F1's Bernie Ecclestone Splashes the Cash for His Ladies

F1's Bernie Ecclestone Splashes the Cash for His Ladies: "Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Supremo and CEO of Formula One Motorsport, has recently purchased two London properties for his daughters.

According to a recent report, Bernie Ecclestone paid a total of £101 million (US$ 161.4 million) to acquire two of Londoon's most expensive properties for his daughters Tamara and Petra.

Ecclestone's daughter Petra received a £56 million, grade two listed, eight-bedroom house in Chelsea, named Sloane House. Whilst Ecclestone's other daughter Tamara received a £45 million ($US 72 million) house in Kensington Palace Gardens.

Ecclestone is quoted by U.K. paper The Sunday Times saying; 'I'm very proud of them. They're good girls. They're not stupid when it comes to money. They are very level headed and that's something I and their mother insisted on. At Christmas we bought them things we thought they needed and would use.'

'They've both got boyfriends, they travel, and renovating a property will be good work for Tamara. There won't be a housewarming party for a while because there's a lot of work to do, but that's good. It will keep her busy and it will be a good project for her to learn from. I think they will even be able to make a healthy profit when they come to sell,' he added."

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Barclay Brothers Said to Gain Control of Maybourne Hotels’ Owner - Bloomberg

Barclay Brothers Said to Gain Control of Maybourne Hotels’ Owner - Bloomberg: "David and Frederick Barclay will gain control of the parent company of Maybourne Hotels Ltd., owner of London luxury hotels including Claridge’s, a person familiar with the plan said.

The brothers, owners of the Telegraph Media Group Ltd., will buy 35 percent of Coroin Ltd. from Irish property entrepreneur Derek Quinlan to add to the 25 percent holding they purchased last week, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. London-based Maybourne also owns the Berkeley and Connaught hotels.

The three hotels have been valued by property brokers at 700 million pounds ($1.1 billion) to 1 billion pounds, the Financial Times reported today. A spokesman for the Barclays declined to comment. Paula Fitzherbert, a spokesperson for Maybourne, declined to comment.

The Barclay Brothers aim to own all of Maybourne, the person said, without giving a time frame."

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Christie’s sees 42% rise in luxury watch sales in Dubai - ArabianBusiness.com

Christie’s sees 42% rise in luxury watch sales in Dubai - ArabianBusiness.com: "Dubai is poised to become a target market for rare, luxury watches with sales in the emirate rising 42 percent since 2008, London-based auction house Christie’s has said.
Two auctions of rare timepieces in the emirate last year generated sales of $2,506,425, Christie’s said, a rise of 19.5 percent on the revenue generated the previous year from rare watch sales.
The revenue represents a rise of more than 42 percent since 2008, Aurel Bacs, international head of Christie’s Watches told Arabian Business.
“The growth in watch sales since 2008 in Dubai has been beyond our expectations,” he said."

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Lotus Launches New Luxury Lifestyle Brand - autoevolution

Lotus Launches New Luxury Lifestyle Brand - autoevolution: "Lotus Chief Executive Officer Danny Bahar has stated in the past that he intends to relaunch the British sportscar maker using its historic racing pedigree. At the forefront of company’s efforts are the five new models, expected to arrive by 2014. But it should come as no surprise that the former head of Ferrari’s marketing department also wants to build a retail merchandise brand.
Ever since the Paris Auto Show, Lotus has been showing a few rugged items, like leather jackets, polo shirts, sweaters and leather goods. But until now, the company did not release any information about a complete line."

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The Savoy, London hotel review | The Savoy steps it up

The Savoy, London hotel review | The Savoy steps it up: "From the moment you check in, you know you're somewhere special. For a start, there's no traditional bank of check-in desks. Your luggage is whisked from under your nose - the hotel has a 'no luggage in the foyer' policy - and you're ushered to a side room to complete registration formalities. The foyer, or Front Hall as it's known, is a destination in itself, as is evident by the presence of non-guests, who have clearly wandered in off the street to have a nose. Polished mahogany panelling gleams, gilt detailing glints on top of marble columns and the walls are decorated with the beautifully restored 1904 frieze An Idyll of a Golden Age, by English sculptor A. Bertram Pegram. It's exactly what you want your first impression of the Savoy to be - a bit theatrical, a bit grand and very much an occasion."

