AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for October 26, 2026 – Full Text

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 October 2026 – The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has announced the winning organisations, teams and individuals for the RICS Hong Kong Awards 2026.

These awards celebrate the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure, recognising outstanding achievement, teamwork and corporate excellence. This year’s entrants have contributed to some of Hong Kong’s largest projects, including driving investment into the commercial sector, delivering essential infrastructure and leading sustainable practices.

Guest of Honour, Mr. TAI Sheung Shing, Victor, JP, Under Secretary for Housing, Housing Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, kicked off the ceremony with a speech recognising chartered surveyors for their significant contributions to the built environment. Additionally, the event welcomed Mr. David Lam, JP, Under Secretary for Development, Development Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as a Presentation Guest at the Gala Dinner, to jointly witness this important occasion.

“These awards are about excellence. Excellence in our profession is about much more than a successful transaction, a well-delivered project or an impressive building. It is about the judgement behind a difficult decision. The integrity to give the right advice, even when it is not the easiest advice to give. And the commitment to leave a place, a business or a community better than we found it. ” said Ms. Ada Fung FRICS, Judging Chair of RICS Hong Kong Awards 2026. “For those of us working in Hong Kong, these qualities matter enormously. Our city never stands still, and neither can our profession. We must help clients navigate uncertainty, make better use of our built environment, and turn long-term ambitions into practical results.”

The RICS Annual Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mr. Philip Lo FRICS, a Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Mr. Lo is a former Chairman of Rider Levett Bucknall China and Hong Kong. He is a fellow of RICS and served on the RICS UK Management Board from 2011 to 2016, alongside his extensive leadership roles within RICS Hong Kong. He remains deeply committed to public service, currently holding key roles with the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society, as well serving as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Hong Kong.

“Our profession is unique. We may not always have our names on the buildings, but we know every building carries our fingerprints. More importantly, through the built environment, we have the opportunity not only to create buildings and infrastructure, but also to shape communities, improve lives and contribute to the long-term development of society. That sense of purpose has always been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.” said Mr. Philip Lo FRICS.

Results of RICS Hong Kong Awards 2026:

Project award categories
1. Commercial Property Project of the Year

• Jones Lang LaSalle Management Services Limited – The Bay Hub

2. Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year

• Hong Kong Housing Authority – Diamond Hill Water Feature Park

Team award categories
3. Agency Team of the Year

• JLL – Office Leasing Advisory Team

4. Construction Project Management Team of the Year

• Architectural Services Department & China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited – Design and Construction of Chinese Medicine Hospital and Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute in Hong Kong

5. Facilities Management Team of the Year

• Hang Seng Bank Limited & JLL
• Swire Properties Management Limited – Citygate – Driving Excellence in Facilities Management through Exemplary Sustainability Strategy

6. Property Management Team of the Year

• Nan Fung Property Management – AIRSIDE

7. Quantity Surveying Team of the Year

• Housing Department, HKSAR (Quantity Surveying Section) – SmartCOST+ (Construction Cost Data Management Platform)

8. Refurbishment / Revitalisation Team of the Year

• Architectural Services Department & Yau Lee Construction Company Limited – The Light Public Housing at Vacant School Premises (St. Joseph / Holm Glad / Ma Kam Chan)

9. Research Team of the Year

• Rider Levett Bucknall + Arup – Whole Life Carbon Assessment – Embodied Carbon Intensity Framework in Hong Kong and Mainland China

10. Valuation Team of the Year

• Cushman & Wakefield – Masterminds Behind Development: Shaping Hong Kong’s Future With Valuation Expertise

Special category awards

11. Best Deal of the Year

• Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Cushman & Wakefield – Anchoring the Global Digital Hub: Alibaba & Ant Group’s Overseas Headquarters at One Causeway Bay, facilitated by Cushman & Wakefield
• Jones Lang LaSalle Limited – JLL Capital Markets: Brookfield Asset Management and Uni-China Group Strategic Acquisition of Tsing Yi Industrial Site

12. Environmental Impact Award

• Architectural Services Department – Advancing Net Zero – Toilet Blocks at Pet Garden of Central and Western District Promenade
• Savills Property Management Limited – Kingston International Centre

13. Proptech Innovation of the Year

• Savills Property Management Limited – Smart Control Hub

Individual awards

14. Emerging Achiever of the Year

• Jason Leung MRICS, Assistant Research Director, Head of Land and Housing Research, Our Hong Kong Foundation

15. Lee Ming Kiu, Owen MRICS, Resident Engineer, AECOM

• Woman of the Built Environment Award
• Kathy Lee, Head of Research and Retail Consultancy, Colliers

The full RICS Hong Kong Awards Winners list is available at: https://www.rics.org/training-events/rics-awards/hong-kong-awards

