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☆ 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

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates. In France, Italy, and Spain, most shoppers planned to buy clothing on Black Friday, with electronic goods coming second, according to a PwC survey. Thanksgiving Day discounts online peaked at about 28% for toys, while electronics had discounts as steep as 27%, Adobe said.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Cowen, Theresa Forsberg, “ It’s, ”, Jill Lizzo, she’s, “, I’m, Lizzo, PwC, hasn’t, Naomi Ojomo, Jeff Gennette, Barbie, John Roberts, Apple AirPods, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Katherine Masters, Arriana McLymore, Helen Reid, Mimosa Spencer, Corina Pons, James Davey, Siddharth Cavale, Arriana, Deboarh Sophia, David Gaffen, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Shoppers, National Retail Federation, Insider Intelligence, Barclays, Macy's, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Walmart, Argos, PlayStation, Apple, Thomson Locations: Westbury , New York, U.S, RALEIGH, N.C, New Milford , Connecticut, . U.S, Harlem, Manhattan, France, Italy, Spain, Zara, Canary Wharf, London, British, Paris, Madrid, New York, Raleigh , North Carolina, Bengaluru

☆ Amazon hit by strikes, protests across Europe during Black Friday trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Make Amazon Pay", a campaign coordinated by the UNI Global Union, said strikes and protests would take place in more than 30 countries from Black Friday - the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, when many retailers slash prices to boost sales - through to Monday. In Germany, Amazon's second-biggest market by sales last year, around 250 workers were on strike at a Leipzig warehouse and around 500 at an Amazon warehouse in Rheinberg, trade union Verdi said on Friday. More than 200 workers were striking on Friday at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry, England as part of a long-running dispute over pay. The striking workers were chanting their demand for a pay rise to 15 pounds ($18.69) an hour. Amazon has remained popular in Europe even as rivals like Shein and Temu have seen rapid growth.

Persons: Amazon's, Verdi, Nick Henderson, Amazon, CGIL, CCOO, Helen Reid, James Davey, Phil Noble, Matthias Inverardi, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Pons, Sharon Singleton Organizations: UNI Global Union, U.S, Amazon, Castel, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Europe, U.S, Germany, Leipzig, Rheinberg, Amazon's, Coventry, England, Castel San Giovanni, France, London, Dusseldorf, Milan, Madrid

☆ Amazon protests in Europe target warehouses, lockers on busy Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Black Friday, the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, many retailers slash prices to boost sales. More than 1,000 workers at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry, England, will strike on Friday, according to trade union GMB, as part of a long-running dispute over pay. Many Amazon shoppers use its lockers, which are located in train stations, supermarket car parks, and street corners, to receive their orders. Attac, which calls Black Friday a "celebration of overproduction and overconsumption", said it expects the protest to be wider than last year, when it estimates 100 Amazon lockers across France were targeted. "Make Amazon Pay", a global campaign coordinated by UNI Global Union, said strikes and protests would take place in more than 30 countries from Black Friday through to Monday.

Persons: Pascal, Amazon's, Verdi, CGIL, CCOO, Helen Reid, James Davey, Matthias Inverardi, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Pons, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Workers, U.S, Amazon, GMB, Trade, Amazon's, Castel, UNI Global Union, Thomson Locations: Boves, France, Europe, U.S, Germany, Bad Hersfeld, Dortmund, Koblenz, Leipzig, Amazon's, Coventry , England, London, Castel San Giovanni, Black, Dusseldorf, Milan, Madrid

☆ Amazon hit by strikes, protests across Europe during Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In England, more than 200 workers were striking on Friday at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry as part of a long-running dispute over pay. The striking workers were chanting their demand for a pay rise to 15 pounds ($18.69) an hour. [1/4]People hold a banner during a Black Friday strike outside the Amazon warehouse, in Coventry, Britain November 24, 2023. Spanish union CCOO called for Amazon warehouse and delivery workers to stage a one-hour strike on each shift on "Cyber Monday" next week. Amazon has remained popular in Europe even as rivals like Shein and Temu have seen rapid growth.

