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☆ Amazon's AWS appeals to corporate customers with new chatbot, AI safety measures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new software arrives roughly a year after OpenAI’s ChatGPT burst onto the scene, setting off a frenzy of investment in generative AI startups. AWS CEO Adam Selipsky, at Amazon’s annual cloud computing conference in Las Vegas, announced a new safeguard against objectionable content on generative AI applications, called Guardrails for Bedrock. Because generative AI is trained on publicly available content, offensive words or other objectionable content can slip through into results from users’ prompts. Selipsky said the new service was important for customers to put limits they see fit on the generative AI they use. Also at the conference, Amazon announced it would indemnify its customers against lawsuits based on the misuse of copyrighted materials.

Persons: Vincent West, Slack, OpenAI’s, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, ”, Greg Bensinger, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Amazon, Getty, Thomson Locations: Trapagaran, Spain, Las Vegas, Seattle

☆ Amazon agrees deal with most Spanish workers over Cyber Monday walkout
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of U.S. online retailer Amazon is displayed at a logistics centre in Trapagaran, northern Spain, November 22, 2023. Around 20,000 warehouse and delivery workers at Amazon's Spanish unit had been urged to walk out to demand better pay and working conditions on the so-called Cyber Monday discount day, when retailers aim to boost Christmas gift buying. "We are proud of the wages, benefits and safer working conditions that will be provided to our employees in Spain," Amazon added. CCOO said it would continue negotiations with the company to improve pay and conditions at the local unit. Amazon logistics workers on both sides of the Atlantic have complained about working conditions, with groups of workers and activists across Europe protesting against the U.S. e-commerce giant as recently as Friday.

Persons: Vincent West, Douglas Harper, CCOO, Corina Pons, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Trapagaran, Spain, Rights MADRID, U.S, Europe, Britain, Germany, France, Italy

☆ Tesla ready to invest up to $2 bln to build India factory, but with riders -ET
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla logo is seen on the steering wheel of an electric vehicle at a dealership in Durango, northern Spain, October 30, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Tesla Inc FollowBENGALURU, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) is ready to invest up to $2 billion to set up a factory in India if the government cuts import duty on its vehicles to 15% for the first two years of operations, the Economic Times reported on Friday. The government is examining the viability of Tesla's proposal to invest $2 billion but wants to reduce the number of cars imported on a lower duty, compared to Tesla's proposal, the Economic Times said. Tesla, the department for promotion of industry and internal trade, ministry of heavy industries, ministry of road transport & highways and the ministry of finance did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vincent West, Elon, Tesla, Rama Venkat, Nivedita Organizations: REUTERS, Economic Times, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Durango, Spain, India, Bengaluru

☆ Tesla beats lawsuit claiming it monopolizes repairs, parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla logo is seen on the steering wheel of an electric vehicle at a dealership in Durango, northern Spain, October 30, 2023. She also said customers could not prove that Tesla coerced them into using its services and parts simply because they had bought their vehicles in the first place. She said customers may choose to amend their complaint, which combined five lawsuits and covered drivers who have paid for Tesla repairs and parts since March 2019. Customers said Tesla differs by requiring them to have vehicles serviced by the Austin, Texas-based company or its approved service centers, and use only Tesla parts. The case is Lambrix v Tesla Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Vincent West, Elon, Trina Thompson, Tesla, Thompson, Jonathan Stempel, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Tesla Inc, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: Durango, Spain, U.S, San Francisco, California, Austin , Texas, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

☆ Tesla to recall 159 Model S, X vehicles - NHTSA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The Tesla Logo is seen at a dealership in Durango, northern Spain, October 30, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Tesla Inc FollowNov 9 (Reuters) - Tesla will recall 159 Model S and Model X cars due to the possibility of the driver air bag deploying incorrectly, which increases the risk of an injury during a crash, according to a notice by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday. Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vincent West, Tesla, Chandni Shah, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, National, Traffic Safety Administration, Thomson Locations: Durango, Spain, Bengaluru

☆ Exclusive: Siemens Energy considers factory, office closures at wind division -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Christoph Steitz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Siemens Gamesa sign is displayed at the renewable energy company's headquarters in Zamudio, Spain, April 28, 2022. Shares in Siemens Energy, which was spun off from Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE) in 2020, rose as much as 2.5% after the report. Siemens Energy Chief Executive Christian Bruch is under pressure to present a convincing turnaround plan for Siemens Gamesa after detailing far-reaching problems just a few months after assuming full ownership of the division. Bruch said in August that Siemens Gamesa would prioritise profitability and stability over growth, suggesting a brimming order book needed to lead to healthy profits. A spokesperson referred to comments from Bruch in August, who said the most important thing was to stabilise Siemens Gamesa and that Siemens Energy was looking at all options.

