Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Kerala Korner

  • NIA busts Al-Qaeda terror module in Kerala, West Bengal

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    Following raids in West Bengal and Kerala, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested nine militants linked with the Al Qaeda terror group, who were planning attacks at several key installations in Delhi-NCR, a spokesperson said. The NIA spokesperson said that the anti-terror probe agency carried out the simultaneous raids at several locations in…

  • Church feud: Dist. Admin. acquires famed church

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    The ongoing factional feud in the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church took an ugly turn in the wee hours of Monday when the police forcefully broke open the gates of the famed Mulanthuruthy Marthoman Church and took possession of it. After taking over the church, the Ernakulam district sub-collector Snehil Kumar told the media that the…

  • Chandy’s look-alike reaching Kerala

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    Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s look-alike, a Saudi Arabian national who is arriving here later this month, wants to meet him. It all began a month ago when someone posted the picture of Hassan Al-Assiri hailing from Jizan in the oil rich kingdom on the social media. The photo went viral due to his likeness…

  • Kerala Beckons Chinese Visitors

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    Kerala Tourism has hit the streets of Shanghai in its bid to attract high-spending Chinese tourists from the world’s largest outbound tourism market to India’s southern state….reports Asian Lite News A road show and another tourism event at the sprawling Hotel Jinjiang Tower witnessed a huge footfall and a large presence of the Chinese media,…

  • Congress takes Aruvikara in Kerala

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    Congress candidate K.A. Sabarinathan won the Aruvikara assembly constituency by-election in Kerala, beating his nearest rival by around 10,000 votes….reports Asian Lite News. Sabarinathan, 31, was leading right from the start in the counting of votes in the morning. According to the official website of the chief electoral officer, Sabarinathan secured 56,448 votes and the…

  • By-election defeat shocks Kerala Communists

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    Congress wins Aruvikara by-poll in Kerala by a margin of over 10,000 votes….reports Asian Lite News Congress candidate K.A. Sabarinathan on Tuesday won the Aruvikara assembly constituency by-election in Kerala, beating his nearest rival by around 10,000 votes. Sabarinathan, 31, was leading right from the start in the counting of votes in the morning. According…

  • NRI deposits in Kerala banks cross Rs 1lakh Crore

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    Deposits of non-residents (NRs) in Kerala banks have crossed Rs.1 lakh crore in the last fiscal, said a State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) report released here. NR deposits in Kerala banks have been growing over the years. From Rs.66,190 crore in March 2013, these climbed to Rs.93,883 crore by March 31, 2014, and further to…

  • It’s Chandy vs. Achuthanandan @ Aruvikara

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    By Sanu George  With polling in the Aruvikara assembly by-election scheduled for June 27, it’s more or less a battle between two political veterans of Kerala – 71-year-old Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his predecessor, the 91-year-old communist leader V.S. Achuthanandan. The election was necessitated after senior Congress leader and assembly speaker G. Karthikeyan died…

  • Charles Correa’s work immortal in Kerala

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    Two works in Kerala of renowned architect Charles Correa, who died in Mumbai on Tuesday night, that have enthralled many, will remain immortal. Visitors to Kovalam cherish the memories of the beach and enjoy the breathtaking view of the 183-room Leela Kovalam, a five-star hotel that’s perched on a peak overlooking the sea. Correa had…

  • Kerala IT exports touch Rs.10,000 crore

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    With Information Technology exports from Kerala for the 2014-15 fiscal touching Rs.10,000 crore, time was ripe for ‘ghar wapsi’ (home return) of Kerala IT professionals working outside the state and the country, an official said…. reports Asian Lite News. IT exports from the southern Indian state grew from Rs.7,000 crore in 2013-14 to touch the…

  • Bar scam a political conspiracy: Chandy

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    Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy  dubbed the bar scam rocking the state as a “political conspiracy” and warned that those behind it “will have to pay a heavy price”…..reports Asian Lite News. “The baseless allegations in the bar scam is nothing but political conspiracy. In all, 309 people were summoned as witness in the case.…

