A 5,500 square foot penthouse at the top of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City is set to sell for a reported US$18 million. The unit was owned by Italian film mogul Vittorio Cecchi Gori, but was foreclosed on and is being dealt with through US Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. There is one interested buyer, but if more emerge then it will probably be sold through an auction at the...
The London Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Olympic Organising Committee (LOCOG) just released its plans for the Athlete’s Village in the city. The Athlete’s Village is adjacent to the Olympic Park and Stratford City and will accommodate athletes during both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. The Athlete’s village will have 2,818 new homes that will be available for Londoners...
Tokyo is on top of the latest cost of living ranking for cities around the globe. The survey is undertaken by Mercer, a global consultant, and looks at 143 cities. It uses the cost of living in New York City as a baseline of 100, and currency movements are compared against the US dollar. Tokyo is on top with a score of 143.7, moving it up from second a year ago. Another Japanese city, Osaka, is...
The fall in the British pound against both the US dollar and the euro has made holidays to traditional destinations more expensive for travelers from the UK. As a result, Britons are heading to places where their money can buy a little more, and Turkey has been one beneficiary. The pound is accepted as currency in many places in Turkey, and it also relatively strong against the Turkish lira, so Brits can...
The housing market in Canada is stabilizing after a very poor winter, according to real estate firm Royal LePage. In its most recent market survey, the Canadian firm revised its outlook for the year slightly upward. Average house prices are predicted to come in at C$297,500 for the year, a two percent decline for the year, while sales should come in at approximately 430,000 units, down one percent from a...
The Brazilian state of Minas Gerais won four of eight trophies in the Routes of Brazil awards sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism. The awards are granted by the Ministry of Tourism in recognition for the most popular and successful tourism promotions throughout the country. In addition to the four awards won by Minas Gerais, which is in southeast Brazil and is home to Belo Horizonte, the states...
The Karst region of southwestern Slovakia has long been popular with travelers for its food and wine. It is a wonderful place to spend a few days or more enjoying the region’s treats and favorites. Located next to Italy, this part of Slovakia has many farms, some of which are open for visitors and guest to enjoy the area up close. The towns in the area are small, but there is plenty of good food and...
The second phase of construction for Cairo’s Metro Line 3 officially got under way recently. The new line will help to increase the capacity of the Cairo Metro to some 4.5 million commuters when completed. The line will eventually extend from Imbaba to Heliopolis and will serve Cairo Airport. Currently the Cairo metro system serves 2.5 million daily commuters and is Africa’s only full-fledged metro...
New condominium projects in Bangkok fell in the first quarter of 2009 by 36 percent from the same time a year ago according to the latest research from Thailand. The drop in condo developments, reported by property firm Century 21 Thailand, is in large part due to the worldwide financial crisis as well as home grown political instability. For the first quarter of 2009 there were 1,671 new condominium...
Actress Sandra Bullock said in a recent visit to Germany that she and her sister are trying to obtain German citizenship. The actress was in Munich where her latest film, The Proposal, was opening. The new film also co-stars Ryan Reynolds and, coincidentally, has a plot that address the citizenship of Bullock’s character. Ms. Bullock was born to an American and a German opera singer and spent much of...