Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Lord Desai announces academy in Mumbai

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      Eminent economist and Indian British politician Lord Meghnad Desai announced the launch of the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics here. Scheduled to start from July, the MDAE’s vision for the one-year post-graduate certificate course is “to learn, think, apply and prepare students to take leadership positions in the global economy”, said Lord Desai. “The…

  • India-Pakistan cricket matches from December

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      India and Pakistan are set to resume bilateral cricketing ties in December this year, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said. “Pakistan and Indian cricket teams, would be playing a bilateral series in December this year. We are working very hard on that, it will be happening after a long gap,” Basit said…

  • N-deal to benefit all parties:Rouhani

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    Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that a possible nuclear deal will be in the interest of all countries, including the Islamic republic and the regional states. “We announce this to all the parties involved that Iran was not drawn to the negotiating table by sanctions, and that if the talks come to fruition, they will…

  • Palestinians calls for peace conference

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    Palestinians will call for holding an international peace conference to resolve the conflict with Israel, no matter who wins in the Israeli parliamentary elections, a senior official said . Saleh Ra’fat, executive committee member in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), told Xinhua news agency in an interview that the PLO would call for holding an…

  • Modi deeply concerned over events

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “deep concern” over the gang rape of a 71-year-old nun in West Bengal’s Nadia district and the vandalisation of a church in Hisar, Haryana, said an official statement. “The prime minister is deeply concerned about the incidents in Hisar, Haryana and Nadia, West Bengal,” a post on Modi’s official…

  • Big B distressed after fan’s outburst

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      Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan was disheartened after a teenager complained that he didn’t greet her on her birthday, saying the actor’s claims of being in touch with fans was false. The 72-year-old makes it a point to wish his fans, or as he prefers to call his Extended Family, on their special days. But…

  • Beckham earned £50.8 mn in 2014

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      Retired English footballer David Beckham earned 50.8 million pounds last year, after multiple endorsement deals with brands like H&M and Adidas. It’s reportedly more than what he used to earn when he played for his country. The hefty sum is 15 million pounds more than his highest previous earnings of 34.6 million pounds in…

  • Cuba-US hold talks

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    Cuba and the US held another round of talks in Havana as they moved towards re-establishing diplomatic ties. The talks were led by Roberta Jacobson, the US’s top diplomat for Latin America, and Josefina Vidal, director of US affairs at the Cuban foreign ministry. The talks follow a previous round held in Washington on February…

  • Kerala woman legislator defends biting

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    Left legislator Jameela Prakasham said she bit Congress member K. Sivadasan Nair because he grabbed her from behind during the turmoil in the assembly last week. Prakasham, who came under widespread criticism in the social media for biting Nair on March 13, defended her aggression. “If people see the visuals (of the house proceedings) carefully,…

  • Gang-raped nun stable

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    The 71-year-old nun who was raped by a gang of bandits in West Bengal’s Nadia district continues to be physically and mentally stable, an attending doctor said. “Her condition, both physically and mentally, is stable now. She is responding to treatment,” Payal Mullick Laha, additional superintendent of the Ranaghat sub-divisional hospital, said. Confirming that the…

  • Voting begins in Israel

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      Polling started in Israel in what is expected to be a close contest between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party and opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog. Other than Netanyahu and Herzog, who is member of the Knesset (parliament) and chairman of the Labor Party, the other main candidates are Tzipi Livni, former justice minister, and Moshe…

  • Toll in cyclone-hit Vanuatu reaches 24

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      At least 24 people were killed after a category 5 cyclone hit the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, authorities said. Cyclone Pam hit the island on March 13, causing massive destruction to life and property, Xinhua reported. According to a latest situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 24…

  • Prince Harry to join Australian Army

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      Prince Harry will join the Australian Army next month before quitting the military, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) announced . During his time in Australia, Harry will spend time at the army barracks in Darwin, Perth and Sydney, ABC reported. ADF chief Mark Binskin said joining the Australian Army would provide the prince with…

  • Britain votes to find its national bird

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    The search started  to choose a national bird for Britain, with a nationwide poll coinciding with the country’s general election later this year. On the day Britain discovers who will be the next prime minister, the country will also learn the winner of the bird sitting on the top perch, crowned as the Bird of…

  • Swamy’s mosque comments create uproar

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    There was an uproar in the Rajya Sabha over comments by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in Assam where he reportedly said mosques are not religious places. “Secularism is the biggest strength of a democracy. If there is no secular character, there will be no democracy,” Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said, raising the issue soon after…

  • Lahore church bombing toll rises to 16

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      The toll in the deadly attacks on two churches in Pakistan’s Lahore city on Sunday has increased to 16, as one more person has died from injuries, a media report said . The man received severe multiple injures during the two powerful explosions that rocked the Catholic Church and Christ Church in the city’s…

  • NRI Renu Khator to head US education body

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    By Arun Kumar  Indian-American Renu Khator has been elected chair of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for US colleges and universities. Uttar Pradesh born Khator, University of Houston President and System Chancellor since 2008, became board chair during ACE’s 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC…

