DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Spanish police arrest man suspected in 2022 parcel-bomb case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Vincent West | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Spanish police officers guard outside a building after the arrest of a man suspected of being the sender of letter-bombs in November and December to the Ukrainian and U.S. embassies and several institutions in Spain, in Miranda de Ebro, Spain January 25, 2023. The man was detained in the northern town of Miranda de Ebro, and police searched his home. The suspect is a retired Spanish citizen with the initials P.G.P. The man used to work for the town hall of the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz before retiring in 2013, a city spokesperson said. Spanish officials have declined to comment on the report, while a senior judicial source denied having knowledge of such a line of investigation.

☆ Russian Wagner mercenary commander detained in Norway
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Norwegian police have detained a former commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who recently fled to Norway, but his lawyer dismissed suggestions that he might be deported to Russia. Medvedev said he had been detained and handcuffed on Sunday at a hotel where he was staying and taken to a detention center. Gulagu.netPolice had detained Medvedev as there was “disagreement” between them about the measures taken to ensure his safety, Risnes said. Gulagu.net said Medvedev would face “brutal murder and death” for speaking out against Wagner if he was returned to Russia. He has said he crossed the snowy Arctic Circle border into Norway, a NATO member, from Russia after climbing through barbed-wire fences and evading a border patrol with dogs.

☆ Norway detains former Wagner commander, denies any plan to deport him to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Former Wagner Group commander seeking asylum in NorwayPolice detained him amid disagreement on security measuresRussian rights group says he fears being deported to RussiaPolice, lawyer deny any plan to deport MedvedevOSLO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Norwegian police have detained a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who recently fled to Norway, but denied suggestions that he might be deported to Russia. Medvedev said he had been detained and handcuffed on Sunday at a hotel where he was staying and taken to a detention centre. Gulagu.net said Medvedev would face "brutal murder and death" for speaking out against Wagner if he was returned to Russia. He has done many bad things in his life," the rights group said. He has said he crossed the snowy Arctic Circle border into Norway, a NATO member, from Russia after climbing through barbed-wire fences and evading a border patrol with dogs.

☆ Portugal agrees to swap Cape Verde's debt for environmental investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Portugal has signed an agreement to swap Cape Verde's debt for investments in an environmental and climate fund that is being established by the archipelago nation off West Africa's coast, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Monday. The former Portuguese colony, which is already suffering from rising sea levels and significant biodiversity loss due to increasing ocean acidity, owes around 140 million euros ($152 million) to the Portuguese state and over 400 million to its banks and other entities. Climate change is a challenge that takes place on a global scale and no country will be (environmentally) sustainable if all countries are not sustainable," Costa said during a state visit to Cape Verde in remarks broadcast by RTP television. Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva said his country needed to urgently enable mechanisms and financing instruments to support such solutions and deal with natural emergencies. ($1 = 0.9206 euros)Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. to designate Wagner mercenary group a ‘transnational criminal organization’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. will designate the Russian mercenary Wagner Group as a “significant transnational criminal organization” and impose further sanctions against the organization and its support network next week, the White House said Friday. He said the U.S. believes it was a delivery of infantry rockets and missiles for use by the Wagner Group. The Wagner Group is headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yevgeny Prigozhin at the funeral of Wagner group fighter Dmitry Menshikov, in St. Petersburg, Russia, last month. The Wagner Group did not comment on his allegations.

☆ Spanish judge orders prison on remand for Dani Alves, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BARCELONA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - A Spanish judge has ordered that Brazil soccer player Dani Alves be jailed on remand over a sexual assault allegation La Sexta TV and local newspaper La Vanguardia reported on Friday. Court officials contacted by Reuters said they could not immediately confirm the reports. Reporting by Jesus Aguado and Joan Faus, writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid lifts Oilers over Lightning
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The Lightning received a goal and an assist from Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel and Steven Stamkos scored. Victor Hedman posted two assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots but lost for the first time in five games. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, who lost for the third time in their past 11 games. Matthew Tkachuk, who leads Florida with 24 goals, scored twice with the man advantage. Colton Sissons and Mattias Ekholm scored for the Predators, whose two-game win streak came to an end.

