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<title>RTHK On Internet - Instant News</title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/]]></link>
<description>RTHK On Internet - Instant News</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:17:04 +0800</pubDate>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rice calls for regional security body  ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655146.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
The former US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, says the United States must be involved in any future East Asian organisation, if such a body is set up to tackle regional security and economic issues. Addressing students at the Chinese University, she said Beijing should be involved - but not alone.
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:33:37 +0800
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[BOC plan 40b yuan bond sale   ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655143.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
Bank of China has won shareholder approval to raise as much as 40 billion yuan in a convertible bond sale to shore up capital. Investors also granted the lender a general mandate to sell shares equivalent to as much as 20 percent of outstanding stock in Hong Kong or Shanghai, or in both markets. Mainland banks are under pressure to raise money after a record 9.59 trillion yuan of new loans last year weakened their resources, and the industry regulator imposed tougher guidelines for financial buffers.
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:04:53 +0800
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<title><![CDATA[Govt may drop political hoardings order  ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655137.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
The government will decide next week whether to drop an order for legislators and district councillors to remove their roadside hoardings, ahead of the May 16 Legco by-elections. The government told the councillors to take down the banners so that candidates in the polls can put up theirs. Pro-government councillors have opposed the order, saying it would render their issues invisible for months. However, a vice-chairwoman of the Democratic Party, Emily Lau, told said the rule should not be changed.
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:23:22 +0800
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Fall in HK bankruptcies  ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655133.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
The number of bankruptcy petitions in Hong Kong fell to 677 in February from 814 a month earlier. It's the lowest figure since February 2005. The Official Receiver's Office also said the number of compulsory winding-up petitions dropped to 675 last month from 920 in January. 
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:16:51 +0800
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<title><![CDATA[HSI closes 40 higher  ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655127.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hong Kong stocks rose in line with regional markets after a rally in the afternoon. The Hang Seng Index was 40 points higher at 21,370. Turnover was HK$58.73 billion. The Shanghai Composite Index was up 21 points at 3,067. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:46:44 +0800
</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Ex-directors of Swire firm in graft case   ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655124.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
Two former directors of a waste services company in the Swire group have appeared in Eastern Court accused of conspiring to offer the equivalent of HK$28 million in bribes to Macau's former secretary for transport and public works, Ao Man-long. No plea was taken and the case was transferred to the District Court. The defendants, Lionel John Kreiger and James Tam, are former directors of Swire SITA Waste Services Company.
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:43:34 +0800
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<title><![CDATA[China envoy bids to ease trade frictions  ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655122.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
China says it's sending an envoy to Washington to try to ease trade frictions between the two countries. It's also urged the United States not to politicise a row over the value of the yuan. Vice Commerce Minister Zhong Shan will visit Washington next week. 
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:27:15 +0800
</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Wing Lee St plan faces long delay     ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655120.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
 It's emerged that it may take up to two years before an alternative plan by the Urban Renewal Authority to preserve Wing Lee Street in Central is approved. This comes after the Town Planning Board rejected the Authority's original plan to demolish nine of the buildings there. On Tuesday, the Authority announced it would preserve the street in its entirety after a film shot there won a prestigious award in the Berlin Film Festival. However, the alternative plan will have to be accepted by the Executive Council and go through a period of public consultation before being sent to the Planning Board.
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:20:24 +0800
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<title><![CDATA[Google 'to quit China next month'  ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655110.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
Mainland state media says US Internet giant Google will close its business in China next month, following rows over censorship and hacking. The China Business News quoted an official with a mainland advertising agency, which is a partner of Google, as saying the firm would go through with its threatened withdrawal on April 10. The report did not specify whether Google would close all or part of its operations in the country. The newspaper quoted a Google staff member as saying the company may announce on Monday the details of its exit from China and compensation for its local staff. Google refused to comment on the report.
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<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:37:24 +0800
</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Call for demo against housing policies    ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20100319/news_20100319_56_655104.htm]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[
A Concern Group, Caring Hong Kong, has called on the public to take part in a protest next month against the government's housing policies. Among other things it says the government should restart the Home Ownership Scheme, shorten the waiting time for public housing and release more land for development. The group's convenor, Kwok Ka Ki says the administration's plan to increase the supply of small to medium-sized flats this year, will not meet the demand.
]]></description>
<pubDate>
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:09:03 +0800
</pubDate>
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