Asking $12.5 Million for Kareem Abdul-Jabbarโ€™s

Almost three months after Jim Demetriades hoisted his extravagantย Los Angelesย compound known asย Villa Theosย on the market with an impressive $85 million price tag, the veteran tech entrepreneur has now put another smaller house he owns right next door up for sale, asking a smidge under $12.5 million.

The founder and CEO ofย Kairos Venturesย has owned his larger property in theย Beverly Hillsย Post Office area since 2000. Thatโ€™s when he and his then-new wife Nancy paid $8.4 million for a single house and then began piecing together a gated collection of red brick and stucco structures that cost tens of millions of dollars to assemble and feature a total of 13 bedrooms and 16 baths in 28,000 square feet, all of it resting on two parcels of land spanning over 2 acres.

Along the way, in 2005, the native of Greece doled out around $6.5 million more for theย house next door, a contemporary structure originally built in 1956 and previously owned by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Records show the legendary Lakers basketball center acquired the place for roughly $2.2 million in the early 1990s and subsequently added an indoor sports court and a gym with a spa and a steam room. The six-time NBA MVP resided there until summer 2001, at which time he sold the place for $500,000 more than he originally paid.

Sited atop a promontory in the desirable Beverly Crest neighborhood, on almost an acre of land overlooking sweeping city lights and ocean vistas, the four-bedroom, five-bath home is hidden away behind a lengthy gated driveway. Inside, a little more than 6,300 square feet of renovated living space boasts soaring ceilings and vast walls of glass providing seamless indoor/outdoor environs.

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05/06/2024No comments
TTM+ 2024 welcomes global players with โ€œAmazing Thailand: Your Stories Never Endโ€ theme

Khao Lak, Phang-Nga, 5 June 2024ย โ€“ The Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2024 officially opened today at the JW Marriott Khao Lak, Phang-Nga and will run until Friday, 7 June.

Mr. Sermsak Pongpanit, Minister of Tourism and Sports,ย presided over the opening ceremony. Joing him at the event wereย Miss. Niracha Banditchat, Vice Governor of Phang-Nga Province,ย Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT),ย Mr. Lertsak Ponklin, President of Phang-Nga Tourism Association, and officials and figures from the Thai public and private sectors.

Mr. Sermsak said, โ€œThe Thailand Travel Mart Plus, organised in line with the governmentโ€™s โ€œIGNITE Thailandโ€ vision, has played a crucial role as a premier showcase of Thai tourism. I am confident that this yearโ€™s event will further affirm its well-earned recognition as a must-attend B2B tradeshow that provides a valuable business platform for sellers and buyers.โ€

This year, in its 21st edition, the TTM+ presents the theme โ€˜Amazing Thailand: Your Stories Never Endโ€™, the latest marketing communication campaign recently launched by the TAT. The dynamic theme shines a spotlight on Thailandโ€™s direction towards delivering meaningful travel experiences.

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04/06/2024No comments,
Pee-Wee Hermanโ€™s Personal Playhouse in L.A. Could Be Yours for $5 Million

Ten months after his death at age 70, theย Los Angelesย estate of actor, comedian, writer, and producer Paul Reubensโ€”best known for his childlike, red bow tie-wearing alter-ego Pee-wee Hermanโ€”is available for the first time in almost four decades, asking just under $5 million. Built in the late 1950s and boasting nearly 3,000 square feet of living space, the midcentury ranch house sits atop a promontory in the sought-after Oaks neighborhood ofย Los Felizย and comes complete with views of the Griffith Park Observatory and the iconic Hollywood Sign from nearly every vantage point.

A California Institute of the Arts theater student and member of West Coast comedy troupe The Groundlingsโ€”where he originated his Pee-wee character in the 1970sโ€”Reubens went on to become a film and TV sensation in the โ€™80s, starring inย The Pee-wee Herman Show,ย Pee-weeโ€™s Big Adventure,ย Big Top Pee-wee, andย Pee-weeโ€™s Playhouse.ย The recipient of a 1988 Hollywood Walk of Fame star, heโ€™s also known for his work onย Mystery Men,ย Blow, andย Murphy Brown, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nod.

Though his image was somewhat tarnished in later years due to a couple of arrestsโ€”one for indecent exposure and another for possessing obscene materialโ€”he subsequently appeared in a new version ofย The Pee-wee Herman Showย at L.A.โ€™s Club Nokia and on Broadway, as well as the movieย Pee-weeโ€™s Big Holiday.

