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☆ Foxes were once humans’ best friends, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Archaeologists originally uncovered the near-complete D. avus skeleton buried alongside a human at Cañada Seca, a site in northern Patagonia, in 1991. Parts of the D. avus specimen were buried alongside a human at Cañada Seca, a site in northern Patagonia. D. avus lived from the Pleistocene Epoch (around 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) into the Holocene, becoming extinct about 500 years ago. With a similar diet to D. avus, dogs may have helped speed the foxes’ extinction by outcompeting them. Dogs could also have carried and transmitted diseases that sickened the foxes, Lebrasseur added.

Persons: wasn’t, Ophélie, avus, Francisco Prevosti “, Dusicyon avus, ”, Lebrasseur, Cinthia, ” Lebrasseur, Dr, Aurora, d’Anglade, ‘, Francisco Prevosti, it’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Wellcome Trust, Archaeology Research, University of Oxford’s School of Archaeology, Royal Society Open Science, Argentina’s, Technical Research, Universidade, Oxford, Scientific Locations: what’s, Argentina, South America, Cañada Seca, Patagonia, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Spain, Patagonia . Hunter

☆ 100 cruise passengers injured as ship lurches to a halt in storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A dream trip turned into a nightmare for the 1,000 passengers on board a cruise ship that was hit in storms, injuring 100. Everything went to plan until day 10 – November 2 – when the ship was en route to Gran Canaria, as storms approached. The ship remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some guests sustained injuries. It was last tracked off the coast of southern England, having departed Portsmouth for Lisbon, according to tracking website Vesselfinder. The route will take the ship through the Bay of Biscay again – hopefully with a smoother crossing this time.

Persons: Nigel Blanks, “, ”, Rob Wood, Ben Micthell, – Organizations: CNN, Gran Canaria, Coruña, Portsmouth –, Passengers, Canaries, BBC, Press, AP Locations: Bay, Biscay, France, Spain, Portsmouth, Spanish, Africa, Madeira, La Palma, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La, Gran, lurch, England, Lisbon

BERLIN (AP) — Two cargo ships collided in the North Sea off the coast of Germany on Tuesday and one of them sank, German authorities said. The site of the collision was about 31 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of Langeoog island, which is just off the German mainland. Several rescue ships and aircraft taking part in the search hadn't located the missing crew members by late afternoon. The Verity was 91 meters (299 feet) long and 14 meters (46 feet) wide. The Polesie is 190 meters (623 feet) long and 29 meters (95 feet) wide.

Persons: Verity, Robby Renner, Michael Ippich, couldn't, Renner, Iona Organizations: BERLIN, Germany's, Command, Maritime Emergencies, Rescue Service, Rescuers Locations: North, Germany, Helgoland, Langeoog, Bremen, Immingham, Cuxhaven, Bahamas, Hamburg, Spain, Rotterdam

☆ Several missing after freighters collide in German North Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Several people are missing after two freighters collided near the German North Sea island of Heligoland, the central command for maritime emergencies said on Tuesday. The Polesie and Verity vessels collided at around 0300 GMT about 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) southwest of Heligoland, likely causing the Verity to sink, central command said in a statement. One person was rescued from the water and is receiving medical treatment, while several others are still missing, it added. The rescue operation includes a rescue cruiser, police boats, a sensor aircraft and a helicopter, among other vessels. Writing by Friederike Heine Editing by Miranda Murray and Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Verity, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray, Rachel More Organizations: La Coruna, Thomson Locations: Heligoland, Bremen, Immingham, Hamburg, Spain

Another 25% will come from "next-generation" materials in which the group is investing, and the remaining 10% from other sustainable sources, the company said. The new targets come as the European Commission is drawing up regulations to make clothing retailers pay for the waste they produce, arguing that fast-fashion companies "encourage customers to shop impulsively and incentivise purchasing larger quantities of clothes". Inditex previously had targets to use more sustainable cotton, linen, polyester, and fibres made from wood pulp, but did not have an overall goal for recycled fibres. Shoppers walk past a Zara clothes store, part of the Spanish group Inditex, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez/File Photo"Moving forward on sustainability is natural for us," said Inditex Non-Executive Chair, Marta Ortega, in brief comments to investors at the AGM.

