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Jesus Maria Casal, president of Venezuela's opposition's National Primary Commission, leaves after a meeting with Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, head of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), in Caracas, Venezuela September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition election commission said on Monday it will move forward with its late October primary vote to pick its presidential candidate for next year's general election, after the country's national electoral council sought a delay. But most of the 13 opposition candidates rejected this request, preferring to keep the Oct. 22 primary, while criticizing what they called a slow CNE response. Venezuela's opposition counts some 3,000 voting centers, according to commission president Jesus Maria Casal. Venezuelan authorities have in recent months disqualified some opposition candidates, including former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, the opposition's leading hopeful in polls.

Persons: Jesus Maria Casal, Venezuela's, Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro's, Maria Corina Machado, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Sonali Paul Organizations: Primary Commission, Electoral Council, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS

[1/5] Apple France workers on strike holding CGT labour union flags gather in front of the Apple Store near Place de l'Opera during a protest to demand higher pay and better benefits on the day Apple launches its iPhone 15, in Paris, France, September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Workers at Apple (AAPL.O) stores in France began a nationwide strike over pay and working conditions on Friday in a protest designed to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 15. Staff at an Apple store in Barcelona, where about 250 people were queuing to enter the store on Friday morning, were set to join colleagues in France in protesting. "We have been talking since August to our colleagues on strike in France. In Spain, unlike them, not all the unions have agreed to strike," Paredes said.

Persons: Abdul Saboor, Anais Durel, Tarek, Pablo Paredes, Paredes, Manuel Ausloos, Louise Dalmasso, Horaci Garcia, Corina Pons, Charlottte Van Campenhout, Charlie Devereux, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Rights, Workers, CGT, Unsa, CFTC, Management, Staff, Paseo de, CNT Apple, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Apple France, Paris, France, Opera, Barcelona, Paseo, Paseo de Gracia, Spain, Madrid

GENEVA (AP) — Venezuela’s government has intensified efforts to curtail democratic freedoms with use of threats, surveillance and harassment as President Nicolás Maduro faces a re-election contest next year, U.N.-backed human rights experts reported on Wednesday. An international fact-finding mission authorized by the Human Rights Council notes that violent repression between 2017 and 2019 eased after the coronavirus pandemic broke out the following year. A report by the mission three years ago decried “crimes against humanity” in Maduro's Venezuela. In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, the experts warned that political interference has been on the rise. The mission's latest report, based on interviews and talks with nearly 300 people, covers a period from January 2020 through last month.

Persons: —, Nicolás Maduro, ”, Henrique Capriles, Maria Corina Machado, Freddy Superlano —, Patricia Tappata Valdez Organizations: GENEVA, U.N, Human Locations: Maduro's Venezuela, Venezuela

Fewer than half of rural hospitals now have maternity units, prompting government officials and families to scramble for answers. The closures have worsened so-called “maternity care deserts" — counties with no hospitals or birth centers that offer obstetric care and no OB providers. Ultimately, doctors and researchers say, having fewer hospital maternity units makes having babies less safe. “It feels like you’re held in a way.”Some states and communities are taking steps to create more freestanding birth centers. It was a novel and “innovative” idea to request federal nurses to boost staffing at a rural maternity unit, Wyden’s office said.

Persons: Alisha Alderson, ”, Alderson, “, Eric Scott Palmer, It’s, —, Peiyin Hung, Saint Alphonsus, Odette Bolano, Dina Ellwanger, John Tucker, Tucker, we’ve, ’, Lacy Kee, she’ll, She’s, Kee, Henry, Pamela Evans, Evans, she’s, Katie O’Brien, Paris, Bennett —, O’Brien, Corina Fitch, Fitch, Betsy Baarspul, you’re, Ned Lamont, Alecia McGregor, ” McGregor, Tina Kotek, Sen, Ron Wyden, Shane Alderson, Alisha's, ” ___ Rush, Kuna , Idaho . Ungar, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: OB, Henry County Medical Center, American Hospital Association, University of South, University of South Carolina’s Rural, Minority Health Research Center, Saint, Henry County Medical, Associated Press, Medicaid, Midwifery, Connecticut Gov, Harvard, of Public Health, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, AP, Oregon Gov, U.S . Public Health Service, Corps, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Locations: Oregon, Boise , Idaho, U.S, Tennessee, University of South Carolina’s, Baker City, Paris , Tennessee, Kentucky, Henry County, Summertown , Tennessee, Connecticut, Chan, “, Baker, Baker City , Oregon, Kuna , Idaho

