Asian Lite News Archive

Category: INDIAN NEWS

  • Rains halt Badrinath yatra

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    The Badrinath Yatra – part of the annual Hindu pilgrimage of Char Dham Yatra was halted following heavy rain in Uttarakhand, an official said Tuesday. The rain Monday washed away a road near Lambagad leading to the Badrinath shrine and it will take some time to repair it, officials said. At least 83 pilgrims have…

  • Sweets exchanged at Wagah checkpost

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     The border guards of India and Pakistan Tuesday greeted each other and exchanged sweets at the border checkpost at Attari-Wagah, 30 km from Amritsar, on the occasion of Eid. Officers and troopers of Pakistan Rangers offered sweets to their Indian counterparts. Indians and Pakistanis embraced one another at the border gates, 300 km from here.…

  • India celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr

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      Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated in the national capital Tuesday as Muslims marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday greeted the nation on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.“Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May this auspicious day strengthen the bond of peace, unity and brotherhood across our nation,” he said in a tweet.Eid-ul-Fitr…

  • India needs a new growth startegy

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    Amit Kapoor in his weekly column Column – Active Voice says  India suffers from unequal growth and the different regions of the country cannot boast of the same levels of basic development required for the potential economic superpower to grow India has long been considered a goldmine of potential, banking on its ability to integrate despite…

  • Emirates to skip conflict zones

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    Emirates to stop fly over Iraq0 Dubai-based Emirates Airlines, one of the world’s biggest airlines, will stop flying over Iraq after concerns about the missile threat posed by Islamist militants on the ground, The Times reported. Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said he believed that other carriers would follow suit, as the airline industry began a…

  • GALLERY: Indian Achievers Honoured

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    Poonam Dhillon and Aneel Murarka, co-founders of Poetic Justice Events & Entertainment, in association with YES BANK, India’s fourth largest private sector Bank, present The International India Achiever’s Award-14 (IIAA) a brilliant and unique initiative to honour overseas Indian Achievers who have glorified the Indian flag on international soil ! YES BANK has always been…

  • Stop violence in Saharanpur: Pak daily

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    The communal violence in Indian town of Saharanpur should be halted at once before it spreads and becomes uncontrollable, a Pakistani daily said in an editorial. The violence was a result of a land dispute between the Muslim and Sikh communities in Saharanpur and so far, it has claimed two lives, the Daily Times said…

  • Sushma trip sets tone for Modi visit

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    Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s three-day trip to Nepal set the “political tone” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-anticipated official visit here, a leading Nepal daily said Monday. “Looking ahead to Modi’s official visit, we believe Swaraj, during her busy days in Kathmandu, set the political tone for the much-anticipated August 3-4 visit,” said…

  • PICS: EID PREPARATIONS – WORLD

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  • IFTAR…..PARTY TIME FOR POLITICIANS

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    Iftar is a pious moment in which Muslims break their fast. Indian politicians make it a mockery by donning Islamic caps and sharing foods. Iftar has become a tool to show their Islam Link and win votes. It is party time for politicians in India. What a shame!

  • Plan for Intl. football culture club

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    Known for his rich oeuvre of politically-charged works as well as his diverse football related projects, artist Riyas Komu plans to open an international football culture club. Hailing from Kerala and based in Mumbai, Komu prefers to do “socially relevant” paintings and is famed for football-themed installations. The artist is in talks with internationally-acclaimed football…

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    Superstars Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were seen on the same platform in Mumbai to support Indian sport kabaddi. The Pro Kabaddi League tournament started on  Saturday and the duo, along with other celebrities like Farah Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Tina Ambani and Kabir Bedi, attended the launch of the eight-city franchise.  Abhishek Bachchan owns Jaipur Pink…

  • Promote trade with India: The Dawn

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    A leading Pakistani newspaper Sunday moaned the lost opportunities and called for speedy promotion of trade with India. More than a decade after the signing of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement by both countries, bilateral trade was far below the potential, the Dawn suggested in an editorial. “Having missed an opportunity to advance opening…

  • India tops in S.Asia’s human trafficking

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    Rajnish Singh says India has emerged as the top destination for human trafficking in South Asia India has emerged as the top destination for human trafficking in South Asia, a top UN official has said. South Asia representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cristina Albertine, said that a majority of the victims…

  • PICS FROM PUNJAB

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    Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal attends a crucial core committee meeting at Amritsar. Haryana’s decision to create a separate Sikh forum to control Gurudwaras

  • DON’T BLAME THE WIFE 

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra Why is it when a young man marries a woman and stops stepping up to the plate as a son and brother everyone in the family blames the minted wife. A distant relative of mine has done the dirty to his aging parents and being a complete pratt which is…

  • Saeed Naqvi on India’s stance on Gaza

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    Saeed Naqvi  says India has two policies on Gaza: One in parliament, another at UN  Indian Foriegn Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement on Palestine in the Rajya Sabha so pleased Jerusalem that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman thanked her that evening over the telephone. But the goodwill thus generated was fading by Wednesday when New Delhi, having…