Persons: Vincent West, Christian Bruch, Bruch, Christoph Steitz, Alexander Huebner, Danilo Masoni, Alexander Smith Organizations: Siemens, REUTERS, Companies Siemens Energy, Siemens Energy, Siemens Gamesa, Siemens AG, Thomson Locations: Zamudio, Spain, FRANKFURT, Frankfurt

☆ Prices tumble for cobalt used for electric vehicle batteries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Pratima Desai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Vincent West Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Prices of the cobalt hydroxide used to make chemicals for electric vehicle batteries have plummeted due to an upsurge of supplies from top producer Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt hydroxide is produced in Congo, where it is a byproduct of copper. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI), payables in August dropped to 46% of the cobalt metal price compared with around 90% in late 2021 and early 2022 when cobalt metal traded around $60,000 a metric ton. "These developments pose long-term challenges to cobalt demand," analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note. "We see cobalt prices remaining under pressure as supply growth and CMOC destocking come through."

Persons: Vincent West, Roman Aubry, Tenke, Morgan Stanley, destocking, Pratima Desai, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, BMI, China's CMOC, Thomson Locations: Bilbao, Spain, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, payables, Indonesia, DRC

☆ Colombian artist Fernando Botero dies at 91
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Renowned Colombian artist Fernando Botero, celebrated for his iconic style featuring rotund figures used to convey political critique and satire, has died at the age of 91. The news of his death was confirmed by his daughter, Lina Botero, in an announcement made to various Colombian media outlets on Friday. PL Gould/Getty Images A Botero sculpture in Plaza Botero in Medellin, Colombia pictured on April 15, 2022. The exhibition, titled "Celebration," featured some 80 works by the Colombian artist spanning 60 years of his practise. Vincent West/Reuters "La Gorda Gertrudis," a Botero sculpture depicting a reclining nude woman, on display in Cartagena, Colombia.

Persons: Fernando Botero, Lina Botero, Mona Lisa, PL, Juan Barreto, Vincent West, Gilles Barbier, Luis Eduardo Noriega A, Shutterstock, Shannon Stapleton, Piero della Francesca, della Francesca, Duke, Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, Battista Sforza, Hwee Young, Nicolas Maeterlinck, Barbara Sax, Juan Mabromata, Gustavo Petro, Damian Dovarganes, Daniel Quintero, Stefano Pozzebon Organizations: CNN —, PL Gould, Getty, Museo, Bellas Artes, Reuters, Museum of Antioquia, National Museum of, Buenos Aires Fine Arts Museum, Twitter, Bowers Museum Locations: Colombian, Botero, Medellin, Colombia, AFP, Bilbao, Spain, Cartagena , Colombia, New York, China, National Museum of China, Beijing, Mons, France, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Medellín, Abu Ghraib, Iraq, Santa Ana , California, Bogota, Eyad

☆ Spain's Princess Leonor starts military academy with 'excitement and nerves'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Vincent West | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Spain's King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and Infanta Sofia accompany Princess Leonor as she begins her three-year military training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, Spain, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West Acquire Licensing RightsZARAGOZA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Spain's Princess Leonor, the heir presumptive to Spain's throne and anticipated future commander-in-chief of its armed forces, began three years of military training on Thursday, expressing a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Announcing Leonor's military training in March, Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles, said Leonor was one of many young women now signing up to the armed forces. "In due course, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces will be a woman, and in recent years we have been making a very important effort to incorporate women into the armed forces," Robles said. The government and the Royal House have agreed Leonor's "very intense" military training will precede her university studies, following in the footsteps of her father in the 1980s.