☆ Maui Fire Death Toll Drops to 97 After Weeks of DNA Review
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Corina Knoll | More About Corina Knoll | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The authorities announced on Friday that they currently believe 97 people died in the Maui wildfire instead of the 115 fatalities they had been reporting for weeks, a surprising development after initial fears that many more lives had been lost in the disaster. It is the first time that the Maui death toll has dropped. In some instances, Dr. Stuelpnagel explained, forensic examiners have determined that they had multiple sets of remains for the same person. He also said that 16 of the remains that investigators had received were nonhuman. “It’s good news to have a lower number, that’s for darn sure,” Dr. Stuelpnagel said on Friday.

Persons: Jeremy Stuelpnagel, Stuelpnagel Locations: Maui, Maui County, Lahaina

Spanish farmer Miguel Moreno was an early adopter of so-called cover crops. Spain's drought-hit olive oil production slumped to 663,000 tonnes last year, less than half the average of 1.45 million tons recorded in the previous four harvests, according to the government. In January, it began subsidising farmers who use cover crops as part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She said the company was pushed both by customers such as Walmart in the U.S. and by regulation to buy olive oil from producers using sustainable practices. Ecology professor Manzaneda is also coordinator of EU-funded project SOIL O-LIVE and is testing methods for coaxing Albacete's degraded earth back to health.

Persons: Chiclana de Segura, Jon Nazca, Andrea Ronca, Miguel Moreno, Angel, Dcoop, Gonzalo Delacamara, Emilio Gonzalez, Antonio Manzaneda, Manzaneda, Olive, Syngenta, Luis Miranda, Domingo, Marco Trevisan, Dean, Simone Rech, Catalonia's Cava, Sebastiano Conti, Charlie Devereux, Antonella, Corina Pons, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Southern, VILLANUEVA DEL ARZOBISPO, Farmers, European Union, of Nutrition, Plant Science, IE, Water, University of Cordoba, University of Jaen, European, Walmart, Swiss, Syngenta, EU, TECH, Smart, Milan Polytechnic, University of Brescia, of Agricultural Sciences, Catholic University of Piacenza, Thomson Locations: Olive, Chiclana, Jaen, Spain, ROME, Italy, Madrid, European, France, Germany, Mantua, Andalusia, European Union, U.S, ITALY, Treviso, Venice, Sicily

☆ Italy's Lampedusa 'in crisis' with thousands of migrant arrivals - mayor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Yara Nardi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Migrants wait at the port to be transferred to the mainland, on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 14, 2023. "In the past 48 hours, around 7,000 people have arrived in Lampedusa, which has always welcomed them with open arms," mayor Filippo Mannino told Italy's RTL 102.5 radio. "We stand ready to support Italy and this is what we are doing," a Commission spokesperson said. Preliminary data from Spain, another country on the EU's southern flank, showed the number of migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands more than trebled to 2,891 people in the first two weeks of September. Matteo Villa, a migration data analysis expert from the ISPI think tank in Milan, told Reuters migrant arrivals to Italy this year are close to the record registered in 2016, when more than 180,000 people came.

Persons: Yara, Lampedusa, Filippo Mannino, Giorgia, Matteo Salvini, Meloni, Matteo Villa, Gavin Jones, Alvise Armellini, Federico Maccioni, Corina Pons, Keith Weir, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, European Commission, European Union, RTL, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, North Africa, Tunisia, Malta, Sicily, Europe, Italian, Budapest, Brussels, Spain, Senegal, Milan, Tunis, Rome, Madrid

☆ Maui Family Describes a Tragic Night Trying to Escape the Deadly Wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Corina Knoll | More About Corina Knoll | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Folau Tone steadied himself as a gale whipped through his street in Lahaina. Trying to nail down the rattling tin roof on his family’s home, he gave up as fragments were stripped away. In West Maui, power lines were crashing down, and the electricity was out across a large swath of the island. Folau’s wife had already left for her job at a hotel, but their four children had stayed behind. She liked cooking in the open air and had long ago set up a makeshift kitchen with propane burners under a tent.

