Ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano could reach northern Scotland by Tuesday and parts of Britain, France and Spain by Thursday or Friday

Ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano could reach northern Scotland by Tuesday and parts of Britain, France and Spain by Thursday or Friday if the eruption continues at the same rate, airlines were warned on Sunday. The warning is based on latest 5-day weather forecasts, but must be treated with c


aution because of the forecast period and the presence of different air currents from those prevailing at the time of last year's ash crisis, weather officials said.
European authorities said on Sunday no disruption was expected to European or transatlantic airspace over the next 24 hours from the eruption of Iceland's most active volcano on Saturday.

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The counterfeit golf club operation was the biggest of its kind ever to be investigated

The counterfeit golf club operation was the biggest of its kind ever to be investigated by a council Trading Standards team and the largest counterfeit group uncovered on eBay.
Four members of a seven-strong gang in Rainham were ordered to pay back the cash following a hearing under the Proceeds Of Crime Act at Snaresbrook Crown Court last week.
The confiscation orders totalled £513,000 - of which Havering Council will receive a large amount. The four were also told to pay the Council a total of £130,000 in prosecution costs.
The conclusion of the hearing on Friday came the day after Havering Council’s Trading Standards team were named as the best department in the country at the Anti-Counterfeiting Group’s annual awards.
The scammers sold millions of pounds worth of counterfeit golf clubs and other fake golf merchandise on eBay between June 2003 and March 2008.
Proceeds of Crime proceedings against the ‘ringleader’ and main defendant, Gary Bellchambers, from Rainham, have not yet been heard, and adjourned until September.
Bellchambers sourced and organised the delivery of more than six tonnes of golf equipment in the UK alone.
Under the confiscation orders, Roy Cottee, 67, of Thorn Lane, Rainham, was ordered to pay £220,000 within six months and also £60,000 prosecution costs. His wife Kay, 47, was ordered to pay £80,000 and £10,000 prosecution costs.
Keith Thomas, 51, of Martin Drive, Rainham, was ordered to pay £173,000 and £40,000 prosecution costs.
Sharron Williams, 50, of The Alders, West Wickham, Kent, was ordered to pay £40,000 and £10,000 prosecution costs.
THE majority of the counterfeit golfing equipment was manufactured at factories in Turtle Creek, Shenzhen, China, and shipped to the various defendants’ addresses in the UK.
From bases in Thailand or their homes in the UK, they arranged for the fake goods to be sent to eBay customers in Ireland, Australia, the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil and New Zealand. Nearly every major golf brand had been counterfeited.
The downfall of the counterfeiting empire was brought about when a customer complained to Havering Council Trading Standards officers after she had tried to get a refund for two clubs. The council then launched an investigation, codenamed Operation Augusta, named after the US golf club which hosts The Masters.
Council officers searched the homes of the defendants and other addresses and seized computers and thousands of golf clubs.
The defendants sold the clubs for around £50-£100 (genuine clubs retail at £110-130). The cost of manufacturing each fake club and having it shipped from China to the UK was $5.
In the criminal trial, which took place between September and December 2009, Roy and Kay Cottee, Sharron Williams and Helen Wilson, 30, of The Knoll, Hertford, were found guilty of conspiring together to sell or distribute counterfeit golf clubs, clothing and accessories bearing signs likely to be mistaken for registered trademarks contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Gary Bellchambers, 47, of Dunedin Road, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy along with Keith Thomas.
Chris Moughton, from Blackpool, pleaded guilty to a role in a connected conspiracy.
Bellchambers was sentenced to four years and three months in jail after the criminal trial. Keith Thomas was sentenced to 16 months in prison and Roy Cottee was given a custodial sentence of 12 months.
A confiscation hearing involving Helen Wilson and Chris Moughton was held in September last year.

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Dean Rice who fled to Spain more than three years ago to avoid serving an indeterminate jail term has finally been put behind bars

businessman who fled to Spain more than three years ago to avoid serving an indeterminate jail term has finally been put behind bars.

Dean Rice was arrested on the Costa del Sol in February and then did "everything in his power" to avoid returning to the UK, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

The 49-year-old has now started serving the sentence which will keep him in prison for a minimum of five years or until the parole board considers it is safe to release him.

Rice, who ran Erith Storage, was also jailed for nine months for jumping bail, ordered to be served at the end of the minimum term.

He was on trial in October 2007 with others, including his wife, over the brutal kidnap of a former employee. He fled the country while the jury was out considering verdicts.

Rice ordered the kidnap of former employee Alan Clarke after accusing him of stealing £500,000.

He was grabbed by three men in London and forced into a van. A woolly hat was pulled over his head, but he saw that one of the men had a gun.

He was "hog-tied" and repeatedly asked about Rice's money.

