Latest news with #SouthAmericans
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Expert: How to fix the condo crisis sweeping the South
With the turbulent real estate scene in Florida being described as the 'epicenter of housing market weakness', one developer is going against the grain. Billionaire real estate developer Isaac Toledano plans to completely alter the Miami skyline. While some developers have hit pause on Florida for the foreseeable future, Toledano is taking full advantage of the state's widespread 'condo crisis' and the ensuing buyout frenzy. He's got his eye on the thousands of older buildings along Florida's coastline and wants to turn them into luxury housing that is better equipped to withstand the area's natural disasters. Not everyone is happy with his plans. As Toledano bulldozes the prized coastline, the buyouts have become one of the few ways to secure prime real estate in the area. For some owners in these aging buildings, selling to a developer can be a welcome relief from finding a buyer in a sluggish market, especially when the cost of bringing the property up to code outweighs its current value. But some residents refuse to sell - no matter the price. It's an uphill battle as a once-necessary measure of unanimous resident approval becoming a thing of the past. These sales can leave many people displaced. Some are being forced onto families or into assisted living, while others have nowhere to go. Meanwhile, Florida's controversial Live Local Act - passed in 2023 and amended in May 2024 - is only assisting developers in their takeover, offering them the right to build at maximum capacity if 40 percent of the units are set aside as 'affordable,' but it's usually still more than retirees on a budget can afford. Still, with all the problems the older condos are having, Toledano's bet is paying off. His company has broken ground on a new build called The Residences on Six Fisher Island in Miami, which has already sold $650 million-worth of homes inside the $1 billion property. His other ultra luxury branded projects include The Ritz-Carlton West Palm Beach, W Pompano Beach and Viceroy Residences Aventura. Toledano, who owns BH Group - a major Miami-based real estate investment and development firm working exclusively in Florida - currently has over 1,100 residential units in his portfolio, with over 10,000 residential units in progress. 'We're seeing a very, very healthy demand and we still see buyers relocating here across our portfolio,' Toledano told the Daily Mail. 'We own office buildings, we own retail, and we're involved in a lot of residential projects, so we have the opportunity to speak to a lot of buyers.' He said more South Americans are flocking to South Florida now that the dollar is weaker, adding that more Europeans are also looking for properties. 'We see more foreign nationals coming and we think that will continue. 'We still see a lot of US based buyers - especially New Yorkers - in our Ritz-Carlton Residence up in West Palm Beach, at the Ritz-Carlton Residence in Palm Coast, the W in Pompano Beach and our project down in Miami or Fisher Island.' Toledano had been a quiet figure in the South Florida real estate scene until he founded BH Group in 2009. He runs the company with his wife, Liat Toledano. Florida saw a huge influx of new residents during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its affordability, weather and the possibility for Americans to work remotely. But the Sunshine State has since turned into a housing market nightmare - especially for sellers looking to get out. The area has been hit by a mix of high home prices, soaring insurance premiums, rising property taxes, natural disasters and the need for remote workers to return to offices. Still, Toledano says he's 'doubling down' on the state. He's betting on the luxury market for single family homes, too. He says he will buy outdated properties, tear them down and build new. He's currently developing an entire gated community of high-end homes for those who don't want to live in condos. 'You have people that are trying to sell their older homes - either they want to upgrade to a newer place, or families are growing and want to move from a smaller apartment or condo to a bigger unit. 'Then you see couples whose kids have left the house, and they don't have a reason to keep a big condo, so they want to downsize to a single-family home. This happens all the time.' The Greenview at Presidential Estates will total 103 luxury single-family homes. 'We're already under construction, and we see healthy demand as well,' he said. As for the area's natural disaster rate, Toledano said he predicts the high insurance rates will eventually come down with all the new builds because they are built to withstand hurricanes and storms much better than older condos. 'Obviously natural disasters is not something that we can predict,' he said. 'Look at the terrible fires in California; the huge storm that took place in Texas. 'I would say that Florida is still a great place, a safe place, and you cannot predict where the next natural disaster is coming. 'The good news is that we see insurance rates are going down with the luxury buildings. And I think this will continue.' Toledano said branded residences are also the future of South Florida. This is when a residential building will have its name attached to a brand, such as The Ritz-Carlton West Palm Beach, and the building will feature the same amenities as the brand's hotels - down to the saunas, gym and valet. The brand affiliation will attract buyers, and the brand will get a cut of sales. 'We have lot of new product coming, new projects, great architecture, a lot of buildings offering great services, great amenities and a great lifestyle, all tied to brands' he said. 