 seconds apart late in the third period to tie it 4-4. Tampa Bay stretched its franchise-record home point streak to 15 games (14-0-1).

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