The 2009 Nordic World Championships are coming to the Czech Republic for two weeks at the end of February. Running from 18 February to 1 March 2009, the town of Liberec will see the best skiers in the world compete in cross-country skiing and ski jumping.   The World Championships take place every two years and will be taking place in the Czech Republic for the first time ever. The 2007-2008 men’s cross...

Despite the ongoing political pressures in Thailand, Phuket developments are still going strong. 30 new hotels are at various stages of development and construction in the country’s resort capital, according to information from hospitality consulting firm C9 Hotelworks. Nearly 5,000 new rooms are scheduled to open over the next three years, adding to the nearly 40,000 rooms already on the...

The slowing Saudi economy is having an effect on other Middle East countries, according to recent news reports from the region. Saudi Arabia’s central bank recently cut two of its key interest rates by 50 basis points as it battles the effects of the global financial crisis.   The country is key to the region’s overall economy and the move is seen as helping all Middle East countries. “When the...

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17/12/08-The United States Federal Reserve Bank cut interest rates to between 0 and .25 percent, a record low. The previous rate was 1.0 percent, and the bank indicated that it was willing to keep rates low for an extended period of time to battle the ongoing recession.   In a statement released at the time of the cuts, the Fed said: “The Federal Reserve will employ all available tools to promote the...

With the worldwide economic crisis hitting everywhere, the Bank of New Zealand is predicting that the country will lose 32,000 jobs in the tourism sector alone in 2009. The finance sector has already lost 4,600 jobs and the tourism industry has lost over 10,000 this year so far. Additionally, real estate agents have taken a large hit, and expect to see more losses in the coming year.   New Zealand’s...

The northern French city of Lille is using a creative public initiative to help reinvigorate previously downcast neighborhoods. The initiative is called Maisons de Mode, and it is helping the country’s fourth largest metro area to bring new life to older areas of the city with fashion and clothing designers.   One of the new garment districts is along the Rue du Fauborg des Postes. This district runs...

With press speculation that Sterling – Euro exchange rates might reach parity (£1 = €1), what is driving sterling down against the single currency at the moment?   One of the main drivers is interest rates. The Bank of England have cut rates from 5.75% last December, to 2% now. This means that international investors (pension funds, hedge funds and other investments) get a lower rate of return on...

The National Council of Forest Research and Development (Ireland) recently announced in their Forestry and Wood December update 2008 that a chemical released by trees can help to cool the planet. Scientists from the UK (Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at Leeds University) and Germany have discovered that trees release a chemical that thickens clouds above them, thereby reflecting more...

With lots of early snow, the ski season looks to be a good long one in France. This is also sign for property sales in the region, according to one developer.“The first falls in the French Alps in October prompted potential buyers to get in the mood for skiing and think about having a place of their own on the slopes,” says Nathalie Turchet, UK sales manager of MGM French Properties. “The result is...