Angola's influence is rivalled only by that of Zimbabwe, which has more troops in the country, including the bodyguard that surrounds the new president at his home, the Marble Palace.

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The extraordinary lobby of the palace is centered on a marble fountain supported by cherubs, while the sky-blue walls are frescoed with cotton-ball clouds, birds, garlands and idealized rural scenes.

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The 27, 000-square-foot palace isn't just nice marble floor and wall space.

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The only painting on the ground floor is Stingel's self-portrait, nestled behind some marble columns near the boat-landing entrance to the palace.

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His main palace in Riyadh has 420 rooms, filled with marble, swimming pools and portraits of himself.

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Brooks points out the crystallized gypsum disguised as marble columns, the Styrofoam used to fill gaps in the palace's building blocks, and the most fundamental flaw: The foundations of the palace, set in an artificial lake, were designed to withstand a 200, 000 square-foot structure.

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In the hotel's Aqua Palace, pools come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials, including marble and the prized hinoki wood that adds a special scent to the bathing experience.

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Details such as limestone and oak flooring, carved marble bathtubs, and a private tower with panoramic views punctuate the beauty and meticulous design of this American palace.

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She prefers Streatham, further south in London, where she could buy a palace for the money gentrifiers are keen to pay for her house, with its original cornicing and marble fireplaces.

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