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☆ Putin's top diplomat in the UK says Russia won't use nukes in Ukraine as Moscow spreads baseless 'dirty bomb' claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's top diplomat in the UK said his country will not use a nuke in Ukraine. Putin has made repeated nuclear threats since the war began. "Russia is not going to use nukes," Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. He added that were Russia to make such a play, "it would be a serious, serious mistake." Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Wednesday also threw cold water on the notion Russia would use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

☆ Inditex sells Russian business to Middle Eastern Daher Group
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC) has agreed to sell its stores in Russia to UAE-based Daher Group, though it did not rule out returning to the country if circumstances change, the Spanish clothing company said on Tuesday. Inditex closed its over 500 stores in Russia in March following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 and subsequent Western sanctions. Provided landlords approve the change in ownership, the Spanish firm said its premises could be adapted to accommodate Daher's operations. A company source told Reuters that Daher Group is Emirati. Reporting by David Latona and Corina Pons; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Since then, the central bank has cut rates six times, most recently to 7.5% last month. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTwenty-two of 26 analysts and economists polled by Reuters on Monday predicted that Russia would keep its benchmark rate unchanged (RUCBIR=ECI) on Friday. President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilisation order and subsequent declaration of martial law in four partly-occupied regions of Ukraine that Russia says it owns have exacerbated geopolitical risks. Economic activity slowed significantly at the end of September, the central bank said this month. "Stimulating growth of retailer and corporate lending by lowering the rate is currently pointless, in my view."

☆ Brazil's Lula widens lead slightly over Bolsonaro for Sunday vote -poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased his lead slightly over his far-right adversary President Jair Bolsonaro six days ahead of their runoff in Brazil's divisive election, a Monday poll said. Lula leads by 52.0% of the votes against 46.2% for Bolsonaro, according to the AtlasIntel poll, inching forward from 51.1% to Bolsonaro's 46.5% in the previous poll two weeks ago. The poll was completed before a shooting incident on Sunday involving Bolsonaro supporter and former Congressman Roberto Jefferson, which had the president's campaign worried about a negative impact on opinion polls, a senior aide said. "The poll is good news for Lula," said AtlasIntel chief executive Andrei Roman. Although the survey did not reflect the impact of Sunday's incident where the Bolsonaro supporter shot and wounded policemen as he resisted arrest, Roman said the president's recovery since the first-round vote on Oct. 2 has stalled.

☆ NHL roundup: Kraken stun champion Avalanche
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 21, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Seattle Kraken left wing Jared McCann (19) celebrates his goal in the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer turned away 17 of 19 shots against his former team before being replaced by Martin Jones midway through the third period. Burakovsky was a member of the Stanley Cup championship team last season and scored an overtime goal to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the finals. Nikita Kucherov added two primary assists for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 35 saves for the win. Dominik Kubalik registered a goal and an assist and Pius Suter and Dylan Larkin also scored for the Red Wings.

“We will take the necessary measures to improve the security of civilian facilities and critical facilities,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram Wednesday. Beyond the four Ukrainian regions now subject to martial law proper, six Russian regions bordering Ukraine are now subject to a “medium response level,” as well as Russian-controlled Crimea. This is essentially “soft” martial law, and it allows regional governors to control movement on their territories and evacuate residents if needed. This has been prompted by Ukrainian strikes on buildings and infrastructure on internationally recognized Russian territory, such as in Belgorod. The rest of the country is subject to a “baseline” readiness level that allows greater security presence and restrictions.

☆ NHL roundup: Sabres top Flames behind Alex Tuch's hat trick
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsOctober 21 - Alex Tuch produced his first career hat trick to help the visiting Buffalo Sabres earn a 6-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt each added a goal and an assist while Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTuch extended his goal streak to three games 46 seconds into the second period. Dahlin has scored in each of the Sabres' first four games, the longest season-opening goal streak by a blue-liner in NHL history. The Canadiens also got first period goals from Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher to get off to a 5-0 start.

