Asian Lite News Archive

Category: -Top News

  • India, Pak compete in “chaotic relief”

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    Authorities in Pakistan and India are struggling to cope with raging monsoon floods which have killed more than 460 people, displaced nearly a million people, and still threaten many more, according to Guardian. Pakistani military specialists blew up dykes with explosives to divert water from rivers running close to three cities, while Indian authorities admitted…

  • Bolly celebs @ Jagran Film Fest

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    Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Sushmita Sen, Chitrangada Singh, Anil Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Elli Avram, Sonal Chauhan, Kiran Rao, Sharman Joshi, Jackie Shroff, Tisca Chopra, Divya Dutta and Tusshar Kapoor at the launch of 5th Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai.

  • Women, men face sexual assault in colleges

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    Sexual harassment and lad culture are rife on university campuses, with more than a third of women reporting that they have suffered unwelcome sexual advances in the form of inappropriate groping and touching, according to new research, Guardian said quoting a survey. In a survey of 2,156 men and women by the National Union of…

  • British Empire’s week of reckoning

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    By Ashis Ray  The expansion of the second and more recognised British Empire amounted to a formidable amassing of territory since 1497. Quite accurately, at its prime, the sun never set on the British Empire. However, the beginning of its end was the loss of the “jewel in the crown” – India – in 1947,…

  • New York Fashion Week 2015

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    Models present creations of the Spring/Summer 2015 Ralph Lauren collection during the New York Fashion Week in New York, the United States.

  • Nepal Indra Jatra festival

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  • Eat chikoo to fight cancer

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    The sweet and succulent chikoo or Sapota fruit, a popular ingredient for desserts, could well be the answer to halt cancer from spreading, according to a study by Indian scientists. Researchers have now shown methanolic (alcoholic) extracts of the whole fruit possess certain active phytochemicals (plant-derived compounds) that can trigger a sequence of orchestrated events…

  • President begins Vietnam visit

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      Indian President Pranab Mukherjee arrived here Sunday on a four-day state visit to Vietnam during which an agreement will be signed on scouting for oil and gas in the South China Sea. Another agreement will be on direct air services between the two countries. Mukherjee’s delegation included Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan…

  • 40 million years of Asian monsoon

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    The Asian monsoon came into existence 40 million years ago during a period of high atmospheric carbon dioxide and warmer temperatures, reports an international research team. Scientists earlier thought the Asian monsoon began 22-25 million years ago as a result of the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalaya mountains. “This research compellingly shows…

  • Xi’s wife to visit Delhi school

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    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s wife Peng Liyuan will visit a school here and interact with a select group of students, a top school official said Monday. Xi and his wife Peng will be in India on a three-day visit that begins Wednesday in Ahmedabad. On Thursday, the Chinese president travels to New Delhi. Peng will…

  • 400 migrants feared dead near Malta

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    At least 400 migrants were feared dead after two boats carrying them capsized in the Mediterranean Sea near Malta, media reports said Sunday. Three migrants, who said they were Palestinians and came from Egypt, were rescued and airlifted to Malta Sunday afternoon after an alert was raised Friday by a merchant ship which sighted two…

  • Israeli military slams its soldiers

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    The Israeli military Sunday sharply criticised a conscientious objection letter sent by 43 veterans of an elite intelligence unit who refused to serve their duty due to Israel’s surveillance and information gathering tactics. Military spokesperson Brig-Gen. Moti Almoz wrote online Sunday that the group used their military service “to express political opinions” in the letter…

  • NRIs to fund new Sikh temple

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    Hundreds of NRIs and businessmen from across India wiill contribute a whopping Rs.600 crore to develop the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru of the Sikhs, on the lines of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, ahead of the guru’s 350th birth anniversary in 2017. Officials of the Takht Harmandir Saheb said NRIs from…

  • Democracy demands in Hong Kong

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    Thousands of protesters dressed in black marched through the streets of Hong Kong to call for democracy and express their opposition to Beijing’s decision to restrict the number of candidates who may run for government posts in the 2017 elections. “Beijing has failed to keep its promise that the people of Hong Kong may have…

  • World’s first selfie taken in 1850

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    It may not look that jazzy but a self-portrait which dates back to the 1850s holds the record for being the world’s first selfie. The selfie of Oscar Gustave Rejlander, a pioneering Swedish Victorian art photographer and an expert in photo-montage, was recently sold at an auction at Morphets in Harrogate, North Yorkshire for 70,000…

  • Taliban hand in Sept 6 Pak dockyard attack

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    A preliminary probe into the attack on a naval dockyard in Karachi last week has revealed that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) militants from Sindh province were involved in it, media reported Monday. The militants mounted attack on the naval dockyard Sep 6, but it was thwarted, Dawn online reported. One sailor and two attackers were…