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Pictureย 

31/05/2024No comments
Judge Judy Selling Manhattan Apartment as She Looks โ€˜to Simplifyโ€™

The Brooklyn native, 81, and her husband, Jerry, who is also a former television personality and judge, paid $8.5 million for the home in 2013, records show.

The eight-room unit, in a pre-war building designed by the renowned architect Rosario Candela, is the โ€œepitome of refined living,โ€ according to the listing with Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon of Compass.

โ€œJudy has impeccable taste in real estate, and this home is no exception,โ€ Postilio said. โ€œAny devotee of Sutton Place will find this home completely in tune with its surroundings. Its timeless design bucks trends in favor of style, and this penthouse has style in spades.โ€

A 29-foot entrance gallery leads into the home, which has a living room with a wood-burning fireplace; a formal dining room with floor-to-ceiling French casement doors; a wood-paneled library; and a chefโ€™s kitchen that doubles as a social hub and casual dining area, the listing said.

Thereโ€™s also a curved staircase with its original wrought-iron balustrade and four bedrooms, including a corner primary suite.ย The real show-stopping feature might be the expansive wraparound terrace, though, which has โ€œjaw-dropping vistas of the New York skyline and the East River,โ€ Conlon said.

โ€œEvery room in the home is a place you want to be,โ€ he added. โ€œThe light and views are extraordinary, and the quality of craftsmanship throughout is impeccable. That said, youโ€™d have a hard time coaxing us off that terraceโ€”even on the coldest day of the year.โ€

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24/05/2024No comments
Rihanna Finds a Buyer for $25 Million Los Angeles Penthouse

The 40th-floor unit also once belonged to โ€œFriendsโ€ star Matthew Perry

Rihanna has found a buyer for her multimillion-dollar Los Angeles penthouse.

It took two months, almost to the day, for the billionaire pop star and businesswoman to get a contract signed on the sky-high residence, which was once owned by the late actor Matthew Perry.

The full-floor pad, on the 40th floor of the 42-story Century building in Century City, hit the market on March 11 for $24.95 million. The sale was pending as of May 10, listing records show.

The identity of the buyer and the final sale price wonโ€™t be revealed until the deal closes.

The 9,290-square-foot residence is the โ€œpinnacle of luxury living,โ€ according to the listing with James Harris and David Parnes of Carolwood Estates. The firm declined to comment on the deal.

The big-ticket home, which has walls of windows taking in the city skyline and Pacific Ocean, is fitted with features, including a great room with towering ceilings, a library with a fireplace, a lavish screening room, a chefโ€™s kitchen and a family room.

There are also four bedrooms, including a primary suite with a sitting area, fireplace and marble bathroom, an office and four expansive terraces totaling 1,900 square feet of outdoor space, according to the listing.

13/05/2024No comments
Thailandโ€™s foreign income tax changes now in force

Starting this year, Thailandโ€™s Revenue Department has revised its approach to taxing foreign income received by tax residents. Paul Ashburn of HLB Thailand summarises the changes Historically, if a person was a tax resident of Thailand and they received income from offshore, they could avoid paying Thai tax on such income by receiving the income offshore and deferring any remittance into Thailand until the new year. To address the disparity in the taxation of income from sources outside the country compared with income earned within the country, the Thai Revenue Department issued instructions to revise the tax treatment of foreign income remitted into the country by individual taxpayers, effective from January 1 2024.

Revenue Department instructions No. Paw 161 and Paw 162 state that a tax resident of Thailand who derives assessable income from an employment or business carried on abroad, or from a property situated abroad, shall be required to include such income in their personal income tax return for the payment of tax in the year that the income is brought into Thailand. The instructions were issued by the Revenue Department as guidelines to revenue officers when conducting tax audits or advising taxpayers on the taxation of foreign income under the Revenue Code. The law remains unchanged. Prior to the Revenue Department issuing these two instructions, the law had been interpreted as limiting the taxation of foreign income to income that is derived and remitted into Thailand in the same tax year. Foreign income earned in 2023 or prior years that is brought into Thailand after December 31 2023 will not be subject to tax.

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By Paul Ashburn
25/04/2024No comments
Inside Sofรญa Vergaraโ€™s Personal LA Paradise

Sofiฬa Vergara doesnโ€™t mince words about the condition of her palatialย Beverly Parkย manse when she acquired the property. โ€œThere were arches on top of arches, all with columns. It felt like a castle in Transylvania,โ€ recalls the effervescent actor-producer, currently playing against type as Colombian cocaine queenpin Griselda Blanco in the Netflix seriesย Griselda.ย โ€œBut the layout was perfect, and I loved that you could see the landscape from every room, even though there wasnโ€™t much of a garden to look at yet. I knew what I would do to make it my own,โ€ she insists.

