Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Americans know nothing about Sikhism: Study

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    By Arun Kumar   Although more than half a million Sikhs live in the US, a majority of Americans are unaware of what Sikhism is and some admit wariness when seeing their Sikh neighbours, according to new study. Conducted by Washington-based Hart Research Associates, the study released here Tuesday, shows that there is enormous potential to…

  • Pakistan wants good ties with India: Sharif

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      Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif  said that he wanted relations with India based on equality and mutual respect, values which are vital for peace in the region, a media report said. In a meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit here, Sharif said that Pakistan longed for good relations with all countries…

  • Jiji Thompson new Kerala chief secretary

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    IAS official Jiji Thompson will be the new chief secretary of Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced here . Chandy said this to reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting. The 1980-batch Kerala cadre official’s appointment comes despite former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan asking the Chandy government earlier this month to not consider Thomson for…

  • Ebola toll nearly 8,800: WHO

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     The number of people killed by the Ebola virus disease has reached 8,795, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. A total of 22,057 cases of the Ebola virus disease have been reported, WHO said in a statement Tuesday. In line with statistics, the maximum number of Ebola-related deaths has been registered in Liberia. There…

  • India’s growing appetite for luxury brands

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    By Nivedita A growing clientele with an appetite for luxury products makes India a conducive market for global fashion designers to make inroads, says British designer Alice Temperley, whose creations have been worn by the likes of The Duchess of Cambridge, Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez. She has launched her fashion brand Temperley London in…

  • Pakistan violate ceasefire in Jammu

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      Pakistan Rangers overnight targeted Border Security Force (BSF) posts on the International Border in Jammu, a source said. “Pakistan Rangers targeted some BSF outposts in R.S. Pura sector of the International Border at 9.30 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday),” a BSF source said here. “They used small weapons and automatics to target our positions,” the source said,…

  • US media sees geopolitical implications

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    By Arun Kumar  Taking a generally positive view of US President Barack Obama’s India visit, the US media has suggested that his personal chemistry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had opened a new chapter in India-US relations. “After years of near misses and unfulfilled promises,” Obama and Modi “appear to have set relations between their…

  • ISIS threatens to kill Japanese and Jordanian

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    The ISIS terrorist group has threatened to kill a Japanese correspondent and Jordanian pilot within 24 hours if a female suicide bomber imprisoned in Jordan is not released. In a video posted online Tuesday afternoon, Japanese war correspondent Kenji Goto appeared with a message to the Japanese government, Xinhua news agency reported. Goto asked the Japanese…

  • Chef Sanjeev Kapoor takes Dabbawalas to lunch

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    Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who treated the famous Dabbawalas — known for delivering tiffins to over 200,000 customers across Mumbai everyday — to a special lunch, says their work begins where his work as a kitchen king ends. “I only make food but the other part of my job is done by these Dabbawalas who…

  • Rahul Gandhi hits Delhi campaign trail

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    Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi sought to strengthen the party’s campaign for the Delhi assembly polls through a road show where he accused Prime Minster Narendra Modi of promoting his “PR” (public relations). Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of doing nothing for the poor people, Gandhi said it was only the Congress…

  • Fidel Castro cautiously backs US ties

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        Former Cuban president Fidel Castro has broken his silence for the first time on normalising ties with the US, supporting the development with a touch of caution. In a message to students at the University of Havana, he said he did not trust US policy, although he supported negotiations and peaceful solution to…

  • World remembers Auschwitz

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    German President Joachim Gauck  urged all Germans never to forget the Holocaust. “There is no German identity without Auschwitz,” Gauck said in his speech to the nation’s parliament, Bundestag, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Gauck said: “The remembrance of the Holocaust remains something for all…

  • New era begins in India-US ties

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    By Arun Kumar  US President Barack Obama’s historic visit to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations turned out to be much more than symbolic as it helped cut the nuclear knot and paved the way for a ‘new era’ in India-US relations. US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes believes the signal…