Persons: King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Infanta Sofia, Princess Leonor, Vincent West, Leonor, King Felipe VI's, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, Margarita Robles, Robles, Juan Carlos, Sofia, Elena Rodriguez, Aislinn Laing, Christina Fincher Organizations: General Military Academy, REUTERS, Rights, Army Military Academy, General Air Academy, Spain's, Royal, Atlantic College, Thomson Locations: Zaragoza, Spain, Sofia, Spanish, Wales

☆ Spain has rejected the far right. But who governs next is still unclear
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Al Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Madrid CNN —The smiles on Spain’s election night told part of the story. “Spain has contained inflation and now it has contained the ultra-nationalist Vox party,” Andres Villena, a professor at Madrid’s Complutense University, told CNN Monday. Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, delivering a speech at his party's headquarters on July 23, 2023. Our priority is Catalonia, not the governability of the Spanish state.”But for Sanchez and Feijóo, running Spain is the priority. Sanchez, the incumbent leader, starts this coalition-building process after helping to successfully halt the advance of the far right.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Yolanda Diaz, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, Santiago Abascal, Sanchez, Vox, Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, Marcos del Mazo, ” Andres Villena, Giorgia Meloni, –, King Felipe VI, Vincent West, Feijóo, Villena, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Alejandro Martinez Velez, Junts, Miriam Nogueras, … Sanchez, ”, ’, Spain’s Organizations: Madrid CNN, Socialist, Popular Party, Vox, Feijóo’s, Spanish Socialist Workers ’ Party, PSOE, Madrid’s Complutense University, CNN, Reuters, Socialists, Basque Nationalist Party, Spanish, Europa Press, Socialist Party Locations: Madrid, Spanish, Spain, Italy, Finland, Catalonia, Basque, Kyiv, Sunday's, Barcelona

☆ Two killed in Spain blast in suspected gender-based violence incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Vincent West | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Police cordon off the area where a man and a woman died in a suspected bomb blast related to gender violence, according to the Basque regional security department, in Orio, northern Spain, May 16,... Read moreMADRID, May 16 (Reuters) - Two people - a man and woman - died in an explosion in the town of Orio in northern Spain, the Basque regional security department said on Tuesday, and media cited authorities as saying the incident was being investigated as likely gender-based violence. A Reuters witness said police had cordoned off an area around a sidewalk bench where the blast occurred, next to a children's playground. There were few signs of an explosion, with the bench, shrubs behind it and a bin nearby apparently undamaged. News agency EFE, quoting police sources, reported the preliminary investigation pointed toward a package held by one of the victims being the source of the explosion. Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Six Leopard tanks leave Spain en route to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Vincent West | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Leopard 2 6A4 tanks are driven onto a cargo ship at the port of Santander, bound for Poland and subsequently for Ukraine, in Santander, Spain, April 21, 2023. The German-made Leopard tanks and armoured personnel carriers were driven onto a cargo vessel, Reuters witnesses said. Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said this month that Spain will send 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks. The U.S. in January promised 31 of its Abrams tanks while Germany committed Leopard tanks. NATO countries have promised to send 48 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

☆ Spain's Asturias ravaged by fires as authorities blame 'terrorist' arsonists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Vincent West | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dozens of fires have already been put off by emergency services in Asturias and the neighboring region of Cantabria over the past two days. [1/6] Firefighters use a controlled burn to tackle a wildfire in Setienes, Asturias, Spain, March 31, 2023. In the past, intentional fires have often been linked to pastoralists seeking to gain more grazing land for their cattle. The densely-forested mountainous region is one of Spain's rainiest areas, though fires are common in March, according to the regional government. A combination of scarce rainfall, high temperatures and winds has placed most of northern Spain at a high wildfire risk.

☆ Spain's Princess Leonor to do military training for three years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Spain's Princess Leonor speaks during the ceremony of the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities at Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Spain October 22, 2021. REUTERS/Vincent West/MADRID, March 14 (Reuters) - Princess Leonor, 17 and the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne, will undergo three years of military training starting in August, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday. "As in all parliamentary monarchies (the heir) has to have a military background and a military career," Robles said after a cabinet meeting. The princess will receive her first year of training at the Army Military Academy in Zaragoza, then go to a naval school, which includes sailing the Juan Sebastian Elcano training tall ship, and finish her studies at the General Air Academy. The government and the Royal House have agreed her "very intense" military training will precede university studies, following in the footsteps of her father in the 1980s.

☆ Spain's Iberdrola sounds out sale of $700 million wind, gas portfolio -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Andres Gonzalez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The logo of Spanish utility company Iberdrola is seen on its headquarters in Bilbao, Spain, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Vincent West/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Iberdrola (IBE.MC) is looking to sell a portfolio of gas, wind and solar assets in Spain which could raise more than $700 million, three sources with knowledge of the plans told Reuters. Iberdrola is working with Deutsche Bank on the sale of the 2.4-gigawatt (GW) portfolio, the sources said. The final price for the Iberdrola portfolio will depend on the valuation of the gas assets, which were underused in Spain until last year when production increased, the sources said. The sale is still at an early stage and Iberdrola could decide to delay or abandon the disposals, the people said.

