Nick Duerden

Business

Maltese crossing

Malta, the Mediterranean island with a population of 400,000, is booming thanks to EU membership and its adoption of the euro. It’s also perfectly poised to exploit renewed trade with Gaddafi’s Libya.

Culture

Basque in the glory

Thanks to its world-famous museum, Bilbao has become a cultural mecca. But has the Guggenheim improved the lives of locals or just entertained tourists? We make an in-depth audit of its impact.

Design

Space plane

He’s one of the world’s greatest product designers but Marc Newson’s latest project is truly taking off: designing a space plane for Eads Astrium, which will be ready for 2011.

Transport

Two wheels good

Some 58 per cent of all journeys in Groningen are on a bicycle. Its 180,000 residents own 300,000 bikes. The Dutch city is a manifesto for getting people in the saddle.