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document.write('<p class="rss-title"><a class="rss-title" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" target="_self">HongKongindians.com news</a><br /><span class="rss-item">HongKongindians.com news</span></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi :  A day after India voiced concerns to China over its reference to the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region as &amp;ldquo;a northern part of Pakistan,? the Chinese government withdrew its statement from its official &lt;em&gt;Xinhua&lt;/em&gt; news..." target="_self">China withdraws reference to Gilgit-Baltistan as ?northern Pakistan\'</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 21:45:47 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi :  A day after India voiced concerns to China over its reference to the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region as &ldquo;a northern part of Pakistan,? the Chinese government withdrew its statement from its official <em>Xinhua</em> news agency as well as from the Foreign Ministry\'s website.</p><p> The Chinese government had issued a statement on<em> Xinhu</em>a\'s website late on Wednesday night, refuting a <em>New York Times</em> opinion piece which claimed that over 11,000 Chinese troops were present in the disputed region.</p><p> The statement referred to Gilgit-Baltistan, which India views as under illegal occupation by Pakistan and as an integral part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, as &ldquo;northern Pakistan,? triggering a protest from New Delhi.</p><p> But on Saturday, the statement appeared to have been removed from Xinhua\'s website. The link to the statement, headlined &ldquo;China refutes reports of sending troops to Pakistan,? did not open.</p><p> The Chinese Foreign Ministry, which in a regular briefing on Thursday had repeated the reference to Gilgit-Baltistan &ldquo;as a northern part of Pakistan? in response to a question on the presence of Chinese troops, deleted records of both the question and its response from its official transcript, which was posted on its website on Friday.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.thehindu.com\">http://www.thehindu.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi :  At a time when defence ties with China may have hit a rough patch, educational ties with the formidable neighbour could be on the mend. Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal will visit China early next month to explore the pot..." target="_self">Education ties could break Sino-Indian ice</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 13:33:03 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi :  At a time when defence ties with China may have hit a rough patch, educational ties with the formidable neighbour could be on the mend. Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal will visit China early next month to explore the potential for increased collaboration.</p><p> While the agenda of the three-day visit to Beijing starting September 11 is under wraps, there is substantial scope for the two countries to collaborate in the education sector. In fact, while India has close collaborations and educational exchange programs with several other nations, that is not the case with China. The fact that high-level meetings between the two in the field of education are hardly the norm makes Sibal?s visit even more interesting.</p><p> While India and China signed an Education Exchange Programme (EEP) in June 2003, a new EEP was signed during the visit of President Hu Jintao to India in November 2006. A new trend of Indian students frequenting China to pursue medical courses has also been noted and China has been actively seeking equivalence of medical degrees to keep this figure up.</p><p> China is also said to be indicating increasing interest in the Indian education sector, with thousands of Indian students choosing to go abroad for further studies every year.</p><p> That China has invested heavily in higher education, even setting up C9 ? an academic consortium of nine prestigious universities on the lines of the US Ivy League, and is collaborating internationally to get global academic talent to participate in these, is good reason to also want to attract Indian students.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.indianexpress.com\">http://www.indianexpress.com</a></p><p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New York :  Throwing his weight behind the NRIs\' demand for dual citizenship, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said the issue is &amp;quot;engaging the mind and attention&amp;quot; of the Indian government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Dual citizenship is ..." target="_self">Dual citizenship: Patel backs NRIs\' demand</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 13:33:02 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New York :  Throwing his weight behind the NRIs\' demand for dual citizenship, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said the issue is &quot;engaging the mind and attention&quot; of the Indian government.</p><p> Dual citizenship is not a new phenomenon and India &quot;should also be joining that club (of nations),&quot; Patel said at a Town Hall meeting on the occasion of the launch of the North America unit of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in New York City.