Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Rahul fires salvo at Modi

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    Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi entered the Maharashtra poll campaign Wednesday, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for their silence on China, Pakistan issues and anti-poor and anti-farmer stand. Addressing public rallies in Raigad and Latur districts, Gandhi lashed out at Modi for “sitting on swings” with Chinese President Xi Jingping when Chinese soldiers…

  • World News In Pictures

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  • First space weather forecast centre opens in Exeter

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    The first space weather forecast centre opened  in Exeter, southwestern England. With a funding of 4.6 million pounds ($7.4 million) from the British government, the Met Office Space Weather Centre in Devon also houses the Met Office’s headquarters, Xinhua reported. It will provide space weather forecasts and develop an early warning system aimed at protecting…

  • Yahoo! fires 600 techies in India

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     Internet giant and search engine Yahoo! is giving ‘pink slips’ to about 600 techies here to trim its workforce in India and consolidate its core engineering activity in the US. Though Yahoo! India R&D centre here declined to confirm, a source in the know of the development said that about 200 lateral/senior employees have, however, been…

  • Chinese firecrackers doom Sivakasi workers

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    By Venkatachari Jagannathan  It may not be a cracker of a Diwali this year for about 500,000 families in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi town – India’s biggest firecrackers manufacturing hub – as they fear getting swamped by Chinese firecrackers. “Two years back the illegal imports of Chinese firecrackers were sporadic. But this year it was phenomenal,…

  • US fears Syrian city of Kobani will fall to ISIS

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    US Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has said that it is possible that the Syrian city of Kobani, bordering Turkey, could be seized by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the next few days. “I am fearful that Kobani will fall,” said Dempsey in an interview with ABC television aired Tuesday about…

  • Britain & NHS on Ebola alert

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    David Cameron will chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee today to urgently discuss the ongoing epidemic in Western Africa reports Huffington Post. Public Health England said there were no plans for screening passengers at airports and chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies issued a high alert to all NHS staff to…

  • Australia cancels ISIS air strikes

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     Australian combat jets were pulled out of a potential strike on a moving Islamic State (IS) target in Iraq because of concerns that civilians could be killed, the defence ministry said . Defence chiefs revealed in a media briefing Wednesday, that the F-18 Super Hornet pilots stopped pursuing their IS target when it moved into…

  • INTERVIEW: Preetika Rao

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    By Subhash K.Jha  Actress Preetika Rao is flummoxed by reports suggesting she is in a relationship with the director of her successful serial “Beintehaa”. She has clarified that she is single and that she has no time to ‘mingle’. “I don’t know where these tall tales come from. There are two directors for ‘Beintehaa’ –…

  • Modi asks parties to rise above politics

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said that the country could not be run on the politics of untouchability and that parties will have to rise above this to take the country forward. Addressing a political rally for the Oct 15 assembly polls in Mahendergarh town of south-west Haryana, Modi criticised the Congress party for its…

  • Odisha prepares for cyclone

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    Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the state is fully prepared to meet any eventuality arising out of a possible cyclonic storm. “I reviewed the cyclone situation with all the concerned departments. All the preparations have been made to meet the situation. The departments have been asked to prepare contingency plan to deal with it,”…

  • 20 injured in Pakistani firing in J&K

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    Twenty people, including 15 civilians, were injured in overnight Pakistani firing at the border in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Rangers again started firing at Indian positions in Hira Nagar sector of the international border in Kathua district. “Four army soldiers were injured in Pakistan firing on the LoC in Poonch district, one BSF trooper and…

  • Drugs to soon treat Ebola

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      The lethal virus Ebola can have many strains but thanks to a new drug discovery tool, there could soon be therapies to treat all known strains and likely future strains of the disease. Researchers have produced a molecule, known as peptide mimic, that displays a functionally critical region of the virus that is universally…

  • Modi praises Anil Ambani

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi  praised Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani for joining the “Swachh Bharat” campaign and hoped it will be an inspiration for others to emulate. “Wonderful effort by Shri Anil Ambani, who cleaned the area around Churchgate station in Mumbai along with his friends,” Modi tweeted. The prime minister said said Ambani had…

  • First World War and India’s contribution

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    By Raja Menon  Title: India and the First World War; Author: Vedica Kant; Publisher: Roli Books. The First World War was probably the last war that soldiers went to with a sense of glory and the feeling that something good may come of it. The war itself was to prove otherwise, particularly as the leaders…

  • Pakistan raises Kashmir in UN

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      Raising the Kashmir issue yet again at the UN, Pakistan dragged the UN Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) into the current situation along the Line of Control where cross-border shelling has flared up. “UNMOGIP must be enabled to play its role in monitoring the ceasefire,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Masood Khan told the General Assembly Tuesday.…

  • Flipkart flips at sale

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    India’s largest e-retailer Flipkart apologised to millions of its customers a day after its promises of bumper discounts and offers of unbeatable prices on orders placed for plethora of products came a cropper. “We failed to live up to this promise yesterday (Monday) and would like to apologise to every single customer for our failure,”…

