Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • GALLERY – Women Empowered, London

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    “How one could harness the power of the internet and social media and posed the question that in a world on seven billion people can one person really have their voice heard? That was the question raised at Women Empowered’s latest event. Reena Ranger welcomed the guests and explained the rationale of the evening’s event by…

  • UNAPPEALINGLY YOURS

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra What is your most unappealing feature? Most of us go through life never even asking ourselves this simple question. Just like with cosmetics we are more inclined to camouflage our negatives and pretend they do not exist. But it is a fascinating exercise in piercing the self-deception. It stands to…

  • Modi address parliament

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his maiden speech in the Lok Sabha said Wednesday that his government would “leave no stone unturned to fulfil” the promises outlined by President Pranab Mukherjee in his address. In his reply in the Lok Sabha to the debate on motion of thanks on the president’s address, Modi said there…

  • Keith Vaz warns of passport backlog

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    A growing backlog of delays over passports has left people trapped in foreign countries and there have been 500 complaints from MPs . The Home Affairs Select Committee has called Paul Pugh, the head of the Passport Service, before members next week to explain the problems, which have been blamed on an improving economy and…

  • London taxi’s protest over app

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    London’s black-cab drivers are set to hold a protest against a rival mobile app they claim breaks the law by acting as a meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in the capital. The BBC reported on the latest in a series of protests across Europe as traditional cab services express anger…

  • Goa is Modi’s ‘good luck charm’

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    Modi chooses ‘good luck charm’ Goa for his first official visit as Prime Minister on June 14 , says a report at www.targetgoa.com Goa is special to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the first state he will visit as Prime Minister. There is much excitement in the state goverment today.  Modi will sail on…

  • Baroness Warsi At Odds With Gove

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      Baroness Warsi has distanced herself from the education secretary’s response to allegations of an Islamist plot to take over Muslim-majority schools in Birmingham – and took a jab at Gove for not having any relevant life experience on the issue reports Huffington Post. The senior Foreign Office minister, who also serves minister for faith…

  • PICS – Angelina in London

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  • Army chief appointment final: Jaitley

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    Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the appointment of Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag as the next army chief is final and urged the opposition not to politicise the issue. Jaitley’s reply came as Congress leader Anand Sharma raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, referring to tweets by former army chief and BJP…

  • News ‘n’ Pictures

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  • Search continues for missing students

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    A massive search operation to locate the remaining 19 of the 24 students and a tour operator who went missing after strong currents of Beas river washed them away near Mandi town entered the third day Wednesday, officials said. Five bodies have been recovered so far. Officials said chances of recovering any survivor of the…

  • Italy rejects Indian jurisdiction on marines

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    Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti Tuesday reiterated the country’s stand rejecting India’s jurisdiction in the case of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen two years ago. Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone were arrested for killing the fishermen off the coast of Kerala in February 2012, mistaking their fishing boat for a pirate…

  • US court dismisses case against Sonia

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    A US federal court in Brooklyn has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Sikh rights organisation accusing Congress party president Sonia Gandhi of shielding party leaders allegedly involved in violence against Sikhs in November 1984. US district judge Brian M. Cogan Monday granted Gandhi’s motion to dismiss the case filed by New York based Sikhs…

  • Thousands flee Mosul

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    Iraqi PM declares highest alert against terrorist groups Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on the parliament to approve state of emergency, as insurgent groups took full control of Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul, while he declared the highest alert in the country Tuesday. Maliki said the serious situations in the country entail the…

  • UK to tackle human trafficking

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    Buddhdev Pandya MBE,   Political Editor for Asian Lite, says  the new bill specifically address slavery and trafficking in the 21st century. The Home Office published a historic bill aimed at stamping out modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Bill is the first of its kind in Europe, and one of the first in the world, to…

  • SALMA:- Family comes first

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    Mexican actress Salma Hayek feels that her achievements would have been meaningless if she wouldn’t have had her “own family”. The actress-producer is married to French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault and has a six-year-old daughter, Valentina, reports contactmusic.com. She said: “I wouldn’t have had a fulfilling life if I hadn’t been able to start my own…

  • CBI in London over Airbus deal

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    A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team is to visit London next week to inquire into alleged graft in the purchase of Airbus aircraft almost a decade ago, informed sources said. The team will examine Airbus Executive Vice President Kiran Rao in connection with alleged irregularities in the over Rs.8,399-crore deal for 43 aircraft for…

  • London to get water cannons

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    The Metropolitan Police has received permission to purchase three water cannon for London, BBC reported. Stephen Greenhalgh, deputy mayor for policing and crime, authorised the force to buy the cannon from the German Federal Police. The mayor’s office said: “By purchasing them now we are able to save over £2.3m compared to buying new devices.”…

