HONG KONG: A drive to make it harder for developers to add green features and facilities to artificially inflate flat sizes does not go far enough, say architectural  professionals.

A number of loopholes will, for instance, mean the city is likely to see apartments with thick glass exterior walls that can be included as part of the saleable area.

HONG KONG: Buyers returned to the property market at the weekend after the removal of the cloud of policy uncertainty that was hanging over the market ahead of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's policy address.

BANGKOK: Bangkok-based hotel investment company Red Planet Hotels plans to expand into the Chinabudget hotel market with its partner Tune Hotels.

Positive forecasts of continued rapid growth in tourist and business travel on the mainland will see the partners building budget hotels in second-tier cities, Red Planet chief executive Tim Hansing said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Following its proposed acquisition of property development company Hardie Development Sdn Bhd (HDSB), Permaju Industries Bhd has proposed to diversify into property development.

KUALA LUMPUR: AXIS Real Estate Investment Trust (AXIS REIT) almost doubled its earnings per unit (EPU) to 7.6 sen for the third quarter (3Q) ended Sept 30, 2010, from 3.83 sen a year ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: WCT Bhd has secured two separate projects from the Qatar and Malaysian governments collectively worth about RM1.49 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to curb house price speculation to protect the interest of those in the low and medium-income group, some of whom have been saving up for years but are unable to afford a home.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Executive Council has agreed to implement the Integrated Corporate Integrity System in the management and administration of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Ministry is simplifying the process of buying houses from existing
Public Housing (PA) and People's Housing Projects (PPR) to allow low income earners to own homes.

MELAKA:  Kerjaya Hotel Sdn Bhd plans to invest RM400 million to build a four-star 32-storey hotel, the tallest in Melaka, together
with three blocks of serviced apartments.

Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, in announcing the project, said the hotel will be developed on a 3.645-hectare site and is expected to be completed in 2014.