The Norwegian Government has revealed plans for the construction of the world's first ship tunnel through a mountain to help ships navigate a dangerous section of the country's south-western coast. The government has agreed to provide US$ 274 million for the Stad Ship Tunnel, which will be built to a height of 45 meters, width of 36 meters and will span a length of 1.7 kilometers. The proposed tunnel, which is being planned by Nordfjord Vekst, would bypass the Stadlandet (Stad) peninsula in Selje, Norway linking two fjords near the towns of Teigen and Berstad. Peaking at 645 meters, the Stad peninsula is a mountainous divide between the Norwegian Sea to the north and the North Sea to the south. The project is being proposed to reduce navigation on the existing shipping route, which exposes vessels to some of Norway's most dangerous waters, where currents and waves come from different directions, which has contributed to 46 accidents and near-accidents since 1945. The Stad Ship Tunnel would be the world's first shipping tunnel capable of accommodating large cargo and passenger vessels of up to 16 thousand tons. Royal Academy of Engineering associate Robert Benaim told the BBC that the project would include the construction of a cofferdam at either end of the tunnel to keep the water out until excavation is complete. Nordfjod Vekst project director Randi Homborstad said: "As the sea is the backbone of transport along the west coast of Norway, public transport could be upgraded with improved regularity in cargo services and a new year-round high-speed passenger ferry service between the coastal cities of Bergen and Alesund." Construction of the new tunnel is expected to commence in 2018 and would take around four years to complete.

At the end of last year Spain officials decided to offer foreigners residency permits if they buy houses worth more than 160 thousand euro - to try and reduce the country's bloated stock of unsold homes. Today the same decision made Greece. According to countries officials, Greece will offer residence to non-EU investors purchasing or renting property over 250,000 euro, in a bid to revive its moribund real estate industry. Non-EU foreign investors since may can buy tourist, commercial and residential real estate and get 5-year residence in Greece. The permits will enable the holders, their spouses and children under the age of 18 to freely travel - though not work - in the Schengen area for three consecutive months at a time. The initiative comes in response to strong demand from Arab, Chinese and Russian investors. In addition to controlling stakes in state enterprises, a large number of state real estate has been put up for lease or sale, including ministry buildings and consulate buildings abroad. Greece holds an extensive privatization program to increase revenue and reduce the budget deficit. At the end of last year Greece's Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund announced, that one of the best real estate properties - the Athens former airport in the coastal area of Athens Ellinikon will be sold. Earlier Greece HRADF has identified 40 uninhabited islands and islets that could be leased for as long as 50 years to reduce debt as pressure grows on the country to revive an asset-sales plan key to receiving international aid. At the beginning of last year Archaeological treasures including the temple of Delphi, the most popular site after the Acropolis, were available as backdrops for filming and photographic shoots.

Yet in the end of 2011 Germany's Porsche design Group and a local developer Dezer Properties planned to build Porsche Tower in Miami with "Sky Garages". Now in April 19 construction work is starting on the Porsche Design Tower Miami, a luxury residential high-rise with a notable features for car enthusiasts including an auto elevator and "sky garages" attached to its apartments. The 60-story tower has 132 residences and more than 50% of them are under contract, representing more than US$ 400 million in sales. The building's residences range in size from 390 to 1600 square meters and cost from US$ 4.5 million to US$ 25 million. The building will have a 33 month construction window and is scheduled for occupancy in the first quarter of 2016. While the building has numerous amenities the one getting the most attention is an automobile lift system that allows owners to park their cars next to their units regardless of the floor. The system is a departure from the usual underground parking garages founds at many large residential buildings. The tower will also include a plunge pool, outdoor summer kitchens on the balconies, a spa on a sunset terrace, spa tubs, oceanfront ballroom, multipurpose clubrooms and a "Car Concierge" who looks after the resident's cars by coordinating washing, detailing, tire rotations and other maintenance services. This mechanism isn't new. In October 2012 in Singapore opened the new 30-storey Hamilton Scotts building in the ritzy Orchard Road area, which has an elevator for cars, which will deliver the vehicles to the "en suite sky garages", glass cases for cars next to the living room. The owner must drive the car into a garage and on to a turnstile, and then hop out and scan a fingerprint on a biometric scanner, which will use a computer system to send the car to the correct apartment. In 2010 movie star Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban purchased luxurious apartment on the 12th floor in one of Manhattan's skyscrapers. This apartment also has a 32.5 square meter garage in the sky. A special car elevator lift the car to the owner's floor and then you can enter garage with entrance to the kitchen.

