MOZAMBIQUE: Almost 310,000 square meters (31 hectares) of Mozambique land was cleared this year of landmines left during the 16 year old civil war using pouched rats, said Belgian demining company Apopo, which is heading the project.

Record prices being paid for development sites on the mainland have heightened concerns that Beijing will introduce new measures to cool the property market.A high-end residential site in Shanghai's Xin Jiang Wan Cheng district was sold to China State Construction Engineering Corp yesterday for 3.72 billion yuan (HK$4.22 billion), or 32,484 yuan per square metre, the highest unit price for a ma

KUALA LUMPUR: The revision of the real property gains tax (RPGT) from the sale of property  regardless of the year of acquisition is the perfect Christmas gift to the property market.

ECM Libra Investment Research said the toning down by the government from its earlier proposal would provide a much-needed relief to the sector.

PUTRAJAYA:  The real property gains tax will now only be applicable to properties that are sold within five years of their purchase, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced Dec 23.

DUBAI: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) is taking steps to help some Malaysian companies overcome problems of late payments from Dubai developers and clients.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Developments Pte Ltd, a unit of Sunway Holdings Bhd, has entered into a joint-venture agreement with Hoi Hup Realty Pte Ltd to set up Hoi Hup Sunway Property Pte Ltd.

The proposed joint venture would undertake a residential property development project on a parcel of freehold land in Singapore.

PASIR PUTEH: Contractors are unable to complete the construction of 16 new school buildings in Kelantan before the start of the 2010 school session on Jan 3, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said Dec 23.

KUALA LUMPUR: Zecon Bhd has inked a sale and purchase agreement with Effiway Corporation Sdn Bhd to acquire a parcel of 2,340 sq m freehold land together with a nine-storey building in Section 5 KTLD, Jalan Satok, Kuching for RM13.2 million.

KOTA BARU: A Universiti Malaysia Kelantan principal fellow today pointed out that the "cut and paste" method was being used to portray the arts in buildings in Kelantan.

JAKARTA: Two people were killed and scores feared buried under the rubble when an extension building to a shopping mall in Tanah Abang collapsed Dec 23.
The Malaysian embassy here was closely monitoring search and rescue work at Tanah Abang, a popular shopping area for Malaysians visiting the Indonesian capital.