Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Pope in Istanbul amid tight security

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     Pope Francis arrived in Istanbul following his visit to Ankara amid tight security against any possible radical attacks. Istanbul raised the security level to red as up to 5,000 policemen were positioned every 50 metres on the way between the airport and Istanbul’s historical peninsula, where the Pope visited Sultanahmet mosque and the Hagia Sophia…

  • Kashmir doesn’t need Modi’s sermons: Sayeed

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      Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed  asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to give sermons to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and said his party leaders do not require a certificate of integrity from him. Addressing election rallies of his party in Noorabad and Kupwara assembly constituencies in the Kashmir Valley,…

  • Prince Charles lauds volunteer mentors

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    HRH The Prince of Wales has congratulated a group of over 70 mentors for their positive contribution to children and adults in some of the country’s most deprived communities. The individuals who volunteer on behalf of Mosaic, a mentoring initiative set up by The Prince of Wales in 2007, were invited to attend a reception…

  • Hughes’ funeral on Wednesday

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      The funeral of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who passed away Thursday after being struck on the head by a bouncer, will take place Wednesday, Dec 3. The Hughes family Saturday confirmed funeral arrangements for their son Phillip, Cricket Australia (CA) said in a statement. The funeral will take place at 2.00 p.m. Wednesday in…

  • India wary of assertive China: IAF chief

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    With the strategic gravity shifting from west to east, especially to Asia and Asia Pacific, “India faces security challenges in the region due to an assertive China and an intrusive Pakistan”, the IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, said . “The situation is not good for the environment, as peaceful rise of China remains…

  • Indian-origin British fighter pilot statue unveiled in Kent

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    A statue of Mahinder Singh Pujji, an Indian-origin fighter pilot who had served in Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War, was unveiled in Kent. Pujji had died at the age of 92 in the Gravesend town of Britain’s Kent county in 2010, as the longest surviving fighter pilot from a group…

  • US IT firms replicate India model

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    A leading Information Technology (IT) services company is using a programme developed in India to create jobs worldwide and train and place minority women in high-quality IT jobs in 10 cities across America. After its “impressive work” in India, Mexico and the US, Aliso Viejo, California-based UST Global, is planning to launch additional programmes in…

  • Putin calls to fight terrorism in Syria and Iraq

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    Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured Syria, Iraq and the other countries in the Gulf region of support in their fight against terrorism, media reported . “The situation in Syria still raises serious concerns,” said Putin in an interview with the Turkish al-Anadolu news agency, which was cited by Syria’s official Sana news agency. He…

  • Pakistani state actors behind India attacks: Rajnath

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      Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said state actors from Pakistan are playing a role in destabilising India. Mentioning the gun battle that erupted Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Arnia sector, he said Pakistan’s claim that “non state actors are behind such incidents is not true”. He was addressing the 49th All India DGPs and…

  • India climb China in corporate governance rankings

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    India has emerged as the leader in global developing markets for having the clearest and most comprehensive policies on corporate governance, according to a latest study. Scoring more than China, India is at par with Malaysia and Australia ranking 4th across 25 markets globally and is at the 2nd spot in the Europe-Middle East-Asia (EMA)…

  • End dynastic politics: Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the Jharkhand electorate to oust dynastic politics and said people in the country are fed up of it. He was speaking at an election rally in Jamshedpur ahead of the second phase of assembly polls Dec 2. “People in the country are fed up with dynasty politics. In Lok…

  • ‘Up to 13,000 slaves’ working in Britain

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    Britain’s Home Office said that there could be up to 13,000 victims of slavery in the country, far more than previous estimates, media reported . Modern slavery victims are said to include women forced into prostitution, “imprisoned” domestic staff and workers in fields, factories and fishing boats, BBC reported. The Home Office has launched a…

  • Pakistan must move beyond shaking hands : Rajnath

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      Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Friday that India wants to have good neighbourly relations with Pakistan, but cautioned that mere shaking of hands would not restore such relations between the two countries. Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party election rally in Uri town on phone after inclement weather prevented his scheduled arrival to the…

  • Search on for abducted Indians: Sushma

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    Amid media reports that the 39 abducted Indian workers in Iraq have been killed by Islamic State militants, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj acknowledged the government “does not have concrete proof” of the men being alive or dead and is continuing to search for them based on “six indirect sources”. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha…

  • A political football called migration

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    It is the political football that is migration or more to the point immigration, as we are the offspring of….says YZ Patel Always the first, second , third , fourth and fifth topic to be discussed on Question Time on every show. It’s a obstreperous subject for most of us as without it we wouldn’t…

  • US plans to release more detainees from GITMO

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    The Pentagon is preparing to release more prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba, in the coming weeks, official sources in the US have revealed. According to officials, there would be more transfers of detainees from Guantanamo Bay in December, but details on their numbers or nationalities were not provided, The Wall Street…

  • Indians prepare to celebrate UAE National Day

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    Indian expatriates residing across United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to celebrate the 43rd UAE National Day Dec 2. The UAE celebrates its National Day Dec 2, which marks the unification of the seven emirates and the founding of the country in 1971 under Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president. Various Indian…

