Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • Russia charges Ukraine with war crimes

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     Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of committing war crimes after pro-Russian separatists allegedly discovered several mass graves in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. “This is obviously a war crime. Already more than 400 bodies have been discovered in graves outside Donetsk and we hope that Western capitals will not hush up these…

  • Ebola vaccine not yet ready: WHO

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    Two vaccines that give preliminary indications of providing effective and reliable immunization against the deadly Ebola virus ravaging West Africa will not be ready for testing until next March, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Developing a vaccine usually takes time and is expensive, the WHO said. “Even in best conditions and with the huge…

  • Pictorial: ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’

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  • IOC ‘satisfied’ with Rio preparations

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    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was ‘satisfied’ with the state of preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. IOC representatives completed a three-day visit of Rio Wednesday, including an inspection of event venues and meetings with local officials, reports Xinhua. “We leave Rio satisfied with the progress that has been made since our…

  • INTERVIEW: Hema Malini

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    Hema Malini and director Ramesh Sippy are working together after almost 40 years and the actress-politician says he is still the same and is very mischievous with her. The duo have given hits like “Andaz”, “Seeta Aur Geeta” and “Sholay” in the 1970s. Would they again generate the same hysteria with their fourth outing together…

  • RBI unbiased on rates: Raghuram Rajan

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    The Reserve Bank (RBI) is without bias either way about raising or cutting interest rates, while further policy will be contingent on relevant data coming in, Governor Raghuram Rajan said Wednesday. “Our policy stance today is reasonable and we see no reason to alter it today based on the information we have. As data comes…

  • Indian soldiers’ bravery revisited in Australia

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    The Indian soldiers’ valour as displayed in 1918 during first World War to free the Israeli city of Haifa was remembered in Australia Tuesday. On Sep 23, 1918 Indian soldiers of two elite army units from Jodhpur and Mysore, in a heroic battle with Ottomans, liberated the port city of Haifa. “The Indian horsemen armed…

  • Tutu ashamed of Dalai Lama visa row

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    Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said he is ashamed because his country refused to grant the Dalai Lama a visa to South Africa to attend the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates to be held in Cape Town Oct 13-15. “I am ashamed to call this lickspittle bunch my government,” Tutu said Wednesday in a…

  • Obama very pleased with Modi

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    President Barack Obama was “very pleased” with and “enjoyed” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit as it reflected the depth of the strong relationship between the US and India, according to the White House. The president was “very pleased with” and “certainly values the opportunity that he had to visit personally with Prime Minister Modi”, Obama’s…

  • Salman, Sachin,Aamir to spread Clean India message

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi  nominated actors Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and industrialist Anil Ambani among nine people to spread the message of Clean India. Modi has said the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan he launched earlier in the day should clean up the country by 2019, the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.…

  • Modi begins clean up

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolically wielded the broom Thursday to launch a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up India in five years. Modi chose the Valmiki Colony in the heart of Delhi — a place once home to Mahatma Gandhi — to do the sweeping in a small area for just about one…

  • Israel approves new settlement in East Jerusalem

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    An Israeli committee has granted approval to the construction of a massive Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, Israeli settlements watchdog Peace Now said . The approval by Jerusalem District Committee came shortly before the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington for a meeting with US President Barak Obama. The move is expected to…

  • Nobel laureates summit called off

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    The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Cape Town, South Africa, this month has been cancelled owing to denial of a travel visa by the host country to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, a visiting Nobel laureate said . “The venue of the summit has been shifted out of South Africa,” Nobel Peace…

  • Modi to launch ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the “Swachh Bharat Mission” here , which is aimed at creating a ‘Clean India’ in the next five years. Modi would symbolically wield a broom Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and reach out to all Indians to make cleanliness a mass movement. Preparations are being made…

  • ISRO & NASA to collaborate on missions

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    US and India have agreed to enhance cooperation in Mars exploration and establish a pathway for future joint missions to explore the red planet besides launching a NASA-ISRO satellite mission to observe Earth. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), signed two documents for this purpose in…

  • Two NRI achievers to be honoured in US

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    Indian-born Stanford University professor Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj and Indian techie Himanshu Asnani, pursuing research in mathematics at Stanford, will be honoured in Washington DC Thursday by the US-based Marconi Society. Paulraj, 69, is the winner of the Marconi Prize 2014 for his pioneering work on developing wireless technology to transmit and receive data at high…

  • King Khan enthrals Google Staff

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    HNY FIRST INDIAN FILM AT THE GOOGLE AND TWITTER HEADQUARTERS Adding more firsts to the many in the kitty, the team of Happy New Year is the first Indian film team to visit the Google Headquarter and Twitter Headquarter in San Jose, USA. Director Farah Khan, Actress Deepika Padukone, Actors Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan,…

  • Cameron Unveils Election Strategy

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    British Prime Minister unveiled his election strategy for 2015 by pledging tax cuts  for 30 million people. The party will focus on strong economy, NHS, housing, EU referundum pledge besides the tax reforms to retain power. He told the Conservative conference in Birmingham that  if the Conservatives win next year’s election, the government will raise…

