Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Asia News

  • Chinese exports regain pace

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    Mark McFarland, Chief Economist for Coutts, comments on Chinese exports ChChina’s latest data set adds conviction to our overweight stance on Asia Pacific markets. China’s economy grew at an annual rate of 8% when comparing the quarter ending June to the previous one. Economists had expected growth to rise from 5.6% in the first quarter…

  • Leaders urged to alleviate inequality

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    World’s most respected charity leaders including Graça Machel, widow of the late South African statesman Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the rock star Bono, the Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus, in a joint letter urged British Prime Minister David  Cameron to act swiftly to alleviate global inequality to stem military conflicts across the world. The joint letter said unless…

  • FLOODS IN CHINA

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  • Five killed in Kabul airport attack

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    A group of Taliban militants attacked the international airport of Kabul Thursday morning but all the attackers were killed within hours, an interior ministry official said. “Five terrorists attacked the military section of the airport but all the attackers have been killed,” Mohammad Ayub Salangi, an interior ministry official, told media at the site of…

  • Typhoon toll reach 38 in Philippines

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    The toll from the Typhoon Rammasun has risen to 38 in the Philippines, the state disaster agency said Thursday. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the typhoon also left 10 people injured while eight others were declared missing, Xinhua reported. NDRRMC said Rammasun destroyed 668.23 million pesos ($15.32 million) worth of…

  • Bangladesh finally free Suchitra’s home

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    Bengali film legend Suchitra Sen’s ancestral home in Bangladesh’s Pabna district was Wednesday finally freed from the clutches of the Imam Ghazali Institute after more than a three-decade tussle. District administration officials led by land officer and executive magistrate Shamim Ara Rini took possession of the one-storeyed house in the town’s Gopalpur neighbourhood Wednesday afternoon,…

  • Ancient Chinese town under water

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    The ancient Chinese town of Fenghuang has been submerged in water after severe storms battered the region, BBC reported. More than 50,000 people have been forced to leave their homes amid power cuts and flooding. Fenghuang is more than 300 years old and is currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Status     .

  • ASIA – NEWS N PICS

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    An eventful day in Asia. Political violence in Cambodia, people protesting against Israel and the grim flood situation top news agenda

  • PICS: Bangla Beat

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    Thee Israeli attack on Gaza and the Ramadan preparation top the news agenda of Bangladesh news media. Some pics from Bangladesh

  • PICS: Heatwave in Pakistan

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    Pakistanis play in a canal during a hot day in east Pakistan’s Lahore on July 15, 2014. Temperatures reach over 45 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country  

  • PICS: Brics Bank to fuel growth

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    Leaders of the five Brics countries – Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, President of Brazil, Ms. Dilma Rousseff, the President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin and the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zumahave – signed a deal to create a…

  • Agreement on BRICS bank

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    Terming the agreement towards setting up BRICS New Development Bank a significant step, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said an open international trading regime is critical for global economic growth. In his statement on the agenda “Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth” at the sixth BRICS summit, he said the global economic environment remains uncertain…

  • Nepal royal held in Thailand

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    Anil Giri reports that  Nepal’s ex-crown prince Paras arrested in Thailand with marijuana Paras Shah, Nepal’s former crown prince known for his flamboyant lifestyle, was arrested by Thai police July 10 with 12 gm of marijuana, it was confirmed Tuesday. Top diplomatic sources confirmed to IANS that Thai police had informed the Bangkok-based Nepal embassy the…

  • Modi meets Chinese leader

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Brazil to attend the BRICS  summit. He held its first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meting was lasted more than an hour The Indian prime minister conveyed India’s desire to maintain peace at the border. The Chinese President invited PM Modi to Beijing for a summit of Asia and Pacific (APEC) leaders in November.…

  • Global Jihad reaches Indian shores

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    Hundreds of Indian Muslim youth, mostly from poor and vulnerable backgrounds, are lining up for visas at the embassies of some of the Gulf and Middle East nations with the aim of joining the ‘jihad’ in Iraq, according to diplomatic sources. Iraq alone has had to deal with nearly 2,000 applications from highly charged Muslim…

  • Recruiters blamed for labour abuse

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    A report commissioned by the Qatar Foundation alleged that the rights of migrants, mainly from South Asian cuntries, are flouted in their home countries from the moment they sign up for work. “Critics of human and labour rights violations most often shift the blame to Qatar in a rather generic manner,” said the report focused…

  • Malala dares Boko Haram

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    The most famous teen in the planet, Malala Yousafali, arrives in Nigeria to support the release of 200 girls abducted from their school by Islamic militants in April. The teenager, who was shot by the Taliban, defied security warnings to fly to Nigeria on her 17th birthday, The Times reported. “I want to highlight this…

  • ‘Sharif to learn from LTTE defeat’

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    Pakistan may not be able to replicate Sri Lanka’s success vis-a-vis the LTTE but needs to learn from it to overcome Islamist militants, a Pakistani police officer has said. “The Sri Lankan strategy shows that with military might and popular support the state can defeat insurgents,” Mohammad Ali Babakhel said in an article carried Sunday…

