Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • Kerala’s warring Syrian churches move for truce

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    By Sanu George   After warring for decades, the two factions of Kerala’s influential Syrian Orthodox Church, which have a combined strength of over two million, have indicated they are taking steps to sign a truce. The church’s majority group known as the Orthodox faction has its headquarters in the state’s Kottayam city while the Jacobite…

  • Manjhi expelled from party

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      Bihar’s ruling JD-U expelled Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi from the party for six years, chief whip Shrawan Kumar said. “(JD-U national president) Sharad Yadav has expelled Manjhi from the party for anti-party activities,” said Shrawan Kumar, who is considered close to Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar was re-elected JD-U legislature party leader Saturday. Kumar…

  • Indians have $100 Billion in black money in HSBC accounts

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      The central government has completed assessment of 350 foreign accounts while tax-evasion proceedings have been initiated against 60 such holders as part of its crackdown on black money accounts, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Reacting to a media report that over 1,100 Indians were in the list of clients who held accounts in HSBC…

  • Modi urges envoys to help India on world stage

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said the present global environment represents a rare opportunity, when the world was keen to embrace India, and India was moving forward with confidence. Addressing over 100 heads of Indian missions from across the world, Modi urged them to use this unique opportunity to help India position itself in a leading…

  • Adaptability will be key: Dhoni

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    Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni  said adaptability will be the key to success for the defending champions in the cricket World Cup starting Feb 14. “What is important is to adapt to the conditions and the middle overs. Bowling in the middle overs will also be crucial because that will put pressure on the opposition…

  • NYT asks Modi to break his ‘dangerous silence’

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    By Arun Kumar  As President Barack Obama’s comments that religious intolerance in India would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi raised a storm in India, the New York Times asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his “deafening silence.” Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy is an inspiration for the US too, said the White House, while a bipartisan commission…

  • BJP, AAP claim victory as Delhi votes

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    Hundreds of thousands voted enthusiastically across the Indian capital  in assembly elections that both the BJP and the AAP claimed they will win. While balloting was initially slow in many middle and upper middle class areas, polling stations in low income localities witnessed virtual mobs right from the time the exercise began at 8 a.m.…

  • Cameron visits Gurudwara

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    Prime Minister David Cameron visited the Sikh Temple in Leamington Spa which serves the 4,000 local Sikhs. The Prime Minister took part in the prayer ceremony and spoke to members of the community.  He joined the volunteers to do Seva. He discussed a number of key issues with the Sikh community, which is one of the most…

  • AAP questions BJP’s page one adverts

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      The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised objections to the full-page newspaper advertisements of the BJP, a day ahead of Delhi assembly polls Saturday, and questioned how the party funded them. The AAP also said the advertisments were a clear violation of the code of conduct. “Today, Delhi has seen that every paper has a…

  • High-decibel Delhi poll campaigning ends

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    The aggressive campaigning by political parties for the Feb 7 Delhi assembly polls – a virtual battle between the BJP and the AAP – ended  with many leaders holding road shows and public meetings in a final attempt to woo the voters. Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress…

  • Sunanda Pushkar’s son questioned

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      Sunanda Pushkar’s son Shiv Menon was  questioned in connection with her murder, police said. Menon, who reached the Vasant Vihar office of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) at 1.15 p.m., was questioned for around eight hours till 9.30 p.m. Earlier, Menon, Pushkar’s son from an earlier marriage, met SIT members, who asked him to…

  • China warns Obama over Dalai Lama

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      China has warned that “positive trends” in its relations with the US will be reversed if President Barack Obama meets the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama. A commentary in the People’s Daily, the official organ of the Communist Party of China, also said that “chumming with a secessionist” would amount to “playing with fire”.…

  • Will continue supporting Kashmiri ‘struggle’: Sharif

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      Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that Pakistan would continue its political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people “in their struggle for freedom and right to self-determination”, Pakistani media reported. Sharif was addressing the legislative assembly of “Azad Kashmir”, or Pakistan-held Kashmir, in Muzaffarabad on the occasion of Kashmir Day. The prime minister…

  • AAP predict 40- 50 seats in Delhi

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    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to win about 40 seats and could even cross the 50-mark in the Delhi assembly election, party leader Yogendra Yadav said. Yadav, however, told CNN-IBN in an interview that the AAP was not over confident but was sure that the pro-AAP sentiments in the capital couldn’t be reversed…

  • Protests against Delhi church attacks

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      At least 200 people, including an AAP leader, were detained while marching towards Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence here protesting against the attacks on churches in Delhi, police said. The demonstrators, most of them from the Christian community, gathered at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. They shouted slogans saying “We want justice” and held banners…

  • US defence secretary pick for expanded ties with India

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    By Arun Kumar   Noting that India and US have built a strong strategic partnership over the last decade, President Barack Obama’s nominee for defence secretary has said he would prioritise the steady growth of their relationship. Ashton Carter, 60, a former Pentagon No. 2 who launched the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) with India,…