</p><p> Patel said he and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who was also present here, &quot;fully supported&quot; the NRIs\' demand for dual citizenship and promised to take it up in New Delhi.</p><p> With issues like dual citizenship and visa problems emerging as main concerns of the Indian-Americans, Patel said these matters were &quot;engaging the mind and attention&quot; of the government, which is also dealing with terrorism and security threats.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.indianexpress.com\">http://www.indianexpress.com</a></p><p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="London(UK)A 106-year-old woman in Britain is not only a virgin, she has never ever been kissed. Isa&lt;img align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;verginity_1&quot; height=&quot;87&quot; src=&quot;http://www.newsweekindia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/..." target="_self">106-year-old woman is not only a virgin, she has never ever been kissed</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 13:33:02 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('London(UK)A 106-year-old woman in Britain is not only a virgin, she has never ever been kissed. Isa<img align=\"right\" alt=\"verginity_1\" height=\"87\" src=\"http://www.newsweekindia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/verginity_1.jpg\" width=\"87\" /> Blyth, who turned 106, puts her longevity to being a virgin, The Sun reported. She is of the opinion that being single has made her stay strong. ?I?m not sure if anyone ever tried it on ? but they never got anywhere! She says she never felt the need for romance and never had time for a man. &ldquo;She did like the odd sherry though,? her niece Sheena Campbell was quoted as saying. Blyth was born in 1904. She used to attend flower club and church, sang in the choir, and played golf or gardening. She always stayed in Edinburgh and worked for 35 years as a private secretary to a whisky producer. Sheena said: &ldquo;She was wrapped up in her church and she loved her choir and flower club. ?And she had a high-powered job, which meant she was always busy. ?I think she was also a bit of a maiden lady as she was the first-born and acted as a head with her six brothers and sisters. She never had time to be sad. She?s an amazing character. You wouldn?t believe she was 106.?');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi : Expressing the desire to resolve the visa fee row with the US before November, India on Saturday said it would not like the contentious issue to &amp;quot;stick out like a sloth arm&amp;quot; ahead of President Barack Obama\'s visit to India.&..." target="_self">India hopes to sort out visa row with US before Obama visit</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 01:35:13 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi : Expressing the desire to resolve the visa fee row with the US before November, India on Saturday said it would not like the contentious issue to &quot;stick out like a sloth arm&quot; ahead of President Barack Obama\'s visit to India.</p><p> &quot;Everybody is looking for a reasonable way to have this matter resolved amicably...Nobody wishes to have this festering as a wound especially because....there is President Barack Obama\'s visit,&quot; Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said. He said the issue also needs to be resolved because in two weeks from now the joint trade policy forum (TPF) meeting is scheduled.</p><p> Underscoring the importance of the Obama visit due in November, Khullar said: &quot;...surely you do not want to go into a visit with something like that sticking out like a sloth arm&quot;. He said that last week several Americans, including Deputy US Trade Representative Michael Punke and Florida Senator George Lemieux, met him and discussed the matter.</p><p> Under its border security bill, the US had hiked the fee for certain categories of H-1B and L1 visas by at least USD 2,000 for the next five years. As per Nasscom\'s estimates, Indian companies, mostly IT firms, apply for 50,000 visas every year, including H-1B and L1 visas, besides renewal of old visas.</p><p> The US says the hike will help it foot nearly USD 550 million, out of the proposed expenditure of USD 600 million, on increasing security along the US- Mexico border. Khullar said Lemieux would speak for India as &quot;he has a better understanding of why we are distressed by the move. He will get that message conveyed to his colleagues in the Senate as well as the other policy makers in Washington.&quot;</p><p> Khullar also said he discussed the ongoing WTO negotiations with the visiting Americans. He said Indian senior officials would be visiting WTO headquarter in Geneva in October.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.asiantribune.com\">http://www.asiantribune.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="Bangkok : &lt;em&gt;Fresh from a two-month training tour of Portugal, India in their first international match in one year will take&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;on&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;Thailandin a friendly at the Yamaha Stadium here on Saturday with captain Bha..." target="_self">India lock horns with Thailand</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 01:35:15 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('Bangkok : <em>Fresh from a two-month training tour of Portugal, India in their first international match in one year will take</em> <em>on</em> <em>Thailandin a friendly at the Yamaha Stadium here on Saturday with captain Bhaichung Bhutia being a doubtful</em> <em>starter</em> <em>due to about of illness.