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☆ Spain tells 'fire tourists' to stay away from forest blaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Guillermo Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A plane throws water over a wildfire in Pina de Montalgrao, Castellon, following a wildfire raged in eastern Spain, March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Lorena SopenaBARRACAS, Spain, March 26 (Reuters) - Officials urged 'fire tourists' to keep away from blazes raging in eastern Spain on Sunday, saying onlookers were putting themselves at risk and disrupting efforts to quell the flames. Police had spotted 14 cyclists near the scene trying to get a closer look, Gabriela Bravo, the regional head of interior affairs in the Valencia region, told reporters. "We ask once again and above all tourists not to engage in fire tourism, not to approach the perimeter area," she said. In Spain, 493 fires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares of land last year, according to the Commission's European Forest Fire Information System.

☆ Spain firefighters working to control blaze that has destroyed 4,000 hectares
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VILLANUEVA DE VIVER, Spain, March 25 (Reuters) - Firefighters said on Saturday they had stopped Spain's first major wildfire of the year from spreading further through the eastern Valencia region, where it destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) of forest and forced 1,500 residents to abandon their homes. In Spain, 493 fires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares of land last year, according to the Commission's European Forest Fire Information System. More than 500 firefighters supported by 20 planes and helicopters were working to bring the blaze under control near the village of Villanueva de Viver, in the Valencia region, emergency services said on Saturday. [1/2] A wildfire burns parts of rural areas in Monte Pino, Spain, March 24, 2023. "On Saturday morning, airplanes will try to stop the fire spreading to other communities," Bravo told a news conference on Friday night.

[1/7] A view shows a forest parcel from which trees burned by the last summer's wildfires have been removed, in Landiras, in the Gironde region, France, March 20, 2023. Columns of white, acrid smoke rise from a forest floor outside the town of Hostens in the Gironde region, south of Bordeaux. The Gironde region was particularly badly hit with 20,000 hectares of forest destroyed, and the risk of renewed fires is a great concern. When it comes to wildfires risk, she said that prevention was crucial, as well as swift intervention when a fire first starts, which is easier to do from above. The interior ministry said measures for fighting forest fires across France will be presented in the coming weeks.

☆ First major fire of year destroys 3,000 hectares in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

VILLANUEVA DE VIVER, Spain, March 24 (Reuters) - Spain's first major wildfire of the year raged in the eastern Valencia region on Friday, destroying more than 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest and forcing 1,500 residents to abandon their homes, authorities said. In Spain, 493 fires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares of land last year, according to the Commission's European Forest Fire Information System. Spain is experiencing a long-term drought after three years of below-average rainfall. A European Commission report this month observed a lack of rain and warmer-than-normal temperatures during the winter, raising drought warnings for southern Spain, France, Ireland, Britain, northern Italy, Greece and parts of eastern Europe. The Commission report warned that low levels of water could affect strategic sectors including agriculture, hydropower and energy production.

☆ Ecuador, Peru authorities assess damage after earthquake that killed at least 15
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] A woman sitting on a hammock holds her baby next to the destroyed wall of her house following an earthquake in Isla Puna, Ecuador March 18, 2023. REUTERS/Maria Fernanda Landin/File PhotoMarch 19 (Reuters) - Ecuadorian and Peruvian authorities worked on Sunday to assess the damage caused by the previous day's strong earthquake that shook the region, leaving at least 15 dead and hundreds injured. State-run oil company Petroecuador reported that an offshore platform near the epicenter suffered damage that caused machinery to fail, temporarily reducing production. Peruvian authorities reported one death, four collapsed homes and five more left uninhabitable, while essential services and transportation infrastructure were undamaged. During his Sunday message, Pope Francis sent his condolences for the losses and "all those who suffer" due to the earthquake.

☆ Magnitude 6.8 earthquake shakes Ecuador, at least four deaths reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A damaged car and rubble from a house affected by the earthquake are pictured in Cuenca, Ecuador. REUTERS/Rafa Idrovo EspinozaQUITO, March 18 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook a coastal region of Ecuador and northern Peru midday Saturday, leaving at least four people dead and resulting in some structural damage. In the community of Machala, three people were killed and multiple structures collapsed, including a two-story home and a wharf, while multiple communities lost power. The earthquake also led to structural damage in two other provinces, including a collapsed wall in a supermarket, and was felt in more than half of the country's 24 provinces, the Secretariat said. The initial quake was followed by two weaker aftershocks in the following hour, according to the Geophysics Institute of Ecuador.