Mr Clark was taken to a remote farm in Shadoxhurst, Ashford. His mouth was taped and he was left tied to a radiator in a "crucifix" pose. He eventually broke free and jumped 15ft from a window to escape.

After Rice left the country, the Serious Organised Crime Agency named him as one of its most wanted criminals and appeals were made by crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers.

He eluded capture for some time before being arrested in the Spanish town of Alhaurin.

Prosecutor Andrew Espley told Judge Martin Joy: "He has done everything in his power to prevent coming back to this country, including making scenes on aeroplanes.

"It has been a complicated process to get him back to court."

Judge Joy told Rice: "The reality is that since your arrest you have made every effort to avoid coming to court. You have disrupted attempts to bring you here by plane.

"As a result, you have had to be brought here at great expense. You should be behind bars because you have been certified by the court as being a danger to the public."

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Britons planning to own or invest in a property in Spain will be interested to hear that BA CityFLyer,

Britons planning to own or invest in a property in Spain will be interested to hear that BA CityFLyer, a British Airways subsidiary, is opening a new flight route between London City Airport and Malaga in the Costa del Sol.

The airline decided to run a new route from London to the Spanish property hotspot after an increase in demand from travellers at the airport.

BA CityFLyer has also announced an increase in the frequency of its flights to Palma on the island of Mallorca.

Ignacio Osle, sales and marketing director at Taylor Wimpey de Espana, said: "This is another positive step for Spain welcoming increased passenger numbers from London and the south-east of England."

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H10 Andalucia Plaza in Puerto Banus who are set to soon become an adult resort.

Costa del Sol is set to become the home of several adult only hotels as owners look for new initiatives to drive additional business.
Hotels catering for adults only have become a hit with many holidaymakers that are looking for accommodation that are aimed exclusively at adults and offer less family based activities. Following this success it appears that more hotels will look to move into this market which is already proving to be a popular seller with European tourists booking through travel agencies.
The concept would not ban children completely as Antonio Aranda, manager of the Costa del Sol Hoteliers Association, was keen to clarify stating that the aim was “not to ban children from the hotels, but to organize the hotels as a place with activities to be enjoyed exclusively by adults”.
It wouldn’t actually be possible to create a completely adult only hotel as current laws in Spain do not allow hotels to ban children.
One of the successful hotels operating in this market is the Riviera Hotel in Benalmadena whose manager Miguel Bordera highlighted just what opportunities are available “Ninety-five per cent of our beds are taken by two European tour operators which since 2009 wanted the Riviera to become ‘adults only’.”
Another hotel which is planning to make the move is the H10 Andalucia Plaza in Puerto Banus who are set to soon become an adult resort.

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THE Spanish government has agreed on over 100 amendments to the framework of its policies with regard to granting licenses to operators wishing to offer online gaming to customers in Spain.

THE Spanish government has agreed on over 100 amendments to the framework of its policies with regard to granting licenses to operators wishing to offer online gaming to customers in Spain. The legal establishment of a tax regime and a licensing system for operators in the Spanish jurisdiction will also include measures to ensure problems associated with online gambling such as underage usage and addiction are addressed.

The amendments provide the gambling sector with regulatory bodies such as a Council for Gaming Policy and a National Gaming Commission representing every region in Spain.

The licensing system now proposed by the amended and approved bill, will require all online gambling companies wanting to offer their services in Spain to apply and receive a license that remains valid for an eighteen month period.

The great benefit for a lot of regions around Spain from this new sort of license will be the set up of autonomous communities. This means that much of the new tax proceeds will be distributed to the autonomous regions.

Any company that does not obtain a license will not be allowed to advertise and promote online poker within Spain.

Let’s hope this is the also the start of trying to look for ways to legislate for poker to be played-live-in more venues other than just the casinos.

If you are trying to legislate for hundreds of thousands of players online, then is it fair that there are only 2 live venue options for you to play here on the Costa del Sol, that the minimum cost to play is 100€ and numbers are restricted to 60 players most nights?

Surely tournament poker licenses can be issued to licensed bars or clubs and make them contribute to the local tax fund!!

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Tunisian police used tear gas on Sunday to break up a fourth day of anti-government protests by scores of youths.

Chanting protesters called for the departure of the government and Prime Minister Beji Caid Sebsi, whistling at black-clad riot police in central Tunis.

Police fired teargas to push the protesters into streets off the central Avenue Bourguiba.

Tunisia has struggled to restore stability since leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted earlier this year in a revolution which inspired uprisings across the Arab world.

"The police reaction is too extreme against the people. It's true there are criminals among the protesters, but the reaction is still too cruel. It is a return to the days of Ben Ali," said Chaqib, a civil servant who did not want to give his family name.

