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Italian police ITALIAN police said on Wednesday they operation were 1,500 betting shops,
had seized assets worth 2 billion euros 82 gambling websites, 45 Italian
RAIDS MAFIA (£1.4 billion) and issued 41 arrest warrants companies and 11 foreign firms, as well
in raids on gambling companies in Italy as “innumerable” property assets, the
gambling and abroad run by the ‘Ndrangheta mafia financial police said in a statement.
empire, organization. Apart from the firms run from Malta, two
Police believe the firms, including six that were in Spain, two in Romania and one in
seize assets worth 2 billion euros were operating out of Malta, were used to Austria.
launder vast sums of illicit cash. The Calabrian mafia has grown rich on
Italy’s mafia groups, including the the drugs trade, becoming one of Europe’s
‘Ndrangheta from the southern region of biggest importers of South American
Calabria, the Camorra from Naples and cocaine, with strong ties to Mexican and
Sicily’s Cosa Nostra, have strengthened Colombian cartels.
their grip on southern Italy’s economy and It also runs companies in sectors
spread to the richer north during a three- including trucking and hospitality, with a
year economic slump. stranglehold on the economy of Calabria,
Among the targets of Wednesday’s where unemployment is above 20 percent.
The First Half of 2015 Was the
HOTTEST EVER
THE average temperature around the record highs occurred on both land and in
globe was 1.58°F (0.88°C) higher than the oceans.
20th century average during the first six In the month of June, the entire world was
months of 2015, making it the hottest start warmer than average with the exception
to the year in the era of modern record of the area in the Atlantic Ocean between
keeping. Greenland and the United Kingdom.
Scientists noted record warmth in Pacific
The announcement, from the National areas along the ocean, in addition to other
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration areas.
(NOAA), is the latest news showing record NOAA also notes that climate
temperatures across the planet in recent phenomenon El Niño, which began earlier
years. The 2015 record easily surpassed this year, is expected to last into spring
a record for high temperatures in the first 2016. El Niño typically brings an onslaught
six months of the year set last year. The of rain and raises global temperatures.
14 INTERNATIONAL Thursday, July 23 2015 - ARUBA TRAVELLER