☆ Barcelona-Marseille pipeline could take 4-5 years to build, Spain says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( David Latona | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The joint project between Spain, Portugal and France, agreed on Thursday and dubbed BarMar, replaces the cross-Pyrenees MidCat pipeline that Spain had said could be ready by 2023 but was vetoed by France. All three countries said the pipeline should also temporarily allow for the transport of some natural gas to help alleviate Europe's supply problems stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She added that the connections between Spain and France, as well as between the entry point in Marseille and the hydrogen pipeline network in central Europe, are yet to be completed. Fernando Garcia, a London-based utilities analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said the BarMar route would "clearly" not fix Europe's short-term supply woes. The BarMar pipeline would also substitute an underwater gas link between Spain and Italy that was once considered, Ribera told Spanish TV station Antena 3 earlier on Friday.

☆ Spain frontloads subsidies for electric car projects as VW appears in doubt
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Industry Ministry said that the subsidies to be disbursed this year under the so-called PERTE scheme using EU pandemic relief funds would rise to 877 million euros ($860 million) from 600 million euros, meaning the total planned amount of nearly 3 billion will be slightly more front-loaded. Volkswagen's Spanish unit SEAT, the Volkswagen Group and 60 associated companies want to mobilise 10 billion euros to electrify the automotive industry in Spain and turn the country into a hub for electric mobility in Europe, producing electric cars and batteries. Other projects vying for the funds focus mainly on batteries. SEAT was allocated 167 million euros in the PERTE programme's first provisional results announced on Aug. 1. "We will keep working with the VW-SEAT group and other producers for Spain to be a global reference for electric cars, including batteries," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

Amid resistance from France, Spain and Italy had previously broached the idea of building an underwater pipeline between the two countries. Iberdrola, which is building Europe's largest green hydrogen plant in Puertollano in central Spain, declined to comment on the pipeline announcement. Cepsa CEO Maarten Wetselsaar told Reuters the agreement put Spain at the heart of Europe's plan to diversify away from Russian energy. As for natural gas, Spain has six terminals allowing it to bring in liquefied natural gas and convert it into its gaseous form, and three storage facilities, while Portugal has one. The United States and Nigeria are among key suppliers of LNG to Spain, which also receives piped gas from Algeria.

☆ Slovakia's InoBat intends to build electric vehicle battery factory in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Slovakia's battery manufacturer InoBat said on Wednesday it had signed a declaration of intent with the Spanish government to set up an electric vehicle battery factory in the city of Valladolid in central Spain. The declaration of intent is not a finalised agreement and other locations, including the United Kingdom, remain under consideration for its Western European gigafactory, the company added in a statement, explaining that it plans to make a decision on the location before the end of the year. According to the Spanish Industry Ministry, the plant is expected to cost 3 billion euros ($2.94 billion) and would create more than 2,000 direct jobs. InoBat considers Valladolid an attractive location due to its wealth of talent, access to renewable energy, proximity to equipment manufacturers and strong transport links. ($1 = 1.0206 euros)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Protesters delay opening of Barcelona real estate fair
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Nacho Doce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Riot police remove an activist amid a protest at The District real estate fair in Barcelona denouncing the housing crisis and evictions, in Barcelona, Spain, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Nacho DoceBARCELONA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of activists delayed the opening of an international real estate fair in the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona on Wednesday as they protested against what they called a hotbed of speculation exacerbating a widening cost of living crisis. Dozens burst into the fairgrounds, chanting slogans and preventing the opening ceremony from taking place before being removed by police. Others gathered outside the building, where they lobbed paint at some of the arriving attendees, Reuters journalists said. The activists held up a banner that read "Let's defend life, let's stop The District" and "Speculators, get out of our neighbourhoods".

