Latest news with #Vila
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Rosslyn plant safe for now as Nissan commits to Africa growth
Nissan South Africa has broken its silence on reports that its Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria could close as part of the Re:Nissan restructuring plan. Seven factories in line for closure The Citizen reports that in May, Reuters revealed at least seven of the brand's 17 global production sites face closure before the end of the decade. Those most likely are Oppama and Shonan in Japan, the Renault co-run Chennai and Santa Isabel plants in India and Argentina, and at least one of its three plants in Mexico. This follows the brand announcing a net loss of R82.2b earlier this year, coupled with a planned 15% cut in its global workforce from the original 9 000 announced last year, to at least 20 000 by 2027. The failed merger with Honda and the subsequent resignation of CEO Makoto Uchida have also been cited as reasons for the brand's worsening position. Rosslyn's dilemma One of the plants rumoured for closure, the 59-year-old Rosslyn facility – which currently only produces the Navara for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa – has been under scrutiny following the withdrawal of the NP200 in 2023. As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Nissan cut its workforce by 400, despite its chairperson for the Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania regions, Guillaume Cartier, stating last year it is exploring production of a second model to fully utilise the plant's capacity. At the same time, Nissan's managing director for South Africa and independent African markets, Maciej Klenkiewicz, confirmed a study is under way into the feasibility of producing another model alongside the Navara. Sign of staying? Speaking at the launch of the Navara Stealth in Magaliesburg last week, Nissan president for Africa Jordi Vila suggested that, despite persistent rumours, the brand has no plans to exit South Africa or shut down Rosslyn. This comes after confirmation that the Oppama plant will cease operations by 2028, while the Chennai and Santa Isabel facilities may become fully owned by Renault, with current Nissan products continuing, albeit assembled by its alliance partner. 'We need to be proud of our heritage and where we come from. And when I look at Nissan's history in South Africa and the models, we should not lose that and [instead] build on it for the future. It is a market where we want to be from the past to the future,' Vila said. 'We are committed to growth in Africa and South Africa. Our plan is to grow – we grew with Navara and Magnite, and we want to grow the concept of built in Africa for Africa. 'We should be proud of producing this quality of vehicle (in Africa), and we don't want to give up on that,' Vila concluded.
Morocco World
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Morocco World
Morocco Becomes Africa's First Left-Hand Drive Market to Launch Nissan Magnite
Rabat – Morocco has become the first left-hand drive market in Africa, and one of the first in the world, to welcome the new Nissan Magnite. The compact SUV was first launched in 2020. The Nissan Magnite will be available in Morocco in four versions. These include the 1.0T VISIA with a manual transmission, the 1.0T ACENTA, available in both manual and CVT automatic transmissions, and the 1.0T TEKNA with CVT automatic transmission. This range, the company says, allows Moroccan customers to choose between affordability, performance, and advanced driving technology. Jordi Vila, President of Nissan Africa, said he is confident the Magnite will be a success in Morocco. 'Morocco is a strategic gateway to North Africa for Nissan,' he said. 'We are proud to make Morocco the first left-hand drive market in Africa to receive the Magnite,' Vila said, adding that this launch shows Morocco's importance to the company's brand and confirms its commitment to Moroccan drivers. According to Ramy Mohareb, Nissan Africa's Communications and PR Director, 'This is more than just a car launch. It's a regional event that highlights how important this step is for both the model and our brand.' The launch included a press trip along Morocco's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, a gala. A public car display will follow at one of Casablanca's busiest shopping malls in July. Yassine Benmassi, General Manager of SMVN, the exclusive importer of Nissan in Morocco, said they are excited to bring the new Magnite to the Moroccan market. He said it is a dynamic market with a young, urban population looking for smart mobility solutions. 'I have no doubt that a new generation of Moroccan drivers will fall in love with this car. It's made to help you drive your own way, with great safety and the latest technology,' Vila added. Tags: AfricaMoroccoNissan
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Bob Vila, ‘This Old House' star, sells waterfront Palm Beach home for $33 million
