Singapore's second major research and development (R&D) hub - Fusionopolis - was opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday, with the announcement that the Republic recorded the highest gross domestic expenditure in R&D last year. Fusionopolis stands side by side with Biopolis, the biomedical sciences hub. Mr Lee told the gathering of top international researchers that the current global...

Sandy Island is a rare collection of 18 waterfront villas nestled within a tropical island oasis of privacy and calm. Designed by world celebrated architect Claudio Silvestrin in concert with multi-award winning landscape designer Jamie Durie, these exclusive villas are embedded in a lush rainforest setting, like precious jewels waiting to be discovered in the splendour of nature. Sandy Island is situated...

Investment trusts are losing their attraction as good defensive options for investors in the current turbulent markets. As lending from banks begins to dry up, these trusts are facing refinancing difficulties. Analysts said their once attractive yields no longer seem as enticing, and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are no exception. REITs that have the backing of sponsors such as Mapletree and City...

CapitaLand residential projects in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi have attracted S$1 billion in sales since June 2008. The projects were taken up by a mix of individual and corporate parties. CapitaLand has two major projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council region – Rihan Heights, which is part of the landmark Arzanah integrated development in Abu Dhabi, and its first Raffles City integrated development in...

Property developers sell just 376 units last month despite launching four times as many units SALES of private homes continued to languish last month, with the poor sales in August - the Hungry Ghost month - proving to be more than just the usual annual blip. It was more of a sign of things to come, as the ongoing financial turmoil takes its toll on home-buying sentiment. According to data released...

Municipal governments in Shanghai and Hangzhou on China's east coast have joined a growing number of cities to introduce measures to prop up the sliding real estate market. For individuals buying their first homes in Shanghai, the maximum they can borrow from the government's housing fund has been doubled to 200,000 yuan ($43,100), the city's housing fund management agency said. The new rules took effect...

THE Legends Fort Canning Park has closed for renovations from today but unhappy members are still fighting to have their voice heard about the town club's renovation plans. Six club members met with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday in a closed door meeting to "understand what has been approved by the URA because what we know from the management is very unclear." One member, Mr Joe...

Sales of private homes in Singapore improved 17.5 per cent in September, compared to the previous month. But analysts said the pickup fell short of expectations, given the low base in August caused by the Hungry Ghost Festival. The seventh month of the Lunar calendar is traditionally regarded as an inauspicious period and buyers usually refrain from making purchases during that time. Almost 300 per cent...

The 99-year leasehold Parkway Centre has been put up for collective sale. The commercial property, which is located in the Marine Parade town centre, can be redeveloped into an office-cum-retail development, with a gross floor area of up to 157,625 square feet. The building is located opposite Parkway Parade and near Roxy Square. It is surrounded by residential projects like Parc Seabreeze, Silversea and...

BOTANIKA is a freehold, 34-unit exclusive boutique residential development designed by the multi-award-winning SCDA Architects. Nestled in nature’s greenery next to the Singapore Botanic Gardens and just minutes from the best shopping in the heart of the city. Nestled in a lush parcel of land next to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, at the junction of Holland Road and Taman Nakhoda, Botanika is an...