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Switzerland inspires Danish design duo Linde Werdelin - swissinfo

Switzerland inspires Danish design duo Linde Werdelin - swissinfo: "The annual Baselworld watch fair – to take place in March - attracts exhibitors from far and wide, among them the London-based luxury brand Linde Werdelin.

Jorn Werdelin and Morten Linde, two friends who grew up together in Denmark, split their time between the British capital and Copenhagen, but it is their strong bond with Switzerland that has been a major factor in their success.

Werdelin’s Swiss connection can be traced back to childhood. He was born into a household of three generations of jewellers, all of whom lay particular emphasis on top-quality Swiss branded watches.

“I was always aware Swiss watches were very desirable and customers were willing to pay high-end prices for them,” he told swissinfo.ch.

“When you grow up in a home where watches are an important part of what you are, and your father comes home every year from the Watch and Jewellery Show in Basel obviously thrilled by the latest designs, it becomes part of your identity.”

Werdelin was hooked and as he grew older he would help out during the school holidays in one of his father’s jewellery shops gaining knowledge about leading luxury brands and developing a strong marketing sense for high-end, niche products."

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AP names new deputy editor for Spanish services - BusinessWeek

AP names new deputy editor for Spanish services - BusinessWeek: "Alejandro Manrique, a veteran journalist for newspapers, television and radio in the United States and Latin America, has been appointed Deputy Latin America Editor for Spanish Services for The Associated Press.

Manrique will be based in Mexico City and oversee a team of about 30 editors, translators and reporters in Latin American and the United States. His appointment was announced Monday by Latin America and Caribbean Editor Marjorie Miller, who directs the Spanish service for the news cooperative.

'Alejandro Manrique has extensive journalistic experience in Spanish-language media and markets across the Spanish-speaking world,' Miller said. 'He loves news and he's competitive. He will help us achieve our goals of delivering ever-smarter, faster and more compelling news coverage in Spanish.'"

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Drunk pilot George La Perle who didn't know where he was flying to jailed for 6 months

Drunk pilot George La Perle who didn't know where he was flying to jailed for 6 months | Mail Online: "A pilot who turned up so drunk at Heathrow that he didn’t know where he was supposed to fly his transatlantic passenger plane has been jailed for six months.

George La Perle was stopped by security officers because he was reeking of alcohol, Isleworth Crown Court was told.

He told them he had just had a few beers the previous evening and that he was scheduled to fly to New York. His destination was in fact Detroit."

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Google Android Honeycomb first impressions: promising signs

Google Android Honeycomb first impressions: promising signs - Telegraph: "Honeycomb is the operating system that Google hopes will finally see it challenging Apple in terms of user interface. Although it was designed with Motorola’s Xoom in mind – to such an extent that employees from both companies were co-located – Google’s David Burke describes the experience as “about as pure Google as you’re going to get”.
The device has no physical buttons on the front – all of them are virtual, so they’re always on the bottom left of the screen. Motorola says this means “you never get lost”. A barometer means the device has a sensor for height, so it’s a matter of time before an app is designed specifically for parachutists.
With a dual-core Nvidia processor, the Xoom combines impressive speed with Google’s new interface. Motorola said it will add some features of its own, but the bulk of the innovation appears to be from Google’s end here. When the product launches later this year, it will be down to Motorola to distinguish Xoom from the scores of other tablets that will emerge running Honeycomb."

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Britons arrested for hiding money in Swiss bank accounts - Telegraph

Britons arrested for hiding money in Swiss bank accounts - Telegraph: "According to an anonymous source quoted in the magazine Accountancy Age last week, the two Britons were arrested late last year on suspicion of having hidden money in Zurich-based HSBC accounts. They have since been released on bail.
Accountancy Age believes that the arrests may have been made as a result of analysis of a list of wealthy individuals with accounts in the Swiss division of HSBC which was handed to HMRC last year.
The list, which was stolen by a employee and passed onto French authorities, led HMRC to issue hundreds of letters to well-off UK taxpayers who were thought to have Swiss accounts, warning them to disclose their assets.
The news of the arrest broke just a few days before another former employee of a Swiss bank, Rudolf Elmer, handed over CDs containing the details of 2,000 wealthy individuals and corporations practising tax avoidance to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
A spokesman for HMRC refused to comment on the matter, saying that they did not confirm arrests unless charges had been brought. HSBC also declined to comment."

