Asian Lite News Archive

Category: USA News

  • Putin calls up Obama

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    Russian President Vladimir Putin called up US President Barack Obama to discuss Iran nuclear talks, situation in Syria and the need to counter Islamic State (IS) militants, the White House said in a communique. “The leaders discussed the increasingly dangerous situation in Syria, and underscored the importance of continued P5+1 unity in ongoing negotiations to…

  • ‘widespread corruption’ in India:US report

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    By Arun Kumar  Even as it praised India for holding “the largest democratic elections in history”, the US highlighted “police and security force abuses” and “widespread corruption” among its “most significant human rights problems”. “India’s parliamentary contest in April 2014 was one of the largest elections in history,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in…

  • Healthcare law ‘here to stay’: Obama

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    By Arun Kumar As the US Supreme Court handed President Barack Obama a huge victory by upholding his signature healthcare law that opposition Republicans have tried to repeal countless times, he vowed to make it even better. “Five years ago, after nearly a century of talk, decades of trying, a year of bipartisan debate, we…

  • ‘You’re in my house!’ Obama tells heckler

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    A Video footage has captured the moment Barack Obama dealt with a heckler during a gay pride event at the White House. The US President was hosting a reception to observe LGBT Pride Month in the East Room when he was repeatedly interrupted by shouting from a member in the audience Reports Sky News. But…

  • US Senate approves ‘fast-track’ trade bill

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    The US Senate  approved a so-called fast-track trade bill that empowers the president to negotiate trade deals, media reported . The bill will now be sent to President Barack Obama for signing. The 60 to 38 Senate vote capped weeks of fighting over the trade bill and gave a big push for the Obama administration’s…

  • ‘We are Americans’: Jindal

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    By Arun Kumar  Louisiana’s Indian-American governor Piyush “Bobby”Jindal launched a historic bid for the US presidency recalling his parents’ journey to the land of “real opportunities” yet seeking to distance himself from his heritage. His dad, who “grew up in a house without electricity or running water” and “was the only person in his family…

  • Boston bomber sentenced to death

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    The US federal judge in Boston formally sentenced 21-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for his role in the 2013 Boston marathon bombing attacks and the killing of a police officer when on the run, media reported . Before the court judge read out the ruling, Tsarnaev broke a two-year silence apologising to victims for the…

  • US investigates TCS, Infosys over work visas

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    A major investigation into the hiring practices of the Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys has been launched by the US government over alleged violations of visa regulations…reports Asian Lite. The Department of Labour is reportedly investigating Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys for violating H1-B non-immigrant work visas, says a New York Times report. The issue…

  • French presidents ‘surveilled’ by NSA

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    French President Francois Hollande, ex-presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac, and French cabinet ministers were surveilled by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US, WikiLeaks said  in a press release….reports Asian Lite News. WikiLeaks  began publishing “Espionnage Elysee”, a collection of top secret intelligence reports and technical documents from NSA concerning targeting and signals…

  • US hopes India, Pakistan will resolve issues

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    Expressing the hope that Pakistan would be a responsible stakeholder on security issues, in particular the nuclear issue, the US has said that New Delhi and Islamabad need to work on issues between them peaceably on their own….reports Asian Lite News.   US Secretary of State John Kerry has talked “about his concerns about tensions…

  • Haley’s call to remove secessionist flag intensifies

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    As South Carolina’s Indian-American governor Nikki Haley channelled the outrage over Charleston church massacre with a call to remove the Confederate flag, the campaign against the slavery-era secessionist banner intensified. By Arun Kumar  Heeding Haley’s call, lawmakers made debating whether to remove the flag from the State House grounds an urgent matter as protestors rallied…

  • Bobby Jindal set to join White House race

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    Louisiana governor Piyush “Bobby”Jindal is widely expected to launch a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, becoming the first Indian-American and 13th Republican to join the 2016 White House race….reports Asian Lite News. By Arun Kumar “If I decide to announce on June 24th that I will seek the Republican nomination for President, my candidacy…

  • US not yet cured of racism: Obama

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    By Arun Kumar   President Barack Obama used the politically incorrect n-word during an interview to assert that racism persists in the US, including many forms that are not overt, and the nation was not “cured of it”. “Racism, we are not cured of it. And It’s not just a matter of it not being polite…

  • Church shooter charged with murder

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    The man arrested after fatally shooting nine people at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, was charged with nine counts of murder, police said. Dylann Roof, 21, also faces a weapons possession charge and is expected to appear in court later on Friday for a bail hearing. Apprehended on Thursday in the neighbouring state…

  • Haley seeks death penalty for church shooter

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    By Arun Kumar   As the white young man who killed nine people at a historic US black church faced a court, many victims’ families forgave him, but South Carolina’s Indian American governor Nikki Haley sought the death penalty for him….Asian Lite, the best newspaper for British Asians.  Dylann Storm Roof, 21, who is reported to have…

  • Obama renews plea for gun control

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    By Arun Kumar  In the wake of the horrific mass shooting at a historic American church, President Barack Obama has made another call for gun control and a national conversation on the scourge of mass shootings in America. “We need a change in attitude,” Obama told the annual meeting of the US Conference of Mayors…

