Nikki Beach will be opening its doors at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas on Memorial Day weekend.

The club will bring the same spirit of the International day club, a mix of European sophistication with the tropical feel as seen in other exotic locations as Miami, St. Tropez, Marbella and Cabo San Lucas.

Nikki Beach Las Vegas will open at Tropicana Las Vegas hotel resort & casino on Memorial Day Weekend, kicking off with a grand opening White Party on Thursday, May 26.

We hear the Tropicana Hotel is in the midst of a $180 million transformation and is reclaiming its status as Las Vegas' hottest hotel resort and casino destination.

The Nikki Beach at this hotel will be the largest Nikki Beach property in the world, a place where revelers can party in style with a sizzling blend of beautiful design, hot fashion, haute cuisine, exotic cocktails and sexy entertainment.

I am sold, count me in!

Nikki Beach at Tropicana Las Vegas will include three key elements: Nikki Beach Club, Club Nikki and Cafe Nikki.

Spanish government has slashed its solar power subsidies

Spain had one of the world's most ambitious – and generous – plans to boost the amount of electricity it generates from the sun. That dream, for the solar industry at least, has turned sour. Just days before Christmas, the government slashed the level of subsidies that all new and existing photovoltaic (pv) solar projects will receive. But even the powerful utility companies, who opposed the solar industry, are now warning that the fallout could be long-lasting and reach far beyond the energy sector.

The row has pitted the renewable lobby against Spain's three biggest utilities – Iberdrola, Endesa and Gas Natural – which have been urging the government to take action to stem the wave of subsidised renewable projects being built, particularly solar ones.

Carlos Salle, Iberdrola's director for regulation, told the Guardian that divisions between the renewable lobby and the rest of the energy industry are even deeper in Spain than elsewhere as a result. "We have more controversy here in Spain with renewables against non-renewables … this is an aspect of our system – it provokes problems."

Another Madrid-based businessman, from one of Spain's leading companies, was franker, likening relations, only half-jokingly, as a "war". The Asociación de la Industria Fotovoltaica (Asif), Spain's solar industry body, accuses politicians of telling lies, exaggerating the costs of generating electricity using solar pv to justify the cut in subsidies.

Bank of Spain on Wednesday said that four lenders that were supposed to merge into Banco Base will have to present new recapitalization strategies "immediately,"

Bank of Spain on Wednesday said that four lenders that were supposed to merge into Banco Base will have to present new recapitalization strategies "immediately," after a planned merger fell apart at the last minute.

The general assemblies of three out of the four lenders late Wednesday voted against a plan to transfer their assets into Banco Base at the terms agreed on in February, effectively terminating the merger.

The failure is a big setback to the country's plans to clean up an industry suffering from the collapse of a decade-long housing boom.

The Bank of Spain said in a statement that the state's bank bailout fund, the FROB, would inject the necessary capital into the lenders that fail to raise sufficient capital privately.

The FROB in December last year agreed to inject EUR1.49 billion into Banco Base in return for preferred stock, but the Bank of Spain said that this injection hadn't yet been completed.

It reiterated that all the savings banks that are short on capital must have their recapitalization plans approved by the central bank before April 28.

The planned members of Banco Base were Cajastur, Caja Cantabria, Caja Extremadura, and Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo (CAM.MC), or CAM.

CAM, the biggest but also the weakest of the four, was the only one to approve the transfer of assets into Banco Base.

Why they’ve cut back on whisky in Greece and Spain

The Scotch Whisky Association is celebrating a record-breaking 2010, but exporters are starting to feel the pinch from Europe's economic woes.

Global shipments climbed 10 per cent last year to reach £3.45-billion, the Edinburgh-based group said today. Since the turn of the century, exports have claimed 60 per cent, it boasted.

Notable in its figures is that the so-called BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - are showing stunning growth, while North America also shows an increase. But the value of shipments in the European Union are flat, and down markedly in Greece and Spain, both troubled countries with high debt burdens.

"Greek excise duty on Scotch Whisky, for example, was increased three times in 2010 as part of the government's austerity measures," the association said.

The value of shipments tumbled 26 per cent in Greece last year and 15 per cent in Spain, and while up in France it was just by 4 per cent. Germany, the economic engine of the continent, is showing no ill effects: The value of shipments was up by 22 per cent.

low- cost airlines including Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA) are increasingly overcharging customers who pay with plastic, U.K. consumer- rights group Which? said in a complaint to a regulator.

Retailers, taxi services and low- cost airlines including Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA) are increasingly overcharging customers who pay with plastic, U.K. consumer- rights group Which? said in a complaint to a regulator.

Which? asked the U.K. Office of Fair Trading to probe the use of surcharges that exceed the actual cost of processing credit and debit transactions, the association said today in a statement. Ryanair and London-based real-estate agency Foxtons Ltd. are among companies with the biggest overcharges, it said.

“Low-cost airlines are some of the worst offenders, but excessive card surcharges are becoming ever more widespread,” Peter Vicary-Smith, the group’s chief executive officer, said in the statement. “Consumers are really fed up with paying excessive card charges.”

The request, in the form of a so-called supercomplaint filed with the London-based OFT, comes as more companies are using inflated surcharges as a way to increase revenue rather than cover the costs of transactions, the group said.

The regulator has 90 days to decide if it will open an investigation, close the case or refer it to the Competition Commission for a broader probe.

The Spanish Post Office, Correos, has suspended its collection service from all courts in the Valencia Region because of an accumulated ‘astronomical’ debt which is owed to Correos by the regional government.