</em></p><p>India?s last international match was against Syria in the final of Nehru Cup in August last year. Bhutia?s likely absence, as he is yet to fully recover from a thyroid problem, will be a cause of worry for India.  The match will also kicks off India?s build up for the January?s Asian Cup in Qatar. The teams will play a return tie four days later at New Delhi?s Ambedkar Stadium.<br /><br /> Thailand have not lost at home to a national team since November 2009 and had beaten India 2-0 when the two sides last met in 2003. <br /><br /> Bhutia was sent home midway in the Portugal tour due to the thyroid related illness and he did not play in any of India?s 10 practice matches against Portuguese lower division sides.<br /><br /> &ldquo;Bhutia had some problems. Though he took part in training he was not playing much. So the coach (Bob Houghton) will decide whether he will play tomorrow or not,? team manager Pradip Chowdhury said.<br /><br /> It will be interesting to see who wears the captain?s armband. The seniormost after Bhutia has not been in the starting line-up for some time while the same is the case for Mahesh Gawli and Deepak Mondal.<br /><br /> This could leave Houghton naming Central midfielder Climax Lawrence to lead the side unless he does away with the seniority criterion and hands the leadership to striker Sunil Chhetri.<br /><br /> Bhutia?s likely absence will give Churchill Brothers striker Mohammed Rafi a chance to play his first international match and Houghton is likely to start with Chhetri.<br /><br /> Both Rafi and Chhetri, who joined the training camp in Portugal after being released from Major League Soccer side Kansas City Wizards, have been among the goals in Portugal and are in full fitness condit</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.deccanherald.com\">http://www.deccanherald.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="Dubai: Passengers have been left high and dry after India\'s budget airline Air India Express announced plans to cut down more than 200 services to destinations including the Gulf Sector. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Services to  Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Mu..." target="_self">Air India cancels flights to Gulf sector</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">5 Sep 2010 01:35:14 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('Dubai: Passengers have been left high and dry after India\'s budget airline Air India Express announced plans to cut down more than 200 services to destinations including the Gulf Sector. <br /><br /> Services to  Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat and Kuwait are affected by the decision.</p><p> Abhay Pathak, the regional head of Air India told <em>Gulf News </em>the decision is taken considering both operational and commercial reasons.</p><p> &quot;Flights to some of the sectors are curtailed, and not cancelled. It is mainly due to commercial reasons as Air India is already operating flighst to all these sectors,&quot; said Pathak.</p><p> He added that the decision is also taken because the unavailability of pilots. &quot;The licensing of expat pilots is a long procedure and the needed numbers are not available now. Moreover we need to curtail the flying hours in order to continue the services,&quot; he said.</p><p> According to him, only the daily flight to Cochin-Sharjah flight has been knocked off. &quot;From Sharjah to the Thiruvananthapuram sector, four-day week service is cut down to two days. Likewise, for the flights in the Calicut sector, the daily service is reduced to three days a week,&quot; said Pathak adding that the number of cancellations quoted in the media is exagerated.</p><p> For the Air India Express operating from Dubai, flights to Trivandrum will operate six days a week and not daily. Lucknow is reduced to three days a week from the current four days.</p><p> Pathak said all the passengers who are booked to these sectors  &quot;will be taken care of and will not be affected by the cancellations.&quot;</p><p> According to reports quoting airline officials from India, the decision will come to affect from next week. &quot;Around 203 (73 from Kozhikode, 74 from Thiruvananthapuram and 56 from Kochi) flights stand cancelled. Some of these flights which originate from here, touch Kochi and then fly to the Middle East.</p><p> Hence this is taken as two flights and hence the number looks so large,&quot; said an IANS report, quoting an airline spokesperson.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://gulfnews.com\">http://gulfnews.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi: In a shocking development, China seems to be intervening in the government formation in Nepal so that a pro-Chinese government which would be against New Delhi\'s interest is fromed. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; In an exclusive disclosure by Zee Ne..." target="_self">China buying Nepal MPs to form Communist govt?