Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Cameron see India on par with Britain

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    By Anasudhin Azeez  British Prime Minister David Cameron has congratulated India on its 66th Republic Day and said the “rising power” was on par with its erstwhile colonial master Britain speaking to Asian Lite exclusively. “I send my warmest wishes to everyone in India, the UK and around the world celebrating the 65th anniversary of…

  • Obama’s Taj visit is now off

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    By Mohit Dubey  The much anticipated visit of US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to Agra has been cancelled, Uttar Pradesh government officials said Saturday. A government spokesman said that the presidential visit “for all practical purposes was over”. However, no official word with regard to this has been passed on to authorities in…

  • Obama, Modi to talk militant ‘safe havens’ in Pakistan

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    By Arun Kumar  With US concerned about ‘safe havens’ in some area of Pakistan where extremists operate in virtual impunity, counterterrorism coordination would be a key topic of discussions between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Certainly the United States values the counterterrorism coordination relationship that we have with India. And we certainly…

  • King Salman takes charge in Saudi Arabia

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    Saudi Arabia’s former Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud  took the pledge of allegiance as the new king following the death of King Abdullah, the ruler of the world’s largest oil exporter for nearly a decade. Within hours of his accession to the throne, the 79-year-old Salman, who is half-brother of King Abdullah, vowed…

  • Mobiles will go off in Taj city during Obama visit

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    People in Agra would not be able to use their mobile phones for three hours  when US President Barack Obama comes calling. The Uttar Pradesh government has worked out a security plan for the visit and sent its top officials to the city to work along with US security officials to oversee arrangements and plug…

  • India condole King Abdullah’s death

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        Indian leaders, led by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condoled the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, saying he was a “guiding force” and a “close friend” of India. In a condolence message, Mukherjee said: “My heartfelt condolences to the government, royal family and people…

  • The Beast is back in Delhi

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      The Beast is back in Delhi for the second time in five years – but there’s nothing to panic about. That’s the moniker of the armoured limousine US President Barack Obama will travel in during his visit here Jan 25-27. “Obama’s vehicle has arrived to Delhi and has been parked at the Indira Gandhi…

  • Nalini Singh questioned in Pushkar murder

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    Senior journalist Nalini Singh was questioned here in connection with the murder case of Sunanda Pushkar, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s wife, police said . Singh was called by the probe team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Prem Nath at Sarojini Nagar police station, where she was questioned for over an hour. Singh said: “I…

  • Obama warns Pakistan over terror havens

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    Sending a clear message to Pakistan, US President Barack Obama has said “safe havens” of terrorism within that country were not acceptable and described India as a “true global” partner. Obama also called for those behind the Mumbai terror attacks to be brought to justice. “I have made it clear that even as the US…

  • Pakistan to import fuel worth $400 mn

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        Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered the finance ministry to urgently arrange for  $400 million to import petrol and furnace oil for two months in the wake of the fuel crisis that has hit the country, a media report said . Dawn said Sharif asked the finance ministry Thursday to arrange for…

  • UN chief calls for fight against anti-Semitism

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    UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced support for the fight against anti-Semitism, saying the world body has as a duty to speak out on this matter and prevent it, a media report said. “Our efforts to build a world of mutual understanding are being severely tested today by rising extremism and barbaric acts,” Ban said…

  • Thailand impeaches former PM Shinawatra

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      Former Thailand prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was impeached by the acting Thai parliament for dereliction of duty in a controversial rice subsidy scheme. The decision was approved 190-18, with eight abstentions in Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Xinhua reported. The vote against the 47-year-old Shinawatra bans her from politics for five years. Earlier in…

  • Seppi stuns Federer

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    In a stunning performance, World No. 46 Andreas Seppi recorded one of his greatest victories to cause the biggest upset of the 2015 Australian Open yet, knocking out second seed and four-time champion Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5) for a place in the fourth round . It ended a 10-match losing streak…

  • Defining partnership of 21st century: Obama

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      Terming India-US relations as one of the “defining” partnerships of the 21st century, US President Barack Obama Friday said forging closer ties between the two countries has been a key part of his foreign policy. “Forging deeper ties between our two nations has been a key part of my foreign policy since I took…

  • FDI liberalisation sought in e-commerce

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    By Arun Kumar   Ahead of President Barack Obama’s trip to India, two US lawmakers have asked him to request Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to liberalise foreign direct investment (FDI) restrictions on e-commerce sector. “Such a move would benefit the economies of both India and the United States,” wrote senators Mark R. Warner and John…

  • Obama arrives Jan 25

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    Barack Obama accompanied by his wife Michelle Obama will touch down in the Indian capital on the morning of Jan 25 on a three-day state visit that, besides the symbolism of being the first time a US president would be chief guest at the Republic Day parade, is expected to see “substantive outcomes” from talks…

  • King Abdullah dies

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    Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died in hospital, state TV says. The announcement, made early , said his brother, Salman, had become king reports BBC. Before the announcement, Saudi television cut to Koranic verses, which often signifies the death of a senior royal. King Abdullah, who was said to be aged about 90, had…

