DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Socialists would win Spain election over conservative PP, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives to address the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2023. Most parties - except PSOE - and rival private pollsters have questioned the agency's neutrality and methodology. The new poll gives third place to the left-wing alliance Sumar at 11.9% and fourth to the far-right Vox with 11.1%. Should those efforts to woo the pro-independence parties prove to be unsuccessful, a repeat election would be held in mid-January. Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Eduardo Munoz, Vox, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Spain's, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Spain's Socialists, People's Party, for Sociological Studies, CIS, Socialist Party, PSOE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Rights MADRID, Sumar, Navarre, Catalan, Basque, Madrid

☆ Portugal approves 30% cut in mortgage rates for struggling borrowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Portugal's government said on Thursday that banks must discount the benchmark six-month Euribor rate by 30% when calculating mortgage interest rates if asked to do so by borrowers struggling to deal with rising interest rates and avoid default. Around 90% of Portugal's stock of 1.4 million mortgages have variable rates indexed to euro interbank offered rates (Euribor) , one of the highest levels in the euro zone. But interbank rates have soared as the European Central Bank hiked interest rates from record lows. "As a result of this measure, the implied interest rate on mortgages cannot exceed 70% of the six-month Euribor rate in the next two years," Finance Minister Fernando Medina told a news briefing. Those with mortgages indexed to three- and 12-month Euribor rates will also receive a discount equal to the nominal amount resulting from the cut in the six-month rate, he added.

Persons: Fernando Medina, Banks, Medina, Mario Centeno, Association of Portuguese Banks APB, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: European Central Bank, Finance, Bank of Portugal, Association of Portuguese, Thomson Locations: LISBON

☆ Russia is barely training its troops, probably rendering them incapable of going on the offensive, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's lack of training is hindering its troops' ability for successful attacks, the UK MOD said. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. "Higher-level training" had mostly been put on hold since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence said in a daily update. Russia's most significant effort to increase its manpower began a year ago, with the conscription of around 300,000 Russian reservists. It remains unclear whether those recruitment efforts will translate into meaningful changes in the war.

Persons: Andrei Kartapolov, Vladimir Putin Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Spanish court throws out Rubiales' pre-kiss defamation lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales is pictured after leaving the high court in Madrid, Spain - September 15, 2023 REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A Spanish court has dismissed a lawsuit by disgraced ex-soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales against coach Javier Clemente who had called Rubiales a "dangerous and ambitious guy" seeking "to get rich", qualifying his comments as free speech. Rubiales declined to comment, and Clemente, who was Spain national men's team coach during the 1990s, was not available for comment. Rubiales sued Clemente in 2022 after the outspoken coach said in an interview that Rubiales' "goal was to make a fortune" at the helm of the RFEF. At the Aug. 20 medal ceremony following Spain's World Cup victory in Sydney, Rubiales grabbed player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissed her on the lips, triggering a furore over sexism in Spanish sport and society. Reporting by Emma Pinedo; additional reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Andrei Khalip and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Isabel Infantes, Luis Rubiales, Javier Clemente, Rubiales, Clemente, Jenni Hermoso's, Hermoso, Emma Pinedo, Fernando Kallas, Andrei Khalip, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Royal Spanish Football Federation, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Spain national men's, UEFA, Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Libya national, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Rights MADRID, Sydney, Serbia, Cameroon

The revolt by the players followed a kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso by the country's football federation (RFEF) boss Luis Rubiales after Spain won the World Cup. She disputed his insistence the kiss was consensual, sparking a national debate about macho culture in the sport. Another source close to four other players told Reuters they were seeking legal advice to decide whether to report to the squad on Tuesday, afraid of the threat of punishment. "They come from being world champions, they love the profession and I know they will be here with us tomorrow." An original group of 81 players had called the boycott in the wake of the furore over Rubiales' kiss.

