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Indians get maximum British citizenship in 2007
London: Indians have turned out to be the largest group of immigrants, who have been granted British citizenship during 2007, according to the official figures released this week.
In 2007, a record number of foreign nationals, 164,635 people, were granted citizenship, a seven per cent rise in 12 months. It was the highest since the Home Office began keeping comparable records in 1997, the figures reveal. |
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| Three NRIs convicted for 300 million pounds global fraud |
| London: Three Indian-origin businessmen who swindled banks in Britain and the United States of more than 300 million pounds by pretending to run a worldwide metal trading empire have been found guilty and face a long term in jail.Virendra Rastogi (39), Anand Jain (43) and Gautam Majumdar (57), ex-directors of metal trading business RBG Resources, were convicted at London's Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to defraud and remanded to custody this week. |
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| Man gets 5-yr jail for smuggling people from India |
| Leicester:Asif Patel, a 32-year-old Indian-origin man has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment for his involvement in a massive racket involving trafficking of people from India to the UK.He was a key player in the gang which used forged passports and documents to bring thousands of Indian nationals into the UK.
He was found guilty of a conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK at Leicester Crown Court in January and was sentenced on Wednesday to five-year imprisonment. |
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EU plans to launch Blue Card simillar to US Green card,good news for Indians
Brussels:T The European Union is planning to set up a US Green Card style visa programme to attract highly qualified immigrant workers, which is a good news for Indian professionals seeking jobs abroad.In an effort to meet the growing demand for professionals like doctors, engineers and IT experts, the 27-nation bloc may introduce EU Blue Card, a special residence and work permit to immigrants granting them a "very generous" legal status.If the visa plan, still at the consultation level, materialises, it will open new avenues for Indian professionals in European countries besides the United Kingdom, a popular destination for job seekers. |
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National Minimum wage will rise to £5.73
London:The national minimum wage will rise to £5.73 an hour in October, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced.It will rise by 3.8% from £5.52. For 18 to 21-year-olds the rate will be £4.77, up from £4.60, while 16 to 17-year-olds will get £3.53, up from £3.40.The government said that one million people would benefit from the increase, two-thirds of whom would be women. |
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New immigration
application forms are now available online
London:The new and revised
immigration application forms for applications made on or after 29
February 2008 are now available from www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk. If you are making your application before 29 February, you
must do so on the existing form, which is marked 'version 04/2007'
or 'version 05/2007'. If you are applying on or after 29 February
2008, you must use the new form which will be dated '02/2008'. |
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Indian student in UK jailed for indecent behaviour
New Castle:An Indian student, studying law at Newcastle, has been jailed and faces deportation to India for making indecent exposure and sexual assault.Amit Shivrain, 26, was jailed by magistrates in Newcastle , for four months and will be on the sex offenders' list for seven years. He was in the UK on a student visa.
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New and revised immigration application forms,
from Feb.29
London: New and revised immigration application forms are to be specified for applications made on or after 29 February 2008. These forms will be available later this month.The forms that will be changing are,Extension of stay or further leave to remain , Settlement, permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain,
transfer of residence permit from an old to a new passport
and
certificate of approval for marriage or civil partnership in the United Kingdom. |
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Changes to the national shortage occupation list for work permits
London:With effect from 18 March 2008, 38 healthcare-related occupations will be removed from the national shortage occupation list for work permits.
These changes to the national shortage occupation list for work permits follow research conducted by the NHS workforce review team on behalf of the Department of Health.The team reviewed all current healthcare occupations included on the list in light of the latest labour market research and skills needed in the healthcare sector. The review covered the whole of the United Kingdom and involved discussions with relevant key stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. The recommendations of the review were discussed and agreed by the Healthcare Sector Advisory Panel. |
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New points based system begins
London:Details of Britain's new Australian-style points based immigration system (PBS) were announced today as the Government published the rules for highly skilled foreign workers applying to come to the UK.
The regulations will start coming into force on 29 February when any highly skilled foreign nationals currently working in Britain who want to extend their stay will need to apply under the new system. In April, the new system will begin to be rolled out overseas when anyone from India who wants to work in the UK as a highly skilled migrant will need to apply under PBS. By the summer the new highly skilled system will operate worldwide. |
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Further Hike in Immigration Fees
London:New immigration fees, funding sweeping changes to border security over the next 12 months, have today been announced by the Government.The announcement comes just weeks before the introduction of a new points based system (PBS) for managing migration. The system will help ensure only workers with the skills to benefit Britain's economy come to the UK and put in place a licensing system for businesses who want to recruit from overseas. These new measures will help ensure people play by the rules. |
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High Commission of India, London celebrates 59th Republic Day
London:On the occasion of 59th Republic Day on 26th January 2008, the High Commissioner for India to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Shri Kamalesh Sharma, unfurled the National Flag followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Hon’ble Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Murli Deora who is on an official visit to the U.K., was also present on the occasion.
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NRI docs in UK often face racial abuse
The report published by British Medical Association (BMA) shows that one in three doctors in Britain has been victim of such attacks in clinics. In the last six months alone, the BMA research reported that there were two horrific cases of violence towards doctors in the Glasgow area. In November, a patient in his consulting room beat up a general practitioner and, in August, another general practitioner was stabbed by a patient in her practice.
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Gordon Brown Visits India
London:British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will embark on a two-day visit to India from Sunday with an avowed objective of upgrading Britain's relations with the emerging Asian giant to bring them on par with its ties with the US, his first visit as Prime Minister to the country after taking over from Tony Blair in June last year.