</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">3 Sep 2010 22:06:12 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi: In a shocking development, China seems to be intervening in the government formation in Nepal so that a pro-Chinese government which would be against New Delhi\'s interest is fromed. <br /><br /> In an exclusive disclosure by Zee News on Friday, an alleged Chinese intelligence agent has been caught on tape, negotiating with an aide of ex-Nepal PM Prachanda. <br /><br /> The entire negotiation was to woo Nepal MPs in exchange of money, so that a Communist govt could be formed in the country. </p><p>&ldquo;How much money you want for your MPs??, the Chinese ?spy? is heard asking the MP, to which the latter answers Rs 1 million for each MP. <br /><br /> &ldquo;I will able to confirm you only after this conversation reaches to our leader Prachanda?, said the Nepal MP. <br /><br /> The agent also asks if Communists will be able to form the government to which the MP says that is nearly impossible. </p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://zeenews.com\">http://zeenews.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi : India on Friday conveyed its &amp;quot;serious concerns&amp;quot; to China over the reported presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and rejected Beijing\'s description of Jammu and Kashmir as &amp;quot;India-controlled Kashmir..." target="_self">Get your Kashmir facts right, India tells China</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">3 Sep 2010 15:21:22 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi : India on Friday conveyed its &quot;serious concerns&quot; to China over the reported presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and rejected Beijing\'s description of Jammu and Kashmir as &quot;India-controlled Kashmir&quot;.</p><p> India\'s Ambassador to China S Jaishankar met Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Zhang Zhijun in Beijing on Friday and conveyed New Delhi\'s &quot;serious concern over China\'s activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)&quot;, official sources said.</p><p> The issue of the reported presence of Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan also figured in the discussions, reliable sources said.</p><p> The envoy reiterated India\'s objections to the Chinese plan to build dams and other infrastructure projects in the PoK, added sources.</p><p> Jaishankar also protested against the description of Jammu and Kashmir by a Chinese official as &quot;Indian-controlled Kashmir&quot; and PoK as &quot;northern part of Pakistan&quot;.</p><p> &quot;The story that China has deployed its military in northern part of Pakistan is totally groundless and out of ulterior purpose,&quot; Jiang Yu, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on Thursday.</p><p> &quot;Some people are fabricating reports to destroy relations between China, Pakistan and India. But their efforts will get nowhere,&quot; she said.</p><p> Jiang, however, made it clear Beijing will stick to its policy about stapled visas for Indians living in Jammu &amp; Kashmir, a practice India has protested repeatedly, but with no impact on Beijing.       </p><p> India has made it clear that issuing stapled visas amounted to questioning India\'s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p> Jaishankar returned to Beijing on Thursday after briefing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his senior ministers at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi on Tuesday.</p><p> The meeting reviewed India-China relations and discussed options in dealing with what is seen in New Delhi as aggressive posturing by China on issues critical to India\'s sovereignty and territorial integrity.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.hindustantimes.com\">http://www.hindustantimes.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="Hong Kong : &lt;strong&gt;Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh is set to stir up painful memories of the Sars outbreak by shooting scenes for his new film in Hong Kong, a news report said yesterday.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The plot for Contag..." target="_self">Hong Kong to revisit Sars horror through new film</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">3 Sep 2010 15:21:22 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('Hong Kong : <strong>Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh is set to stir up painful memories of the Sars outbreak by shooting scenes for his new film in Hong Kong, a news report said yesterday.</strong></p><p>The plot for Contagion bears a resemblance to the events of 2003 when Hong Kong was paralysed by the Sars virus, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which infected 1,755 and killed 299 people in the city in 2003. The film, scheduled for release in Autumn 2011, has a star cast including Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet. <br /> It was also to feature Josie Ho, the daughter of Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho, the South China Morning Post said, citing sources close to the project.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.gulf-times.com\">http://www.gulf-times.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="Hong Kong : In Hong Kong, you can buy fresh air in a can. Fresh air is rationed to 333ml. Well, not really. It?s a spoof campaign to raise awareness to the health dangers of air pollution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; CAN will, use humour to do the job. Yes, CAN ? ..." target="_self">Hong Kong Sells Fresh Air In A Can ? HONK HONK</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">3 Sep 2010 15:21:22 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('Hong Kong : In Hong Kong, you can buy fresh air in a can. Fresh air is rationed to 333ml. Well, not really. It?s a spoof campaign to raise awareness to the health dangers of air pollution.