http://www.thestandard.com.hk Latest headlines from The Standard Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 RSS newsfeed by The Standard The Standard, Sing Tao News Corp. editor@thestandard.com.hk todd.john@singtaonewscorp.com http://www.thestandard.com.hk/url_to_some_image.gif http://www.thestandard.com.hk http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134776&sid=39839085&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 A property tax will be levied on those who buy new residential properties in Beijing and Shenzhen, with secondary market transactions exempted, China Securities Journal reported. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134774&sid=39839624&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 The Hong Kong home market does not need further curbs as measures imposed so far have been effective, a senior government adviser said yesterday. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134770&sid=39840024&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Despite overnight gains on Wall Street, local and mainland stock markets remained weak yesterday. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134777&sid=39840103&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Listing candidate Sinosoft Technology Group is being sued by a former joint venture partner over alleged breach of contract and intellectual property rights. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134772&sid=39840472&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 China Huiyuan Juice Group (1886) said it is in talks to sell its Shanghai unit to Uni-President China Holdings (0220), a subsidiary of Taiwan's largest food conglomerate. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134773&sid=39840478&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 In a bid seen by some as trying to skirt the ban on offering "unlimited plans," PCCW launched a scheme yesterday offering mobile customers 80 gigabytes of data per month along with unlimited local calling for HK$498. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=134775&sid=39840873&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Another Hong Kong listed firm has been sold to a mainland developer for about HK$1.32 billion. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=5&art_id=134771&sid=39840053&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 The mainland's one-year interest-rate swap rose by the most in five years as the central bank refrained from adding funds to the financial system to ease a cash squeeze, causing demand to fall at a government debt auction. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=134762&sid=39838789&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 The US House of Representatives urged the UN aviation group to give a role to Taiwan - a small victory for an island whose rivalry with Beijing keeps it from world bodies. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=134761&sid=39840021&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 One of the mainland's most polluted cities will limit vehicle ownership through a lottery, becoming the latest locality to do so as air quality and traffic congestion worsen. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=10&art_id=134763&sid=39840239&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 A Communist Party official who raped 11 underage girls was executed weeks after a series of child-sex abuse scandals provoked widespread national outrage. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134779&sid=39833957&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 I just came across a talk given by US chemistry teacher Ramsey Musallam at a conference organized by Technology, Entertainment, Design, a non-profit devoted to "ideas worth spreading." Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134789&sid=39839404&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 When it comes to striking a work-life balance, women are far better than men. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134769&sid=39839486&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Feral cattle on Lantau may soon be enjoying the home comforts of their own shelter. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134780&sid=39839760&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Forty-eight bad reactions to medical procedures at beauty salons have been reported since a fatal incident in October. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134781&sid=39839930&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 A coach operator has filed a lawsuit asking the High Court to wind up ATV over unpaid bills totaling HK$900,000. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134788&sid=39840346&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 A Hong Kong Baptist University academic has described his elation at the chance to view deep-sea life in the South China Sea. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134790&sid=39841150&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Women are well outnumbered in memberships of many of the government's advisory agencies and committees. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134768&sid=39841162&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 Five jockeys were hurt and two horses put down after a horrific five-horse pileup stunned 15,000 racegoers at Happy Valley last night. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=134787&sid=39841599&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 An overseas cyber attack on telco ComNet Phone may have compromised the personal information of its 2,500 customers. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=134759&sid=39823532&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 It was perhaps politically expedient for the colonial government to put up Hong Kong as the port of first asylum for fleeing Vietnamese - we needed Western goodwill for trade and the British needed to show they were solidly supporting democracy against communism. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=134760&sid=39832195&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 While the sponsorship of a shopping mall has made possible the successful visit of the rubber duck to Hong Kong, support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board was also instrumental. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=134782&sid=39838808&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 North Korea has angrily denied a report that its ruler used Adolf Hitler's memoir as a leadership guide, threatening to kill the authors of the report. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=134783&sid=39840465&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 Brazil deployed special federal police to protect venues for Confederations Cup football matches, as mass "Tropical Spring" protests against government spending for the 2014 World Cup turn violent. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=18&art_id=134758&sid=39838262&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 British comic Russell Brand told Katy Perry he was divorcing her by text message, the US pop star said in a new magazine interview, adding that she hasn't heard from him since. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=134756&sid=39838753&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Hong Kong race driver Darryl O'Young will take on the world's best at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race starting on Saturday. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=19&art_id=134757&sid=39838762&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 LeBron James says the Miami Heat started seeing red when officials began preparing the court for a San Antonio Spurs' victory celebration with less than a minute left in Game 6 of the NBA finals. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=134785&sid=39840739&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 The July 1 pop concert may have just hit the headlines, but controversy has already reached fever pitch - thanks to cyber graffiti scrolling the words "Walk 'N Vote" over an internet poster promoting the Kai Tak show. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=134786&sid=39840740&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Charles Li Xiaojia is confident he can convince Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma Yun to list in Hong Kong. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=134791&sid=39840741&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 A thirst for alcohol among China's middle classes is driving demand in the global spirits market. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=134792&sid=39840742&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Despite all the fanfare surrounding the opening of the new Kai Tak cruise terminal last week Costa Cruises chose to send its Costa Atlantica to Ocean Terminal for its first visit to Hong Kong. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=134793&sid=39840743&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Fu Meicheng, 55, who knows how to entertain people, is the latest of the mainland's US dollar billionaires. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=134766&sid=39838826&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Security minister Lai Tung-kwok yesterday refused to disclose whether the Hong Kong government had sought to clarify with Washington the claim by whistle-blower Edward Snowden that the Americans have been hacking computers in the SAR. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=134767&sid=39839752&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 Security at Next Media in Tseung Kwan O has been stepped up after the Kowloon home of its chairman, Jimmy Lai Chee- ying, was attacked in the early hours of yesterday. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=134764&sid=39840584&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 The 10 HK cent surcharge per trip that MTR users pay to help cover the bill for platform screen doors and automatic platform gates will be scrapped early next year after being in place for more than a decade. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=134765&sid=39840975&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 The Urban Renewal Authority has abandoned plans to redevelop an industrial building in Kennedy Town into flats after owners turned down its compensation offer. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=31&art_id=134778&sid=39841004&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 Mainland and Hong Kong developers are rushing to snap up prime properties in London as growth at home is overshadowed by government curbs. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=134750&sid=39840209&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 At least 60 luxury houses valued at a total of more than HK$10 billion on The Peak and in Southern District remain unsold, with the government's property cooling measures being blamed for scaring away buyers, particularly wealthy mainlanders. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=134751&sid=39840210&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 The "Hong Kong Property for Hong Kong People" scheme was launched by the government to satisfy local residents' demands for affordable housing. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=134752&sid=39840211&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 A legacy of the 2012 London Olympic Games, Capital Towers is a new all- private residential development of two stunning towers that overlook Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Located in Stratford, east London's newest metropolitan area, Capital Towers boasts extensive transport links, with nine direct rail lines into the city center and further afield. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=134753&sid=39840212&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 Despite a slowdown in property transactions due to government cooling measures in Singapore, foreign investors still consider the city-state among their top choices for investment in luxury homes. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=134754&sid=39840213&con_type=3&d_str=20130620 A larger-than-life scarlet rose floats idyllically above a barren desert in Salvador Dali's Meditative Rose. But surrealist artworks can also have four feet on the ground - in the form of chairs. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=134755&sid=39840214&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 Tossing and turning in bed for hours before falling asleep - only to be rudely awakened by the harsh sound of an alarm clock - is a sure indication of a tiring day ahead. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800 http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=49&art_id=134784&sid=39840738&con_type=1&d_str=20130620 It's common to see a charged atmosphere at the Legislative Council, but the drama over US whistle-blower Edward Snowden yesterday takes the cake. Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:17 +0800