☆ People of Ukraine awarded EU's Sakharov Prize For Freedom of Thought
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The European Parliament awarded the people of Ukraine on Wednesday its annual Prize for Freedom of Thought, in support of Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion that started Feb. 24, which Russia calls a "special military operation". The award comes with prize money of 50,000 euros ($49,100) prize money, which will be granted to civil society representatives. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded annually since 1988 to individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Other past winners include South African President Nelson Mandela, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai and Belarus’ democratic opposition. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NHL roundup: Alex Ovechkin, Caps overtake Canucks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

With 7:16 remaining in regulation, Ovechkin slid the puck onto the stick of Sheary, who converted the go-ahead goal. Ovechkin, who had one assist in the first three contests, added some tip-in insurance with 2:58 left to play. Tyler Seguin, Jani Hakanpaa, Joel Kiviranta and Miro Heiskanen each scored a goal and Mason Marchment added two assists for Dallas. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who earned their second win in a row. Linus Ullmark made 37 saves for his second win of Boston's three this season.

☆ Discussing "sensitive" war topics, Russian Duma halts live broadcasts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Russia's Duma has indefinitely stopped broadcasting live plenary sessions to protect information from "our enemy", a leading lawmaker said on Tuesday as parliament's lower house debated topics related to the war in Ukraine. Russia uses the term "special military operation" to describe what Ukraine and its Western allies say is a war of imperial conquest. Another deputy, Andrei Svintsov, said the broadcast restriction was imposed because most issues under discussion at the moment related to the "special military operation". We understand that there may be some sensitive information from government representatives, from deputies," Svintsov said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReported by Filipp Lebedev; Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian roulette: Is Putin serious about nuclear war, or bluffing?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jason Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

On Oct. 26, President Vladimir Putin appeared on Russian state television overseeing a practice run of Russia's strategic nuclear deterrence forces. The conflict has revived Cold War-era fears of nuclear war across the region. In August, a Ukrainian official said that 9,000 Ukrainian military personnel had been killed, though another source said the number could be far higher. (President Zelensky previously estimated that 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been damaged or destroyed, although the figure is now likely to be greater.) In a wide-ranging answer, Putin had offered, almost as an aside, that Russian victims of nuclear war "will go to heaven as martyrs" while Western citizens would perish without having "time to repent."

☆ Lula lead narrows to less than 5 points in Brazil election - AtlasIntel survey
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's polling lead over incumbent Jair Bolsonaro has narrowed to less than 5 percentage points, according to a new opinion survey published on Thursday by pollster AtlasIntel. In its first poll since the first-round vote on Oct. 2, pollster AtlasIntel found 51.1% of voters for Lula and 46.5% behind Bolsonaro. Excluding undecided voters and null votes, Lula has 52.4% support and Bolsonaro 47.6%. AtlasIntel was one of several polling firms criticized for underestimating support for Bolsonaro in the first round, although it was closer than several more traditional pollsters. AtlasIntel had registered a 9-point lead for Lula ahead of that vote, when in fact the difference was just 5 points.

☆ Ex-Russian foreign minister says 'terror' is a 'desperate' Putin's only option after his battered army rained missiles down on Ukraine's civilians
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An ex-Russian foreign minister said that "terror is the only thing left" for a "desperate" Vladimir Putin. The Russian military on Monday and Tuesday launched a barrage of deadly strikes on cities across Ukraine. Andrei Kozyrev told CNN Putin ordered the strikes because he "is desperate, because he made miscalculations." Kozyrev said Putin ordered the strikes because he "is desperate because he made miscalculations." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday called Putin a "terrorist" whose "only tactic is terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities."

☆ Portugal's draft budget targets lower deficit despite steep slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Portugal unveiled its draft 2023 budget on Monday, projecting a steep slowdown in economic growth with high energy and food prices expected to weigh on private consumption, but still promising to further slash the public deficit. The government will trim taxes for workers in the two lowest income brackets, while pensions will be raised by 3.5-4.5%. The government expects EU-harmonised inflation in Portugal to slow to 4% next year from 7.4% in 2022. Now the government expects private consumption, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of GDP, to grow by just 0.7%, compared to 5.4% in 2022. The debt estimate for this year is lower than the government's previous forecast of about 120%.

