Nov 14, 2024 3:18 PM ESTNotre Dame’s fabled Four Horsemen dominated college football 100 years ago this season, and to commemorate the Irish, Teeling Irish Whiskey is dropping a rare whiskey with a unique finish this month Teeling The Phoenix Legends 24-Year Rivesaltes Finish is the first of three planned whiskey bottlings scheduled in partnership with the University of Notre Dame under the Phoenix Legends collection Bottle number one in the series commemorates the Four Horsemen’s legendary season and Notre Dame’s first consensus National Championship The partnership between the Indiana school and the Irish whiskey distiller began last year as Teeling joined on to be the team’s official sponsor and it seems to mark the anniversary they’ve decided to make an interesting limited-edition whiskey The Rivesaltes region of France produces a fortified wine like port but a Rivesaltes fortified wine spends a year in the sun inside a glass bottle before being aged which gives it uniquely spicy and raisiny characteristics Teeling’s older whiskeys, which are primarily sourced from other distilleries, have become well-known for their unique finishes. Last year the distillery released a 32-year-old Purple Muscat finish with a $3,500 price tag (the bottle held only 700ml of liquid instead of the typical 750ml) A $500 price tag actually makes Phoenix Legends a pretty good deal on spec comparable releases from the likes of Bushmills and Redbreast go for between $500 and $1,000 with far more production volume than the 1,000 bottles Teeling will be offering in this limited-edition release Want the latest whiskey news, deals, and reviews? Sign up for the Whiskey Wednesday newsletter. Tasting notes provided by Teeling suggest an overall dessert note and fruit-centric whiskey with a payoff finish: aromas of tropical fruits and butterscotch with explosions of fruit on the palate; and a “.. long warming finish with notes of strawberry At 46 percent ABV, it’s not a melter, but Irish whiskeys have long proved at their best a little lower than bourbon drinkers may be used to To commemorate the legendary 1924 team and whiskey he’s created designs that reflect the "aesthetic of the bottle design and include a commemorative banner celebrating the historic season,” says the press release the 1,000 bottles will likely be difficult to acquire but potentially a smart pick-up for the season I could speculate about whether or not Notre Dame’s season will last as long as this bottle but as a Panthers fan averse to casting stones it sounds like the perfect thing to sip through my ninth viewing of Rudy this year You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Take a peek into wineries in the area near where the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyranées meet and you’ll see something strange: row after row of large glass jars filled with wine left to sit in the sun Haven’t we always heard that heat and light are bad for wine What are these crazy French winemakers doing a style of vin doux naturel (a French term for fortified wines) unique to the Roussillon area of France and something mysteriously resinous as well It’s a style that most drinkers have to work their way up to (it's definitely a bottle to pop at the end of the night when everyone is fed this is so unique,” instead of “Why does this smell like furniture polish and do you have any Pinot Grigio?”) Just as Madeira is heat-damaged on purpose for your enjoyment (although by a different method) this traditional style of wine is aged in glass demijohns to achieve its signature nutty It’s fortified with a neutral grape spirit to stop the fermentation leaving residual sugar that gives the wine its sweetness it’s transferred to barrels to age for anywhere from one to 50 years to let it take on even more nutty a grape variety that has a few color variations: Grenache Noir a pinky-gray variation whose skin looks similar to other “in between” grape varieties such as Pinot Gris/Grigio; and Grenache Blanc plus a small amount of other local grape varieties not to exceed 20 percent of the final blend And just as you can leave an open bottle of Madeira on your counter for days and have it taste almost exactly the same as it did when you opened it By the time it’s finished its aging regimen tawny color and is very stable after it’s been opened If this all sounds like a complicated mixture of winemaking styles—a little like Port Just as the local culture is not exactly French and not exactly Spanish as dessert wines are about as fashionable as stirrup pants these days don’t miss a chance to sip a bit of bottled history a style of vin doux naturel (a French term for fortified wines) unique to the Roussillon area of France and something mysteriously resinous as well. It’s a style that most drinkers have to work their way up to (it’s definitely a bottle to pop at the end of the night when everyone is fed Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of Gastro Obscura in your inbox Call to make sure this winery is open before visiting: https://www.cazes-rivesaltes.com/en/contact/ this establishment often features Rivesaltes on its wine list Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience French developer Solveo Energies has developed a 247 kW agrivoltaic facility spread across 3,500 m2 The system features trackers controlled by the Cultiveo Dynamique algorithm to