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Sights, camera, action: Meribel's highlights

Meribel is a lively resort in France with great runs for intermediate skiers. Felix Milns offers a video guide to its highlights.:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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Gibraltar ‘Bull’ sale in bid to recoup Madoff monies | Easier

Gibraltar ‘Bull’ sale in bid to recoup Madoff monies | Easier: "It might seem like a drop in a 50 billion USD ocean, but the liquidators of infamous Madoff Securities International are selling the fraudster’s superyacht in a bid to recoup a fraction of the victims’ lost money. Currently lying in Gibraltar waters, ‘Bull’ (you’ve got to hand it to the man) is expected to receive offers over three million euros.

Sentenced to 150 years imprisonment in 2009 for the biggest fraud in business history, Bernie Madoff was at the helm of a 20-year-established Ponzi Scheme that managed to vaporize 50 billion USD-worth of investors’ money. Thanks to a bullish attitude and unwavering ability to spout the same, Madoff lived like a king with head-turning Bull just one of his indulgent toys. Now for sale by private treaty, the 27 metre Leopard had a launch value of six million euros in 2007 yet could prove to be a bargain at half the price for today’s buyer."

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Brits 'make the most of Morocco in winter'

Opodo travel news – Brits 'make the most of Morocco in winter': "Morocco has become a highly popular destination among British travellers heading abroad during the winter months.

Jamal El Jaidi, events and promotions manager at the Moroccan National Tourist Office, pointed out that the country offers experiences and activities to suit all interests.

Some young travellers visit to try the outdoor activities on offer in the Atlas mountains, while others are interested in exploring cities.

'The majority of the British [visitors] that we get come to Morocco during winter time and they come mainly to the city of Marrakech,' said Mr El Jaidi.

'There is another category of visitors who come to do the tour of the imperial cities, which includes Meknes, Fez, Marrakech and Rabat.'

Commenting on the recent performance of the country's tourism industry, Mr El Jaidi said that 2010 was an 'outstanding' year, with the number of arrivals from the UK up 27%.

One of the main drivers of the growth was the launch of additional flights to Marrakech from UK airports."

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Buyers still wanted for world's dearest address - Architecture, Arts & Entertainment - The Independent

Buyers still wanted for world's dearest address - Architecture, Arts & Entertainment - The Independent: "With its silk curtains, a private cinema, and room service that brings food purported to be worthy of Michelin stars, One Hyde Park is the most expensive block of flats in the world. And after three years of traffic jams, London's most lavish residential tower finally opened its high-design doors yesterday, even though nearly half of its 86 apartments are still to be sold.

The luxury property's developers, Christian Candy and his brother Nick, treated 300 guests to a lavish spread cooked by the chef Heston Blumenthal. But while the block's £135m penthouse has been sold to an anonymous purchaser, the Candy brothers maintain the development is still only 60 per cent sold. In 2008, The Independent reported the building had sold a comparable percentage of properties.

'One Hyde Park continued to progress despite the global downturn,' Richard Williams, director of the Candys' special-purpose development company in charge of the building, said. 'We are very fortunate to have secured the planning consent for the development pre-credit crunch.' Mr Williams said current sales equal £900m, with buyers mainly from the Middle East and Asia."

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Ryanair's boarding pass fee ruled 'abusive' - CNN.com

Ryanair's boarding pass fee ruled 'abusive' - CNN.com: "Ryanair, the Irish airline famous for its low fares and an extensive menu of fees, is vowing to fight a court ruling that calls one of its extra charges 'abusive.'
A judge in Barcelona, Spain, ruled that the carrier's 40 euro (about $54) boarding card reissue fee is illegal. Passengers must pay it if they arrive for their flight without a pre-printed boarding pass.
'I declare abusive and, therefore, null, the clause in the contract by which Ryanair obliges the passenger to take a boarding pass to the airport,' Judge Barbara Cordoba said, according to The Guardian.
'The customary practice over the years has been that the obligation to provide the boarding pass has always fallen on the airline.'"

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Rise in demand for long term Marbella rentals

Costa del villas - Rise in demand for long term Marbella rentals: "The demand for long term rental homes in popular parts of Spain has raised as foreign buyers face difficulties in meeting the requirements for mortgages issued by Spanish banks. One area that has seen a particular increase in demand is Marbella, one of the most popular resorts for international buyers.

