Having spent much of the last 10 years trying to keep foreign investment from escaping their fragile economy, Iceland now seem intent on forcing said investors onto other markets. Back in June, overseas investors were left with a difficult decision. Either sell their stakes at a below-market value, or find their capital locked indefinitely in local banks at base rate interest.
“Saturday 9 April 2016 was the first-ever day where more electricity was generated in the UK by solar than by coal. May 2016 was the first-ever month. The three months from June through to September was the first-ever quarter. And now the six months to September is the first half year.”
The People's Republic of China has seen stratospheric growth over the last 30 years, as the population continues to adopt the lifestyles of the Western world. With increased access to modern technology for the masses, and the need of the many to have their own personal car, infrastructures fossil demands grow year-on-year.
In a hugely unpopular move the Uk government has approved a fracking site in Lancashire it was confirmed on Thursday. Sajid Javid, the communities minister, made the decision and has approved the extraction of shale gas from Preston New Road, near to Blackpool. A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "The Communities Secretary has today allowed three planning appeals related to two proposed shale gas exploration and monitoring sites in Lancashire.
Currently under construction in the centre of Monaco, the Tour Odéon is a 560ft tower which will be the Mediterranean coastline's second tallest building when construction is completed. The 49-storey skyscraper will offer its resident’s on-site services which include multiple swimming pools, health centre and an in-house caterer. The building also benefits from a 24/7 concierge, who can arrange for the private chauffer service to collect you anywhere on the Riviera.
Having suffered one of the longest insurgencies in living memory, Colombia looked set to see an end to 52 years of war with Farc guerrillas. Despite the opportunity, the end looks no closer, with results from the vote showing just 0.4% difference in favour of no. This decision has left much doubt and confusion over what kind of future the Colombian people can expect.
The UK construction industry is currently having a row about a supposed “brick shortage” which threatens the next wave of mass construction. Obviously if this were true then it would represent a serious wall standing in the way of progress in the national housing crisis. The claim originates from a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research which says there is an “acute” shortage which would be worsened by Brexit as most of the raw clay for bricks comes from Europe. They alleged a 1.4bn brick shortage.
Many cities struggle to deal with the growing pains of populous. As more people move to local cities infrastructure reaches breaking point, affordability becomes a bigger issue and developers are forced to find new and creative ways of housing the population. The newly created capital of Burma, Naypyidaw, is the exception to these rules. On November the 6th, 2005 at exactly 6:37AM, Burma's capital was moved from the cultural, historical and economic heartland of the country, Yangon, to a remote site 320 miles further north.
An investigation by The Telegraph showed Allardyce negotiating a fee of £400,000 to represent an overseas firm that was hoping to profit from Premier League transfers, before he had even named his first squad. The allegations have been described as corruption by many and The Telegraph has subsequently revealed that they have evidence of more managers and agents discussing the subject of taking ‘bungs’.
Pripyat, a town named after the nearby Pripyat River, was established as the ninth nuclear city of the Soviet Union. These new cities were created to service the ever-growing nuclear power plant demands of the state. By 1979 the city had a population in excess of 49,000. These people where here solely to maintain the local Chernobyl power station.
The World Architecture Fair 2016 is to be held in Berlin this autumn and is set to be the biggest event to date with a record 785 entries. The fair itself is “where the world’s architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange and be inspired” as well as competing for prestigious awards such as World Building of the Year.
Berlin is experiencing a period of increasing rents and depleting stock as the numbers of people moving to the city continues to increase. With prices still comparatively cheaper to rates you would find in the major cities of Madrid, Paris or London, Berliners tend to earn a lot less than their counterparts in these cities.
Despite an economy which is barely growing, Japan still has both domestic and international investors interested. The country has suffered from a shrinking population paired with stagnated wages. This still seems to have had little effect on the countries property market, as Tokyo continues to see some of the most expensive land in the world.
There are many relics of the Cold War era, dotted around the world. Most of which are decommissioned military installations such as submarine bases, airfields and missile silos. They we introduced as a means of defending territory, as the world boiled over in the stalemate of nuclear war. As some states completed against one another on the military stage, others were completing on the domestic stage.
The exit polls for the Russian parliamentary elections have predicted that Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party will receive 44.5% of the vote to the surprise of hardly anybody. An exit poll by a state-run polling organisation, VTsIOM, showed that the United Russia party, led by the Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, obtained a majority in Russian parliament.
It’s hard to believe an international airport can really ever become dormant. Their locations are well considered and generally form the backbone of the international travel network. As the modern world continues to expand these important hubs are increasingly growing in size. Nicosia on the other hand didn’t start its life as a commercial airport. Constructed in the 1930s, its initial purpose was to support the Royal Airforce (RAF).
Venezuela is a country that has seen real struggle during tighter economic times, despite having great opportunity in the form of vast natural resources. Currently boasting some of the largest achievable oil reserves in the world, the state is using much of this money to develop the country’s infrastructure. Sadly, Venezuela also boasts some of the worst crime figures in the world. It currently sits top of the table for homicides per capita and is constantly struggling with gang culture.
Unlike its neighbouring states in central Asia, Azerbaijan has seen its economy grow at a steady pace. The grip of a global economic downturn has done little to effect progress, as it’s markets have grown by an amazing 900 percent over the last 15 years. But its economic potential remains relatively unknown as investors and fund managers continue to favour emerging markets instead.
As the presidential race starts to heat up between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton there have been rumours that Clinton’s health is deteriorating at a rate that might make her unsuitable for Commander in Chief. Questions over her health have dogged Clinton’s campaign ever since she was crowned as the Democrat nominee in July. Donald Trump has, bizarrely, released a note from his doctor that was reportedly written in five minutes whilst he sat in a limo saying he was “the healthiest individual ever elected”.
As Greece continues to come under increasing pressure to reduce its national debt, the government is to instigate a tax which will target individuals renting their property to tourists. At the same time this should help combat tax revenues lost from a dwindling hotel industry, as more and more people look to take advantage of cheap rates offered from services such as Airbnb.
