HONG KONG (Feb 1): China Aoyuan Property Group Ltd, which focuses on developing property in the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong, said it has expanded its presence in Chongqing, the economic powerhouse of southwest China, purchasing a plot of commercial and residential land.

MADRID (Feb 1): Santander, the eurozone's biggest bank, reported a sharp drop in annual profit after it set aside money against foreclosed Spanish property, anticipating government demands that lenders recognise heavy real estate losses.

HONG KONG (Feb 1): Hong Kong's government said on Wednesday that it would provide land in the coming fiscal year for construction of 30,000 apartments, continuing its bid to ease tight supply of new housing and encourage developers to build middle-class homes.

LONDON (Feb 1): Equity rich homeowners in Central London, who have benefited from strong price growth and low interest rates over the last four years, are moving on up the ladder without the need to sell their existing home.

This is worsening the already short supply of property in prime Central London, reports property consultants Cluttons.

LONDON (Feb 1): With many of London's private tenants paying more than half of their earnings in rent, the market has become a hot political issue.

Some politicians want rent controls, others want an accreditation scheme for landlords. Hong Kong owners of London rental property would be affected should any of these reforms be introduced.

BATH (Feb 1): China and Hong Kong investors have taken a 50% stake in a property fund that is undertaking a £60 million (RM287.23 million) restoration of a 220-year-old Georgian crescent in Bath, transforming it into a luxury residential project.

HONG KONG (Feb 1): The prospect of US interest rates being kept near zero until late-2014 may keep a lid on any rises in Hong Kong home loan rates, but will not be a magic wand for the sluggish local property market, say analysts.

HONG KONG (Feb 1): A low-density residential site being offered for tender in Tuen Mun is expected to sell for up to HK$3.76 billion (RM1.48 billion), property analysts say.

The government released the site at Castle Peak Road in So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun, for tender in December last year. The tender period will close on Friday.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 31): Sentoria Group Bhd, developer and operator of Bukit Gambang Resort City (BGRC) in Pahang, plans to invest some RM48 million in a second theme park, dubbed Bukit Gambang Safari Park, in the resort city.

SYDNEY (Jan 31): Australian business conditions were stable in December as cuts in interest rates helped offset the gloom engulfing Europe, a survey showed on Tuesday, while an easing in price pressures pointed to scope for further stimulus ahead.