'I think this momentum will get better and better, and stronger and stronger.' And the shock of the Champlain Towers South tragedy in 2021 still lingers. When the Surfside condo collapsed, killing 98 people, it exposed shocking design flaws, rotting concrete and decades of neglected maintenance. In its wake, Florida passed a tough new law requiring all condos over 30 years old to pass a structural inspection, with owners footing the bill for repairs. Developers began circling like vultures, eyeing buildings on the beach with surface-level parking lots and fewer than 100 units - translation: easy to demolish. Realtors will come knocking when a developer is interested, Toledano explained. The 80 percent ownership mark required by Florida law to dissolve a condo association and take over completely can be easily hit with the right dollar amount. As Toledano continues to snap up the aging condo buildings, he's offering big money to preexisting residents. But where are older Florida residents going? With skyrocketing costs, mandatory repairs, expensive HOAs and aggressive buyouts, these longtime residents who are being priced out of their homes are, in many cases, also being priced out of Florida entirely. After selling their condo, m any retirees are being forced to move out of the state unless they can find housing in another part of Florida with lower living costs. States like North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee also attract retirees due to lower costs and similar climates. Joseph M. Hernandez, partner at Bilzin Sumberg, which specializes in condo terminations and sales to developers, said the dramatic increase in assessments for a large number of unit owners across the state will incentivize them to sell their property to developers. 'They'll avoid the costly repair and retrofitting work that's now mandatory for older buildings,' Hernandez said. According to a report by Florida Realtors, which releases real estate data in South Florida, Gerard Yetming, executive manager of Colliers, said condo buyouts are a 'growing trend,' but that sellers need to consider one thing. 'The only time this makes sense is when the value of the underlying land is significantly more than what the collective units are currently selling for,' Yetming said. 'Why else would somebody want to sell their property unless they can make a significant profit?' As for Toledano, he's got a vision for a skyline that's entirely remade and that he says is 'going to get nicer and nicer'. He's now leading a demolition that's underway in Boca Raton for 500 residential units, 45,000 square feet of retail space, and 400,000 square feet of office space, much of it already pre-leased. 'I can tell you that overall we really believe in the growth of South Florida,' he told the Daily Mail. 'This market is going nowhere... There is really no crash,' he added.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
How the Sahel became a smuggling hotspot – DW – 07/28/2025
International criminal gangs have exploited instability in Sahel countries to build flourishing drug and human trafficking networks, while Russian promises of bringing order have so far failed. The bus station in Agadez is very busy. The Nigerien desert city is one of the most important regional hubs. Here, on the northern edge of the Sahel, trade routes between West Africa and the Maghreb have converged for centuries. And the boundaries between legal trade goods and smuggled goods have always been blurred. In particular, the smuggling of people from sub-Saharan Africa who set off for Europe without papers is – at least unofficially – considered the city's main source of income. Bamadou also wanted to make his way to Europe with the help of smugglers. However, the young man from Guinea gave up after a short time. He is now stranded in Agadez and warns other migrants about the increasingly brutal criminal gangs in the desert: "Sometimes they come with baseball bats and just start beating people. Several people even died in a migrant convoy in March. Three Senegalese, two South Americans and ten compatriots from Guinea," he tells DW. In 2015, under pressure from the European Union, the Nigerien government passed a far-reaching anti-smuggling law, sent heavily armed patrols into the desert, and arrested hundreds of smugglers within a few months. But following the military coup in 2023, the new rulers abolished the law. "The new military leadership went through with it just one day after signing a new military agreement with Russia," says Ulf Laessing, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's regional program in neighboring Mali. Laessing believes Russian influence was behind the move. The effects of the new Nigerien policy were swift: just a few weeks after the law was abolished, the smuggling business in Agadez was back in full swing according to the mayor – and is still growing. The picture is similar among Niger's neighbors. In Burkina Faso and Mali, new military governments moved closer to Moscow than Brussels. Over the same time, the regional smuggling industry saw rapid expansion in these countries, particularly in the drugs sector. For example, authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger seized about 13 kilograms of drugs per year by between 2015 and 2020. By 2022, the figure exploded to around 1.5 tonnes – an increase of more than 11,000%, according to reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The latest data from 2024 shows over a tonne of cocaine was seized during a single check on the border between Senegal and Mali. "An absolute record," says Amado Philip de Andrés from the UNODC in Dakar, Senegal. According to de Andrés, the Sahel's location has long made it a strategic place of interest for drug smugglers. The region lies between producers in Latin America and consumers in Europe, which has seen soaring demand for the drug. Criminal networks have historically exploited political instability in the Sahel, but de Andrés says smuggling activities have recently reached a new dimension in terms of quality. "We are seeing increasingly sophisticated technologies. There are underwater vehicles that have half a tonne of drugs on