  • Mumbai will not be separated: Modi

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    Flatly rejecting allegations by various opposition parties, including former ally Shiv Sena, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  categorically ruled out separating Mumbai from Maharashtra or dividing the state. “I can assure you that till I am in Delhi, no power on earth can split Maharashtra or separate Mumbai from the state,” Modi asserted amidst a loud…

  • India set to grow@6.5%: IMF

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    With India’s growth increasing on rising business confidence and stronger manufacturing activity since the April-May general election, it’s expected to grow faster in the rest of 2014 and 2015, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). India is “projected to grow at 5.6 percent in 2014 and pick up further to 6.4 percent in 2015…

  • India hits Pakistan with heavy power

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    Indian and Pakistani troops clashed again along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, sparking fear at the border and forcing thousands to flee to safer places. Defence ministry spokesman Colonel Manish Mehta said that the Pakistan Army used small arms to fire at Indian positions in Balnoi sector in Poonch district. “The firing…

  • Kalasangam Presents Salaam

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    Kalasangam, Bradford, presents, a beautifully crafted intricate dialogue of Kathak dance and live music inspired by the works of 13th Century Sufi Saint and musicologist Hazrat Amir Khusro.Saturday 18th October 2014 @ 7pm, Ganges Hall, Kala Sangam Kathak is an exhilarating dance experience: an astounding display of precise footwork, eloquent gesture, rapid turns and intricate, heart-pounding rhythms.…

  • London International Arts Festival

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    London’s Winter Rhapsody – Dhruv Art’s LIAF festival is back with an eclectic buzz The London International Arts Festival celebrates the rich diversity of world music, through the lens of complex Indian classical forms. From South Indian Classical dance, in form of ballet, created with London based dancers, to the top saxaphonist of India who…

  • Glimpse of Vibrant Rajasthan in London

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    Acclaimed artist Namita Jain’s new exhibition entitled “Glimpse of Vibrant Rajasthan” will open on  27th October at Bhavan Centre at West Kensington in London. This is Namita’s third solo exhibition of painting with Rajasthan as the theme subject. The earlier exhibitions were held in 2005 and 2009. The exhibition, which is part of Asian Art Week London 2014,  will…

  • Rashtrapati Bhavan to have hi-tech museum

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    A high-tech story-telling destination of modern times, with a glass dome in the centre and pristine white imperial design conforming to the existing architectural grandeur is how Rashtrapati Bhavan’s new museum will look like. President Pranab Mukherjee  laid the foundation stone of “Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Phase II” at the President’s Estate where he talked about…

  • British court quashes Bahrain prince’s immunity

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    A court in Britain has ruled that Prince Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa of Bahrain is not immune from prosecution over allegations of torture during a pro-democracy protest in Bahrain in 2011, a leading British daily reported. The High Court of Justice of England and Wales overturned a decision by British prosecutors that the prince had…

  • Centre for Graduate Entrepreneurship opens at LSBU

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    London South Bank University’s dedication to graduate entrepreneurship has attracted a £250,000 gift from successful entrepreneur and social reformer Dr Raminder (Rami) Ranger MBE. Dr Rami Ranger MBE is chairman and founder of Sun Mark Ltd and Sea, Air & Land Forwarding Ltd. He started his business career in the 1980’s with just £2 and…

  • Jaya’s bail plea rejected

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      The Karnataka High Court  rejected the bail petition of jailed former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, abruptly ending frenzied celebrations by her supporters after one of her lawyers earlier said she had been granted conditional bail. Justice A.V. Chandrashekara, who heard Jayalalithaa’s petition, also declined to suspend the four-year jail term even after…

  • Toss would be crucial: Dhoni

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    India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni  said the toss is going to be very crucial for the first ODI against the West Indies to be played here Wednesday. “The toss is going to be crucial, so is the weather and hence bowling second would be very tough for the spinners. The dew is also going…

  • World News In Pictures

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  • Sania Mirza to walk the ramp

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    Tennis star Sania Mirza has been chosen by Ritu Pande as the showstopper for her show on Friday at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Spring-Summer 2015, starting here Wednesday. The designer will launch a collection titled “Lady in Lace”, inspired by the layered nuances and hidden beauty of quintessential Victoriana. The French and…

  • Firing continues in J&K

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      Three people were injured as firing continued between the Indian and Pakistani troopers in Jammu and Kashmir. Over 20,000 villagers have fled their homes in three districts along the international border, police said . “Three civilians have been injured Monday night in Arnia town as the Pakistan Rangers continued the firing and mortar shelling,”…

  • Christie’s Indian auction in December

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    After a successful Indian debut last year, international auction house Christie’s will bring works of modern Indian masters like Jehangir Sabavala and Tyeb Mehta for its second auction here Dec 11, the organisers said Tuesday. The sale will comprise 80 lots from the best of modern and contemporary art that will include Sabavala’s 1974 masterpiece…

  • Holistic infrastructure development needed for India

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    By Amit Kapoor & Sankalp Sharma  India is an infrastructure-starved country – be it roads, ports, railways, airports, power generation or distribution facilities, irrigation facilities, access to telecom infrastructure or even the very basic housing and sanitation infrastructure. Some people also prefer to call it an implementation deficit. But the terminology makes little difference to…