  • Many killed in attack on Libya hotel

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    Several Islamic State (IS) affiliates launched an attack on Libya’s biggest hotel in the capital Tripoli, killing three hotel guards and five foreigners, according to security sources. Some witnesses said a bomb was detonated at Corinthia Hotel’s parking lot around 10 a.m., shaking the whole central area of the city. Then two men firing guns…

  • Miliband pledge longer social care visits

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    Ed Miliband is to set out Labour’s “10-year plan” for the NHS including longer home visits by social care workers. The Labour leader will also pledge new safety checks to identify people at risk of hospitalisation and to recruit 5,000 new home care workers reported BBC. There was an “iron curtain” between the NHS and…

  • Obama talks about women’s rights

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    US President Barack Obama said he was happy to see all the “incredible” women in the Indian armed forces during the Republic Day parade, which he said was a sign of great progress of the country. In a town hall meeting-style speech at the Siri Fort Auditorium here, his last engagement before he flew off…

  • ISIS ‘driven out of Kobane’

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      Kurdish forces have driven Islamic State (IS) militants from Kobane, officials say, ending a four-month battle for the northern Syrian town. Fighters from the Popular Protection Units (YPG) were said to have entered outlying areas in the east of the town after the jihadis retreated, BBC reported. The US said anti-IS forces were in…

  • Kiran Bedi sends legal notice to Kejriwal

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    BJP’s chief ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi sent a legal notice to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for using her photograph in the party’s poster campaign without her permission. “Yes, she has sent a notice to Kejriwal. He has been asked to ensure that the posters are removed,” Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) media convener Praveen Shankar Kapoor…

  • Would cheat again: Armstrong

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      Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has said he should be forgiven after suffering a lot of public humiliation for doping and lying, but defended his conduct, insisting he would do it again. Armstrong was stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life by the United States Anti-Doping…

  • Obama leaves a religious tolerance message for India

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    That US President Barack Obama knows how to work the crowds was evident from his address at the Siri Fort Auditorium where he had a predominantly young crowd screaming out his name, repeatedly applauding him and vying with one another to clasp his hands as well as that of his wife Michelle when both of…

  • INTERVIEW: Amish Tripathi

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    By Shilpa Raina  Controversies in India are given greater prominence than pressing issues like the oppression of women that need to be brought out in public, says best-selling author Amish Tripathi, who “approaches the subject with a heart” to avoid unnecessary trouble while writing on religion. “Please don’t misunderstand me… but I fear that we…

  • BJP’s Mission in Bihar a day dream: Congress

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    The Congress  termed the BJP’s mission in Bihar to win 185 seats in the assembly polls later this year as “Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne” (day dreaming). Congress in-charge of Bihar C.P. Joshi said the BJP has been day dreaming by publicly announcing its target of winning 185 seats in the 243-member assembly. “It is…

  • A defining partnership of the century: Obama

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      US President Barack Obama said  the India-US relationship could potentially emerge as the defining partnership of the century. “I believe that the relationship between India and the US can become the defining partnership of the century,” Obama said in a town-hall style lecture at the Sri Fort Auditorium here. The US president said he…

  • Proud to be India’s partner: Obama

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    “Sisters and brothers of India”, is how US President Barack Obama addressed a town hall style gathering here, stressing that the ties between the two countries can be the “defining partnership of the century”. In his speech at the Siri Fort Auditorium before a gathering largely comprising young people, students, NGOs and diplomats, Obama said:…

  • Why vote for Conservatives?