protect an apricot farm in Pyrénées-Orientales From pv magazine France Solveo Energies has inaugurated an agrivoltaic demonstration project in Rivesaltes The 247 W system is deployed across 3,500 m2 of land faces drought and must adapt to climate change Solveo Energies has equipped the system with the Cultiveo Dynamic algorithm which allows microclimatic regulation to be carried out by favoring shade or light according to the agronomic needs of the orchard It uses several sensors that are installed under the structure to monitor the climatic environment and tree activity in real time with light sharing designed and managed to preserve or even improve in the event of an intense climatic episode agricultural production conditions,” said Pierre Guerrier deputy general manager of development for Solveo Energies “This effort leads us to adapt the conditions for photovoltaic energy production through lower density and increased height of the panels or limiting their inclination.” an agricultural engineer at Solveo Energies will monitor the growth and productivity of apricot trees under the supervision of the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRAE) and the Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD) The data collected in Rivesaltes will also be transmitted to the National Agrivoltaic Research Center a heatwave caused us to lose part of the orchard,” said Pierre Pratx another farmer who also has the Cultiveo Dynamique system on his crops we can now protect the apricots from such extreme temperatures We will be able to control the rotation of the panels according to needs by opening them further for more sun or closing them for more shade We have similar trees nearby to make a comparison.” More articles from Gwénaëlle Deboutte Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker First published: September 14, 2024 06:14 PM Firefighters in Agullana, in the county of Alt Empordà in northern Catalonia, are working to put out a forest fire. According to sources from the body, warning of the blaze was received shortly before 4 pm, and 18 ground crews and five helicopters are working on it. Traffic has been cut off between exits 1 and 3 of the AP-7 in La Jonquera and drivers are being rerouted to the N-II. The AVE, high speed trains, between Figueres and El Pertús has also been suspended at the request of the fire department. In addition, several active fires started near the border on the French side on Saturday in Ortafà, Vilallonga dels Monts, and Rivesaltes. The last of which has forced the closure of the A9 between the north and south exits. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone Peter René Pérez receives the decoration from Albares According to the Official State Gazette (BOE) published on Wednesday Spanish nationality by letter of nature has been granted to him by King Felipe VI at the proposal of the Minister of the Presidency and “in view of the exceptional circumstances that concur with Mr born in Vienna in 1936 and son of a Bulgarian Sephardic and an Austrian Catholic was part of the Sephardic Jewish community of the Austrian capital which in those years was made up of a thousand people his father and uncle managed to flee to Paris in the face of harassment by the Gestapo Peter René’s brother was later able to escape in a convoy for Jewish children and Peter René and his mother managed to leave Vienna in 1939 after obtaining a passport to reach Paris Peter René Pérez and his parents fled Paris and were captured and interned in 1941 (when he was only five years old) in the Rivesaltes camp created by Vichy France to confine “undesirable foreigners” who could represent a “potential danger” to the country he shared internment with prisoners of gypsy ethnicity and numerous Spanish republicans who would later save his life Peter René learned Spanish and used fandangos to communicate with the gypsy and Spanish prisoners and after the Nazis had taken over the south of France and cleared the Rivesaltes camp for military use Peter René and his family were spared deportation to the Auschwitz extermination camp (and therefore almost certain death) by Spanish prisoners who falsified their papers so that they could work and live in the La Caunette mine They remained in this mine until its closure in 1948 where Peter René Pérez still resides today Peter René Pérez gave his testimony in the Spanish Senate on the occasion of the State Act for the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity in which he recalled the persecution he suffered in his childhood and stated that as “the last Sephardic Jew in the Vienna community” in an interview with the Europa Press agency Pérez defended the “two-state solution” (Israel and Palestine) to end the war in the Middle East but warned that this measure would not guarantee that “something like October 7” would not happen again referring to the Hamas attacks on Israeli territory which triggered the current Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip he was awarded the Civil Merit Commendation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for “the courage shown in telling the world about his experience and transmitting a message of peace and brotherhood” and together with that of his entire family and the Sephardic community that managed to flee from Nazi injustice his courage in telling the world about his experience and