There were, predictably, a few challenges. Despite the voluminous rooms andย high ceilings, Vergara wanted the house to feel โ€œhomey and comfortable, a place where people would want to hang out and relax,โ€ she says. On top of that, the existing 1990s architecture did not exactly conform to her vision of โ€œa house with history and texture, a well-lived house.โ€ The structure may not have been new, but it most certainly wasnโ€™t old in the way the actor fancied. After Timothy Corrigan worked for several years on the architectural design and interiors, ultimately Instagram led Vergara to the perfect collaborator to fully realize her transformation mission. Having long followed the work of Ohara Davies-Gaetano, Vergara simply dialed up the Los Angelesโ€“based designer and got started. โ€œI called her, we clicked, and I fell in love with her ideas,โ€ the actor recollects. โ€œWhen I handed her my inspiration folder, I realized most of the images were hers.โ€

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06/02/2024No comments
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pittโ€™s Former New Orleans Home Sells for $2.8 Million

The historic French Quarter estate that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt lived in for a decade has officially been sold for a cool $2.8 million.

The aughts power couple purchased the 1830s traditional-style house for $3.5 million shortly after their 12-year relationship began, when Pitt became heavily involved in rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Theyย sold it a decade later in 2016 for $4.9 million, records show. The house changed hands multiple times since Pitt and Jolie sold it, including to Paul Allen, the late Microsoft cofounder who died in 2018, as well as to recording engineer Cosimo Matassa.

Since the property was first listed for $5.35 million in September 2022, it underwent a series of price fluctuations. A year later, it dropped to $3.25 million. In early November of 2023, the estate was relisted at $3.475 million. In December, the house went up for auction with bidding starting at $1 million. โ€œThe campaign resulted in nearly 1,000 inquiries from buyer prospects and registered 12 bidders participating in the auction,โ€ Scott Kirk, president and CEO of auction managers Interluxe Auctions, tells ELLE DECOR, before it was ultimately sold. The buyer has not yet been identified on public records.

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23/01/2024No comments
Step Inside Taylor swift 8 M USD Home

Taylor Swift may be best known for her impressive music career, though with eight homes across four states, she may be adding โ€œreal estate mogulโ€ to her repertoire pretty soon. The 33-year-old superstarโ€”who recently completed the first U.S. leg of her record-breaking Eras Tourโ€”is worth an estimated $570 million, according to Forbes,ย $150 million of whichย she has invested inย real estate.

Swift has come a long way, from country girl to global pop star. Her rise to the top began on aย Christmas tree farmย in Cumru Township, Pennsylvania, before the Swift family moved 15 minutes away to a five-bedroom home in Wyomissing, just outside of Reading. It was in aย Georgian Colonialโ€“style homeย that she first began to exhibit an interest in music and started to play guitar. At 14, Swift convinced her parents to move to Nashville to pursue her music careerโ€”which is where she made her first official real estate purchase, in 2009, a condo that she still owns today.

Swift has beenย shaking offย doubters ever since, amassing eight diverse pads, ranging from a $150 million penthouse in Manhattanโ€™s TriBeCa neighborhood to an 11,000-square-foot historical landmark in California. And thereโ€™s no telling how much more sheโ€™ll conquer in the kingdom of real estate (and what new songs sheโ€™ll sing about them), amid a successful tour thatย Forbesย estimates will make her a billionaire by the end of this year.

Curious to see the spaces Swift inhabits? See below for a closer look at the starโ€™s properties.

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GTCRFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo

03/10/2023No comments
Thailand ranked among the 10 best countries for expats

Thailand ranked among the 10 best countries for expats. Annual survey reveals Thailand is growing in popularity with expats. Thailand has been ranked among the top 10 places for expats to live, according to the annual Expat Insider Survey carried out by InterNations. The latest rankings see Thailand move up to 6th place from 8th place in 2022 and 14th place in 2021. Each year, InterNations, a global community for people who live and work abroad, conducts its Expat Insider survey. Now in its tenth year, the survey quizzes over 12,000 expats to generate a ranking of 53 countries across the world. It analyzes factors such as quality of life, ease of settling in, personal finance, and more.