Persons: Montse Tome, Jenni Hermoso, Luis Rubiales, Hermoso, Mapi Leon, Patri Guijarro, Jorge Vilda, Tome, Jenni, Fernando Kallas, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Charlie Devereux, Philippa Fletcher, Ken Ferris Organizations: Players, Spain, Reuters, Sports, Sweden, UEFA Nations League, Thomson Locations: Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

☆ Luis Rubiales: what to expect as court case begins over Jenni Hermoso kiss
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Emma Pinedo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hermoso says that she did not want to be kissed and that she felt "vulnerable and victim of an aggression". After weeks of resisting calls to step down as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rubiales finally quit on Sept. 10. He maintains the Hermoso kiss was "spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual". SPANISH CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGSRubiales appeared before a High Court judge on Friday over a complaint of sexual assault and coercion stemming from the allegedly unsolicited kiss. Rubiales had been provisionally suspended for three months from all football-related activities by world soccer governing body FIFA since Aug. 26.

Persons: Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Kim Hong, Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso's, Hermoso, Rubiales, Marta Durantez Gil, Francisco de Jorge, TAD, Queen Letizia, Sofia, Emma Pinedo, Rohith Nair, Andrei Khalip, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA World, Qatar, Khalifa, Royal Spanish Football Federation, REUTERS, Rights, FIFA, Administrative, Sports Council, Spain's women's, Thomson Locations: Japan, Spain, Doha, Qatar, Rights MADRID, Spanish, Hermoso, Bangalore

☆ Three Real Madrid youth players arrested over sexual video with minor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Spanish police arrested on Thursday three Real Madrid youth players for allegedly distributing a sexual video featuring a minor, with the arrests heightening the furore about sexism and macho behaviour in Spanish soccer. The case stems from a complaint filed by the mother of a 16-year-old girl in the Canary Islands regarding an alleged recording of sexual relations, police said. Police said the three had been detained at the Real Madrid sports complex in Madrid and a fourth player was being investigated. One of those arrested is a reserve team player and two play for the third team. Real Madrid issued a statement saying only that a total of four youth team players had been questioned by police "in connection with a complaint about an alleged release of a private video via WhatsApp" messaging system.

Persons: Luis Rubiales, Spain's, Jenni Hermoso, Rubiales, El, Elena Rodriguez, Fernando Kallas, Joan Faus, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Spanish, Real Madrid, Police, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Madrid

Finland is a European Union member that supports sanctions on Russia and the most recent to join NATO. Both Turkey and the UAE have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but have not joined Western sanctions and sought to maintain ties with Russia. The latest sanctions package targets Russian companies that repair, develop and manufacture weapons, including the Kalibr cruise missile. Turkey, meanwhile, has tried to balance its close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, positioning itself as a mediator. Including the latest sanctions, the U.S. has targeted almost 3,000 businesses and people since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to State.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, ” James O’Brien, Putin, O’Brien, “, ” O’Brien, ”, Richard Connolly, Alexander, Lukashenko, ” Connolly, Denis Manturov, Connolly, Tom Keatinge, Andrei Bokarev, Sergei Shoigu, Iskander Makhmudov, Alexei Krivoruchko, Wagner, Otar, Partskhaladze, Antony Blinken, Suzan Fraser, Jon Gambrell, Antony Blinken’s Organizations: United Arab, State, Treasury, NATO, State Department’s Office, Associated Press, State Department, European Union, The State Department, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Oxford, Western, Russian Industry, Trade, Centre for Financial, Security, Royal United Services Institute, “, U.S, Russian Defense, Russian, Federal Security Service Locations: States, Russia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Ukraine, U.S, UAE, Russia’s, Moscow, Finland, European, Belarus, Russian, ”, London, North Korea, Georgian, State, Ankara, Dubai