  • Pakistan freezes bank accounts of Hafiz Mohammad

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      In an apparent move towards swift implementation of anti-terror acts, Pakistan Thursday froze the bank accounts of now banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and restricted its leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed from foreign travel. “Pakistan took this decision under the UN obligation and not under pressure from any other quarter, including John Kerry,” Pakistan foreign spokesperson Tasneem…

  • India’s growth potential is above 9%: Jaitley

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    Asserting that India’s economic growth will be significantly better next year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley  said the real economic growth potential of the country was over 9 percent. “We have a roadmap to bring down fiscal deficit below three percent in a few years. Elimination of subsidies in India is not desirable. We need to…

  • Kerala graft case boiling over

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      The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala  called for a state-wide shutdown Tuesday demanding resignation of state Finance Minister K.M. Mani over a bribery allegation while the Left parties decided to boycott him. While deciding to boycott all official functions of the beleaguered minister, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) also decided to stage…

  • SC bars Srinivasan from contesting

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    The Supreme Court  said sidelined BCCI president N. Srinivasan cannot contest election for the Indian cricket board’s governing body presidency as long as he is involved in a “conflict of interest” situation as an owner of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The apex court said this while striking down an amendment to the BCCI…

  • Pakistan bans Haqqani network

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      Pakistan has banned the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani network after the US insisted it do so, a media report said . “The US has sought a ban on the Haqqani network and the Jamaat-ud Dawa but the matter was being delayed,” Dawn online quoted an interior ministry official as saying The Pakistani…

  • Indian security agencies face heat over Obama visit

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    By Rajnish Singh  An advance team of US Secret Service agents who are in the capital to ensure the security of President Barack Obama during his three-day India visit are reportedly “bullying” their Indian counterparts on every aspect of the security. Well-informed sources said that around 25 Secret Service agents arrived in the capital Jan…

  • Kejriwal explains money for vote comment

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    AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, seeking to defend his comment asking Delhi voters to accept money from political parties but not to vote for them, said it would ultimately lead to cleansing politics. “The biggest problem is that these parties use black money to give bribe, distribute alcohol, and buy tickets. I am saying take money…

  • From Raj Ghat to Taj Mahal

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    By Arun Kumar   Reflecting the economic focus of President Barack Obama’s trip to India as guest of honour at its Republic Day, top commerce officials, members of Congress and top American business leaders will accompany him. First Lady Michelle Obama will be with the president on the trip but their daughters Malia and Sasha are…

  • CBI trying to fix me : Dayanidhi Maran

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    DMK leader and former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran  alleged that the CBI is trying to fix him in a false case and torturing his aides. He also alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is trying to satisfy the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by implicating him. According to him, if at all there is…

  • The invite that took Obama by surprise

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    By Arun Kumar   Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to President Barack Obama to be the first American leader to be the chief guest at India’s Republic day took him by “some surprise” but he felt “personally honoured” to accept. Given the “complicated history” between the two countries, “I think it took us by some surprise,”…

  • US keen to implement n-deal

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    As an India-US nuclear contact group met for the third time to try and resolve the contentious nuclear liability issue, ahead of US President Barack Obama’s India visit, the US said it will continue to work with India towards implementing the stalled deal. A contact group comprising diplomats and officials associated with nuclear energy from…

  • Kejriwal, Bedi, Maken file nominations

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    The main contenders for the post of Delhi chief minister – Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Ajay Maken  filed their nomination papers in the riveting political battle for the Feb 7 assembly polls. The three leaders entered the fray on the last day of filing nominations and made claims about good performance of their parties.…

  • Delhi ready to receive Obama

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      The national capital was fully prepared to receive US President Barack Obama, who lands here Sunday for a three-day visit. Home Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday said security has been tightened and there will be no problems. “All security arrangements are in place. There will be no problem anywhere,” he told reporters. An unprecedented security…

  • British army won’t shrink below 82,000: Cameron

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    British Prime Minister David Cameron has given an “absolute guarantee” against cutting the size of the country’s army, following speculation that the government was mulling a force of just 60,000, media reported . The Guardian reported that under current plans, the army would shrink to 82,000 personnel by 2020, with the number of reserves due…

  • Four charged for Paris attacks

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      Four men were charged with having links to the terrorist strikes in France earlier this month, which killed 20 people, including three gunmen, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office, media reported . According to The Independent, Paris Prosecutor, Francois Molins, said that the accused were handed preliminary charges of association with terrorism. The men,…

  • Palestinian stabs nine in Tel Aviv

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    At least nine people were injured y when a Palestinian man stabbed bus passengers in Tel Aviv, Israel police said. The incident took place when a 23-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank, who has not been identified, attacked the passengers on a bus running in the southern area of the city, said police spokesman Micky…

  • Oldham say ‘No’ to Islamophobia

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      In a groundbreaking event organised by MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development) took place on 13 January at the Eastern Pavilion in Oldham. The event, ‘Challenging Islamophobia – Building Communities’ attracted a capacity crowd of more than 300 people all attending to show their support for community solidarity and local initiatives to tackle Islamophobia. The…