InterNations, the worldโ€™s largest expat community with more than 4.8 million members, ranked Mexico (1st), followed by Spain, Panama, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Bahrain, and Portugal (10th) as the best destinations for expats in 2023. The worst destinations for expats were found to be Kuwait (53rd), Norway, Tรผrkiye, South Korea, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, and Japan (44th). According to the surveyโ€™s findings, Thailand ranked 6th place overall and came in 1st in the category of finding affordable housing. The report stated that โ€œfor expats, it is easy to afford a comfortable life in Thailand, and they are happy with the leisure options and the friendliness of the local residents.โ€ Thailand was described as the โ€œperfect place for thrifty expats.โ€ The survey found that expatsโ€™ money goes a long way in Thailand, with 76% rating the general cost of living positively.

13/07/2023No comments
Cameron Diaz Takes Us Inside Her Gleaming, Kelly Wearstlerโ€“Designed Apartment

Cameron Diaz is that rare actress who can rock a surfboard as convincingly as she does the red carpet. Whether riding a rogue wave or a wave of publicity, the towering blond, blue-eyed beauty with the blinding smile oozes glamour both on and off the screen. So it makes sense that when it came time to rethink the interior of her apartment in Manhattanโ€™s West Village, Diaz looked to the West Coastโ€™s reigning queen of razzle-dazzle, Kelly Wearstler, to give the space a healthy dose of Hollywood swagger.

Diaz found a kindred spirit in Wearstler. โ€œI blame my love of sparkly, shiny things on my Cuban roots,โ€ says the Southern Californiaโ€“born actress, who points to the formative years she spent on the beach for her tomboyish ways. โ€œBut I also wanted a place that felt very homey, very tactile. Kelly is unparalleled when it comes to striking that mix.โ€

Diazโ€”whose breakout role was in the 1998 comedyย Thereโ€™s Something About Maryโ€”owned the 2,400-square-foot prewar apartment for several years before she decided to heed the impulse she had on first seeing the place, which featured all-white rooms done up in a vaguely nautical theme.

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26/05/2023No comments
Youโ€™Y’ll find only one television in the cheerful Hollywood home of actors Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman

Itโ€™s a modestly scaled set, and itโ€™s sequestered in an armoire in the master bedroom. Thereโ€™s no futuristic plasma number in the bathroom, no framed monitor above the fireplace, and no screening room with plush tiered seating and a popcorn-and-candy counter.

In an industry town like Los Angeles, having just a single television in a modern three-bedroom house is tantamount to treasonโ€”especially for two stars of the medium. But Mullally, who etched herself into the popular imagination as the boozy, wisecracking harpy Karen Walker onย Will & Grace, and Offerman, who plays the dyspeptic libertarian Ron Swanson on NBCโ€™sย Parks and Recreation, arenโ€™t being deliberately contrary or twee. They just happen to like watching television in bed.

This story originally appeared in the September 2010 issue of ELLE DECOR.ย 

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21/10/2022No comments
Step Inside Kathy Hiltonโ€™s Glittering House of Christmas

Anyone whoโ€™s gotten to know Kathy Hilton via her breakout turn on season 11 ofย The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsย knows sheโ€™s the type to go big or go homeโ€”and withย Christmas, she does both. โ€œI normally start decorating in October,โ€ Hilton tellsย AD, โ€œthen keep adding until December.โ€ The tchotchkes and trees stay up until February, and from Thanksgiving onward, thereโ€™s nothing but the Holiday Traditions music channel playing throughout the house. Hilton says she thinks about Christmas all year long.

The spirit of the season starts on the outside of the home, sans bulbs. โ€œI canโ€™t do lights,โ€ Hilton declares. Thereโ€™s no obscure Bel Air ordinance to blame for this. Hilton admits, โ€œItโ€™s just that Iโ€™m not actually good at it, and I like things perfect.โ€ Instead, garlands of fresh apples, oranges, and grapes welcome guests into the 14,980-square-foot manse.

For those uninitiated in the Cult of Kathy, the name Hilton may bring visions of sugar-plum fairies dispatched from all over Beverly Hills to craft her perfect winter wonderland, but fans of the Bravo darling know better. She does employ some assistance (โ€œI have a wonderful lady that helps me, and she has a young man that comes and helps with all the stuff thatโ€™s really high up, because thatโ€™s a little scary,โ€ Hilton says), but every touch is purely personal.