  • Modi for industrialists: Rahul Gandhi

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    Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi  accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of working for a few industrialists. Addressing an election rally here, he took a jibe at the suit Modi wore during US President Barack Obama’s visit, which had his name embroidered over it. “The prices of petrol and diesel have gone down, but the inflation…

  • No ties at the cost of China and Pakistan: US

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    By Arun Kumar Denying suggestions that the US-India partnership was intended as a counterweight to China, a senior US official said its sole intent was “to build India up” working on common core values. “I would fundamentally point to the fact that this is a US-India effort and it’s not necessarily to counterweight anyone,” Phil…

  • Modi terms AAP shameless

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         The gloves came off  as Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the AAP of “shamelessness” for allegedly accepting dubious election funds, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal challenged the government to arrest him if he was indeed guilty. With three days left for electioneering to end ahead of the Feb 7 assembly polls and pollsters…

  • Youngest Donor Gives £100,000 to the Gandhi Statue

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    Vivek Chadha , a 26 year old UK-based follower of Mahatma Gandhi has become the youngest donor so far to contribute £100,000 to the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust.Vivek Chadha, Director of Nine Hospitality Ltd is a hotel owner, residential developer and major commercial investor in UK real estate. Vivek graduated as a civil engineer in…

  • Kejriwal ‘bribery’ case to be heard

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      A court here  posted for April 9 hearing in the case against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly asking voters to take bribes from other parties but to vote for his party. Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Gusain Solanki said evidence against the former Delhi chief minister will be recorded that day. Arun Kumar, a lawyer…

  • India keeps key interest rates unchanged

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    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep key interest rates unchanged in its sixth bi-monthly policy review. “We have maintained the status quo (on interest rates). We have taken action on other fronts,” Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said at the press conference to announce the policy for the sixth bi-monthly meeting. Rajan…

  • BJP releases vision document for Delhi

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      The BJP  released its vision document for the 2015 Delhi assembly polls, promising to address fundamental issues like power, water, health care and the transport system in the capital. “If we want to make Delhi a smart and a world class city, we have to address the basic issues like electricity, water and transport,”…

  • Tobacco biggest cause of cancer

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    Tobacco is the single most important factor which causes cancer, but the disease can be prevented by taking simple steps like eating a healthy diet, managing obesity and proper exposure to the sun, say experts. Vinit Talwar of the capital’s Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute said while in women, cancer is caused due to over exposure…

  • Indo-US ties back on rails

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     India’s relationship with the US is back on the rails with the US president Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking its ownership, former Indian ambassador Meera Shankar has said and noted that the outcomes during Obama’s visit last month were marked by pragmatism as well as convergence. Speaking at a panel discussion on…

  • AAP denies bogus funding

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    The AAP  denied the allegation levelled by a breakaway group of receiving donations from bogus companies and termed it “malicious and false”. “The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and some mysterious fronts created by it close to the Delhi assembly elections have unleashed a malicious and false propaganda on the funding of the AAP,” said a…

  • Xi meets Sushma

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    Chinese President Xi Jinping  met India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here, and expressed confidence in the growth of bilateral relations during the year. Xi met Sushma in the Great Hall of the People, where the two sides agreed to focus on a positive bilateral agenda for the year. Xi observed that bilateral ties had…

  • Future belongs to digital India: Jaitley

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      Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley  said the future belongs to digital media due to its reach. He asked government officials dealing with information dissemination to package data and facts according to contemporary trends and media’s requirements. Inaugurating a workshop here on ‘Streamlining government communication’, the minister said the present environment offered a tremendous…

  • Father Chiramel to help Britain’s ailing health service

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    By Anasudhin Azeez  Father Davis Chiramel, chairman of the Kidney Federation of India popularly known as “Kidney Father From Kerala”, has launched a voluntary charity organisation in Britain to add more organ donors from the South Asian communities, especially Indians. According to Asian Lite newspaper, more than 1,200 patients from the Asian communities in Britain…

  • Court to hear criminal case against Kejriwal

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    A court here deferred the hearing on a plea for action against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for exhorting voters in his election speeches to take bribes if offered by the BJP and Congress but to vote for his party. The hearing was postponed for Feb 3 as the Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Gusain Solanki was on…

  • Church ransackings continue in Delhi

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    A few sacred items and a DVD player were stolen from a church here, police said. But the church’s administration claimed it did not seem to be just an incident of theft. The ransacking took place at St. Alphonsa’s church in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area. A few sacred items, including a ciborium (receptacle) and…

  • AAP promises full statehood for Delhi

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    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saturday released its manifesto for the Feb 7 Delhi assembly elections, focusing on full statehood, women’s safety and reducing electricity tariff. The AAP intends to enhance women’s safety by installing CCTV cameras. The manifesto also promised to open 20 new colleges, a 50 percent reduction in power tariff, clean drinking…

  • Never wanted to use father’s name: Sonam

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      It’s always thought that Bollywood’s star children have it easy, but actress Sonam Kapoor says that at the very beginning of her film career, she had decided not to make the most of her father Anil Kapoor’s popularity. “When I joined the film industry, I became very defensive because people were so mean. They…