Bob Vila, 'This Old House' star, sells waterfront Palm Beach home for $33 million Show Caption Hide Caption See Video of Garden Club of Palm Beach Flower Show 2025 Hundreds visit 'Flight of Fancy' show at the Society of the Four Arts The seven-bedroom house was built in 1949 but remodeled and expanded. The property has 7,621 square feet of living space, inside and out. Vila, a former chairman of the Palm Beach Architectural Commission, starred in the home-improvement shows 'This Old House' and 'Restore America with Bob Vila.' Television handyman Bob Vila of "This Old House" fame and his wife, Diana Barrett, have parted with their lakefront Palm Beach, Florida estate for $33 million, the price recorded with the deed. On the market with different agencies since late 2023, the estate at 690 Island Drive on Everglades Island had recently seen a $4 million price reduction to $35.9 million. A trust was on the buyer's side of the transaction, the deed recorded June 17 shows. Palm Beach attorney Scott W. Hoffman of the Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsay law firm serves as trustee of the trust. Because of privacy rules governing trusts, no information about anyone else connected to the trust was immediately available in public records. The seven-bedroom house was built in 1949 but remodeled and expanded by Vila and Barrett. The house has 7,621 square feet of living space, inside and out, and the interior space totals about 6,300 square feet. Plans for the property under the new ownership are not yet known, including whether the house will be razed and replaced with a new one. The deed lists Vila and Barrett's mailing address as a house at 260 N. Woods Road on Palm Beach's North End. The multiple listing service shows that four-bedroom house on a third of an acre has been under contract, having been listed at $12.9 million last fall. On the east side of Everglades Island, the house Vila and Barrett just sold on Island Drive measures four-fifths of an acre with about 175 feet of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway, a dock and a boat lift. The rear of the house looks directly across the lakeside pool patio to the Lake Worth Lagoon and the rest of Palm Beach. The house had been in Barrett's family since the mid-1970s. She had owed it in her name since 2005, when she paid $6.1 million for it, property records show. 'When (Diana) bought the house, we were living in Massachusetts and had a beach house in Boca Grande, Florida, but Diana and I visited it frequently,' Vila told the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network, for an April 2024 article about the property. The estate has several areas designed for outdoor living, including a red-brick loggia. Large expanses of windows and glass pocket doors also capture water views. More celebrity homes: Celebrity chef Guy Fieri drops asking price before selling his $7M luxury mansion Vila, a former chairman of the Palm Beach Architectural Commission, starred in the home-improvement shows 'This Old House' and 'Restore America with Bob Vila.' He also has his own website, His wife's professional resume includes teaching business and public health at Harvard University. The sale closed June 12, according to the multiple listing service. Broker Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate handled both sides of the sale, the MLS shows. He had held the listing since September 2024, when he priced it at $39.5 million. Angle, Vila and Barrett could not immediately be reached for comment. The house has been on the market since November 2023, when it was first listed at $52.9 million by one of Vila and Barrett's children, real estate agent Chris Vila of PB Realty Advisors. Brown Harris Stevens agents Liza Pulitzer, Whitney McGurk and Blair Kirwan later co-listed the property PB Realty Advisors. Angle then took over the listing alone. The homeowners reduced the price several times since the property was first listed. The house has not been for sale in nearly 50 years when it was put on the market in 2023, according to the original sales listing. It had been in Barrett's family before she bought it from the estate of her late mother, Gioconda King. King, who died in 2004, was the widow of investment banker Joseph King and had owned the house since 1975. 'It's a lovely mixture of Old Florida with a real family legacy — but brought up to 2024 standards,' Barrett told the Palm Beach Daily News last year. Vila and Barrett's improvement projects to the property were detailed and extensive, Vila told the Palm Beach Daily News for the same article. 'The house had to be completely renovated,' Vila said. 