Persons: steadied, Faaoso Locations: Lahaina ., West Maui, fussing

Inditex shares have risen around 64% over the past 12 months as the world's biggest clothing retailer successfully passed cost increases on to shoppers and reported record profit margins. But after several U.S. retailers including Macy's and Foot Locker warned of weak consumer spending, fears of an economic slowdown have come back into focus. "I think companies will be more disciplined and will reduce pricing where they think they can gain volumes," said Fabio Di Giansante, portfolio manager at Amundi, which holds shares in Inditex. In the six months to July last year, Inditex's sales increased by 25% and profits climbed by 41% - but that was in comparison with a period marked by COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. According to Bernstein analysts, Inditex's key rival H&M (HMb.ST), set to report third-quarter sales on Friday, has pushed through more price increases than peers over the past year.

Persons: Inditex, Locker, Inditex's, Fabio Di Giansante, Geoffroy De Mendez, De Mendez, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Bernstein, Amundi's Di Giansante, Helen Reid, Corina Pons, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Macy's, Inditex . Bank of America, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Zara, Amundi, Inditex ., U.S, London, Madrid

"Increasingly we are going to turn used clothes into raw material from Europe for fashion companies." Also in Spain, rivals including H&M, Mango and Inditex have created a non-profit association to manage clothing waste, responding to an EU law requiring member states to separate textiles from other waste from January 2025. OBSTACLESThe obstacles to significantly reducing clothing waste are formidable, despite the EU crackdown, industry sustainability commitments and initiatives like the Moda Re expansion. Adidas (ADSGn.DE), Bestseller, and H&M (HMb.ST) have invested in Finnish start-up Infinited Fiber Company, which manufactures fibre out of textile waste, cardboard and paper. As in Spain, textile waste associations would be set up in each country.

Persons: Albert Alberich, Inditex, Dijana Lind, Hugo Boss, Lind, Moda, Aissatou Boukoum, Mauro Scalia, Corina Pons, Helen Reid, Horaci Garcia, Nacho, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: BARCELONA, Moda, Caritas, Union, European Commission, Union Investment, Adidas, McKinsey, Reuters, EU, ReHubs, Moda Re, United Nations, Inditex, Puma, Infinited Fiber Company, Thomson Locations: Spain, Barcelona, Spanish, Europe, Zara, Bilbao, Valencia, EU, Frankfurt, ReHubs Europe, Mali, Sant, AFRICA, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Africa, Senegalese, Germany, Texaid, Switzerland, Vestisolidale, Italy, France, EURATEX, Madrid, London, Nacho Doce

☆ Shrinking California Still Dreams, but More Modestly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Corina Knoll | More About Corina Knoll | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

California has long beckoned with its coastal beauty and bustle — the magnetic pull of Hollywood, the power of Silicon Valley. That allure helped make it a cultural, economic and political force. For 170 years, growth was constant and expansion felt boundless. And it was easy to be drawn in by the lore. By early 2020, California’s population had soared to nearly 40 million residents, with another 10 million expected in the coming decades.

Persons: “, ”, Adrian Dove Locations: California, Silicon, South Los Angeles

☆ The workplace can be rough for menopausal women. Employers are starting to step up
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The very topic of menopause has been taboo, particularly in the workplace, potentially further exacerbating the psychological burden of menopause symptoms,” the Mayo researchers noted. A 57-year old woman who has worked for years in the construction industry said she first experienced severe menopausal symptoms in her previous job. Menopausal symptoms might not be as troublesome at work if women could access more reliable information and care from their regular doctors. The plan lets any employee take up to 10 days off to address self-care issues of any kind, which the company notes can include dealing with menopausal symptoms. It was an attempt to find a way to help employees deal with their symptoms in ways they needed, Falcione told CNN.