☆ Spain's ex-soccer boss Rubiales due in court in sex assault investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Emma Pinedo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It also sent a shudder through the male-dominated ranks of Spain's football establishment. Rubiales, 46, has maintained that the kiss was mutual and consensual. After weeks of resisting calls for him to step down as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rubiales, already suspended by FIFA, finally quit on Sept. 10. The RFEF has since sacked women's team coach Jorge Vilda, appointing his assistant Montse Tome instead as the first woman at its helm. Reporting by Emma Pinedo, editing by Andrei Khalip and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Piers Morgan, Yolanda Diaz, chauvinsim, Marta Durantez Gil, Hermoso, Rubiales, Francisco de Jorge, De Jorge, Jorge Vilda, Montse Tome, Striker Olga Carmona, Emma Pinedo, Andrei Khalip, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Royal Spanish Football Federation, FIFA, High, Rubiales, TVE, government's, women's, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spanish, Sydney, British

☆ Russia-North Korea summit: "Comrades" Putin and Kim send rivals a warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Discussions of any open violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea would signal that major international agencies will be paralysed, said Andrei Lankov, a Korea expert at Seoul's Kookmin University. The summit is an indicator that North Korea-related Security Council resolutions are dead, as are all attempts to stop North Korea or penalise it for having a nuclear program, he said. UKRAINE FACTORLankov also said that Russia may be unlikely to provide North Korea with advanced technology that it could eventually lose control of. If Russia, North Korea and China feel that they are threatened, it makes sense they would seek to support each other through partnerships or even alliances to counter the United States. "It's just difficult for me to imagine that Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin can trust each other enough for a real long term concerted alliance formation," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Putin, Duyeon Kim, Leif, Eric Easley, Andrei Lankov, Lankov, Mason Richey, Jinping, Josh Smith, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Vostochny, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Center, New, New American Security, Ewha University, U.S, Seoul's Kookmin University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, SEOUL, Russia's, U.S, Ukraine, North Korea, New American, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Northeast Asia, China, South Korea, Korea, UKRAINE, Kyiv, Poland, United States

☆ Top Russian banks say exporters can now get trapped funds from India
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After Moscow despatched troops to Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions and have sought to wean themselves off Russian energy exports. India has been a major beneficiary, picking up Russian oil on the cheap. In response, India is seeking to stimulate investment in several sectors and diversify the goods that India supplies to Russia, Kapoor said at the economic forum. Tightening global supplies have led Russian companies to stop offering fertiliser such as di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) to India at discounted prices, three industry sources told Reuters. On the transactions issue, Kapoor rejected reports in Russian media that rupees stuck in Russian exporters' accounts in India were related to oil supply payments.

Persons: Ivan Nosov, Andrei Kostin, Kostin, Moscow Pavan Kapoor, Kapoor, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Gareth Jones, Emelia Organizations: ., Economic, RBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, India, Moscow, Ukraine, Vladivostok, Sberbank, Arab, Emirates, Russian, Jakarta

☆ Sanchez Vicario blames ex-husband as fraud trial starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Horaci Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

I trusted my husband," she told the court in Barcelona, sobbing at times. Sanchez Vicario was the first Spanish player to reach the top of women's tennis rankings. "I just expect the truth to be told and this to be over," Santacana told reporters outside the court, where he is yet to be heard. Sanchez Vicario was ordered in 2009 by the Supreme Court to pay a 5.2 million euros fine for tax fraud. In a civil suit in 2014, a Spanish court ruled in favour of the bank but the money was never paid, so the bank resorted to the criminal courts.

Persons: Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Sanchez Vicario, Josep Santacana, Santacana, Sanchez, delcined, Fernando Kallas, Emma Pinedo, Horaci Garcia, Andrei Khalip, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Banque de Luxembourg, U.S, El Pais, La Vanguardia, Thomson Locations: BARCELONA, Spanish, Barcelona, Spain, Andorra