  • ‘Compassionate conservatism is dead’

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    Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has launched a stinging attack on his Tory coalition partners by saying Chancellor George Osborne had “buried compassionate conservatism” with his pledges on welfare spending. Mr Clegg has kicked off his party’s final conference at Glasgow before the general election with a scathing attack on his Conservative coalition partners. Clegg…

  • Death of a Good Samaritan

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    Muslims in Great Britain have been united in their condemnation of Mr Henning’s murder…writes Kaliph Anaz It happened on an Arafa Day. The day is just before Eid.ul-Adha aka Bakrid. When the entire Muslim world celebrates Bakrid, which marks the submission of man to God, a family in Salford near Manchester was grieving. Many set…

  • Jaya’s bail plea hearing on

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    A Karnataka High Court bench here Tuesday began hearing of the criminal revision petition of jailed former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa amid tight security. A regular bench headed by Justice A.V. Chandrashekara is hearing Jayalalithaa’s revision petition, argued by her counsel and noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani seeking suspension of the sentence and bail…

  • Modi approve self-attestation of documents

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    Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh  said the government move to provide for self-certification of documents was a “revolutionary decision”. Addressing the launch of an international symposium here and later interacting with the media, he said self-certification marks a departure from the established system of over 65 years. Replacing the need for attestation by…

  • Biden apologises to UAE

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    US Vice President Joe Biden has apologised to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for comments made at a conference wherein he suggested that the two nations had contributed to arming and financing terrorists in Syria. The White House Monday said Biden clarified his comments over the weekend via telephone calls he made to…

  • Bill Gates lauds Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done more than any other leader since India’s independence to create awareness about the need for toilets, Microsoft founder Bill Gates said Tuesday. “It may seem surprising when you think about all the innovation coming out of India, but 630 million people there defecate in the open because they don’t…

  • UK minister visits Gaza Strip

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    British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood visits Gaza and meets Palestinian Authority Minister for Labour. British Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood MP visited the Gaza Strip .  He is the first British Minister to travel to Gaza since this summer’s conflict. “Today I saw first-hand the disastrous consequences of this…

  • India to invest $250 bn in infrastructure

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    India needs $250 billion in next 20 years for basic urban infrastructure and this offers huge investment opportunities to international investors, said country’s Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu. He said the government is committed to promote private domestic and foreign investment in a big way. The minister told XI Metropolis World Congress that began…

  • Obama calls for efforts against Ebola

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    Calling Ebola crisis an issue of global security, US President Barack Obama  urged further efforts from international community to fight the deadly virus in West Africa. After meeting his national security aides, Obama said at a White House press conference that the US was “making progress” at containing the disease in West Africa, but other…

  • Modi to strengthen bond with NRI’s

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said efforts for overseas Indians being undertaken by the government will help “further strengthen our bond with the diaspora”. In a series of tweets, Modi said: “Am very glad to share that government of India has moved swiftly on the announcements I had made on consular and visa issues…

  • New device can control heart failure

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     A new, implantable device to control heart failure is showing promising results in the first trial to determine safety and effectiveness in patients, a significant study shows. “The optimal drug therapies we have today often are not enough to manage this disease for some patients, so we are always looking for new types of therapies,”…

  • Bobby Jindal contemplating presidential run

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    Louisiana’s Indian-American governor Bobby Jindal says he is still “thinking and praying” about a 2016 presidential run, and his decison would come after the Nov 4 Congressional election and “sometime after the holiday.” But with some potential competitors deferring until spring 2015, Jindal could be one of the first Republicans out of the gate, influential…

  • PIO & OCI schemes to be merged

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    India is working on a new scheme that will merge the People of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes, an official statement said Tuesday. The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on consular and visa issues during his address at the Madison Square Garden in New York Sep 28, while…

  • India responds to Pak provocations

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    Five civilians, including a young girl, were killed and 29 others injured Monday in unprovoked firing by Pakistan across the international border in Jammu district, in one of the worst instances of ceasefire violations. The Indian government said its forces were responding to the “provocations” and the firing was not conducive to normalising relations between…

  • NY Times apologises over cartoon

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    The New York Times has apologised after publishing a cartoon on India’s Mars Mission following readers’ complaints that it mocked India. The cartoon showed a farmer with a cow knocking at the door of a room marked Elite Space Club where two men are reading a newspaper on India’s feat, BBC reported. The cartoon was…

  • India Inc upbeat

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    The confidence level of corporate India is improving in line with a slight turnaround in the economy, industry surveys showed Monday. And companies expect overall economic situation to become better in the near term, they said. The Business Confidence Index in the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) survey stood at 72.7,…

  • Dewani denies murder

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    The trial of a British-Indian businessman, accused of having his wife murdered during their honeymoon trip to South Africa, began . British businessman Shrien Dewani has formally pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife on their honeymoon in South Africa in 2010. Mr Dewani, from Bristol, is accused of hiring a hitman to kill his…