The Spanish Post Office, Correos, has suspended its collection service from all courts in the Valencia Region because of an accumulated ‘astronomical’ debt which is owed to Correos by the regional government.

The exact amount owed isn’t known; an El País source put its at more than 10 million €, while the CCOO unions said it was more than 30 million €.

The order to suspend the service to the hundreds of Valencia courts was sent through to local Correos offices on Monday and it’s understood it will not be resumed until the Valencia government approves a payment plan to settle its debt.

A recent order from the Valencia High Court of Justice instructed the courts that they must send their notifications by post rather than personal delivery. The UGT union said this means that more than 90% of court communications are now sent through the post, and has warned that suspending the service will bring the region’s justice system to a standstill.

A meeting of the Valencia government which is due to take place this Friday is expected to discuss a payment plan in an attempt to resolve the issue.

Body found in burnt out car in Málaga

Body found in burnt out car in Málaga: "Police in Málaga are trying to identify a body which was found in a burnt out car in the Campanillas district of the city on Wednesday night.

The call reporting the burning vehicle near the Carretera de la Fresneda came in shortly before 10.30 pm, and the body was found inside the car’s boot once the flames had been extinguished.

There has been no confirmation as yet on the sex of the victim who was found inside the vehicle."

Civil Guard officers are amongst eight suspects who have been arrested in an operation against drug smuggling on the coast.

"two Civil Guard officers are amongst eight suspects who have been arrested in an operation against drug smuggling on the coast. One is understood to be a mechanic, and the other is assigned to the Guardia’s maritime patrols.

They are accused of helping the drugs gang to avoid detection by putting part of the instrumentation for the SIVE electronic surveillance system out of action.

There was news of another drugs haul elsewhere in Andalucía on Thursday, on the coast of Carboneras, Almería province, in the east of the region. 779 kilos of cannabis were discovered on board a boat which was found on Los Cocones Beach on Sunday.
There has been no news so far of any arrests in that operation."

Civil Guard seize more than a ton of cannabis in Andalucía

Civil Guard seize more than a ton of cannabis in Andalucía: "Civil Guard in Cádiz have recovered almost half a ton of cannabis from a helicopter which had been under suspicion of drug smuggling from Morocco.

Officers had the aircraft under surveillance after it was detected taking off due south one night, without having filed the necessary flight plan with the authorities. It was followed on its return flight to Cádiz and seized by Civil Guard waiting on the ground in La Janda, who discovered the aircraft was carrying 400 kilos of cannabis as its cargo.

The helicopter’s two German crew were arrested, as were two Spanish suspects who’d been waiting on land to guide the aircraft in and unload the cargo. It’s understood a fifth person is also in custody and that five vehicles were impounded."

Civil Guard seize more than a ton of cannabis in Andalucía

Civil Guard seize more than a ton of cannabis in Andalucía: "Civil Guard in Cádiz have recovered almost half a ton of cannabis from a helicopter which had been under suspicion of drug smuggling from Morocco.

Officers had the aircraft under surveillance after it was detected taking off due south one night, without having filed the necessary flight plan with the authorities. It was followed on its return flight to Cádiz and seized by Civil Guard waiting on the ground in La Janda, who discovered the aircraft was carrying 400 kilos of cannabis as its cargo.

The helicopter’s two German crew were arrested, as were two Spanish suspects who’d been waiting on land to guide the aircraft in and unload the cargo. It’s understood a fifth person is also in custody and that five vehicles were impounded."

Family of Málaga woman killed in Colombia accuse her husband of hiring a hit man

Family of Málaga woman killed in Colombia accuse her husband of hiring a hit man: "The family of the Málaga woman who was killed by robbers while on holiday in Colombia this week have accused her husband of hiring a hit man to kill his wife.

The husband emigrated to Spain in 2001, but is originally from Barranquilla, where his wife was killed on Wednesday. The couple and their children were in the city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia for Baranquilla’s carnival celebrations, which take place there this week.

32 year old Irene Cortés, who lived in Vélez Málaga and ran a bar in Torre del Mar, was shot in the chest when she and her husband were held up by a group of armed men in a local bar. She died shortly after she was admitted to hospital."

Parents charged after two cases of female circumcision discovered on Mallorca

Parents charged after two cases of female circumcision discovered on Mallorca: "The parents of two young girls from Mali face charges from a court in Mallorca after doctors at a hospital in Palma discovered that the children had undergone female circumcision. The older child is 3 years old, while the youngest is just 15 months.

They arrived on the island with their mother last December, after their father’s arrival more than a year before. It’s understood from El País that the discovery was made by doctors at the Son Llàtzer Hospital where the girls were seen on separate occasions for unrelated health matters – one for a burn she suffered at home, and the other for a fever.

Once the couple were identified, the father was arrested and later released with charges. The mother was not taken into custody as she was staying with her sick daughter in hospital.

Their parents told police that the circumcision took place in Mali when the two girls were under the guardianship of their grandfather, who has since died."

Study estimates four million are working in Spain's black economy

Study estimates four million are working in Spain's black economy: "The savings banks association FUNCAS has said it thinks that there are four million non-declared jobs in Spain’s black economy, and estimated that the submerged economy represents 17% of the country’s G.D.P.

They estimate that Hacienda misses out on 30 billion € every year through people working black.

The FUNCAS study shows that many people work both officially and in the black economy at the same time. It has been compiled by professors from the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, María Arrazola, José de Hevia, Ignacio Mauleón and Raúl Sánchez.

They say they carried out the study using three different methodologies and estimate the number employed in the black economy in the country has risen from 1,4 million in 1980 to four million now."