Asian Lite News Archive

Category: News

  • EU seeks Afghan poll probe

    —

    in , , , ,

    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…

  • Gandhi statue@Parliament Square

    —

    in , , , ,

     British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Chancellor George Osborne unveil plan for a Gandhi statue at London’s Parliament Square. Other prominent statues in the square are that of Churchill and Mandela   British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Chancellor George Osborne have announced plans for a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the inspiration for non-violent civil rights movements around the world,…

  • HAGUE IN INDIA: Speech in Mumbai

    —

    in , ,

    On the first day his joint visit to India with Chancellor George Osborne, William Hague has made a speech to business, education and civil society representatives in Mumbai. “I am delighted to be here in India with the Chancellor for my third visit as British Foreign Secretary. There could be no better place to start…

  • Child sex abuse scandal rocks UK

    —

    in , ,

    Iconic British institutions like Parliament, NHS and BBC were involved in the child sex abuse scandal British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to get to the truth of historical child sex abuse claims ahead of an expected announcement of a “wide-ranging” inquiry, BBC reported. The prime minister said there would be “no stone unturned…

  • Don’t forget to charge your equipment

    —

    in , , , , ,

    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…

  • Job bloom in Manchester

    —

    in , ,

    Five thousand jobs are to be created as part of an historic £470m investment in transport, science and education across Greater Manchester, the Evening News reported. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, announcing the deal , said: “The Greater Manchester Growth Deal will create thousands of jobs, provide incredible new training opportunities for young people, and…

  • Minister leaves car for injured couple

    —

    in , , ,

    Here is an example. An Indian  minister gives his official car for accident victims, takes auto to attend Iftar Karnataka Health Minister U.T. Khader came to the aid of an old couple, involved in an accident, sending them to a hospital in his official car and himself taking an auto to reach his destination. “The…

  • Modi to attend BRICS in Brazil

    —

    in , , ,

    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…

  • Jaya seeks better ties withSingapore

    —

    in , , , ,

    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa told Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam that there could be synergy between his country and the Indian state on key projects. In a statement issued in Chennai, the Tamil Nadu government said Shanmugam had called on Jayalalithaa at the state secretariat. During the meeting, Jayalalithaa, citing…

  • Asian illegal migrants concern EU

    —

    in , , , , , ,

    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…

  • AAPI to help Indian medical system

    —

    in , , , , ,

    Arun Kumar interviews Dr. Jayesh Shah, who handed over charge to the new AAPI President Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar  One of the largest ethnic organisations in the US, representing about 100,000 Indian doctors settled here, is working on a plan to help India improve its health services in a coordinated fashion. The outlines of the plan were…

  • Caliph Ibrahim Calling…

    —

    in , , , ,

    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

    —

    in , , ,

    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…

  • Naqvi on the trail of jehadists

    —

    in , , , ,

    Saeed Naqvi analysing the plot behind the jehadists. Why is the world in grip of jehadist menace?   Three momentous events, all in November-December 1979, are the genesis of a great deal of chaos the world faces today. First, was the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Tehran and the Iranian occupation of the US embassy, a…

  • Indian nurses’ ordeal ends

    —

    in , , , , ,

    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

    —

    in , , , ,

    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

    —

    in , , , , ,

    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…

  • Modi to walk Vajpayee’s path

    —

    in , , ,

    Making his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after taking office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday inaugurated the Katra-Udhampur rail link and pledged to realize the dream of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to restore peace in the troubled state. Addressing a public meeting after flagging off the train from Katra, at the foothills of the Mata…

  • UK leaders due in Delhi

    —

    in , , ,

    British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Foreign Secretary William Hague  and Chancellor George Osborne a are due in India to cement bilateral ties. They will hold meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley. Hague and Osborne will be the first to arrive in India…

  • JULY 4 SPECIAL – Indians in the US

    —

    in , , ,

    Arun Kumar writes from Washington says Indian Americans celebrate their culture, language and cuisine in their adopted country Several Indian diaspora organisations representing people from four corners of India are marking the July 4 American independence day with a celebration of their own culture, language and cuisine across the US. Two Telugu community organisations –…

  • Imams unite to stem terrorism

    —

    in , ,

    In an unprecedented response to the events in Syria and Iraq, Imams from across the UK, of various denominations of Sunni and Shia Muslims, have come  together to support a single unified cause; to urge British Muslims not to fall prey to sectarian divisions and to call on people not to travel to Syria or…

  • ‘FGM is a national scandal’

    —

    in , ,

    Home Affairs Committee Chairman Keith Vaz MP said female genital mutilation(FGM) is a national scandal. About 170,000 women in the UK have been subjected to female genital mutilation(FGM) and 65,000 girls are at risk of it, say MPs, the Mirror reportd. Prosecutions are needed to “send a message” Britain takes it seriously, says the Home Affairs Committee. FGM has…