  • A Hindu widow saves 10 Muslims in Bihar riots

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    By Imran Khan   A Hindu woman who saved lives of 10 Muslims in this village in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district during the recent clashes in which five people died is being hailed as a hero, officials said. Shail Devi, a frail widow in her early 50s, risking her own life, gave shelter to her Muslim neighbours…

  • Obama visit reflects sea change in ties

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    By Arun Kumar  Besides its powerful symbolism and optics, President Barack Obama’s presence as the guest of honour at India’s Republic Day reflects the big change in India-US relations since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. He even advanced the State of the Union address to a joint session of the US Congress traditionally…

  • McDonald’s made to serve street kids in Pune

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    By Quaid Najmi   When the pompous staff at a McDonald’s in Pune evicted an eight-year-old street boy from its premises recently, they may not have anticipated the fallout. It was a Mumbai-based businesswoman, Shaheena Attarwala, and some friends who took the young Akash Pawar to the outlet when he begged for food to eat. But…

  • US looking forward to Obama visit

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    US corporate honchos are looking forward to President Barack Obama’s visit to India to understand market accessibility after the BJP-led government came to power, an Assocham CEOs’ survey in India and the US, released here, said. The industry chamber said the survey was done between Jan 6 and Jan 16 among major Indian corporates and…

  • France grants citizenship to its ‘supermarket hero’

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      A Muslim man, Lassana Bathily, who saved several shoppers’ lives during the Paris terrorist attack has been granted French citizenship. Bathily, an employee at Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in Vincennes, helped to guide a group of hostages into a downstairs walk-in freezer while the gunman was preparing to kill them Jan 9. Bathily, who…

  • ‘PK’ makers face plagiarism charge

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    The Delhi High Court  issued notice to the makers of Aamir Khan-starrer film “PK” on a plea of novelist Kapil Isapuri accusing them of plagiarism. The Rajkumar Hirani-directorial, which raises questions about religion and people’s blind faith in godmen, has been co-produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Hirani. The movie also stars Anushka Sharma and…

  • Kejriwal files nomination

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    AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal  filed his nomination from New Delhi assembly constituency for the Feb 7 polls. The former Delhi chief minister met with protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers as he reached the district magistrate office on Shahjahan Road at 11.20 a.m. The BJP workers standing outside the district magistrate office shouted anti-Kejriwal…

  • A defiant Obama, bats for middle class

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    By Arun Kumar  Noting that he had no more campaigns to run, a defiant Barack Obama set out to seal his legacy in his final two years with a blunt veto threat against any attempts to undermine his legislative achievements. “I have no more campaigns to run,” he reminded the Republican controlled Congress as he…

  • Sanjiv Chadha to lead SBI UK

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    State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the appointment of Mr. Sanjiv Chadha as Regional Head for the UK, taking over from Mr. Mrutyunjay Mahapatra in overseeing all activities of the bank in the UK. Mr. Mahapatra returns to India to take up a new role. Mr. Chadha takes up the Regional Head role with…

  • Amit Shah blames Mamata for Burdwan blast

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      BJP president Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and asked people to uproot the Trinamool Congress government for jeopardising national security for the sake of vote bank. Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party rally in Burdwan where an explosion killed two Bangladeshi militants in October last year, Shah…

  • UN condemns Boko Haram attacks

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      The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the recent increase in Boko Haram attacks, and demanded that the Islamist extremist group immediately cease all hostilities, media reported . The Security Council deplored all human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by Boko Haram since 2009, noting that some of their actions might…

  • Is BJP, PDP back to dating in Kashmir?

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      There was intense speculation  about an imminent alliance between the BJP and the PDP before Feb 7 when elections for four Rajya Sabha seats are to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Leaders admitted to informal talks on government formation. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said in Jammu city: “Formal talks are…

  • US warning reports baseless: Pakistan

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    Pakistan ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani denounced Indian media reports which alleged a warning, concerning President Obama’s visit to India, was issued by the US to the former. “The Indian media has a tendency to invent and exaggerate things,” said Ambassador Jilani, Dawn reported . “As a matter of fact, US Secretary of…

  • Kejriwal invites Bedi for debate

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      Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party  invited the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi to a public debate. But, the BJP turned it down. The Bharatiya Janata Party called it a popularity stunt of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Kejriwal, in a message on Twitter, congratulated Bedi for her…

  • Twitter buys Indian startup ZipDial

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    Microblogging site Twitter has acquired Indian startup ZipDial, a mobile value added services company based out of Bangalore, a statement by Twitter said here. The statement added this is Twitter’s first ever acquisition in India. However, the deal size has not been mentioned. ZipDial has built a mobile platform that lets people follow and engage…

  • India to grow at 6.5% in 2016: IMF

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    By Arun Kumar   Broadly keeping its growth forecast for India unchanged, International Monetary Fund (IMF)  projected that rising from 5.8 percent in 2014, the Asian economy will grow at 6.3 percent in 2015 and 6.5 percent in 2016. Slower growth in China will impact growth in much of emerging Asia except India where weaker external…