  • Kozhikode airport re-opens after shootout

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    Operations resumed at the international airport here after it was closed down when a CISF personnel was shot dead in a scuffle with an employee…..reports Asian Lite News. “We have posted our Kerala Police officers at key points at the airport to assist the CISF personnel in security duties,” said Additional Director General of Police…

  • Falcon Hearing the Falconer

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    Dr Zubair Medammal is the first Indian to get research degree  in the study of falcons. The enthusiastic falconologist from south Indian state of Kerala has not only established himself in the trade and done research on the subject but has also shot a documentary on the rare species of bird in the Middle East…reports…

  • Dubai based Sunny Varkey signs up for Giving Pledge

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    A Dubai-based Indian billionaire Sunny Varkey has become the latest to sign up for Bill Gates’s Giving Pledge, an initiative that encourages the world’s richest people to use their wealth for good causes. Kerala-born Sunny Varkey is chairman of the international education chain GEMS. He is the founder of the million-dollar Global Teacher Prize, the…

  • Monsoon set to hit Kerala coast

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    Many parts of Kerala have received heavy rainfall and monsoon is likely to hit the state in a day or two. Rains lashed most of Kerala. A weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department said many places in Karnataka, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Kerala and Tamilnadu saw thunderstorms since Thursday night. “The rainfall activity over…

  • Snow White Kathakali

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    Snow White, Disney’s classic, will be recreated in a traditional Indian dance format – Kathakali….reports Kaliph Anaz for Asian Lite News Kathakali is Kerala’ very own dance drama. It is a wonderful combination of drama, dance, and music. The performer in elaborate costumes and boldly painted face enacts stories of Hindu mythology, through hand signs.…

  • Vizhinjam port plan will go ahead:Chandy

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    The Kerala government is committed and will go ahead with the proposed Vizhinjam port, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said. Last month two different committees that looked into the only proposal submitted by Adani Ports for setting up of the Vizhinjam Port near Kovalam had given it the green signal. With the cabinet all set to…

  • RAHUL ROCKS KERALA

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    He may be snubbed as the Crown Prince of Congress. But now the bearded Crown Prince of Congress is a Warrior Prince after the meditation session in Thailand. The Congress leader is garnering support where ever he go. In Kerala he visited a fisherman village to get a first-hand experience of the common man. He…

  • Vigilance probe against Mani nearing end

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    The coming days will be crucial not only for Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani but also for the Chandy government as the vigilance department is expected to submit its report soon in the bars bribery case in which Mani is an accused. The report is likely to be submitted soon, said Kerala Police officials. If…

  • Rahul lashes out against Land Act

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    Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi  again lashed out at the Narendra Modi government on the sensitive land issue, saying that it had “taken away the land of the farmers, which is like a mother to them, and given the same to its friends and corporates”. “Likewise, they (government) have taken away the sea from the…

  • Stakes high for Kerala parties in bypoll

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    With their prestige at stake, the ruling Congress, the CPI-M and the BJP in Kerala are gearing themselves up for the June 27 by-election to the state assembly from the Aruvikara constituency. The bypoll in the Thiruvananthapuram district was necessitated by the death of senior Congress leader and speaker G. Karthikeyan in March 2015. It…

  • Time for action: Rahul tells Modi

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     “The suit boot government is interested in protecting the interests of a few friends of Modi who gave him money for the elections. He wants to take land of the poor farmers and give it to his few friends,” Rahul Gandhi said at a meeting in Kozhikode, Kerala Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister…

  • Upahaar launches Gift of Life national campaign

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      Upahaar, a charity promoting organ, stem cell donation among South Asians, launched a national campaign to urge more people to join national organ and blood stem cell donor registry. Father Davis Chiramel , the Kidney priest of India, is leading the two week’s campaign titled Gift of Life.     Mr Siddiq Diwan, Imam at…

  • Tharoor calls media,’self-appointed liars’

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    Former union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has again courted controversy, this time by accusing the media of being “self-appointed liars and scum”. However, as his comments kicked up a furore, he sought to clarify that he had attacked “only those who put exploitation of tragedy above justice”. “I’ll speak to the police, not…

