Europe's left of centre political parties have tried for decades to squeeze the rich for taxation to fund welfare and social programmes. But it's the Conservative governments who are showing them how to do it - by buying stolen personal bank account details and hitting the affluent who take advantage of the global markets they have legislated for.

Televised scenes of British people forming long queues outside one of her biggest mortgages lenders, the Northern Rock bank, did little for confidence in the country's banking system. Coming on top of the difficulties across the Atlantic in the US with their bank mortgage lenders, both London's FTSE and New York's Dow Jones were jittery, with the remedy provided by the Fed and British government in cutting US interest rates by a half point and guaranteeing Northern Rock's bank customers savings in the UK.

Demand for residency in the European tax haven of Andorra has increased significantly in recent years, as rival tax haven Monaco has seen her property prices rise significantly. And while property prices in Andorra have increased significantly as well, particularly in the last three years, it started from a much lower base than Monaco, and a property in Andorra still costs less than a quarter of that of Monaco.

Ski resorts world-wide have been actively participating in recycling and composting projects since as early as 2001. In the years to come, skiers, snowboarders and other winter sports enthusiasts will benefit from the recycling efforts put forth by resorts and fellow skiers alike.

Shortly after investing millions of Euros in their ski facilities, popular ski country Andorra has been left reeling from her worst season for twenty years, with initial official suggestions of a ten per cent drop in tourists this year, and private ones of closer to 40 per cent.

With a completely unexpected slump in tourist numbers earlier this year, the ski resorts of Andorra are investing heavily for future seasons to return the country to a dominant ski tourist destination for next season.

While much of Europe edges towards a property recession, the tax haven of Andorra appears to be bucking the trend. Signs early this year were not good, with few buyers around.

After saying that tax and death were certainties, there were few who would disagree Benjamin Franklin then, and even fewer today. But the tiny country Andorra, tucked away in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is doing her best to prove him wrong.

European weather this summer has been a strange mix, with different countries experiencing greatly differing weather patterns. Mediterranean countries such as Greece have seen temperatures soar over the hundred farenheit mark, while in Britain floods caused misery for hundreds of thousands of people.

One big worry for tourists considering a ski holiday is the risk of an injury - Canada's ski resorts are turning their back on extreme skiers to provide family friendly ski holidays for the 2008/9 seasons.