A woman has combined work and leisure by working remotely from Marbella in Spain. Amy Irvine, head of digital at a PR company, had used her firm's policy of allowing anyone to work from anywhere in the world to work in Kielder Forest for her mother's birthday and in the coastal town of Whitby. She then asked her boss if she could work from Spain and was allowed to do so without any need to take time off as it became clear during the pandemic that remote working was a realistic option.
FIFA president optimistic about Women's World Cup TV deals in Europe
CBC
23-05-18 08:11
FIFA are currently in talks for broadcast rights to showcase the upcoming Women's World Cup in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and England. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is eager to increase the money the broadcasters pay by appealing to the whole women's sport sector. Infantino believes that whatever broadcasters pay in the right money is going back 150% into developing the women's game. The Women's World Cup is taking place in Australia and New Zealand.
Tennis champion Rafael Nadal has revealed that due to a foot injury he will miss the Tokyo Olympic Games. Nadal, who won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and carried Spain’s flag at the opening ceremony in Rio 2016, said “Today taking into account the situation, and having discussed it with my team, I have decided not to participate at this year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It’s never an easy decision to take, but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision.”
Nadal has been struggling with back problems over the last few years, and it was due to a foot injury that he withdrew from the French Open just a few weeks ago. Japan is also struggling to deal with the spread of COVID-19 causing concerns for the safety of athletes and officials. Nadal is not the only player to have withdrawn from the Olympic games, four-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer also announcing his decision.
Police divers are searching Barcelona’s port and the nearby Llobregat Delta wetland zone for the UK’s X Factor star Levi Davis, who went missing in the area last October. The search is being conducted by the Mossos d'Esquadra and authorised by a local investigative judge, coming after the family was told police feared Davis had drowned. Four members of the crew of the MSC Bellissima cruise liner had claimed to have spotted a man in the water wearing a light-coloured top and shouting for help in English, around the time of his disappearance. Davis’ family has pleaded with the public not to begin conspiracies about his disappearance, insisting that gang involvement is not being investigated and that the disappearance is a mystery that requires answers.
Europe aims to entice EV battery makers to establish factories in the bloc to reduce its dependence on Asia and challenge the US in the green subsidy race. Europe is also attempting to attract electric-vehicle component suppliers. Recent investments in the EV industry in Europe include Volkswagen’s construction of six battery factories, Northvolt’s €3bn-€5bn ($3.30bn-$5.50bn) electric-vehicle battery factory in Germany, and India’s Tata Group looking at Spain or Britain to locate a battery factory.
14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is in danger of missing the tournament, according to reports. Nadal has held an astonishing 112-3 record at Roland Garros but has not played competitively since suffering an intractable hip problem during the Australian Open in January. Nadal, who has never previously missed the French Open, will announce whether he will be able to take part later today. His absence would offer the chance for Novak Djokovic to claim a 23rd Grand Slam title, which would push him past Nadal in the all-time standings. The French Open runs from Sunday 28 May to Sunday 11 June.
Parents are risking fines of up to £2,500 or a three-month jail sentence by taking their children on holiday during term time. The amount of fines paid rose from £24m to £27m between 2016-17 and 2017-18 due to this trend. Until 2013, headteachers could grant up to 10 days' absence for family holidays in "special circumstances". Now, parents can be fined £120 for taking their child out of school without permission and receive a criminal record if they fail to pay. The number of fines has also risen 93% in the five years to 2017. Some argue that taking a child out of school is unfair or unethical, while others emphasise that travel can be enriching for young people. James Bowen, of the National Association of Headteachers, said absence could limit learning and pose challenges for catching up, although he stressed sympathy for families unable to afford holidays in peak periods.
Spain's PLD Space plans first rocket launch before the end of May
Reuters
23-05-18 11:40
PLD Space, a Spanish company, is set to launch its first private suborbital reusable rocket, named after a renowned Spanish fighting bull, before the end of May. The launch of the "Miura 1" marks the company's first step in a plan to ultimately enter the small satellite market through the development of an orbital rocket, "Miura 5", which is currently under development. This is an increasingly popular market, as several companies are focused on deploying internet-beaming satellites over the next few years. PLD Space itself has raised over €60m ($66m) in private and public funding.
Ingrid Wilm leads Canadian podium charge at Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Barcelona
CBC
23-05-18 17:01
Ingrid Wilm has continued to rack up gold winning medals for Canada at the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Barcelona. Winning her 4th medal of the competition, Wilm clinched gold in the women's 100-metre backstroke competition. She also won gold in the 50m back, silver in the 50m back and bronze in the 100m back last weekend in France. In total, Canadian swimmers won eight medals over two days of competition in Barcelona, including five on Thursday. Wilm and her colleagues are due to compete next in Monaco this weekend.
Llop, an upscale fashion and design store in Madrid's picturesque Las Letras area, is telling the story of modern Spanish design and crafts. The founder, Alex Llop, began the journey after he was inspired by a chequered scarf, a farcell cloth that was a beloved family heirloom. The shop's products include playful glass vases, globular wax candles, pastel-hued geometric ceramics, and concrete art pieces. The owner is especially focused on showcasing the craft-textiles of the Catalan Empordà and the Balearic Islands. Llop's pared-back style and harmonious colour palette unite his store's luxury offerings but with an honest commitment to the material.
