Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Asia News

  • We are united for rights: Malala

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      Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said  that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarti, who…

  • Many children die in Pakistan drought

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    At least seven more children have reportedly died in drought-hit Tharparkar district in Pakistan’s Sindh province, taking the unofficial toll this year to 533, media reported . Insufficient rainfall and lack of vegetation were major factors that led to the famine situation in the region, causing malnutrition in mothers and leading to health problems among…

  • ‘ISIS may exploit Pakistan’s sectarian divide’

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      The Pakistan government has realised that the Islamic State (IS) group is a potential threat that could benefit from the changing militant landscape in the country and exploit the sectarian schism by signing up new recruits, media reported . “It would be dishonest to say IS is not a threat to Pakistan,” said National…

  • Nobel Prize makes me feel powerful: Malala

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    Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai said  that she was honoured to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and it made her feel “more powerful and courageous”. “I’m really happy to be sharing this award with a person from India,” she said at a press conference here on the eve of the award ceremony, adding that…

  • Pakistan rejects India’s allegations

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      Pakistan  said it firmly rejects India’s “baseless allegations” about “mainstreaming of terrorism” regarding the Lahore rally by terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed and also the “equally baseless allegations and efforts to malign Pakistan by implicating it in the recent attacks” in Jammu and Kashmir. In response to a question about comments by India’s external affairs…

  • Afghan reform agenda hailed

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      The international community welcomed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s reform agenda for his country at a conference in London. Britain and Afghanistan co-hosted the London conference to discuss Afghanistan’s future and international support for it after the withdrawal of NATO-led coalition forces by the end of 2014, Xinhua reported. The conference was attended by Afghan…

  • Pakistan confirms ISIS presence with arrests

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    Pakistan  confirmed arrests in connection with activities of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni radical group. Officials earlier played down the presence of IS in the country after unidentified people distributed pamphlets in parts of northwest Pakistan, some areas along the border with Afghanistan and Afghan refugee camps. The pamphlets were also distributed in the eastern…

  • India’s $3-bn investment game changer for Nepal

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    By Anil Giri    Within just six months at the helm, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi injected over $3 billion of investments into Nepal, a possible gamechanger in Nepal-India relations that may entirely change the economic landscape of the Himalayan nation. The two sides recently reached three agreements – two in the energy sector and one…

  • Sharif to attend London conference on Afghanistan

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    Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be visiting Britain to attend the London Conference on Afghanistan, a foreign ministry statement said . The conference is scheduled to be held Dec 3-4. British Prime Minister David Cameron had telephoned Sharif Oct 28 and invited him to participate in the conference. The conference will be co-hosted by…

  • No talks with Imran Khan: Pakistan

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    The Pakistan government has ruled out the possibility of resuming a dialogue with PTI chief Imran Khan after he said that he would shutdown major cities – and the country. Most political parties rejected Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief’s call, fearing that the country would be plunged into a crisis, Dawn online reported Monday. Responding swiftly…

  • Attacks on Hindu temples on rise in Pakistan

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     In the latest incident of its kind, a Hindu temple was attacked by fanatics in Pakistan, the temple was torched, the stone idol of Lord Hanuman blackened with soot, and some religious books burnt. This attack Nov 21 on the Hindu temple in the Tando Mohammad Khan area in Sindh – and reported in the…

  • Pakistani terror group claim attack on polio workers

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      Pakistani terror group Jundullah claimed responsibility for  attack on polio workers which claimed the lives of four people, including three women health workers, in Quetta, Dawn online reported. Four immunisation workers were killed and three others were injured Wednesday morning when armed men opened fire on a polio vaccination team near Quetta’s Eastern Bypass…

  • How Koirala broke the impasse

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      Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala played a crucial role in ending the impasse between India and Pakistan during the retreat at Dhulikhel near here  on the sidelines of the 18th Saarc Summit. There was immense pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Shairf, from visiting leaders and the media…

  • SAARC Summit concludes with one pact

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    By Anil Giri  The 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit concluded in Kathmandu Thursday with the adoption of a 36-point Kathmandu Declaration. During the Summit, a Saarc Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation was signed while leaders of the South Asian nations directed their respective ministers to hold a meeting within three months…

  • Lanka monitors warn of poll violence

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      Sri Lanka’s election monitors have warned that the run-up to the presidential election in January could become violent and called on the Elections Commissioner for necessary action, an official said . Wheels have been set in motion to make history in Sri Lanka after incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa called for snap presidential election seeking…

  • Modi, Sharif shake hands

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     After a day when they apparently ignored each other in front of cameras, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif shook hands and met briefly during the retreat at the Saarc Summit . “Yes, they have met and shook hands at the retreat,” Nepal Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said over phone from…

  • Polio workers gunned down in Pakistan

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    Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a polio vaccination team near the Eastern Bypass area in Pakistan’s Quetta city , killing four health workers, including three women, and injuring three others. The assailants later escaped from the site of the incident, Dawn online reported. The bodies of the victims were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta…