A London house is set to smash Britain's price record after going on sale for US$ 388 million - 700 times more than the US$ 565 thousand average property value in the capital. With 4645 square meters of living space, it is 30 times bigger than a typical London family house. The new owners of the Grade I listed Regency property, described as the biggest private home in central London, would be neighbors of the Queen and enjoy views of St James's Park. The price tag comes as figures show million pound property sales in the capital boomed last year with the total passing 5,000 for the first time. New figures from agents Savills show that demand for multi-million pound homes in London is reaching new highs despite the global economic doldrums. There were 5,115 sales over US$ 1.9 million in London last year, eight per cent more than 2011 and 12 per cent more than in 2007 the last "boom" year before the banking crash triggered a temporary collapse in prices. The house on 18 Carlton House Terrace is in the hands of an elderly member of a Middle East royal family (some sources refers Saudi Arabian royal family) who is discreetly trying to find a buyer. The mansion is at the end of a quiet street between the Mall and Lower Regent Street that was once the most fashionable address in London. The house has four storeys above ground and two below that currently hold facilities such as the huge boiler and strong rooms that could be converted into a basement with swimming pool, spa and cinema. The stuccoes mansion, built to a design by John Nash between 1827 and 1832, was once one of London's most important and glittering political salons. In the First World War the property served as the the Enquiry Department for Wounded and Missing, the British Red Cross and Order of St John from where thousands of British families learned of the fate of their loved ones.

Monaco, a luxurious Mediterranean city-state renowned for being home to some of the world's wealthiest moguls, will soon boast the world's most expensive penthouse, a residence expected to fetch US$ 387 million when it goes on the market next year. The world's current most expensive penthouse is a US$ 222 million flat in London's One Hyde Park. The penthouse will be housed inside Monaco's tallest building, Tour Odeon, a double-skyscraper standing 170 meters tall. Tour Odeon is due to be completed in July 2014 and will feature 259 units, including 73 private luxury residencies, two 1,200-square meter Sky Duplexes and the five-floor, 3,300-square meter Sky Penthouse. Excavation and demolition work on Tour Odeon began in December 2009. Upon completion it will be the second-tallest tower on the Mediterranean coastline, trailing only the 186-meter Gran Hotel Bali in Spain. The architect of project is Alexander Giraldi. European design agency Alberto Pinto has been tasked with creating interiors that exude "exceptional elegance and comfort," while architect Jean Mus has been chosen to complete the landscape. One of the Tour Odeon penthouse's most talked about features is its spacious outdoor area and private circular infinity pool that can be entered via a water slide. The five-storey penthouse features interiors inspired by the French Belle Epoque era, which is captured in the stenciled floors, marble, slate and earthy color palette that reflects the surrounding landscape of the Liguria Sea. Practical while still exuding elegance, the penthouse features top-notch fittings and finishes. Advanced appliances have been installed in the fully equipped bathroom and kitchen and the entire penthouse offers a centralized home automation system. Sculpturally-inspired light fittings hang in formal areas and throughout the penthouse's private lobby while 360-degree views of the south of France just add to the incredible opulence of the space. It is not only Tour Odeon's penthouse that will benefit from panoramic views, as each apartment throughout the building features floor to ceiling windows and expansive private terraces. Natural light is abundant and the interiors have a timeless and elegant feel. Pools are a prominent feature throughout the structure with Tour Odeon offering an extensive wellness centre, a hammam (Turkish bath), Russian bath, private spa suites and multiple pool options. Encouraging an entrepreneurial lifestyle, the building will include a state-of-the-art business centre, which will serve as professional space for residents who opt to work from home. Each apartment features an integrated touch screen that can be used to organize housekeeping, dry cleaning, valet and car washing service while a full-time concierge, private chauffeured limousines and a cinema are also on offer.