transmitting a message of peace and brotherhood and his desire to preserve Ladino as a language of communication.” The Diplomat in Spain is the reference digital newspaper for diplomats and companies that want to be well informed © 2024 The Diplomat in Spain Please enter your username or email address to reset your password © 2024 The Diplomat in Spain. causing floods across the south west of the country the capital of the Pyrenees-Orientales department Levels of the Agly River in the Pyrenees-Orientales department were so high that between 2,000 to 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes along the river on Sunday 30 November 2014 Most of the evacuations were near the towns of Rivesaltes Around 400 people were also evacuated near the town of Canet in the Aude department Five people have died in the latest floods that began on 27 November One woman was found dead on 27 November in La Londe Three more deaths were reported soon after died of heart failure yesterday after his car was caught up in flood water in Rivesaltes — L'Indépendant.fr (@WEBINDEP) November 30, 2014 Rivesaltes : la crue fait une victime http://t.co/qj3zdmZoXr pic.twitter.com/Xi0OUnz1Io — Clyde Barrow (@Clyde_Barrow_) November 30, 2014 Des renforts du sdis 30 viennent de partir du centre de secours de #Rivesaltes. #crue depuis le pont. pic.twitter.com/2QNoQwwlHg — Jimmy5957 (@jimmy57geo) November 30, 2014 Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList Domaine Cazes Rivesaltes rare vintage wines are set to hit the Cannes spotlight Leading French wine group AdVini is looking forward to highlighting its “exceptional” wines at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes Visitors to the AdVini stand (Green Village J68) will be able to discover rare vintages and new releases at a tasting experience which will also feature a vertical tasting of exceptionally old vintages from Domaine Cazes and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the TFWA This special event will feature vintages from 1945 To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the TFWA AdVini will present a special gift – a 1964 bottle of Rivesaltes – to TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen industry professionals will have the opportunity to explore AdVini’s diverse range of wines including new releases from Gassier (Provence) L’Oratoire des Papes (Châteauneuf du Pape) and Ken Forrester Wines (Stellenbosch Attendees can also learn more about the Group’s commitment to sustainable practices and discover the stories behind estates such as Maison Champy (Bourgogne) New releases from Gassier will be introduced at Cannes AdVini’s dedicated travel retail team will be on site to provide personalized recommendations and discuss potential partnerships three generations of winemakers have worked with the same love of their craft since 1895 the entire 220-hectare estate has been farmed using biodynamics Domaine Cazes works to achieve total harmony between grape varieties with glistening colors and multiple aromas is an art that Domaine Cazes has practiced for 75 years with a consistency and rigor that is said to be unmatched Domaine Cazes’ natural sweet wines are aged in 100-year-old cellars and enjoyed in the world’s best restaurants Only a few bottles of Rivesaltes vintages from 1931 to 1974 remain in the Domaine Cazes collection showcasing Domaine Cazes natural sweet wines in travel retail is the “perfect way to allow travelers to share the emotion of wine to remember holidays in the South of France original and personalized gift or to taste an exceptional wine during a trip” Season 2014 could not have had a better start for the European Supermoto Championship – Class SM2 than it had in Rivesaltes (France) this weekend Thirty European riders gathered on “Grand Circuit du Roussillon” to compete against each other in the search of the win and ultimately the European Champion title All spectators present were in for some exceptional racing groups of five-six riders battling it out to the limit through-out the pack Qualified in pole-position for the first time Czech Milan Sitniansky (TM) could not yet resist the pressure of the first place and was passed by four riders right from the start of the race First to lead was Italian Fabrizio Bartolini (Honda) followed by Dutch Devon Vermeulen (TM) and Finnish riders Asseri Kingelin (Aprilia) and Toni Klem (KTM) After five laps out of the total fourteen Vermeulen (TM) passed Bartolini (Honda) with a courageous maneuver Kingelin (Aprilia) pushed hard to pass Bartolini (Honda) but all his efforts were in vain fourth placed rider Toni Klem (KTM) also pushed Kingelin (Aprilia) towards a mistake but had to settle for fourth place even though he was very close to achieving third place at the finish line First race saw first four riders completing the 14 scheduled laps in less than 2 seconds New entry in the Supermoto European Championship Italian Giovanni Bussei (TM) finished in sixth place spectators following three or four battles on the track at once in different groups of riders Italian Fabrizio Bartolini (Honda) had a brilliant start and installed his #110 bike at the lead followed closely by Dutch Devon Vermeulen (TM) In the following laps Vermeulen (TM) and Bartolini (Honda) exchanged places for the lead stimulating spectators to cheer for the riders even more Third place was Finnish