Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Agra ‘conversions’ issue disrupts parliament

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      Uproar continued in the Lok Sabha  with almost all opposition parties demanding the suspension of the question hour and a discussion on the Agra “conversions”. As soon as the house met for the day, members of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI-M trooped near the speaker’s podium, and also raised…

  • We are united for rights: Malala

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      Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said  that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am also honoured to receive this award together with Kailash Satyarti, who…

  • Putin arrives in India

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday night welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin on his arrival in India, saying he looks forward to a “productive visit that will take India-Russia ties to newer heights”. As Putin arrived on a 24-hour visit for the annual bilateral summit, Modi tweeted his welcome in Russian and then in English. He…

  • BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

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  • Malala, Kailash accept Nobel Prize

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    Glad an Indian and a Pakistani can unite for rights: Malala Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist espousing education for girls said Wednesday that she was glad she received the Nobel Peace Prize together with India’s Kailash Satyarti because it showed the world that an Indian and a Pakistani could work together for children’s rights. “I am…

  • ‘Mahakumbh’ fever grips Varanasi crowd

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    It was a usual evening of prayers made unusual and special for devotees at the Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the holy Ganges here when Bhojpuri star Manoj Tiwari along with the cast members of forthcoming TV show “Mahakumbh – Ek Rahasya, Ek Kahani” took to stage and made the right noises about channel…

  • Infosys founders turns philanthropists

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    By Fakir Balaji  Three decades after floating and making Infosys a global software major, its founders led by N.R. Narayana Murthy are joining hands again — to promote philanthropy. To fund philanthropic activities and encourage entrepreneurship, four of the seven original promoters and their family Monday jointly sold off 32.6 million shares of Rs.5 face…

  • Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli jails

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    At least 70 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have launched a hunger strike to protest against the solitary confinement punishment meted out to them, media reported Wednesday. The detainees began the hunger strike Tuesday after some of the Palestinians being held in solitary confinement started a protest against the policy, Press TV reported citing a…

  • Many children die in Pakistan drought

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    At least seven more children have reportedly died in drought-hit Tharparkar district in Pakistan’s Sindh province, taking the unofficial toll this year to 533, media reported . Insufficient rainfall and lack of vegetation were major factors that led to the famine situation in the region, causing malnutrition in mothers and leading to health problems among…

  • Parental neglect fuels aggressive behaviour in toddlers

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    Affectionate parenting is linked to low aggression levels and good language development in children, says a new research. The findings indicate that the frustration caused by language delay in children is aggravated by parental neglect which consequently fuels physical aggression in toddlers. So contrary to popular belief, the study by researchers from the University of…

  • Modi to visit Hannover trade fair

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Germany in April to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and to jointly open the Hannover trade fair where India is the official partner country. The Hannover Messe 2015, the world’s largest industrial trade fair, is to showcase the ‘Make in India’ concept. The Hannover Fair, which will run from…

  • Mamata’s U-turn makes opponents frown

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    By Anurag Dey   West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s volte face on the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh and her support to it has brightened the hopes of thousands of enclave dwellers and left the opposition parties frowning. The opposition is wondering about the sudden “u-turn” by the Trinamool Congress supremo, whose opposition earlier…

  • US degree now closer to home

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     Bringing the benefits of global education to Indian students, Mumbai-based Global Pathways Institute has launched a four-year undergraduate pathway programme in alliance with the Arcadia University in the US. Students enrolled in the course would have the opportunity to pursue two years of the degree course in India, and the next two years in Arcadia…

  • Freida to attend Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

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      Hollywood-based Indian actress Freida Pinto is all set to attend Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway and support Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai and Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi, who will be felicitated at the event . Malala and Satyarthi will receive a medal and $1.4 million in prize money. Freida, also…

  • British on high alert after ISIS threat

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    The police in Britain’s West Midlands have been put on high alert after a threat allegedly by Islamic State (IS) Sunni radical group. The alert came after IS called on followers to launch “lone wolf” attacks on the West. More than 7,000 officers in the West Midlands were warned they were in imminent danger following…

  • Australia urged to stop forced return of Lankans

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    Australia should cease forced returns of Sri Lankan asylum seekers until they are provided fair, thorough and transparent processing of their protection claims, human rights groups said Wednesday. Amnesty International, the Human Rights Law Centre and the Human Rights Watch made the appeal in response to the Nov 29 decision of Australian authorities to turn…

  • Parrikar asked to stop ‘chilling’ in Goa

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    By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar After outrage on the social media, the opposition is protesting against Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s presence at a book release function in Goa, hours after a major terrorist strike in Jammu and Kashmir. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have asked the former Goa chief minister to safeguard India’s borders…

  • Richard Verma confirmed as US envoy to India

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    The US Senate has confirmed Richard Rahul Verma, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the next American ambassador to India, making him the first Indian-American envoy in New Delhi. Verma, 46, a former key aide to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton, was approved by the Senate by a unanimous voice vote Tuesday, signifying the…