Persons: “, ”, Mercer, it’s, White, “ I’ll, I’m, didn’t, Stephanie Faubion, you’re, ” Faubion, Faubion, Aaron Falcione, Falcione, Corina Leu, Leu Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Mayo Clinic, Mayo, Mayo Clinic’s Center, Women’s Health, Merck, Mercer Locations: New York, United States, ”, Mayo

Most regions of Southern California avoided significant damage this week from Tropical Storm Hilary, but authorities continued their rescue and cleanup efforts on Tuesday in several mountain and desert communities where homes were flooded and fast-moving mudslides had washed away sections of roadway and stranded residents. In one desperate situation, crews were searching for a 75-year-old woman who has been missing for nearly two days in the mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest. Christie Rockwood, who lived in a trailer home in a tiny community known as Seven Oaks, had not been heard from since Sunday evening, when she spoke to a friend by phone, according to her daughter Tracey Monteverde.

Persons: Hilary, Christie Rockwood, Tracey Monteverde Organizations: Tropical, San Bernardino National, Oaks Locations: Southern California, Christie

The storm has put the migrant population in Tijuana in an even more vulnerable position, since most of the camps and shelters lack the basic conditions to withstand even light rain. While waiting for an asylum appointment in the border city of Tijuana, Mr. Torres found himself not only escaping violence but also a life-threatening tropical storm on Friday. Image People at a makeshift shelter in Tijuana as Tropical Storm Hilary hit Mexico on Sunday. The migrants crossed the heavily polluted Tijuana River into U.S. territory, and waited to be processed in the rain. At the Ambassadors of Jesus Church, a migrant shelter housing some 1,600 people, water had completely surrounded the building, said Father Gustavo Banda, who operates the shelter.

Persons: José de Jesús Torres, Torres, Areli, ”, Hilary, Gustavo Banda, Enrique Lucero Organizations: Tropical, Sunday ., Reuters, Sunday, U.S . Border Patrol, of Jesus Church Locations: Michoacán, Mexico, U.S, United States, Tijuana, Colombian, California

“If you were to throw gasoline on a fire that’s already burning, that fire would grow really rapidly, really quickly. “Being hurricane season prepared also means being compassionate and kind to yourself during times of hardship,” NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness campaign, advised in a post on Instagram. Ms. Sibley, an administrative assistant and Ms. Ozane’s sister, has tried to save money to help with riding out hurricanes only for other demands to interfere with that. “What am I going to do if a hurricane really comes?” she said. “I pray we don’t have a bad one this year,” Ms. Sibley said.

Persons: El Niño, ”, Roishetta Sibley Ozane, Phil Klotzbach, “ There’s, Hurricane Ida, Emily Kask, The New York Times El, El, Eric Blake, Andrew, Craig E, Blake, Michael, Laura, Ian, Clay Tucker, NOLA Ready, Hurricane Laura, Ozane, “ They’re, Lake Charles, Ms, Meoshia Sibley, Sibley, Ozane’s, ” Ms, “ Organizations: Biscayne, El, Colorado State University, ”, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic, The New York Times, National Hurricane Center, Experts, Louisiana State University, University of Southern, Delta, of Louisiana Locations: Biscayne Beach, Florida, Westlake, La, Hurricane, Galliano, United States, University of Southern Mississippi, New Orleans, Lake Charles, Louisiana

As Hurricane Hilary heads north, Southern California and Mexico are bracing for a rare and powerful storm that could produce dangerous flash flooding and sustained winds that have not been seen for decades. The Category 4 hurricane is so unusual that it has prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue a tropical storm watch for California for the first time in its history. In California, the desert and mountain communities are of particular concern. The National Weather Service warned of five to eight inches of rain for the Coachella Valley, about 120 miles east of Los Angeles. The tropical storm could force numerous evacuations and rescues, as well as deadly runoff that may “rage down valleys while increasing susceptibility to rockslides and mudslides,” the agency said.

Persons: Hilary Organizations: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service Locations: Southern California, Mexico, California, Baja California, San Diego, Los Angeles, Coachella

TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Aug 18 (Reuters) - A wildfire that has blanketed much of the Spanish island of Tenerife with smoke and ash has slowed its advance thanks to containment efforts and more favourable weather during the night, authorities said on Friday. Fernando Clavijo, regional leader of the Canary Islands, said there were no more evacuations overnight and officials were considering lifting restrictions on almost 4,000 residents who had been ordered to stay home. [1/2]Pine trees burn in a forest fire in Candelaria on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain August 16, 2023. Scorching heat and dry weather this summer have contributed to unusually severe wildfires in Europe and Canada. On Friday, Spain's AEMET weather service expected maximum temperatures of 32C in Tenerife.