  • Mobile governance important: Modi

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    To successfully implement e-governance, the country must think about ‘mobiles first’ and give importance to mobile governance, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Addressing the 18th National Conference on e-Governance through Twitter, Modi said: “I urge you to explore ways to provide as many services as possible through mobiles. Let us bring the world into…

  • Uber rape victim files lawsuit in US court

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    By Arun Kumar  A Delhi woman allegedly raped by an Uber driver last December has filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the web-based US taxi firm of focusing on profits over the safety of its passengers. In a 36-page complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California ,…

  • Jayanthi Natarajan quits Congress

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    Senior Congress leader and former union minister Jayanthi Natarajan announced her resignation from the party, saying she had only acted on “specific inputs” from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s office during her tenure as the environment minister. “I announce my resignation (from the party),” Natarajan told reporters here, adding that she was anguished. “I feel…

  • Pakistan opposes UN Council permanent seat to India

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    Pakistan reiterated its opposition to grant a permanent seat on UN Security Council to India and insisted on reforms to make the forum more democratic. Pakistan contested the Indian move after US President Barack Obama announced support for India to seek permanent Security Council’s seat during his recent visit to New Delhi. Foreign ministry spokesperson…

  • Anna Hazare plans fresh agitation

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    Veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare might launch another anti-corruption agitation against the central government, he told reporters here. He plans to launch another movement demanding implementation of the Lokpal Act and seek recovery of the black money of Indians stashed in foreign banks. “During the Lok Sabha elections, people were promised that the black money would…

  • Americans know nothing about Sikhism: Study

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    By Arun Kumar   Although more than half a million Sikhs live in the US, a majority of Americans are unaware of what Sikhism is and some admit wariness when seeing their Sikh neighbours, according to new study. Conducted by Washington-based Hart Research Associates, the study released here Tuesday, shows that there is enormous potential to…

  • Pakistan wants good ties with India: Sharif

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      Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif  said that he wanted relations with India based on equality and mutual respect, values which are vital for peace in the region, a media report said. In a meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit here, Sharif said that Pakistan longed for good relations with all countries…

  • Jiji Thompson new Kerala chief secretary

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    IAS official Jiji Thompson will be the new chief secretary of Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced here . Chandy said this to reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting. The 1980-batch Kerala cadre official’s appointment comes despite former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan asking the Chandy government earlier this month to not consider Thomson for…

  • India’s growing appetite for luxury brands

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    By Nivedita A growing clientele with an appetite for luxury products makes India a conducive market for global fashion designers to make inroads, says British designer Alice Temperley, whose creations have been worn by the likes of The Duchess of Cambridge, Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez. She has launched her fashion brand Temperley London in…

  • Pakistan violate ceasefire in Jammu

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      Pakistan Rangers overnight targeted Border Security Force (BSF) posts on the International Border in Jammu, a source said. “Pakistan Rangers targeted some BSF outposts in R.S. Pura sector of the International Border at 9.30 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday),” a BSF source said here. “They used small weapons and automatics to target our positions,” the source said,…

  • US media sees geopolitical implications

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    By Arun Kumar  Taking a generally positive view of US President Barack Obama’s India visit, the US media has suggested that his personal chemistry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had opened a new chapter in India-US relations. “After years of near misses and unfulfilled promises,” Obama and Modi “appear to have set relations between their…

  • Chef Sanjeev Kapoor takes Dabbawalas to lunch

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    Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who treated the famous Dabbawalas — known for delivering tiffins to over 200,000 customers across Mumbai everyday — to a special lunch, says their work begins where his work as a kitchen king ends. “I only make food but the other part of my job is done by these Dabbawalas who…

  • Rahul Gandhi hits Delhi campaign trail

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    Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi sought to strengthen the party’s campaign for the Delhi assembly polls through a road show where he accused Prime Minster Narendra Modi of promoting his “PR” (public relations). Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of doing nothing for the poor people, Gandhi said it was only the Congress…

  • New era begins in India-US ties

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    By Arun Kumar  US President Barack Obama’s historic visit to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations turned out to be much more than symbolic as it helped cut the nuclear knot and paved the way for a ‘new era’ in India-US relations. US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes believes the signal…

  • Obama talks about women’s rights

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    US President Barack Obama said he was happy to see all the “incredible” women in the Indian armed forces during the Republic Day parade, which he said was a sign of great progress of the country. In a town hall meeting-style speech at the Siri Fort Auditorium here, his last engagement before he flew off…

  • Kiran Bedi sends legal notice to Kejriwal

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    BJP’s chief ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi sent a legal notice to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for using her photograph in the party’s poster campaign without her permission. “Yes, she has sent a notice to Kejriwal. He has been asked to ensure that the posters are removed,” Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) media convener Praveen Shankar Kapoor…

  • Obama leaves a religious tolerance message for India

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    That US President Barack Obama knows how to work the crowds was evident from his address at the Siri Fort Auditorium where he had a predominantly young crowd screaming out his name, repeatedly applauding him and vying with one another to clasp his hands as well as that of his wife Michelle when both of…