Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • India pick 32 athletes for Glasgow

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    The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has announced 32-member Indian team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23-Aug 3, thus bringing down the number to 32 from 41 selected originally. India’s track and field squad, comprising of 17 women and 15 men in addition to 12 coaches and three support staff, will be…

  • Cameron to unveil final list today

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    British Prime Minister David Cameron is due to complete the final appointments in his biggest ministerial reshuffle later ahead of questions from MPs in the Commons, BBC reported. The prime minister made sweeping changes to his front bench, replacing Education Secretary Michael Gove and Foreign Secretary William Hague. Some junior posts are yet to be filled.…

  • Bobby Jindal still mulling 2016 run

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    Louisiana’s Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal will not make a decision about a White House run in 2016 until after November as he tries to make his Republican Party “stop being the stupid party. “We’ve said it’s something we’re thinking about, praying about. It’s something we’re considering. But we won’t make a decision until certainly after…

  • Ancient Chinese town under water

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    The ancient Chinese town of Fenghuang has been submerged in water after severe storms battered the region, BBC reported. More than 50,000 people have been forced to leave their homes amid power cuts and flooding. Fenghuang is more than 300 years old and is currently being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Status     .

  • PICS: Monsoon & Mumbaikars

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    Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, is lying below the sea level. A little rain can wreck the normal routine of millions of Mumbaikars. Heavy rains  lashed Mumbai, Konkan and other areas of Maharashtra, prompting the civic agency in the financial capital to advise people to stay at home and schools to shut as a…

  • FINDING NAMO – An Open Letter to Modi

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    Daily Dose by Bikram Vohra I remember the good old days in Ahmedabad when I was editor of Indian Express and Narendra Modi was a fledgling politician and we were old buddies and we would meet and chew the fat and eat dhoklas and bhajiyas and go to the club to play tennis and all…

  • ASIA – NEWS N PICS

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    An eventful day in Asia. Political violence in Cambodia, people protesting against Israel and the grim flood situation top news agenda

  • PICS: Bangla Beat

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    Thee Israeli attack on Gaza and the Ramadan preparation top the news agenda of Bangladesh news media. Some pics from Bangladesh

  • PICS: Heatwave in Pakistan

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    Pakistanis play in a canal during a hot day in east Pakistan’s Lahore on July 15, 2014. Temperatures reach over 45 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country  

  • PICS: Brics Bank to fuel growth

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    Leaders of the five Brics countries – Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, President of Brazil, Ms. Dilma Rousseff, the President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin and the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zumahave – signed a deal to create a…

  • Modi calls for reform of UN & IMF

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    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday called for “urgent reform” of institutions such as the UN Security Council and International Monetary Fund while stressing the international community should have zero tolerance towards terrorism. In his statement in the BRICS summit on the agenda “Political Coordination: International Governance and Regional Crises”, he noted it was taking…

  • Agreement on BRICS bank

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    Terming the agreement towards setting up BRICS New Development Bank a significant step, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said an open international trading regime is critical for global economic growth. In his statement on the agenda “Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth” at the sixth BRICS summit, he said the global economic environment remains uncertain…

  • ICC charges James Anderson

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    England fast bowler James Anderson has been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) with violation of the Code of Conduct by allegedly abusing and pushing India’s Ravindra Jadeja during the first cricket Test at Trent Bridge. In retaliation, a “shocked” ECB has accused Jadeja of a lesser offence as they do not want both…

  • Priti joins Cameron Cabinet

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    Indian-origin MP Priti Patel  becomes British Treasury Minister The Witham MP Priti Patel has been appointed as Treasury Minister  in the Prime Minister’s reshuffle. Priti is Prime Minister’s India Diaspora Champion and accompanied him in his India trips. She met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the high level delegation led by William Hague and Chancellor…

  • Tesco Bank unveils mega offer

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    Tesco Bank unveils their longest ever balance transfer offer on credit cards, one of the most competitive deals on the market The bank will offer 0% interest on balance transfers for 32 months, meaning customers pay no interest on balances until early 2017. Additionally, customers that want to make purchases on the card can get 0%…

  • London to host Girl Summit

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    Unicef is orgnaising a major summit in London on July 22 to discuss a new strategy to protect girls from abuse. The organisation in a statement said: Child, early and forced marriage affects millions of girls every year. One in three girls in developing countries is married by the age of 18. Some are as…

  • Paris celebrate Bastille day

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  • Gazan’s suffer in pain

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  • Naga joins Breakfast Club

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    The presenter line-up for BBC Breakfast has been cemented, with Naga Munchetty confirmed as a co-host alongside Charlie Stayt, BBC reported. Munchetty, who has already appeared regularly on the show, will present with Stayt from Thursday to Saturday. Bill Turnbull and Louise Minchin anchor the programme from the BBC’s Salford studios from Monday to Wednesday.…

