HISTORY SICILY '43 by James Holland (Bantam £25, 640 pp) Sicily was a tough nut to crack for the Allied forces from Britain, Canada and the U.S., who landed on the enemy-occupied Mediterranean island in the blistering summer of 1943. They came from fighting Rommel's tanks on the wide open …...Read More
The Allies' capture of Sicily in 38 days was the beginning of the end for Third Reich
Tales of gloriously eccentric British pensioners
BOOK OF THE WEEK THE GRAN TOUR by Ben Aitken (Icon £14.99, 306 pp) When Ben Aitken discovers that for £109 he can get a four-night coach trip to Scarborough, with a cooked breakfast every morning, three-course dinner every night and excursions to York and Whitby, his first thought is: …...Read More
New books sheds light on fungi, which are the largest and oldest living things on earth
NATURE Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (Bodley Head £20, 368 pp) The splendidly named Merlin Sheldrake is the son of the maverick biologist Rupert Sheldrake, who famously came up with the idea of 'morphic resonance'. This suggests that all living things somehow connect, have 'memories', and communicate with each other …...Read More
A model, an English professor's daughter and a freelance art director arrested for rioting
The seven 'comrades' of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party arrested for rioting in New York on Friday night are wealthy students, models, art directors and singers. The NYPD tweeted their mugshots over the weekend and decried their actions as 'the height of hypocrisy', labelling one of the women 'the …...Read More
Flat in Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy's former HQ is for sale
Most people walking into this modern apartment block in London would see nothing but beautifully designed homes. But there are some hidden interior designer references in the entrance hallway that also pay homage to its unique TV history. In particular, the pink and green chairs found in the communal entrance …...Read More
Former home to tailoring business that made jackets for Stella McCartney for sale
It once housed a thriving tailoring business that has made silk jackets for Stella McCartney's fashion collection and riding jackets for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. But having owned the property for 40 years, the family behind the firm has moved its tailoring business into a new workshop, leaving its former …...Read More
Mani Shankar Aiyar On Congress '14 Rout
Pranab Mukherjee was elected President in 2012 after a four-decade career in Congress The result of the 2014 general election, which saw the BJP storm into power, would have been different and the Congress would not have suffered a humiliating defeat if Pranab Mukherjee was made Prime Minister and Dr …...Read More
Top tips for cleaning windows like a professional
Cleaning windows can seem like a deceptively simple task, but achieving a professional finish without smudged and smeared panes can be tricky. Far too often, it is possible to spend longer than expected rubbing down windows without ending up with a polished finished. You may even end up damaging the …...Read More
Man Stabbed To Death Over Car Parking Dispute In Srinagar: Police
The victim was declared dead upon arrival at hospital. (Representational) A fight over a car parking space resulted in a murder on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar district, said officials in Srinagar. Police said cognisance of the incident has been taken. An individual, namely Zareef Ahmed Mir, son of …...Read More
Late daisies delight: These colourful blooms will light up your garden this autumn
Welcome to the year's most beautiful month. Yes, mornings grow colder and leaves are on the turn. But this is a season of change — not decline. September is like spring for many plants and best among those are late daisies. Autumn daisies flower when bees are boosting honey stocks …...Read More
