KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank, Starbucks Coffee and KFC opened drive-thru outlets in S P Setia Bhd’s Setia Tropika township in Johor today (Dec 8), along with Pizza Hut. The four outlets are taking up space at Setia City Connects, a commercial hub in Setia Tropika’s central business district (CBD).

BERLIN: Not many are aware that Tropical Islands in Brand, Krausnick, Germany is Europe's largest tropical island resort created and owned by Malaysian interests.

Besides being a "rainforest" outside the Tropics, it is also the largest indoor theme park in Europe and the largest Malaysian investment in Germany.

As this issue is going to print, the world remains focused on Dubai. Dubbed not so long ago as a sexy international real estate playground for the rich and famous, the debt crisis that hit this United Arab Emirate (UAE) state sent credit markets reeling.

BEIJING: China will crack down on speculation in the property market, Zhang Ping, the head of the National Development and Reform Commission, was reported as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.

Zhang added that the government would work to expand the supply of low-cost housing, as part of broader efforts to improve its property policies.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Holdings Bhd has entered into partnership with Hoi Hup Realty Pte Ltd to develop a 19,264.70-sq m parcel of land in Jalan Senang, Singapore.

SYDNEY: Australian property firm Goodman Group and its unlisted fund, Goodman Hong Kong Logistics Fund, will develop a US$390 million (RM1.33 billion) warehouse and distribution project in Hong Kong, aiming for growth in China.

Goodman said on Dec 9 the project, located at Tsing Yi in Hong Kong's port district, will have 222,000 sq m of warehouse space.

SEOUL: South Korean banks' mortgage lending to households in November increased further on a rise in new home supply, central bank data showed on Dec 9.

Household mortgage loans rose by 1.6 trillion won (RM4.68 billion) in November from the previous month to 263.1 trillion won, the Bank of Korea said in a statement.

SYDNEY: A key measure of Australian consumer confidence slipped for a second month in December as rising interest rates soured sentiment for those with mortgages, even as the broad mood on the economy remained upbeat. The survey of 1,200 people by Westpac Bank and the Melbourne Institute released on Dec 9 showed its index of consumer sentiment dipped 3.8% to 113.8 in December.

KUALA LUMPUR: Genting Malaysia Bhd on Dec 8 entered into sale and purchase agreements with Genting Bhd to acquire Oakwood Sdn Bhd and Genting Highlands Tours and Promotions Sdn Bhd (GHTP) for a cash consideration of RM212.7 million and RM15.9 million respectively.

KUALA LUMPUR: TA Enterprise Bhd on Dec 8 posted a 54% year-on-year (y-o-y) drop in pre-tax profit to RM23.3 million for its third quarter ended Sept 31, 2009 (3Q2009), compared with RM51.2 million in the previous year’s corresponding period.