Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Modi sidestepping RSS?

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    Amulya Ganguli  says the elevation of Amit Shah as BJP chief indicates that Modi is sidestepping RSS When L.K. Advani was dragged kicking and screaming from the post of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president in 2005 under orders from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a diplomatic cable from the US embassy in Delhi to Washington stated that the…

  • The Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

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    Hiring people to endanger my children’s lives easy, but rather expensive  What would you do if a man threatened to put your children on the roof of a jeep and then perform dangerous vehicular acrobatics like trying to flip the car over? I’ll tell you what I did. I said yes, paid him a large…

  • BIG INTERVIEW: Samina Peerzada

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    Samina Peerzada told Radhika Bhirani that Pakistan-India content exchange will push connect She grew up watching the films of Bollywood’s late ethereal beauty Madhubala, has enjoyed new wave Indian gems like “Parineeta” and “Barfi!”, and loves to catch up on “Comedy Nights With Kapil”. But Samina Peerzada, a veteran actor-filmmaker from Pakistan, says exchange of content from…

  • THE BIG SLEEP OH DON’T BE FATUOUS 

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    DAILY DOSE BY Bikram Vohra You’d think it was the betrayal of the state, that India had been sabotaged because Rahul Gandhi closed his eyes for 22 seconds during the price line debate in parliament. The way the TV channels have blasted into him you’d think he’d led an attack on the house. Arnab Goswami,…

  • Facelift for a British-era townhall in Shimla

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    Thanks to a major leg-up from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a blast from the colonial past will soon greet visitors to Shimla, India’s summer capital during the British Raj,with the government set to restore the iconic Town Hall located on The Mall, a favourite haunt of those out for a stroll. “The building will…

  • UN calls for peace in Gaza

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    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to restore peace in the violence-hit Gaza region, media reported Thursday. Ban Wednesday said that he was alarmed by the new wave of violence that has engulfed Gaza, southern Israel and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Xinhua reported. “The deteriorating situation in Gaza is leading…

  • PICS – GAZA – Remains of a raid

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    Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 14 people as they continued into Thursday, Palestinian medics said. The first strike hit a coffee shop in the city of Khan Younis, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told Agence France-Presse, adding that six men were killed and at least 15 other people wounded. The second, in…

  • Argentina shoot into final

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      Argentina set up a FIFA World Cup final clash against Germany after overcoming the Netherlands 4-2 in a penalty shootout. Both teams failed to score at the end of regular and extra time at the Arena Corinthians here Wednesday. For the first time in 26 years, a World Cup semifinal match went into penalties…

  • E-visas facility at nine airports soon

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    E-visa facilities will be introduced at nine airports in the next six months to attract more tourists. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced this while presenting the first national budget of the Narendra Modi government. He said tourism helped in job creation and e-visas would encourage more tourists to visit India, During the past year, India…

  • India targets 7-8% growth

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    Finance Minister Arun Jaitley began presenting the first national budget for self and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government Thursday expressing concerns over economic slowdown while promising steps to ensure a course correction with bold measures. “People of India have voted decisively for change,” Jaitley said. “Steps I will unveil in the budget will aim at…

  • UK public sector workers on strike

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    More than a million public sector workers are on strike in a series of disputes with the government over pay, pensions and job cuts, BBC reported. Teachers, council staff, firefighters and civil servants are among those walking out on Thursday. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said public sector pay was lagging behind the cost of…

  • London to be world’s top tourist destination

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    London is likely to become world’s top tourist city with the most international overnight visitors, according to a survey. The MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index report found Wednesday that the British capital is expected to welcome most number of international overnight visitors, an estimated 18.69 million, topping the list of most visited 132 destinations across…

  • Sir Virdee, Dr Hameid honoured

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    Ragasudha Vinjamuri attends a reception at India House to honour  Sir Virdee and Prof Hameid High Commissioner of India Ranjan Mathai hosted a cocktail reception for physicist Prof Tejinder Virdee, recently knighted by the Queen for services to science, and for Dr Yusuf Hameid, the head of Indian pharmaceutical giant Cipla, who has been conferred…

  • US for more sanctions against Russia

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    The Obama administration Wednesday threatened to slap additional sanctions against Russia “very soon”, should Moscow fail to “change course” in eastern Ukraine. “We’re ready to impose more costs, including targeted sector- specific sanctions, very soon if Russia does not decisively change course and break its support for separatists,” Xinhua quoted Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of…