☆ VTB CEO sees 2023 profit at around 420 bln roubles -news agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of VTB bank is seen on the bank's headquarters in Tehran, Iran, May 23, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Russia's second largest bank VTB (VTBR.MM) could make a profit of around 420 billion roubles ($4.46 billion) in 2023, news agencies quoted CEO Andrei Kostin as saying on Tuesday. Kostin said the bank, which plunged to a sanctions-induced loss in 2022, planned to use the profits to replenish its capital. Kostin said the bank was ready to invest up to 1 trillion roubles in floating-rate government debt. ($1 = 94.2500 roubles)Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya and Alexander Marrow; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Majid Asgaripour, Andrei Kostin, Kostin, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Jason Neely Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran

☆ Football Leaks' Rui Pinto gets suspended sentence, to remain free
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rui Pinto, the Portuguese man believed to be the mastermind behind Football Leaks, waits before his trial at the court in Lisbon, Portugal September 4, 2020. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - A Lisbon court on Monday handed a four-year suspended prison sentence to Rui Pinto, the Portuguese man behind the Football Leaks website, for attempted extortion, illegal access to data and breach of correspondence, Judge Margarida Alves said. "The court decided Rui Pinto will be handed a single four-year sentence... but there is no need to serve the sentence in prison," the judge said. Pinto's targets included the football club Sporting, the Portuguese Football Federation, investment fund Doyen Sports and law firm PLMJ. Football Leaks' data seen by Reuters showed how some of the richest and most prominent figures in soccer avoided tax by channelling earnings offshore.

Persons: Rui Pinto, Rafael Marchante, Judge Margarida Alves, Pinto, Judge Alves, Anibal Pinto, Pinto's, Francisco Teixeira da Mota, Sérgio Gonçalves, Andrei Khalip Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Football, Lisbon Central Criminal Court, Sporting, Portuguese Football Federation, Sports, Reuters, English Premier League, Manchester City, European Champions League, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Rights LISBON, Portuguese, Hungary

☆ Spanish court rejects appeals to suspend banking tax payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Spain's High Court has rejected appeals by lenders Bankinter (BKT.MC), Sabadell (SABE.MC) and Cajasur to suspend payments of the extraordinary banking tax while it reviews the levy's validity, El Economista newspaper reported on Monday. Spain approved in December a temporary 4.8% levy on banks' net interest income and net commissions above a threshold of 800 million euros ($861 million) as part of measures aimed at easing the cost of living of ordinary Spaniards amid high inflation. Some banks and associations objected to the tax and filed challenges before the High Court, while the European Central Bank also warned of adverse effects on the banking system. The High Court could not immediately confirm or deny the report, which also said that the court had refused to raise the question of the levy's constitutionality before the Court of Justice of the European Union. ($1 = 0.9301 euros)Reporting by Emma Pinedo and Jesús Aguado, editing by Andrei Khalip and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bankinter, Cajasur, El Economista, Emma Pinedo, Jesús, Andrei Khalip, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Economista, Court, European Central Bank, Justice, European Union, Bankinter, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Sabadell, Spain, Kutxabank

☆ Russia's VTB to make record profit in 2023 but dividends unlikely, CEO tells RBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of VTB bank is seen at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Russia's state-owned VTB bank (VTBR.MM) will make a record profit this year, even though dividends are unlikely, the lender's CEO Andrei Kostin told Russian newspaper RBC in an interview published on Monday. RBC quoted Kostin as saying: "Our profit forecasts this year are good, the year is going well. Our target for net profit is 400 billion roubles ($4.13 billion), but I think we will eventually exceed this level and earn record profits." On the urgent recommendation of the central bank, we have suspended ... dividends," the newspaper quotes Kostin as saying.