High resolution photos are available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c2FnfB9S-IXgcfj8SGXAFe6RP16oQFlA?usp=sharing

Notes for editors:

RICS Hong Kong Awards 2026 is sponsored by:

• Headline Sponsor: Hongkong Land Limited
• Premium Sponsor: Swire Properties Limited
• Cocktail Partner: Colliers
• Agency Partner: CBRE Advisory Hong Kong Limited
• Silver Sponsors: Link Asset Management; MOORE
• Supported by: Construction Industry Council

Hashtag: #RICS

About RICS Hong Kong Awards

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 October 2026 – Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate services firm, has again been recognized for its leading professional service excellence at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards in Hong Kong. The firm was awarded Winner in both the “Best Deal of the Year” and “Valuation Team of the Year” categories at the 2026 awards ceremony. This marks the firm’s second double-win achievement since 2024, and represents the fifth “Best Deal” award in nine years and the fourth “Valuation Team” award in six years. These recognitions highlight Cushman & Wakefield’s unwavering market leadership and commitment to professional service excellence.

Winner — Best Deal of the Year

Cushman & Wakefield’s Capital Markets team has been recognized for delivering Hong Kong’s largest office asset transaction since 2021. Facilitating Alibaba Group and Ant Group’s acquisition of their new regional headquarters premises at One Causeway Bay, this landmark HK$7.2 billion deal marks a significant milestone for the city’s commercial real estate market and underscores Hong Kong’s enduring appeal to global technology companies seeking regional headquarters opportunities. It highlights Cushman & Wakefield’s pivotal role as a key link between enterprises of different regions, further solidifying its leading position in complex cross-border transactions. This iconic deal has been widely reported and headlined by more than 100 media outlets globally.

Francis Li, International Director, Vice President and Head of Capital Markets, Greater China, Cushman & Wakefield, said, “This award reflects our team’s market expertise, integrity, and commitment to client outcomes, while adhering to the stringent RICS standards. It also reflects our deep market relationships and dedication to clients, the industry, and contributing to Hong Kong’s continued growth.”

Winner — Valuation Team of the Year

Committed to building a future-ready Hong Kong defined by sustainability, innovation, and lasting value, Cushman & Wakefield’s Valuation & Advisory Services team draws on more than 30 years of hands-on experience across Greater China. It partners with the Hong Kong government and private-sector visionaries to shape the infrastructure and public services that matter — spanning transport, utilities, healthcare facilities, and urban renewal. As a total solution hub, the team connects end-to-end expertise across valuation, advisory, ESG, financing and feasibility to turn ambition into action.

Andrew Chan, Managing Director, Head of Valuation & Advisory Services, Greater China, Cushman & Wakefield, said, “We are deeply honored be named Valuation Team of the Year at the RICS Hong Kong awards for the third consecutive year, marking our fourth “Valuation Team” award in six years. This accolade reflects the unwavering dedication, professionalism, and innovation of our valuation team. Serving major development initiatives, our team is proud to help shape Hong Kong’s future with our valuation expertise. Since 1993, we have continually evolved our capabilities — integrating ESG, sustainability, and emerging asset classes to deliver best-in-class solutions while nurturing the next generation of industry leaders.”

John Siu, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield, added, “Congratulations to our outstanding teams for demonstrating our progressive spirit and client-first mindset once again. These prestigious accolades reinforce Cushman & Wakefield’s market leadership and brand strength. Moving forward, we will continue to elevate industry standards and deliver unparalleled value to our clients.”

Photos:
Winner – Best Deal of the Year: Hong Kong & China Capital Markets team
Winner – Valuation Team of the Year: Hong Kong Valuation & Advisory Services team

Please click HERE to download high-resolution photos.

http://www.cushmanwakefield.com.hk
http://www.linkedin.com/company/cushman-&-wakefield-greater-china

Hashtag: #CushmanWakefield

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for property owners and occupiers with approximately 53,000 employees in nearly 350 offices and 60 countries. In Greater China, a network of 23 offices serves local markets across the region. In 2025, the firm reported revenue of $10.3 billion across its core services of Valuation, Consulting, Project & Development Services, Capital Markets, Project & Occupier Services, Industrial & Logistics, Retail, and others. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com.hk or follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cushman-&-wakefield-greater-china).

Production-grade in-app messaging with no credit card required to start, plus an optional Cloud Bonus offering your choice of either 15% off AWS or 30% off Alibaba Cloud

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 October 2026 – Nexconn, a global cloud communications platform, announced the launch of its production-ready Free Chat Plan. Under the new initiative, developers and startups can deploy enterprise-grade chat infrastructure for up to 10,000 monthly active users (MAU) completely free—with full Chat Pro features enabled and no credit card required.