Persons: Amazon's, Verdi, Nick Henderson, Phil Noble, Amazon, CGIL, CCOO, Helen Reid, James Davey, Matthias Inverardi, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Pons, Nick Zieminski, Jason Neely Organizations: UNI Global Union, U.S, Amazon, REUTERS, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Europe, U.S, Germany, Rheinberg, Leipzig, England, Amazon's, Coventry, Britain, Italy, Castel San Giovanni, Spanish, France, London, Dusseldorf, Milan, Madrid

One-litre bottles of extra-virgin olive oil are selling for as much as 14.5 euros ($15.77) in some supermarkets, propelling olive oil into the category of products retailers fit with security tags, alongside spirits, cosmetics and appliances. "Olive oil has become an ideal product for them to steal." STC, a Spanish company providing anti-theft solutions to retailers, saw a 12-fold increase in orders this summer from supermarkets for devices to protect olive oil bottles, managing partner Salvador Canones told Reuters. Spanish police have also uncovered thefts of olive oil from mills and in October arrested two people as part of an investigation into the theft of 56 tonnes of extra virgin olive oil. Among the world's biggest consumers of olive oil, they have already significantly cut back: sales volumes of extra-virgin olive oil fell by 17% in the 12 months to September, according to NielsenIQ.

Persons: Jon Nazca, Ruben Navarro, Navarro, Tu, " Navarro, Salvador Canones, Corina Rodriguez, Helen Reid, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tu, STC, Reuters, Spanish, Thomson Locations: Olive, Malaga, Spain, Rights MADRID, Spain's Andalucia, Carrefour, Madrid, Spanish

[1/5] Several volunteers give Spanish classes to migrants outside the Las Raices Camp in La Laguna, Spain, November 5, 2023. The mix-up shows just how overwhelmed the Spanish archipelago is, Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo told Reuters, after a record 32,000 migrants came so far this year. At Tenerife's Las Raices adult migrants' centre in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Camara and his friend from the voyage, 16-year-old Modou Lamin Jarju from Gambia, sat around with dozens of other west Africans. Reuters GraphicsOne of the most strained of the eight Canary Islands is El Hierro, its population of 9,000 more than matched by the arrival of 11,000 migrants this year. At its largest minors' centre on a recent day, some 300 children ate breakfast on a basketball court before Spanish lessons.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Moussa Camara, Camara, Classing, Fernando Clavijo, Fran Morenilla, Salaoum Colley, Amparo Morales, Clavijo, El Hierro, Corina Pons, Horaci Garcia, Charlie Devereux, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, CRISTOBAL, LA LAGUNA, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Las, Amnesty, Canaries, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Camara, Thomson Locations: La Laguna, Spain, Guinea, Europe, Islands, Spanish, Almeria, Canary, San Cristobal de La, Jarju, Gambia, El Hierro, European Union, Africa, Senegal

☆ Spanish government in talks with banks to support Siemens Gamesa
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Miniatures of windmill, solar panel and electric pole are seen in front of Siemens Energy logo in this illustration taken January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Spanish government said on Tuesday it is working with banks to provide financial support to Siemens Gamesa, with the ultimate aim of protecting the workers the company employs in the country. "The future of Siemens Gamesa in Spain is a priority for the government," the Industry Ministry said in a statement. Siemens Gamesa has provided wind turbines to some of the biggest power companies and oil and gas majors worldwide and has warned troubles with its onshore wind turbines could take years to resolve. In Spain, the industry minister considers the government has several avenues of funding and support for the wind industry in the short term.