Persons: Maxim, Andrei Kostin, Kostin, VTB, Elena Fabrichnaya, Felix Light, Christina Fincher Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, Rights, Russian, RBC, United Shipbuilding Corporation, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, India

☆ Spanish prosecutor files complaint against Rubiales for sexual assault and coercion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil's decision came three days after Hermoso lodged a criminal complaint . During her testimony to the prosecutor, Hermoso said she and her relatives had suffered pressure from Rubiales and his "professional entourage" to say that she "justified and approved what happened", the prosecutor's office said in a statement. As a result, the prosecutor added a complaint about possible coercion by Rubiales, the document said. The prosecutor for Spain's High Court has said Rubiales could face a sexual assault charge, which carries a prison term of between one and four years, if Hermoso, who lives and plays in Mexico, were to file a complaint. Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luis Rubiales, Jennifer Hermoso, Jenni Hermoso, Marta Durantez Gil's, Hermoso, Rubiales, Hermoso's, Inti Landauro, Andrei Khalip Organizations: Soccer Football, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Plaza, High Court, England, Spain's, Thomson Locations: Plaza Callao, Madrid, Spain, MADRID, Spanish, Rubiales, Mexico

☆ US says North Korea will 'pay a price' for any weapons supplies to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Providing weapons to Russia "is not going to reflect well on North Korea and they will pay a price for this in the international community," U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House. "We will continue to call on North Korea to abide by its public commitments not to supply weapons to Russia that will end up killing Ukrainians," Sullivan said. As Russia's isolation over its war in Ukraine has grown, it has seen increasing value in North Korea, according to political analysts. The United States in August imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia. North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006 and had been testing various missiles over recent years.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Kim Jong Un, Jake Sullivan, Kim, Sullivan, Adrienne Watson, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Shoigu, Keir Giles, Andrei Lankov, Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrew Osborn, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, White, . National Security, New York Times, Russia's, Chatham House's, Eurasia, Russia, Seoul's Kookmin University, The, China, . Security, Thomson Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, MOSCOW, North Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet Union, PYONGYANG, Korean, Pyongyang, North, Chatham House's Russia, Russian, Korea, The United States, U.S

☆ Exiled Catalan leader sets tough terms for talks on Spain's new PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Bart Biesemans | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez would need the seven lawmakers in Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya party if he gets a shot at forming a government. Speaking in Brussels, Puigdemont called on Spain to respect the Catalan independence movement's legitimacy and abandon judicial actions against it. "A world separates us from those positions," Rodriguez told reporters of Puigdemont's conditions. "Our framework is the one that the prime minister expressed with absolute forcefulness yesterday: We have a tool, dialogue; a framework, the constitution; and an objective: coexistence." If Feijoo fails, it will fall on Sanchez to see if he can muster support, seen as impossible without Puigdemont's party.

Persons: Junts, Pedro Sanchez, Carles Puigdemont's Junts, Puigdemont, Isabel Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Feijoo, Sanchez, Oriol Bartomeus, Bartomeus, Bart Biesemans, Inti Landauro, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Charlie Devereux, Andrei Khalip, Peter Graff, Alison Williams Organizations: Socialist, Socialists, People's Party, Autonomous University of Barcelona, PSOE, Vox, Inti, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Catalonia, Spain, Catalunya, Brussels, Belgium, Madrid

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts returned to Earth early Monday after a six-month stay at the International Space Station. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Atlantic off the Florida coast. Before departing the space station, they said they were craving hot showers, steaming cups of coffee and the ocean air since arriving in March. Their stay was doubled after their Soyuz capsule leaked all of its coolant and a new craft had to be launched. Between crew swaps, the space station is home to seven astronauts.

Persons: Stephen Bowen, Warren “ Woody ” Hoburg, Russia's Andrei Fedyaev, Sultan, “ You've Organizations: Space, SpaceX, NASA, United Arab, Control, Soyuz, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Florida, United Arab Emirates, Cape Canaveral, Jacksonville

☆ Spanish Olympics chief says Rubiales kiss scandal an 'isolated incident'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The head of Spain's Olympic Committee on Friday said the actions of soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales, who unleashed a furore by grabbing and kissing a female footballer, were an "isolated incident" that did not represent Spanish sport as a whole. It is unacceptable that an isolated incident should take the limelight away from our sportsmen and women," Spanish Olympic Committee President Alejandro Blanco told a news conference in Madrid. "I refuse to accept that the image of a complicated, difficult moment, which should never have happened, should distort the reality of Spanish sport," he added. Blanco said the gestures by Rubiales - whom he described as a personal friend - were "inappropriate, unacceptable" and could not be tolerated. Blanco added that he had advised Rubiales in a phone call after the final to apologise, highlight the success for Spanish women's football and offer his resignation.