'It was lovely to look at, beautifully decorated and filled with antiques. But when you take everything out, if you are a builder, you say to yourself, 'There are problems.' The electric (system) and plumbing were antiquated, and the roof needed to be replaced.' With a fireplace, the living room connects to an expansive poolside loggia that is completely enclosed with glass windows and doors. The layout also includes a water-view main bedroom suite, a dining room and a library. A newer wing includes the kitchen, a pantry, a breakfast-and-family room, a laundry area, the two-car garage and a guesthouse addition. Outdoor-living areas also include a patio at the home's entry and an open-air brick loggia and pool patio shared by the family room and guesthouse. To the south of the family room is another patio and a slat house for growing orchids. Barrett had the house listed as her primary home in Palm Beach County property records. Island Drive runs the length of Everglades Island, an island three-quarters of a mile long in Palm Beach's Estate Section. The island is connected to the rest of Palm Beach by a short bridge to Island Road. The house on North Woods Road that Vila and Barrett listed as their mailing address on the newly recorded Island Drive deed was built in 1977, records show. With a two-car garage and a poolside outdoor loggia, the one-story house has 4,184 square feet of living space, inside and out. The MLS shows agent Jim McCann of Premier Estate Properties listed the house on North Woods Road for sale in mid-November. McCann declined to comment. The Woods Road house last changed hands in October 2020, courthouse records show. At that time, it was bought by the 260N Property Limited Partnership of Toronto, which paid a recorded $6.28 million for it. In November 2024, Vila and his wife sold, for $13.375 million, a 1940s-era Palm Beach house at 345 Pendleton Lane in Midtown. The couple had bought the Pendleton Lane house for a recorded $12.5 million in December 2023 and then carried out a modest renovation, inside and out, according to building records. Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly 'Beyond the Hedges' column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@ call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Forbes
Inside Portugal's New Michelin Key Hotels: 55 Excellent Places To Stay
Penha Longa Resort Matthew Shaw Portugal's growing number of high-luxury hotels got a new shimmer of recognition with the arrival last week of the first Michelin Keys to be awarded in the country. Although the relatively new keys don't have the same cachet as the long-established stars, they're still a pretty big deal. The keys work the same way the tire-brand-turned-lifestyle-arbiter's stars do. Michelin Guide inspectors check in anonymously, evaluate hotels' unique concepts and personalities, and suss out the quality of their hospitality. They give one key to any hotel that merits a stay, two keys to one that's worth a detour, and three keys to a hotel that deserves a trip in its own right—one in which it's the hotel itself that's the destination. In Portugal, they recognized 55 hotels—from the far north of the country to its southern beaches, as well as in Madeira and the Azores—with at least one key. (A total of 160 hotels are recommended in the guide.) While the country's restaurateurs are still waiting for a third star, two hotels received the highest distinction right from the start. Both are long-established resorts with exceptional dining, spas and activities. They're complete worlds unto themselves, or as Michelin's marketing team writes, 'Everything is wonder and indulgence, the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance.' Just a stone's throw from Lisbon, the elegant Penha Longa Resort, which is part of the Ritz-Carlton collection, sits amid the quiet forest of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. As is often the case around Sintra, the estate was once a residence of the Portuguese royal family, and it includes an old monastery and a 14th-century chapel that remains intact as a testament to that history. The 204 rooms and public spaces have beautiful views, as does its award-winning golf course. Two of its seven restaurants hold Michelin stars: Lab by Sergi Arola and Midori, which combines Japanese cuisine with Portuguese flavors (miso soup meets caldo verde). The resort's wine cellar contains more than 500 references, but guests can also just drink in the tranquility along the walking trails that lace the property's 540 acres. Vila Vita Parc Courtesy of the hotel Ever since it opened in 1992 on a clifftop above the Atlantic, Vila Vita Parc has been one of the resorts that put the Algarve on the map as a luxury destination. Over the years, it's grown to include new blocks of rooms (203 in total) in Moorish-inspired architecture, lush subtropical gardens, a sumptuous Sisley spa, a golf course, a beach club, six bars, an impressive wine cellar and ten excellent restaurants. The standout is Hans Neuner's two-star Ocean, which reinvents Portuguese fine dining every year with a new menu inspired by the chef's travels and Portugal's history of exploration. Thirteen of the country's hotels, ranging from outposts of international brands to intimate family-owned retreats, were recognized as being worth a detour. Whether renovated palaces or newly built architectural marvels, they share a commitment to aesthetics, a genuine sense of place and an evident pride in the way things are run. A grand 19th-century building houses the main spaces of the beguiling Bela Vista Hotel, and its historical details—especially in the bar—add considerably to its appeal. So do its panoramic views of Praia da Rocha and the Atlantic Ocean, and its one-star