Each room in Hiltonโ€™s homeโ€”which includes seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, multiple sitting rooms, a butlerโ€™s pantry, and an open plan specifically designed for entertainingโ€”has a different feel to it. โ€œMy blue-and-white room reminds me of Southampton, New York. My library reminds me of New York City, in a town house or an apartment, with the dark woodโ€ฆ Then, if youโ€™re standing in the living room, itโ€™s all butter yellow, pale blue, creams, with a little bit of apricot or maybe shrimp or blush.โ€

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22/12/2021No comments
Cindy Crawford’s dressing room inside $7.5million home is so unexpected

The 55-year-old shared a look inside her surprisingly homely walk-in closet, in what appears to be her Malibu home. Promoting an eye serum from Meaningful Beauty, Cindy went makeup-free as she sat at her dressing table in a white dressing gown with her dark hair tied up.

Big lights surround her mirror, providing the perfect glowย for her photos. In the background, Cindy has a set of white drawers with black handles, one of which was wedged open with an item of pink clothing.

Gold jewellery was displayed on top of the chest of drawers, and rows of shelves could be seen holding her shoes. Trainers, heels and everything in between were haphazardly placed on the shelves โ€“ making the room slightly less immaculate than when she tookย Vogueย on a video tour of the room in 2017.

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19/04/2021No comments
Prince Philip’s childhood home could be a castle โ€“ inside

The Duke of Edinburghย andย the Queenย have lived in many beautiful homes over the years, including the likes of Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral Castle, but the late Prince Philip’s childhood home was also spectacular.

MORE:ย Prince Charles staying at Welsh country home โ€“ and it’s a private sanctuary

The young Prince of Greece and Denmark was born in Corfu in 1921 where his parents Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice lived in a stunning 19th-century villa called Mon Repos, which is French for ‘My Rest.’

Also described as a palace and a castle, the property is situated in the forest of Palaeopolis overlooking the sea โ€“ so its location certainly sounds idyllic.

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19/04/2021No comments
Gordon Ramsay’s view from ยฃ6million Cornish home is insane

Gordon Ramsayย has been spending most of the coronavirus pandemic at his Cornwall home โ€“and we can see why! Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip star Gordonย often sharesย his idyllic surroundingsย withย his fans, and he hasย filmed his breathtaking morning view showing off a beautiful sunrise and incredible coastal scenery.

From Gordon’s high vantage point at his idyllic beach house, he panned across the view, showing just how close he is to the rugged Cornish coastline. With rolling hills and powdery sand, the scenes would not look out of place in a holiday brochure.

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18/04/2021No comments
French Montana Selling Calabasas Home That Once Belonged to Selena Gomez for $5 Million โ€” See Inside!

French Montanaย is re-listing his California home.

Now listed with Jason Oppenheim and Mary Fitzgeraldย from The Oppenheim Group, the “Writing on the Wall” rapper, 36, is selling his Calabasas home for $4.99 million. He previouslyย listed the home for $6.6 millionย last year.

Montana, whose real name is Karim Kharbouch, purchased theย 7,786-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion from Gomez, 27, in 2016 for $3.3 million โ€” more than $1 million underย her original asking price of $4.5 million.

Sitting on a three acre lot, the main home features five bedrooms, six baths and five fireplaces, as well as a guest house out back that was converted into a recording studio by Montana.

Filled with floor-to-ceiling windows, the main house also boasts a wine cellar, movie theater and two-story billiards room, as well as an impressive kitchen outfitted with two dishwashers, a chef’s island and a breakfast nook.
15/04/2021No comments
More Inside Basketball Star Kevin Loveโ€™s Waterfront Tribeca Apartment

To create his dream home, Love drew inspiration from New Yorkโ€™s industrial past with a hint of the American West

08/02/2021No comments
Go Inside the Santa Monica Villa Melissa Rivers
Designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the Mediterranean-style manse is an ideal backdrop for a collection inherited from Riversโ€™s late mother, Joan
โ€œAfter my mom [Joan Rivers] passed, I felt it was just time for a change,โ€ explains Melissa Rivers of her decision to sell her home in L.A.โ€™s Pacific Palisades. Melissa had lived in it for nearly a quarter century, at times with her mother when Joan was in town and the duo were filming together. โ€œIt was a great home, but it was time to take a step forward and create a new environment for myself and my son.โ€
The television host and producer would soon purchase a 7,048-square-foot Mediterranean-style villa in nearby Santa Monica. She then teamed up with interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard to embark on a two-year remodel. The mission? To open up and brighten the somewhat dated homeโ€™s flow and feel. Bullard, too, was tasked with helping Rivers find just the right spots for so many of the beloved pieces from her parentsโ€™ epic art and decorative arts collectionsโ€”to marry modern and airy with luxurious and delicate.ย Read More
08/10/2020No comments
Step Inside Hilary Duffโ€™s Cheerful Los Angeles Home
The actor and musician has taken her time creating a tailored, private sanctuary for her family