  • Sacramental wine cause controversy in Kerala

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    The Catholic Church in Kerala, which has supported the government’s steps on prohibition, has courted controversy by seeking permission to increase the production of sacramental wine. The Syro Malabar Church in Kochi is hogging the headlines on TV channels since Tuesday after it became known it had applied for an increase in the production of…

  • Global warming could sink Kochi

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    By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar Within 100 years, rising sea levels caused by global warming could submerge large swathes of coastal land in Kochi, Kerala’s second most populous city, scientists at the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have predicted. Inundation scenarios created by NIO scientists R. Mani Murali and P.K. Dinesh Kumar using satellite imagery and…

  • Chandy praises Modi for evacuating Keralites

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    By Sanu George  Politically he doesn’t agree with the prime minister but Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is happy that Narendra Modi helped evacuate Keralites from troubled spots in the Middle East. Asked to sum up one year of Modi’s rule at the head of the union government, Chandy expressed appreciation for all the assistance…

  • Maudany reaches Kochi

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    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasir Maudany arrived here  from Bangalore. Maudany, a prime accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blasts conspiracy, was allowed on Friday by the Supreme Court to travel to Kerala for five days to see his ailing mother. Maudany was arrested by the Karnataka police in 2010. He secured…

  • UDF will retain power:Chandy

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    On the eve of his government completing four years in office, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said he was confident the people would again repose confidence in the United Democratic Front (UDF) administration when assembly elections are held next year. “There will be continuity in government and we are confident that we will return to…

  • Half a million apply for 1500 jobs

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    Some 5,17,633 candidates will write an exam conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission at 2,121 centres across the state. There are 1,500 vacancies for the most sought after ‘secretariat assistant’ post in the state secretariat, the seat of the Kerala government. It is often considered as the ‘dream job’ for every Keralite. The examination…

  • Joy and sorrow in Kochi for two families

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    By Sanu George  Strange are the ways of life as is evident in this commercial capital of the state: a Keralite family is weeping as one of its members was shot dead in Afghanistan, while in a nearby hospital, an Afghan national is elated as he has got a new pair of hands from a…

  • 14-year-old NRI wins National Geographic Bee

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    A 14-year-old Indian-American won this year’s National Geographic Bee, the contest about the geograophy IQ, in which the runner-up and the second runner-up are also of Indian origin. Karan Menon, an eighth-grader from New Jersey, fought off competition from 10 finalists, to win the annual contest, joining a long list of Indian-American winners. The win…

  • Kerala launches design institute

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    State-owned Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) has opened admission for the newly launched Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID), which will be supported by the reputed National Institute of Design (NID). Minister for Labour and Skills Shibu Baby John  handed over the first copy of the prospectus of KSID to NID, Bangalore, vice chairperson…

  • Death of a family shocks Indian community

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    An Indian-origin mother and her twin daughters have been found dead at a house in Romford , north-east London. The body of the husband was later discovered hanging at Woodford Reservoir in Walthamstow. The family is hailing from Thrissur district of South Indian state of Kerala. The news shocked the Indian community community. Neighbours identified the…

  • Crime Branch probe recommended in IGP cheating case

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    Additional Director General of Police N. Shankar Reddy, who probed alleged cheating in in LL.M. exam by senior police officer T.J. Jose, has recommended a further probe by the Crime Branch wing of Kerala Police. The incident was reported at the St. Paul’s College Kalamassery near Kochi. Reddy said that there were a few loose ends…

  • Afghan gets a pair of hands from a Keralite

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    By Sanu George  Thirty-two-year-old Abdul Rahim, a former captain with the Afghan security Force has now got a fresh pair of hands, thanks to a brain-dead Keralite and to a team of doctors at a leading private hospital here who conducted the double transplant. The surgery was conducted on April 10 by a team of…

  • Kerala tells Center to hold new rule on nurses jobs abroad

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    The Kerala government has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to put on hold the new order that requires all Indian nurses going to 18 countries for employment to take emigration clearance from the Protector of Emigrants (POE). “All those nurses who got a job after reaching various airports were not allowed to go…