  • Amjad Ali Khan due in UK

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    Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan is to play on 21 June at 8pm in the Great Hall as part of the 2014 Tagore Festival at Dartington – which brings Anglo-Asian performers together to celebrate peace-building past and present at the centenary of the start of World War One. Recognised as ‘one of the 20th century’s greatest masters…

  • KARACHI – Remains of the Day

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  • GALLERY – Dilip’s Book Release

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    Along with Dilip Kumar’s wife Saira Banu, the book launch was attended by a host of Bollywood celebrities here last night. The book, titled ‘Substance and Shadow’, is authored by Uday Tara Nayar, a close family friend of the Bollywood thespian. It chronicles the life of Kumar right from his childhood, career, the ups and…

  • PM supports British Values

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    British Prime Minister David Cameron said plans for schools to promote “British values” are likely to have the “overwhelming support” of people in the UK. Mr Cameron said he hoped Education Secretary Michael Gove’s proposals for England would be “inculcated into the curriculum in any school in Britain”, BBC reported. He was speaking amid concerns…

  • CBI to probe Munde’s death

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    The centre has decided to order a CBI probe into the death of union minister Gopinath Munde in an road accident here June 3, a top BJP leader said here Tuesday. “Home Minister Rajnath Singh called me this morning (Tuesday) and discussed last week’s accident in which Munde lost his life. Rajnath Singh informed me…

  • Modi to cement ties with US

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    Kaliph Anaz says India-US ties to see high momentum over next few months  The signals from both India and the US are loud and clear – engagement in every sector, and fast. Pushing back the slackness that had crept into the important strategic relationship over the last few years, the new Indian government signaled its…

  • Pranab speech with Modi touch

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    Arvind Padmanabhan says Modi govet: Path charted, its time now for action The address to parliament delivered by President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday, outlining the policy priorities of the new government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not only one of the most comprehensive in recent times but also reflects the vast task that lies…

  • Love, breakups…it’s zindagi!

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    Radhika Bhirani  in her column Curious Case writes about Splitsville in times of ‘Splitsvilla’  The ball for the seventh season of “Splitsvilla” on the idiot box is ready to roll, but in the real world of celebrities – Hollywood or Bollywood – it’s been quite a season of splitsville already! Love, breakups…it’s zindagi, I guess. Almost every…

  • US stocks to regain value

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    Vatsal Srivastava in his column Currency Corner says US stocks look set for short-term technical correction Last week saw immensely important announcements and data flow for the currency market. On Thursday, the ECB decided to cut interest rates to record low levels and hinted towards unleashing Quantitative Easing (QE) if inflation expectations do not remain…

  • Second attack on Karachi airport

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    Heavily-armed gunmen mounted a brazen attack near the Karachi international airport, within a day of a terror siege there ending in a toll of 30, media reported. The Airport Security Force (ASF) Academy came under heavy attack by terrorists Tuesday and Geo News reported a raging gun battle. The media report said the militants entered…

  • NRI Sunil Chopra is Mayor of Southwark

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       NRI Sunil Chopra has assumed charge as the mayor of the London Borough of Southwark, becoming the first Indian-origin person to hold the prestigious office. He was installed as the first citizen of the Borough at a gala ceremony held at the iconic Southwark Cathedrawl last evening in presence of a large gathering including…

  • Britain tops FDI destination ranking

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    Britain was the most attractive destination in Europe for foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2013, a survey result published Monday showed. In 2013, the number of FDI projects in Britain increased by 14.6 percent to 799, surpassing the previous high of 728 recorded in 2010 and Britain’s market share rose to one-fifth of all European…

  • London summit to end sexual violence

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    A four-day summit Tuesday on ending sexual violence during war would be headed by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, actress Angelina Jolie. The event at the ExCel Centre in London, called the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, is the final result of…

  • Pakistan’s nukes safety good:US

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    Condemning the deadly militant attack on Karachi airport that left 28 dead, the US has offered Pakistan assistance in investigating the crime, but at this point was not concerned about the safety of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal. “We have offered assistance to the relevant Pakistani authorities investigating this crime,” State Department spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters…

  • WHAT, IT’S BEEN 35 YEARS!

