Left is Porto Montenegro
I am in the final stages of finishing my second book, hence this blog has been neglected. But from now on, tho' I may not always have the time to write it up from the personal daily perspective, I'll try at least to post anything that is of particular interest to me in the news of the day.
Those of you who know my Money blog (also 'resting' whilst I bring my book to a close), will expect the items selected to in one way or another concern my favourite subject, that mysterious and enchanted world of the very rich.
And enchanted so describes that world, for to be enchanted is to be subject to magical influences, to be bewitched, to be put under a magical spell - and all those things come about when you enter the world of the rich, for its high voltage air crackles with magic.
As the cliched quote says "The rich are different." Most people say that comes from Scott Fitzgerald, but what he actually said was: "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me," and the famous misquote actually comes from Hemingway.
Personally I like "The rich are different, they pay less taxes." It is reminiscent of that other lovely 'rich' quote, courtesy of J. Paul Getty - "The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
So, here is the Sunday Telegraph debating the mystery of the release of the Lockerbie bomber, and the involvement therein of The Prince of Darkness , as he wheels and deals among his delightfully rich friends:
"Mandelson, his wealthy friends and the Libyan connection"
Lord Mandelson, the Business Secreatry, is facing growing questions over his links with Saif Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi, following the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi.
In a destination that developers predict will soon make the tax haven of Monaco look "second rate", it was described as the most glamorous party ever seen in the Adriatic.
As the champagne flowed, fireworks lit up the night sky, a dozen private Lear jets were parked on a nearby runway and giant yachts were moored offshore.
The fabulously wealthy guests at the appropriately-named Splendid Hotel included Prince Albert of Monaco and Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate.
Also at the resort were Oleg Deripaska, the Russian entrepreneur, and Nat Rothschild, the British financier - both close allies of Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary. The billionaires held a business meeting the following morning.
And who hosted the 37th birthday party in June in one of the trendiest locations in Montenegro – a newly-independent nation whose cause Lord Mandelson has repeatedly championed?
The unlikely host – hundreds of miles from his African homeland – was Saif Gadaffi, the son of the Libyan leader, who, it emerged last week, has met Lord Mandelson twice in the past four months.
At at least one of those meetings, the fate of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was discussed.
In October 2008, just days after his return to the Cabinet to shore up Gordon Brown's ailing leadership, Lord Mandelson admitted that his links to Mr Deripaska, the billionaire Russian oligarch, stretched back years more than he had earlier admitted.
Lord Mandelson, who denies acting improperly or trying to influence Mr MacAskill's decision, most recently met Mr Gaddafi "fleetingly" at the Rothschild's family's Greek £30 million estate on Corfu – just a week before it emerged that Megrahi was set to be freed because he is suffering from aggressive and terminal prostate cancer.
According to Lord Mandelson's spokesman, the Business Secretary also met the met the man tipped to be the next leader of Libya at an official engagement in London in May this year.
Less than a decade ago Libya was a pariah nation that was not only blamed for Lockerbie but also had a long history of sponsoring international terrorism.
Saif Gadaffi, 37, the favoured of Colonel Gadaffi's seven sons, is an architect, businessman and politician, who was educated at the London School of Economics.
In recent years Mr Gadaffi has forged a firm friendship with Mr Deripaska and Mr Rothschild, Lord Mandelson's friends.
Mr Rothschild hosted a party Mr Gaddafi in New York late last year. More recently, Mr Gadaffi has developed personal links with the Business Secretary himself.
Indeed, Lord Mandelson's spokesman said this weekend that he hopes to see more of the Libyan politician in the coming months.
What is not known is the extent of the personal business interests that Mr Gaddafi, who has a penchant for pet tigers, now has in Montenegro, a nation that Lord Mandelson has supported during its three years since gaining independence.
Libya has significant business links in Montenegro, and judging from his recent birthday party, Mr Gaddafi is clearly quite a "player" in the country.
