Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Modi calls Russia ‘time tested friend’

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday described Russia as a “time tested friend” and said Moscow stood by India in difficult times. At a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin who called on Modi here, the prime minister appreciated Russia’s support in building India’s military capabilities. Modi said he intended to take the relationship…

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  • East or west, NHS is the best

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    A study analysing the best healthcare systems in the world has ranked the NHS number one. Conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, the Mirror, Mirror on the Wall report is an in-depth look into the health services of 11 countries in comparison to the USA. The report ranks the UK first overall, leading the way in…

  • ‘David prefered over Ed’

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      Labour could be on course to an easy win in next year’s general election if it had elected David Miliband leader rather than his brother Ed, a new survey has suggested. More voters believe the elder Miliband would make a good prime minister than Ed, who beat him in the race for the Labour…

  • SULLEN IN THE SHOP

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra Every owner of every retail store or supermarket knows they are on the staff. The sulky, sullen, indifferent salesperson who makes for such an unpleasant shopping experience. If you hate your job so much leave it, find another one. But if you come to a service industry and retail is…

  • Tales teach children of honesty

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    If you wish to keep your children on the straight and narrow, tell them stories that praise a character’s honesty instead of those that emphasise the negative repercussions of lying, says a study. “The study shows that to promote moral behaviour such as honesty, emphasising the positive outcomes of honesty rather than the negative consequences…

  • White House Maker Faire

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    Arun Kumar writes White House Maker Faire features Indian-Americans’ creations  Creations of a couple of Indian Americans were featured at the first-ever White House Maker Faire to “celebrate a nation of makers and help empower America’s students and entrepreneurs to invent the future”. The Faire on Wednesday featured over 100 makers, innovators and entrepreneurs of…

  • Sanjaya Rajaram wins World Food Prize

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    Eminent Indian plant scientist, Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, has been named winner of the 2014 World Food Prize in recognition of his outstanding work in the improvement of wheat crop. Rajaram, who is now settled in Mexico, is credited with increasing world wheat production by more than 200 million tons in the years following the Green…

  • Chile ends Spanish era

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     Defending champions Spain’s six-year domination ended as they were knocked out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup courtesy a 0-2 loss to Chile in Group B at the Maracana stadium here Wednesday. It was an end of an era feeling, as Spain became the first reigning champions to lose their opening two matches in the…

  • FEATURE – SOS Children’s Village

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    Shilpa Raina looks into the life of selfless mothers who are the backbone of SOS Children’s Villages  Every time eight-year-old Rishab (name changed) asks his “mother” how he came into this world, she replies that a fairy gifted him to her. But Sonia Yadav is actually waiting for him to grow up to reveal how…

  • BIG INTERVIEW – Saif Ali Khan

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     Uma Ramasubramanian talks to Chota Nawab Saif Ali Khan prior to the release of his movie  Humshakals. Saif says  an inexperienced actor couldn’t do ‘Humshakals’ Saif Ali Khan played a double role in the beginning of his career, but he is doing a triple role for the first time in forthcoming comedy drama “Humshakals”. The actor…

  • 40 Indian workers kidnapped in Iraq

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    India said Wednesday that 40 Indians working for a Turkish construction company have been abducted from violence-hit Iraq. The external affairs ministry did not say who had seized the workers although earlier media reports blamed it on the Sunni insurgents who have seized key cities in Iraq. A ministry spokesman said the workers mostly belonged…

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  • Indian workers in Iraq uncontactable

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    The 40 Indian workers who have reportedly been kidnapped by militants in Iraq’s Mosul city remain “uncontactable”, the external affairs ministry said Wednesday, though it refused to confirm the report. “There are reports that there are 40 Indian nationals in Mosul. Despite our best efforts, at this stage we haven’t been able to contact them.…

  • US captures Benghazi attack suspect

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    The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that the US forces have captured in a raid “a key figure” suspected behind the September 2012 attacks on the US diplomatic facilities in Libya’s second largest city of Benghazi. The suspect, Ahmed Abu Khatallah, is in the US custody in a secure location outside of Libya, Xinhua quoted John Kirby,…

  • Cameron rules out military intervention in Iraq

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    Mr Cameron has ruled out any military intervention in support of the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He has promised to do everything to protect Britain from the terrorist threat from fighters returning from Iraq and Syria. The fighting between ISIS and Iraqi security forces, which are supported by Shia militias, has focused…