</p><p> CAN will, use humour to do the job. Yes, CAN ? the Clean Air Network.</p><p> And the fresh air is in a? can. Ho-ho. This is too bloody clever by half and CAN adds its acronym to our list of bodies that seem to have thought of the name first then found the words to fit it.</p><p> The winner so far is <strong>NICE </strong>- theNational Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.</p><p> Here?s the advert.</p><p> And look out Anorak?s new range of themed stinks:</p><p><strong> HONK</strong>: The smell of Hong Kong in a can ? with top notes of fish, open drain and cigarette smoke over bases notes of sweat and laundered suits?</p><p>In other news, fresh air can kill!</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.anorak.co.uk\">http://www.anorak.co.uk</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="NEW DELHI: The new direct taxes code could bring a large number of global Indians under the tax net as it does away with a provision that allowed individuals to escape tax in any country citing double tax avoidance. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The new legisl..." target="_self">NRIs face tax threat under DTC</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">2 Sep 2010 22:03:10 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('NEW DELHI: The new direct taxes code could bring a large number of global Indians under the tax net as it does away with a provision that allowed individuals to escape tax in any country citing double tax avoidance. <br /><br /> The new legislation, introduced in Parliament on Monday, says an individual shall be resident in India in any financial year if he is in the country for more than 59 days in that year and has been in India for more 365 days in the four preceding financial years. A number of Indian industrialists including Vedanta?s Anil Agarwal and Essar?s Ravi Ruia have acquired non-resident status over the years. <br /><br /> &ldquo;The DTC has only attempted to clean up the provision in line with the laws globally,? said an official with the central board of direct taxes (CBDT), the apex direct tax arm of the government. <br /><br /> A phrase &ldquo;being outside India? in the existing income tax law exempted individuals who stay outside the country for six months from paying taxes. This was prone to misuse and allowed individuals to escape tax in any country, the official said, requesting anonymity. <br /><br /> The new code is expected to come into effect from April 1, 2012. <br /><br /> More than 25 million Indians stay overseas and one million visit the country every year. A large number of NRIs particularly those working in the gulf countries usually visit India for longer durations. <br /><br /> &ldquo;This could result in a situation wherein the overseas income of NRIs may be subject to tax under certain situations,? said Vikas Vasal, executive director at consulting firm KPMG. <br /><br /> Amitabh Singh, partner at Ernst &amp; Young, said this could become a dampener for the overseas Indian population who routinely visit India to meet their relatives and friends. <br /><br /> &ldquo;They will now have to restrict their stay to less than 60 or be in danger of becoming tax residents,? he said. <br /><br /> NRIs who have spent 365 days in the last four years, which is permissible under the current income tax law, are at the risk of becoming a resident and facing tax on their global income. <br /><br /> They will be given relief from payment of tax for two years on their global income in the transition period when they become resident from non-resident, a CBDT official said. <br /><br /> The income tax department can define the term &ldquo;visit? more tightly to ensure that there is no misuse instead of removing the provision altogether, Mr Singh of Ernst &amp; Young said.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://economictimes.indiatimes.com\">http://economictimes.indiatimes.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="HONG KONG: Hong Kong officials have reached an agreement on the city\'s first minimum wage but unions said Wednesday that they will keep pushing for higher pay to shrink a growing income gap. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; A government commission tasked with de..." target="_self">Hong Kong strikes deal on minimum wage</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">2 Sep 2010 22:03:07 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('HONG KONG: Hong Kong officials have reached an agreement on the city\'s first minimum wage but unions said Wednesday that they will keep pushing for higher pay to shrink a growing income gap. <br /><br /> A government commission tasked with deciding the controversial new wage floor -- an issue which has divided business and labour groups for more than a decade -- said this week it had settled on a figure, which it did not disclose. <br /><br /> Local media quoted unnamed sources as saying the hourly figure was 28 or 29 Hong Kong dollars (3.60 or 3.73 US dollars), far below that in major cities in the US and Europe. <br /><br /> Concern about a growing income gap -- which the UN Development Programme last year pegged as the world\'s biggest among wealthy economies -- prompted the government to introduce Hong Kong\'s first minimum wage, which is scheduled to come into effect next year. <br /><br /> Business groups in the southern Chinese territory warned that labour leaders\' demands for 33 Hong Kong dollars an hour would lead to widespread job losses among poor workers. <br /><br /> &quot;We remain firm on our demand that the minimum wage should be no less than 33 Hong Kong dollars an hour,&quot; Cheung Lai-ha, a vice-chairwoman of the Confederation of Trade Unions, told the South China Morning Post Wednesday. <br /><br /> &quot;We will try every means to achieve what we think is right for workers.