Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • INTERVIEW: Amitabh Bachchan

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    By Nivedita  In his over four decade tryst with the Hindi film industry, Amitabh Bachchan has witnessed a continuous shift in the movie-making business, and he credits most changes to the “different and unusual” demands of the youth. “It has changed a lot and is changing,” the 72-year-old veteran said when asked to define of the…

  • US hails Sri Lankan agenda

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    The US said that despite some difficult challenges ahead for Sri Lanka, the country has put forward an ambitious agenda for their first 100 days, the Sri Lankan president’s office said . Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal made the comments while meeting Sri Lanka’s newly elected President…

  • Kejriwal ‘bribery’ case to be heard

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      A court here  posted for April 9 hearing in the case against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly asking voters to take bribes from other parties but to vote for his party. Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Gusain Solanki said evidence against the former Delhi chief minister will be recorded that day. Arun Kumar, a lawyer…

  • India keeps key interest rates unchanged

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    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep key interest rates unchanged in its sixth bi-monthly policy review. “We have maintained the status quo (on interest rates). We have taken action on other fronts,” Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said at the press conference to announce the policy for the sixth bi-monthly meeting. Rajan…

  • Kohli already a ODI legend: Richards

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    Caribbean cricket legend Vivian Richards heaped praise on Indian vice captain Virat Kohli, saying he has already become a One-Day International (ODI) batting legend. Richards, who was an integral member of the West Indies’ World Cup-winning squad in 1975 and 1979, also listed Kohli in his list of top 10 ODI batsmen. Richards, considered the…

  • US shifts stance on Ukraine military aid

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    The US is now considering sending lethal aid to help the Ukrainian government to fend off attacks from pro-Russian rebels in the eastern part of Ukraine. This assistance would come in the form of so-called “defensive lethal aid”, which could include anti-tank, anti-air and anti-mortar systems, CNN reported. A US official said that military leadership…

  • BJP releases vision document for Delhi

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      The BJP  released its vision document for the 2015 Delhi assembly polls, promising to address fundamental issues like power, water, health care and the transport system in the capital. “If we want to make Delhi a smart and a world class city, we have to address the basic issues like electricity, water and transport,”…

  • Tobacco biggest cause of cancer

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    Tobacco is the single most important factor which causes cancer, but the disease can be prevented by taking simple steps like eating a healthy diet, managing obesity and proper exposure to the sun, say experts. Vinit Talwar of the capital’s Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute said while in women, cancer is caused due to over exposure…

  • Indo-US ties back on rails

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     India’s relationship with the US is back on the rails with the US president Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking its ownership, former Indian ambassador Meera Shankar has said and noted that the outcomes during Obama’s visit last month were marked by pragmatism as well as convergence. Speaking at a panel discussion on…

  • AAP denies bogus funding

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    The AAP  denied the allegation levelled by a breakaway group of receiving donations from bogus companies and termed it “malicious and false”. “The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and some mysterious fronts created by it close to the Delhi assembly elections have unleashed a malicious and false propaganda on the funding of the AAP,” said a…

  • Xi meets Sushma

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    Chinese President Xi Jinping  met India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here, and expressed confidence in the growth of bilateral relations during the year. Xi met Sushma in the Great Hall of the People, where the two sides agreed to focus on a positive bilateral agenda for the year. Xi observed that bilateral ties had…

  • Fashion preview at DVAR

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    Television actors Mouli Ganguly, fashiom designer Pallavi Goyle, Chahat Khanna and Kamalika Guha during the fashion preview at DVAR, in Mumbai.

  • Murray questions Djokovic’s injury

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      Scottish tennis ace Andy Murray has questioned World No.1 Novak Djokovic’s dramatic body language after the 27-year-old came back from a ‘physical crisis’ to win the Australian Open men’s singles title for a record fifth time. Reacting to a fourth successive final loss at the Rod Laver Arena, the Scot said he was “distracted”…

  • Imran Khan demands speaker’s suspension

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    Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan demanded suspension of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq till investigation is completed into the alleged rigging in the National Assembly constituency-122 in the 2013 general elections. During a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (Retd.) Sardar Mohammad Raza, Imran Khan said his party has also requested the CEC to form…

  • Future belongs to digital India: Jaitley

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      Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley  said the future belongs to digital media due to its reach. He asked government officials dealing with information dissemination to package data and facts according to contemporary trends and media’s requirements. Inaugurating a workshop here on ‘Streamlining government communication’, the minister said the present environment offered a tremendous…

  • Father Chiramel to help Britain’s ailing health service

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    By Anasudhin Azeez  Father Davis Chiramel, chairman of the Kidney Federation of India popularly known as “Kidney Father From Kerala”, has launched a voluntary charity organisation in Britain to add more organ donors from the South Asian communities, especially Indians. According to Asian Lite newspaper, more than 1,200 patients from the Asian communities in Britain…

