Friday, 9 January 2009

Shanghai Scrapes Sky as the Ground Sinks

Is urban development, including China’s highest building now under construction, hastening Shanghai’s slide into the sea?

Shanghai Property Boom Fading Away

The real estate boom seems to have petered out in Shanghai with sellers outnumbering buyers as more and more investors look to exit the sector that triggered the economic crisis.

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Chen Shui-bian given trial date for graft charges


Third judge in corruption hearing

Death of graft-buster not murder, court rules

The former deputy chairman of the Xinzhou People’s Political Consultative Conference was jailed for six years yesterday for reckless driving that led to the death of top Shanxi graft-busting official Jin Yinhuan.

670,000 Small Firms Shut; Jobless Rate Doubled

Grim economic conditions forced more than 670,000 of the mainland’s small firms out of business, and real unemployment was more than double the official rate last year, according to leading economic analysts.

Housing Market a Drag on into 2009 and Beyond

2009 will be a year of adjustment for the real estate industry. The bearish market may end in the second half of 2009, but a 21st-Century Real Estate insider said a rebound in the second half of 2009 didn’t mean price hikes. Any boom in a real sense, with rising housing prices, won’t come until 2011 at the soonest.

GM China Sales Growth Slumps to 6% in 2008

General Motors Corp posted a 6-percent growth in its China vehicle sales in 2008, the lowest growth rate in at least six years, the US carmaker said on Tuesday, reflecting the stagnant market amid the financial crisis and a lack of attractive models.

Chang’an Auto Sales Down 4% in 2008

Chongqing Chang’an Automobile Co, the Chinese listed partner of troubled US car giant Ford, sold 739,307 cars in 2008, down 4 percent from the previous year’s figure of 770,546 units, the company said on Tuesday.

‘Comply or Explain’: SGX Must be Stricter

I refer to the letter ‘Thoughts on SGX’s regulatory stance’ by Mak Yuen Teen (BT, Dec 23) and ‘Buyer beware and seller beware too’ by R Sivanithy (BT, Jan 1).

Enough Safeguards to Avoid Conflicts: SGX

Excluding directors of listed firms from SGX board would limit talent pool

SGX Has Robust Framework as a Self-Regulatory Organisation

We refer to the letter from Mr. Mak Yuen Teen, ‘Thoughts on SGX’s regulatory stance’ (BT, Dec 23, 2008).

SGX Strikes Balance as Market Operator

We refer to the article, ‘SGX should set governance benchmark’ by Oh Boon Ping (BT, Dec 25).

Warrant Turnover Down 25% in 2008

But volatile markets also make it more difficult for banks that issue warrants to hedge their risk. As a result, there were 31 per cent fewer new warrant listings in 2008 - just 1,184 compared with 1,724 a year earlier - as issuers turned more cautious.

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

Zhang Ziyi Topless 2





Zhang Ziyi Topless 1





IPOs in China to Jump 47%

Funds raised by Chinese companies in local initial public offerings are likely to rise 47 per cent this year compared with last year, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said on Tuesday.

Laguna En-bloc Saga - Charged with Mischief


Businessman Lee Kok Leong, 62, is alleged to have inserted glue into the padlock, main wooden door and rear gate keyholes of a flat at Block 5000E, Laguna Park, Marine Parade Road, at 12.44am on Aug 25 last year.

Bonds Next Bubble to Pop?

US 30-year bonds drop amid concern debt sales to reach record.

Krugman: Fed Can't Save Us from Great Depression II

STI Recovery is Temporary at Best