BEIJING: China's property prices will probably edge down in 2011 as authorities remain committed to squeezing speculators out of the market, mainly via monetary tightening steps, a top government think tank said on Wednesday, Dec 8.

KUALA LUMPUR: Shangri-La Hotels (Malaysia) Bhd (SHMB) has struck an informal agreement with Khazanah Nasional Bhd to jointly develop a 5 star resort in Langkawi.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bina Puri Holdings Bhd has secured foreign contracts worth about RM38.19 million, bringing the group's current book order to RM3.16 billion.

Bina Puri (Thailand) Ltd had on Nov 12 won the 175 million baht (RM18.28 million) contract to construct the "warehouse building and ancillary facilities at Ladkrabang Industrial Estate, Bangkok", it said on Wednesday, Dec 8.

KUALA LUMPUR: Only a small number of buildings in the city are without security features, especially to deal with fire emergency, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department director Othman Abdullah said.

He said the affected buildings were mostly old shops and flat units and shop houses which had been renovated into entertainment centres.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia My Second Home Programme is gaining popularity among Japanese retirees, with the number of participants increasing every year.

Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie said about 1,500 Japanese retirees had opted for the programme.

IPOH: The Ipoh City Council has allocated RM10 million for projects to solve flooding in several areas in this city, said Ipoh Mayor Datuk Roshidi Hashim.

He said the flood-mitigation works would be carried out next year involving the enlargement of moonsoon drains and small drains in areas experiencing rapid development.

BEIJING: Beijing's tough measures to curb demand in China's buoyant property market have yet to affect prices. Some home seekers and market watchers think they will continue rising.

LONDON: Hong Kong investors in the British property market are diversifying into non-conventional forms of property ownership including hotel rooms and fractional units.

HONG KONG: Home sales in Hong Kong's secondary market picked up slightly last week as sellers lowered their asking prices, according to agents.

Some 261 homes were sold during the week from Nov 29 to Dec 5 in the secondary market in the 50 housing estates monitored by property agent Ricacorp Properties.

TAIPEI: Taiwan is planning to impose a special tax on short-term investment property transactions in the latest effort to curb speculation and prevent real estate bubbles in major cities.

Finance ministry chief secretary Lee Ching-hua did not give further details of the plan, but local media reported the tax could be as much as 30%, depending on the value of the deal.