rider Asseri Kingelin (Aprilia) while fourth and fifth place was heavily disputed between Finnish Toni Klem (KTM) and Czech Milan Sitniansky (TM) Vermeulen (TM) was quickest to the finish line This was as well the podium of the overall Next event and second round of the European Supermoto Championship will take place in Arad (Romania) between the 16th-18th of May  Download here FIM Europe Press Release 033/2014 | Copyright 2025 FIM Europe | Terms of use - Privacy statement | The first edition of Teeling Phoenix Legends is limited to just 1,000 bottles Brad Japhe is a freelance journalist specializing in travel His work appears in all major media markets across the United States He is viewed as an expert in the beer and spirits space frequently appearing as a host on various media platforms He has interviewed a diverse array of talent ranging from international superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson a premium hamburger over a prime cut of steak His favorite breed of dog is the Siberian Husky and he suffers from an irrational ABV: 46%Maturation: 21 years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels followed by three years in Rivesaltes casksAllocation: 1,000 bottles globallyMSRP: $500 A Jewish man whose family survived the Holocaust thanks to the kindness of a village in southern France has left an estimated 2 million euros to the village in his will Eric Schwam, his parents and his maternal grandmother lived in Vienna, Austria. Not much is known about Schwam who passed away on December 25th at 90 years of age. It is known that the four family members were interned in the Rivesaltes camp established by the Vichy government in occupied France Thousands of Jews were transported from Rivesaltes to Auschwitz Rivesaltes held 8,000 prisoners deemed to be “undesirable refugees” by the Vichy officials nine convoys transported 2,313 Jews to Auschwitz Many of the released prisoners were taken in by the villagers of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon The village has a long history of taking in refugees It is one of only two towns recognized by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum as “Righteous Among the Nations” for their role in protecting Jews during the Holocaust Friedel Reiter was a Swiss social worker with the Red Cross of Switzerland who recorded in her diary that she had helped the family relocate to Le Chambon in 1943 She noted that Schwam was 12 years old at the time The family was kept hidden in the village at the end of the war his parents returned to Vienna but Schwam remained in France studying pharmacy at the University of Leon It is known that Schwam and his wife did not have any children and that his wife preceded him in death little is known of the man who has been described as “discreet” and wanting to avoid publicity over his generosity The village is seeking more information about their new benefactor it is not even clear if Schwam visited the town in the years since the war or what he did in town during it While the mayor of the village acknowledged the gift from Schwam The previous mayor of the village said that Schwam had contacted his administration earlier about the possibility of such a gift and the amount at that time was estimated to be 2 million euros The will stipulates that the money be used for education and youth services especially to help schools in the village and establish scholarships The money will also be used for foundations that support health care workers Schwam says that the money is to show his gratitude to the villagers for “the welcome many extended me in the field of education.” Another Article From Us: Researchers Recover More Artifacts from the Ship that Carried the Elgin Marbles Le Chambon has opened its door to refugees from priests hiding from the French Revolution to Spanish republicans hiding from civil war in the 1930s and refugees from the Middle East and Africa today Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the English photographer Michael Kenna curated by the art historian Michel Poivert during his career Kenna has imprinted on film the principal European deportation camps Preferring the soft light of dawn and dusk and long exposures the artist creates meditative shots in which to contemplate the traces of a difficult memory he created a series on the Rivesaltes Camp whose ruined barracks still seem to contain the shadows of the Republicans who were persecuted by the Franco regime and of the Jews who were deported from there to the extermination camps in the memorial created by the architect Rudy Ricciotti which out of respect for what remains of the camp was built below ground: it is a monolithic volume of concrete Michael Kenna: une mémoire photographiqueCurated by Michel PoivertMémorial du Camp de Rivesaltes Abitare.it e Style.corriere.it rifiutando tutti i cookie di profilazione ad eccezione di quelli tecnici necessari Naviga il sito di Abitare.it con pubblicità profilata e senza abbonarti By subscribing you will reject all but technical cookies on Iodonna.it By clicking "accept" you will allow to process your personal data by us and third parties and be able to browse Abitare.it website without a subscription The hashtag #sweetwinehalloween was one of the small pleasures of Instagram last October Madeira and Malvasia getting involved by posting photos of their wines next