  • Court to hear criminal case against Kejriwal

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    A court here deferred the hearing on a plea for action against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for exhorting voters in his election speeches to take bribes if offered by the BJP and Congress but to vote for his party. The hearing was postponed for Feb 3 as the Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Gusain Solanki was on…

  • Australian journalist released

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    The family of Australian journalist Peter Greste  said they were delighted to learn that he has been released from Egyptian prison and is flying back home, a media report said. Peter Greste, freed after reportedly spending 400 days in prison, worked for the Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. His two other colleagues and prison inmates — Egyptian…

  • Khaleda sued for 42 murders

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    Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia  was sued for the murder of 42 people during the anti-government movement led by her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since Jan 5. Besides Zia, three other BNP officials — standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Mia, vice chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and pro-BNP intellectual Emajuddin Ahmed — have also been…

  • Church ransackings continue in Delhi

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    A few sacred items and a DVD player were stolen from a church here, police said. But the church’s administration claimed it did not seem to be just an incident of theft. The ransacking took place at St. Alphonsa’s church in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area. A few sacred items, including a ciborium (receptacle) and…

  • AAP promises full statehood for Delhi

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    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saturday released its manifesto for the Feb 7 Delhi assembly elections, focusing on full statehood, women’s safety and reducing electricity tariff. The AAP intends to enhance women’s safety by installing CCTV cameras. The manifesto also promised to open 20 new colleges, a 50 percent reduction in power tariff, clean drinking…

  • Islamabad fashion show

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  • Film Review: ‘Khamoshiyan’

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    Film: “Khamoshiyan”; Cast: Sapna Pabbi, Ali Fazal and Gurmeet Choudhary; Director: Karan Darra; Rating: ** The biggest puzzle in the public domain, besides the question, “Why US President Obama chose to mouth Shah Rukh Khan’s lines from “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’?” is, “Why does a sensible intelligent man like Vikram Bhatt chose to write such…

  • Never wanted to use father’s name: Sonam

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      It’s always thought that Bollywood’s star children have it easy, but actress Sonam Kapoor says that at the very beginning of her film career, she had decided not to make the most of her father Anil Kapoor’s popularity. “When I joined the film industry, I became very defensive because people were so mean. They…

  • Romney not running for president

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      Republican Mitt Romney, who had lost to Democrat Barack Obama in the 2012 US presidential election, said he would not seek nomination from his party to run for the presidency in 2016, media reports said Friday. The former Massachusetts governor shared his decision on a conference call with a small group of advisers, The…

  • Egypt’s Sinai attacks reaches 33

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      The toll in mortar attacks that targeted security premises in Egypt’s North Sinai province rose to 33, a security source told Xinhua news agency . “The injured people include 31 military men and two civilians and they are being transferred from Arish to Cairo by air-ambulances for better treatment,” the source added. On Thursday…

  • Obama to raise spending in budget

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    By Miriam Burgues   US President Barack Obama will present his annual budget proposals for the 2016 fiscal year next week, with proposed boosts in expenditure on defence, health and education programmes. In an article published in “The Huffington Post” , Obama said his budget would “fully reverse” the spending cuts known as sequestration that took…

  • Jordan follows up on pilot’s situation

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     The Jordanian army said it was following-up on the situation of a pilot captured by the Islamic State (IS) terror group. In a statement, the army said it was working with all the state institutions to follow up on the situation of the Jordanian pilot, Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh, Xinhua reported. The army’s remark came after…

  • Beckham becomes ‘taxi driver’ for his kids

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    Former footballer David Beckham says he has become “a taxi driver” for his four children after retirement. During his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Beckham said he had his hands full driving around sons Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo James, Cruz David and his daughter Harper Seven to school, reports aceshowbiz.com. “To be honest, I’ve become a…

  • Israel expand homes in West Bank

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    Israel published tenders for 450 new settlement units in West Bank’s Jewish settlements. The tenders include 102 housing units in Kyriat Arba, a stronghold of radical right-wing settlers; 78 units in Alfei Menashe, one of the largest settlement cities; 114 units in the settlement of Adam; and 156 in Elkana, Xinhua news agency reported. “Another…

  • Mobile governance important: Modi

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    To successfully implement e-governance, the country must think about ‘mobiles first’ and give importance to mobile governance, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Addressing the 18th National Conference on e-Governance through Twitter, Modi said: “I urge you to explore ways to provide as many services as possible through mobiles. Let us bring the world into…

  • Uber rape victim files lawsuit in US court

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    By Arun Kumar  A Delhi woman allegedly raped by an Uber driver last December has filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the web-based US taxi firm of focusing on profits over the safety of its passengers. In a 36-page complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California ,…

  • A Momentous Opportunity To Embrace The Arab Peace Initiative

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    BY Alon Ben-Meir  The Arab Peace Initiative (API) presents an unprecedented and vital opportunity to change the course of events in the Middle East by realizing an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. At no time since the API was introduced in 2002 by Saudi Arabia has the development of…