board," he tells DW. Most of the time, the cocaine travels towards Europe through the Sahel overland along routes controlled by rapidly growing local drug networks. "The really big fish in the cocaine business still come from Latin America. But the middle level is now increasingly coming from West and Central Africa," de Andrés adds. The criminal networks have now acquired significant financial power in the Sahel and are laundering their dirty money in major projects throughout the region. This comes against a backdrop of corrupt officials and security forces, particularly at local level. As a result of Europe's dwindling influence, programs to combat corruption and good governance in the Sahel have expired or been put on hold in recent years. "Drug trafficking is giving criminal groups more and more influence over border officials and politicians with leadership positions at local level," says de Andrés. Russian promises of military force to ensure more order in the Sahel and combat criminal networks are falling far short of expectations. "You have to bear in mind that France alone had more than 5,000 soldiers here. Even they couldn't pacify the region. The Russians have perhaps 1,500 in Mali and another 400 in Burkina Faso and Niger," Laessing tells DW. Instead, according to Laessing, the presence of the Russian mercenary outfit Africa Corps has had the opposite effect. "A brutality is attributed to them that has fueled the conflicts even further," he adds. The dynamics between smugglers and jihadists are also changing due to the success of the drug networks. The term "narco-terrorism" is increasingly used in the Sahel. According to the latest Global Terrorism Index, almost half of all victims of terrorism across the world come from the region. Initially, the jihadists tended to be indirect beneficiaries of the drug trade, charging customs duties for trucks or taking money to escort convoys. Now, observers say, some terrorist groups are trying to enter the lucrative business directly. In other regions, the Afghan Taliban have long been active in the opium trade and the Islamic State (IS) in Syria also produced synthetic drugs on a large scale. According to Laessing, European states should therefore try to regain a stronger foothold in the region for their own security interests. But due to other global trouble spots, from Ukraine to Gaza, the geopolitical effects of what is currently brewing in the Sahel are largely overlooked. "People think these countries are not important because they are extremely poor. But this is basically the southern border of Europe," Laessing says.
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Colombian migrant's grim take on life in United States stuns South Americans
A Colombian migrant's grim take on life in the United States has stunned her fellow South Americans. Geivy Santana, 30, explained that it may not be easy as it seemed with all the monthly expenses that a small family like hers can incur. The married mother-of-one offered her followers inside her apartment complex, where she finally settled in after arriving from the South American nation in 2022. 'And having a vehicle here in the United States isn't a luxury; it's a necessity,' Santana explained in the TikTok video that was originally posted on July 6 and has more than 300,000 views. 'Imagine yourself in a job where they pay you $500 or $600 a week and you have to pay Uber every day. Now, a job where, let's say, you earn $2,000 a month is practically worth the rent in many states. 'Where I am right now, that's worth the rent. So, if I were alone, it really wouldn't work.' Santana said that had she been on her own with her daughter, her monthly salary would have barely been enough to cover her home rents along with 'utilities, internet [and] food.' 'So, what am I going to live on? And often these kinds of situations happen,' she added. Santana used the example of couples who voluntarily turn themselves in to border agents at the southern border and are often split, leaving one to handle the responsibilities to taking care of a household. 'When they turn themselves in to immigration, one may make it through and the other may not. The other may be released later, because that doesn't mean they're going to be deported, but it has happened many times,' she said. 'It happened to me with some friends: my friend was released first, and the girl was detained for about three months.' Santana works as a life coach and speaker, and also works as a hairstylist out of her home. Anyone looking into abandoning their homes for a new life in the United States should really sit down and do their research before committing a life-altering decision, she counseled. 'Because it's really sad to work and work and not even have enough left to eat an ice cream,' she said. One of Santana's 298,000 TikTok followers sided with her and suggested that incoming migrants could do without owning a vehicle due to the high home costs until they are stable. 'In many things she is right, the car is a necessity, the rents are very expensive,' one person wrote. 'At the beginning the salaries are very low and you can only live on the ground floor if you have support it is somewhat easier but still here nobody maintains.' 'You spoke with logic,' another follower opined. 'We must think carefully about each step we are going to take, and not let ourselves be carried away by deception.' Other well not receptive of Santana's message and singled her out for trying to shut the dreams of migrants who see the United States at the option for a better life. 'Let everyone live their experience, babe, just like you did, and if that's the case, why don't you leave?;' one follower said. 'Don't pay attention to them, fight for your dreams. For God, nothing is impossible.' 'I am in this country and I don't say that to anyone,' another person added. 'Everyone lives as they want and can. Whoever has the opportunity, let them do it. Everyone has their own back and their own luck.'