☆ 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.

[1/5] A French toreador apprentice of the Arles bullfighting school practices before a bullfight show at the Monumental de Gimeaux arena in Arles, France, November 20, 2022. "Corrida is a tradition, an art, a dance with the bull," said Baptiste, one of about a dozen students who learn to wave the traditional red muleta cloth in front of bulls in the Arles bullfighting school. At the weekend, pro and anti ban protesters marched in several southern France cities where corrida is still allowed. For Caron, exceptions that allow bullfighting in some parts of France and have under a thousand bulls killed per year, should be scrapped. "Since (bullfighting) exists, there are people who have tried to ban it, " said Yves Lebas, president of the Arles bullfighting school.

☆ France shocked by second schoolgirl rape and murder in a month
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Flowers and toys are displayed in front of a school following the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Tonneins, France, November 21, 2022. REUTERS/Vincent WestPARIS, Nov 21 (Reuters) - France was shocked by the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in the south of the country, just weeks after the brutal killing of a 12-year-old girl in Paris. Police on Friday arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of raping and killing the girl, named Vanesa, after forcing her into his car as she left school in Tonneins, France that day. The murder comes just weeks after France was rocked by the brutal killing of a 12-year-old girl named Lola, whose battered body was found in a suitcase outside her Paris home. The main suspect in that case, a 24-year-old woman, has been accused of murder, rape and acts of torture.

That means vineyards - which have for centuries transplanted cuttings to ensure robust and flavourful fruit - are now looking for grape types that are more resistant to climate change. It has determined that vines aged 35 years and older appear to cope better with climate change because they are more genetically diverse. The lab's ultimate goal is to ensure winemakers plant specific vines proven to be "more adaptable to climate change conditions", said Carbonell. "We are very worried about climate change," said Iñigo Torres, director of Grupo Rioja, an association representing 60 wineries that together account for 80% of sales. The grapevines were transplanted after being carefully selected from another vineyard where RODA studies the behaviour of old vines - some up to 110 years old.

LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The world is falling far short at rounding up money to help struggling nations adapt to the increasingly dangerous impacts of climate change, according to a report released Thursday. Current international finance flowing to developing countries is between 5 and 10 times below what is needed, the United Nations Environment Programme report said. "It's time for a global climate adaptation overhaul," said United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres in a media statement, noting he had asked green climate funds to work with public and private financiers to pilot a new accelerator for adaptation investment. The accelerator will help financiers work with developing countries to invest in their adaptation priorities and specific projects. At the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow last year, developed countries agreed to double support for adaptation financing to $40 billion per year by 2025.

☆ After blistering summer, France and Spain bathe in unseasonably warm autumn
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NICE, France, Oct 27 (Reuters) - France and Spain experienced unusually warm temperatures on Thursday, bringing some bathers out to beaches but also adding to mounting concerns about changing weather patterns in Europe. Western Europe's unusually balmy October follows a summer during which blistering temperatures parched farmlands and rivers and wildfires ran amok. [1/2] People enjoy a warm and sunny autumn day on the beach of the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, France October 27, 2022. Beach resorts across France have extended their season as the unusually hot weather keeps tourists coming. "This is a summer season that is not ending," said Rene Colomban, head of the Nice beach operators association.

A model of a wind turbine with the Siemens Gamesa logo is displayed outside the annual general shareholders meeting in Zamudio, Spain, June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Vincent West/MADRID/FRANKFURT, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Siemens Gamesa is aiming to fix major issues with its flagship onshore wind turbine model over the next three months, its CEO said, warning that 10-15 loss-making projects related to the troubled equipment would continue to be a drag until 2024. "The biggest thing really for us is to stabilize the 5.X project," Siemens Gamesa (SGREN.MC) CEO Jochen Eickholt told Reuters. read moreCompetition from newer entrants, particularly Chinese firms, has also squeezed Siemens Gamesa, especially in markets including Brazil and India, Eickholt said. The deal is awaiting final approval from the market regulator in Madrid, where Siemens Gamesa was listed in 2017. read moreIn the meantime, Siemens Gamesa has engaged in tough discussions with customers to raise selling prices, with some success, Eickholt said.

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