☆ Volkswagen to invest in mines in bid to become global battery supplier
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Europe's biggest carmaker wants its battery unit PowerCo to become a global battery supplier, not just produce for Volkswagen's own needs, Thomas Schmall told Reuters in an interview. Long-term, Volkswagen plans to build enough cells to meet half its global battery needs, with most production capacity located in Europe and North America, according to Schmall. "The bottleneck for raw materials is mining capacity - that's why we need to invest in mines directly," he said. Volkswagen released on Thursday the details of a 25,000-euro EV it aims to sell in Europe from 2025. Asian producers like CATL, LG Chem and Samsung SDI dominate global cell production, with almost half of planned battery cell capacity in Europe by Asian players.

☆ Declassified documents do not mention Ecuador's Lasso -regulator
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, March 15 (Reuters) - Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso and his family members do not appear in declassified documents released by the country's companies regulator, the agency said on Wednesday, referring to files which opposition lawmakers had sought to shore up a possible impeachment bid. Lasso has denied corruption allegations and said his government will fully cooperate with ongoing investigations by the attorney general into alleged graft at state companies. "There is not one single clue or document that involved Mr. Guillermo Lasso in what was just declassified from the Superintendency of Companies," Pachakutik party legislator Ricardo Vanegas told journalists. "They are looking for ways to tie this soap opera to a reason to remove President Lasso," he said. "They want to keep Guillermo Lasso as president."

☆ Vinícius Jr. is being racially abused during LaLiga matches. Why is nobody being punished?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It has been updated to reflect the persistent racist abuse that Vinicius Jr. was subjected to during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia on May 21, 2023. ‘Racist campaign against Vinícius’Incidents of players being racially abused by fans have tarred numerous LaLiga matches this season. On May 21, Vinícius was again subjected to racist abuse from the stands, this time during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Most cases of racist abuse which LaLiga has referred to local prosecutors have involved Vinícius. The local prosecutor in Mallorca said it is investigating a number of cases of racist abuse at matches.

☆ Volkswagen: still targeting an affordable EV by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A model of a Volkswagen Bus is seen before the annual news conference of the Volkswagen Group at DRIVE.Volkswagen Group Forum, in Berlin, Germany March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret HilseBERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) still wants to bring an affordable electric vehicle - costing around 25,000 euros ($26,790.00) in today's prices - to market by 2025, the carmaker said on Tuesday, describing it as a model below the ID.3. "We will have significant scale by then... our Valencia plant cell factory gives us additional improvement on the cell side. By then we (will) hopefully have also made significant progress in attaining a significant supply (of) raw materials," Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz said on an analyst call. ($1 = 0.9332 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee Editing by Madeline ChambersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ecuador lawmakers declassify documents in bid to impeach Lasso
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Legislators of Ecuador's National Assembly attend a session to debate a report recommending the opening of impeachment hearings against President Guillermo Lasso, in Quito, Ecuador March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, March 14 (Reuters) - Ecuador's national assembly on Tuesday voted to declassify documents tied to investigations into allegations of corruption at public companies, in a bid to shore up impeachment charges against President Guillermo Lasso. Lasso has denied corruption accusations and said his government will cooperate fully with the investigations by the attorney general's office. Any impeachment process against Lasso - who survived an ouster attempt last year during anti-government protests - would also require approval by the constitutional court. The CONAIE Indigenous organization, which led protests last year, has called for Lasso's resignation but so far not backed national protests.

☆ Volkswagen: we are covered by our three gigafactories in Europe until 2028
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WOLFSBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) battery needs are covered until 2028 by its three confirmed factories in Europe - the Salzgitter plant in Germany, Northvolt's plant in Sweden and a planned plant in Valencia, board member Thomas Schmall said on Monday. "With these three plants we are covered until 2028," Schmall said at a press event at the Salzgitter plant, inaugurated last July. The Valencia plant, confirmed last year, is due to begin production in 2026. Volkswagen said last week it was waiting to hear what Europe's response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act will be before progressing with plans to build further battery plants in the region. The carmaker was standardising the structure of its factories to make production more efficient, Schmall said, describing the process of building new plants as "copy-paste".