&quot; <br /><br /> Thomas Woo, a vice-president of the Hong Kong Catering Industry Association, said even 28 Hong Kong dollars could put the squeeze on the city\'s myriad small restaurants. <br /><br /> &quot;If the hourly wage is 28 Hong Kong dollars, many restaurants may be forced to charge their customers more,&quot; Woo told the Post. <a href=\"http://www.channelnewsasia.com\">http://www.channelnewsasia.com</a></p><p>Source : </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://" title="Washington: China has massive presence in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said a US-based activist from Gilgit who added that massive investments were made by Beijing in that frontier region to expand the Karakoram Corridor as a strategic pathway. &lt;br /..." target="_self">\'China has major presence in PoK?</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">2 Sep 2010 22:03:00 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('Washington: China has massive presence in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said a US-based activist from Gilgit who added that massive investments were made by Beijing in that frontier region to expand the Karakoram Corridor as a strategic pathway. <br /><br /> Washingon-based political activist Senge H Sering, who was in India for over a year until March 2010 as Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), warned the Indian government about the Chinese presence over the years in Pakistani Kashmir. </p><p>Sering has spoken about massive investments made by China in the frontier region to expand the Karakoram Corridor as a strategic pathway to the sea lanes linking to West Asia. <br /><br /> Highlighting the multifaceted character of Chinese presence in the Gilgit-Baltistan province, Sering said China-Pakistan cooperation in the corridor includes expansion of the Karakoram Highway (KH), construction of a parallel railway line as well as oil and gas pipelines, which will give China rapid connectivity to Pakistani ports lying in the gateway to the Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal. <br /><br /> The region\'s close proximity to Afghanistan, Tajikistan and India, in addition to Tibet and Xinjiang, gives China diplomatic, strategic, logistical and political gains, he said. <br /><br /> He added that by linking the KH to Pakistani ports like Gwadar and Ormara, China will not just gain a strategic footprint and access to Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf but also could significantly influence the geopolitics and trade in the Indian Ocean Region as well as Central Asia. </p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://zeenews.com\">http://zeenews.com</a></p><table width=\"210\"><thead><tr><th id=\"th057928900000\">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</th></tr></thead></table>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi :  The card would be offered against term deposits of at least Rs 1 lakh. Credit limit in these instances can go up as high as 80% value of the term deposits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Features of the card include 4 times reward points on international..." target="_self">Personal loan lender Kotak Mahindra Bank introduces NRI Credit Card</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">2 Sep 2010 14:17:00 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi :  The card would be offered against term deposits of at least Rs 1 lakh. Credit limit in these instances can go up as high as 80% value of the term deposits.</p><p> Features of the card include 4 times reward points on international purchases, waiver of fuel surcharge, options on redemption of reward points and 0% EMI for 3 months.</p><p> The card would also offer the provision of letting the customer buy and pay in rupees. While travelling in India, card holders can buy in Indian rupees on this card.</p><p>has lately started a new branch in Kozhikode to boost its branch network in the country.Kotak Mahindra Bank </p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.bankbazaar.com\">http://www.bankbazaar.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi : Amid reports of India-China\'s deployment of troops in the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Wednesday (September 1) chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review ina\'&amp;gt;China\'s recent pos..." target="_self">Indian PM holds meeting to discuss China \'threat\'</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">1 Sep 2010 15:12:33 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi : Amid reports of India-China\'s deployment of troops in the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Wednesday (September 1) chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review ina\'&gt;China\'s recent posturing and India\'s options of dealing with it.