Luxury

New figures show Luxury Property Market continues to grow with peaks of 10%
 
High-net-worth individuals seek safe haven for their assets.
 

After an outstanding 21 years dancing with The Royal Ballet, Principal Dancer Leanne Benjamin has announced her intention to retire in July 2013, at the end of the current season.  Her last performance will be in Tokyo on 10 July in A Gala Evening with The Royal Ballet at the Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo. as part of The Royal Ballet’s summer tour. Leanne’s final performance at The Royal Opera House will be as Mary Vetsera in the season finale of Mayerling on 15 June.

The iconic Sé Time Piece side tables by Jaime Hayon are now stocked at Mint,
Lina Kanafani’s cult design store in London
A signature design from the Sé collection, the solid bronze Time Piece tables with a black patina finish have a bold sculptural presence. Playful yet serious the tables represent a striking addition to the interior. The Time Piece side tables are also available in lacquered wood and ceramic with an enamel or metal finish.
 

FLORENCE ACADEMY OF ART OFFERS ONE WINNER STUDYING OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
As part of its 23rd anniversary celebrations the reputable Florence Academy of Art is offering one lucky art enthusiast a chance to win a place on their coveted Summer Session.
Through the School's Summer Scholarship Contest, one successful competition winner will study at the prestigious American school for a summer of inspiration and creativity, choosing the workshop of their choice1 (Drawing, Painting or Sculpture) and learning the techniques and practices of the Old Masters.

Ballymore Group is delighted to confirm a deal with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which will see the Dutch Embassy move to a 50,000 sq ft site as part of the Embassy Gardens development – a landmark riverside neighbourhood in the heart of Nine Elms on the South Bank.
 
The Embassy will move from its current location at Hyde Park Gate in 2017. It will sit adjacent to the new US Embassy, which is already under construction and due for completion during the same year.      
 

IEEE Experts Identify Small Robots that Hold Big Potential for Extending Life Expectancy By 2030
Advancements in Robotic Technologies Will Enable Life-altering Innovations
in Food Safety, Medicine, and Search and Rescue

Personal Robotics is an area focused on developing robots for common interface through Human Robotic Interactions (HRIs) for the general public. The objective is to automate certain tasks in home or workplaces by making human life more productive and enjoyable. To date one of the most successful examples is the Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (Roomba). This is a “Service Robot” that can clean the floor autonomously as you go shopping or work. Other famous devices are the Social Interactive Robots (SIRs) such as AIBO the Sony robotic dog.

The Historic Automobile Group International (HAGI), founded in 2007, has chosen new avenues to analyse the collectors’ market for rare classic cars. Following the motto “driven by knowledge” the approach is based on financial analysis, adjusted to the specialties of this niche collectors’ asset class. HAGI is known in the market to produce a series of indices charting the top levels of the classic car market.

David Murrin is a leading market analyst and fund manager who lectures widely on financial markets and appears regularly as a keynote speaker on CNBC, at international conferences and on company boards and is the author of “Breaking the Code of History”
Q: Tell us a little about your professional background

The Art of the Portfolio
Art is about life, the art market is about money proclaimed the art world’s biggest seller, Mr Damien Hirst.
Modern Art is now viewed as a creditable alternative to mainstream asset classes. According to the Mei Moses All Art Index; the art market returned an impressive 11% gain in 2011, outperforming both the S&P 500 and FTSE for a second consecutive year. The Mei Moses has beaten the S&P 500 in six of the last 10 years, with an average annual return of 8 per cent compared with 2.7 per cent for the benchmark US index.