[1/3] People with their dogs enjoy the sun in front of the sea during unseasonably warm temperatures in Malaga, southern Spain, January 4, 2023. Property purchases by foreigners increased by 62% from a year earlier in the region of Andalusia, which includes Malaga, in the first half of 2022, according to the Centre for Statistical Information of Notaries. The local government last year eliminated a wealth tax that obliges residents and non-residents to pay income tax on money held abroad. Citigroup (C.N) announced in March 2022 plans to open a hub for junior investment bankers in the city, offering what it said was "a better equilibrium between work and private life to attract young talent". Additional reporting by Jesus Aguado; Writing by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Former Russian mercenary commander flees to Norway and seeks asylum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Caroline-Radnofsky-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former member of an infamous Russian mercenary group who fought in Ukraine says he staged a dramatic escape to Norway, where he is seeking asylum and offering to cooperate with international war crimes probes. Medvedev said he had crossed into Norway and surrendered to local police before claiming asylum in the country, which shares an Arctic border with Russia. The former mercenary recounted his defection from his former employer, which he joined last year on a four-month contract after serving time in prison. Medvedev said he climbed through barbed-wire fences, evaded border patrol dogs, ran away from guards' bullets and ran through a forest and over an icy lake to make it into Norway. Norwegian soldiers patrol the border with Russia near Korpfjells, Norway.

☆ 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.

☆ NHL roundup: Caps rally for OT win over Islanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Lightning 4, Kraken 1Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves as Tampa Bay put an end to visiting Seattle's franchise-record, eight-game winning streak. Penguins 4, Ducks 3 (OT)Jake Guentzel scored off a two-on-one with Sidney Crosby 33 seconds into overtime to give Pittsburgh a win over visiting Anaheim. Jamie Benn, Joel Kiviranta, Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin scored goals for Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Flyers goalie Carter Hart was pulled in the second period as Philadelphia had a three-game win streak snapped. Ottawa is mired in a 1-4-0 rut and has scored six goals in its past four games.

☆ Former Wagner commander seeks asylum in Norway after fleeing Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who founded Wagner, said that Medvedev had worked in a Norwegian unit of Wagner but had "mistreated prisoners". In interviews with Gulagu, Medvedev said he grew disaffected after his contract was repeatedly extended by Wagner without his consent. He said he had witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners who were brought to the front by Wagner. Medvedev said losses were very high after Wagner began sending large numbers of prisoners to the front in the second half of 2022. The Wagner statement did not address Medvedev's accounts of punishment and of battlefield losses, or that his contract was repeatedly extended.

☆ Russia says Britain's tanks 'will burn' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Britain said on Saturday it would send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks as well as other advanced artillery support in the coming weeks. "They are using this country [Ukraine] as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the British tanks. Vladimir Solovyev, a pro-Kremlin presenter on Rossiya 1 state television, said any Western countries which supplied more advanced weapons to Ukraine should be considered legitimate targets for Russia. "De-facto, Britain has entered the war," Solovyev told his flagship Sunday night talk show on state television. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under pressure to allow the export of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine by Germany, which makes them, and other countries that have them.

☆ NHL roundup: Kraken use huge 2nd period to down Blackhawks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/4] Jan 14, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) and Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) look for the puck in the Calgary zone during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Flames 6, Stars 5Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson and Chris Tanev collected one goal and one assist apiece as visiting Calgary rode a four-goal second period to a victory over Dallas. Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 3Matt Grzelcyk scored with 1:16 left in the third period to lift host Boston past Atlantic Division rival Toronto. Grzelcyk scored his second goal of the season and first since Oct. 28, firing a bomb from above the left circle with David Krejci screening Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray. Paul Cotter, Keegan Kolesar and William Karlsson scored goals and Logan Thompson made 33 saves for Vegas.

☆ Bolsonaro's ex-justice minister arrested in Brazilian capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Brazil's former Justice Minister Anderson Torres, who was in charge of public security in Brasilia during the invasion of government buildings a week ago, was arrested in Brasilia on Saturday on suspicion of "omission" and "connivance". Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Torres' arrest on Tuesday. According to Anderson Torres, the document was "leaked out of context" after being seized when he was not at his residence, and was probably part of a pile of papers for disposal. "Everything would be taken to be shredded in due course," the former minister said in a post on Twitter on Thursday. Justice Minister Flavio Dino had given Torres until Monday to return, after which he said he would have started extradition procedures.