  • Health forums appeal to UN

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    Experts seek UN help to launch an alert on cardio-vascular diseases – that contribute to 30 percent of global deaths, more than all infectious and parasitic diseases combined Eleven cardio-vascular organisations from the world have called on United Nations to include cardio-vascular diseases – that contribute to 30 percent of global deaths, more than all infectious…

  • Global coalition to stem organ trafficking

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    Asian Lite News looks into the organ trafficking menace, especially in the Asian countries   Organ trafficking could be more widespread than currently reported and a concerted international effort is required to confront the problem, says a study. “If countries do nothing about this problem, the consequences for both donors and recipients can be terrible, as…

  • Lib Dems accuse Tories of stealing tax plan

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    Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander attacked the tax proposals by David Cameron during the annual Conservative Party conference.  “The Tories shameless attempt to copy Liberal Democrat tax policy will be utterly incredible to the millions of working people who they have made clear will be their main target for cuts in the…

  • Emerging issues in the regional race

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    Amit Kapoor in his weekly column Active Voice looks into the issues affecting regional competitiveness An emerging theme in the area of competitiveness is the importance of regional competitiveness as the right unit of analysis. It includes not just the endowments one has like natural resources but also how one is able to utilize endowments and…

  • Gary raises funds for charity

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    OVER 200 RUNNERS AND GARY LINEKER RAISE IN EXCESS OF £7,000 AT  MANCHESTER AIRPORT & BRITISH AIRWAYS FIRST RUNWAY RUN Over 200 runners raced over four kilometres around the UK s third biggest airport yesterday, raising over £7,000 as part of Manchester Airport and British Airways Runway Run. Joined by a stellar line up including…

  • Lord Heseltine supports ‘Devolution’

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    To make devolution work there has got to be a culture shift away from London says Heseltine Lord Heseltine was in combative mood when he came to Birmingham to launch the Skills Hub, which will provide a vital link between business and academia. The Hub comprises colleges of further education and Greater Birmingham Chambers of…

  • UK Court orders to release Begg

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    Rights activists say Moazzam Begg release highlights anti-Muslim witchhunt A judge at the Old Bailey ordered the immediate release of former Guantanamo detainee Mr Moazzam Begg  today (Tuesday) after the Crown Prosecution Service admitted there was no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction on any of the seven terrorism charges laid against him. Mr Begg…

  • Book launch of ‘Haider, Omkara and Maqbool’

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    Actors Shraddha Kapoor, filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj, Siddharth Roy Kapur, actor Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Pankaj Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor during the book launch of Haider, Omkara and Maqbool in Mumba.

  • Rohit Bal’s ‘Gulbagh’ collection

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    Wills Lifestyle presented exclusive preview of Rohit Bal Grand Finale Collection for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2015, in New Delhi. Ace designer Rohit Bal has tied up with an NGO in an attempt to help the homeless victims of the devastating Jammu and Kashmir floods. The floods have left many homeless, and Bal,…

  • 1914 Komagata Maru deaths remembered

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     India released a set of special coins of denominations of Rs.100 and Rs.5 launching a year-long centenary commemoration of the 1914 Komagata Maru incident to create awareness about the heroic struggle of Indian migrants against discriminatory immigration laws of Canada. Komagata Maru, a Japanese ship carrying 376 Indians, was not allowed to disembark its passengers…

  • Modi’s US trip disappointing: Congress

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    The Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit was “disappointing” as there were “no major takeaways” from the trip. “When you look at the outcome, it is definitely disappointing. There are no major takeaways of this much hyped visit,” Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma told the media here. He said an atmosphere was created where…

  • Modi hard sells India to CEO’s

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      Hard selling India with assurances of a business-friendly environment and a stable and simpler tax regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited top US business to come and invest in India. Addressing the US-India Business Council comprising 300 top US companies doing business with India here Tuesday, he promised to replace bureaucratic red tape with…

  • Priyanka on Mary Kom’s Asiad gold

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    Priyanka Chopra, the reel life M.C. Mary Kom, is ecstatic about the real life boxing champion’s gold winning exploits in the women’s flyweight category (48-51kg) at the 17th Asian Games Wednesday. The actress says it symbolises woman power. Mary Kom, a five-time World Champion, defeated Kazakhstan’s Zhaina Shekerbekova 2-0, with one judge scoring the bout…

  • US secret service rebuked for Security breaches

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     US secret service chief Julia Pierson vowed  that the breach of White House security will not be allowed to happen again, amid mounting criticism over the agency’s failure to prevent the intrusion of a man Sep 19. Appearing before the House and Government Operations Committee, Pierson said the intrusion by US Army veteran Omar Gonzalez…

  • Jaya bail plea adjourned to Oct 7

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    A special bench of the Karnataka High Court Wednesday adjourned to Oct 7 hearing of jailed former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s petition for suspension of the sentence and bail in a corruption case. “In my considered opinion, hearing on this petition should be referred to a regular bench of the high court,” special…