restaurant, Vista. The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Richard Waite Since its opening in 1959, the Ritz, designed by important modernist architect Porfírio Pardal Monteiro, has been one of Lisbon's most prestigious addresses. The oversize floral arrangements and large-scale works by midcentury Portuguese artist Almada Negreiros in the lobby make it clear that this is not a place of understatement. But Four Seasons' brand of discreet service works well in this unabashedly glamorous environment. A hotel within the hotel, Les Suites is a collection of 23 modern and elegant accommodations distributed across century-old houses and a modern wing, surrounded by gardens with ocean and greenery views. Guests have use of all of the larger hotel's amenities, including its infinity pool, spa, direct sea access and two one-star restaurants. The new Lince Santa Clara occupies a 14th-century monastery not too far from Porto. The restoration and hotel conversion neatly combined the past and present, including ancient stone foundations and Art Deco details. The rooms look out over the Ave River and the Atlantic, and there are indoor and outdoor pools, plus a Sisley spa, for relaxation. Quinta do Paral Courtesy of the hotel Portuguese wine-country hotels don't get more lavish than Quinta do Paral, where the 22 rooms were designed by one of Portugal's splashiest architects, some of them have enormous travertine bathtubs, the estate-produced olive oil is served in glass vessels that resemble the bottles for Chanel No. 5 perfume, and guests have access to the only private jet that's affiliated with a hotel in Portugal. A reference since 1891, the pink Reid's Palace is a charming throwback to the days when sun-seeking aristocrats came to breathe the healing air, and when Winston Churchill made the hotel his island home. Its fine dining restaurant, William, also holds a star, while afternoon tea on the terrace is one of the island's must-do's. Another hotel within the hotel, the Reserve occupies the top floors of the Savoy Palace, the grand resort that towers over Funchal's city center and has the best views in town. Guests have access to snap-to-it personal assistants, a private all-day restaurant and club, and their own rooftop infinity pool and solarium. The first Six Senses in Europe, the Douro Valley outpost is located in a carefully restored 19th-century mansion that was redone by noted spa designer Clodagh. Since terraced vineyards surround it, there's a lot of wine on offer, but also a lot of wellness, including a serious spa, forest bathing, food from an onsite organic garden and rooms designed to foster a good night's sleep. Torre de Palma Wine Hotel Courtesy of the hotel The tower in the name dates from 1338, and Torre de Palma thoughtfully combines history and modernity. Its 19 rooms and suites have views of the peaceful surrounding countryside and vineyards galore. There's abundant wine tourism programming, such as tastings of vintages produced on site, special wine dinners and participatory harvest experiences. Even the spa goes in for vinotherapy, using local grape seeds in some treatments. In the quietly posh enclave of Melides (just a short hop from the more famous Comporta), Vermelho made headlines when it opened for its maximalist aesthetic and designer pedigree. Its 13 individually conceived rooms are the work of shoe designer and longtime Comporta aficionado Christian Louboutin, who handpicked rare artworks and paired them with local artisan crafts like handmade Alentejo tiles. Almost on Portugal's northern border with Spain, Vigado Palace is a grand throwback to the palace hotels of the early 20th century. (Its slightly awkward opening timeline coincided with the end of the Portuguese monarchy, but ever since 1910, it has been unafraid of grandeur.) A major renovation in 2010 updated many aspects but preserved others as a proud homage to the past. A petite collection of magnificent houses, Vila Joya is geographically near Albufeira but psychologically worlds away from that party hub. Instead, it sits on an almost wild beach and is surrounded by gardens, and its two-star restaurant is a destination in its own right. Across the river from Porto, on what some marketers are calling the left bank of the Douro, Vinha Boutique Hotel occupies a 16th-century manor house and a new modern design wing. Here, each room has a fully realized fashion theme, with pieces purchased from Hermès, Etro, Missoni or the like. Forty hotels received this honor, which indicates a 'very special stay' in a 'true jewel, with its own character and personality.' The Michelin highlighted trends among the 40 hotels it selected here, including a return to nature through wine tourism, a commitment to the national historical heritage, dedication to promoting respect for the environment, and a commitment to exclusivity in tiny hotels that have just a handful of rooms.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Just Found The Perfect Disguise to Sneak Into a Termite Colony
