WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: All 50 US states launched a joint investigation of the mortgage industry on Wednesday, Oct 13, a move some experts fear may slow sales of foreclosed homes and threaten the recovery of the fragile housing market.

HONG KONG: Investors and owner-occupiers rode the continuing rally in home prices last week, ignoring talk of further cooling measures in Wednesday's policy address by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.

HONG KONG: Removing property purchases as a qualification for becoming an investment migrant would damage Hong Kong's free-market image while having little effect on soaring property prices, officials say.

However, they may consider raising the threshold for such purchases.

BEIJING: Within days of Beijing announcing new measures to hose down the overheated property market, thousands of people have been flocking to housing shows in cities big and small across China.

HONG KONG: Bidders at a land auction on Tuesday, Oct 12 paid a record price for a Kowloon Tong site — brushing aside concerns that Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen may unveil further measures to cool the property sector in his policy address on Wednesday.

SHANGHAI: Home prices in Shanghai are expected to fall slowly rather than sharply following the government's fresh austerity measures, according to real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle.

The city's housing prices will come down less than 5% this year because major developers are not under pressure to reduce prices.

HONG KONG: The office sector in Hong Kong has entered into a full recovery, with property values being driven higher and rents going up, according to Barclays Capital.

Amid strong demand, the investment bank forecasts year-on-year growth in grade-A office spot rents of 20% to 25% this year.

HONG KONG: "Where can I buy a flat for HK$4,000 (RM1,588.13) per square foot?"

If Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen goes live on radio after his policy address on Wednesday, history may repeat itself and this could once again be the most challenging question he has to tackle.

ALOR SETAR: Ten students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Gunong in Gunung Keriang near here were injured, two of them seriously, when the floor of their classroom collapsed on Wednesday, Oct 13.

The incident occurred about 11am when the students, among a class of 30 Standard Four pupils, were having Islamic Education lesson.

SIBU: The Rajang Port Authority (RPA) is in talks with a private developer to acquire more space for its container yard.

Its chairman Vincent Goh Chung Siong said the port had been approached by the developer who wanted to exchange some land for a waterfront project near the port area.