  • Agra ‘conversion’ deeply worrying: Mayawati

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      The ‘conversion’ of around 300 Muslims to Hinduism in Agra rocked the Rajya Sabha , with BSP chief Mayawati calling it an attack on the country’s secular fabric. “Our nation is run by a constitution which has secularism as a pillar,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. “Whichever party is in the government…

  • Srinivasan to stay away from IPL till panel decision

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    N. Srinivasan, the Indian cricket board’s sidelined chief,  told the Supreme Court that if he is re-elected, he would stay away from the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council till a proposed committee decides on the larger question of conflict of between his BCCI role and his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. Responding to a…

  • Chinese train reaches Madrid

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      Madrid was the final destination for a train which has set the record for the longest train journey in history: 13,052 kms between the Chinese city of Yiwu and the Spanish capital. The train which arrived in Madrid at 11 a.m., departed from Yiwu Nov 18 with 40 wagons, carrying 1,400 tonnes of cargo,…

  • Moody’s projects 5-6% GDP growth for India

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    India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to grow next year in the range of 5-6 percent on the back of stronger domestic demand, ratings agency Moody’s said Wednesday. “India will have stronger GDP growth in 2015, which we forecast at 5-6 percent, up from around 5 percent in 2014,” Moody’s said in their report…

  • A third of NHS contracts now private

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    A third of NHS contracts in England have been awarded to private sector providers since the service was reorganised in 2013, figures suggest. The information comes from a Freedom of Information request made by the British Medical Journal. Of 3,494 contracts awarded by 182 Clinical Commissioning Groups in England between April 2013 and August 2014,…

  • ‘ISIS may exploit Pakistan’s sectarian divide’

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      The Pakistan government has realised that the Islamic State (IS) group is a potential threat that could benefit from the changing militant landscape in the country and exploit the sectarian schism by signing up new recruits, media reported . “It would be dishonest to say IS is not a threat to Pakistan,” said National…

  • US Senate slams CIA for torture

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    By Arun Kumar  A scathing Senate report  slammed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for its “brutal” interrogations of terrorist detainees during the Bush era, saying they delivered no “ticking time bomb” information that prevented an attack. The majority report issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee also accused the spy agency of routinely misleading the White…

  • Funds to repair religious places

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    Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, has written to places of worship, including churches, mosques, temples, gurdwaras and synagogues serving his constituency to make them aware of a new £15million fund for the repair of roofs and guttering on vulnerable listed places of worship. The scheme, which was announced on 3 December,…

  • Cathay links China to Manchester

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    CATHAY PACIFIC MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST NON-STOP FLIGHT FROM THE NORTH OF ENGLAND TO CHINA TAKES OFF AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT Cathay Pacific Airways launched direct first flight to Hong Kong from Manchester Airport.  The departure of the inaugural flight sees Manchester become the only UK airport outside of London to offer a non-stop direct route to China.…

  • Naidu on fast track to clear mega projects

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    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister emulates Singapore/Japan model to clear investment proposals    The State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday cleared investment proposals of Rs.3,000 crore. The proposals include one paint manufacturing facility in Visakhapatnam by Asian Paints, India’s largest and Asia’s third largest paint company with an investment of Rs.1,818 crore.…

  • #RuckSackChallenge

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    For the oncoming winter and all that it entails, the Islamic charity Muslim Aid has initiated #RuckSackChallenge to assist people who sleep and live rough on the streets…writes YZ Patel  Volunteers all over England are wanted to fill and distribute a rucksack with essential items such as gloves, hats, sleeping bag, fleece, socks, books, tooth paste and easy to open tinned…

  • Nobel Prize makes me feel powerful: Malala

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    Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai said  that she was honoured to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and it made her feel “more powerful and courageous”. “I’m really happy to be sharing this award with a person from India,” she said at a press conference here on the eve of the award ceremony, adding that…

  • US racial profiling upsets South Asians

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    By Arun Kumar  Sikh, Muslim and South Asian Communities have expressed dismay over new guidelines that ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement officers but do not apply to screeners at airports or border checkpoints. The new guidelines announced by Attorney General Eric Holder Monday replace the 2003 Bush administration rules. They prohibit profiling based…

  • Jumbo’s gets holidays in TN & Puducherry

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      Jumbos belonging to various temples, mutts and forest department in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will go on annual vacation Dec 11-Jan 27, the Tamil Nadu government said . The 98 elephants, out of which 43 belong to temples/mutts and Nagore Dargah in Tamil Nadu and two to Puducherry temples while the rest are with…

  • Indian military short of officers

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      The Indian armed forces are short of 9,845 officers, and the government said Tuesday that it had taken several steps to overcome the situation. The highest shortage, as of July 1 this year, was in the army: 7,899 officers, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha. This was followed by the navy (1,499…

  • 40% of the world’s population without health care:ILO

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    An ILO study shows that 80 per cent of the population across 44 countries are without any health protection and are therefore deprived of the right to health. These countries include Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Globally, some 40 per cent of the population is excluded from social protection in health. The study says…

  • Saudi Arabia approves to hire Indian domestics

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      The Saudi Arabia government has approved an agreement for recruitment of Indian domestic workers including maids, media reported. The council of ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defence, Monday approved the Saudi Arabia’s agreement with Delhi, Arab News reported. “The agreement aims to protect the rights of domestic workers…

  • Is Lingaa about Mullaiperiyar?