The launch tackles a persistent industry pain point: typical free tiers across the category cap at 100 to 1,000 MAU and restrict apps to sandbox environments—thresholds far too low to validate user retention or viral growth.

“A free tier should empower teams to validate their business model, not just verify that an SDK compiles,” said Will Song, Head of Global Business at Nexconn.

To further extend startup runway, Nexconn also introduced an additional Cloud Bonus: teams that link a payment method can choose between 15% off AWS or 30% off Alibaba Cloud to offset their backend cloud costs.

The offer is open to teams that simply send their first in-app message by December 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Singapore Time (SGT, UTC+8), locking in up to 10,000 MAU of Pro chat (valued at $860/month). Developers can claim the plan and view full details at https://www.nexconn.ai/free-chat-api?utm_source=pr.

What the Free Chat Plan Includes

The plan provides comprehensive capabilities across the entire application lifecycle:

Rich Messaging Architecture: Unlimited messages across direct (1-on-1), group, community, and open channels.

Modern Social Interactions: Read receipts, typing indicators, user mentions, unread badges, and cross-platform multi-device synchronization.

Native Push: Built-in multi-channel mobile push gateway included with no add-on fees.

High-Capacity Resource Quotas: Supports up to 500 peak concurrent connections, 10 GB of cloud storage, and 180 days of searchable message history.

No-charge Migration Support: End-to-end data migration support for teams transitioning from Sendbird, Stream, CometChat, PubNub, Agora, or Twilio.

Developer Acceleration: An open-source AI Integration Skill allows developers to generate client SDK code and backend token endpoints via simple text prompts.

The Cloud Bonus: The 10,000 MAU Chat plan remains free and does not require a credit card. Teams may optionally link a payment method to activate the Cloud Bonus—15% off AWS services or 30% off Alibaba Cloud services.

How to Get Started

Sign Up: Create an account in the Nexconn Console.

Build: Integrate the SDK manually or with the open-source AI Skill.

Activate Your Free Plan: Complete enrollment by simply sending at least one message before December 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Singapore Time (SGT, UTC+8).

(Optional) Cloud Discounts: Link a payment method to activate your choice of 15% off AWS services or 30% off Alibaba Cloud services.

https://www.nexconn.ai

Hashtag: #Nexconn #FreeChatPlan #InAppMessaging

About Nexconn

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 October 2026 – Vietnam Airlines will launch daily nonstop flights between Da Nang and Singapore on November 17, 2026, increasing its total service between Vietnam and Singapore to 42 round-trip flights per week.

The new route will be operated by Airbus A321 aircraft. Flights from Da Nang will depart at 3:00 p.m., with return flights from Singapore departing at 7:45 p.m. local time.

Vietnam Airlines currently operates 14 round-trip flights per week between Hanoi and Singapore and 21 between Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore.

Singapore is an important source market for international visitors to Vietnam. In the first nine months of 2026, arrivals from Singapore increased by 29.8% year on year, highlighting the growing potential for travel between the two countries.

With its dramatic natural landscapes, pristine beaches and rich cultural heritage, Da Nang is a compelling destination for Singaporean travellers. Highlights include Son Tra Peninsula, the Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills, while the city also provides convenient access to renowned cultural sites across Central Vietnam, including Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary and the former imperial capital of Hue.

Beyond leisure travel, Da Nang is emerging as a destination for business and investment, supported by its established resort infrastructure, capacity to host major events and the development of the Vietnam International Financial Center. The new nonstop service will provide a more convenient travel option for both leisure and business travellers, strengthening links between Central Vietnam and Singapore, a major regional hub for tourism and commerce.

Nguyen Quang Trung, Executive Vice President of Vietnam Airlines, said: “Da Nang offers a distinctive combination of natural beauty, coastal experiences and cultural heritage, making it an attractive gateway to Central Vietnam. With the launch of this nonstop service, we aim to make travel between Singapore and the region more convenient, creating greater opportunities for visitors to discover Central Vietnam.”

The new route forms part of Vietnam Airlines’ broader international network expansion in 2026. The airline has introduced new services to Amsterdam, Colombo and Phuket, and is preparing to launch nonstop flights between Hanoi and Ahmedabad on November 3, followed by Hanoi and Hangzhou on November 22.

By expanding services in markets with strong potential for tourism, trade and investment, Vietnam Airlines is strengthening Vietnam’s international connectivity and creating more opportunities for travel and business.

As Vietnam’s national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines continues to work with government agencies, local authorities and business partners to improve international access, stimulate tourism and facilitate trade and investment. Through the strategic development of its international network, the airline aims to contribute to Vietnam’s broader economic ambitions, including the national target of achieving double-digit economic growth in 2026.

https://www.vietnamairlines.com

Hashtag: #VietnamAirlines