Spain ranks highly in tourism report

Luxury holidays in Spain have come under the spotlight as a report ranks the country in the top ten destinations most likely to tourist and travel development, according to the World Economic Forum.

The second annual Tourism Competitiveness Report examined economic development linked with environmental sustainability and graded countries according to how helpful conditions were for this kind of growth and change.

In all, it looked at the economies of 130 countries and was published through collaboration with several other organisations including Deloitte and the World Conservation Union.

A particular jewel in Spanish tourism's crown is La Manga Club, a luxury resort set in the countryside of Murcia between the Mediterranean and the Mar Menor seas, which enjoys a mild Med climate and warm seas.

The development of holiday apartments, villas, restaurants and leisure facilities spans 14 acres of tastefully and sympathetically designed resort complemented by palms, pine trees, lemon groves and streets fringed with oleander.

Earthquake could cost millions in insurance claims

The earthquake that shook Britain last week could result in thousands of insurance claims that could collectively cost tens of millions of pounds.

Sainsbury's Finance has estimated that as many as 3,250 home insurance claims could be made following the earthquake, which occurred on February 27th and reached 5.2 on the Richter Scale.

The bank also pointed out, however, that as one in 20 households are currently without buildings insurance, many homeowners will have to pay large repair bills out of their own pocket.

Neil Laird, Sainsbury's home insurance manager, commented: "The recent earthquake just shows that you can never tell when exceptional circumstances may occur and you might need to make a claim.

"Unlimited buildings cover ensures peace of mind that you won't be left underinsured should the unthinkable happen."

Storm, winds cause plenty of damage

JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. -- People across North Carolina spent Wednesday cleaning up their homes and property after a long line of severe weather swept across the state Tuesday night. Rain drenched most of the state, and strong winds toppled trees and knocked out power lines in several areas.



Donnie Griffin and his wife had their lives uprooted Tuesday night when strong winds brought a tree crashing down through their roof, just a few feet away from where Griffin was standing.



"I'm a lucky fellow, so I'm just happy I was where I was,” Griffin said.



It's a sight neighbors hoped they wouldn't see again, especially after weathering Hurricane Fran a few years ago.




"[I’m] thankful it wasn't mine, but sorry for the people that it was because damage like this is hard to take, especially if you've just moved into a house and haven't lived there too long. It's quite difficult,” neighbor Josephine Lawson said.



The Griffins bought the house just a year and a half ago. It was the couple’s first home. A friend of the previous homeowner says there were actually talks about cutting the tree down, but the homeowner didn't want to because she believed it to be one of the oldest trees in Clayton.



Now it appears that nature has taken care of that itself, and the Griffins are left hoping that their insurance will take care of other matters. Contractors estimate the repair could cost tens of thousands of dollars.



"Looking at it, I'm sure it's going to be a pretty complicated process, so we're planning on being out for quite a while,” Griffin said.



Now that the storm has passed, the Griffins will replant and start building their lives all over again.



The storms also knocked out power for thousands of residents. Progress Energy reported close to 88,000 outages across the state, mostly in Wake and Johnston counties.