  • Modi skip Sharif and meet the rest

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with leaders of four South Asian nations on the sidelines of 18th Saarc Summit here , but the conspicuous absence from the meeting list was Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He held talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgey and Afghani…

  • Saarc must act for economic integration: Modi

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  called for a better economic  integration among Saarc, expressing concern that under 5 percent of the region’s global trade takes place between its eight member countries. The Indian prime minister also promised a special funding vehicle, overseen by his country, to finance infrastructure projects in the region, while also proposing…

  • India tells Pakistan to speed 26/11 trial

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    Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the trial of those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack is progressing “very slowly” in Pakistan and should be expedited on a priority basis. “Heartfelt tributes to people who lost their lives in Mumbai terror attack of 2008. The perpetrators of Mumbai attack are yet to be punished,”…

  • India calls for collective response to terrorism

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      India  said that terrorism is the biggest challenge the South Asian region faces and called for collective response to it. India also reiterated its “sincere and abiding commitment” towards regional peace, prosperity and development in South Asia. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her opening statement at the SAARC Council of Ministers Meeting…

  • Afghanistan suicide attack toll hits 57

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      The toll in the suicide bomb attack at a volleyball match in Afghanistan at the weekend has risen to 57, with 66 injured being treated in hospital, authorities said . According to the government of Paktika province where the attack took place, 42 people were killed on the spot in the blast Sunday and…

  • Sharif say no to elections before 2018

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      Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said  that a general election would not be held in the country before 2018. He thus rejected the demands by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for early elections, a Dawn online report said. The PTI has been holding countrywide demonstrations in protest of the government’s alleged corruption and rigging…

  • China holds the key for regional peace

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    India’s ambivalence on China can derail regional groupings… writes Subir Bhaumik   A senior diplomat recently told a seminar in Kolkata that India joins too many regional groupings, some of them overlapping, and then not doing anything worthwhile to carry forward their intended agendas. The message from this former ambassador to three countries was clear: Only when…

  • Saarc summit to focus on peace & unity

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    By Anil Giri   The forthcoming 18th Saarc Summit to be held in Kathmandu will focus on installing durable peace and prosperity among the member states and will give utmost priority to regional unity, Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said. The theme of the summit is “deeper integration for peace and prosperity”, and…

  • Lanka announce presidential poll

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    Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed the proclamation declaring the presidential election next year, the president’s office said. The president, who took power in 2005, is seeking a third term in office, two years ahead of completing his second term. Cabinet spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said Rajapaksa had been nominated by the ruling Sri…

  • Lanka releases Indian fishermen on death row

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      The Indian high commission here confirmed that five Indian fishermen, who were sentenced to death by a Sri Lankan court on charges of drug trafficking, were released from prison and will be sent back to India. “We are deeply grateful to (Sri Lankan President) Mahinda Rajapaksa for this humanitarian gesture, which will further strengthen…

  • Lanka raises objections with UN

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    Sri Lanka  raised objections with the UN office in Colombo regarding the manner in which an investigation is being conducted on the war against Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka. Minister of External Affairs G.L. Peiris met Resident Coordinator of the UN in Sri Lanka Subinay Nandy and conveyed to him the government’s discontent concerning the…

  • Imran Khan turns down dialogue offer

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    Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has turned down the government’s offer to hold talks, media reported . Addressing a party rally in Sahiwal city in Punjab province, Imran Khan urged all Pakistanis to come out of their homes Nov 30, not for him, but for the future of their children, The Nation reported. He…

  • Ghani visit to thaw ties with Pakistan

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    Afghans eye president’s visit to Pakistan with optimism Political observers here viewed the ongoing visit by Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani to Pakistan with optimism, saying it would lead to a new chapter in relations between the two immediate neighbours. President Ghani embarked on a two-day official visit to Pakistan Friday with the objective of…

  • Imran Khan prepared to go to jail

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      Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has said that he would follow the orders of the court and go to jail, a media report said . “According to the decision of the anti-terrorism court (ATC), I am a dangerous man. It also declared me a proclaimed offender, which is why I should go to…

  • Modi invites Malaysia to make in India

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi  invited Malaysian companies to come to India as part of his “Make in India” initiative during talks with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Tun Razak. “I am giving lot of emphasis to @makeinindia & want to invite Malaysian companies to come to India. There are lot of opportunities,” said a tweet…

  • Pakistan denies ISIS presence

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      Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan flatly ruled out the presence of Islamic State (IS) militants in Pakistan. “No organisation of this name exists in Pakistan,” the interior minister said at the passing-out parade of Pakistan Rangers in Karachi, Dawn online reported. The statement comes days after the provincial government of Balochistan conveyed…

  • New status for Bangladeshi migrants in India

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    The Supreme Court  issued notice to the central and state governments on a petition seeking declaration that all the refugees that came to India from Bangladesh be described as displaced persons and not illegal migrants. A bench of Chief Justice H.L.Dattu and Justice A.K.Sikri issued notice on the plea by the Joint Action Committee for…