to pumpkins and cobwebs Special respect goes to Château Climens for posting images of the entire team dressed in full Halloween gear (photo below) and it turned out to be a clever way to show the impact niche marketing can have on a style of wine that still needs to connect to its audience The Rivesaltes Memorial Museum by Rudy Ricciotti Kannikegården in Ribe, Denmark’s best preserved medieval city is designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects The Katyn Museum by Jan Belina Brzozowski and Konrad Grabowiecki with BBGK Architekci The Katyn Museum by Jan Belina Brzozowski and Konrad Grabowiecki with BBGK Architekci DeFlat Kleiburg by NL Architects and XVW Architectuur Ely Court by Alison Brooks Architects For more information, visit the EU Mies Award website escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox journalist and editor covering architecture with particular interest in sustainability After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine She is author of The Sustainable City (2022 a book about sustainable architecture in London a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge FDN / Culture / Art / “The Light of the Shadow The Departmental Museum of the Resistance and Deportation of the Haute-Garonne in Toulouse and the Memorial of the Camp of Rivesaltes (66) present two exhibitions of British photographer Michael Kenna the Musée Départemental de la Résistance & de la Déportation is presenting These photographs will be combined with objects from the museum’s collection that are related to this universe as well as four major works on loan from the MRN which is both a testimony and an artistic expression is a new opportunity for the museum to work on the history of the deportations supported by the historian and curator Thomas Fontaine European agent for Michael Kenna Photography 80 original photographic prints by Michael Kenna also from his residency and from the MRN collection will be on display from March 10 to October 1 Michael Kenna has added exceptional works made on the site of the former Rivesaltes camp during an artistic residency in March 2022 founder of the Collège international de la photographie the exhibition proposes to articulate history memory and artistic sensitivity around a question: what can contemporary photography Created in 1977 on the initiative of former resistance fighters and deportees the museum became departmental in 1994 and moved to its current location The museum benefited from a major renovation in 2020 Temporary exhibitions and a permanent tour allow the public to discover the history of the Second World War in Haute-Garonne and the region The Departmental Museum of the Resistance and Deportation of Haute-Garonne is a space of conservation but also of meeting and reflection around the values of commitment and solidarity its objective is to show the universal and timeless character of the Resistance and the Deportation the Rivesaltes Camp Memorial is built in the middle of the remains of the barracks witnesses to the fate of more than 60,000 people This mark in space makes it a unique place which reflects the traumas of the twentieth century: the Spanish War the Second World War and the wars of decolonization The Memorial is a place of history and memories Through its exhibitions and its scientific and cultural program it aims to disseminate historical knowledge it is an extraordinary building that has earned its architect The Rivesaltes Camp Memorial is a public establishment of cultural cooperation (EPCC) supported by the Occitanie / Pyrenees-Mediterranean Region and the Department of Pyrénées-Orientales “A photographic memory” – From March 10 to October 1 Spanish refugees started to flee the country’s bitter civil war in a movement that’s become known as the Retirada [the ‘withdrawal’] and children crossed the border into France in February 1939 alone following the fall of the Second Spanish Republic and the victory of General Franco had started to make provisions for the refugees but underestimated the sheer numbers Many ended up on the beaches in makeshift accommodation and by 1940 some 50,000 had ended up in a series of camps near Perpignan and just 40km from the Spanish border it had originally been intended as a military base; following the Retirada the French government decided to use it as an internment camp By January 1941 it was housing more than 6500 refugees though as by then World War Two had broken out half the camp was Spanish – the other half Jews who had fled various counties and French gypsies In just under two years the camp housed some 17,500 people By 1942 Rivesaltes had descended into a transit camp from which the Vichy government transferred 2313 Jewish men women and children to the Drancy internment camp and then on to Auschwitz where they were killed After the war the camp’s inglorious history continued used to house soldiers and families from Algeria and other former French colonies and then as a detention centre for illegal immigrants But in October 2015 the camp started a new life as the Mémorial du Camp de Rivesaltes housing a permanent exhibition on forced migration and internment camps in France and beyond This year it’s marking the 80th anniversary of the Retirada with a series of events including an exhibition of work by Paul Senn – a Swiss photojournalist who photographed the Spanish civil war