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    Within 100 days, Britain is going to elect the next government. It will be a tough fight in between Conservatives, Labour and other national parties. There are many issues at stake. Who is best for the Asian community? Who is sharing and respecting our values? The Conservative Government led by Prime Minister David Cameron, and…

  • Church of England consecrates its first female bishop

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    The Church of England consecrated its first female bishop, the Reverend Libby Lane, at a historic ceremony in the Cathedral of York, in northern England. Lane, who was appointed to the post December 17, 2014, will become the eighth bishop of Stockport, a city in northern England, in an event witnessed by a thousand guests.…

  • Rain God keep Indian hopes alive

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    India received two precious points that kept their ambitions of advancing to the final of the One-Day International (ODI) tri-series cricket tournament alive after their match against Australia was called off due to a downpour here. Earlier, Australia captain George Bailey won the toss and put India in to bat at the Sydney Cricket Ground…

  • Warsi Attack: Too little too late

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    When a personal plea was made by the mother of Abbas Khan to help in his release in Syria Ms (Baroness Sayeeda) Warsi suddenly claimed it was against government policy and declined to do so. Party policy was relevant to her principles on that occasion…writes YZ Patel Being in the political wilderness after her resignation…

  • US media makes a splash of Obama visit

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    By Arun Kumar President Barack Obama’s historic visit to India received prominent coverage in US media with major newspapers focusing on the breakthrough on the nuclear deal and splashing pictures of the pomp and pageantry. The influential New York Times carried on top of the front page a four-column picture of Obama reviewing the guard…

  • Women’s power, pomp, Obama and R-Day parade

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    By Vishnu Makhijani If the annual Republic Day parade is known for its pomp and splendour, the 66th edition will remain etched in the memory for two other factors – the women’s power showcased during the two-hour event and the presence of US President Barack Obama as the chief guest on the occasion. Quite appropriately,…

  • R.K.Laxman 1921- 2015

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    By Shudip Talukdar  R.K. Laxman, considered by many as one of the world’s greatest cartoonists, was an institution unto himself, indisputably the uncrowned conscience keeper of the nation. No politician or minister, however high or mighty, escaped his pointed satire, conveyed through a few deft strokes of his brush, especially if they committed an act…

  • Attempt to lift AirAsia wreckage fails

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      A new attempt to lift the submerged fuselage of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 failed when a wire rope snapped after the wreckage reached the surface of the water, Indonesian officials said. “The fuselage appeared at the surface, but the rope broke and it fell down again,” said Suryadi B. Supriyadi, director of operations and training…

  • US braces for ‘historic blizzard’

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    Residents of the states of the northeastern US were preparing for what meteorologists said would be a “historic blizzard” that would affect the region from onward. Weather authorities have issued a blizzard warning for Philadephia, Pennsylvania and the east coast including New York, New Jersey and New England, as well as Canada, from Monday afternoon…

  • Abbott criticised for knighting Duke of Edinburgh

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    Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come under harsh criticism after granting Australian knighthood to the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, Consort of Queen Elizabeth II, one of the highest awards in Australia, media reported . Abbott decorated the Duke of Edinburgh because “the monarchy has been an important part of Australia’s life since 1788”,…

  • Delhi turned into a fortress for R-Day

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    Delhi celebrated the 66th Republic Day with a heavy deployment of policemen on the roads and at Rajpath where President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the parade with chief guest US President Barack Obama. At least 45,000 policemen, including over 1,000 NSG (National Security Guard) snipers and paramilitary personnel guarded the venue…

  • Iran ‘resolute’ over peaceful nuclear rights

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    Iran is firm and resolute over its nuclear rights and is ready to prove that its nuclear activities are peaceful, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said here. “As for the nuclear issue, the Iran is after the peaceful use of nuclear energy and wants to enjoy its rights within the framework of international regulations and the…

  • ‘Modi’, ‘Barack’ chatted like old friends

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    By Ranjana Narayan  The friendly warmth and camaraderie between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama was on full display as the two chatted and laughed like old friends over a two-hour period while watching India’s Republic Day parade and pageantry. A day after the two leaders – one the prime minister…

  • Ashoka Chakra for two fallen bravehearts

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    Major Mukund Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh were posthumously awarded the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, at the Republic Day parade. Both of them laid down their lives while fighting heavily-armed terrorists in separate gun-battles in Jammu and Kashmir last year. Their widows received the award from President Pranab Mukherjee. Varadarajan,…