Persons: Inditex, Oscar Garcia Maceiras, Borja Suarez, Marta Ortega, Ortega, Adam Gofton, Corina Pons, David Latona, Helen Reid, Andrei Khalip, Mark Potter, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Companies Zara, European Commission, Las Palmas de, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, REUTERS, Mackenzie Investments, Thomson Locations: MADRID, LONDON, Zara, Spanish, A Coruna, Spain, Las Palmas, Las Palmas de Gran, Toronto, Inditex, Madrid, London

☆ Luis Suárez Miramontes, one of Spain’s greatest footballers, has died aged 88
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Luis Suárez Miramontes, considered one of the greatest Spanish football players in history, has died at the age of 88. In a statement on Sunday, Barcelona confirmed that Suárez had died in Milan, Italy. Putellas recalled meeting Suárez and how he inspired her on Twitter, saying: “[You’re] part of history in football. In 1961, he left for Inter Milan where he continued picking up trophies – winning three Serie A titles and two European Cups. Following his playing career, Suárez managed a number of clubs including Inter Milan and Deportivo.

Persons: CNN — Luis Suárez Miramontes, Alexia Putellas, Féminin, Suárez, “, ”, Putellas, Don Luis Suarez, ” Suárez, –, Javier Zanetti Organizations: CNN, Spanish, Inter Milan, Twitter, Ballon, Barcelona, Deportivo La Coruña, La Liga, Inter, Inter Milan’s, Deportivo, Spanish national Locations: Barcelona, Spanish, Milan, Italy, Barça

☆ FC Barcelona: How Xavi's defensive revolution brought La Liga title back to Catalunya
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Such has been the Blaugrana’s dominance this season, Xavi’s side clinched the trophy with four games still remaining and his iteration will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest defensive teams in La Liga history. With only 13 goals conceded so far this season, Xavi’s Barcelona is set to obliterate that record. “Not only for me, but for the club and for all Barcelona fans it’s very important to win La Liga,” Barça striker Robert Lewandowski told CNN Sport ahead of the match against Espanyol. I think the first round [of fixtures] was very important, we proved that we can think about winning La Liga. Barcelona fans celebrate Sunday's La Liga success -- the club's first league title since the 2018-19 season.

Amancio Ortega set up the first Zara store in A Coruna in the north west of Spain in 1975. Marta Ortega started from the bottom at Inditex, stacking shelves at a Bershka store when she was 23. Ortega, whose father owns 59.3% of Inditex, has mainly worked in the background, leaving the spotlight to the CEO. "We feel that Marta Ortega has repositioned Zara slightly upwards," said Patricia Cifuentes, analyst at the investment banking arm of Spanish investment firm Bestinver. "Reinforcing that Zara sells fashion, not just clothes, has allowed Inditex to increase prices and protect the margins amidst the inflationary storm."

☆ Investors punish Zara owner Inditex over spending plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

As the cost of making garments increased, H&M took a profit hit while Inditex was able to pass on costs to shoppers. But higher expected capital expenditure for 2023, of 1.6 billion euros, surprised investors, sending Inditex shares down more than 5% by 1140 GMT. An Inditex logo is seen at the entrance of a Zara factory, the headquarters of Inditex group, in Arteixo, northern Spain, March 9, 2016. Inditex closed stores in mainland China at double its average rate, shutting a fifth of its shops there in 2022. Meanwhile Inditex plans to continue expanding in the United States, with at least 30 new projects planned from 2023 to 2025.

☆ Zara owner Inditex invests in tech to speed future sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Inditex has extended its lead over Swedish rival H&M (HMb.ST), in part because of a less price-sensitive customer base. As the cost of making garments increased, H&M took a profit hit while Inditex was able to pass on costs to shoppers. In-store and online sales rose 18% to 32.6 billion euros ($34.99 billion) from 2021 and were 15% higher than in 2019, before the pandemic hit. Excluding Russia, where Inditex stores have been closed since the Ukraine conflict started just over a year ago, sales in that period were up 17.5% in constant currency terms. Inditex also delivered a surprise, but by hiking capital expenditure to 1.6 billion euros from 1.1 billion euros previously.

☆ Zara owner Inditex sees 2023 sales keep pace, but capex plans disappoint
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In-store and online sales for the world's biggest fashion retailer rose 18% to 32.6 billion euros ($34.99 billion) from 2021 and were 15% higher than in 2019, before the pandemic hit. The pace of sales continued in the first six weeks of Inditex's current fiscal year to Jan. 31, 2024. Between Feb. 1 and March 13, Inditex said sales jumped by 13.5% from the same period a year earlier. Excluding Russia, where Inditex stores have been closed since the Ukraine conflict started just over a year ago, sales in that period increased by 17.5% in constant currency terms. But Inditex surprised investors with a hike in capital expenditure to 1.6 billion euros from 1.1 billion euros in the previous year, a higher level than expected by the market.