  • Britain conducts first airstrike against ISIS

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    Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) military jets have conducted their first strikes on an Islamic State (IS) heavy weapon position in Iraq, the British ministry of defence said. In the course of an armed reconnaissance mission, two Tornados were tasked to assist Kurdish troops in northwest Iraq who were under attack from IS, also known…

  • India & US commit to hit terrorist havens

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      In a significant development, India and the US have committed to make joint and concerted efforts to dismantle terrorist safe havens, including four Pakistan-based groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the D-Company, and the Haqqani network, besides the Al Qaeda. A joint statement issued Tuesday after the first bilateral summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and…

  • Pak voting to go electronic

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    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to introduce electronic voting machines and use them in the 2018 polls, media reported Tuesday. ECP secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan said the commission would call for an immediate amendment to the Constitution to remove legal barriers in the way of introducing the technology, after which the pilot…

  • Will Jaya’s imprisonment help BJP in TN?

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    By Anjali Ojha  The jailing of the charismatic J. Jayalalithaa will help the BJP to grow in Tamil Nadu, a state where it has always been a bit player, party leaders say. Bharatiya Janata Party leaders feel their party is bound to get more support now that the ruling AIADMK is rudderless minus Jayalalithaa and…

  • Modi finish his historic visit to US

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      Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up what he himself called a “hugely successful journey” to the US, winning over everyone, from President Barack Obama down, hardselling India to big business and wowing Indian-Americans. If star-struck Indian-Americans, a community that numbers about three million and many of whom who played a big role in his…

  • Obama hails security deal with Afghanistan

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    US President Barack Obama hailed it as “a historic day” as the US and Afghanistan signed a bilateral security agreement that allows the residual American troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014. “Today we mark a historic day in the US-Afghan partnership that will help advance our shared interests and the long-term security of Afghanistan,”…

  • 12 million girls in India face sexual violence

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    One in five girls in India has experienced physical violence since 15 years of age, according to a report released by UNICEF here . The figure translates into 12 million girls, said the report, which used data from the National Family Health Survey. It said that 4.5 percent of girls aged between 15 and 19…

  • Jewish settlers seize houses in east Jerusalem

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      Dozens of Jewish settlers, escorted by heavy police force, took over at least seven empty buildings in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem Tuesday. The buildings are located in the Wadi Hilweh neighbourhood of Silwan, only some 300 metres across from the volatile area of the Al Aqsa Mosque compound and the…

  • Asian Lite among short-listed for top awards

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    Asian Lite among leading media titles were short-listed for the 2014 Asian Media Awards.  The finalists were announced at an event held at ITV, The London Studios. The prestigious event is aiming to reward those working in journalism, television, radio, marketing and PR.   The Asian Media Awards take place at the Hilton Deansgate Manchester on 28 October…

  • World News In Pictures

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  • Action plan to clean Ganga

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    Centre seeks the help of Ganga-basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal The Centre told the Supreme Court that the government needs the cooperation of Ganga-basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal – for the successful execution of its project to clean the Ganga. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told…

  • Halifax children to rock Royal Albert Hall

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    HALIFAX SCHOOL LEADS 650 CHILDREN FOR PERFORMANCE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL Parkinson Lane Community Primary School and Calderdale Music Service in Halifax have been given the prestigious job of writing the finale for the Royal Albert Hall Schools Prom. The 500+ school is a forerunner in many fields; they were national finalists in tag rugby,…

  • Afghan-US Security Agreement signed

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      Afghanistan and the US  signed the long-awaited Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) to allow a limited number of troops to remain in Afghanistan after the drawdown later this year of the NATO-led troops in the country. Afghan Presidential Advisor on National Security Mohammad Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador to Afghanistan James B. Cunningham signed the…

  • Dawood, Shakeel offenders in IPL spot fixing

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    A court here  declared underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel proclaimed offenders in the IPL spot-fixing case. Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna declared the duo proclaimed offenders in the case after police completed the proceedings of their property attachment. Earlier, the court had issued non-bailable warrants against them. Delhi Police Tuesday…

  • Palestinians rap Bibi’s UN speech

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    Netanyahu’s UN speech provocative say Palestinian officials Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly in New York was provocative to Palestinians, officials said. Netanyahu Monday said that the Hamas movement and the Islamic State (IS) are two branches of a toxic tree, and that he is seeking to reach a historic…

  • Cameron offers 7-day GP services

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    Prime Minister David Cameron said if the Conservatives win the next general election, his government will provide GP services seven days a week by 2020, The prime minister has unveiled a further £100m from April 2015 for a fund set up last year to improve flexibility. Mr Cameron said: “People need to be able to see their GP…

  • Indian men in Asiad hockey final

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    Two-time champions India stayed on course for their first Asian Games gold medal in 16 years as a solitary strike by Akashdeep Singh helped them beat hosts South Korea 1-0 in the semifinals of the men’s hockey tournament at the Soenhak Hockey Stadium here Tuesday. India not only stayed on course for a possible third…