  • INTERVIEW: Mehbooba Mufti

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    The PDP will contest the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections on its own, says party chief Mehbooba Mufti, while stressing the need of an improved “ground situation”, implementing suggestions for “self-rule” and understanding between the central and state governments for a political solution to the Kashmir issue. Mufti said the Narendra Modi government could…

  • Delhi distances itself from Vaidik

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    Amid a raging row, the government said Tuesday that it had nothing to do with yoga guru Ramdev’s aide Ved Pratap Vaidik’s meeting with Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed in Lahore. Both in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, senior cabinet ministers distanced the government from Vaidik even as the latter claimed that he met Saeed…

  • IAF plans early induction of Rafale jets

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    India’s negotiations with French aviation major Dassault for 126 Rafale Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for $20 billion “are progressing well” and the contract is likely “sooner than later in the current financial year (2014-15)” a top military commander has said. The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, in an…

  • Israel resumes Gaza attacks

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    Israel has resumed its air strikes on Gaza after its brief ceasefire was met with continuing rocket fire, BBC reported. Israel had earlier accepted an Egyptian truce proposal for the conflict and stopped operations on Tuesday morning. However, the armed wing of Hamas, which controls Gaza, rejected the initiative as a “surrender”. Palestinian officials say…

  • Modi seeks Chinese investment

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday called for amicably resolving the boundary row with China and sought enhanced investment in India’s infrastructure sector during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brazil. China invited Modi to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November. An official statement said that both India and China “emphasized on…

  • India honours Chipko chief

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    President Pranab Mukherjee said Chipko movement taught world ahimsa’s power    Indian President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Chandi Prasad Bhatt, pioneer of the Chipko movement, with the 2013 Gandhi Peace Prize and said the noted environmentalist has taught the world power of ahimsa, non-violence. “Ahimsa is not just a method or an instrument. It requires recognition of…

  • Nepal royal held in Thailand

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    Anil Giri reports that  Nepal’s ex-crown prince Paras arrested in Thailand with marijuana Paras Shah, Nepal’s former crown prince known for his flamboyant lifestyle, was arrested by Thai police July 10 with 12 gm of marijuana, it was confirmed Tuesday. Top diplomatic sources confirmed to IANS that Thai police had informed the Bangkok-based Nepal embassy the…

  • PICS: Fireworks lit up Paris

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    Fireworks explode around the Eiffel Tower during the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, capital of France. Bastille Day marks the July 14, 1789, storming of the Bastille prison by angry Paris crowds that helped spark the French Revolution. The French capital enjoyed a fireworks show , exceptionally fired from the Eiffel Tower.

  • SURVEY – Tories ahead of Labour

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    Nigel Farage’s Ukip support has plunged back from its high point of the European elections, giving a boost to all the established Westminster parties and pushing the Tories into the lead, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. Ukip drops back into single figures to stand on 9%, down seven points from last month’s score of 16%.…

  • NASA closer to finding life beyond earth

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    Do you often dream about extraterrestrial life beyond earth? NASA scientists are engaged in proving your dreams to be true. In a panel discussion held at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, experts outlined NASA’s road map to the search for life in the universe, an ongoing journey that involves a number of current and future…

  • India’s inflation eases

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     India’s wholesale price-based inflation fell to a four-month low of 5.43 percent in June, while retail inflation declined to the lowest level since January 2012 on the back of moderation in food prices, providing much needed relief to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country’s key inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index…

  • Baton relay to arrive in Glasgow

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    The Queen’s Baton Relay arrives in Glasgow on 20 July 2014 for the final four days of its momentous journey. Travelling 190,000 kilometres over 70 nations and territories and relayed by thousands of people throughout the Commonwealth, the baton’s journey ends in the Host City of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The People’s Palace will host…

  • Blatter gives Brazil World Cup top rating

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    FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rated Brazil’s organisation of the World Cup as 9.25 out of 10. Speaking during a World Cup media debriefing here Monday, Blatter revealed the body had used social media to gauge the tournament’s success, reports Xinhua. “We have improved on four years ago in South Africa,” Blatter said. “We consulted…

  • MIDDLE AGED SWINGER 

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra Have you noticed how when wives say I don’t want to upset you to their husbands that is precisely what they intend to do. I don’t want to upset you, says my wife, but I have something to say. Go ahead, I say, I won’t be upset. You have become…

  • Israel, Hamas declare ceasefire

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    Israel has accepted a Egyptian proposal for a truce in the conflict in Gaza. The Al-Qassam brigade, the armed wing of Hamas which controls Gaza, has said it rejects it as a “surrender”. The Egyptian initiative urges a ceasefire starting imminently, followed by a series of meetings in Cairo with high-level delegations from both sides. Palestinian…