  • US must reckon with gun violence: Obama

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    By Arun Kumar   As a shocked America mourned the killing of nine people in a historic black church, President Barack Obama said the US must eventually reckon with all too frequent mass shootings and gun violence. “Now is a time for mourning and healing,” said the country’s first African-American President in a White House statement…

  • Hillary seeks immigration reforms

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    Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said here in a speech to a major Hispanic organisation that her commitment to immigration reform includes a path to citizenship for the undocumented…reports Asian Lite News Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said here in a speech to a major Hispanic organisation that her commitment to immigration reform includes a…

  • CII Team Joins Jaitley Mission in the US

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    CII members join Jaitley in US visit….reports Asian Lite News A business delegation comprising senior members from Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) joined with Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is on a 10 day visit to the US to foster bilateral ties. The industry body is exploring business opportunities with US-based firms. “The CII delegation to…

  • US $10 bills to bear woman’s portrait

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    A woman’s portrait will appear on $10 US bills from 2020, after a gap of 119 years, the US Department of the Treasury has said, according to Efe news agency. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew said  that public opinion will be sought on which historic figure to feature on the bills. “We’re going to…

  • Church Shooting Suspect Arrested

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    The man suspected of shooting nine worshippers dead during a prayer meeting at a historic black church in South Carolina has been arrested. Dylann Roof, 21, was taken into custody in Shelby, North Carolina, during a traffic stop after a member of the public called the police. A manhunt was launched for the suspect, who…

  • US senator to be honoured as ‘Friend of India’

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    A leading Indian community organisation will honour a US senator as a Friend of India with five outstanding achievers of the Indian American community at its annual awards banquet in Stamford…. reports Asian Lite News. The Connecticut chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has selected senior Democratic senator from Connecticut,…

  • US admits to slow response against ISIS

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     US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter admitted that they did not act fast enough to prepare Iraqi forces for the threat posed by the Islamic State militant group. “We … determined that our equipping of the Iraqi security forces had proceeded too slowly,” Carter said in a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday…

  • Nine killed in US church shooting

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    At least nine people were killed in a shooting at a historic African-American church in US’ South Carolina state. The shooting took place at Charleston city’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church in the South Carolina, CNN reported. CNN said that nine people were killed. “I do believe this…

  • US Fed Reserve signals rate hike

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    By Arun Kumar   The Federal Reserve, America’s central bank, has decided not to raise interest rates in June, but signalled that the long-awaited rate hike could come in September as the economic activity picks up. “The committee expects that, with appropriate policy accommodation, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace,” the bank known as…

  • US ‘deeply troubled’ over Morsi verdict

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     President Barack Obama’s administration said that it is “deeply troubled” by the death sentence handed down against deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, contending that it was politically motivated. At his daily press conference, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the result of Morsi’s trial is another example of a “politically motivated” sentence, and he expressed…

  • Kerry tells Sharif to tamp down tensions with India

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    “Enormously concerned” over recent increase in tensions between India and Pakistan, US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to work out how to tamp them down, acknowledging that the latter had just finished a conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi….reports Asian Lite News. The increase “in the…

  • US set to ban artificial transfats

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    The use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial transfat in processed foods, must stop in three years, the US FDA has said. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that PHOs are not “generally recognized as safe” for use in human food. Food manufacturers will have three years to remove…

  • Kerry concerned over Putin’s missile announcement

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    US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed concern over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he would add more than 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to Russia’s arsenal this year….reports Asian Lite News. “It does concern me,” Kerry told reporters via teleconference, adding that the US and Russia, with their arms control treaty, “are…

  • Modi has changed India-US engagement: Envoy

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    By Arun Kumar   Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has effectively laid the foundation for India’s rapid transformation and purposeful diplomacy leading to new terms of India’s engagement with the US, according to Indian Ambassador Arun K. Singh. “As we celebrate one year of India’s current government, it is difficult not to see the changes in…

  • Trump jumps into the Republican presidential bandwagon

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    By Arun Kumar  After Bush family scion Jeb Bush, real estate mogul and TV reality star Donald Trump finally jumped into the 2016 White House race, making the crowded field of Republican contenders a round dozen. Trump, who has been toying with the idea of running for the Oval Office for more than two decades,…

  • Michelle Obama Rocks London

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    The speech of US First Lady Michelle Obama at a girls’ school in east London was the talk of the town and the social media buzz with her quotes…. reports Asian Lite News Mrs Obama, wife of President Barack, told pupils at Mulberry School for Girls their “amazing education” gave them all they needed to succeed.…

  • Michelle begins two-day UK trip

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    US first lady Michelle Obama will be in UK to promote her charity work is to meet Prince Harry and David Cameron as she begins a two-day visit. Mrs Obama is visiting the country to discuss her campaigns for girls’ education and better support for military families. She will host an event at a London…