  • Finally ‘acche din’ for Varanasi

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     Mohit Dubey says Prime Minister Modi is working projcts to bring ‘acche din’ for Varanasi Having elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to parliament, the ancient city of Varanasi is all set to see ‘acche din’ (good days) promised during the election campaign. The Modi government has finalized an “exhaustive makeover blueprint” for the city, its spiritual and…

  • Kargil martyrs remembered

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      The 15th anniversary of the Kargil war victory was observed Saturday, with leaders paying homage to the martyrs, and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley promising a “huge” war memorial. President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to the martyrs. “The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has on Kargil…

  • Dynasty is Congress’ plight

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    The imprecations directed at Rahul Gandhi – “joker” – and at his advisers – “rootless wonders and spineless creepers” – by sections of Congressmen and the recent signs of organizational disarray in several states suggest that it is still a far cry for the Congress where recovery is concerned. The revolts by two important functionaries…

  • US lawmaker gets Indians wrong

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    In an extremely awkward incident, a newly elected member of the US House of Representatives mistook two senior Indian American officials of the Barack Obama administration to be from India and asked them questions about “your country” and “your government”. “I’m familiar with your country; I love your country,” freshman Republican Curt Clawson told Nisha…

  • Jaya pushes for more Hajj seat quota

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    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s to increase the Hajj quota for the state owing to a large number of applicants. She said the Tamil Nadu State Hajj Committee has received 13,159 applications from pilgrims for Hajj 2014. In letter to Modi, Jayalalithaa said: “Based on the Muslim population,…

  • More Indians into social networking

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    More Indians are logging into Facebook and Twitter accounts, as evident from a record growth of 37 percent in social networking during 2013, according to a study by eMarketer. “Indians are increasingly logging into Facebook and Twitter accounts, with the country recording the highest social networking growth of 37.4 percent in 2013,” the US-based independent…

  • Obama invites Indian girl for dinner

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    Next week, US President Barack Obama and his wife will host 12 differently-abled people from all over the world, including one from Mumbai, for an exclusive dinner at the White House. The lucky Mumbaikar from suburban Goregaon is athlete Neha P. Naik, 23, who is a Special Olympics International Global Messenger, besides taking part in…

  • India’s two sided Gaza policy

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    By Saeed Naqvi Sushma Swaraj’s statement on Palestine in the Rajya Sabha so pleased Jerusalem that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman thanked her that evening over the telephone. But the goodwill thus generated was fading by Wednesday when New Delhi, having changed its mind, voted with the resolution at the UN “condemning Israel for disproportionate…

  • ‘Hindu Nation’ comments trigger uproar

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    Controversial comments made by two ministers of the BJP-led Goa government, one wishing for a Hindu nation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and another claiming India is already one, created an uproar both in the state assembly and across social media Friday. Minutes after the opposition Congress and an independent legislator staged a walked out…

  • Congress back in news

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    The ruling Congress Friday won all the three assembly seats in Uttarakhand for which bypolls were held. Chief Minister Harish Rawat won from Dharchula. The senior Congress leader won by over 20,000 votes and defeated his nearest Bharatiya Janata Party rival B.D. Joshi, election officials said. Rawat was an MP from Uttarakhand before taking over…

  • Indian planes fly over conflict zones

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    Most commercial planes from India continue to fly over conflict zones, including the Af-Pak region, even as experts raised serious security concerns over the practice after pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine shot down a Malaysian plane on Thursday. In fact, most flights going from India to Europe and North America, and coming back, fly over conflict…

  • Finance Bill passed by Lok Sabha

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    The Lok Sabha Friday passed the Finance Bill, 2014 by a voice vote with which the legislative proposals notably on direct and indirect taxes proposed in the national budget for this fiscal can now become effective formally. The bill was passed after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave his reply to the debate on the budget,…

  • Kargil War martyrs remembered

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    Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh Friday paid tributes to the martyrs of 1999 Kargil War in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region on the occasion of 15th Vijay Diwas. He said the army is alert and has been deployed effectively on the borders to defend the integrity and the sovereignty of the country. “Let me…

  • Kerry to visit India July 30

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    US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit India July 30-Aug 1, the external affairs ministry said Thursday. “External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will host US Secretary of State John Kerry in New Delhi from July 30 to Aug 1. Sushma Swaraj and Kerry will co-chair the fifth India-US Strategic Dialogue July 31,” a ministry…

  • INDIA – NEWS N PICS

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  • PICS: Tributes to Shiva

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  • PICS: Remains of the Raj

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    Senior Justice Ashim Banerjee ,West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and New Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi with his wife (L to R) during Governor’s oath taking ceremony at Raj Bhawan in Kolkata