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What comes next? Inside Fifa's grand plan after Club World Cup
At MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, Gianni Infantino was walking around with a grin fixed to his face, looking to shake everyone's hand. The Fifa president was essentially basking in how the Club World Cup had gone, and he was in a similar mood at the opening of the Fifa Office in New York's Trump Tower the day before. If most of the focus there has been on the deepening of the relationship between Infantino and Donald Trump, senior football figures are shocked by another element. The Fifa president has chosen the very building where US authorities approached Chuck Blazer and started the process of 'flipping him'. The disgraced football official notoriously had two apartments in Trump Tower, including one for his cats, where he embezzled all of his money. Blazer's evidence would ultimately bring down 'the old Fifa' in 2015. That was how Infantino rose to president the next year, making the symbolism remarkable. Fifa, of course, maintains this shift shows how far it's come. Other figures feel it shows how the football world is being turned upside down. Another description of Infantino this week is that he has been behaving like 'a founder' – a Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos. In that light, it's hard not to think he sees himself as the founder of the new Club World Cup. Whether the tournament has actually been worth such celebration depends on your perspective, not least what continent you're from. South Americans have loved it, some big games have sold out, and there have been decent viewing figures on free-to-air channels. The response has still been lukewarm in Europe, with empty seats visible, while there haven't exactly been many memorable moments. Since the tournament is new, it lacks mythology and true stakes. It says much that most of the discussion still keeps coming back to prize money. The injury to Jamal Musiala also showed another cost. None of that really matters with regards to Fifa's aims, though. It sees most criticism as being driven by a jealous Uefa. Above all, Infantino has proven to clubs that Fifa can deliver the tournament. That might primarily be down to Saudi money, but this was a resource the clubs had been trying to unlock for years. Many have been trying to sell shares to the Public Investment Fund. If that shows the tournament still can't stand on its own, it's also why Al-Hilal's shock last-16 victory over Manchester City might genuinely end up as one of those unduly influential results. Even if it was partly a fluke, the 4-3 win immediately makes the Saudi Pro League that bit more serious. You only have to contrast that to the struggles of the much older MLS. Some have even talked about a potential 'big bang' comparable to India's victory in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, and the IPL's eventual dominance of cricket. Such progress will mean PIF keeps investing in its teams, while further committing to Saudi Arabia's own ambitions, which go beyond the 2034 World Cup. This is where Fifa is as intertwined with the kingdom as it is with the Trump administration. The governing body would, of course, repeat that all of this is simply about spreading the wealth of the game beyond the European superclubs, which is noble and overdue. The truth will only be revealed when we see where the money goes. Some club owners have already questioned why we're no longer hearing as much about the competition's 'solidarity target' – the money spread to non-qualifiers – especially since they believe that was supposed to be elevated through ticket money for knockout games. Dynamic pricing has brought a lot of that down. Scepticism persists. Aside from a mechanism to increase Fifa revenue and keep voters happy, more critical voices have long seen this project as a trojan horse for Saudi clubs to have their own Champions League and the big clubs to finally have their super league. Figures from A22 were even at MetLife on Wednesday, alongside Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. Whatever the truth, this summer's progress has only propelled existing discussions. It's an 'open secret' that big clubs are talking about the tournament taking place every two years, even though Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin thinks he has an agreement that it will only be every four. Those who didn't qualify are envious of the prize money. Some insiders consequently expect qualification to be changed so it's more based on coefficient – club performance – and an eventual expansion to 48 teams. It is sub-optimal for Fifa, after all, that hundreds of millions of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona fans don't care. In that scenario, big European clubs could have leverage and demand Fifa introduce PSR-style regulation to constrain the Saudi clubs. Infantino's response would be a wonder. Some sources even talk of more outlandish plans. There are claims that the Fifa competition department has