  • Kerala targets Arab market with Ayurveda

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    Lush green flora, placid backwaters, monsoon downpour and Ayurveda were the main themes of the Kerala Tourism pavilion which welcomed visitors at the Arabian Travel Market 2015, being held at the Dubai World Trade Center. The four-day annual event that began provides a great opportunity to network with the tourism trade in the Middle East.…

  • Kerala policeman caught cheating told to go on leave

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    A Kerala police official was caught cheating in an examination for Master of Laws (LL.M) and ordered to leave the exam hall. The official was later asked to go on leave by state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. The police official, identified as T.J. Jose, inspector general of police of Thrissur range, has denied the cheating…

  • Oman offers amnesty

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    Around 60,000 Indians may benefit from an amnesty scheme announced in Oman, under which people without valid documents could either return to their country without being penalised or can rectify their papers, said a diaspora expert. The Oman government announced the schemeand said it will run from May 3 to July 30. S. Irudayarajan, who…

  • K Babu denies graft charges

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    Kerala Excise Minister K. Babu on denied charges that he received Rs.10 crore in bribe for reducing the annual liquor fees of bars. Biju Ramesh, who owns a string of bars here, has testified before a magistrate that Rs.10 crore was given to Babu for reducing the annual liquor fees of bars. “I have all…

  • ‘Gandhi’ joins Tory campaign in Manchester

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    This is the first time in the history of Greater Manchester, the Indian community launching a procession in support of a political party…writes Kaliph Anaz for Asian Lite, UK’s No 1 newspaper for British-Asians Finally the election fever gripped the immigrant Indian community at Trafford in Greater Manchester. As the general election just 11 days away, a…

  • Kerala launches campaign to end alcohol abuse

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    The Kerala government  launched a major campaign “Subodham” to help people in the state overcome alcohol, drug and other substance abuse. The project was launched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Art of Living Foundation founder Sri Sri Ravishankar here in the presence of religious leaders, representatives of student organisations and NGOs working against drug…

  • Kerala gets George ‘whipped’

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     Ending weeks of a tussle between Kerala’s Finance Minister K.M. Mani and his party colleague and government chief whip P.C. George, the latter was  booted out from his post. The rift between the two worsened last year soon after Mani was named as an accused by the vigilance department after whistle-blower bar owner Biju Ramesh…

  • Saritha to show ‘original letter’

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    Describing as fake a letter shown by TV channels accusing Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani’s son Jose K. Mani and other politicians of exploiting her, Saritha Nair, accused in the solar panel scam in Kerala, said  that she will show the original letter that she has written. Nair told media here that a particular TV…

  • Chandy urges Modi for help

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    Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy  urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act fast to help Keralites stranded in strife-hit Yemen. In a letter, Chandy said that he was getting frantic calls from young Kerala nurses in Yemen. He pointed out that Pakistani and Chinese nationals had already been evacuated. “They (nurses) all are literally weeping…

  • Curtains come down on Kochi Biennale

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     The second edition of the 108-day-long Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB), billed as country’s biggest contemporary-art festival came to a close as the sun went down in this Kerala port city. Official figures put the attendance in the event in excess of half a million, at least 100,000 more than in its debut year in 2012.…

  • Telangana takes lessons from Kerala

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    By Sanu George   If it was Goa that first decided to replicate the Kerala model of protecting its rich biodiversity, the newly formed state of Telangana is now following suit. Kerala is the only state in the country that has established Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) at all panchayats as required by the Biological Diversity Act…

  • Congress to field Vayalar Ravi

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    The Congress has decided to field sitting Rajya Sabha member and veteran leader Vayalar Ravi for the coming Rajya Sabha poll from Kerala. Ravi, however, preferred to maintain silence over the development and said he will speak to media only after the national leadership clears his candidature. The CPI-M have finalised their youth leader K.K.…

  • Kerala Tourism wins national award

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    Kerala Tourism was conferred the national Web Ratna Award for 2014 for exemplary e-governance initiative through the internet. The Kerala Tourism website (www.keralatourism.org) won the Golden Icon award in the ‘Outstanding Content’ category of the Web Ratna Awards, instituted by the Union government under the ambit of the National Portal of India. Kerala Tourism secretary…