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| Brazil will stage 2014 World Cup |
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Brazil has been named as the host nation for the 2014 football World Cup.
The South American country was the only one bidding to host the tournament, which was due to be staged on the continent under Fifa's rotation system.
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: "Soccer is more than a sport for us, it's a national passion."
Brazil have won the tournament a record five times and hosted the World Cup once before, in 1950, when they lost 2-1 in the final to Uruguay. It is the first time the World Cup is being held in South America since Argentina hosted, and won, the 1978 tournament.
Brazil is setting aside around £550m to update its stadiums, including the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro which hosted the 1950 World Cup final.
And that money will need to be spent wisely as Fifa's inspection report has identified 18 grounds with more than 40,000 capacity that could host games. These will be whittled down to nine or 10.
However, of the 18, four would have to be re-built from scratch and all of the others need to undergo substantial renovation.
So basic are the facilities at the moment that most of the stadia are not even equipped for television commentary.
Fifa president Blatter said, however, that he had been impressed by Brazil's plans for 2014 despite the fact they were the only bidders.
"The task was not easy - for us it was a real big challenge to have the same list of requirements and the same conditions for only one candidate," he said.
"There was an extraordinary presentation by the delegation and we witnessed that this World Cup will have such a big social and cultural impact in Brazil. |
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Due to the booming tourism and enormous potential for further growth, the government has decided to build a new airport in Natal which will be the biggest airport in South America (the 8th biggest in the world) and is due to be ready by June 2009. This will further confirm Natal's position as the number 1 tourist location in Brazil.
‘UK property investors 'are starting to wake up to Brazilian opportunities'
Brazil can offer previously unacknowledged low-cost opportunities for property buyers, experts have claimed. For both investors and first time homebuyers, Brazil could offer a fruitful paradise despite an influx of five million tourists in recent years.
Natal, the safest city in Brazil according to a recent survey by the Institute for Applied Economics Research, can offer a beach house for less than £50,000.
UK investor Christine Lea told the Times that despite a low-costing property and a stabilised economy, "the Brits have not caught on very quickly", "if you wanted to do up a property, there is lots of potential to find something cheap", she added.
In April, one property company spokesman noted that some UK investors are "winning twice" with the cheap property prices and stabilising economy offered by Brazil, noting the very low cost of living and the availability of areas "untouched" by foreign influence. |
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New Airport Opening in Natal
A new airport is being constructed in the city of São Gonçalo do Amarante Rio Grande Norte scheduled to be opened in 2009, this will also be the largest cargo airport in Latin America
British investors are slowly discovering a low-cost coastal paradise - source:http://property.timesonline.co.uk)
Property buyers are discovering that there are new opportunities in parts of Brazil that never make it on to the television news or the catwalk.
Take Natal in northeast Brazil, for example. Sunshine is guaranteed all year round, the cost of living is low and property prices are rising. It is the biggest city in Rio Grande do Norte, the part of Brazil that sticks out into the Atlantic and the closest point in South America to Europe. Those who have not heard of it yet soon will. Thanks to a huge marketing campaign by the Brazilian tourist board, the number of foreigners visiting Rio Grande do Norte grew by 130 per cent to 1.7 million in 2004. Thomson now flies direct to Natal from the UK and a new airport is due to be completed in 2009. |
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Top footballer invests in Brazilian property
The man many believe to be the world's best footballer has bought property in his own country - Brazil.
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known as Kaka, has been voted player of the year by the Times and was a Champions league winner with AC Milan.
The sporting superstar recently showed his faith in his native Brazilian property market by buying an apartment in Natal.
As reported by Easier.com, he said: "Natal, with certainty, is one of the prettiest cities in Brazil.
"It is an interesting part of our country and [has] the closest proximity to Europe.
"This chance appeared for Natal and I used it to my advantage and believe in the tourist potential and capacity of yield the enterprise has to offer."
Many industry experts believe Brazil is one of the most promising property investment destinations to emerge in recent years.
The country's growing economy, rising levels of tourism and low inflation rates are all factors pushing the demand for Brazilian property skyward.
From June 2009, investors in Natal will also be able to benefit from the opening of South America's largest airport in the region. |
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