  • Bill Clinton arrives in Jaipur

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    Former US president Bill Clinton arrived here late Monday night to take a look at a lunch programme that feeds over a million school children everyday across the country, an official said. “Clinton arrived here at around 12.30 in the night by a chartered flight. He was taken to Oberoi Rajvilas hotel,” a police official…

  • Modi meets Chinese leader

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Brazil to attend the BRICS  summit. He held its first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meting was lasted more than an hour The Indian prime minister conveyed India’s desire to maintain peace at the border. The Chinese President invited PM Modi to Beijing for a summit of Asia and Pacific (APEC) leaders in November.…

  • OBIT: Nadine Gordime

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    Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer, 90, dies in Johannesburg The writer, who was one of the literary world’s most powerful voices against apartheid – died at her home after a short illness, her family said. She wrote more than 30 books, including the novels My Son’s Story, Burger’s Daughter and July’s People, BBC reported. She jointly won 1974’s…

  • Synod backs women bishops

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    The Church of England has voted to allow women to become bishops for first time in its history.  Its ruling General Synod gave approval to legislation introducing the change by the required two-thirds majority. A previous vote in 2012 was backed by the Houses of Bishops and Clergy but blocked by traditionalist lay members, BBC reported.…

  • Hague quits post to focus on election

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    Veteran Tory politician William Hague has stood down as British foreign secretary to focus on forth coming geneal election 2015 May. Mr Hague is to leave Parliament at the 2015 general election after 26 years as MP for Richmond, North Yorkshire, BBC reported. As part of a significant ministerial reshuffle, veteran Conservative MP Ken Clarke has…

  • Global Jihad reaches Indian shores

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    Hundreds of Indian Muslim youth, mostly from poor and vulnerable backgrounds, are lining up for visas at the embassies of some of the Gulf and Middle East nations with the aim of joining the ‘jihad’ in Iraq, according to diplomatic sources. Iraq alone has had to deal with nearly 2,000 applications from highly charged Muslim…

  • External factors & Equity market

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    Vatsal Srivastava in his weekly column Currency Corner analysing the Indian equity market. Global cues to guide Indian equities over the next week  Prior to the finance minister’s budget speech, Currency Corner had argued that Indian equities are all set for a short-term correction irrespective of what Arun Jaitley delivers on the reform front. Markets…

  • Lok Sabha passes TRAI amendment bill

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    The Lok Sabha Monday passed a bill to amend the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, paving the way for appointment of former panel chairman Nripendra Misra as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid a walkout by the Congress, CPI-M, RJD and AAP members. However, the Trinamool Congress, which had earlier opposed…

  • London rally to rap Gaza raids

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    The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) will stage a protest march in London on 25th July to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day.  IHRC chair Massoud Shadjareh said the annual commemmoration of the dispossession and oppression of the Palestinian people will take place on 25 July and end in a rally outside the US embassy, chosen as a rallying…

  • Health tourists to pay more at NHS

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    Patients from outside the EU are to be charged 150% of the cost of treatment in the NHS in a fresh crackdown on so-called “health tourism”. The move by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is designed to encourage NHS Trusts to recover the cost of operations from migrants, BBC reported. Mr Hunt believes the plans…

  • Germany Celebrate Victory

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  • Team chemistry wins it for Germany

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    The last two editions of the FIFA World Cup (2010 and 2014) have clearly brought one key message to the fore — team cohesion and chemistry. The 2010 winners Spain were predominantly made up of two sides — Barcelona and Real Madrid — with more than half the team being constituted of Catalan players. This…

  • BIG INTERVIEW: Kashaf Murtaza

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    Having immortalised strong women-oriented roles on TV screens across the border, young and multi-faceted Sanam Saeed, known to Indian audiences as Kashaf Murtaza of “Zindagi Gulzar Hai”, says that while India makes the most of its filmmaking capacity to tell stories, the medium in Pakistan is TV. The 29-year-old is ecstatic and “grateful” that “Zindagi…

  • Stress fuels overeating

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    If you cannot resist the sweets kept in your refrigerator and crave for food even after a sumptuous meal, you could be a victim of overeating, warn health experts. Stress, long hours of starvation and the wide variety of food options available in the market contribute to overeating, they say. Listing the various reasons that…

  • Himachal hills lure tourists

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     The prolonged heat and dry spell in the plains has led to an exponential increase in footfall of tourists in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, say members of the hospitality industry. The tourist season this summer has been extremely good. As per the field reports, there has been an approximate increase of 20-25 percent in…

  • Hafiz Saeed issue rocks Rajya Sabha

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    There was uproar in the Rajya Sabha Monday over the meeting of an aide of yoga guru Ramdev with the 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, disrupting the question hour. A picture of the yoga guru’s close aide Ved Pratap Vaidik with Hafiz Saeed was circulated on social media, stirring a raging controversy. As soon as the…