Persons: Dado, Siemens Gamesa, Corina Pons, Stephen Coates Organizations: Siemens Energy, REUTERS, Rights, Siemens Gamesa, Industry Ministry, Siemens, Thomson Locations: Rights MADRID, Germany, Spain

REUTERS/Arriana McLymore/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID/LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC), the world's biggest clothing retailer, has agreed to buy recycled polyester from U.S. start-up Ambercycle, the companies said on Wednesday. As fast-fashion retailers face pressure to reduce waste and use recycled fabrics, Inditex is spending more than 70 million euros ($74 million) to secure supply of Ambercycle's recycled polyester made from textile waste. Under the offtake deal, Inditex will buy a "significant" portion of Ambercycle's production of recycled polyester, which is sold under the brand cycora, over three years. Textile-to-textile polyester recycling is in its infancy, though, and will take time to reach the scale required by global fashion brands. The Ambercycle deal marks the latest in a series of investments made by Inditex into textile recycling start-ups.

Persons: Arriana, Inditex, Zara Athleticz, Javier Losada, Corina Pons, Helen Reid, Cynthia Osterman, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Infinited, Thomson Locations: Zara's Soho, New York City, U.S, MADRID, LONDON, Zara, Los Angeles, Circ, Spain

☆ Spanish airline Air Europa hit by credit card system breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Air Europa customer service booth is seen at Gran Canaria airport, in Telde, Gran Canaria, Spain, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Borja Suarez/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Spanish airline Air Europa has suffered a cyberattack on its online payment system that let some of its customers' credit card details exposed, the company said on Tuesday. The airline emailed customers whose credit card details were affected and notified the relevant financial institutions, it added. Air Europa reported that incident 41 days after it happened, whereas companies are required to do so within 72 hours. Madrid-based Air Europa is in the process of being taken over by British Airways-owner International Consolidated Airlines Group (ICAG.L).

Persons: Borja Suarez, Corina Pons, Inti Landauro, Louise Heavens Organizations: Air Europa, Gran Canaria, REUTERS, Rights, Spanish, Reuters, Europa, British Airways, International Consolidated Airlines Group, Thomson Locations: Gran, Telde, Spain, Rights MADRID, Spanish, Madrid

☆ Spanish police seize 74 tonnes of stolen olives amid soaring prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Spanish police have seized 74 tonnes of stolen olives in the southern province of Seville, the latest theft triggered by soaring prices caused by a dwindling harvest. Some 6,000 litres of extra virgin olive oil were stolen in late September from olive oil producer Terraverne, which operates in Teba, a small village in Malaga province, and specialises in premium olive oil. "With the prices of olive oil, stealing oil is now like stealing jewellery," Larrubia Nogales said in a telephone interview. Marin Serrano El Lagar, an oil press in Carcabuey, Cordoba, had about 50,000 litres of olive oil stolen a few days later. Dcoop, the largest olive oil cooperative in Spain and the country's second biggest olive oil producer, said none of its presses had suffered robberies.

Persons: Marcelo del Pozo, Laura Larrubia Nogales, Larrubia Nogales, Marin Serrano El Lagar, Dcoop, Corina Pons, Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Spanish, Police, Reuters, Thomson Locations: La Rinconada, Seville, Rights MADRID, Pilas, Spain, world's, Teba, Malaga province, Nogales, Carcabuey, Cordoba

[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

☆ 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

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

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

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

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

[1/3] A man called David checks his phone as he stands near a fan to cool off, during a heatwave across Italy, in Rome, July 14, 2023. A heat wave has hit southern Europe during the peak summer tourist season, breaking records - including in Rome - and bringing warnings about an increased risk of deaths. Spain is expected to endure higher-than-average temperatures this summer, with two heatwaves already baking the country in June and July. Amazon Business, where companies can order supplies, saw more than a 20% increase in portable air-conditioning unit sales across Spain, Italy, and France this month compared to July last year. Smaller devices, like hand-held fans and fans worn around the neck, were also selling in their thousands.

Persons: David, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Angela Lonardo, Leroy Merlin, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Rodriguez, Helen Reid, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, El, El Corte Inglés, Amazon Spain, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, MADRID, MILAN, Southern Europe, Europe, United States, El Corte, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Sensibo, France, Corte, Milan, London

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