โ€œA lot of people move to the Hills for the view,โ€ says Hilary Duff, discussing her decision to purchase the 5,260-square-foot Georgian-style Beverly Hills house she has lived in for close to a decade. โ€œBut I liked that this home felt really nested. I actually have hedges in my backyard, and then right behind that itโ€™s just this big mountain. I feel like Iโ€™m getting this nice, warm hug.โ€

The actor and musician had been living in L.A.โ€™s Toluca Lake for some time but was looking for something with a bit more privacy, especially since, at the time, she was expecting her first child. โ€œMy mom had lived down the street from me then, and every time I would walk down to her house there was this paparazzi waiting outside. It was a nightmare,โ€ she explains.ย Read More

24/09/2020No comments
Ford Foundation Launches a New Program to Tackle Inequality

The Ford Foundation is committing $50 million in a new program designed to support 240 social justice leaders around the world over the next 10 years.

The inaugural class of 24 fellows of the Global Fellowship program, launched Monday, includes social justice leaders from the United States, Brazil, Africa, and the Middle East.

The group represents a range of backgrounds and approaches to address inequality in communities most affected. Among those are Teresa Njoroge from Kenya, founder and CEO of Clean Start Solutions, a social enterprise focused on transforming the lives of formerly imprisoned women and their children; Mรณnica Ramรญrez from the U.S., founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women; Daiene Mendes from Brazil, a journalist and human rights advocate; and Hashem Adnan from Lebanon, a theater professional and political activist.

The program curriculum, created in partnership with the Institute of International Education, is organized by Adria Goodson former chief program officer at Pahara Institute, a non-profit that supports leaders reimagining public education, and founding director of Hunt Alternativesโ€™ Prime Movers fellowship program, a program that supports social movement leaders in the U.S.

Each program lasts 18 months, with fellows participating in convening virtually or in various regions if safe and appropriate. Each fellow will receive funding and resources to advance their own leadership development, as well as a no-strings-attached $25,000 stipend.

The program is more important than ever as the Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the crisis of inequality, the Ford Foundation said.

โ€œThis program is an investment in reimagining solutions to global challenges that respect no borders,โ€ Hilary Pennington Ford Foundationโ€™s executive vice president of programs, said in a statement. โ€œBy connecting fellows to each other and to the broader Ford network, we hope to create a catalytic effect that accelerates the impact of their individual and collective work, to address challenges during the pandemic and beyond.โ€

Future fellows will be selected from around the world, including Mexico and Central America; the Andean region; West Africa; Southern Africa; India, Sri Lanka and Nepal; Indonesia; and China.

Established more than 80 years ago, the Ford Foundationโ€™s primary mission is to reduce poverty and injustice globally.

03/06/2020No comments,
When Can we Travel? Everything You Need to Know

When will Coronavirus Travel Restrictions be Lifted?

Each countryโ€™s approach to travel is changing on a case-by-case basis. Generally, domestic and international travel bans are being lifted once the number of coronavirus cases have plateaued or begin to decline. Below, we list the countries that are now planning to ease lockdown measures.

Italy has announced that its borders will reopen to European countries on June 3, with travelers able to move freely to and from Italy with no quarantine requirement upon arrival. Bars, restaurants, non-essential shops, and museums in Italy already reopened on May 18.

Sicily remains closed for now like the rest of Italy but has announced that it will subsidize international and domestic travel to the region in order to encourage tourism once lockdown has lifted.

From June 1,ย The Maldivesย will begin to open its borders for international travel.

The US, Canada, and South America remain largely closed to tourists. However, Floridaย Keysย and some areas ofย Mexico, including tourism hotspotย Cancun, have announced plans to reopen as of June 1.

The government ofย Turkeyย has announced plans to have domestic tourism reopened by the end of May and international tourism before the end of June, but face masks will be mandatory in public areas.

From July 1, visitors toย Spainย will no longer have to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. The tourism minister for theย Canary Islandsย has announced that the islands plan to reopen to domestic visitors by August 1 and international visitors in October.

