Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • INTERVIEW: Sabyasachi Mukherjee

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    By Nivedita   Sabyasachi Mukherjee, whose sartorial creations, marked by traditional fabrics and techniques, have made him a globally recognised name in the world of design, believes that national clothing has the power to foster nationalism. He says the youths’ appreciation of Indian handloom calls for revival of the craft. “It’s a fragmented society and nothing…

  • Shiv Sena smells LED scam

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    The Shiv Sena said it suspects major irregularities in a project involving installation of LED lights in 100 cities, including Mumbai. In a signed article in party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday, Sena MP Sanjay Raut raised strong objections to the BJP supported plan to install LED lights in cities. The Shiv Sena-dominated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation…

  • Turkey deports Syria-bound British women

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    A British woman, who was detained in Ankara on the suspicion that she was trying to cross into Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, was deported from Turkey to Britain, Xinhua news agency reported citing the state-run Anatolia news service. Jalila Nadra H., 22, was detained by Turkish police in a counter-terrorism…

  • Militants attack Jammu police station

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    Militants wearing army fatigues attacked a police station in Kathua district of the Jammu region on Friday, and killed two policemen and injured six others in a gunfight which is still on, police said. “Three to four militants wearing army fatigues attacked Rajbagh police station in Kathua district ,” a senior police officer said here. “They…

  • Pakistan bowled out for 213

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    Putting up an impressive show, Australia bowled out Pakistan for 213 in 49.5 overs in the third quarterfinal of the cricket World Cup at the Adelaide Oval here. Electing to bat, Pakistan struggled from the beginning. Right-handed openers Ahmed Shehzad (5) and Sarfraz Ahmed (10) lost their wickets by playing bad shots. Sarfraz chased an…

  • Diversification of army helped Indian democracy

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      India’s well-timed decision post independence to control and diversify its army helped preserve its democracy, or it could have ended up like Pakistan which has seen three army coups post independence. Yale university professor Steven I. Wilkinson, in his book “Army and Nation: How India’s Founders Made its Army Safe for Democracy” – writes…

  • Boko Haram attack kills 10 in Nigeria

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    At least 10 people were killed in an attack carried out by the Boko Haram militants in a Nigeria-Cameroon border town in Borno state, a security source said . The attack was carried out in Gamboru town on Wednesday, barely three weeks after Boko Haram fighters were dislodged by Chadian soldiers on regional cooperation, Xinhua…

  • Gang-raped nun discharged from hospital

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      The 71-year-old nun who was raped by a gang of bandits inside a convent in West Bengal’s Nadia district was on Friday discharged from the hospital, an official said. The sister superior of the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Ranaghat was hospitalised on March 14 with serious injuries after she was brutalised by…

  • Obama urges Iran to grab ‘historic chance’

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    US President Barack Obama called on Iranian leaders not to miss a “historic opportunity” to reach a reasonable nuclear deal, saying such a moment “may not come again soon”. In a video message to mark Nowruz (Persian New Year), Obama on Thursday said this is “the best opportunity in decades to pursue a different future…

  • Briton among victims of Tunisia attack

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    Britain’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond  confirmed that a British woman, Sally Jane Adey, was among those killed in the shooting at the Bardo Museum in Tunis. “I can confirm the death of a British woman in yesterday’s (Wednesday) terrorist attack in Tunisia. Consular staff are providing assistance to her family. My thoughts are with them…

  • ISIS committed genocide in Iraq: UN

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      The Islamic State (IS) may have committed all three of the most heinous international offences, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, according to a report issued by the UN high commissioner for human rights. Genocide is a “manifest pattern of similar conduct aimed at the destruction” of a particular group, the report…

  • Damaged heart has good hope

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    In a development that could pave the way for heart tissue regeneration, US and Chinese scientists claim to have successfully used a tiny molecule that fine-tunes gene expression to stimulate the mouse heart to grow new cells. Unlike other organs, the adult human heart lacks the ability to form new cells and repair damage after…