  • BRICS to form a bank

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    Modi arrives in Brazil for BRICS summit. BRICS bank on agenda In his first multilateral summit meeting since taking office May 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Brazil to attend the five-nation BRICS summit in Brazil, where he will have his first interaction with leaders of China and Russia among others. The Sixth BRICS Summit, being held…

  • ISIS inspiring Pakistani militants

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     The ISIS in Iraq is influencing Pakistani militants, with at least one group declaring allegiance to the insurgents, a Pakistani security analyst has said. Muhammad Amir Rana said in Dawn Sunday that the Pakistani militant group Tehreek-i-Khilafats declaration of allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) “has surprised many”. The ISIS, now…

  • ‘ISIS inspiring Taliban in Pakistan’

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    Muhammad Amir Rana, security analyst, says ISIS inspiring Pakistani militants The ISIS in Iraq is influencing Pakistani militants, with at least one group declaring allegiance to the insurgents, a Pakistani security analyst has said. Muhammad Amir Rana said in Dawn Sunday that the Pakistani militant group Tehreek-i-Khilafat’s declaration of allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq…

  • We should remember Homi Bhabha

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    K.S. Parthasarathy says this is payback time for India to the father of its nuclear power. The government must save Homi Bhabha’s home for posterity Homi Bhabha, the architect of nuclear India, lived the most productive part of his life in Mehrangir, the house his father bought in 1937. Scientists regret the disinformation campaign on…

  • Delhi to top populous city list

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    Delhi to be second most populous city till 2030 Delhi, currently the world’s second most populous city after Tokyo, is expected to retain the spot till at least 2030, according to a UN report. According to the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Delhi’s population — presently pegged at 25…

  • Lanka urged to free fishermen

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    India, Sri Lanka discuss fishermen’s issue, trade Repatriation of Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka and ways to speed up trade dominated discussions between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris who called on her. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told reporters here that Sushma Swaraj thanked Peiris for Sri…

  • SPECIAL REPORT: Pakistan TV Shows

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    Pakistani TV shows are breaking down walls of mistrust, delusions  says Vikas Datta  “Mulk taksim huye, dil to abhi ek hai/Isi liye hamne khidkiyan kat rakhi hai deewaron mein (The nations were divided, but hearts are still one/That is why we’ve cut windows into the walls (between us))”, wrote an Urdu poet. Divided amid bloodshed, experiencing long spells…

  • Modi sidestepping RSS?

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    Amulya Ganguli  says the elevation of Amit Shah as BJP chief indicates that Modi is sidestepping RSS When L.K. Advani was dragged kicking and screaming from the post of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president in 2005 under orders from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a diplomatic cable from the US embassy in Delhi to Washington stated that the…

  • The Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

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    Hiring people to endanger my children’s lives easy, but rather expensive  What would you do if a man threatened to put your children on the roof of a jeep and then perform dangerous vehicular acrobatics like trying to flip the car over? I’ll tell you what I did. I said yes, paid him a large…

  • Sir Virdee, Dr Hameid honoured

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    Ragasudha Vinjamuri attends a reception at India House to honour  Sir Virdee and Prof Hameid High Commissioner of India Ranjan Mathai hosted a cocktail reception for physicist Prof Tejinder Virdee, recently knighted by the Queen for services to science, and for Dr Yusuf Hameid, the head of Indian pharmaceutical giant Cipla, who has been conferred…

  • Modi tightens grip on BJP

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    Modi aide Amit Shah is new BJP president  Amit Shah, a close aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was Wednesday named the BJP’s new president, only two months after leading the party to a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh. A former home minister of Gujarat, Shah — presently a general…

  • UN honours Shamshad Akhtar

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    Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, was honoured by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, during a swearing-in ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York. Ms Akhtar of Pakistan was appointed as the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia…

  • EU seeks Afghan poll probe

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    EU urges Afghanistan to probe fraud in presidential poll The European Union (EU) called on the Afghanistan authorities to properly investigate the “serious” allegations of fraud in presidential election. “We note the publication of the preliminary results of the second round of the presidential election in Afghanistan and the fact that these results are subject…

  • WHAT A COWARDLY THING

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra So I am reading this book in which the hero is being given a lie detector test before he joins the FBI or the CIA and the question is: have you ever been a coward? And I think to myself, hmmm, interesting, have I ever been one? Not in the…

  • Don’t forget to charge your equipment

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    Britain’s busiest airport has told passengers to ensure all electronic devices carried as hand baggage are charged before travel if they are flying to the US. Heathrow Airport posted details of the new rule on its website and Facebook page. The move follows a request from the US that “certain overseas airports” implement enhanced security measures, BBC reported. The UK…

  • Breaking news face bumpy road

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    Shilpa Raina and Kavita Bajeli-Datt is looking for Breaking News. Hardly any because the Modi government tightens grip on information Among the subtle changes associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government are those dealing with the media and nowhere has it affected a news-hungry media’s working more than in the way news sources from the government…