  • Sikh student can keep his turban in US army

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    By Arun Kumar  A Sikh college student will be able to join the US Army, without being forced to cut his hair, shave his beard or stop wearing his turban thanks to a Washington court ruling…..Reports Asian Lite News. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled last week that the Army violated Hofstra University student…

  • Bush enter the overcrowded White House race

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    By Arun Kumar  Jeb Bush, a son and brother of former presidents, joined a crowded field of Republican contenders setting the stage for a possible dynastic clash with a former first lady, Hillary Clinton in 2016 White House race. Watched by his 90-year-old mother, Barbara Bush, wife of George H W Bush, who lost the…

  • US airstrike kills Belmokhtar in Libya

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    The US military has launched an airstrike in Libya, killing a leader of Ansar al-Shariah, an offshoot of the Al Qaeda. “We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate,” Pentagon spokesman Steve Warren said in a statement. The statement did not specify if drones or manned…

  • Hillary in ‘Rendezvous with destiny – II’

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    Hillary Clinton began her second “rendezvous with destiny” with a promise to make new policies designed to benefit the middle class if she is elected America’s first woman president….writes Arun Kumar Addressing the first major rally of her 2016 presidential run from New York City’s Roosevelt Island in a state that she represented as senator…

  • Three NRI’s shortlisted for White House Fellowship

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      Three Indian Americans are among the national finalists for the 2015-16 White House Fellowship that offers exceptional Americans first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government…reports Asian Lite News. By Arun Kumar Luxme Hariharan, Payal Patel and Anil Yallapragada are among those representing “an accomplished and diverse cross-section of professionals from…

  • Prison worker admits helping inmates escape

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    A woman admitted to authorities that she helped two inmates escape from a maximum security prison a week ago in New York state. Prison worker Joyce Mitchell, 51, told state police investigators that she provided the prisoners, who are still at large, with access to a cell phone and brought them “contraband” tools at the…

  • Six Guantanamo detainees transferred to Oman

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    The US has transferred six lower-level detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where each were held for over 13 years, the US military announced. The departures to Oman were the first from the prison in six months and reduced the inmate population to 116, The New York Times reported. The six men are…

  • I trust Hillary with my life: Bill Clinton

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    Amid Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, former president Bill Clinton says he trusts his wife with his life. “Whenever I had trouble, she was a rock in our family,” he said opening up about his relationship with Hillary in an interview with CNN set to air Sunday. “I trust her with my life, and have…

  • US asks India, Pakistan to cool down

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    “We encourage India and Pakistan to take those kinds of steps, and we believe that India and Pakistan each have a mutual interest in addressing the threat posed by violent extremism and terrorism,” By Arun Kumar  While declining comment on India’s surgical strike on militants in Myanmar, the US has asked India and Pakistan to…

  • Delay continues in issuing US visas worldwide

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    There has been a worldwide delay in issuing US passports and visas due to technical problems for some time. It is not specific to any particular country, the US embassy clarified, while apologising for the delay. “The department of state’s bureau of consular affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with our overseas passport and visa…

  • Visa violation probe begins in US against TCS, Infosys

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    The US government is learnt to have begun investigating alleged H1-B visa violations by Indian software majors Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys Ltd…..reports Asian Lite News. The US labor department has opened the investigation against TCS and Infosys for “possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under contracts they held with…

  • Role of doctors in CIA tortures condemned

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    Doctors, psychologists and lawyers played a key role in rationalising torture methods practised in clandestine CIA detention centres, according to an article published in the US-based New England Journal of Medicine. The publication based its article on data from a report last year by the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that revealed CIA tortures…

  • Most US companies inactive on social media

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    Many of America’s most admired companies are not very active on social media, reveals a study. Several firms on Fortune Magazine’s list of America’s most admired companies are failing to achieve basic social media standards, according to Marcia DiStaso, associate professor of public relations at Penn State. “We were surprised that not all the companies…

  • Sturgeon holds White House meeting

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    The Scottish first minister has had a private meeting with a US administration official in the White House according to BBC. Nicola Sturgeon accepted an invitation to meet a member of President Obama’s national security team. It is understood they spoke about defence and foreign affairs issues including the renewal of Trident, which the SNP…

  • US to send more troops to Iraq to tackle ISIS

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    The US will send up to 450 additional military personnel to train Iraqi forces combating IS militants, the White House said. President Barack Obama has authorised the deployment of up to 450 additional troops to train, advise, and assist Iraqi security forces at Taqaddum military base in Anbar province, aiming to improve the capabilities and…

  • US lawmakers host Indian envoy

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    In an unusual gesture, the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee held a Congressional reception to welcome India’s new ambassador Arun K. Singh at Capitol Hill, the seat of US legislature….reports Asian Lite News. A number of lawmakers attended the reception organised in association with bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, the largest country-specific…

  • US court to hear 1984 case against Sonia

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    A US federal appeals court in Manhattan has set Aug 18 for oral arguments in a case filed by a Sikh rights group against Congress party chairperson Sonia Gandhi…..reports Asian Lite News. The lawsuit filed by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) accuses Sonia Gandhi of shielding, protecting and rewarding the perpetrators of violence against Sikhs in…