Franceย has announced that borders between Switzerland and Germany will be reopened from June 15. At least until July, travelers will need to provide a health certificate confirming that they do not have coronavirus, or be subjected to 14 days of self-isolation upon entry.

At the earliest,ย Greeceย will open its borders to international tourists on July 1. Currently, any arrivals into the country must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, and face masks are mandatory in shops and on public transport.

Manyย Caribbeanย andย South Pacificย islands remain under lockdown, butย The US Virgin islandsย plan to reopen borders for tourists on June 1, when visitors can begin to make hotel and restaurant reservations again.

Much of Asia remains closed, and tourist hotspotย Bali has suggested that it may only reopen to international travelers in October.

In theย United Kingdom, those who enjoy their outdoor sports can resume golf and fishing activities inย Scotlandย from May 28.ย Englandย has announced that its pubs and restaurants will reopen from July 4 whileย Irelandย is only scheduled to reopen eateries from August 10.

 

St Lucia has announced that its tourism industry will begin to cautiously reopen as of June 4. However, rigorous protocols, including social distancing, sanitisation, and health screening measures, will be in place throughout travelersโ€™ journeys to the island.

After reopening various hotels on May 11,ย Croatia has also announced plans to reopen borders to travelers from European countries.

Theย Icelandic government has announced that it plans to start opening borders to international travelers from June 15, albeit with strict safety measures in place.

Visitors from 31 different European countries will be able to travel toย Germanyย as of June 15.

Which Countries are Open for Travel?

Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesย never officially shut its borders to tourists, but all new arrivals are required to undertake a 14-day quarantine upon entry.

Sweden is another country that never went into full lockdown, so hotels, shops, bars, restaurants, and some museums are open but gatherings of over 50 are still prohibited. For now, borders are only open to nationals from the UK and EU.

Althoughย England is open to essential travel from abroad, arrivals into the country are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon entry. If visitors cannot provide an address of where they plan to isolate, they will have to stay in accommodation arranged by the government.

The borders ofย South Korea are now open too, but all new arrivals are required to undergo quarantine for 14 days.

On May 15, the governments ofย Estonia,ย Latviaย andย Lithuania announced that they have reopened their borders to each other โ€“ so only tourists of these Baltic countries are welcome to visit for now.

Although closed to the majority of travelers until June 15, Icelandย is allowing those from Schengen countries to arrive in the country.

On May 20,ย Cambodia announced that it has reopened borders to tourists from the US, France, Iran, Italy, Germany, and Spain albeit with stringent conditions: all visitors will need a test proving they are COVID-19 free within three days of their arrival in the country, plus they will need to prove that they have $50,000 worth of health insurance coverage and on top of this will still need to quarantine for 14 days upon the arrival.

As of May 25, those with a permanent residence in either Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Germany have been allowed to re-enterย Denmark on certain conditions.

When Can We Fly Again?

Most countries are operating on limited flight schedules for necessary travel only, and will begin to increase flights in accordance with their border restriction protocols. Countries who have officially announced their plans for international flights are listed below.

The Maldivesย government has announced that airports welcoming international visitors will open in phases from July 1, with specific health and safety guidelines in place. From June 1,ย private jetsย carrying tourists can already begin to land in the country.

Greeceย will resume operating direct flights from international airports, including from the UK, as of June 1. Travel toย Eviaย andย Creteย from mainland Greece is already permitted.

Inย Italy, one airport per region is open with some flights operating, however, Rome Ciampino and terminal one at Rome Fiumicino airport are closed.

As of June 4,ย St Luciaย will allow commercial flights only from the US to land at Hewanorra International Airport. Visitors will, however, be required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of boarding their flight and will be asked to wear masks, undergo health and temperature checks and practice social-distancing during their stay.

What are Travel Bubbles?

Countries with low numbers of reported coronavirus cases are now working together to create so-called ‘travel bubbles’ or ‘travel corridors’ with one another. This means that people who live within the bubble will be allowed to cross borders without the need to go into quarantine upon arrival.

Latvia, Estoniaย andย Lithuaniaย created the first European travel bubble when they opened borders to each other on May 15, followed byย Australiaย andย New Zealandย who have now agreed on creating a trans-Tasman travel bubble when flights recommence between the two countries. Various news outlets have reported thatย Chinaย is also considering opening a travel bubble withย Hong Kong, Taiwanย andย South Korea, whileย Israelย has been discussing a potential travel bubble withย Greeceย andย Cyprus.

When Will Hotels Reopen?