  • THE GREAT INDIAN HANG UP WITH FOOD

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    DAILY DOES by Bikram Vohra Our fascination with food reaches unchallenged heights when it comes to ‘enjoying’ other people’s hospitality. They call you for dinner, you scarf down a solid meal then you spend the ride back home breaking apart each dish and the knocking the caterer or the home-cooked meal or the dessert and…

  • COLUMN – Taming Inflation

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     Vatsal Srivastava in his column Currency Corner for Asian Lite, the newspaper for International Indians, says a long run of history reveals that the majority of recessions and financial setbacks have had nothing to do with high inflation In 2003, economist Robert Lucas, in his presidential address to the American Economic Association, declared that the “central problem…

  • Bird flu is staging a comeback

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    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…

  • Karzai rejects return of Taliban

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    Afghan President Hamid Karzai has dismissed the possibility of Al-Qaeda linked groups making a comeback in his country in a similar way to Iraq, BBC reported. Asked by the BBC’s Lyse Doucet in Kabul whether what was happening in Iraq could happen in Afghanistan, the president replied: “Never, not at all.” The outgoing president said that…

  • Pakistan faces Iraq model crisis

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    C Uday Bhaskar, Distinguished Fellow, Society for Policy Studies, is analysing the new Iraqi crisis for Asian Lite, the international newspaper for the Asian diaspora. Can Pakistan be saved from going the Iraq way?  The Pakistan military launched Zarb-e-Azb, a major offensive operation against terror groups operating from North Waziristan Sunday, a week after the…

  • Saudi accused of helping ISIS

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    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…

  • UK fears return of militants

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    British Prime Minister David Cameron said the fallout from the conflicts in Syria and Iraq were the UK’s most serious security threat. Up to 400 UK nationals are believed to be fighting with Sunni militant groups. “No-one should be in any doubt that what we see in Syria and now in Iraq in terms of Isis…

  • Li signs £14bn deal with UK

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    China says it wants to back major UK infrastructure projects and has signed £14bn in trade deals. The news comes on the first full day of a visit by its leader. The BBC reports the projects the state-owned China Development Bank (CDB) wants to invest in include High Speed 2 and the next generation of nuclear…

  • Tourism to unite South Asian

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    Saroj Mohanty says India pitches tourism for South Asian integration  After talks with the Bhutanese leadership, Prime minister Narendra Modi proposed developing a tourism circuit combining India’s Northeast region and the Himalayan nation. This came weeks after he conferred with other South Asian leaders and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj spoke about some “new initiatives”…

  • BIG INTERVIEW – Rahat Ali Khan

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    In an interview with Asian Lite’s Natalia Ningthoujam, Pakistani qawwali maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan says Bollywood music big investment unlike private albums. Asian Lite, the newspaper for the Asian Diaspora, will regularly carry interviews with Asian artistes Pakistani qawwali maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, known for giving hit Bollywood numbers like “Jiya dhadak dhadak” and…

  • PICS – Humshakals to hit UK screens

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    Humshakals,  directed by hit film maker Sajid Khan, is an upcoming Bollywood comedy film which means Look Alikes, of course. The film is produced by Vashu Bhagnani and filmed in several exotic locations including London. Saif Ali Khan, Ram Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh will be seen in a triple role mimicking the biggest names in…

  • Summer Solstice in Leeds

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    South Asian Arts-uk hosts concert to celebrate the longest day on at 8.30pm on Saturday 21st June People from all over the UK are invited to celebrate the break of dawn on the longest day of the year at this year’s South Asian Arts-uk, Summer Solstice festival in Leeds on 21st June. Brimming with mystical, musical…

  • India planning evacuations from Iraq

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    India Tuesday said it views the situation in Iraq as “high priority” and is coordinating with Iraq’s ambassador on the possibility of evacuating Indians from cities seized by Sunni insurgents.   “The situation in Iraq is high priority for the Indian government. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is herself monitoring and reviewing the situation,” ministry…

  • VIDEO – Shameless Onlookers!