  • Hamas target Israel’s n-reactor

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    Hamas fired three rockets Wednesday evening into Dimona, a city where Israel’s nuclear reactor is located, the Israeli military said. However, it caused no damage or injuries to anyone. A rocket was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, while the rest fell in open fields, reported Xinhua citing Israel’s Channel 2. Hamas’ military…

  • Over 1.5 lakh pilgrims make Amarnath Yatra

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    More than 1.5 lakh pilgrims have finished the Amarnath Yatra that started here June 28. An official statement here Wednesday said: “As many as 12,345 devotees paid their obeisance before the ice lingam today (Wednesday) amid chanting of prayers. With this, a total of 155,855 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave since the…

  • World News In Pictures

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  • Snowden applies for asylum extension

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    Former employee of the US National Security Agency (NSA) Edward Snowden has asked for extension of his refugee status in Russia, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said Wednesday. “There is a procedure stipulated by the Russian law. We have gone through the procedure of getting temporary asylum, which ends on July 31. We have submitted documents…

  • Ravi Shankar’s Sukanya in London

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    The Ravi Shankar Foundation in association with the Royal Opera House, Indian High Commission, Arts Council England and Curve Theatre presents the maestro’s opera Sukanya on Monday 14th July 2014 (6.30 to 9.15pm). Ravi Shankar, known as the “Godfather of World Music” was one of the most influential musicians of all time. As music guru to the Beatles,…

  • British twin girls elope to join ISIS

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    Salma and Zahra Halane, 16, twin teenage girls from Manchester thought to have run away to join their brother who is fighting in Syria. The girls’ parents from Chorlton have also spoken out for the first time, saying they are ‘shocked’ at their disappearance two weeks ago, the MEN reported. Salma and Zahra Halane, 16,…

  • THE GREAT INDIAN PROBLEM IS US 

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra Everyone in India is either a philosopher, a mentor, a critic, a cynic or an opinionated twit. The last come on TV in panels where they are royally screwed over by the anchor or so called mediator and yet they keep on coming and making fools of themselves and being…

  • Israel, Hamas intensify attacks

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    Palestinian militants have fired more rockets at Israeli cities after Israel carried out dozens of overnight air strikes on the Gaza Strip, BBC reported. Israel said it had intercepted eight rockets over Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and Ashdod on Wednesday morning. Reports from Gaza said at least eight people had been killed in the latest Israeli…

  • Column- Currency Corner

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    Vatsal Srivastava says whatever the budget be, equities set for short-term breather  As one would expect, Indian equities have decided to take a breather before the big budget announcement day (July 10). It is a clear case of profit booking as the sharp sell-off in the small-cap and mid-cap space came on the back of…

  • India to achieve 6% growth

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    Indian economy will grow 5.4-5.9 percent in 2014-15: Survey Projecting India’s growth at 5.4-5.9 percent, the annual report card on the state of the country’s economy said price rise remained a cause for worry, while calling for a complete rehaul of the subsidy regime and increasing tax revenues. The Economic Survey for 2013-14 tabled in…

  • Modi tightens grip on BJP

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    Modi aide Amit Shah is new BJP president  Amit Shah, a close aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was Wednesday named the BJP’s new president, only two months after leading the party to a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh. A former home minister of Gujarat, Shah — presently a general…

  • History in the making tonight

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    When Argentina and the Netherlands meet Wednesday in the World Cup semifinal here it will be their fifth edition of this classic match. The Netherlands and Argentina have met four times before at the World Cup with Netherlands winning twice and Argentina once, that in the 1978 World Cup final, reports Xinhua. In front of…

  • PICS: The Big Hug @Big Iftar

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    Actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, who maintain a cordial relationship in public, have repeated their famous hug of last year yet again. Both the stars gave each other a warm brotherly hug at an iftar party hosted by congress leader Baba Siddiqui at Mumbai’s Taj Lands End Hotel. In 2013, during Ramadan, the…

  • India Inc’s thumbs up for railway budget

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    Welcoming the thrust on resource mobilisation in this year’s rail budget, India Inc Tuesday welcomed the new government’s maiden exercise as practical and execution-oriented. “The Minister has presented a practical and execution-oriented Budget, laying emphasis on implementation of on-going projects and focusing on monitoring them for an early closure”, Sumit Mazumder, president designate Confederation of…

  • UN honours Shamshad Akhtar

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    Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, was honoured by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, during a swearing-in ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York. Ms Akhtar of Pakistan was appointed as the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia…