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    DAILY DOSE By Bikram Vohra —-bikram@asianlite.asianlite.uk This time 35 years ago I was six hours from getting married. Everyone had gone off to get dressed and stuff so I was alone and I thought to myself, why not go down to the US Club and get in a game of squash. Then enjoy my wedding…

  • UK faces diabetes crisis

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    More than a third of adults are on the cusp of developing type-2 diabetes, a report in the BMJ revealed. The authors predict a surge in type-2 diabetes in the coming years, with consequences for life expectancy and disability. The charity Diabetes UK said the NHS was already spending one-tenth of its budget on the…

  • Modi holds Rahul’s hand in Central Hall

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    Bonhomie pervaded in parliament Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held Rahul Gandhi’s hand in an expression of warmth and Congress president Sonia Gandhi conversed intently with L.K. Advani. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was among those present in the packed central hall to listen to President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the members of the…

  • India can reprocess spent n-fuel: Russia

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    India has the right to reprocess the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the Russian built Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) by a supplementary agreement with Russia, which relieved the builders from the responsibility to take over the discharged SNF as originally envisaged. This was stated by A.Y. Khaperskaya, senior manager with Russia’s state nuclear corporation…

  • President outlines Modi plans

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    From a “sagar mala” or a chain on the sea, connecting India’s ports and then the hinterland, to an enabling groundwork for cheaper air travel to small cities, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday outlined a slew of projects to show the thrust the Narendra Modi government wishes to give to infrastructure development. “Lack of robust…

  • 27 drown during Ganga Dussehra

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    At least 27 people were killed in separate incidents while taking dip in rivers on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra in Uttar Pradesh, police said Monday. The annual festival, which is celebrated as the day when the Ganga river is believed to have to descended on the earth, saw lakhs of devotees take dip Sunday…

  • Five bodies found in Himachal river tragedy

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    Five bodies of students were found in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district while the fate of 19 others who were washed away in Beas river that saw a flash-flood after the release of water from a hydropower project is still not known, an official said. The toll in Sunday’s accident has risen to five, Additional Deputy…

  • ROME – A world quite like ours

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    Vikas Datta says the ancient Rome is almost like ours Picture a metropolis where citizens live in multi-storey buildings, throng streets teeming with people from all over the world, eagerly follow and gossip over the foibles of the rich and famous, are keenly involved in governance which however is a preserve of a professional breed of…

  • Karachi toll rises to 23

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    At least 23 people, including 10 terrorists, were killed at Pakistan’s Jinnah International Airport in Karachi after it came under attack Sunday night, a leading Pakistani daily reported. The entire airport has been cleared and all terrorists have been killed, a Pakistan Army spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Dawn. Major General Asim Bajwa, spokesperson…

  • NEWS N PICS

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  • Nadal wins 9th French Open

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    World No.1 tennis player Rafael Nadal won his record ninth men’s singles title at the French Open by beating second-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic in four sets at Court Philippe Chatrier here Sunday. The top-seeded Spaniard clinched the final 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in three hours and 31 minutes to become the first man in history…

  • Amaan, Ayaan go Holle, Holle

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    Sarod maestros Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan have collaborated with a San Francisco-based vocalist Devika Chawla to create a new-age single titled “Holle Holle”. “Holle Holle” brings together Devika’s voice and Amaan and Ayaan’s sarod performance. The track started taking shape when the duo met Devika in San Francisco. Inspired by the surroundings…

  • MQM chief thanks supporters

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    The exiled leader of MQM also thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari. He also expressed his gratitude for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) condemning his arrest and also thanked Tahirul Qadri, Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Musharraf. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain addressed his party lawmakers and workers who…

  • Naidu begins second innings

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    Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday took oath as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath to Naidu near Guntur town in the presence of tens of thousands of people. Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, union ministers Ananth Kumar and M. Venkaiah Naidu, the…

  • Modi to focus on skill and speed

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    India needs to focus on skill, scale and speed to compete with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, drawing a link between the colours in the national flag to the revolutions the country needed for its future growth. Releasing a book, “Getting India Back on track – an action agenda for reform”, at…

  • Sikhs protest in London

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    Thousands of Sikhs march through central London in protest over the storming of India’s Golden Temple 30 years ago. The protesters are seeking the assault of June 1984 be recognised as a genocide, BBC reported. Sikhs say thousands were murdered when Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent the army into Sikhism’s holiest shrine to flush…

  • Health Check – Beware of RSI

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    Azera Parveen Rahman says long hours in front of the computer will lead to RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury)  Pain around the neck and upper limbs? Beware! It could be Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) that comes from spending long hours before a computer. At the NH Narayana Multispeciality hospital in Bangalore, an average of 200 patients, all…

  • Gandhi statue in Leciester vandalised

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    Unidentified vandals have defaced the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Britain’s Leicester and engraved it with the slogans referring to anti-Sikh violence in India, a media report said. Vandals daubed the words, “Never forget 84” and “We want justice #84” in large letters on two sides at the base of the statue, Leicester Mercury reported…