</p><p>Senior Cabinet ministers, including defence minister AK Antony, home minister P Chidambaram and external affairs minister SM Krishna were among those who attended the meeting.</p><p>India\'s Ambassador to ina\'&gt;China S Jaishankar briefed the ministers at the meeting that discussed how best to deal with ina\'&gt;China\'s perceived aggressiveness towards issues critical to India\'s sovereignty.</p><p>The meeting came amid reports that ina\'&gt;China had deployed about 11,000 troops in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Jammu and Kashmir which has been held by Pakistan.</p><p>The 90-minute meeting discussed the recent denial of a visa to a senior Indian general commanding the northern sector, which includes Jammu and Kashmir which is seen here as an attempt by ina\'&gt;China to question India\'s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir.</p><p>India had put on hold defence exchanges after Beijing\'s refusal to allow the visit. The crucial meeting ended with a consensus among ministers to adopt a firm attitude towards ina\'&gt;China, specially over issues that question India\'s sovereignty over its territory, but agreed that the message should be conveyed in such a manner so as not to upset the larger relationship, sources said.</p><p>The meeting also discussed what Krishna described in Parliament as Beijing\'s &quot;more than normal interests&quot; in the Indian Ocean region.</p><p>&quot;The government of India has come to realise that ina\'&gt;China has been showing more than normal interest in the Indian Ocean affairs. So we are closely monitoring the Chinese intentions,&quot; Krishna said.</p><p>Source: <a href=\"http://www.asianewsnet.net\">http://www.asianewsnet.net</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi : RIM has found itself in hot water in a few countries in the Middle East, such as the UAE, because Blackberry servers allow messages to be sent between users around the world in an encrypted state means that governments can\'t access. Authoriti..." target="_self">India Grapples with RIM, Eyes Google and Skype</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">1 Sep 2010 15:12:32 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi : RIM has found itself in hot water in a few countries in the Middle East, such as the UAE, because Blackberry servers allow messages to be sent between users around the world in an encrypted state means that governments can\'t access. Authorities in India have started clamping down on companies that enable communication online and through other methods that can\'t be traced reports Reuters. The firms that are being caught in the latest skirmish include Google and Skype.</p><p>The move by the Indian government could set a precedent that would have very wide reaching implications around the world. The Indian government wants the ability to track and read messages sent via Blackberry devices and other internet-based communications services. RIM maintains that it has no way to provide India or other nations with the data sent using its encrypted services. RIM has denied reports that it made special concession to other governments to keep its services in operation and assured India that it would cooperate.</p><p>RIM has begun giving the Indian government access to some secure data this week and the cooperation has so far kept Blackberry services within the country from being terminated. If Blackberry services were terminated in India about a million users would be left without service.</p><p>Consultant firm KPMG director Romal Shetty said, &quot;There could be various ramifications for this. If this happens, every other country may want a similar thing and then the whole issue of efficiency and management of the services and data will become difficult.&quot;</p><p>India\'s Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said in a statement, &quot;Discussions for technical solutions for further access are continuing and the matter will be reviewed within 60 days.&quot;<br /></p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.dailytech.com\">http://www.dailytech.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="The Indian government surprised the industry today by allocating 3G capacity to this year\'s spectrum auction winners on time. (See India\'s 3G Auction Ends, Raises $14.6B.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There had been growing concern that the handover of 3G spectrum..." target="_self">India Gets Its 3G On</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">1 Sep 2010 15:12:32 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('The Indian government surprised the industry today by allocating 3G capacity to this year\'s spectrum auction winners on time. (See India\'s 3G Auction Ends, Raises $14.6B.)</p><p>There had been growing concern that the handover of 3G spectrum would be delayed beyond the agreed-upon September 1 deadline, but the Department of Telecommunications duly obliged, marking the start of a new era in the Indian telecom sector. (See India\'s 3G Players Ready for Swift Launch.)</p><p>Now the race is on to get competitive 3G services into the market -- currently, only the state-owned operators, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL) , are offering 3G services -- with some of the large, privately held mobile operators talking about launching before the end of this year. (See MTNL, BSNL Prep for 3G Battle .)