Beneath the rocky soil of Morocco, researchers have uncovered a surprising intruder living undetected inside termite colonies. Few outsiders gain acceptance in termite society, but a species of blowfly has evolved an incredible multipart disguise that successfully fools termites, allowing its larvae to not just survive but seemingly thrive. This has not been firmly documented previously in these flies, according to a new study. The authors say it was luck they discovered the fly larvae inhabiting colonies in the Anti-Atlas mountains of southern Morocco, where native harvester termites (Anacanthotermes ochraceus) build subterranean nests. Evolutionary biologist Roger Vila from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Spain and his team study butterflies and ants, and since few butterflies were active that day due to recent rains, they looked for ants. "When we lifted a stone we found a termite mound with three fly larvae that we had never seen before," Vila says. "The water had probably flooded the deeper layers of the nest and the larvae had emerged onto the surface." Intrigued, the researchers returned three times. They lifted hundreds of stones but found only two more of the larvae, which were together in a termite mound. This suggests the species is rare, Vila says. Phylogenomic analysis indicates the blowflies belong to the genus Rhyncomya, although more research is needed to investigate its abundance, along with other details about its biology and ecology. What we know so far is already astounding, though. Termites use their antennae to pat down and smell anyone who enters, helping them quickly identify trouble. Specialized soldier termites have giant mandibles for just such an occasion. Yet with such enviable safety, climate control, and food security, it may be tempting for other insects to try infiltrating their colonies, despite the risk. For part of their disguise, the blowfly larvae display a "termite mask" on their rear end. This consists of a fake head adorned with antennae and palps similar to those of a harvester termite. The fake head also includes fake eyes, which look remarkably like harvester termite eyes. In reality, Vila notes, these are breathing holes. "Most termites live several meters deep and have no visual perception," Vila says. "However, harvester termites come out at dusk to collect grass, so they have functional eyes that the larvae are able to mimic with their spiracles." In addition to the fake termite head, larvae's bodies are covered with strange 'tentacles'. These are uncanny imitations of termite antennae, as the researchers demonstrated with scanning electron microscopy. Unlike the fake head, these tentacles may be functional. The flies seem to actually use them for communicating with termites. And since the larvae have so many of these protrusions, they're able to communicate with several termites at once. Those are both impressive adaptations, but still not quite enough on their own. Each termite colony has its own scent, shared by all members, and nobody gets in without it. Looking like a termite won't help if you don't smell right – intruders from other colonies are not welcome, and may be dismembered by soldiers. But these fly larvae are pros. They don't just imitate a colony's scent; according to Vila, they match it perfectly. "We quantified the chemical composition of these larvae and the result is surprising: They are indistinguishable from the termites in the colony where they live; they smell exactly the same," he says. In the wild, the fly larvae had been in their hosts' food chambers when Vila and his colleagues found them. The researchers brought some back to a laboratory termite mound, where the larvae gravitated toward more populated areas. Termites were highly attentive, flocking around the fly larvae and preening them. They also appeared to feed them. "The larvae are not only tolerated, but they constantly communicate with the termites through contact with their antenna-like tentacles," Vila says. "The termites even seem to feed them, although this has not yet been unequivocally demonstrated." Some humpback flies (Phoridae) also mimic termites, but they do it as adults, not larvae. They're also not closely related to these blowflies, suggesting the ruses evolved independently. "The common ancestor of blowflies and humpback flies dates back more than 150 million years, much further than that which separates humans from mice. We are therefore confident that we have discovered a new case of social integration evolution," Vila says. No other known species in the genus Rhyncomya exhibit a similar appearance or lifestyle, hinting at a relatively quick evolution. "This discovery invites us to reconsider the limits and potential of symbiotic relationships and social parasitism in nature," Vila says. "But, above all, we should realize how much we still do not know about the vast diversity and specialization of insects, which are essential organisms in ecosystems." The study was published in Current Biology. Whale Song Reveals Eerie Similarities to Human Speech, Scientists Find Mysterious Radioactive Anomaly Discovered Deep Under The Pacific Ocean Sea Turtles Dance to Orientate With Earth's Magnetic Field, Study Reveals