and the internment of the refugees in France including images published at the time in Swiss newspapers and distributed around the world by Agent Press (AP) Agency Senn had a long and distinguished career as a photographer starting in 1930 and including an early report in November 1932 which saw an anti-facist demonstration in Geneva descend into a bloodbath in which 13 protestors were killed and 65 were wounded He visited Spain several times in the 1930s and worked as a military photographer for the Swiss Army during World War Two; afterwards he travelled Europe for the Red Cross and the Swiss Don photographing the victims of war and the post-war reconstruction and he returned after World War Two and also visited Mexico; in 1951 he helped found the Kollegium der Schweizerischen Fotografen [“College of Swiss Photographers”] along with photographers such as Werner Bischof and Jakob Tuggener He died of cancer on 25 April 1953 in Bern Alongside the exhibition of Senn’s work at the Mémorial du Camp de Rivesaltes the Centre international du Photojournalisme Perpignan has organised an exhibition of a wider selection of Senn’s work on show at the Couvent des Minimes in Perpignan until 28 April Diane Smyth is the editor of BJP, returning for a second stint on staff in 2023, after 15 years on the team until 2019. She also edits the Photoworks Annual, and has written for The Guardian, FT Weekend Magazine, Aperture, FOAM, and Apollo, plus catalogues and monographs. Diane lectures in photography history and theory at the London College of Communications, and has curated exhibitions for The Photographers Gallery and Lianzhou Foto Festival. Follow her on instagram @dismy Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Once it belonged to Libya’s hated dictator Now the Airbus with the Bond villain interior sits abandoned on the edge of an airport in south-west France while a legal battle rages over its ownership I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Drivers barrelling along the D117 road past the Aéroport de Perpignan-Rivesaltes have grown used to the sight of the strikingly liveried Airbus parked next to the barbed-wired boundary for much of the last three years. At 60 metres in length the A340 is one of the world’s larger jetliners. When it first landed at the airport in south-west France in 2012, it bore an enigmatic emblem on its tail of “9999” – along with a scattering of bullet holes. These days the logo has been replaced by the stylised flag bearing a crescent moon that announces it as the property of the state of Libya. After the country’s civil war, countless Libyan aircraft crossed the Mediterranean in search of sanctuary. But as a symbol of grotesque luxury none matches Airbus 5A-One. Bought in 2006 from a Saudi prince for $120m, 5A-One was Muammar Gaddafi’s personal jet. And it is tricked out with all the baubles that any self-respecting despot would demand – silver leather sofas, a jacuzzi, a private cinema, a double bed and 50 first class-style seats in the back for a kowtowing entourage. But it’s not just its Bond villain interior that sets it apart, or the fact that its owners include the former Libyan dictator butchered by his compatriots in his hometown of Sirte in 2011. The jet has another claim to notoriety: it is among the most legally contested aircraft in history. Since being built in 1996, 5A-One has been owned not just by Libya’s Brother Leader but by two of the planet’s most high-profile plutocrats; and it has been at the centre of accusations from profligacy to subterfuge in at least seven separate lawsuits heard in courts from London to Cairo. The latest chapter in this twisting legal saga was written this week when a French judge ruled that the aircraft was the sovereign property of Libya and so could not be seized by the latest claimant to its ownership, the Al Kharafi Group, a Kuwaiti conglomerate with interests from fertilisers to Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The family-owned firm secured a ruling in Cairo two years ago that it was owed €935m as a result of a broken contract with the Gaddafi regime to build a beach resort in Libya. Lawyers for the Kuwaiti company sought the seizure of the jet, which they valued at €62m, as a down payment on the debt. But the French high court in Perpignan ruled that since 5A-One can be described as “presidential” equipment it benefits from sovereignty immunity and cannot be seized. Carole Sportes, a Paris-based lawyer representing the internationally recognised Libyan government in Benghazi, said: “It is very satisfying to see the judge has recognised the fact that this plane, which belongs to the Libyan state, has immunity from being seized.” Unsurprisingly for an object pored over by legal minds for much of its existence, the ruling is unlikely to end the courtroom wrangling. Rémi Barousse, the lawyer representing the Al Kharafi Group, told The Independent that he is considering appealing against the ruling, but he added: “For now, the plane remains at Perpignan.” It is a peculiar quirk of Perpignan-Rivesaltes airport that 5A-One is not the only pale imitation of Air Force One to be found in front of the hangars of EAS Services, the company subcontracted to maintain Gaddafi’s jet while its ownership is resolved. Among the other jets lingering on the asphalt is the Boeing 727 of the President of Benin, who reputedly