In brief

Spain

MADRID — A Spanish court says the king’s son-in-law and his former business partner have failed to pay bail of 8.2 million euros (US$11.1 million) while awaiting their possible trial in a corruption case that has been troubling the monarchy for years. The Palma de Mallorca court said yesterday that it will begin embargoing their properties over the coming days. Being a civil case, the two will not go to jail for not paying the sum. Iñaki Urdangarín, who is married to the king’s second daughter, Princess Cristina, was sidelined from all official royal activities last year.

MADRID — Trash collectors in Seville have voted to end a strike that lasted 11 days and left the sidewalks of the popular tourist destination reeking with piles of garbage. Street cleaners accepted a deal negotiated by their union with the cleaning company yesterday. City authorities estimate there are some 7,000 tons of rubbish-filled bags lying around the ancient city.

Ukraine

KYIV — The EU warned Ukraine yesterday time was running out to revive shelved deals on free trade and political association by meeting the bloc’s concerns over the jailing of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and bringing in reforms. A senior EU official also made it clear the agreements would fall through if Ukraine joined the Russia-led post-Soviet Customs Union trade bloc.

Albania

TIRANA — An Albanian court yesterday found two state guards not guilty of killing four people during an anti-government protest in 2011. The ruling dismayed opposition politicians and Albania’s ally the United States. Members of the main opposition Socialist party stormed out of Parliament in protest at a verdict they said showed those in power could get away with murder.

Belarus

MINSK — Former Belarusian leader Stanislav Shushkevich says a historic 1991 document that proclaimed the death of the Soviet Union is missing from the archives. Shushkevich discovered that the document was gone while working on his memoirs. He said he believes it was stolen — possibly by a former Belarusian official — probably with the intention of selling it to a collector.