  • Ahmedabad ready for Modi bash

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    For the first time in years, Ahmedabad, the historic commercial capital of Gujarat, is getting a mega facelift — in anticipation of a twin VVIP visit next week. Narendra Modi, a Gujarati himself, will make his first visit to the state after taking over as prime minister in May to celebrate his 64th birthday here…

  • Netanyahu eyes big money for defence

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    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday said he was supporting an increase in defence spending in the upcoming 2015 budget in opposition to the stance of the finance minister, which may lead to the collapse of his political coalition. “The billions we’ve invested in Israel’s defence in recent years saved the Israeli economy… Due to…

  • Queen urges Scots to ‘think’

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    Queen Elizabeth on Sunday urged Scots to “think carefully” ahead of Thursday’s Scottish independence referendum, a media report said. In an unprecedented move after attending a church near Balmoral Castle in northern Scotland, the Queen went to speak to royal watchers and urged people to think very carefully about the referendum Sep 18, the online…

  • Sena questions Modi wave

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    A major crisis erupted in the saffron alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday, with the BJP calling off seat-sharing talks with ally Shiv Sena – apparently after its chief, Uddhav Thackeray, questioned the much-talked-about ‘Modi wave’ in an interview to a TV channel, according to Hindustan Times. State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Devendra Fadanvis, while…

  • UAE on Mars mission

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    The UAE’s historic project to send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021 would benefit all humanity and its findings would be made available to all countries to use, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Presiding over a brainstorming session with…

  • UAE to end mid-day break for hard labour

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    The UAE Labour Ministry has announced that the midday break rule period, which prohibits labourers from outdoor work between 12:30pm and 3pm, will draw to an end tomorrow on September 15th. The mandatory midday work break aims to ensure the well-being of the labourers who work in the scorching heat during the summer months, according…

  • US citizen faces jail in Korea

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    North Korea has sentenced an American citizen to six years of hard labour for entering the country illegally and committing “hostile acts” against the secretive state. State media said Matthew Miller had been convicted after a brief court hearing on Sunday morning. The court refused him permission to appeal, according to a Guardian report. “Miller,…

  • Govt backs private sector for navy tender

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    Seeking to build capabilities of Indian private sector warship builders, the defence ministry has rejected the plea of a state-owned shipyard to participate in the Rs 25,000 crore project to construct four amphibious warfare vessels for the Indian Navy. The defence ministry has decided that only private sector shipyards, including Pipavav, ABG and L and…

  • No more referendum after this: Salmond

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    Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond Sunday said there will be no second Scottish independence referendum for another generation even if he loses Thursday’s poll by a single vote. The most high-profile figure in the pro-independence movement, Salmond dismissed concerns that the separatists would pursue a “never-endum” strategy by calling for another vote as soon as…

  • Israel now targets fishermen

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    Israeli gunboats Sunday opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast in a breach of the truce reached late last month. According to the Palestinian fishermen syndicate, Israeli gunboats have been opening fire daily at fishing boats, MENA reported. A long-term truce in Gaza was agreed with Israel Aug 26. The ceasefire mediated by Egypt…

  • Pak court orders release of protesters

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    The Islamabad High Court Sunday ordered the release of all arrested Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protesters. Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi earlier issued a notice to the government seeking its reply by Sep 17 on the decision to arrest protesters, Dawn online reported. On Saturday, a court in Islamabad sent around 100 PTI activists to…

  • Gaza children return to schools

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    Schools reopened across the Gaza Strip Sunday following a three-week delay due to damage caused by an Israeli offensive on the enclave that ended late last month. As many as 700,000 school children went back to their schools at the end of a long summer vacation, which included 50 days of the Israeli war on…

  • Cameron vows to hunt down ISIS

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    Following the beheading of British hostage David Haines by Islamic State (IS) extremist group, Prime Minister David Cameron Sunday said his country will hunt down the killers of the aid worker, a media report said. “We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it…

  • China to leave japanese breathless

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    Cash-rich China is looking to outwit rival Japan by pledging to invest billions of dollars in India’s railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects during President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to the country this week. As Xi’s visit to India scheduled for September 17 draws close, Chinese officials are becoming increasingly vocal about Beijing’s decision to scale…

  • Eurozone needs fund to fuel growth

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    More investments were the only way for the European Union (EU) to accelerate its too slow recovery, finance ministers agreed at the Ecofin meeting held in Italy’s Milan. Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, who chaired the meeting in the country of the rotating EU presidency, said discussions were focused on measures to stimulate investments,…

  • Students seeks help of smartphones

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    Nearly 75 percent of the college students in the US are dependent on smartphones while one in five consider themselves to be “lost” without the device, says a study. While 86 percent said they sleep with their phone within an arm’s reach, 81 percent replied that they would panic if they lost their phone. “Smartphones…