Persons: Alejandro Blanco, Marcos Brindicci, Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso's, Blanco, Rubiales, Letizia, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Spain's, Prosecutors, Spanish Olympic, Spanish, FIFA, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Buenos Aires, Rights MADRID, Sydney, Spain

☆ Spanish government urges soccer boss suspension after mild court ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rubiales caused a storm when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain's victory in the women's World Cup in Sydney. He also grabbed his crotch while standing feet away from Spain's Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter. World soccer governing body FIFA has already suspended Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months while it investigates, but the CSD said it would move ahead with its own case regardless. Hermoso has said she did not consent to the kiss and felt "vulnerable and the victim of an aggression". Spain's Olympic chief said on Friday Rubiales' actions were "inappropriate, unacceptable" and did not represent Spanish sport as a whole.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Juan, TAD, Luis Rubiales, Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Letizia, Miquel Iceta, Hermoso, Luis de la Fuente, Jessica Jones, Fernado Kallas, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Frances Kerry, Peter Graff Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Spain's, Moncloa, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Sports Council, Administrative, El Mundo, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Madrid, Spain, MADRID, Sydney

☆ Ukrainian snipers hunting top enemy commanders are exploiting one of the Russian military's biggest vulnerabilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian snipers told The Wall Street Journal they are hunting down high-profile Russian targets. Over the course of the war, Russia has lost a number of senior Russian commanders and generals who directed operations from the front line. John Moore/Getty ImagesAlthough they have a common enemy, not all Ukrainian sniper teams are engaged in the same mission. Russian snipers, likewise, carry out similar missions and are considered quite formidable. Other activities like reconnaissance fall within the traditional sniper mission set and can also take priority.

Persons: Carl Court, Mark Milley, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Russia's, John Moore Organizations: Wall Street, Service, Devils, Wall Street Journal, Pentagon, Department of Defense, Ukraine, US, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Russia's 7th Airborne, 28th Brigade, Ukrainian, CNN Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Kyiv

☆ Spanish women team's coach Vilda to be sacked - federation source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The RFEF, which speaks for Vilda while he remains its women's team coach, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. During the World Cup, he said the team's success would not have been possible without RFEF backing for him. He praised Vilda for presiding over the World Cup win, offering him a fresh, four-year contract with an annual salary of 500,000 euros. The RFEF source said players were now being consulted as to whether the removal of Vilda would change their minds. Del Amo has been nominated to speak to players on the pledge that the RFEF will renew the team's staff, the source said.

Persons: Jorge Vilda, Luis Rubiales, Vilda, Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Rafael del Amo, Del Amo, Aislinn Laing, Andrei Khalip, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: FIFA, Vilda's, Spain, World, Madrid Bureau, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Australia, Sydney

☆ Russia faces domestic fuel crunch, braces for more shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders said that the fuel market has been hit by a combination of different factors including maintenance at oil refineries, infrastructure bottlenecks on railways and the weaker rouble which incentivises fuel exports. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that there were no fuel shortages. FUEL CRUNCHTraders said the shortages on the retail market followed by a sharp rise of wholesales prices. The state caps the retail prices, ordering the sellers to raise prices of gasoline and diesel only in line with official inflation. For the past two months commodity exchange diesel prices jumped on average by more than a quarter to 67,000 roubles ($700) per ton.

Persons: Alexander Natruskin, Alexander Novak, Andrei Neduzhko, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Traders, Kremlin, CRUNCH Traders, Industry, Wholesale, Russian Railways, Thomson Locations: Moscow, MOSCOW, Russia, Russia's, Krasnodar region, Adygea, Astrakhan, Samara, Russian, Rostov, Krasnodar, Stavropol

Search resuls for: "andrei"

25 mentions found