The order should also prohibit firms related to "unfriendly" states from owning Russian companies involved in grain loading capacity in ports, and grain storage, he said. VTB owns stakes in a number of major Russian grain export hubs in the Black Sea. Russian grain market players should still be allowed to sell grain to international traders for export on a free-on-board basis, which includes delivery to the final destination, the letter said. "But the main idea is to strengthen the position of Russian traders on the global market, not to prohibit anyone from doing anything," the source said. According to one grain trader, the government is expected to prepare its response to VTB's proposal by Sept. 30.

☆ Russia is putting an enlistment office at its border as people continue to flee amid fears Putin will try to seal up country
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A local official said that an enlistment office will be put at one of Russia's borders with Georgia. Poland warned that Russia could close its borders, and told its citizens to leave the country. On Tuesday, a local Russian politician said on Telegram that an enlistment office will be set up in the North Ossetia Alania region, which lies on the border between Russia and Georgia. "In addition, a mobilization point of the military registration and enlistment office will be deployed at the checkpoint in the near future," Sergeev said. "They tried scaring us, saying they'll drag us to the enlistment office, telling us the border is closed – typical military humor," he told Al Jazeera.

☆ Russian reservists leave behind sobbing relatives, new brides
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People bid farewell to reservists drafted during the partial mobilisation in the Siberian settlement of Bolsherechye in the Omsk region, Russia September 25, 2022. Recruits were summoned as part of the partial mobilisation announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin after a decisive counter-offensive by the Ukrainian military. Protests against the call-up and Russia's military operation have taken place in dozens of cities, and long queues have formed at Russia's land borders with several countries. The military recruitment office in Bataysk sits next to the local marriage registry office on the town's central square. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Reuters; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin allies express concern over mobilisation 'excesses'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Governor of the Novgorod region Andrei Nikitin in the city of Veliky Novgorod, Russia, September 21, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoSept 25 (Reuters) - Russia's two most senior lawmakers on Sunday addressed a string of complaints about Russia's mobilisation drive, ordering regional officials to get a handle on the situation and swiftly solve the "excesses" that have stoked public anger. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRussia's top two parliamentarians, both close Putin allies, explicitly addressed public anger at the way the mobilisation drive was unfolding. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, Russia's lower chamber, also expressed concern in a separate post. The Kremlin has twice denied it actually plans to draft more than one million, following two separate reports in independent Russian media outlets.

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine will never forgive Russia, Russian Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dmitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and editor-in-chief of the investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, attends an interview with Reuters in Moscow, Russia September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia NovozheninaSept 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine will never forgive Russia for a shameful conflict which has thrown back Russia's development by half a century to Soviet times predating Mikhail Gorbachev, journalist and Nobel Peace laureate Dmitry Muratov told Reuters. Muratov, the long-time editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, one of the last independent media outlets in Russia, said Ukraine would never agree to peace or to the annexation of any of its territory. RUSSIA BACKWARDSThe war, Muratov said, was a "huge national shame" that was wiping out not just half a century of development but also extinguishing hope, love and confidence in the future among Russians. read more The newspaper Novaya Gazeta is no longer published in paper form in Russia, though it has a limited online version and has a magazine.

☆ Some Russian banking staff will be exempt from draft, bank CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Some personnel working in Russia's banking sector deemed critically important will be exempt from the country's military call-up, the CEO of Russia's No. 2 bank VTB (VTBR.MM) said on Thursday. "For banks and companies in the financial sector, a number of critical staff will be identified who will not be called up," VTB head Andrei Kostin said. President Vladimir Putin ordered the immediate call-up of 300,000 reservists on Wednesday, although Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the mobilisation would be limited to those with experience as professional soldiers. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by Caleb Davis; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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