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    An Actor Tried To Recreate The Infamous Nirbhaya Post-Rape Scenes. Look How People Reacted.This is so scary…it could be you or I. Go through it, please and share it with the world. It is not essentially Indian yet it is. We do not want to get involved, so corrupt is our system it has made…

  • LET’S RUIN YOUR MOOD 

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    Daily Dose by Bikram Vohra So, I am standing at this party like one of those shabby relatives at a rich man’s wedding, a little out of place, a little awed by the opulence and wondering why I can’t be home reading a book when this half stranger, like most people in our lives, walks…

  • The Truth About Britishness

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    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

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    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

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    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,…

  • Inmarsat confident about MH370 crash site

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    British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat said that the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has yet to zero in on the area which its scientists think is the plane’s most likely crash site, a media report said Tuesday. Inmarsat’s communications with the aircraft are seen as the best clues to the whereabouts of…

  • Obama to deploy 275 troops in Iraq

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    Amid concerns over a militant group’s advancement toward the Iraqi capital, US President Barack Obama Monday notified Congress that up to about 275 US military personnel will be in Iraq to provide support and security for US personnel and the American embassy in Baghdad. Obama said in a letter to Congressional leaders that the force,…

  • US Sikhs oppose immunity to Singh

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    US based rights group “Sikhs for Justice” has challenged US government’s suggestion to a Washington court to grant immunity to former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in a human rights violation case. The US Department of Justice in a May 2 submission asked the Washington federal court “to recognize Prime Minister Singh’s immunity from this…

  • Obama’s ‘ My enemy’s enemy’ option

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    The Obama administration, unable to move the needle in the three-year-old Syrian civil war, now finds itself on the verge of moving toward a “my enemy’s enemy” foreign policy with Iran in order to keep Iraq from falling apart next door reports . The possibility of partnering with Iran to deal with a common foe…

  • Germany dismantle Portugal 4-0

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    Germany sent out a stern warning to their rivals after a dominant 4-0 win over 10-man Portugal in the opening Group G encounter at the Arena Fonte Nova here Monday. The Germans were already leading 2-0, thanks to a penalty from Tomas Muller in the 12th minute and a Mats Hummels header in the 32nd…

  • Iraq forces retake ISIS held town

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    The Iraqi security forces on Monday recaptured a city in western province of Anbar, while the Sunni militants took full control of a city in northern part of the country, an official said. The Iraqi army, police and border guards fought sporadic clashes with gunmen in the city of Qaim, some 330 km northwest of…

  • Britons fighting with ISIS: Hague

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    Foreign Secretary William Hague has today said a large number of Britons are fighting with ISIS, which has taken over huge parts of Iraq. He told the Commons that about 400 UK nationals were involved in the conflict in Syria and some of them were fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  Footage has…

  • Schumacher out of coma and leaves hospital

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    In a good news for motorsport fans, Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher is declared to be out of coma and has been moved from the Grenoble University Hospital here. However, the 45-year-old German will continue his rehabilitation at an undisclosed location. “Michael has left the CHU Grenoble to continue his long phase of rehabilitation. He…

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  • 100 days since MH370’s disappearance

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    Families of passengers and cabin crew gathered in Malaysia to commemorate the 100th day of the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and to mark Father’s Day, media reported Monday. The event was organised by Voice370, a next-of-kin association of 205 families of the MH370 passengers, which aims to “seek the truth behind” the…

  • Chinese premier due in UK

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    The first by a Chinese premier since Sino-British relations were frozen for 18 months after a meeting in 2012 between David Cameron and the Dalai Lama China’s premier will arrive in London today on a mission to change “mis-perceptions and misgivings” about his country, The Times reported.Li Keqiang announces his campaign to show Britons the…

  • THE NOT SO FINE ART OF MOLESTATION

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra The fact is a complaint has been made to the police and they will have to act on it. This is not some village woman they can ignore (or rape while she is waiting) this is a high profile film actress accusing a high profile boyfriend in a very public…

  • UK nurses plan strike action

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    Royal College of Nursing general secretary Peter Carter said a government decision to block an across-the-board 1% rise could dominate the union’s annual conference this week. He even said he could not rule out calls for industrial action, BBC reported. In March, the Department of Health said staff entitled to progression-in-the-job increases would not get the…

  • NATO chief to visit Turkey

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    NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will visit Turkey for talks over dozens of Turkish nationals taken as hostages in Iraq, said the foreign ministry, media reported Monday. “We urge the abductors to release the hostages immediately. Nothing can justify this criminal act,” Xinhua quoted Rasmussen as saying. During his visit to Ankara Monday, Rasmussen will…

  • Gallery: Trooping the Colour

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      The Trooping the Colour ceremony has been held on Horse Guards Parade in London to mark the Queen’s official birthday. The Queen was joined by other senior royals at the annual event as she inspected 1,000 soldiers of the Household Division at Horse Guards Parade near Buckingham Palace. The custom of Trooping the Colour dates…

  • Fathers Seek Equal Rights

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    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…