REUTERS/Miguel VidalA CORUNA, Spain/LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - In Spain's A Coruna, two contrasting fashion business models collide - pitching the growing demands for the clothing industry to become more sustainable against the constant need to drive sales. This rainy, windswept, city on the rugged Atlantic coast is the unlikely headquarters of Zara-owner Inditex (ITX.MC) - the world's biggest fast fashion retailer. It also hosts small boutiques offering high quality, durable products that consider themselves an alternative to the fast and affordable fashion propelling Inditex's annual sales of 28 billion euros ($30 billion). "If you release tonnes and tonnes of clothes, textiles, shoes into the market, you will have to collect it," he said. But Circ and its competitors are only capable of producing 1% of the textiles needed to make the 109 million tonnes of clothes per year that the global fashion industry churns out.

☆ Zara owner Inditex agrees to 20% pay rise in Spain -union groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Zara owner Inditex reached an agreement to raise salaries in its Spanish stores by an average 20%, Spain's two largest unions, CCOO and UGT, said on Thursday night. The salary increases reached as much as 40% in the areas of Spain that were the least well paid, UGT said in a statement. Union groups said Inditex also agreed to continue increasing salaries in line with inflation over the next three years. In November, Inditex had agreed with UGT and CCOO to pay a one-off bonus of 1,000 euros in February for all full-time shop assistants employed across Spain, and now it has agreed to pay the same bonus next year. Inditex employs 165,000 people in 177 countries, with a third of all staff based in Spain, according to its annual report.

☆ Law & Order SVU's Maurice Compte: Boundaries between good and bad can be 'blurry'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Arturo Conde | Arturo Conde Is An Editor | A Bilingual Freelance Journalist. He Writes For La Opinión A Coruña | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Police dramas often define a clear line between good and bad. But Cuban American actor Maurice Compte, who plays Captain Mike Duarte on the 24th season of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” says the policemen and gang members he grew up with make that line more blurry in real life. The actor told NBC News that he knew both policemen and gang members — some of whom he said were in the Latin Kings. Beyond the imaginary TV line that divides characters into good and bad, there's a more complicated reality that drives both sides to belong to a community, he said. “At its best, I understood why they were doing it,” Compte said, referring to the gang members that he knew from his neighborhood.

☆ Zara shopworkers call off strikes in company's hometown after 25% pay rise - union
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A union representing shop assistants at fashion retailer Zara has called off planned strikes in the company's hometown in northern Spain following an agreement on a 25% pay rise, a union leader said on Friday. "Our salaries as shop assistants will go up by 25% from January in A Coruña," Naveiro said. The deal also includes future pay increases of 20 euros in November 2023 and 40 euros in 2024, she added. Zara shop assistants' monthly salaries currently range between 1,058 euros and 1,400 euros in the city, the union leader said. CIG had pushed for a bigger pay rise after rejecting a hike of 200 euros in monthly salaries by 2024.

Diego Calva as Manny Torres with Brad Pitt as Jack Conrad in "Babylon." Scott Garfield / Paramount PicturesCalva as Manny Torres with Margot Robbie as Nellie LaRoy in "Babylon." Scott Garfield / Paramount Pictures“For Manny, movies are like the door for a bigger universe, for a bigger opportunity,” he said. Calva as Manny Torres in "Babylon." Looking back at the history of silent film, Calva pointed out the contradiction of how talking movies also silenced the voices of people in the industry.

☆ Zara shopworkers call off strikes in company's hometown after pay rise deal - union
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A union representing shop assistants at fashion retailer Zara has called off planned strikes in the company's hometown in northern Spain following an agreement on a pay rise, a union leader said on Friday. Around 1,000 workers at Zara shops and other Inditex (ITX.MC) fashion brands had announced they would strike on Dec. 23 and Jan. 7 to demand higher wage increases after rejecting the company's previous offer. CIG had pushed for a bigger pay rise after rejecting a hike of 200 euros in monthly salaries by 2024. The company will start to pay the newly agreed wages in January, Naveiro said. ($1 = 0.9432 euros)Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by David Latona and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

As the new network comedy "Lopez vs. Lopez" airs its midseason episode Friday, Afro Latina actor Selenis Leyva said she's excited about a TV series that wants to change the way Americans see Latinos. “Specifically during these times, we’re always talking about Latino representation.”“Lopez vs. Lopez,” which airs on NBC (NBC News and NBC are part of NBCUniversal), focuses on the generational tension between Mayan Lopez and her estranged father George Lopez — who's also her father in real life. “That connects with a lot of people.”Matt Shively, Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez and Mayan Lopez in "Lopez vs. She believes that “Lopez vs. Lopez” will do the same for other Latinos in TV and film. It feels like I’m representing a group of people that you don’t necessarily see in roles like this.”The midseason episode will feature cameos from the original cast of the "George Lopez" show.