refuses to set foot in the 1970s relic, and another presidential 727, this time belonging to Mauritania, which arrived in 2004. But there can be little doubt that 5A-One has by far the most colourful – and cursed – history of this bizarre, static display of avionic luxury. The transaction spawned another legal dispute when Daad Sharab, a Jordanian businesswoman who acted as an intermediary on the deal, sued Prince Waleed in the High Court in London in 2013, for allegedly reneging on an agreement to pay her £6.5m in commission. Ms Sharab won her case after the judge accepted her account over that of the Saudi prince. Under Gaddafi’s ownership, 5A-One was flown around the world as the Libyan dictator engineered a delicate thaw in relations with the West. In 2009, it arrived at Glasgow Airport to fly home the newly released Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi. But its near four-year interlude at Perpignan, during which it has also attracted a lawsuit from the German airline Lufthansa, means 5A-One, the self-styled flagship of the Libyan people, has now spent more time on a French taxiway than in their service. For now, it seems the Airbus will remain where it is – a sobering emblem of one man’s hubris and the wrangling over the remaining assets of the state that he brought to the brink of failure. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies the Nazis and their allies killed about 25 percent of Europe's entire Roma (a.k.a remains one of the worst atrocities committed by the Nazis — and it took until 1979 for the German government to commence reparations and until 2011 for the killings to receive an official day of remembrance the Roma in Europe had already faced decades of persecution An ethnic group originating in the northern Indian subcontinent before making their way to Europe most likely in the 14th century the Roma had always been a migratory people who often faced local persecution wherever they ended up From 1899 through the Nazis' ascension in 1933 German legislators introduced law after law to restrict the rights of the Roma by surveilling them and limiting the places where they could settle Laws forbade them from entering many swimming pools or parks and whole sections of the country were off-limits for them Police even had the right to arrest virtually any Roma they wanted without cause The prevailing thinking was that any time a Gypsy was behind bars And when the Nazis came to power, things only got worse Hitler began to target the Roma not just as roving bands of people who needed to be controlled but as an "undesirable" racial group that needed to be contained and then eliminated Director Robert Ritter of the Center for Research on Racial Hygiene and Demographic Biology began to deal with the Nazis' "Gypsy Question." After interviewing and examining Roma subjects Ritter concluded that the group had "degenerate" blood that made them a danger to German racial purity he threatened the Roma into revealing their locations and the locations of their family members in order to create a centralized registry of nearly all the Roma living in Germany that would facilitate some of the worst crimes against the Roma In 1936 — after stripping the Roma of their citizenship and their right to vote — the Nazis began sterilizing them then rounding them up and forcing them into squalid camps and other areas where they would be isolated hundreds of thousands of Roma were herded into transit camps and kept separate in their own towns the Nazis forced some of the Roma into ghettos alongside the Jews it was off to forced labor sites and death camps The genocide of the Roma began in earnest in December 1942 when SS commander Heinrich Himmler signed an order calling for all the Roma to be forced into concentration camps the Nazis intended to exterminate every last one of the estimated 1 million Roma living in Europe Soon, authorities across Nazi-controlled Europe rounded up every Roma they could find, pulled them out of the ghettos and detention centers, and dragged them off to death camps There they were gassed by the tens of thousands like so many other victims of the Holocaust In the Nazi-controlled parts of the Soviet Union went from village to village massacring any Roma they found They alone slaughtered an estimated 8,000 people The Roma who survived long enough to make it to the concentration camps were often put through particularly cruel torment before they were killed For one, the Nazis used the Roma extensively in their infamous medical experiments. The infamous Dr. Josef Mengele was reportedly partial to experimenting on Roma children have them call him "Uncle Mengele," and then lure them away to the gas chambers or where he would conduct horrifying experiments on them One of the worst stories comes from a Jewish inmate of Auschwitz named Vera Alexander, who witnessed the brutal disfiguration and death of two four-year-old Roma twins named Guido and Ina "Their wounds were infected and oozing pus Then their parents—I remember the mother's name was Stella—managed to get some morphine and they killed the children in order to end their suffering." Whether due to "experimentation," mass shootings the Nazis and their collaborators killed an estimated 220,000 Roma (although some less-accepted estimates put the total as high as 1.5 million a figure that's unlikely to be true given that