Various hotels and restaurants inย Croatiaย reopened on May 11 with social-distancing measures in place andย Turkeyย has announced that hotels and restaurants will be reopened from May 27.

St Luciaย is preparing approximately 1,500ย hotelย rooms in various resorts to welcome visitors from June 4.

 

via@Boat International

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30/05/2020No comments,
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis List Their Home for $14 Million

Hollywood power couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are looking to shake things up in LAโ€™s high-end real estate market, which has latelyย been mired in the doldrumsโ€”a byproduct of coronavirus chaos. The actors-turned-successful investors are asking $14 million for theirย Coldwater Canyonย home, the duoโ€™s primary residence and theย first marital propertyย they ever purchased. Tucked into the mountains aboveย Beverly Hills, the house is sited in a neighborhood known as Beverly Hills Post Office (BHPO), and within a guard-gated community known as Hidden Valley.

But itโ€™s not particularly surprising that the Kunis-Kutchers have chosen to unload their longtime main home; the pair are midway through construction on a titanic modern compound elsewhere in the BHPO area. That place, many years in the making, rather makes their current for-sale home look like a comparative hovel. And while they await completion of their dream megamansion, they wonโ€™t be homelessโ€”theyโ€™re quarantining in aย $10 million oceanfront getawayย up north, in the beautiful town of Carpinteria, Calif.

Back in BHPO, the stately residenceโ€”described in the listing as a โ€œtimeless traditionalโ€โ€”was built in 1999 and features an attractive facade with a mix of stone and cedar siding. Kutcher and Kunis purchased the two-story, 7,351 square-foot abode in 2014 for about $10.2 million,ย Dirt previously reported. Previously, the house had been owned by former Viacom CEO Tom Freston.

Cocoa brown hardwood floors envelop the entire three-story home, which offers five bedrooms and a total of 5.5 baths. The main level has well-scaled public rooms, including a living room with fireplace and hand-crafted moldings, a step-up formal dining room and a gigantic, all-white cookโ€™s kitchen with a mix of vintage and modern appliances, a breakfast nook with built-in banquette and an adjacent family room with another fireplace.

Upstairs are the homeโ€™s four family bedrooms, all of them with ensuite baths and closets. And downstairsโ€”in the partially subterranean lower levelโ€”is a guest/staff bedroom, along with a full array of luxe recreational amenities: a temperature-controlled wine room with space for hundreds of bottles, a gym and sauna. Multiple sets of French doors allow easy access to fresh mountain air.

Outside, the lushly-landscaped yard spans just over a half-acre, with rolling lawns and mature weeping willows, plus a stone terrace with an outdoor kitchen and bar. Set into the patio is a lagoon-style swimming pool thatโ€™s partially shaded by a towering hedge, and is outfitted with a grotto and raised spa.

Whoever buys the Kunis-Kutcher abode will find themselves practically choked by celebrityโ€”Hidden Valley is perhaps LAโ€™s most star-studded gated enclave of them all, and nearly every home in the community is owned by someone with deep Hollywood ties. Folks within easy sugar-borrowing distance include Adele, Jennifer Lawrence, Katy Perry, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, Nick and Joanna Swisher, Penelope Cruz, Zoe Saldana and Ziggy Marley, just to name a few.

30/05/2020No comments
New Build Stories: Inside the Design and Build of Life Saga

In this episode of New Build Stories,ย BOATย chats with Gian Marco Campanino, art director ofย The Italian Sea Group, and interior designer Mark Berryman on the 65 metreย Admiralย superyachtย Life Saga

The owner ofย Life Sagaย โ€œdoesnโ€™t go indoors unless the weather is diabolical,โ€ says the yachtโ€™s captain. So the creation of the boat was focused very much on maximising outdoor lifestyle.

 

The main deck โ€“ known as the โ€œsea deckโ€ โ€“ is an open-air, casual space, featuring an indoor/outdoor aft deck that takes up the majority of the level, leading in to a covered deck area with flexible seating and a bar, plus retractable glass partitions that open up the space on three sides.

โ€œThe boundaries between indoor and outdoor are really very thin,โ€ says Gian Marco Campanino. There are more spectacular, open spaces up on the sundeck and down on the beach club (open on three sides) as well as an upper deck dining spot that can be opened to the elements.

Mark Berrymanโ€™s neutral tones, soft textures and faintly Asian decor flow between inside and out, emphasising the yachtโ€™s laid-backย raison d’รชtre.

 

via@Vertual Boat Show

27/05/2020No comments