  • India reach World Cup semis

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    India beat Bangladesh by 109 runs to enter the cricket World Cup semi-finals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here. Powered by a scintillating century from Rohit Sharma (137), India registered a comprehensive 109-run win over neighbours Bangladesh to enter the cricket World Cup semifinals at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here. Guided by…

  • Its going to be a twilight Britain on eclipse day

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    A spectacular eclipse will plunge Britain into twilight for two hours this month. In a rare astronomical alignment the Moon will pass directly between the Sun and the Earth, blocking out most of the light from around 8.40am on March 20. Northern Scotland will have the best view of the partial eclipse, where more than…

  • Pakistan envoy hopeful about IPI pipeline

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    Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit  said he is hopeful that the gas pipeline project involving Iran, Pakistan and India would resume once the issue of sanctions against Iran gets resolved. “The nuclear deal is struck between Iran and six countries – P5+1 countries – and as soon as sanction (scenario) is removed, we hope to…

  • British army begin training Ukrainian military

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     British military personnel have begun training members of the Ukrainian army fighting pro-Russian rebels, a media report said on Thursday. The decision to this effect was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron last month, BBC reported. Thirty-five trainers are working in the southern city of Mykolaiv and will spend about two months in the country.…

  • Obama regrets not closing Guantanamo

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      US President Barack Obama has said that he should have closed the Guantanamo Bay prison on his first day at the White House back in 2009 when there was consensus with Republicans on its shutting down, Efe news agency reported. Asked at an event in Cleveland, Ohio, what he would do if he could…

  • Rohit powers India to 302/6

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    Powered by a scintillating century from Rohit Sharma (137), India posted a challenging total of 302/6 in 50 overs in their cricket World Cup quarterfinals match against Bangladesh at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here. Rohit’s 122-run fourth-wicket partnership with Suresh Raina (65) provided the platform for the defending champions to put up a…

  • US blasts Bibi over campaign comments

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    The White House has slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his campaign comments about Arab-Israeli voters after his win in parliamentary elections. The US is “deeply concerned about rhetoric that seeks to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday, Xinhua reported. “It undermines the values and democratic ideals…

  • CBI probe offered into IAS officer’s death

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    The central government is ready for a CBI inquiry into the death of Karnataka IAS officer D.K. Ravi if the state government wants, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said . Making an intervention during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh said a delegation of parliament members met him and demanded that a CBI inquiry…

  • ‘Shameful attacks send the wrong message’

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      What stops a prime minister like Narendra Modi, who has a strong mandate, to put a full stop on attacks on Christians in India, ask community leaders in the country, adding that it sends a wrong message to the world about India. “It seems that nobody is interested in stopping attacks on Christians in…

  • Etihad unveils ‘Fast & Furious’ luxury plane

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      Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Universal Pictures have unveiled a luxury Fast & Furious 777 airliner at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), in conjunction with the impending release of “Furious 7”. Actor-producer Vin Diesel was on hand as Etihad Airways Flight 171 arrived from Abu Dhabi to begin…

  • US Fed Reserve interest rate rise on cards

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    In a move that would likely impact both emerging markets like India and advanced economies, the US central bank  dropped an assurance to be “patienta” in raising interest rates and signaled the hike could come by mid year. But in a statement issued after a two-day meeting of its policy-making committee, the Federal Reserve also…

  • Tunisia museum attack kills 19

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    At least 19 people, including 17 tourists, were killed in an armed attack on a museum here, Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid said. Five “terrorists” carried out the attack on Bardo Museum, and two of them were killed by security forces, Essid said at a press conference, according to Xinhua news agency. A Tunisian citizen…

  • E-commerce growing in India

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    The technology driven e-commerce market in India has come of age and is growing rapidly to cross Rs.1 lakh crore by the year-end, an industry report said. “Growing at 33 percent, the digital commerce market is set to cross Rs.1 lakh crore by December 2015 from Rs.81,525 crore in December 2014, with 53 percent growth,”…