European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempt to blackmail Europe using energy resources has failed, but warns that the year ahead will still be challenging. Simson said the Mediterranean region had played a key role in helping the EU 27 respond to an extraordinary year of energy crisis and hardship created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In response, the EU launched the REPowerEU plan aiming to bring about energy savings, increase the production of clean energy and diversify energy supplies.
Canada is battling to retain their status as one of the 12 core teams on the World Series Sevens roster, after the men's tournament is reduced from 16 teams to 12, to align with the competition of the women's tournament and Olympic field. In a play-off against Kenya, Tonga and Uruguay at the latest HSBC London 7s, only one team will keep its status, while the remaining three will be required to participate in regional sevens championships in quest of climbing back up. The men's Canadian team has had a season-building experience, having started the season with a record of several losses, and may have to scale-up in terms of recruitment and development to come back to their previous level if Canada ends up being relegated.
The Spanish government has launched a domestic labour-tracking app for women to monitor their husbands’ housework and ensure tasks are split equally. The yet-to-be-developed software is part of Spain’s central government's attempts to cut down on gender inequality within heterosexual relationships and is expected to track current domestic workload, assign tasks and record progress. A recent Instituto Nacional de Estadística study found half of women in straight relationships believe they carry out the majority of household chores, compared to 4% of men. An additional 40% of women are also primary carers for children, compared to 5% of men.
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is deciding between Spain and the UK as the location for its electric vehicle battery factory, a move seen as critical for the future of Britain's car production in the face of a looming ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The UK is believed to have offered financial support for the gigafactory, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggesting earlier this week that the country is in line for good news on the EV industry. JLRs biggest competitor, Nissan, is the only other UK company with a domestic battery supply.
Rafael Nadal has announced that a bad hip will force him to miss the French Open this year, marking the first time he has not participated in the tournament since winning the title in 2005. Nadal, aged 36 and a 22-time Grand Slam winner, has had injuries throughout his career, including bouts of knee and tendinitis problems. His absence is likely to create a more open field at the Roland Garros, and could be of particular benefit to Novak Djokovic, who Nadal defeated in last year’s final, and 13-time ATP tournament winner Stefanos Tsitsipas. The French Open has played an important role in Nadal’s career, with 14 of his Grand Slam titles coming at the event. The Spaniard recently revealed that he is not interested in breaking the all-time Grand Slam record, which is jointly held by him, Roger Federer, and Djokovic.
Researchers have identified fossils in Spain of a potentially new species of dinosaur. The fossil fragments, which include a right jaw bone, a tooth, and five vertebrae, indicate a ten to eleven metre long dinosaur classified as a spinosaurid. The researchers analysed data on other spinosaurids in order to establish the origins of the species and concluded that the new species may show that spinosaurids emerged during the early Cretaceous period in Laurasia – a large, northern landmass. Spinosaurids are considered to have migrated to Africa and Asia where diversification took place.
Jose Mourinho's Roma side have secured a place in the Europa League final after beating Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen's manager, Xabi Alonso, leading his debut season as a first team coach, was unfortunate after an unbeaten 14 match run that ended in defeat to Cologne earlier this month. Leverkusen had 15 shots on goal, but all were off target. Mourinho said that his team were unlucky not to score more goals, but it is not a bitter blow for football. Mourinho knows the key to victory is his team maintaining focus ahead of their encounter with Europa League specialists Sevilla in Budapest next month.
Half of world’s largest lakes, reservoirs losing water: Study
Al Jazeera
23-05-19 05:33
More than half of the world's large lakes and reservoirs have decreased in size since the early 1990s, with climate change being the leading cause, according to a new study published in the journal Science. The decline has been driven by unsustainable human water consumption, temperatures rising and resulting in greater water loss to the atmosphere, dam construction, changes in rainfall and run-off, and sedimentation. Climate scientists had anticipated that dry areas would become drier and wet areas would become wetter with climate change, but significant loss of water is also being experienced in more humid areas. The researchers based their findings on satellite data collected between 1992 to 2020 of nearly 2,000 large lakes across the globe.
Market analysts provide valuable information to investors, but relying too heavily on their forecasts is an imperfect approach to investing. Analysts tend to focus on near-term estimates while overlooking medium-term outlooks. Taking aggregate analyst estimates can be misleading and overshoots GDP growth. Investors should approach estimates with a grain of salt, as companies that outperform or underperform their estimates may not have a similar effect on the market. The estimations of Goldman Sachs Group’s economists say the data suggest a “healthy dose of skepticism” towards analysts’ forecasts and that markets are already applying this skepticism.
The anticipated Ukrainian spring counteroffensive against Russian-backed rebels in the Donbass region has been delayed due to the weather and a lack in sufficient Western-backed resources, such as access to weapons systems, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Jennifer Hansler reports that while preliminary moves are in place for an all-out assault both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for the inevitable conflict which it is feared will once again escalate beyond the Donbass region.
