SKYLINE News Briefing - 26 August 2005

This week it is all about charity - CNCF to be specific.

www.skyline-technologies.com/kilimanjaro

Your scribe has committed, in a moment of wisdom (or possibly of weakness), to once again putting some effort into charity!!

I have been involved with The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) for some years. Christina was born in Ireland and comes from a very underprivileged background. Her book "Bridge Across My Sorrows" is inspirational. The charity she has founded is dedicated to serving children in need of emergency and long-term medical care, nutritional rehabilitation, educational opportunities, vocational training, job placement and the protection of children at risk of economic and sexual exploitation around the world. They are very active in Vietnam and Mongolia.

For more information please check out the website at www.cncf.org

My last effort to raise money on behalf of the Christina Noble Children's Foundation was back in March 2004 when I hiked up Mount Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia and personally raised HK$110,000. That was far too easy, so this time we have raised the bar.....

We plan to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on the 8th October 2005 and once again raise money for our efforts. This is the highest freestanding mountain in the world (5895m) – so it is no small effort!! There are 20 people doing this and each one is paying his / her own expenses (flight, permits, food etc…) so all collected monies are going directly to the Foundation's Kids. This challenge will cost me personally around HK$16,400. I am in a team called “Reach the Skyline" and our teams target is to raise at least HK$250,000.

We are doing this from 30th September to 11th October 2005 and I am now trying to raise as much sponsorship as possible. This has a focus on Corporate level sponsorship - but does not exclude personal donations.

I would like you to consider three options:-

1.	Approach the company you work for (or own) and enquire about the corporate policy on sponsorship of such worthwhile causes. Details of levels of sponsorship and ROI can be found on this link: www.skyline-technologies.com/clients/cncf/kilimanjaro/corporate_sponsorship.html then contact us here at SKYLINE to pursue the idea further. Either by e-mail to martin@skyline-technologies.com or by phone to (852) 2868-2855.

2.	Open you wallet and donate generously (easily done via this link www.skyline-technologies.com/clients/cncf/kilimanjaro/donation.php) or simply reply to this e-mail if you are too daunted by the prospect of going online. Please note that you need to input an accurate e-mail address in the online pledge system. This is because the system will generate an automatic verification message to you. It is NOT for the purposes of collecting your e-mail details and spamming you to death!!

3.	Forward this message on to as many people as you can in order to help boost my sponsorship. Option 3 can only be used in conjunction with either 1 or 2 !!

Please respond with your preferred option. Please let me know if you have any questions or can't follow how to make a donation.

Many thanks for your time in reading this

Best regards

Martin Abert (and the SKYLINE team)

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SCMP, 21 August 2005 Photo: AP

Australia’s caption Ricky Ponting celebrates his century during his gritty match-salvaging knock in the third test of the Ashes series.

Palm before a storm?
Daily Telegraph, 20 August 2005

In an attempt to launch itself as the new Caribbean, Dubai is boldly building an artificial, palm-shaped island, and the British have flocked to buy. But, are there too many homes for too small a space, asks Catherine Moye

Shui On constructing new deal
PEGGY SITO, SCMP 20 August 2005
Shui On Construction and Materials (Socam) chairman Vincent Lo Hong-sui says the company will finalise the details for a new investment by the end of this month.

Two West Kowloon sites set for auction
CHLOE LAI, FOSTER WONG and SANDY LI, SCMP 19 August 2005

Two adjacent residential sites in West Kowloon worth more than $3.75 billion will be auctioned next month.

SHK outbids rivals for Island project
Raymond Wang, The Standard 18 August 2005
Sun Hung Kai Properties won its second housing project on Hong Kong Island in two months, outbidding five rivals for a HK$400 million development site in North Point.

Kai Tak, not Tamar, urges DAB
Carrie Chan, The Standard 17 August 17, 2005
Pro-Beijing party challenges Tsang plan for government complex by proposing move to Kowloon Chief Executive Donald Tsang's plan to revive the idea of converting the unused Tamar site near Central into a HK$6 billion government headquarters and legislative complex is facing a challenge from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

Paul Y-ITC to start building Yangtze ports
Wong Ka-chun, The Standard 15 August 2005
Paul Y-ITC Construction Holdings, a unit of tycoon Charles Chan's business empire, said it will invest 435 million yuan (HK$417 million) on a 45 percent stake in Nantong Port.

Hunghom developers unfazed by rejection
CHLOE LAI, SCMP 13 August 2005

Workers continue renovation work at the Hunghom Peninsula estate yesterday.
Picture by Oliver Tsang

Developers will resubmit their plans for a luxury upgrade of the harbourfront Hunghom Peninsula estate as early as next week, after learning they were rejected because of a minor problem with emergency exits.

Sai Kung Public Pier No.2 to be constructed
Hong Kong Government, 12 August 2005
The Government intends to construct a new public pier in Sai Kung to resolve the problem of overcrowding on the existing public pier.

Developers' plans to remodel a former subsidised housing estate, that was saved from demolition by a public outcry, have been thrown out.

Swire scraps office tower, opts for mega hotel
Raymond Wang, The Standard 12 August
Swire Pacific, a Hong Kong-listed conglomerate, plans to build a mega hotel as part of its Taikoo Shing developments, instead of a proposed office tower, as it announced a 11 percent rise in first-half net profit.

HKR plans Disco Bay expansion
Raymond Wang, The Standard 11 August 2005
International and CITIC Pacific plan to spend HK$1 billion to HK$2 billion to add 1.4 million square feet of residential floor area in Discovery Bay on Lantau Island.

Conservationists are prepared to use the official planning mechanism to stop the former police headquarters on Hollywood Road becoming another high-rise block of flats. Their stand is another blow to the application list system for releasing land for development