  • No Palestinian state if elected:Netanyahu

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    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struck down hopes of a Palestinian state if he was re-elected in  national elections, according to media reports. Confirming that “there will be no Palestinian state”, Netanyahu said: “I think that anyone who moves to establish a Palestinian state and evacuate territory gives territory away to radical Islamist attacks…

  • PIC GALLERY: Gandhi Statue in London

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    The fact that London, the capital of the then Imperial Power  he dis-engaged India from, raises a statue for him even as India has some of her people contemplate a temple for his assassin, shows that Gandhi’s work for truth in  freedom succeeds in the most unbelievable ways……..Gopalkrishna Gandhi  

  • Temple for Godse hurts Gandhi grandson

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    The unveiling of Gandhi statue at Parliament Square in London was shadowed by a comment from Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma. Gopal,  a former diplomat and a state governor, said when Britain was honouring Mahatma with a statue at a prime spot in the capital, a section in the Indian society denigrating the father of…

  • ‘Half Naked Fakir’ Steals Limelight

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    British Prime Minister David Cameron led Britain to pay homage to India’s Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi…writes Kaliph Anaz   British Prime Minister David Cameron led Britain to pay homage to India’s Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. The prime minister was addressing the audience at Parliament Square during the unveiling of 9-feet tall Gandhi…

  • London Vaisakhi festival at City hall

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    The Mayor of London Boris Johnson unveiled a new look Vaisakhi Festival, which will enable a wider array of cultural activities to be presented. Following consultation with the Sikh community, the popular free event will take place on Saturday 11 April 2015 at City Hall and in The Scoop at More London, next to historic Tower Bridge. Vaisakhi is the most important day in the…

  • Yadav ready for complexion debate

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      JD-U chief Sharad Yadav  said his comments on women’s complexion were misinterpreted and refused to apologise, stating that he was ready for a debate on the topic. The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader had got away lightly when he made the comments last week, as several members laughed them over. He, however, faced the heat…

  • INTERVIEW: Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan

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    By Natalia Ningthoujam   Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, known for delivering hit Bollywood songs like “Mitwa” and “Yeh honsla”, believes that compact discs are getting phased out by the digital platform even as there is a spate of demand for music now. The singer with roots in classical music is ready with his third…

  • British teens travelling to Syria held in Turkey

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    Three British teenagers suspected of travelling to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) terror group were stopped by authorities in Turkey, British police said. According to the Scotland Yard, the youth included two boys aged 17 from northwest London and one man aged 19, Xinhua reported. They were reported missing on Friday and were…

  • Airwaves are public property: Jaitley

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    Airwaves are public property and the myth that they are the monopoly of the state has been broken, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said  as he pitched for expansion of community radio. Inaugurating the 5th National Community Radio Sammelan here, Jaitley said: “The right to free speech does not belong to a broadcaster alone…

  • New Zealand PM backs Sikhs on ‘kirpans’

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    New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said that the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to bar Sikh fans from carrying ‘kirpans’ at World Cup matches was wrong. Seven Sikh cricket fans were stopped from entering Eden Park to watch India play Zimbabwe in a match on Saturday as they were carrying kirpans, The New Zealand…

  • The Indian economy needs a dovish Rajan

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    By Vatsal Srivastava The global economy is still very much in the zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) era with the exception of the US Federal Reserve which is widely expected to raise rates this year. Sixteen of 18 industrialized nations have seen their inflation reading run below expectations as deflationary forces continue to exert pressure on the…

  • Putin puts Russian navy units on alert

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      Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Northern Fleet of the Russian navy and certain units of paratroopers and the Western Military District to be on full alert as part of snap checks, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said. The snap military exercises will involve 38,000 military, 3,360 units of military equipment, 41 warships,…

  • Mystery of ‘alien’ genes solved

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    A new study challenged the assumption that evolution relies solely on genes passed down as it finds that humans contain ‘alien’ genes not passed on from our ancestors. They say we acquired essential ‘foreign’ genes from the micro-organisms co-habiting their environment in ancient times. The research, published in the journal Genome Biology, focuses on the…

  • Haryana village tense after church attack

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    Tension prevailed in a village in Haryana’s Hisar district  after an under construction church was attacked and vandalised by miscreants and the idol of a Hindu god was placed inside the premises on March 6. The police later took away the Hanuman idol and a red-coloured flag related to Lord Ram from the premises to…

  • Sharif condemn church bombings

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    Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the bomb blasts at two churches in Lahore city that killed at least 15 people and injured over 70, a media report said . Two powerful explosions on Sunday rocked the Catholic Church and Christ Church in the city’s Youhanabad area, home to the country’s biggest Christian…

  • India poised for fast growth: Lagarde

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      Internation Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde  said India was on its path to becoming the world’s fastest growing economy, as she bagan her two-day visit to the country. “Wondeful to be back in vibrant India – poised to become world’s fastest growing large economy,” Lagarde tweeted, as the multilateral funding institution predicted…

  • Congress raises ‘snooping’ on Rahul

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      The alleged snooping on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was raised in Rajya Sabha by a vociferous opposition, which demanded a statement by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue. Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said religious freedom and political freedom is going down in the country. “Is the government…