  • World awaits Modi’s first budget

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    Gyanendra Kumar Keshri  says high hopes from Modi government’s first budget on Thursday  Amid high expectations from the common man and corporate India, the maiden budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government Thursday is expected to extend tax relief to the salaried class and unveil steps to spur investment and growth, even as fiscal situation remains…

  • Modi to attend BRICS in Brazil

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    In his first participation in a global meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the sixth summit of BRICS countries in Brazil July 14-16 where reforms of the UN Security Council and issues like the BRICS development bank and climate change are likely to be taken up. It will also be his first meeting as…

  • EDUCATION – Chalo Delhi, not Oxford

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    Shradha Chettri says institutions across the national capital are offering courses to mould social entrepreneurs, medical experts and disaster management experts, to name just a few, as the rush for students from all over the country to study in Delhi continues. Fancy pursuing distinctive areas of study to create a niche for yourself? Institutions across…

  • Asian illegal migrants concern EU

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    Kavita Bajeli-Datt meets EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström in Brussels. The EU wants to discuss illegal migration with Modi government. In 2012, EU member-states returned around 12,000 Indian citizens found to be staying irregularly. Afghanistan (33,500) and Pakistan (29,000) are the two top countries from where illegal migrants were found staying illegally in EU. The European…

  • Caliph Ibrahim Calling…

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    Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’ aka Caliph Ibrahim’s first public ­appearance in Mosul, Iraq’s second city, ­contrasts with former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who hid his location when recording messages. Wearing a black turban and robe, al-Baghdadi – who claims to be ­descended from the Prophet Mohammed – is filmed slowly climbing stairs to a balcony, above…

  • PICS: Taliban burn oil tankers

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    Hundreds of Oil tankers destroyed as rockets hit Kabul Hundreds of oil tankers caught fire and were reduced to ashes as three rockets fired by militants slammed into a parking lot in the western part of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, drivers at the site said. “It was 11 p.m. Friday night when three rockets hit the parking…

  • Indian nurses’ ordeal ends

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    All 46 Indian women nurses seized by Sunni insurgents in Iraq were freed Friday after intense diplomatic efforts, and were set to return to Kerala Saturday morning. In what appeared to be a sudden change of mind, the militants told the nurses Friday morning after breakfast that they should be ready to move to Erbil, the…

  • Phone apps aid Genxt Muslims

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    Mohit Dubey  says the market is flooded with new apps for the young Muslims to follow their religion Hard pressed for time in today’s fast-paced world, keeping track of religion and its day-to-day rituals is not an easy task. Cutting across religious lines, this seems to be a niggling problem for the Genxt devout, in…

  • Vatican welcomes Morari Bapu

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    Cardinal Tauran speaks at Morari Bapu’s Ram Katha in Rome The Vatican’s head of Interreligious dialogue paid tribute to renowned Hindu spiritual leader Morari Bapu at an event in Rome. Cardinal Tauran, the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, attended a Hindu recital that is running for 9 days in the heart of Rome. Addressing the…

  • Thieves targetting Asians held

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    Manchester police have arrested four people after an operation to tackle the violent theft of jewellery. Operation Resemble was set up by Greater Manchester Police to target those suspected of being involved in a series of violent burglaries in the north Manchester area and Salford areas. The break-ins have been committed at the homes of predominately…

  • GALLERY- Ahlan Ramdan

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  • Indians thrive at Bapu’s Durban

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    Hadra Ahmed reports from Durban on the city which helps Gandhi to formulate his freedom struggle Once home to the young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the city of Durban in South Africa has more overseas Indians than any other city outside India. Glimpses of India are visible in the sights, smells and sounds of this city on…

  • India needs more modern cities

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    Amit Kapoor in his column Active Voice says India requires 35 new cities by 2031 to support the mushrooming population base  Urbanization has been an integral part of India’s growth story. The country today has an urban population of 377.10 million (31.2 percent of the total) and is continually expanding its base. Factors such as the…

  • Singapore urban model for India

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    India keen on Singapore’s help in urban development India and Singapore discussed ways to boost economic cooperation, with New Delhi keen to gain from Singapore’s expertise in urban development projects for the proposed ‘smart cities’ along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam Tuesday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with…

  • New Silk Road rail link to Pakistan

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    China has allocated funds for building a railway line from the city Kashgar in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to Pakistan’s deep-sea Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea, local media reported. “The 1,800-km China-Pakistan railway is planned to also pass through Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad and Karachi,” China Daily Monday quoted Zhang Chunlin, director of…

  • Rath Yatra at Harrow in London

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    London’s Harrow East witnessed the arrival of Lord Jagannath in his colourful chariot as thousands of devotees thronged to pay obeisance. The gathering include Uma Kumaran, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Harrow East. The Rath Yatra festival saw three chariots pulled along by hundreds of devotees from Queensbury Park through to Stanmore Temple. On arrival there was…