  • £39.5 million British aid for Iraqis this winter

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    New support from the UK will ensure thousands of families in Iraq can survive the first winter since being forced to flee their homes by ISIL terrorists, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced today. The £16.5 million in new funding will provide essential help including warm clothing, tents, blankets, heaters and other essential supplies as…

  • UN declares emergency for Gaza floods

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    The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has declared an emergency in Gaza City following extreme weather and severe flooding over the past 48 hours. According to a statement issued , no casualties or injuries have been reported, however, hundreds of residents in the flooded areas around the Sheikh Radwan storm water lagoon have evacuated…

  • Attacks on Hindu temples on rise in Pakistan

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     In the latest incident of its kind, a Hindu temple was attacked by fanatics in Pakistan, the temple was torched, the stone idol of Lord Hanuman blackened with soot, and some religious books burnt. This attack Nov 21 on the Hindu temple in the Tando Mohammad Khan area in Sindh – and reported in the…

  • Pakistani terror group claim attack on polio workers

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      Pakistani terror group Jundullah claimed responsibility for  attack on polio workers which claimed the lives of four people, including three women health workers, in Quetta, Dawn online reported. Four immunisation workers were killed and three others were injured Wednesday morning when armed men opened fire on a polio vaccination team near Quetta’s Eastern Bypass…

  • Modi’s Christmas gifts for northeast

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    By Sujit Chakraborty  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be spending four busy days on his maiden visit to the northeast where he will address the country’s top police chiefs, dedicate a train line from Meghalaya to Assam, commission a power project in Tripura and inaugurate a festival each in Nagaland and Manipur. Modi begins Nov…

  • Black friday madness

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    Police have been called to supermarkets across the country and shoppers have complained about websites crashing as the US Black Friday retail phenomenon becomes ever more popular in the UK. Sales began at midnight with hordes of bargain-hunters descending on stores in a rush to pick up goods ahead of Christmas reported Sky News. Police…

  • State Memorial Service for Hughes

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    Cricket Australia and Cricket New South Wales supported NSW Premier Mike Baird’s announcement of a State Memorial Service for Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who passed away Thursday after being hit by a cricket ball during a Sheffield Shield match. “We would like to thank the premier for his decision to grant a State Memorial Service…

  • Two kids from Africa tested for Ebola in Britain

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    Two children, who had arrived in Britain from Africa, are being tested for Ebola, according to media reports . The children are said to be showing viral symptoms and are being monitored at the infectious diseases isolation unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary at Newcastle, in Britain, The Independent reported. Public Health England (PHE) did…

  • Cameron to outline benefit restrictions for EU migrants

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    The prime minister will set out plans to curb welfare benefits for migrants from the EU in a speech shortly. David Cameron will say EU migrants should have to wait at least four years before receiving benefits such as tax credits or council houses reported BBC. He will insist the changes, which he will seek…

  • Pope Francis set for Turkey visit

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    Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Turkey to help inter-faith dialogue in the country. At the start of the three-day tour he is set to meet newly-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, BBC reported . He also plans to visit Istanbul for a meeting with the head of the Orthodox Christian church. It…

  • More NRI’s on ballot down under

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      In a classic case of a flood following a drought, political parties have fielded a large number of Indian-Australian candidates for  state elections in Victoria, an indication of the growing profile of the Indian community Down Under. The ruling Liberal Party has taken a lead by nominating nine Indian-Australian candidates for the lower and…

  • India still looking for missing citizens in Iraq: Sushma

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     The government  said it has not given up hope on the Indians missing in Iraq, and added that the reports of them having been killed are not confirmed. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said one of the captives, Harjeet Bassi who managed to escape, had claimed that all others were taken to a forest and…

  • Culling of poultry birds begin in Kerala

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    The Kerala government has deployed 75 teams to cull poultry birds in villages hit by outbreak of H5N1 or bird flu virus, a minister said . After a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to assess the situation, Minister of State for Health V.S. Sivakumar told reporters that the culling process would be over…

  • J&K leaders indulging in emotional blackmail: Modi

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said that the development of Jammu and Kashmir has been stagnant since the last 30 years and leaders here “indulge in corruption and emotional blackmail”. Addressing a rally for the BJP here ahead of the second phase of polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Modi said there have been a dozen…

  • How Koirala broke the impasse

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      Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala played a crucial role in ending the impasse between India and Pakistan during the retreat at Dhulikhel near here  on the sidelines of the 18th Saarc Summit. There was immense pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Shairf, from visiting leaders and the media…

  • Cameron faces heat over immigration

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     With net annual migration soaring to more than a quarter of a million, British Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise to reduce the figures has been questioned. Official figures showed net migration has risen to 260,000 in the 12 months to June, compared with 182,000 in the previous year. His Liberal Democrat deputy Nick Clegg hit…