  • US diplomat headed to India for talks

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    A top US diplomat is headed to India to prepare the ground for their strategic dialogue ahead of the first summit meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reset India-US ties. Deputy Secretary of William J. Burns “will be the highest-level Administration official to visit since the inauguration of the new…

  • EU seeks Afghan poll probe

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    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…

  • Joachim Loew feels for Brazil and Scolari

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    Germany coach Joachim Loew has urged his players to show modesty and humility following their 7-1 World Cup semifinal defeat of Brazil Tuesday. The result earned Germany a berth in Sunday’s final against the winners of the other semifinal between Argentina and the Netherlands, reports Xinhua. Loew said he felt for Brazil’s players and coaching…

  • Brazil decimated 7-1

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    A ruthless Germany Tuesday dumped hosts Brazil out of the FIFA World Cup in a humiliating fashion, beating them 7-1 at the Minerao Stadium to march in the finals. In the record defeat for Brazil, Toni Kroos (24th min, 26th) and Andre Schurrle (69th, 79th) netted twice while Miroslav Klose (23rd), Sami Khedira (29th) and…

  • Indian Railways see future in Budget

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    Bullet trains are set to become a reality in India with the first service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government sought to make Indian Railways – one of the world’s largest – run like a “commercial enterprise but serve like a welfare organization”. In the railway budget presented to parliament Tuesday,…

  • India & Britain to broaden economic engagement

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    Economic pattnership between India and Britain remained the focus of discussion as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Tuesday exchanged notes on a “broad canvas” of issues with her visiting British counterpart William Hague here. “There were discussions on a broad canvas of issues. The external affairs minister focused on economic ties as these are robust,”…

  • Hague & Osborne in India

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  • Gandhi statue@Parliament Square

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     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,…

  • Hope rail budget meets expectations: Gowda

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    Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda began presenting the rail budget in Lok Sabha Tuesday, promising to serve the social obligations of the ministry, but with an eye on financial viability and the need to maintain and upgrade the network. “Everybody feels there are solutions to meet the challenges that the Indian Railways faces,” the minister…

  • Emma Watson appointed UN Goodwill Ambassador

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    Actress Emma Watson of “Harry Potter” fame has been appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador by UN Women, dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Known for playing Hermione Granger in the popular Hollywood franchise, Watson, a recent graduate of Ivy League institution, Brown University, will dedicate her efforts as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador towards…

  • Abbas urges Israel to stop Gaza strikes

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    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on Israel to immediately stop its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Abbas Monday warned Israel of the dangers of escalation and tension, and called for the international community’s intervention, Xinhua reported. “The Palestinian leadership is holding intensive and urgent contacts with Arab and countries and the West to stop…

  • Scolari might recall Alves for semifinal

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    Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has hinted he may recall Barcelona defender Daniel Alves to his starting line-up for Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final clash against Germany here. Alves was dropped to the bench in Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Colombia Friday, with Roma veteran Maicon taking his place at right-back, reports Xinhua. But Neymar’s tournament-ending back…

  • BrahMos supersonic cruise missile test a success

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    India Tuesday successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a defence base in Odisha, an official said. It has a range of 290 km and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg. The missile was launched from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in Balasore district, about 230 km from here.…

  • Indian joins Rockefeller Foundation board

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    Ravi Venkatesan, former chairman of Microsoft India and currently founder and chairman of Social Venture Partners India, a network of philanthropists addressing social problems, has joined The Rockefeller Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The appointment of Venkatesan, who is also a venture partner at impact investor Unitus Seed Fund, was announced Monday by The Rockefeller Foundation,…

  • PICS: Monsoon in Mumbai

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    Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, comprises seven islands. Monsoon always brings miseries to millions of Mumbaikars. A picture story  

  • WHAT A COWARDLY THING

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra So I am reading this book in which the hero is being given a lie detector test before he joins the FBI or the CIA and the question is: have you ever been a coward? And I think to myself, hmmm, interesting, have I ever been one? Not in the…

  • HAGUE IN INDIA: Speech in Mumbai

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    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

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    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…

  • Hague & Osborne begin India Visit

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      Britain’s Chancellor George Osborne and Foreign Secretary William Hague will begin a two-day trip to India on Monday. They are looking to open up investment opportunities for UK firms in India’s defence and infrastructure sector, and attract Indian investment into Britain reports BBC. The visit comes as a new government led by Narendra Modi…

  • Don’t forget to charge your equipment

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    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

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    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…