started to brainstorm ideas for the future, and one of them is a radical new calendar. The plan would see the year broken into three similar-length blocks, one for the domestic game, one for the international club game, and one for internationals. It should be stressed that these are mere ideas so far. More cynical voices believe it would mean a plan that is ready to go for the game's next Super League moment, in what is already a fraught period in football politics. There is obviously constant discussion about the international match calendar, with Arsene Wenger currently leading a Fifa taskforce. That's in a context where the bread and butter of the sport – the domestic leagues – aren't presided over by Fifa and don't produce money for them. A belief already exists within the governing body that 20-team leagues are too big. Even more powerful actors are now trying to reshape the game. It is just as symbolic that the Club World Cup's first final ends up featuring a state-owned club, in Paris Saint-Germain, and a private equity-owned club, in Chelsea. The competition duly ends as it began. You can sign up to DAZN to watch every Club World Cup game for free
The Citizen
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Junior Boks down Argentina to make World U20 Champs final
The Junior Boks were heavily penalised during the game, but their fast start to the first half allowed them to still walk away as comfortable winners in the end. Junior Springbok wing Jaco Williams was on the score sheet, as they beat Argentina U20s in their World Rugby U20 Championship semifinal in Italy on Monday night. Picture:A heavily penalised Junior Springbok team still managed to show enough class to power their way to a comfortable 48-24 win over Argentina U20s in their World Rugby U20 Championship semifinal at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in Viadana, Italy on Monday night. The Junior Boks found themselves on the wrong end of the referee's whistle, particularly at the breakdown and at scrum time, as they conceded 16 penalties to just six from Argentina, while they also received two yellow cards. Despite those struggles they still outscored their Southern Hemisphere rivals six tries to three, as they set up a final meeting on Saturday with huge rivals New Zealand U20s, after they defeated France U20s 34-26 in the earlier semi. Flying start It was another flying start to the game from the Junior Boks as they ran in four tries in a 14 minute spell, after going over for their first in the eighth minute. Livewire scrumhalf Haashim Pead was heavily involved, breaking from a ruck and getting close, where the chicken wing offload found inside centre Albie Bester to run in untouched. Straight from the kick-off Pead was handed his sixth try of the tournament, to go with four try assists, as big loose forward Bathobele Hlekani burst down the middle, offloading to flying eighthman Wandile Mlaba, who in turn found Pead following up to go over to make it 14-0. Argentina then got themselves on the board with a penalty from flyhalf Rafael Benedit, but the Junior Boks continued on, as flyhalf Vusi Moyo put up a high kick for wing Jaco Williams to chase, with him going over, followed by lock JJ Theron crashing over, both converted by Moyo for a 28-3 lead after 22 minutes. Most of the rest of the half was then an impressive defensive shift from the Junior Boks, as Argentina bashed away on their line and were largely repelled. But with two minutes left in the half prop Simphiwe Ngobese was yellow carded after an infringement under a team warning, with the South Americans rumbling over a lineout maul to make it 28-10 at the break. Second half The second half started much like the first ended, with the Junior Boks being penalised at the breakdown, Argentina on the front foot, and they went over first in the corner through wing Timoteo Silva, to bring them right back into the game at 28-17 after 52 minutes. But the Junior Boks managed to calm things down through a couple of penalties to Moyo, moving them into a 34-17 lead in the 58th minute. Argentina were now making mistakes, and a lost ball in midfield allowed the Junior Boks to snap it up and attack, with outside centre Demitre Erasmus breaking and putting away Bester for the converted score to effectively make the game safe at 41-17 after 60 minutes. Argentina however kept plugging away, and another yellow card to Junior Bok replacement prop Oliver Reid for repeated infringements again, gave them the extra man and eventually replacement back Ramon Miranda dotted down in the 71st minute. It was the Junior Boks who finished on top though as wing Cheswill Jooste stepped his way through to put the cherry on the cake on the fulltime hooter. Scorers South Africa U20: Tries – Albie Bester (2), Haashim Pead, Jaco Williams, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste; Conversions – Vusi Moyo (5), Dominic Malgas; Penalties – Moyo (2) Argentina U20: Tries – Agustin Campos, Timoteo Benedit, Ramon Miranda; Conversions – Rafael Benedit (2), Pascal Senillosa; Penalty – Benedit