  • Airports on top alert in the UK

    —

    in , , , ,

    Security at British airports has been increased followings warnings from US experts that two terrorist groups are developing a bomb that could bypass existing safety measures, Sky News reported. US Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson said he had tasked officials to “implement enhanced security measures in the coming days at certain overseas airports with direct flights…

  • Hong Kong begins crackdown

    —

    in , , ,

    Hong Kong police have arrested over 500 protesters who staged a pro-democracy sit-in at the city’s business district, BBC reported. The demonstrators were arrested for illegal assembly and obstructing police officers, police said. The sit-in came after tens of thousands of protesters marched on Tuesday in what was described as the city’s largest democracy rally…

  • Neasden temple hosts ‘Global peace meet’

    —

    in , , , ,

    BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London hosts a three-day international academic conference on the theme of ‘Realising Global Peace: The Role and Impact of Hindu Teachings.’ The conference at the Neasden temple was aimed to elucidate the role of peace within Hinduism and how Hindu teachings can positively contribute to not just academic scholarship but to humanity at…

  • Israel accused of ‘aggression’

    —

    in , , ,

    Rights forums based in London accused Israel of launching collective punishment against Palestinians over the killing of three settler youths “The international community must take urgent action to stop Israel from using the deaths of three hardline settlers to collectively punish the Palestinian people,” the Islamic Human Rights Commission said in a statement. “The bodies of the missing…

  • Rolf Harris faces more cases

    —

    in , , ,

    Metropolitan police are considering fresh allegations against Rolf Harris after he was convicted of indecently assaulting four girls, BBC reported. The entertainer was found guilty on Monday of 12 counts of indecent assault in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Following the verdict, the Met said it would look at fresh allegations, which did not form…

  • Sarkozy held over poll probe

    —

    in , , ,

    French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained for questioning over alleged influence peddling, BBC reported. The decision to detain him at Nanterre, near Paris, is an unprecedented step against a former president. Mr Sarkozy’s lawyer was questioned on Monday on suspicion of seeking inside information about a case against the former leader. The latest developments…

  • ISIS Declare Islamic State

    —

    in , , ,

    Militant group Isis has said it is establishing a caliphate, or Islamic state, on the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria, BBC reported. It also proclaimed the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as caliph and “leader for Muslims everywhere”. Setting up a caliphate ruled by the strict Islamic law has long been a goal…

  • Baroness Warsi at Sarajevo

    —

    in , , ,

    Baroness Warsi represents the UK Government at the commemoration of the start of First World War in Sarajevo.  Senior Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi participated in centenary commemorations marking the outbreak of the First World War during a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Baroness Warsi represents the UK at the concert in the restored Sarajevo…

  • ISIS, #NO2ISIS war escalates on Net

    —

    in , , , ,

    A propaganda war is escalating across the social media between members of the ISIS and a growing number of its opponents, who are publicly countering the terrorist organisation through a successful #NO2ISIS campaign, The Muslim News from London reported. ISIS, formally an insular group, based in Syria and now Iraq, is now using the social…

  • Water can stem child obesity

    —

    in , , ,

    A group of nutritional scientists said children should be given only water to drink with meals to help tackle the obesity crisis, BBC reported. The experts said sugary drinks were empty calories and people had got “out of the habit of drinking water” with meals. The call comes as Public Health England prepares to publish its…

  • SPECIAL REPORT: Civil nuclear power

    —

    in , , ,

    Biswajit Choudhury reports from Obninsk in Russia on the  60th anniversary of civil nuclear power It might have had a mere 5 MW capacity but it was on June 26, 1954, that Soviet scientists connected the world’s first nuclear power plant here to an electricity grid. The Obninsk plant, which was visited by India’s first prime minister…

  • GOTCHA! Caulson Guilty!

    —

    in , ,

    Andy Coulson, the prime minister’s former spin doctor, has been found guilty at the phone-hacking trial while his former colleague Rebekah Brooks was cleared of all charges. The former News of the World editor was convicted on the 138th day of the Old Bailey trial, while ex-News International chief executive Mrs Brooks was cleared of all charges, BBC…

  • Demonising Muslims over ISIS is wrong

    —

    in , , , ,

    Sir Peter warned against “demonising the Muslim community itself” over the ISIS crisis  Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy, who also leads the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy for the Association of Chief Police Officers, warned against “demonising the Muslim community itself” as it emerged the Security Service has made tracking British jihadists fighting in Syria…

  • Essex murder sparks race row

    —

    in , , , , , ,

    Kaliph Anaz looks into the murder of Saudi Arabian student in Essex.  “This isn’t the first attack on a Muslim student and certainly is not the last on a member of the Muslim community in the UK” said Omar Ali, president of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies The Muslim Council of Britain said: With the current…