Like most European countries, Portugal is accelerating its shift to renewables to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels whose prices have surged since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He expected Europe's accelerating push for renewable energies to help streamline the licensing of hybrid projects and shorten their implementation times from up to six years now. It is already building four other parks in Iberia and plans to bring online 1.6 GW of hybrid capacity there this decade. EDPR has an installed capacity of 3.4 GW in Iberia alone and 14.3 GW globally. Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira, editing by Andrei Khalip and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Kraken hand Bruins first home regulation loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/5] Jan 12, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Seattle Kraken goalie Martin Jones (30) reacts during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Jones logged 10 of his stops in the second period in his third shutout this season and 28th overall. Tyler Seguin scored his 10th goal of the season for the Stars and Oettinger made 29 saves. Kyle Connor scored the game-winning goal in the third period, while Dylan Samberg, Josh Morrissey and Karson Kuhlman also scored for the Jets. Victor Olofsson had a goal and an assist and Tyson Jost scored for Buffalo, which has lost three in a row.

☆ Belarus detains former presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - An opposition politician who stood against long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been detained, his team said. There was no comment from authorities in Belarus on the detention. His announcement of victory over leading opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya triggered weeks of mass protests in which hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets urging Lukashenko to step aside. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, violently quashed the protests and has since stepped up a campaign of repression to silence domestic political opposition. Rights groups estimate there are about 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus as a result of the crackdown.

☆ Russia could expand draft age as soon as this spring, lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian conscripts called up for military service during the annual autumn draft line up at a gathering point before their departure for garrisons, in Omsk, Russia November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey MalgavkoJan 12 (Reuters) - Russia could raise the upper age limit for citizens to be conscripted into the armed forces as soon as this spring, a senior lawmaker has said, as part of Moscow's plans to boost the number of Russian troops by 30%. The chairman of the Russian parliament's defence committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said in an interview with the official parliamentary newspaper that Russia could raise the upper age limit for conscription to 30 for this year's spring draft. Kartapolov later dismissed such an interpretation, saying there were no plans to increase the number of conscripts once the draft age has risen to 21. Western governments say Russia has lost tens of thousands of soldiers in nearly 11 months of fighting.

☆ Russian-installed official says Ukrainian 'resistance' persists in Soledar
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - A Russian-installed official in Ukraine's Donetsk region said on Thursday that "pockets of resistance" remained in the Ukrainian town of Soledar, undermining claims that the town had been taken by Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ridiculed those claims, and independent analysts say fighting is likely ongoing in the town. "At the moment, there are still some small pockets of resistance in Soledar," Andrei Bayevsky, a military figure and Russian-installed local politician, said in an online broadcast. A map displayed in the briefing showed Soledar straddling areas marked under Russian control, but singled out no recent fighting or significant hits on Ukrainian forces in the area. "Russian forces have not yet fully captured Soledar despite recent Russian advances," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War wrote.

☆ Rich Russians can't easily travel overseas after Putin's invasion, so they're going on cruises at home instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's cruise industry enjoyed "serious growth" in 2022, a lawmaker told the news agency TASS. Many Russians went on cruises for the first time because they couldn't travel overseas. Konstantin Puchkov of the online travel marketplace Cruise House told Insider that river cruises had been particularly popular. The added burdens of international travel mean that Russia's domestic cruises are now attracting wealthier customers — including those who've previously vacationed overseas. Russian tourists can still technically enter Europe through third countries, such as Turkey, but that makes journeys more expensive and time-consuming.

☆ NHL roundup: John Klingberg lifts Ducks over Sharks in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Anaheim's Troy Terry, who was named an All-Star this week, carried the puck to the front of the San Jose goal in overtime and sent a pass back to Klingberg, who beat Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen. Trevor Zegras and Ryan Strome added goals for the Ducks, while Anthony Stolarz had 37 saves in his first game since he faced the Sharks on Dec. 9. Timo Meier had two goals for the Sharks, while Erik Karlsson added a first-period assist to extend his franchise-record point streak to 14 games. Matt Nieto and Steven Lorentz added goals for the Sharks, Kevin Lebanc logged two assists and Kahkonen made 24 saves. Yakov Trenin added a goal and an assist and Thomas Novak also scored for Nashville.

☆ ECB's Centeno says interest rate close to peaking if no new shocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LISBON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's key interest rate is nearing its peak amid efforts to bring down inflation, unless new external shocks emerge, ECB Governing Council member Mario Centeno said on Friday. He told a conference that interest rates will rise until the ECB considers that the inflation can be brought down to its medium-term target of 2% as quickly as possible. "We are on the way to achieving it...but we cannot hesitate in this process" of controlling inflation, he said. Reporting by Sergio Goncalves, writing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "andrei"

25 mentions found