☆ Inflation isn't dampening people's desire to travel — but travel companies may be missing a trick
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Inflation and higher living costs may be weighing on consumers' wallets, but there's one area where many are unwilling to cut back: their desire to travel. The number of people willing to fork out more on travel could be even higher, as costs rise. Inflation and higher living costs may be weighing on consumers' wallets, but many are unwilling to cut back on travel. Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty ImagesThe disconnect could mean travel companies might fail to provide consumers with the deals they're looking for. The United Nations World Tourism Organization said that it expects the global tourism market to recover 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels this year.

☆ Ford to cut 1,100 jobs in Spain - spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Ford Motor Co FollowMADRID, March 10 (Reuters) - U.S. auto maker Ford (F.N) plans to slash 1,100 jobs at its plant located in Valencia in eastern Spain, a company spokesperson said on Friday. The layoffs, which were shared with unions, are part of the company's changes to its car production lineup in Europe, the spokesperson said. "Ford will work constructively with its union partners to reduce the impact of the separations on employees, their families, and the local community," she said. The electric vehicle production plan would entail job cuts, Ford had said when unveiling the project. Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Andrei Khalip and David LatonaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Volkswagen pauses on Europe battery plants, awaits EU response to IRA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"De facto it is the case that we are getting ahead far faster in North America," a person close to the matter said to Reuters, declining to be named. Asked about the report, a Volkswagen spokesperson said the carmaker was "still evaluating suitable locations for our next cell factories in Eastern Europe and North America. The company said in October last year it planned to firmly settle on a location for a plant in eastern Europe in the first six months of 2023. Schmall said he participated in a discussion with EU officials via the European Battery Alliance last week on what conditions were needed in Europe for battery production. These included state aid in line with China and North America, a raw materials strategy and affordable renewable energy, he said.

☆ Ecuador, Belgium sign deal to fight crime after mega cocaine bust
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Ecuador and Belgium on Monday agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in their fight against international organized crime, a day after Ecuadorean police seized nearly nine tonnes of drugs bound for the European country. Ecuadorean police found some 8.78 tons of cocaine hidden in a container with bananas, the organization said on Sunday. The size of the seizure over the weekend makes it necessary for Ecuador to further strengthen cooperation with the Belgian government, Ecuador's Interior Minister Juan Zapata told reporters. Of the 201 tonnes of drugs seized in Ecuador last year, almost 18% was destined for Belgium, specifically Antwerp, Zapata said. So far in 2023, Ecuador has seized some 39 tonnes of drugs, especially cocaine, according to police data.

☆ Spanish authorities detect first suspected case of Marburg disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Spain has detected its first suspected case of Marburg disease, a deadly infectious disease that has led to the quarantining of more than 200 people in Equatorial Guinea, health authorities in the Spanish region of the Valencia said on Saturday. Marburg virus can have a fatality rate of up to 88%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Equatorial Guinea quarantined more than 200 people and restricted movement on Feb. 13 in its Kie-Ntem province, where the hemorrhagic fever was first detected. The WHO said it was increasing its epidemiological surveillance in Equatorial Guinea. Cameroonian authorities detected two suspected cases of Marburg disease on Feb. 13 in Olamze, a commune on the border with Equatorial Guinea, the public health delegate for the region, Robert Mathurin Bidjang, said on Feb. 14.

☆ Ecuador Indigenous organization ends talks with gov't, calls for Lasso resignation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Leonidas Iza, leader of Ecuador's indigenous organization CONAIE, and leaders of the indigenous nationalities of the Sierra, the coast and the Amazon celebrate, on the day of a meeting held by Ecuador's top indigenous organization CONAIE along with other campaign groups to discuss a date for new protests against the government of President Guillermo Lasso, in Quito, Ecuador February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A major Ecuadorean Indigenous organization said on Friday it will not continue talks with the government of President Guillermo Lasso, saying the government has not complied with accords, and called for Lasso's resignation over alleged corruption. The government has said it reached dozens of accords with the CONAIE indigenous organization, including a temporary moratorium on oil blocks in the Amazon and suspension of new mining concessions in ancestral territory until community consultation laws can be passed. "CONAIE breaks this process of dialogue and retires from monitoring efforts," its president Leonidas Iza told journalists after meeting with other Indigenous groups. "Mr. Guillermo Lasso for the dignity of our country, for your inability to govern and resolve the most important problems of Ecuadoreans, present your resignation," Iza said.