  • Tribute for Khudadad Khan in Pakistan

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    British High Commissioner Philip Barton with VC recipient Sepoy Khudadad Khan descendant, Abdul Ghafoor Chaudhary British High Commissioner to Pakistan Mr Philip Barton CMG OBE unveiled a plaque in honour of three soldiers from modern day Pakistan, who were awarded Victoria Crosses during the First World War.  The ceremony formed part of the UK Government’s…

  • Modi-Sharif meeting looks bleak

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    With a fortnight left for the SAARC summit in Kathmandu, chances of a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif looked bleak. External affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, in answer to a query, said here Monday: “You have heard our leaders talk of paving the path towards a process. If…

  • Hindus in Pakistan seek Sherif’s help

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    The Pakistan Hindu Council has proposed the establishment of an active committee under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to prevent atrocities against minorities. They condemned the brutal killing of a Christian couple in Punjab province and the kidnapping of Hindu citizens, particularly minor girls, Dawn online reported. The council demanded that the prime minister and provincial…

  • New ISI chief takes charge

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      Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, who once wrote a paper asking Pakistan to aggressively pursue rapprochement with India, has taken over as the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He succeeds Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam, who retired Friday. Lt. Gen. Akhtar has previously served as the director general of Pakistan Rangers in Sindh. He was…

  • Trench Brothers – Tributes to Fallen Heroes

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      HMDT Music’s Trench Brothers commemorates the achievements and contributions made by ethnic minority soldiers during the First World War. This is an education programme for primary schools, which incorporates a new music theatre work. Following research into unknown and known stories of West Indian and Indian troops, the piece will draw from their historical,…

  • Imran Khan calls Modi ‘faithful’

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    Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, addressing a sit-in in Islamabad, appreciated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effort to bring back assets in foreign countries. “Whatever you say about him, he is a faithful man,” Imran Khan said Thursday. He lauded Modi for making public a list of 627 Indians with assets in foreign countries,…

  • Sharif condemns Christian couple’s murder

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    Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the murder of a Christian couple by a Muslim mob for allegedly desecrating the Koran. He termed it “an unacceptable crime”, a media report said . The incident occurred in Kot Rasha Kishan town of Punjab province Tuesday, The Nation reported. “A responsible state cannot tolerate mob rule…

  • India makes its point clear to Pakistan

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    Pakistan should draw a “red line” whether it wants to talk to the government of India or to those who want to break India, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said here . Speaking at the India Economic Summit, Jaitley said India is ready to speak to Pakistan and is willing to normalise the relationship, but then…

  • India-Pak face off at UN

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    India and Pakistan faced off  at the UN as Islamabad brought up Kashmir in its renewed campaign to internationalise the issue. Diyar Khan, a counsellor at Pakistan’s UN Mission, said his country regretted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been deprived of their right to self-determination. Self-determination did not lapse with the passage…

  • India condemn Wagah attack

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    The terror bombing at Wagah in Pakistan that claimed 60 lives drew wide condemnation in India, with the government calling for “the firmest and most comprehensive action” against all terror groups while politicians called for united efforts to deal with terrorism. In a statement, the government said it “strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist attack” and…

  • Pakistan clueless on terror: The Dawn

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      The Pakistani state is clueless how to fight terrorist groups holding the country to ransom, a leading Pakistani daily said following the horrific suicide attack at the border. The Dawn also said in an editorial that the Sunday evening attack at the Wagah border indicated the terrorists had deliberately targeted civilians for “their perceived…

  • Blast kills 45 near Wagah border

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    At least 45 people were killed and over 70 others injured in a suicide blast  evening near the Wagah border in Pakistan’s Lahore metropolis, police said. Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said a suspected 18-year-old suicide bomber blew up his explosive jacket around 5.50 p.m. amid a crowd of people who were coming…

  • No Modi-Sharif meeting at SAARC: India

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    India  denied any plans for a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif during the SAARC summit in Kathmandu. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, in answer to a query at a briefing, said there is “no such proposal at hand” and that the issue is not under discussion. He…

  • Pak court approves 2013 polls

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    The Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed all three petitions that challenged the 2013 general elections. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk heard the peitions. The petitions sought the 2013 elections to be declared null and void, alleging rigging and claiming the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) used faulty magnetic ink. The petitions called…

  • Bangladesh to hang Jamaat-e-Islami chief

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    A special tribunal in Bangladesh handed down the death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for wartime atrocities during the country’s 1971 Liberation War, media reports said. Nizami, who led the Pakistan Army’s vigilante militia outfit, Al-Badr, to abort Bangladesh’s birth, has also been awarded life sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that found…

  • Swire lauds Asian businesses

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    Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office , praised the entrepreneurship of Asians and suggested Asia will define the next century. “It is clear too that Asia – a lively and diverse mix of ethnicities, religions and political beliefs; home to half of humanity and increasingly the world’s economic power house…