  • Sharjah woos Indian tourists

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    After a successful campaign in Europe, the UAE emirate Sharjah will launch an India Road Show Sep 15-22 to woo tourists. The 2014 road show in India is being hosted by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in cooperation with Air Arabia airline and Sharjah’s hotel and tourism industry. The promotional campaign will see…

  • Kerry arrives in Paris for ISIS talks

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    US Secretary of State John Kerry Sunday arrived in Paris after a four-day tour of the Middle East trying to build a coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS). Nearly 40 countries, including 10 Arab states, have signed up to a US-led plan to tackle the extremist group, the BBC reported. Kerry arrived at the…

  • Rebels advance in Syria

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    Armed militant groups, including Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, advanced in Syria’s southern province of Qunaitera, as the Syrian troops stripped the rebels of key towns in the central province of Hama, activists said Saturday. The Nusra Fighters and like-minded groups were advancing in Qunaitera, at the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Syrian Observatory…

  • Thousands still marooned in Kashmir

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    Nearly 1.5 lakh people are still marooned in parts of the Kashmir Valley submerged by floods, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said. At an all-party meeting Saturday, he said another 1.42 lakh people had been rescued in the valley alone. Many opposition leaders, including Peoples Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti, Congress state president…

  • White House awaits Modi

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    Not long ago, Narendra Modi was not welcome in the US. But the US is now pulling out all stops to woo him when he comes calling at the White House as India’s prime minister at the end of this month. President Barack Obama will host a dinner for him Sep 29 before bilateral talks…

  • Cameron calls Haines killing ‘ evil murder’

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    The murder of David Haines was an “act of pure evil”, David Cameron has said after the release of a video appearing to show the UK hostage’s beheading. The 44-year-old aid worker was seized in Syria in 2013. He was being held by Islamic State militants who have already killed two US captives. The latest…

  • Kerry calls for global coalition against ISIS

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    US Secretary of State John Kerry Saturday said a global coalition was essential to defeat Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS). Kerry also stressed that a concerted effort must be made to choke off financing for the militant group and prevent foreign jihadis from joining its ranks in Iraq and Syria. “An international coalition is…

  • India News In Pictures

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  • Heart drug could be Ebola cure

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      Researchers at the University of Liverpool have made a breakthrough that can lead to a cure for the deadly Ebola virus currently sweeping through West Africa, media reports said. The university has said the experts stumbled across an existing drug used in the treatment of severe heart disease, which could be adapted to fight…

  • India afloat with doubles win

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    The pair of Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna kept India afloat with a stirring five-set win over Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac in the crucial doubles match of the Davis Cup World Group playoff tie here Saturday. Down by two sets and by a break in the third, the Indians rallied to win 1-6, 6-7(4),…

  • Lalu out hearty & cheerful

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    Eighteen days after undergoing three cardiac surgeries, a hearty and cheerful RJD chief Lalu Prasad Saturday walked out of the Asian Heart Institute here, doctors said. “Lalu Prasad has been an excellent and cooperative patient with a strong willpower which has helped him immensely in his speedy recovery,” said Ramakanta Panda, the hospital’s vice chairman…

  • India polls ends peacefully

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      Moderate to heavy turnout was reported in the biggest democratic exercise in India since the April-May general election as three parliamentary and 33 assembly constituencies spanning 10 states went for by-polls Saturday. The elections – regarded as a test of popularity of the respective state governments as also of the Bharatiya Janata Party which…

  • World News In Pictures

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  • India Inc. donates for Kashmir

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    The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Saturday said it has received generous donations from India Inc. for carrying out rescue and relief operations in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the flood calamity in the state. “The corporate sector is coming forward to extend its support to the flood-affected people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the…

  • Hundreds killed in Pak floods

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    Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Saturday said that at least 280 people have been killed due to the heavy rain and floods in various parts of the country. NDMA spokesman Ahmad Kamal said that more than two million people have been affected in the ongoing crisis, Dawn online reported. The statement comes as military…

  • Hamas rejects direct talks with Israel

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     Deputy chief of the Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza, Ismail Haneya, said Saturday that his movement is not intending to hold direct talks with Israel. “Hamas won’t hold direct talks with Israel,” Haneya said in a meeting with Palestinian reporters in Gaza. Haneya was reacting to an earlier statement made by senior Hamas leader Musa…

  • ‘Willing to wound and yet afraid to strike’

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    By Saeed Naqvi As soon as President Barack Obama Wednesday announced his intention to lead a Coalition of the Willing to “degrade and destroy” the ISIS, his core coalition partners began to fidget and reach out for the exit door. British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond said “UK will not be taking part in the air…

  • ‘Action Jackson’

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    Action Jackson is an upcoming Bollywood action movie Directed by Prabhudeva and Produced by Gordhan Tanwani and Urooj Chaiwala Zafar under the banner Baba Films. The film features Ajay Devgan, Sonakshi Sinha, Yami Gautam, Manasvi Mamgai and Kunaal Roy Kapur in lead roles.