  • Bird flu is staging a comeback

    —

    in , , ,

    The ‘danger zones’ in Asia which are vulnerable to a deadly bird flu have been mapped by scientists. The region includes  Bangladesh, north India and Vietnam. The virus, called H7N9, has infected 433 people mostly in China and has killed 62. The study, published in Nature Communications, showed parts of Bangladesh, India and Vietnam could easily sustain…

  • Saudi accused of helping ISIS

    —

    in , ,

    The Iraqi government in a statement accused neighbouring Saudi Arabia of supporting the insurgents and providing them with financial support – allegations Riyadh has rejected. The Sunni rebel group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) grew out of an al-Qaeda-linked organisation in Iraq with an estimated 10,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria. Joined in its…

  • Training for journalists in London

    —

    in , , ,

    The Thomson Reuters Foundation, London, the charitable arm of Reuters, will be running a seminar in London for journalists from across the world. We have been asked to alert journalists about this seminar and encourage them to apply to take part. The seminar, held on 22 – 24 October 2014, will focus on how to cover…

  • The Truth About Britishness

    —

    in , , ,

    The number of people who think you must speak English to be considered “truly British” has increased over the last 10 years, a survey has found, BBC reported. The annual British Social Attitudes report found 95% of people thought it was important to speak English to be British, compared with 86% in 2003. It also…

  • UK to reopen Tehran Mission

    —

    in , ,

    Foreign Secretary William Hague will announce a plan on Tuesday which will lead to the re-opening of the British embassy in Iran’s capital, Tehran, BBC reported. Full diplomatic relations with Iran were suspended after attacks on the British embassy in Iran in 2011. The election of a new Iranian prime minister and agreement on how…

  • Jordanian is new UNHCR chief

    —

    in , , ,

    The UN General Assembly has approved the nomination of Jordan’s UN ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a media report said Tuesday. Zeid al-Hussein was nominated by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier this month to replace Navi Pillay, who took up the post Sept 1,…

  • UAE Exchange organises parenting session

    —

    in , , , ,

    As a part of their employee engagement program, UAE Exchange had organized a ‘Right Parenting Lifestyle Guidance’ session at their headquarters in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The two hour session was conducted by a well-known pediatrician, author , columnist and public speaker Dr. Mandar V. Bichu. Explaining the vision of these sessions, Dr. Bichu told Asian…

  • Fathers Seek Equal Rights

    —

    in , ,

    Activists seek gender neutral family laws  A group of men’s rights activists, seeking shared parenting in cases of divorce or separation, on Father’s Day Sunday demanded reforms in family laws – to stop the creation of a “fatherless society”. Or else, they said, the day has no relevance for the people. Over 100 activists from the…

  • PM firm on British Values

    —

    in , ,

    British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to tackle Muslim clerics in the UK who inflame terrorism by denouncing free speech, equality and democracy. In a powerful intervention clearly aimed mainly at ‘preachers of hate’, the Prime Minister in an article in the Daily Mail sayd the failure to stand up to such firebrands has…

  • Pill against obesity

    —

    in , ,

    Bharat Shimpukade, an Indian-origin scientist from University of Southern Denmark, along with his colleagues has come up with a smart tool that has brought the hunt for a pill against obesity one step closer. Their research is focused on a special protein that can stimulate different physiological activities such as the production of appetite controlling…

  • Vizag, Vijayawada, Tirupati will be mega cities

    —

    in , ,

    The Andhra Pradesh government will develop Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati as mega cities, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said . He told reporters after the first cabinet meeting in this coastal city that major towns in the state will be developed as smart cities. Naidu, who has already hinted that the state capital will be…

  • Haj made affordable

    —

    in ,

    Domestic Haj companies have forged an alliance to provide 10,000 local pilgrims the opportunity to perform Haj this year for SR2,750. The price for a low-cost Haj will range between SR2,750 and SR5,000 while those wanting extra services have to pay SR9,800 and more. Pilgrims opting for low-cost services will be given tents in different…

  • Kuwaiti expats feel inflation’s heat

    —

    in , ,

    Rising rents in Kuwait rival the weather as the hottest topic of debate in Kuwait this summer. Landlords often ignore the five-year rule and raise rents against the law. Many tenants are ignorant or unsure of what to do but a growing number of both local and expat renters in Kuwait are not ready to…

  • KSA boasts over 18,000 expat academicians

    —

    in ,

    According to the Saudi Gazette , there are more than 18,000 expatriate men and women academics teaching in various Saudi universities and colleges, the Ministry of Higher Education said According to a report published by Al-Hayat newspaper, the ministry said the total number of the university teachers in the Kingdom’s government and private universities and…