  • India display military, cultural power at R-Day parade

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    Military precision blended seamlessly with cultural diversity at India’s 66th Republic Day parade where US President Barack Obama was the chief guest. Heavy armour, marching contingents of the armed forces and the paramilitary and police forces interspersed with brass and pipe bands – tableaux depicting the multifarious heritage of this vast land and schoolchildren dancing…

  • Pakistan plunges into darkness

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      Pakistan faced a major power breakdown early and most of the cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta witnessed a large blackout. The tripping of Guddo power plant in Sindh province transmission lines affected the 500 KW power line from the national grid, forcing Jamshoro and Bin Qasim power stations to shut down. In…

  • Yemeni president to withdraw resignation

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    Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has decided to withdraw his resignation, an official said. Hadi made the decision to withdraw his resignation due to international efforts led by United Nations envoy Jamal Bin Omar, as well as representatives of the political parties in the country, Xinhua quoted a presidential advisor as saying. Hadi has six…

  • With Modi occupied, his lookalike campaigns in Delhi

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    By Rahul Vaishnavi   His striking resemblance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, augmented by a close-cropped grey beard, rimless spectacles and a trademark half-sleeved kurta and Nehru jacket, leaves many Delhiites bewildered as whenever he ventures out a crowd gathers around him requesting for autographs and selfies – while some are left wondering. Fifty-two-year-old Abhinandan Pathak,…

  • Moving towards commercial nuclear cooperation: Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and the US are moving towards commercial cooperation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. “Civil nuclear deal was the centerpiece of our transformed relationships which demonstrated new trust. It also created new economic opportunities and expanded our options for clean energy,” Modi said, addressing a joint press conference with…

  • Khaleda Zia charged with ‘instigating arson’

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      Bangladesh Police have registered a criminal case against former prime minister Khaleda Zia for “instigating arson” here that left 27 people seriously injured, the media reported . Zia was booked over petrol bombs attack by suspected members of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she heads, on a passenger bus at Jatrabarhi area during the…

  • It’s ‘chai pe charcha’ at Hyderabad House

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his “chai pe charcha” concept to commanding heights here, serving up the brew to visiting US President Barack Obama from a silver teapot on the verdant green lawns of Hyderabad House. The two leaders stepped out into the garden of the state guest house after a working lunch and leisurely…

  • Obama pays tribute to Gandhi

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      US President Barack Obama, who is the chief guest at India’s 66th Republic Day parade, laid a wreath at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat and planted a sapling in the complex on the bank of the Yamuna river. Accompanied by Minister in Waiting Piyush Goyal and Rajghat officials, Obama placed the wreath and paid…

  • Obama begins India visit with a bear hug

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      US President Barack Obama, accompanied by his wife Michelle, arrived here on a three-day India visit – his second in four years – during which he will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade Jan 26. Breaking with protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him at the VVIP terminal of the Indira…

  • Obama accorded ceremonial welcome

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    US President Barack Obama, who was accorded a ceremonial red carpet welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan , said it’s “a great honour” to be back in India. “It’s a great honour to be back in India. I am grateful for the extraordinary hospitality,” Obama told reporters in the forecourt of the magnificent presidential palace where he…

  • Maharashtra to buy Ambedkar’s London home

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    Maharashtra is to buy the residential property in London where Dr B R Ambedkar lived while studying at the London School of Economics in 1921-22. The Maharashtra government has written to the Centre expressing its wish to acquire a residential property at 10 King Henry Road, Chalk Farm, London. The Maharashtra government has decided to buy…

  • Abdullah a moderate who had to deal with Islamists

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    By C Uday Bhaskar The demise of the ailing Saudi Arabian monarch king Abdullah is a significant punctuation for the desert kingdom, the Arab-West Asian region and the extended Islamic world, which in turn has larger global implications. The royal transition has been effected and King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has taken over the reins…