Persons: Fernando Clavijo, We've, Borja Suarez, Mount Teide, Andrei Khalip, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Teide Astrophysics, Thomson Locations: TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Spanish, Tenerife, Candelaria, Europe, Canada, Maui, Lahaina

TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Firefighters on Thursday struggled to contain a wildfire that broke out in a mountainous national park on the Spanish island of Tenerife, prompting authorities to evacuate at least 3,800 people. "The night has been very tough...This is the most complex fire we've had in the Canary Islands in the last 40 years," the region's leader, Fernando Clavijo, told a news conference. [1/5]EIRIF forest firefighters work during the extinction of the forest fire in Arafo on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain August 16, 2023. Last week, a heatwave in the Canary Islands left many areas bone dry, heightening the risk of wildfires. This summer, firefighters have extinguished a series of forest fires on the islands of Gran Canaria and La Palma, which form part of the Canary Islands archipelago.

Persons: Alba Gil, we've, Fernando Clavijo, Pedro Martinez, Borja Suarez, Clavijo, Teide, Aena, Andrei Khalip, Christina Fincher, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Gran Canaria, La, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Tenerife, La Esperanza, Canary, Europe, Canada, Lahaina, Arafo, El Rosario, La Orotava, Spanish, Gran

☆ Wildfire in Tenerife national park prompts village evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A wildfire that broke out in a national park on the Spanish island of Tenerife has spread to 300 hectares, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of five villages and to cut off access to the forest surrounding the Mount Teide volcano. "The fire is powerful and is in a complicated area," Canary Islands regional President Fernando Clavijo told a news conference in Tenerife. [1/5]Flames and smoke rise as wildfire burns on the Canary island of Tenerife, Spain, August 16, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. During the last week, a heatwave in the Canary Islands has left many areas bone dry and increased the risk of wildfires. This summer, firefighters have extinguished a series of forest fires on the islands of Gran Canaria and La Palma, which form part of the Canary Islands archipelago.

Persons: Fernando Clavijo, Pedro Martinez, Gerardo Ibelli, Rosa Davila, Davila, Corina Pons, Inti Landauro, Angus MacSwan, Charlie Devereux, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Media, Gran Canaria, La, Radio Canarias, Thomson Locations: TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Tenerife, Arrate, Gran, Spanish

☆ 'Mad' tree cull raises hackles in Canary Island town
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( John Stonestreet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Opponents of the scheme on the Canary Island of La Gomera call it an atrocity and will demonstrate against it on Saturday. Their petition to halt the cull of flame trees, whose bright red flowers make them a magnet for tourists, has drawn more than 1,200 signatures. "We are all battling climate change, and trying to create a green San Sebastian. Laura Concepcion, biologist at the World Biosphere Reserve on neighbouring La Palma, said flame trees could not be deemed an aggressive species. Rodriguez admitted the San Sebastian flame trees' roots were interfering with pipes and distorting stones in some places.

Persons: Aguilar, Elizabeth Scullion, Angelica Padilla, del Carmen Rodriguez, Gomera, Javier Sanchez, Laura Concepcion, Rodriguez, John Stonestreet, Corina Rodriguez, William Maclean Organizations: Avenida, REUTERS, Canarian, Socialist Party, PSOE, Reuters, UNESCO, La, Thomson Locations: Spanish, La Gomera, Spain, Handout, SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, San Sebastian, La Palma

The largest island, Tenerife, received 4% more tourists in June than in the pre-pandemic 2019. But there were 22% fewer Germans, a clear sign of how the energy crisis and economic woes have weighed on travel decisions. Meanwhile, hotels in traditional hotspots for German tourists, such as the town of Puerto de la Cruz in northern Tenerife, are now filling up with "weather tourists". This year, 18% fewer Germans went on summer holidays than in 2019, according to Germany's tourism industry group DRV. According to Spanish official data, in the first half of 2023, 14% fewer Germans visited Tenerife than in 2019.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Shizuko Hotta, Hotta, Diego Bejarano, Enrique Talg, Corina Pons, Sarah Marsh, Andrei Khalip, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Gran Canaria, REUTERS, Borja Suarez PUERTO, LA, la, Thomson Locations: Puerto Rico, Gran, Spain, LA CRUZ, Canary Islands, Africa, Tenerife, Puerto, la Cruz, Lake Constance, Germany, Spanish, United States, Canada, U.S, Europe