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    Rajinikanth files caveat application in ‘Lingaa’ case. The film directed by Kerala-born K.S. Ravi Kumar, “Lingaa” is said to be about the construction of Mullaiperiyar dam Superstar Rajinikanth filed a caveat application here to prevent the Madras High Court bench from passing any interim order in the “Lingaa” case without hearing his stand. He filed the…

  • Gene therapy holds promise for the blind

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    A new genetic therapy was found effective in restoring light responses to the degenerated retinas of mice and dogs, indicating that it may be feasible to restore some light sensitivity in blind humans. The therapy uses a virus to insert a gene for a common ion channel into blind cells of the retina and photoswitches…

  • India’s account deficit not alarming: Jaitley

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      Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said  that India’s current account deficit (CAD) was not alarming and it was under control. “The CAD figure of 2.1 percent (of GDP) is not alarming. The figure is under control. There are ways of curtailing it and bringing it down further,” he said in the Rajya Sabha. He added…

  • Palestine gets ICC observer status

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    Palestine has secured observer status at the International Criminal Court (ICC), paving the way for the Palestinians to sue senior Israeli officials for war crimes. The position was granted to Palestine at the summit meeting of the 122 ICC member states in New York Monday, Press TV reported Tuesday. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to…

  • ‘Modi-Obama summit reignited business interest’

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      Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with US President Barack Obama in September signal a paradigm shift in bilateral ties? Was it a ground-breaking moment in Indo-US ties that had seen a slump over the years? Experts, including former diplomats, do not think it was a paradigm shift, but agree the visit was…

  • Uber faces problems across the world

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    By Arun Kumar    New Delhi’s ban on the US based ride-sharing service Uber following the rape of woman passenger by one of its drivers has focused attention on the fights it’s engaged in with local governments around the world, including in San Francisco where it was accused of misleading customers into believing they banned drivers…

  • Ethiopia seeks Indian help in higher education

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    By Hadra Ahmed   As the Ethiopian government works towards revitalising higher education to meet growing demand by boosting investment in education under the country’s Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), India, with its long experience in the education sector, could help invest in Ethiopia, officials state. This was stated at a three-day international seminar on “India…

  • INTERVIEW: Freida Pinto

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    By Sugandha Rawal    There is a recurring pattern in actress Freida Pinto’s films and that is the presence of strong female characters. The Hollywood-based Indian actress says it’s the first thing that she considers while choosing films. Be it “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Miral” or her upcoming film “Trishna” – all the films have seen her playing…

  • Man jailed for threatening Tulsi Gabbard

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      A US court has sentenced a New York man to 33 months in prison for making a series of threats against Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu member of the US House of Representatives. Aniruddha Sherbow, 44, had entered a plea of no contest on Feb 21 in the US District Court to two counts…

  • Kashmir defies boycott call

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      Defying a separatist call to boycott the polls, voters in Kashmir formed queues at polling stations in the third round of the staggered assembly election. Guerrillas lobbed a grenade in Gulmarg, but there were no casualties. The balloting took place four days after a string of terror attacks that left 21 people, including eight…

  • Pakistan rejects India’s allegations

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      Pakistan  said it firmly rejects India’s “baseless allegations” about “mainstreaming of terrorism” regarding the Lahore rally by terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed and also the “equally baseless allegations and efforts to malign Pakistan by implicating it in the recent attacks” in Jammu and Kashmir. In response to a question about comments by India’s external affairs…

  • Modi wins TIME poll, loses race

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      Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the winner of this year’s reader poll for TIME Person of the Year, but his name does not figure in the magazine editors’ own list of final eight. This year’s possible winners include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Russian President Vladimir…

  • Story of a judge living in cloud cuckoo land!

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    Even there is a cabinet minister with a surname Patel. But Honourable Peter Hollingworth, a JUDGE, ridicules a victim with racial prejudices….YZ Patel comments They’re in politics, education, property, agriculture,landowning pharmaceutical, chemical, medical, plastic, finance, steel, building construction,ceramic, precious minerals, hospitality. Any industry you can think of at all echelons they are there. They are the…

  • Solicitors targeted in new tax clampdown

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    Solicitors are being given the chance by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to bring their tax affairs up to date or face tougher penalties, as part of a new tax campaign. The Solicitors’ Tax Campaign is the latest voluntary, intelligence-led disclosure opportunity giving specific groups of taxpayers the chance to get their tax affairs in order…

  • Doctor’s encounter with cancer

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    Anjana Parikh  When diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2012, Dr Anneela Saleem thought that her world had crumbled. After two years, Dr Saleem, a GP in Greater Manchester, shares her two years of intimate moments with cancer in her soon to be released book –‘Moving On—ABC (After Breast Cancer)’. Dr. Annela Saleem Back to…