  • FEATURE: Presidential Palace Museum

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     A flower petal that was found on the body of Mahatma Gandhi after his assassination, a piece of rock from the moon, gold-plated ceremonial chairs used by the British colonial rulers, Edwin Lutyens’ rough sketches of a grand sandstone structure that took the shape of what is now Rashtrapati Bhavan — such invaluable artefacts are…

  • India rank low in human development index

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     India ranked 135 out of 187 countries on the human development index in UNDP’s annual report 2014 released Thursday. Human development index is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and income indices to measure the well being of a country. On the gender inequality index, India ranked 127 out of 152 countries and on…

  • REVIEW- BRICS summit in Brazil

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    Amit Kapoor  and Sankalp Sharma review the BRICS summit held in Brazil The recently concluded BRICS annual summit held in Brazil resulted in the important Fortaleza Declaration and Action Plan from the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The joint declaration has some important points that highlight the importance of this year’s summit. The…

  • Air India gets big leap

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    Rohit Vaid analysing the national carriers’ alignment with 27-member Star Alliance.  It took eight years and a host of hiccups before flag carrier Air India finally joined Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline accord. And finally, the 60 million passengers who fly from the world’s fifth largest aviation market will gain better global connectivity and…

  • I am an Indian till I die: Sania

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    Tennis star Sania Mirza Thursday insisted she was an Indian and will “remain an Indian until the end” after a BJP leader attacked the Telangana government for naming her the state’s ambassador. Tennis star Sania Mirza Thursday said she will “remain an Indian until the end”, after a politician attacked the Telangana government for naming…

  • Tribute to Kargil martyrs

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    Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh will Friday pay tribute to the martyrs of 1999 Kargil war in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region. Defence sources told said that General Bikram Singh, who is retiring July 31, will visit the Drass area Friday and will then fly back to New Delhi. “The visit of the chief will…

  • HEY, WHERE ARE THERE?

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra Every now and then I get a little bit angry. But it is not because of an eclipse of the heart. More because I feel like that guy in the boat who was left stranded midstream. That is what Indian media does, they leave you grasping for oars to get…

  • $18 bn World Bank aid for India

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    The World Bank Wednesday said it will provide financial support of $15-18 billion to India over the next three years to help accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty. Talking to media persons after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi here, World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim said the Indian government has outlined a comprehensive plan…

  • Student wins damages for London arrest

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    An Indian student has won 3,500 pounds ($5,967) in damages for her illegal detention at Heathrow Airport in London, media reported. Swathi Palisetty, a student of the University of Bedfordshire in Luton town, was held for 17 hours by suspicious UK Border Agency (UKBA) officials at Heathrow after she returned from a trip to India…

  • India Biz targets Latin America

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    Saroj Mohanty says India, Latin America set to tango An India-Latin America Forum to forge a new paradigm of cooperation leading to a “strategic partnership” could be in the offing in the near future. India and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) are exploring possibilities of a “dialogue mechanism”, based on the recent…

  • I am not Mowgli!

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    Prantick Majumder says that he is from northeast… but he is not Mowgli! “Does the Rajdhani Express go to Assam?” I thought I had heard something wrong. When the question was repeated, I knew I heard it right. My blood came to a boil. But my conscience got the better of me as I realised that the…

  • Pak fashion due in Mumbai

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    Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) Winter-Festive 2014 will host four Pakistani designers Faiza Samee, Rizwan Beyg, Sania Maskatiya and Zara Shahjahan. Presented by POPxo.com and Hello! Pakistan, the designers will mark their LFW debut with a grand show Aug 22 at the winter-festive edition of LFW. “This season we are very excited to host four exceptional…

  • ‘Mary Kom’ ready for release

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    If Priyanka Chopra let go off her diva image to play an autistic girl in “Barfi!”, the former beauty queen has once again swapped her glamorous look with a masculine and low-maintained one for “Mary Kom”. And as promised, the trailer of the biopic knocks you out. Directed by Omung Kumar and co-produced by Viacom18…

  • India, Pak foreign secretaries to meet

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    Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan are to meet in Islamabad Aug 25, in a major forward movement in reviving stalled peace talks two months after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. The date and venue of the talks was decided Wednesday during a telephonic talk between Indian…

  • Shiv Sena MP raise political storm

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    A Shiv Sena MP, who was seen in a video clip trying to force food into the mouth of a Muslim staffer of Maharashtra Sadan who was observing the Ramadan fast, kicked off a political storm Wednesday, with parliament in uproar. While the Congress targeted the Narendra Modi government for the act, which they described…

  • Saudi Arabia fix wage for Indian maids

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    The monthly salary for Indian maids recruited in Saudi Arabia has been fixed at 1,200 Saudi riyals ($320), a media report said Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s national recruitment committee has also asked employers to provide return economy tickets for the maids, Arab News reported citing sources. Among other provisions in the new labour contract, a free…