  • NRI convicted for rape in Britain

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     An Indian-origin man has been convicted for raping a woman in Britain nearly two years ago, after his DNA was linked to samples recovered from the crime scene, according to media reports. Hardeep Sandhu, 39, was found guilty by a jury of rape and injuring with the intention of committing grievous bodily harm to the…

  • Black Money Laws to get more teeth

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    Black money bill proposes 10 years jail, 300 percent penalty Giving concrete shape to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s budget announcement last month on recovering black money stashed away abroad, the cabinet-approved anti-black money law provides a short window to income tax assessees to declare assets, pay tax and penalty and avoid imprisonment. The Foreign Income…

  • ‘Blood’ marks Tamasha’s 25th Anniversary

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    Blood is the centerpiece production of Tamasha’s 25th anniversary year. BLOOD TOUR DATES  The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry 27 March – 11 April Box Office: 02476553053 www.belgrade.co.uk/ Set among a Midlands Pakistani community, Blood is 21st century urban love story. It is sparky, funny and heart-wrenchingly honest. A timely and contemporary story, this play cuts through political agendas and goes…

  • OBIT: Saeed Naqvi on late Vinod Mehta

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    Vinod Mehta, A Prince among journalists…writes Saeed Naqvi  Vinod Mehta would have been flabbergasted. He would never have expected such a turnout at his funeral – the most powerful politicians, journalists, writers, cartoonists, artists, everybody except… well, in that exception possibly lay the secret of his success. The fixers and their patrons were not there. The…

  • Disproving Shakespeare

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    Disproving Shakespeare: The greatest Roman in literary fiction …writes Vikas Datta  Only a few historical figures retain their renown in the relentless march of time, with one yardstick being widespread, continuing depictions across various cultures. Two of these are prominent figures from the ancient Graeco-Roman world, but their legacy is enduring – one’s name is still…

  • Osborne Unveils Election Budget

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    Chancellor George Osborne unveiled the budget aiming to retain power on may 7 general elections. The latest opinion polls show the Conservatives and the opposition Labour are on neck-and-neck. The chancellor told MPs “Britain is walking tall again” after five years of coalition government. Growth forecasts for 2015 and 2016 were revised up but the…

  • US indefinitely close embassy in Saudi Arabia

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    The US embassy in Saudi Arabia will remain closed until further noticed due to heightened security concerns at US diplomatic facilities, the embassy said on its website. The embassy first announced the US embassy and consulates have cancelled all consular services in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran for Sunday on March 15 and 16. Telephone lines…

  • 15-year-old designs new one pound coin

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    Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne  revealed the design of a new one pound coin, which was created by a 15-year-old young man, the Royal Mint confirmed. The new design of the reverse side of the coin features four emblems which represent each of the nations of the United Kingdom — the English rose,…

  • UK unemployment falls

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    UK unemployment has fallen by 102,000 to 1.86 million in the three months to January, official figures show. The unemployment rate remains at 5.7% but the number of people in work is at an all-time high, the office for national statistics said. The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance also fell to 791,200, its lowest…

  • Proteas thrash Lankans

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    Spinners Imran Tahir (4-26) and Jean-Paul Duminy (3-29) starred for South Africa as they thrashed Sri Lanka by nine wickets to reach the cricket World Cup semi-finals at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) . Duminy’s hat-trick — the first by a South African in World Cup history – and leg-spinner Tahir’s four wicket burst helped…

  • Interview: John Madden

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    By Sugandha Rawal India’s vibrancy, rich culture and chaos of urban life turned out to be magnets for John Madden, who has shot two of his films –“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its sequel — in the country. The English director says every frame in the nation is worth capturing. His film’s sequel, “The…

  • Cameron ready to debate

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    David Cameron has agreed to take part in a single televised debate during the general election campaign, claiming it was in fact the other party leaders who were ‘running away’ from the broadcasts. The Prime Minister agreed for a single debate between seven leaders, to be screened by ITV on April 2, had been put forward by…