  • Badaun sisters committed suicide: CBI

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      The CBI said that its probe had found that the two minor girls who were found hanging from tree in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun in May had committed suicide and were not gangraped and murdered. The sensational case had made headlines in India and outside and led to a political furore. “Based on around 40…

  • Parliament amends law for next CBI chief’s appointment

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      Parliament  approved amendments to the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act to provide for appointment of a CBI director in a situation where there is no leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, paving way for naming a new agency chief before incumbent Ranjit Sinha retires Dec 2. The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was…

  • Sonam bollywood’s ‘hungry young woman’

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    Actress Sonam Kapoor seems to have taken inspiration from Bollywood’s angry young man title, but with a twist. The actress has given herself a new tag – Bollywood’s ‘hungry young woman’ – as she transforms into a different person when she is hungry. “Hunger changes you and anyone who has crossed paths with a hungry…

  • Pakistan Fashion Week

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    Models present creations by fashion designer FnkAsia on the second day of Pakistan Fashion Week in Karachi, Pakistan. The three-day Pakistan Fashion Week displayed works of 21 designers.  

  • Herizo wins Tusk Award for Conservation

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    Land Rover joined wildlife conservation charity Tusk and its royal patron The Duke of Cambridge in honouring the best of up-and-coming conservationists in Africa.  The Tusk Conservation Awards, saw supporters including opera singer Katherine Jenkins, comedian Rory Bremner, Dragons Den star Deborah Meaden, actor and adventurer Charley Boorman and England rugby captain Chris Robshaw join…

  • Hughes death sends Cricketing world in shock

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    The cricket world was left stunned  as Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who was struck on the head by a cricket ball, died in a hospital here. The 25-year-old Hughes, who represented the national team in 26 Tests between 2009-2013, fractured his skull and suffered massive bleeding in his brain after being hit by pacer Sean…

  • Briton killed in Kabul suicide attack

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    A British national and four Afghans were killed  in a suicide attack on a British embassy vehicle in Kabul which left 34 others injured, officials said. The attack occurred at 10.30 a.m. when the suicide bomber detonated explosives inside his car that was near the diplomatic vehicle in eastern Kabul, according to a statement from…

  • A thaw at the end

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    By Anil Giri    In a final ice-breaking moment, that gave a huge boost to Saarc and floundering regional cooperation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, laughed and even patted him on the arm at the closing ceremony of the organisation’s 18th summit here Thursday – to resounding applause…

  • End of my memoir: Naseeruddin

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      Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who has chronicled his journey in “And Then One Day – A Memoir”, says the book is a mirror reflection of his life and that he has no plans to come out with a second part of the publication. “My book talks about my entire journey from getting into theatre…

  • SAARC Summit concludes with one pact

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    By Anil Giri  The 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit concluded in Kathmandu Thursday with the adoption of a 36-point Kathmandu Declaration. During the Summit, a Saarc Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation was signed while leaders of the South Asian nations directed their respective ministers to hold a meeting within three months…

  • Opposition corners government on black money

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      The government  faced flak in the Lok Sabha for yet another day on the black money issue, with the opposition parties asking it to give a timeline by which the money stashed abroad would be brought back to India. The central government on its part said no such promise had been made in the…

  • India launches e-visa for 43 countries

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    India launched electronic visa (e-visa) facility for tourists from 43 countries, including US, Israel, Palestine and Japan to boost tourism sector and offer hassle-free travel to foreign visitors. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, along with union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma launched the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) service enabled with electronic travel authorisation…

  • Eight killed in gunfight near Jammu border

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    Eight people, including three civilians, were killed when the security forces took on infiltrating militants in Jammu and Kashmir , police said. A fierce gun battle between the security forces and militants began near the international border in the morning and ended around 3 p.m. Four guerrillas and a soldier were also killed in the…

  • Dr Reddy honoured at London palace

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    Padma Bhushan Dr. K. Srinath Reddy honoured at Buckingham Palace in London….writes Ragasudha Vinjamuri Padma Bhushan Dr. K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India has been conferred an honorary Doctor of Science (Medicine) for his outstanding contributions to public health and cardiologyat a special ceremony held at Buckingham Palace today  by Princess Anne, who…

  • Lanka monitors warn of poll violence

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      Sri Lanka’s election monitors have warned that the run-up to the presidential election in January could become violent and called on the Elections Commissioner for necessary action, an official said . Wheels have been set in motion to make history in Sri Lanka after incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa called for snap presidential election seeking…

  • Mirza Waheed’s novel seeks love

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      Not every individual in Kashmir in the early 1990s turned against the army driven by political vendetta. There were many who rebelled because it was hard for them to accept the killings and disappearance of people they knew. This is one of the points author Mirza Waheed wants to make through his second novel…

  • Diaspora doubts British sincerity on Gandhi statue

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     Ahead of the proposed installation of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the British parliament, a section of the Indian diaspora has expressed scepticism about the British government’s motive behind the move and instead favoured redressal of their concerns as a real tribute to the Father of the Nation. Created by sculptor Philip Jackson, based…