Talking points

High-level talks take place in Beijing in an attempt to break the long-running impasse over the Sino-Indian border. A three-week border stand-off in the Depsang Valley in the Ladakh region had threatened to overshadow Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India last month. State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Indian national security adviser Shivshankar Menon begin two days of talks today.
 

Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi marks his first anniversary in office today, but with protests raging on the streets of the troubled nation he has little to celebrate. As hopes for consensus have faded, Mursi has ploughed on regardless, casting his opponents as spoilers who have rejected his attempts to reach out. His allies, meanwhile, have been whittled down to Islamists at the extreme religious right.
 

MTR passengers will be seeing their Octopus card balances decline a little more quickly from tomorrow, as fare increases of 2.7 per cent kick in. Most passengers will pay between 10 cents and 50 cents more for each trip. Those who travel between Sheung Wan and Tung Chung, and Tuen Mun and Hong Kong station, will be the hardest hit.