</p><p>Both Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Mumbai: BHARTIARTL) and Reliance Communications Ltd. have said their networks are ready for 3G, and that they\'d be able to launch services within three-to-four months of the spectrum allocation.</p><p>&quot;In GSM, our network is relatively new, and most of the components are 3G ready. If the spectrum is allotted on time we would be able to launch our services by the end of the year or early next year,&quot; stated Mahesh Prasad, the president of Reliance Communications, on the sidelines of a recent press conference. Reliance won spectrum in 13 of India\'s 22 circles (service areas) and has already formed a separate unit for the rollout of 3G services. (See Reliance Sets out its 3G Stall, Reliance Comm Goes Universal for 3G, and Reliance Reports Q1, Announces Deals.)</p><p>Source :<a href=\"http://www.lightreading.com\">http://www.lightreading.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="Hong Kong - Hong Kong people gambled more than 15 billion US dollars on horse races, football matches and lottery tickets in the past year, the city\'s official bookmakers said Wednesday.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Punters in the gambling-mad city of 7 million st..." target="_self">Gamblers bet 7 per cent more in Hong Kong as economy booms</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">1 Sep 2010 15:12:31 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('Hong Kong - Hong Kong people gambled more than 15 billion US dollars on horse races, football matches and lottery tickets in the past year, the city\'s official bookmakers said Wednesday.</p><p> Punters in the gambling-mad city of 7 million staked 15.03 billion US dollars in the year to the end of June, 7.1 per cent more than in the previous 12 months, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced.</p><p> The boost in gambling revenue came as the city\'s economy rebounded strongly from the global economic slump with property and stock prices rising steeply.</p><p> Betting revenue before and after the end of the financial year at the end of June was also boosted by the football World Cup which drew a total of 570 million US dollars in bets, the club said.</p><p> Despite the rise in revenue, Hong Kong Jockey Club officials warned Hong Kong was losing an estimated 2.82 billion US dollars a year to gamblers travelling to casinos in neighboring Macau.</p><p> Casinos are illegal in Hong Kong where the only legal bets are on horse races, football matches placed through official Hong Kong Jockey Club outlets, as well as a weekly lottery it runs.</p><p> However, underground syndicates offering a broader range of tax-free odds are widespread, meaning billions of US dollars a year more is gambled illegally in Hong Kong.</p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://www.monstersandcritics.com\">http://www.monstersandcritics.com</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://www.hongkongindians.com/feedreader-news.php" title="New Delhi: Non-resident Indians (NRIs) will now have a right to vote in elections, with Parliament today passing the relevant bill, even as government promised to bring in comprehensive electoral reforms legislation soon. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Replying..." target="_self">Bill to provide voting rights to NRIs passed</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">31 Aug 2010 21:21:24 GMT</span><br />');
document.write('New Delhi: Non-resident Indians (NRIs) will now have a right to vote in elections, with Parliament today passing the relevant bill, even as government promised to bring in comprehensive electoral reforms legislation soon. <br /><br /> Replying to a debate on the Representation of People (Amendment) Bill, 2010 to allow NRIs to exercise their franchise in Indian elections, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said the government would hold a national consultation on comprehensive electoral reforms in two to three months. </p><p>Rajya Sabha had passed the bill yesterday. <br /><br /> &quot;The Ministry is making all round efforts for comprehensive electoral reforms and we want to hold a national consultation on it in two to three months time,&quot; Moily said, responding to the demand for complete electoral reforms from members. <br /><br /> He said the Election Commission had in its report on electoral reforms made 22 recommendations of which six had already been implemented. <br /><br /> The rest of the recommendations, he said, were currently being examined by a department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee and it would be taken up for implementation later. <br /><br /> Moily said the House had no &quot;dispute&quot; over the need for providing voting rights to NRIs, but members had views on the modalities for allowing that right, which would be addressed separately. <br /><br /> Describing the current amendment to the law as long-awaited, he said the current bill aimed to provide rights to those Indians, who had gone abroad for employment or education but have not obtained citizenship of the country they were residing now, to get registered in the electoral rolls and vote in elections to legislatures and Parliament. </p><p>Source : <a href=\"http://zeenews.com\"');
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