☆ Ecuador prosecutor asks for corruption charges against former president
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Ecuador's attorney general on Wednesday said she will ask for charges against former President Lenin Moreno and three dozen others for alleged corruption surrounding the construction of the country's largest hydroelectric plant between 2009 and 2018. The investigation "reveals a structure of corruption around the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project," the prosecutor said in a message posted on social media. Moreno's wife, one of their daughters, two of his brothers and two sisters-in-law are also among those allegedly connected to the case, Salazar said. Former managers at Coca Codo and former legal representatives of China's Sinohydro, which was in charge of building the plant, were also allegedly involved with corruption, Salazar said. China has not responded to a request for assistance in the case, Salazar said.

☆ Solid fourth-quarter earnings push AutoNation stock to an all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A solid fourth-quarter earnings report from AutoNation on Friday propelled the car dealer's stock to a new all-time high and its best day in nearly three years. The Florida-based dealership group reported an adjusted earnings per share of $6.37 and revenue of $6.7 billion for the previous quarter. AutoNation closed Friday at $157.30 a share, marking a new high for the auto dealer's stock following an 11.4 % increase to end the week. The increase follows AutoNation last year reducing shares outstanding by 25% as it repurchased 15.6 million shares, including 4.6 million during the fourth quarter. AutoNation CEO Mike Manley attributed the solid quarter and record year of earnings to operational execution as well as new all-time high earnings in after sales and customer financing.

[1/6] Workers carry a mix of seized cocaine and coca paste with industrial waste to produce cement slurry to be used in a construction, at a waste treatment plant at an undisclosed location, in Ecuador February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Huge quantities of seized drugs in Ecuador are presenting the Andean country with an unlikely new construction material: cocaine. The amount of drugs seized in Ecuador almost doubled in 2021 versus the previous year to more than 210 tonnes, mostly cocaine, according to the country's police. So far some 350 tonnes of crushed cocaine and coca paste - a cocaine precursor - seized between 2021 and 2022 have been used to fill the hole, according to plant technicians. Some 83 tonnes of cocaine are waiting to be encapsulated.

☆ Bird flu spreads to new countries, threatens non-stop 'war' on poultry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Argentina found the virus in wild birds, while dead swans in Uruguay tested positive. The United States, Britain, France and Japan are among countries that have suffered record losses of poultry over the past year, leaving some farmers feeling helpless. Poultry in the Northern Hemisphere were previously considered to be most at risk when wild birds are active during spring migration. Some experts suspect climate change may be contributing to the global spread by altering wild birds' habitats and migratory paths. Farmers are trying unusual tactics to protect poultry, with some using machines that make loud noises to scare off wild birds, experts said.

☆ Bird flu spreads to new countries, threatens non-stop "war" on poultry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The United States, Britain, France and Japan are among countries that have suffered record losses of poultry over the past year, leaving some farmers feeling helpless. Poultry in the Northern Hemisphere were previously considered to be most at risk when wild birds are active during spring migration. Some experts suspect climate change may be contributing to the global spread by altering wild birds' habitats and migratory paths. Farmers are trying unusual tactics to protect poultry, with some using machines that make loud noises to scare off wild birds, experts said. Berkowitz said he is bracing for March and April when migration season will pose an even greater risk to poultry.

☆ These were the top Airbnb listings in the U.S. in 2022—including an off-the-grid dome in Terlingua, Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The homes span from a tiny escape in Nashville, Tennessee to an off-the-grid dome in Terlingua, Texas. In addition to being able to use the pool, guests can take advantage of the light breakfast that is offered. Julia E. Steele / AirbnbThis tiny home has been on Airbnb's list of top listings several times over the years. Domeland: Off-grid Adobe Dome near Big Bend - Terlingua, TexasThis adobe dome in Terlingua, Texas is close to Big Bend National Park. Trevor Reichman / AirbnbThis dome is an earthen structure powered by solar power and is close to Big Bend National Park in Texas.

☆ Ford to cut 3,800 engineering, administration jobs in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Ford (F.N) plans to cut 3,800 product development and administration jobs in Europe in the next three years, the company said on Tuesday, citing rising costs and the need for a leaner structure as it pivots production to electric vehicles. The news comes as a blow to unions who said in late January the worst-case scenario was 2,500 job cuts in Europe in product development and a further 700 in administration. The cuts were needed to "revitalise business in Europe", Ford said in a statement. Lawler also said at the time that productivity of engineers in Europe was 25-30% lower than it should be. Ford is due to launch its first electric vehicle in Europe built on Volkswagen's MEB platform in Cologne later this year and is considering bringing a Ford platform to Europe, possibly to its plant in Valencia, Sander said.

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