  • Obama will work with whoever leads Israel

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      Hours after the first exit polls showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party set to retain the leadership, US President Barack Obama indicated he would work with any future Israeli premier. Obama “remains committed to working very closely with the winner of the ongoing elections to cement and further deepen the strong relationship between…

  • Moscow slams Kiev

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    Russia has slammed the Ukrainian leadership for diverting the Minsk peace agreements reached in February between Kiev and Donbass insurgents. The bill on the “special status” of Donbass territories under the control of insurgents, which was submitted to the parliament Monday by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, constitutes ” abrupt diversion from the Minsk agreements and…

  • Cyanide confirmed in envelope send to White House

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    An envelope sent to the White House mail facility tested positive for cyanide, a media report said . “An envelope containing an unknown milky substance in a container wrapped in a plastic bag, received at the White House Mail Screening Facility, tested positive for cyanide,” an internal law enforcement document said. According to the document,…

  • Osborne to unveil pre-election Budget

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    In his last one before elections,George Osborne is to set out his tax and spending plans in the Budget later. The chancellor has pledged “no giveaways” or “gimmicks” in his speech, which will be delivered at 12:30 GMT. Reports suggest the UK’s finances may be boosted by a £6bn windfall as a result of low…

  • Team India undergo light practice

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      The Indian cricket team began preparations for their quarter-final clash against Bangladesh with a light training session here. The players started their drills with a few warm-up exercises and jogs around the field. The sun wasn’t beating hard here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Instead there was a gush of wind, a few…

  • Modi endorses a Blue Revolution

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    By C. Uday Bhaskar  The three island-nation trip that took Prime Minister Modi to Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka in mid-March may well mark the beginning of India’s long-overdue maritime awakening. For a nation so richly endowed with a distinctive maritime geography, the paradox has been the tenacious indifference, often veering towards inexcusable sea-blindness, that…

  • Netanyahu in the driving seat

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      The Israeli elections took a dramatic turn in the early morning hours on Wednesday as official tallies from nearly all precincts indicate that Likud has opened up a significant lead over Zionist Union, a far cry from the virtual dead heat that television exit polls had reported Tuesday evening. With nearly 90 percent of…

  • Microsoft develops collaborative cloud tool

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    Software giant Microsoft, led by its Indian-American CEO Satya Nadella, has developed yet another cloud tool that allows team members to share and collaborate on documents with one another. Part of Microsoft Office, the new tool called “Delve” surfaces the stuff one is interested in automatically. One doesn’t have to bookmark important documents or even…

  • US Fed to raise interest rates?

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    By Arun Kumar    The US central bank kicked off a policy meeting that ends  amid speculation about when the Federal Reserve will raise US interest rates – a move that would impact both advanced and emerging markets like India. The Wall Street Journal suggested that the Fed “is about to inject uncertainty back into financial…

  • Netanyahu declares victory; Herzog says wait

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    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory after the first exit polls released following elections showed the Likud ahead of, or tied with, the Zionist Union. Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page: “Against all odds, a great victory for the Likud, for the nationalist camp led by the Likud, and for the people of Israel,” Jpost…

  • 75 media persons killed in Syria since 2011

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     Journalists paid a heavy price for informing people about the sufferings in the Syrian conflict, with at least 75 media persons being killed in the war-torn country since March 2011, a report said. The findings of the study by the Swiss-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) were presented at the 28th session of the UN Human…

  • Cabinet approves bill on tracing black money

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      Giving concrete shape to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s announcement of a bill to trace black money, the union cabinet  approved a new law to track unaccounted wealth. Finance ministry sources said that the union cabinet approved the Foreign Income and Undisclosed Assets (Imposition of New Tax) Bill, 2015, for tabling in the Lok Sabha. “On…

  • AAP decides to go national

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    A month after it won a spectacular victory in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that it has decided to go national. “We have decided to expand nationally,” party leader Sanjay Singh told the media after a meeting of AAP leaders at the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal here. The AAP’s Political…