This is one of the reasons why Derbez is telling the story of a fictional resort using both English and Spanish. “I was always criticizing movies where I was seeing 007 (referring to the character James Bond) in Brazil and everyone speaks in English,” Derbez, who's also an executive producer of the show, said in an interview with NBC News. And that’s not the way it is.”The same goes for many TV shows being filmed in Mexico, Derbez said, which also show characters speaking only in English. He wants “Acapulco” to stand out by depicting the multilingual reality that he sees and lives in both countries. Episode nine of season two releases Friday on Apple TV+.

DOHA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Soccer fans at the almost alcohol-free World Cup are ready to pay high prices for a beer, a few have tried to smuggle booze into stadiums but most simply accept that drinking is off limits at the first tournament in a Muslim country. A video shared on Twitter showed security staff seizing what appeared to be a pair of binoculars turned into a secret booze bottle by a Mexico fan trying to get into his country's match against Argentina on Saturday, which Mexico lost 2-0. But most supporters seem to understand that, for this tournament, old habits will have to be put on hold. Spain fan Raimundo Oujo, a businessman from La Coruna, said the mood in the stadiums was a little less charged than usual as a result of the booze ban. "Let's celebrate some other way, or you can also celebrate when you come back home and then you can have a big party."

For Latin Grammy-winning singer Camila Cabello, tapping into "the most authentic version of yourself" is crucial for breaking into the music scene as a new artist. Gwen Stefani, Camila Cabello and Blake Shelton on "The Voice." Cabello had her big break on "The X Factor," another singing competition, a decade ago, when she was just 15. It includes bilingual songs and Latin music influences that speak to Cabello's Hispanic roots. Camila Cabello on "The Voice."

☆ Zara workers in Spain start protests to demand higher pay
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Dozens of Zara shop assistants protested in Madrid on Thursday outside the global fashion giant's largest store to demand higher pay, and some workers in its home town in northwest Spain went on strike on the eve of its Black Friday sales campaign. In the town of A Coruna, where the first Zara store opened in 1975, Inditex now has 44 stores. Two of those, a Zara store and a Massimo Dutti shop were closed on Thursday, and some 1,000 shopworkers were preparing to go on a one-day strike the following day on Black Friday. Shop assistants' monthly wages at Inditex stores in Madrid and A Coruna are below 1,400 euros, according to the unions. "If we don't get better wages we will call for more protests in December and January," she said.

☆ John Leguizamo says food is a 'bait and a lure' in 'The Menu' horror-comedy movie
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Arturo Conde | Arturo Conde Is An Editor | A Bilingual Freelance Journalist. He Writes For La Opinión A Coruña | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The new horror-comedy “The Menu,” uses that allure to trap privileged diners at a high-end banquet, the actor John Leguizamo said in an interview with NBC News. “I loved the clever writing, the beautiful poetry about food, and then obviously the beautiful execution of the food,” he said. Beyond these ruling class stereotypes, however, Leguizamo said he’s proud that “The Menu” puts the spotlight on Latino actors in a different way. Outside of the film, food is nurturing and empowering, Leguizamo said. Lately Leguizamo has been busy traveling across the country and doing a deep dive into the culture — including the iconic foods and restaurants — of several U.S. cities as part of his upcoming documentary series, "Leguizamo Does America."

☆ Spanish shopworkers' unions to discuss wages with Zara bosses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Trade unions representing about 1,000 Zara shop assistants in the Spanish apparel maker's hometown of A Coruña will meet with the company on Thursday to negotiate a pay rise, a union leader said. Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC) has so far offered a rise of 183 euros per month, staggered over three years, on salaries that range between 1,058 euros and 1,400 euros a month, Naveiro said. Representatives of the company's two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, confirmed they will also attend the meeting. "We're placing our bets on negotiations because Inditex is sitting at the table," Lucia Trenor, a union leader at CCOO said. The shop assistants want to be paid the same as workers at the company's logistics centres, who earn about 2,000 euros a month.

K9s for Warriors, an organization that has rescued over 1,500 dogs from shelters and trained them as service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, matched Romero with Puppy — an Australian shepherd — in June. His wife, Brenda, who is a nurse practitioner in psychiatry, encouraged him to apply for a service dog. So far, O’Haire said, research based on participants from K9s for Warriors is showing that veterans with service dogs are struggling significantly less. And for those who are employed, there’s five times less absenteeism from work due to health.”But getting a service dog for veterans with PTSD is still a challenge. “The waitlist for service dogs on average tends to be two years.

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