Mr Deripaska and Mr Rothschild have invested heavily in the £500 million-plus Porto Montenegro project to make the country the "premier marina destination in the Mediterranean".
Lord Mandelson, as EU Trade Commissioner, championed Montenegro's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) saying last year: "Montenegro has made remarkable progress in preparing for WTO entry.... The EU is a strong supporter of Montenegro's entry into the WTO, and is proud to be the first partner to conclude bilateral accession talks."
But, crucially, did Lord Mandelson, who in 2006 ended EU trade tariffs on aluminium thereby hugely benefiting Mr Deripaska's business interests, lobby for Mr Megrahi's release?"
"Mandelson, his wealthy friends and the Libyan connection"
Lord Mandelson, the Business Secreatry, is facing growing questions over his links with Saif Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi, following the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi.
In a destination that developers predict will soon make the tax haven of Monaco look "second rate", it was described as the most glamorous party ever seen in the Adriatic.
As the champagne flowed, fireworks lit up the night sky, a dozen private Lear jets were parked on a nearby runway and giant yachts were moored offshore.
The fabulously wealthy guests at the appropriately-named Splendid Hotel included Prince Albert of Monaco and Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate.
Also at the resort were Oleg Deripaska, the Russian entrepreneur, and Nat Rothschild, the British financier - both close allies of Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary. The billionaires held a business meeting the following morning.
And who hosted the 37th birthday party in June in one of the trendiest locations in Montenegro – a newly-independent nation whose cause Lord Mandelson has repeatedly championed?
The unlikely host – hundreds of miles from his African homeland – was Saif Gadaffi, the son of the Libyan leader, who, it emerged last week, has met Lord Mandelson twice in the past four months.
At at least one of those meetings, the fate of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was discussed.
In October 2008, just days after his return to the Cabinet to shore up Gordon Brown's ailing leadership, Lord Mandelson admitted that his links to Mr Deripaska, the billionaire Russian oligarch, stretched back years more than he had earlier admitted.
Lord Mandelson, who denies acting improperly or trying to influence Mr MacAskill's decision, most recently met Mr Gaddafi "fleetingly" at the Rothschild's family's Greek £30 million estate on Corfu – just a week before it emerged that Megrahi was set to be freed because he is suffering from aggressive and terminal prostate cancer.
According to Lord Mandelson's spokesman, the Business Secretary also met the met the man tipped to be the next leader of Libya at an official engagement in London in May this year.
Less than a decade ago Libya was a pariah nation that was not only blamed for Lockerbie but also had a long history of sponsoring international terrorism.
Saif Gadaffi, 37, the favoured of Colonel Gadaffi's seven sons, is an architect, businessman and politician, who was educated at the London School of Economics.
In recent years Mr Gadaffi has forged a firm friendship with Mr Deripaska and Mr Rothschild, Lord Mandelson's friends.
Mr Rothschild hosted a party Mr Gaddafi in New York late last year. More recently, Mr Gadaffi has developed personal links with the Business Secretary himself.
Indeed, Lord Mandelson's spokesman said this weekend that he hopes to see more of the Libyan politician in the coming months.
What is not known is the extent of the personal business interests that Mr Gaddafi, who has a penchant for pet tigers, now has in Montenegro, a nation that Lord Mandelson has supported during its three years since gaining independence.
Libya has significant business links in Montenegro, and judging from his recent birthday party, Mr Gaddafi is clearly quite a "player" in the country.
Mr Deripaska and Mr Rothschild have invested heavily in the £500 million-plus Porto Montenegro project to make the country the "premier marina destination in the Mediterranean".
Lord Mandelson, as EU Trade Commissioner, championed Montenegro's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) saying last year: "Montenegro has made remarkable progress in preparing for WTO entry.... The EU is a strong supporter of Montenegro's entry into the WTO, and is proud to be the first partner to conclude bilateral accession talks."
But, crucially, did Lord Mandelson, who in 2006 ended EU trade tariffs on aluminium thereby hugely benefiting Mr Deripaska's business interests, lobby for Mr Megrahi's release?"
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