Ferrovial has been providing artificial intelligence services to its businesses and employees since April after two years of work on an AI solutions centre in Spain. Ferrovial is working with Microsoft AI products, but has its own, completely isolated version, and is building the framework for an AI service that will help its various businesses. The company is also using AI tools on its highways to detect cars going the wrong way, objects or people on the road, and is working on perfecting the sensors. In parallel, Ferrovial is working on ways to communicate directly with motorists using its U.S. toll roads and give them more information than just the rates. AI will also help it contact potential users to offer discounts and attract more traffic.

Persons: Ferrovial, Luis Carlos Pietro Fernandez, Fernandez, Corina Pons, Andrei Khalip, Conor Humphries Organizations: Heathrow, Reuters, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spain, Highways, Madrid, Netherlands, United States, Heathrow, Britain's, New, JFK

☆ Zara founder Ortega's real estate fortune hit $20 bln in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, July 27 (Reuters) - The investment firm of Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, the founder of fashion giant Inditex (ITX.MC), on Thursday reported a 2.8 billion-euro jump in the market value of its real estate assets last year, to 18.1 billion euros ($20.08 billion). The United States, where Inditex plans to open more of its Zara stores, has been one of Ortega's main markets. Pontegadea booked a net profit of 2 billion euros last year, up from 1.6 billion euros in 2021, mainly due to dividends from Inditex, which soared as its key brand Zara quickly recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Pontegadea, which for years mainly focused on real estate, has also been looking into energy companies, buying stakes in solar plants, electricity grid operators and wind farms. ($1 = 0.9038 euros)($1 = 0.9015 euros)Reporting by Corina Pons; editing by Catarina Demony and Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Amancio Ortega, Ortega, Pontegadea, Corina Pons, Catarina Demony, Andrei Khalip Organizations: Fedex, Thomson Locations: MADRID, United States, New York, Seattle, Zara, Inditex

☆ Wildfire on Spain's Gran Canaria island 'stabilised' - emergency services
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Spain, July 27 (Reuters) - Firefighters have "stabilised" a wildfire that ravaged 400 hectares of woodland in the centre of the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, local emergency services chief Federico Grillo said on Thursday. Three roads were closed off while emergency services deployed nine aircraft and 250 firefighters to contain the blaze. "Unfortunately, a house has burned down on Pico de las Nieves," Grillo said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Earlier in July, 4,000 people were evacuated from their homes on the island of La Palma, near Gran Canaria, as a forest fire burned out of control while countries across Europe have struggled to cope with wildfires amidst a heatwave. Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by David Latona and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Federico Grillo, Pico de las Nieves, " Grillo, Corina Pons, David Latona, Sharon Singleton Organizations: SANTA CRUZ, Gran Canaria, . Authorities, Twitter, Thomson Locations: SANTA, SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Spain, Spanish, Gran, Pico de, La Palma, Europe

☆ Wildfire in Spain's Gran Canaria island menaces villages
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Borja Suarez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEJEDA, Spain, July 25 (Reuters) - A rapidly-spreading wildfire that broke out at the centre of the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Tuesday forced the authorities to remove several hundred villagers from their homes, shut three roads and deploy helicopters to contain the blaze. However, Spanish airports operator AENA told Reuters, however, the Gran Canaria airport on the eastern coast was operating normally. Antonio Morales, head of the Island Council of Gran Canaria, told reporters about 100 firefighters and nine aircraft were working to put out the blaze that has so far burned through 200 hectares of forest but no buildings have been harmed. "They told me they were already there trying to put the fire out but two hours later it broke out of control," he said. Reporting by Borja Suarez in Gran Canaria island, with additional reporting of Corina Pons in Tenerife island.

Persons: Federico Grillo, Antonio Morales, Cuevas Blancas, Jose Ramon Henriquez, Borja Suarez, Corina Pons, Andrei Khalip, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Gran Canaria, Reuters, AENA, Radio Canarias, Island, Thomson Locations: Spain, Spanish, Gran, Gran Canaria, Tenerife

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