it exceeds the general consensus as to how many Roma were in Europe before the Porajmos) the Roma survivors hardly received any recognition or reparations for the suffering they had endured racism against the Roma endured to the point that some argued they didn't deserve any redress for the genocide The postwar governments of West Germany and the Allies didn't recognize the Roma as victims of racial persecution and held the position that the Nazis had targeted them because of their "criminal and asocial elements." the victims of the Romani genocide received neither the attention nor even basic human sympathy given to victims of the Holocaust as a whole the West German Federal Parliament acknowledged that the Porajmos was a racially-motivated genocide and thus allowed the Roma to become eligible for official reparations And it took almost 70 years before the victims of the Porajmos received the kind of public acknowledgment afforded to other groups of Holocaust victims It wasn't until 2011 that the Roma victims received acknowledgment at Germany's annual Holocaust day of remembrance Porajmos victims finally received a monument After this look at the genocide of the Roma people during World War II, see some of the most powerful photos taken during the Holocaust. Then, discover what life was like inside the Jewish ghettos of Nazi-controlled Europe Boann Distillery celebrated the summer solstice last night (June 21) by launching its newest creation marking the second single cask bottling from Boann in just six months The Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey was unveiled to a select group of whiskey enthusiasts at a Summer Solstice Tasting event in the distillery as part of the Boyne Valley Food series where attendees became the first to savour the new release Boann celebrated the winter solstice with its first Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey reviving whiskey distilling for the first time in the distillery’s home town of Drogheda in 160 years.The much-anticipated ‘Summer Solstice’ is the second Irish Single Pot Still whiskey from Boann after undergoing three years of maturation in a 225-litre Rivesaltes Rouge Barriqu single cask from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in Southern France Distinguished by its more summer-inspired notes of red raisin this release offers a striking contrast to the Winter ‘Solstice’ whiskey's rich winter flavours of cinnamon guests had the privilege of sampling both the Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice whiskeys along with Boann's acclaimed Single Pot Still 'New Born' expression and ageing spirit.  each whiskey was paired with canapés carefully curated by culinary creatives Glasgow Diaz and sourced from local Boyne Valley farms perfectly complementing the unique flavours and characteristics of each expression “Following the resounding success of our augural Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey unveiled during last year's Winter Solstice celebration Boann Distillery is aiming to captivate whiskey lovers again with our craftsmanship passion and innovation,” said Pat Cooney “Our Summer Solstice whiskey embodies the essence of the season and captures the spirit of the sun's zenith offering a symphony of flavours and a testament to our commitment to excellence “Summer Solstice will have a limited release of only 401 bottles so it is sure to captivate connoisseurs and collectors alike.” A 500ml bottle of ‘Summer Solstice’ Single Pot Still whiskey can be purchased for €150 exclusively on boanndistillery.ie with a limit of two bottles per person.  Direct link to purchase the Summer Solstice:  https://boanndistillery.ie/product/boann-summer-solstice-single-pot-still-irish-whiskey-2/ Alison Brooks Architects’ RIBA Award-winning Ely Court in north west London is the only UK finalist chosen for the 2017 Mies van der Rohe Award The 43-home scheme in South Kilburn made the five-strong shorlist alongside a museum in Poland by BBGK Architekci; a house in Denmark by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects; a museum in France by Rudy Ricciotti and a block of flats in the Netherlands by NL Architects and XVW architectuur the biennial European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture is widely recognised as the highest accolade in European architecture and features a €60,000 (£51,000) top prize architect and chair of the jury said of the finalists: ’Our instincts could be summed up by the words of Peter Smithson: “things need to be ordinary and heroic at the same time” We were looking for an ordinariness whose understated lyricism is full of potential.’ the biennial award recognises architectural excellence and promotes the role of European architects in developing new technologies and ideas Previous winners have included David Chipperfield’s Neues Museum in Berlin (2011) Stansted Airport by Norman Foster (1990) and Waterloo International railway station by Nicholas Grimshaw (1994) The jury will visit the five finalists in April A winner will be announced on 26 May at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Tags Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA chatted to the… Skyscraper expert SimpsonHaugh has submitted plans for a 50-storey and a 25-storey… MVRDV and Mecanoo are among five finalists vying to design… Squire & Partners has finally won planning