Forget the kitchen wine rack: Here’s how to display your burgeoning booze collection with pride April 25, 2016 French rock, said John Lennon, is like English wine. In other words, pretty bloody awful. But a lot has changed in the last couple of decades and even serious wine snobs are now grudgingly enjoying British-grown vino. Red wine, meanwhile, has overtaken beer as the nation’s favourite tipple to drink at home after a hard [...]
Respite and financial boost for debt-ridden Bolton in FA Cup third round replay against fifth-tier Eastleigh January 19, 2016 ENGLISH football’s crisis club Bolton were granted a modicum of respite and a much-needed financial boost by a 3-2 FA Cup third-round replay victory over fifth-tier Eastleigh. Wanderers are rock bottom of the Championship and saddled with £172.9m worth of debt, while on Monday they avoided a High Court winding up order after their case [...]
Five Eyes: This intelligence-sharing pillar of UK security is in peril if we stay inside the EU April 18, 2016 The true nature of how the intelligence world works is far from the James Bond potboilers beloved of us all. In practice, the intelligence arena is far more bureaucratic, far more organised, and far more important than the fertile, fevered imagination of Ian Fleming. And quite possibly the most important cog in the wheel of [...]
Classic cars and super-yachts at Mallorca’s most luxurious rally event, the Oris Rally Clásico at Puerto Portals May 6, 2016 Thanks to its clubbing capital Magaluf, Mallorca has developed an unfair reputation as a place full of barely-clothed, sunburnt Brits, all clambering over each other to contract the latest, greatest sexually transmitted disease. There are a few locations actively attempting to repair that perception, though, by attracting lovers of sport and culture to the island, [...]
The best restaurants in Reykjavik, Iceland reviewed February 3, 2016 Egill Skallagrímsson, one of Iceland’s most beloved folk heroes, wrote his first poem aged three, was an alcoholic by six and a murderer at seven. He’s famed for his acerbic wit, vicious temper and handiness with an axe, which he was more than willing to drive through the skull of friend or foe alike. His [...]
Two women reported dead as earthquake registering 6.7 magnitude hits off Greek island Lefkada November 17, 2015 Update: Two women are reported to have died after an earthquake registering 6.7 magnitude struck off the Greek island of Lefkada. The earthquake occurred 10 kilometres below the Earth's surface, the US Geological Survey reported initially, later revising this to a depth of five kilometres, and a higher reading of 6.8 magnitude. The quake happened at around [...]
Learning how to ski doesn’t have to be a downhill struggle. Why not grab lessons on the slopes of Verbier? April 8, 2016 The Bec Des Rosses, Verbier, holds mythical status in the world of skiing: 3,223m of snow and rock, angled at over 60 degrees; it’s one of the toughest mountains on Earth and hosts the final, deciding race of the Freeride World Tour (FWT) every March. “The FWT and easy access to off-piste skiing means that [...]
Inside the rock: Gibraltar’s strategic and military importance is complemented by financial and gaming leadership November 12, 2015 Covering an area of just 6.8 square kilometres, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar punches well above its weight. At the last count, despite a population of only 32,000 people, it was home to 67 insurers with £9.95bn in total assets, 13 banks, 72 trust and company service providers, 14 pension fund administrators, and [...]
Cross the arid Namibian desert on a self-driven safari April 22, 2016 It’s hard to imagine a landscape more dramatic than that of the largely uninhabited southern African desert nation Namibia. Dot its picturesque lands with a hefty assortment of big game and wildlife and you’ve got the right conditions for an epic holiday setting. A network of well-maintained (though often unpaved) roads means a visit to the [...]
BlackRock buys PwC offices in Uxbridge from Aviva for £59m August 25, 2015 FUND manager BlackRock said yesterday that it has bought an office building in west London for £55.9m from Aviva Investors. The Atrium in Uxbridge is a 138,000 square feet (sq ft) office block let to companies including American oil and gas firm Anadarko and accountants PwC. Blackrock said the deal offers a net initial yield [...]