Spain’s Supreme Court drops sedition charges against Catalan separatist leader

MADRID (Reuters) -Spain’s Supreme Court on Thursday dropped sedition charges against the leader of Catalonia’s failed bid for independence, Carles Puigdemont, after a reform of the country’s penal code abolished the crime. Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Belgium to avoid prosecution in Spain, still faces charges of disobedience and embezzlement, which carry jail …

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Russia criticises Reuters story on Russian hackers targeting U.S. nuclear scientists

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticised Reuters for spreading what it said was poorly sourced anti-Russian propaganda with a story about a Russian hacking team which targeted three nuclear research laboratories. Reuters on Jan. 6 reported the Russian hacking team, known as Cold River, had targeted three nuclear research laboratories in the …

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Explainer-Biden vs. Trump: What is the difference between the two classified records cases?

By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed two different special counsels to independently investigate the handling of classified records by Republican former President Donald Trump and his Democratic successor, President Joe Biden. Jack Smith, a war crimes prosecutor, is investigating whether Trump or his associates improperly retained classified …

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Brazil’s Americanas shares plunge 77% after accounting ‘inconsistencies’ found

By Gabriel Araujo, Paula Laier and Alberto Alerigi SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Shares in Brazilian retailer Americanas SA plummeted more than 75% on Thursday after its chief executive resigned citing the discovery of “accounting inconsistencies” totaling 20 billion reais ($3.9 billion). Outgoing CEO Sergio Rial, who replaced Miguel Gutierrez less than two weeks ago, said in …

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Anti-ESG drive in U.S. could have cost taxpayers up to $708 million – study

By Tommy Wilkes and Ross Kerber (Reuters) – A campaign by U.S. Republican state officials to bar financial institutions from winning business because of their stance on issues like climate change could have cost taxpayers as much as an estimated $708 million in higher interest payments, according to a study backed by environmental activists and …

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Australia’s natural disasters bill hits $3.5 billion in 2022, billions more to come

By Lewis Jackson SYDNEY (Reuters) – Floods and natural disasters that hit all but one Australian state and territory in 2022 cost the economy A$5 billion ($3.48 billion) and stoked inflation according to Treasury estimates which forecast billions more spending in 2023. Australia suffered four major bouts of flooding last year, with global reinsurer Munich …

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Crypto crime hits record $20 billion in 2022, report says

By Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON (Reuters) – Illicit use of cryptocurrencies hit a record $20.1 billion last year as transactions involving companies targeted by U.S. sanctions skyrocketed, data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis showed on Thursday. The cryptocurrency market floundered in 2022, as risk appetite diminished and various crypto firms collapsed. Investors were left with large …

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UK paper group bids to throw out Prince Harry and others’ privacy lawsuits

LONDON (Reuters) – The publisher of Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper is applying to dismiss lawsuits brought by Prince Harry, singer Elton John and other individuals alleging phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy. Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, has applied to London’s High Court for the lawsuits – …

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