Tension is growing in Tunisia in the countdown to a July election for an assembly that will draw up a new constitution.

A moderate Islamist group banned under Ben Ali is expected to do well, unsettling many in the country's secular establishment.

The spark for the violent protests over the past few days was a warning from a former interior minister that there would be a coup d'etat if the Islamist group, Ennahda, won the vote.

Protesters fear the interim administration will renege on its commitment to guide Tunisia towards democracy after decades of autocratic rule under Ben Ali.

The authorities -- who reject any suggestion there will be a coup --

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Thousands of protesters marched in Morocco

Thousands of protesters marched in Morocco on Sunday to demand reform in the Arab world's longest-serving dynasty and to oppose militant violence after a deadly bomb attack.

The rally in Marrakesh is the latest in a series organised by the February 20 youth movement and presents a challenge to the government of King Mohammed, which is wary that the protests could build into an Egypt-style revolt.

The march began at the Bab Doukkala gate and will go past a cafe where 17 people including eight French nationals died in a bomb attack on April 28. Authorities last week arrested three suspects and said the ringleader is loyal to al-Qaeda.

The group's north African wing, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, said on Saturday it was not responsible for the bombing that raised tension in Morocco, in part because it was the first such attack since 2003.

A government official put the number of marchers at up to 3,000 but independent reports estimated around 8,000 took part.

Protesters held signs with slogans such as: "We are for freedom and security; We oppose terrorism and intimidation." Other banners voiced opposition to corruption.

"This sort of protest must happen every day so that our country moves forward in fighting corruption," said car mechanic Abdelali Hamra, 44, as he watched the march.

"We suffer a lack of opportunities and jobs. The police must also treat us as equals," Hamra told Reuters.

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GUARDIA CIVIL prevented a 24-year-old man from committing suicide in Puerto de la Duquesa, Manilva.

GUARDIA CIVIL prevented a 24-year-old man from committing suicide in Puerto de la Duquesa, Manilva. The man claimed he had cut his mother’s throat and killed her, which was not true, and was standing on the balcony of their home with two kitchen knives in his hands, threatening to kill himself.

His mother was located inside the house and told the police that her son had thrown her out of the house where they lived with his younger brother. She also said that he had taken a large amount of pills.

The firemen were called to knock down the door to the house, several Guardia Civil officers entered and managed to restrain the young man who was taken to the Costa del Sol Hospital.

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Royal Navy issued two radio warnings to the Spanish patrol boat "Atalaya" to leave after it entered the area on Tuesday morning.

The Gibraltar government condemned as "provocative and unlawful" an incident on Tuesday in which it said a Spanish naval vessel incurred into its territorial waters and then called on commercial ships to leave the area.
Tensions in the disputed waters off the tiny British territory were already high since an incident on April 23 involving Spanish and Gibraltar police vessels.
A British military spokesman in the rocky promontory off southern Spain said the Royal Navy issued two radio warnings to the Spanish patrol boat "Atalaya" to leave after it entered the area on Tuesday morning.
The Royal Navy then dispatched a fast inflatable boat followed by a bigger, armed vessel, HMS Scimitar, the spokesman said. He said the Atalaya left about 90 minutes after it arrived.
The Gibraltar government also charged that "the Spanish vessel approached and contacted all merchant shipping on the eastside of the Rock within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and ordered them to raise anchors and to leave since they did not have permission to be in Spanish waters.
"The Gibraltar Port Authority directed all vessels to remain at their anchorage, which they did," it said in a statement.
The Gibraltar government "condemns the provocative and unlawful actions by the Spanish Navy Corvette 'Atalaya' in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters."
There was no immediate comment from Madrid to the charges.
It was the latest in a series of maritime face-offs in the waters off Gibraltar over the last two years.
The most recent occurred on April 23, when Gibraltar police charged one of its boats was damaged in a clash with Spanish police vessels that illegally entered its waters in pursuit of alleged drug traffickers.
Spain's government complained to Britain over that incident, while Spain's Civil Guard police force charged its officers were subjected to "insults and threats" by those on the Gibraltar police boat.
In a similar incident to Tuesday's, a Spanish navy patrol boat entered Gibraltar waters in May 2009 and inspected fishing boats.
Britain claims a strip of three nautical miles (5.5 kilometres) surrounding Gibraltar as its territorial waters. But Spain does not recognise any waters off Gibraltar as belonging to the territory apart from its ports.
Gibraltar, which Madrid ceded to London in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht, has long fuelled tensions between the two countries.
Madrid argues the 6.5-square-kilometre (2.6-square-mile) territory that is home to around 30,000 people should be returned to Spanish sovereignty.
But its people overwhelmingly rejected an Anglo-Spanish proposal for co-sovereignty in a referendum in 2002.

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