Real estate recovery drives growth forecast higher: FS
Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Tuesday said all three drivers of economic growth performed well in the third quarter, with consumption, investment, and exports all recording growth to varying degrees. Hong Kong's advance estimates for the third-quarter GDP are set to be released later in the day. The financial chief had announced over the weekend that the city's full-year economic growth forecast will be revised upwards following a stronger-than-expected 5.1 percent GDP growth in the first half of the year. Chan said other factors also supported the projection, noting that full-year visitor arrivals are likely to exceed the target of 50 million and that the real estate market is improving. "The residential property market has been on the rise since the latter half of last year. Last year, the increase was approximately three percent, while the rise this year has been between seven and 10 percent. In the residential property market, it's fair to say we are moving into a stage of steady ascent.” he said. "In commercial real estate, we have observed significant improvements in office rentals, in terms of rental prices and vacancy rates, particularly in central business districts. It has also stabilised in other districts." An expected influx of...
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China’s historic first space docking in 2011 – SCMP archive
This article was first published on November 4, 2011. China a step closer to building its own space station by Stephen Chen Encouraged by yesterday (November 3, 2011) morning’s historic rendezvous and docking of the Shenzhou VIII spacecraft, Chinese authorities said construction of a space station will begin as soon as 2013. “We will do two more rendezvous and docking flights next year,” said Wu Ping (武平), spokeswoman for the manned space programme, at a press conference in Beijing yesterday....
Council criticised over $50,000 drinking fountain
An Adelaide council is under fire after choosing to spend $50,000 on building a single drinking fountain.
Money hacks to save some cash following string of rate hikes
Most families have already cut back everywhere they can following a string of painful rate hikes, here are some simple hacks to claw back some cash.
How a ‘bogan from Brighton’ got Oprah involved with her charity
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Celebrity Traitors winner Romesh Ranganathan addresses James Blunt relationship after joke fuels rumours
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Chinese drug iza-bren doubles lung cancer survival window in phase 3 trial
An anticancer drug developed by Sichuan Biokin Pharmaceutical took centre stage in a late-breaking oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid last week. Researchers said the drug, iza-bren, showed a significant advantage over platinum-based chemotherapy in a phase 3 randomised, double-blind clinical trial conducted at 73 hospitals in China and involving 432 patients with advanced lung cancer. The median progression-free survival (PFS) – the length of...
‘What I eat in a day’ videos landed Amelia in hospital. Now they are landing Meta in court
Amelia Luca spent years watching “what I eat in a day” and pro-anorexia social media content. Six years later, she’s taking Meta to court.
Vice-Premier He Lifeng vows support for Hong Kong as international financial centre
Beijing says it will introduce extra measures, as needed, to bolster Hong Kong as an international financial centre, with Vice-Premier He Lifeng pledging continued support in a speech on Tuesday. Delivering a keynote speech at the opening of the 2026 Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit in Hong Kong via video link, He said finance was the most important leg of the city’s “four centres and one highland” agenda and stressed that using the advantages of the “one country, two systems”...
Single check-in for those flying through Hong Kong from mainland China under new scheme
Travellers flying from Hangzhou or Wuhan to overseas destinations via Hong Kong on different airlines can have their baggage checked through to the final destination under a newly launched service that aims to step up the connections between mainland Chinese cities and other countries. Under the new one-stop service that launched on Tuesday, travellers departing from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport or Wuhan Tianhe International Airport will not need to check in their baggage again when...
Nine men who abused wife who was drugged and raped were snared after one million images found on her husband's phone, court hears
The group 'derived sexual gratification and enjoyment' from the 'use and abuse' of the woman, who was given a 'cocktail of stupefying drugs', jurors were told.
Bureau of Meteorology issues warning for Sydney and Brisbane over intense storms and large hail
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning for southeast Queensland about 4.40pm and for the Sydney area about 6.20pm.
Two tourist helicopters collide in mid-air while landing in front of tour group below Mount Everest base camp, killing one person
Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest's base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others.
