Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo opened his second CR7 Hotel in Lisbon on Sunday (October 2). The 82 room hotel is the second of four that are part of the joint venture with the Pestana Group, one of Portugal’s leading hotel chains. The 31 year-old player said he had to think about his future away from the pitch and starting a hotel chain was always on his mind. “This is a unique moment in my […]
Lifestyle
Largest ever blue topaz gemstone given to London museum
LONDON, England, UK (Reuters) — It’s said to be the largest blue topaz gemstone ever mined and glitters a vivid electric blue in the light. Now it will be shown off to the world after three decades kept hidden away in a vault. The Ostro stone is an oval 9,381 carat blue topaz, equivalent in weight to two kilos or two bags of sugar. It’s being given on permanent loan to a London museum by the […]
Ancient Roman coins unearthed at Japan castle
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese archaeologists said Wednesday they have for the first time unearthed ancient Roman coins at the ruins of an old castle. The discovery of 10 bronze and copper coins — the oldest dating from about 300-400 AD — in southern Okinawa caught researchers by surprise. It was the first time Roman Empire coins have been discovered in Japan, thousands of kilometers from where they were likely minted. “At first I thought they […]
Napoleon’s last horse to strut his stuff after makeover
by Gina DOGGETT PARIS, France (AFP) — Visitors to the Army Museum in Paris are being treated to the rare sight of two taxidermists at work restoring a stuffed horse — the last one ridden by Napoleon Bonaparte. “Le Vizir” is a little worse for wear more than 200 years after carrying the emperor to victory against the Prussians and the Russians — not to mention being stuffed not just once, but twice. “It’s a […]
Bowie’s art collection goes on view in New York
Hundreds of pieces of art collected by late rock legend David Bowie go on display in New York ahead of an auction, including works by modern greats Jean-Michel Basquiat and Damien Hirst. https://youtu.be/jn7XzGAlgnA
Boracay’s Touch of a Millennial Dutch
By Caesar Vallejos Millennials change how the world travels. With their constant connection and love for technology, these digital natives have shaped new desires and expectations that redefine how the hospitality industry creates unique, shareable and memorable experiences that impact even on the mainstream travellers. In Boracay, the freshest change has come. Not necessarily the influx of younger visitors in the Philippine’s top tourist draw, but the new rule of a millennial in one […]
iPhone launch generates excitement, frustration
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) – by Glenn CHAPMAN with Rob Lever in Washington Apple delivered its new iPhones on Friday in a global launch marked by long queues at its retail stores but also frustration over the sellout of some models. The scenes in Apple stores around the world were reminiscent of earlier launches, generating both anticipation and disappointment, but it was unclear if the shortages were the result of strong demand or limited […]
Apple launches iPhone 7 globally
Apple fans in Asia get their hands on the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as the latest models hit the market. (Agence France Presse)
British author Forsyth explains why he gave up writing novels
After a dozen novels and 70 million book sales under his belt, British writer Frederick Forsyth tells AFP he is giving up on thrillers because his wife told him he can no longer travel to adventurous places. https://youtu.be/JLNaDXLp1Vg
Body politics: famous preserved corpses
Beijing, China (AFP) — The embalmed body of Mao Zedong lies at the symbolic centre of the Chinese Communist Party, an object of veneration for loyal cadres, and of fascination for foreign tourists. As China marks the 40th anniversary of the death of the Great Helmsman, here are some of the world’s most famous preserved cadavers. Egyptian mummies Say “Ancient Egypt” to any schoolchild and the first thing they’ll think of is the mummies — […]
90-year-old Chilean grandmother scrapes a living by pedalling into town to sell eggs
CERRILLOS, Chile (Reuters) — This Chilean grandmother is putting the limits of old age to the test, pedalling hundreds of kilometres every week to sell her hen’s eggs in town to scrape a living. Elena Galvez is 90 and lives alone with her hens in the dusty rural suburb of Cerillos. With poverty rife in the neighbourhood, she collects eggs and whatever she can muster from her four cows and calf to sell in town. […]
Social media challenge – helping or not helping?
QUEZON City, Philippines (September 5) – After the Ice bucket Challenge, we now have the Black and White Challenge. Although it is a head-scratcher at first – as one wonders what it is all about – diligent internet search finally yields the issue: it’s all about breast cancer awareness. So, the next question is, how will the posting of a black-and-white photo as your profile pict would achieve the stated goal. The challenge-turned-web sensation was highly […]
