shane macguill they're from euromonitor. ct we focused now in more detail on the fact that this is the day known as singles day. aliba ba fact that this is the day known as singles day. alibaba makes the most out of this. it is up almost a third on last year. we go to sharanjit leyl on last year. we go to sharanjit leyl. nice to see you. singles day well under way. a huge event. this is going on in mainland china when hong kong is in so much turmoil. well, absolutely, sally. you said it. some hong kong shoppers had insinuated as much that they wouldn't be shopping on the alibaba site today. what we do know about singles day is that the bonanza got off toa singles day is that the bonanza got off to a swift start, logging in record sales. taylor swift was hired as part of the mega salons. according to reporters, already made about $22 billion in the first nine hours alone, which is well over half of the $30 billion of takings last year. an estimated half a billion shoppers from china to russia to argentina, they are all expect