Until fairly recently it was possible for buyers to get a 100% mortgage from Spanish banks to cover the purchase of homes in the country. However as Spain tries to revive its struggling property market banks are getting tougher with buyers and are now demanding hefty upfront deposits to secure the funding.

In most cases the banks are now stipulating with buyers must be able to put down a 30% deposit before proceeding. Although in some, albeit exceptional, circumstances mortgages of up to 90% can still be obtained.

Due to these circumstances many foreigners that would previously have been looking to buy property in Spain are now choosing to rent on a long-term basis."

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Kate's dress? British press backs Oldfield - Forbes.com

Kate's dress? British press backs Oldfield - Forbes.com: "It might have been a casual shopping trip, or it might have been ... something more.

Britain's royal watchers are on pins and needles over even the smallest details about Prince William's upcoming wedding to Kate Middleton. In the frenzied pre-wedding atmosphere, a visit by the bride's mother and sister to Bruce Oldfield, one of Britain's leading fashion designers, is seen as an indication that Middleton may be using him to design The Dress for her April 29 union."

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Kevin DeSoto: Style Week: Celebrating Fashion, Design and Culture

Kevin DeSoto: Style Week: Celebrating Fashion, Design and Culture: "StyleWeek Providence is New England's only fashion week event that focuses on the business of fashion. StyleWeek's shows feature a range of designers, introducing both new talent and latest collections from internationally recognized fashion houses to buyers and media.

This week is destined to be a hit as designers, buyers, celebrities, media and the who's who of fashion and style assemble at it's central location all week at the Providence Biltmore, located in the heart of Providence. This dazzling show will feature designers:

-- Jessica Abernethy
-- Karen Beebe
-- Daniela Corte
-- Kelly Eident
-- Jennifer Greeke
-- Jimmy Guzman
-- Jeff Lahens
-- Sam Mendoza
-- Maria Del Carmen Mercado
-- Jonathan Joseph Peters
-- Sarah Prost
-- Philip Sawyer
-- Joseph Aaron Segal
-- Avni Trivedi
-- Andrea Valentini
-- Samuel Vartan
-- Kara Wickman

Style, fashion and design are nothing new for Rhode Island. However, Rosanna Ortiz Sinel is laser focused on placing her stake as visionary of a new form of showcasing talent - and people are noticing."

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Trump to Enter Indian Property Market With Mumbai Luxury Tower - Bloomberg

Trump to Enter Indian Property Market With Mumbai Luxury Tower - Bloomberg: "U.S. billionaire real-estate developer Donald Trump is entering the Indian property market with a luxury residential tower in Mumbai, more than two years after announcing plans to expand in the south Asian nation.

Trump, who has joined with Mumbai developer Rohan Lifescapes Pvt. for his first venture in the country, expects to start marketing the project by March, said Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s son and executive vice president at the Trump Organization LLC.

“We are doing a very luxury project with Rohan Lifescapes and we’ll be in India later this quarter to launch it officially,” Donald Trump Jr. said in a phone interview from New York on Jan. 13. He declined to give further details on the project.

Donald Trump’s son said in a July 2008 interview he planned to set up a fund of as much as $1 billion to buy property in India. “The market place is beginning to understand and appreciate luxury, so there is a great opening for us there, as well as in resorts,” he said at the time."

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Intelligent luxury under a hot blue sky | City A.M.

Intelligent luxury under a hot blue sky | City A.M.: "ABU Dhabi sounds like a heady jumble of car, construction and human. In the daytime, the air is thick with noise as it is thick with the pervading haze of dust blown in from the sandlands to the south and thrown up by the never-ending construction. It softens the otherwise relentless sunshine, rendering everything (including the sky) a sedate pastel shade.
In summer, one must wade through air sodden with 100 per cent humidity, scuttling from place to air-conditioned place or collapsing (with soaked t-shirt) into the back of a taxi. The ideal time to visit is somewhere between November and March, when temperatures drop to a nippy 20°C and a cool breeze can be found snaking through the backstreets.
Then one can explore the city in both its guises, day and night. Ramble on the dunes of the artificial Lulu Island opposite Abu Dhabi’s 39-year-old skyline, or along its newly landscaped beach road, the Corniche, with its regimented leisure facilities, patchy grass and dreamy seaside strollers. Then at night, head indoors to one of the gargantuan shopping centres, gleaming hubs for the Armani-clad local youth, or splay out on the plastic chairs of a pavement shisha café while dubbed Turkish soaps play out on a massive projection TV."

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