  • Pakistan church bombings kill 14

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    At least 14 people were killed in Pakistan’s Lahore city when two powerful explosions rocked two churches, triggering retaliatory violence, the Pakistani media said. Jamatul Ahrar, an offshoot of the Tehreek-e-Taliban, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, news web sites said. Doctors where the dead and wounded were rushed to said 14 people were dead.…

  • Hundreds pay homage to murdered Indian techie

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      Hundreds of people, including family members, colleagues and central and state ministers, paid homage to the Indian software engineer who was murdered in Australia on March 7. The body of the 41-year-old Prabha from global IT consulting firm Mindtree was flown to the city on Saturday night. It was kept at her relative’s house…

  • India’s forex reserves down $286 million

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    India’s foreign exchange reserves decreased by $286.3 million to $337.79 billion for the week ended March 6, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed. The reserves had increased by $3.88 billion to $338.07 billion for the previous week ended Feb 27. In the week ended Feb 20 the reserves were up by $1.02 billion to…

  • Kidney ailments to affect more

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    Over 5 mn will undergo dialysis, kidney transplant by 2030: Study The number of people receiving treatment for advanced kidney failure – such as dialysis or kidney transplant – will double to over five million by 2030, mostly in developing regions such as Asia and Africa, a study said on Saturday. Renal replacement therapy (RRT),…

  • Osborne hails  deeper UK-India economic ties 

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    Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, hailed the increasingly important relationship between Britain and India’s economies as he hosted a bilateral meeting with Indian Finance Minister Mr Arun Jaitley in London. The meeting focused on the government’s work to strengthen its already well-established economic ties with India and precedes tomorrow’s unveiling of the new statue of…

  • Sweden offers to question Julian Assange in London

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    The Swedish public prosecutions authorities offered on Friday to question Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in London over alleged sex crimes, hoping to break the current standoff before the valid prosecution time limit expires. Sweden’s Public Prosecutions Director Marianne Ny made the offer in a statement on Friday morning to Julian Assange’s legal representatives on “whether…

  • Jaitley to unveil Gandhi statue

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    Mr Arun Jaitley, the Indian Finance Minister, is set to unveil the new statue of Mahatma Gandhi on March 14 as part of a two day visit to the UK. The unveiling ceremony in London’s Parliament Square twill be open to members of the public, who will be the first to see the historic statue. The…

  • London Gears Up for Gandhi Statue Event

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    PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON: “Mahatma Gandhi is an inspiration. His approach of non-violence will resonate forever as a positive legacy — not just for the UK and India, but the world over. He was a man of great insight and many of his observations remain as fresh and relevant today as when he first made them –…

  • SHOUTING AT THE WRONG PERSON

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    What is wrong with Jeremy? The Top Gear host unleashed a heap of F words on a crew member. What is going wrong with us…writes Bikram Vohra Do you know how much energy you and I expend shouting at the wrong people. We are paying a bill at a hospital and the man in front…

  • Unemployment dog BAME communities  

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    40% rise in long-term unemployment for black and minority ethnic young people New figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal that the number of black and minority ethnic (BAME) young people aged 18-24 out of work for over a year has risen by 40 per cent since 2010. The figures show more than half of young…

  • Shami credits Dhoni for success

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    India’s most successful fast bowler in the ongoing cricket World Cup, Mohammed Shami,  credited skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his success. From four matches, Shami has 12 wickets so far in the tournament. He was the wrecker-in-chief against Pakistan, taking 4-35. He took two wickets for 30 runs against South Africa. He was again lethal…

  • Modi announces steps to boost ties with Lanka

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  announced a slew of measures to boost bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, including energy cooperation and visa on arrival for tourists while underlining that the “complex” fishermen row needed a long-term solution. In a statement after talks with President Maithripala Sirisena, Modi said an MoU in customs signed on Friday…

  • India opposes Lakhvi’s release

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      India asked the Pakistani authorities to ensure that 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi is not released from jail. The issue was also raised in Rajya Sabha, as members protested against the release. Talking to reporters here, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said: “All documents related to his involvement in the Mumbai attack…

  • The Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

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    Be warned: We have entered the age of over-reacting A colleague accused me of having a tendency to over-react, so I have no choice but to burn down his house and curse his family for seven generations. Fair’s fair, right? I learned to respond strongly to things from a former boss who used to say…

  • Young girls must reject dangerous attractions

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    The dozens of young Muslim girls who are running off to Syria to become jihadi brides – wives of potential martyrs – are obsessed about a death cult far more sinister than any vampire or zombie fiction has to offer…writes Ustadah Khola Hasan  Despite the age of strident feminism and self-assertiveness, teenage girls are still…

  • Depressed dads spoil childhood

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    Depressed dads turn toddlers into troubled kids…study shows Not just mothers but new fathers who are depressed do not make as much eye contact or smile at their toddlers, leading them to develop troubling behaviour such as hitting, lying, anxiety and sadness as they grow, new research has found. The more disengaged parents are from…