  • Cambridge Judge alumna takes UK start-up to global stage

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    Innovative film discovery platform FilmDoo is one step closer to international recognition. The start-up, launched by Cambridge Judge Business School MPhil in Management alumna Weerada Sucharitkul and business partner William Page, provides recommendations and promotes international films from all around the world. The team says the idea is to “make it more fun, easier, faster, more proactive…

  • British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration awards announced

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      The British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 2015 celebrated the success of 100 British Bangladeshi’s on the 27th January at an exclusive launch event in Canary Wharf, London. The list highlights talent across 20 categories and showcases the contributions and achievements of 100 British Bangladeshis to every walk of British life. The 2015 list and…

  • Jayanthi Natarajan quits Congress

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    Senior Congress leader and former union minister Jayanthi Natarajan announced her resignation from the party, saying she had only acted on “specific inputs” from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s office during her tenure as the environment minister. “I announce my resignation (from the party),” Natarajan told reporters here, adding that she was anguished. “I feel…

  • Musharraf refused to travel abroad

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    Pakistan has refused to allow former president Pervez Musharraf to visit Saudi Arabia to offer condolences over the death of Saudi King Abdullah, officials said . Musharraf, who faces high treason and several other charges, had sought the government’s permission to go to Saudi Arabia. Musharraf’s name has been placed on the list of those…

  • Pakistan opposes UN Council permanent seat to India

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    Pakistan reiterated its opposition to grant a permanent seat on UN Security Council to India and insisted on reforms to make the forum more democratic. Pakistan contested the Indian move after US President Barack Obama announced support for India to seek permanent Security Council’s seat during his recent visit to New Delhi. Foreign ministry spokesperson…

  • Jaipur Litfest going from strength to strength

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    By Shilpa Raina   does society have a biased view about writers dealing with sex or about sexual dualities, what would end if we stop believing in our past and why freedom of expression comes at a cost were among the questions that were thrown open for debate and introspection at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2015.…

  • Co-pilot flew AirAsia aircraft before crash

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    The French co-pilot was flying the AirAsia flight QZ8501 before it crashed into waters off Indonesia last month, investigators said here . Head of the investigators from the National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) Mardjono Siswosuwarno said: “The second-in-command, known as co-pilot, who usually sits to the right of the cockpit, was flying the plane at…

  • India shedding its strategic inhibitions?

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    The visit of US President Barack Obama to India not only resulted in both countries overcoming their six-year deadlock over the civil nuclear deal but also the emergence of a “strategic vision” document for closer cooperation in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region in the backdrop of what is seen as an aggressively rising…

  • New BP guidelines to avoid heart disease

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    If new hypertension guidelines are followed sincerely, it could help us significantly prevent deaths owing to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) each year without increasing overall health care costs, an analysis conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found. “Our findings clearly show that it would be worthwhile to significantly increase spending on office visits,…

  • Bhansali celebrates Padma Shri honour

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    Actor Shahrukh Khan during the party hosted by filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Mumbai. Bhansali organised a party to celebrate his Padma Shri honour.  

  • Obama snubs Netanyahu

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     US President Barack Obama said that he will not meet the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March, because the Israeli leader’s US trip would be too close to the elections in his country. “I’m declining to meet with him (Netanyahu) simply because our general policy is (that) we don’t meet with any world…

  • Anna Hazare plans fresh agitation

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    Veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare might launch another anti-corruption agitation against the central government, he told reporters here. He plans to launch another movement demanding implementation of the Lokpal Act and seek recovery of the black money of Indians stashed in foreign banks. “During the Lok Sabha elections, people were promised that the black money would…

  • Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

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  • Film Review: ‘Hawaizaada’

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    Film: “Hawaizaada”; Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Ayushmann Khurrana, Pallavi Sharda, Naman Jain, Jayant Kriplani, Natasha Sinha; Director: Vibhu Virender Puri; Rating: ****1/2 Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fly? Then see “Hawaizaada”, a film that soars into the skies with its overweening ambitions and miraculously manages to stay airborne as it chronicles…

  • UK to honour Afghan war veterans

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    The Prime Minister David Cameron announced in the House of Commons that a Service of Commemoration to mark the end of combat operations in Afghanistan will take place on 13 March 2015. Attended by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, the service will also pay tribute to all those…

  • Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of the Internet

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    Smartphones and technology can be used for a lot of good, but it is vital to be aware of how it can be used to sabotage a child’s development. Awareness is the first step to halting the aggression and being proactive can save a child from the debilitating consequences of online bullying. Hopefully, with a…

  • Apple breaks sales records

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    By Fernando Mexia Technology giant Apple closed 2014 with a record breaking quarter thanks to the sales of iPhone, particularly the new iPhone 6, which raised its net profit to $18.02 billion, a 37.8 percent year-on-year increase, the company said. According to a company statement Tuesday, the company took in $74.5 billion between October and…