Source: CNBC
Security & Justice
Captured Hezbollah Operative May Have Been Israeli Double Agent, Report Suggests
The alleged senior Hezbollah operative abducted by Israeli special forces last week in Batroun may have been operating as a double agent, according to a report by The Telegraph.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Lebanon’s Probe into Israeli Raid Expected to Take Days as Security Officials Weigh Theories
Lebanese authorities are ramping up investigations into an Israeli commando raid last week in the northern coastal city of Batroun, during which Imad Amhaz, a Hezbollah official, was snatched.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Opinion
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
A Future Without Hezbollah
At the end of September, when Israel’s campaign to destroy Hezbollah was reaching its height, I met one of the group’s supporters in a seaside café in western Beirut. He was a middle-aged man with a thin white beard and the spent look of someone who had not slept for days. He was an academic of sorts, not a fighter, but his ties to Hezbollah were deep and long-standing.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Sports
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Real Madrid Launch Investigation into Racist Insults After El Clasico Defeat
Real Madrid has launched an investigation into racist insults directed at players during Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in LaLiga, it said on Sunday.
Monday, October 28, 2024
Wednesday 19 June 2024 16:13:45
Top 10 Most Expensive Cities for Expats in 2024
Asia’s biggest financial hubs have once again clinched the top spots for being the costliest cities for international workers to live in, according to Mercer.
Hong Kong was ranked as the most expensive city for expats to live in, followed by Singapore and Zurich, according to the Cost of Living City Ranking 2024.
Cities in Switzerland — Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern — snagged four out of 10 spots. New York City ranked No. 7.
The top five spots had no change from the year before, but London climbed 9 positions from No. 17 to 8.
Top 10 most expensive cities for expats:
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Basel, Switzerland
- Bern, Switzerland
- New York City, United States
- London, United Kingdom
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Los Angeles, United States
The survey compared the costs of more than 200 items in each of the 226 cities studied — including the price of housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.
New York City was used as the benchmark and currency fluctuations were measured against the U.S. dollar.
Cities in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan were the least expensive cities for expats to live in, with Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria falling 178 and 86 spots respectively to No. 225 and 226.
Sky-high housing markets
High inflation and rising economic and geopolitical tensions have driven up housing prices, utilities, local taxes, and education, the Mercer report said.
“High living costs may cause assignees to adjust their lifestyle, cut back on discretionary spending, or even struggle to meet their basic needs,” Yvonne Traber, Mercer’s global mobility leader, highlighted in the press release.
Apart from Nassau, Bahamas, all other cities in the top 10 reported a rise in housing costs from 2023, with an 8% price jump in Hong Kong and Singapore, 7% in New York City, and 6% in Zurich.
“Between 2023 and 2024, there was a lot of volatility in this cost around the world, with housing rental prices varying significantly between cities,” the report said.
Prices have also risen as housing supply failed to keep up with demand.
“Such costs can be particularly challenging in areas with high population growth or with limited land available for development. Other factors, such as construction costs and land prices, can also affect housing affordability,” the report noted, adding that this would leave employees with less disposable income for other expenses.
