Gang sold stolen goods on eBay

ebayA gang of British criminals has been sentenced for its sentenced to jail for selling shoplifted goods on eBay.

They went in search of goods to nick and targeted DIY stores, such as Homebase and B&Q in 13 counties.

Gandhi honoured by British Parliament

4801Parliament Square in London will have a statue of Mahatma Gandhi added to its collection.

A statue of the Indian political leader will stand alongside those of Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The future of motorcaravans in the Algarve

motorcaravan1The current situation where caravanners use public spaces in which to park for free came to a head in Silves this February when the local GNR expelled a group of caravanners and their vehicles from the public carpark by the river.

The mayor commented at the time, "In a time of severe economic, financial and social crisis, more patience and restraint was called for when judging what measures should be taken, because the presence of the motorcaravanners in the city of Silves is a boost and considerably supports local businesses.”

June tourism income flat for the Algarve

hotel3Comparing June 2013 to figures just in for June 2014, the overall average occupancy rate for the Algarve’s hotels was 72.7%, the same as last year and a disappointment to the regional hoteliers association.

The main decreases in tourists were from the Irish (-1.1%) and the Portuguese (-0.6%) with the cheery Dutch up slightly (+0.4%), and the Germans (+0.2%).

Russian spies hid weapons in Britain

gunIn the days of the Cold War, Soviet agents hid caches of weapons around cities in Europe, including the UK.

The information comes from a KGB intelligence archive which was opened to the public today.

Crackdown on fake government websites

passportFive people have been arrested for allegedly running ‘copycat’ websites which mimicked official UK government’s sites and conned the public.

The websites let people order official documents but charged for what was often available for free from the government. If there was a charge, the websites added a “service fee” on top.

Foreigners to pay for autobahn trips

porscheGermany is to charge foreigners for the use of its roads, including the autobahn.

Charging will begin in 2016.

Quercus wants environmental laws to be applied, not ingored

egretJuly 7th, marks the 26th anniversary of the creation of the Natural Park of the Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vincentia and environmental organisation Quercus is branded developers and public official complicit for signing off tourist developments within its boundaries.

The Natural Park was created from the reclassification in 1995 of an already protected landscape which extends along the western and south western coastlines for 110 km.