Brown, who has pledged to accord "very high priority" to strengthening and deepening relations with a "pulsating, dynamic India will attend the fourth India-UK Summit, would discuss with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ways to "come even closer" and step up trade and investment between the two countries.
The British Prime Minister, son of a Church of Scotland preacher and a known India admirer, recognizes India's status and feels that by raising Britain's relations to a higher level "all countries can gain" and help the world. |
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UK may allow NHS
patients to travel to India for treatment
London:UK may soon permit NHS
patients to travel to India for medical treatment. The issue was
discussed between Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and British
authorities here and the "response" was positive.
"We had
discussions about how to use the Indian medical facilities by the
NHS," Ramadoss said, addressing a national conference on the 60th
Anniversary celebration of India's Independence and the setting up
of the NHS at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Saturday. |
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UK Praises Indian Community Living in UK
New Delhi: Britain on Wednesday lauded the Indian community living in UK for their role in the country's economic growth. "Indian community is one of the largest community living in Britain and they have contributed five per cent in the country's GDP," British High Commissioner to India Richard Stagg told a gathering of NRIs at the Pravasi Awards presentation ceremony organised by the NRI institute. |
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Centre launches special service for Overseas Indians
New Delhi : The Centre on Tuesday launched a special service for registered overseas Indians enabling them to change personal details in their certificates or apply for duplicate documents if the originals have been lost.
There have been many demands for duplicate Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards or for effecting the change of details in the certificates. More than 1,99,500 certificates have been issued till January 1, 2008 two years after the Overseas Citizenship of India scheme was made operational. |
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India Chair at Cambridge to be set up
New Delhi: The government has endowed the establishment of the "Jawaharlal Nehru Professorship of Indian Business and Enterprise" at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, U.K.
The endowment of India Chair follows the announcement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the visit of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to India in 2005, an official release said here. |
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| Birmingham City Council is to set up 'India Desk |
| Birmingham: The Birmingham City Council in the UK has decided to set up an 'India Desk' to promote trade and cultural links with the South Asian country. 'India Desk' is being set to attract investment from leading Indian companies, including the Tata Group, and promote cultural links between the two sides, Mike Whitby, Leader of the Birmingham City Council, said .
He said he would soon lead a high-level business delegation to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "I am looking forward to go to India," Whitby said |
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| St.Thomas Evangelical Church of India starts regular worship service |
| London: The St.Thomas Church of India started a new worship service at Watford.The worship service w'll be every third sunday and it starts at 12.30 pm at Baptist Church.The service w'll be leading by Bro.Mathew Abraham(lay leader, Dr.Babu Mathew(President) and Mr.Issac Varghese(Secretary). |
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| Education is bigger worry for parents than sex life |
London: British parents trust their children's judgment on when to lose their virginity more than that on leaving the education system. Some 46 per cent of parents surveyed for educational foundation Edge said they would happily rely on their offspring's decision on when to first have sex.
But just 41pc would trust their children to decide when to leave a traditional academic education for work or vocational courses. |
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Young Britons back monarchy, would like William as king
London:Young Britons overwhelmingly back the monarchy and would like to see Prince William to be the next monarch, of whose girlfriend Kate Middleton they also wholeheartedly approve, an opinion poll showed Friday.A poll of 1,004 young people, aged between 18 and 24, showed that nearly 70 percent want to keep the royal family, even though half of them believe the British royals do "not provide value for money". |
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| Christmas & New Year Celebration Of Sheffield Kerela Cultural Association |
| Sheffield : Sheffield Kerela Cultural Association is celebrating Christmas and NewYear and 2nd Anniversary Celebration on January 5th 2008 from 3pm onwards in Sheffield Companions Club near Northern General Hospital. |
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Sixth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to begin in Delhi
New Delhi: In less than three weeks, Indians from around the globe will get together in the national capital for the sixth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the annual conclave of the diaspora.
The conclave will start Jan 8, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh delivering the inaugural address at Vigyan Bhawan here. The chief guest will be Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam. |
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| Indian boy, youngest champion of BBC quiz show |
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London: A 10-year-old Indian boy has emerged as the youngest champion in the history of a BBC quiz show, Junior Mastermind.
David Verghese, who made it to the BBC1 show finals sailing through the heats, had the Jurassic Park trilogy as his specialist subject.
For the final, he chose the life and work of Star Wars director George Lucas as his speciality.
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Tourist visa times to be halved
London: Proposals to cut the time tourist from outside the EU can stay n the UK from six months to three are expected to be announced by ministers this week. The move is among measures aimed at further tightening the visa system. A deposit of at least £1,000 to be paid by families who want relatives to visit Britain will also be introduced. |
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UK unveils new Immigration Rules
London: Britain on Wednesday announced a new points-based immigration system that will help highly skilled professionals like scientists, doctors and entrepreneurs from India and other non-European Union countries to settle in the UK. Applicants under the new system will need to gain a sufficient number of points and scoring is based on a balance between the skills of applicants and skills needed in the UK, as determined by government research and statistics, Britain's Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said. |
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| London Celebrates Diwali |
| London: The historic Trafalgar Square here came alive with the sights and sounds of India Sunday as thousands of people gathered to witnessed the annual Diwali spectacle organised by the Mayor of London.For most of the time during the celebrations, the enthusiastic audience - both British Asians and hundreds of tourists - braved rain to enjoy Indian food and music. The event was a celebration of an Indian festival with Indian themes, but had a hybrid feel to it as east met west and Bollywood dances mixed with American hip-hop. |
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