Asian Lite News Archive

Category: World News

  • UAE gears up for Mars mission

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    State-owned Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is ramping up its efforts to support the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in achieving its goal of sending an unmanned space probe to Mars by 2021, a media report said. The initiative for the UAE’s Mars mission, named “Hope”, the first in the Arab world, was launched in…

  • Ireland moving towards same-sex marriage

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    Those voting “Yes” took a comfortable lead  in Ireland’s referendum on same-sex marriages held on Friday. The Irish Times reported that Ireland was on course to approve the amendment on same-sex marriage with a strong “Yes” from across the country. “It’s a historical day for Ireland,” the report quoted Minister for Health Leo Varadkar as…

  • NRI kid graduates with three degrees in US

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    An 11-year-old Indian-American kid, has graduated from a Californian college with three associate degrees in math, science and foreign language studies. At an age, when most kids of his age are busy scrolling through iPads or smartphones, this Indian American is different. Tanishq Abraham is now the youngest person to graduate from American River College…

  • Greens rap Cameron policy

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    Green Party leader Natalie Bennett condemned the British government’s new immigration policy and said this will demonise the migrants. Prime Minister David Cameron said the government will stem the illegal migration by several measures including confiscating the wages of those who work in the UK without a visa. he also said the new policy of…

  • Yvette vows to win Labour battle

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    Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said she is determined to take her campaign across the country to win the leadership battle Yvette, the third favourite of bookies after Andy Burnham and Liz Kendall, said the party cannot afford to lose one more general election. “We cannot repeat the same mistakes again,” she wrote in…

  • Brexit secret papers sent to The Guardian

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    Senior officials of Bank of England mistakenly sent confidential documents related to the UK exit of EU to The Guardian newspaper. The officials are secretly researching the financial shocks that could hit Britain if there is a vote to leave the European Union in the forthcoming referendum. According to the confidential email, the press and most staff…

  • Amma Returns as CM

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    Jayalalithaa again becomes Tamil Nadu chief minister AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa was sworn-in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time on Saturday within a fortnight of the Karnataka High Court acquitting her in a corruption case. Jayalalithaa, 67, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor K. Rosaiah…

  • Inspiring British-Asian Women Honoured

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    The Asian Women of Achievement Awards (AWA), in association with RBS, announced the winners of the 2015 Awards at a recently held event in London in the presence of the Duchess of Gloucester, Patron Princess Badiya bint El Hassan, Theresa May MP, Hilary Benn MP, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP, Miriam Gonazlez Durantez, Elif Shafak and Jazmine…

  • Italian government ‘worried’ about ISIS

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    Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni  said the government is concerned about the recent advances made by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Iraq and in Syria, where a monitoring group says it now controls half the country. “The Italian government is not just worried about Syria, but also about the possibly even more threatening…

  • Alexander McQueen to feature on 20 pound notes?

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    The late fashion designer Alexander McQueen might be immortalised on the new 20 pound notes in Britain. The Bank of England is asking the British public to nominate “people of historic significance” from the world of visual arts to be immortalised on the new 20 pound note, with the late fashion designer one of the…

  • Lufthansa planning spot checks of pilots

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    German airline Lufthansa said that the company was considering spot medical checks for its pilots, after one of them apparently deliberately crashed a plane in France in March, killing 150 passengers and crew on board. “In contrast to other air crashes, no clear consequences can yet be drawn with regard to on-board safety from the…

  • Video games spark Alzheimers

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    Playing action video games such as Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed, would probably lead boys at an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other mental illnesses in later life, according to new research. Previous medical studies and scientists reveal that players navigate the screen using a key area of the brain called the caudate nucleus, which…

  • Asia’s largest Cross being built in Karachi

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    A 140-foot bullet-proof Cross is being built in Pakistan’s Karachi city, the biggest in Asia, a media report said. Pakistani Christian businessman Parvez Henry Gill is building the Cross at the Gora Qabristan Cemetery, Dawn online reported. Following a dream in which Gill claims to have seen God asking him to do something for the…

  • Unfinished memoirs of Orson Welles found

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    Experts from the University of Michigan have said that they had found an unfinished personal memoir of celebrated filmmaker Orson Welles, Efe news agency reported . The draft was found among the possessions of the late filmmaker that the university acquired in Croatia from his companion of 24 years, Oja Kodar. “One of the interesting…

  • Obama: US not losing fight against ISIS

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    President Barack Obama said in an interview published that the US is not losing the fight against the Islamic State radical group in Iraq and Syria, but he acknowledged that it will be necessary to intensify the training of Sunni militias in some zones to support Iraqi military forces. “I don’t think we’re losing. There’s…

  • Paralysed man controls robotic arm

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    In a pioneering feat, a team of US scientists has developed a novel system that allows a patient to control the movement of his robotic arm with his intention. The researchers from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Keck Medicine of University of Southern California surgically implanted a chip in that portion of the brain…

  • Kim Jong-un’s elder brother at London pop concert

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    Television images of Kim Jong-chol, elder brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at a music concert in London were broadcast on Japanese and South Korean media. Japan’s TBS network showed the 34-year-old entering the iconic Albert Hall on Wednesday, in leather jacket and sunglasses and accompanied by a woman, and bodyguards who prevented people…

  • A Mary controls Hillary’s Twitter account

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    Ever heard of Mary Jo Brown? Well, she is the proud manager of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s Twitter account – for a while though. Owner of the Brown and Company Design, a print and web design studio in New Hampshire, she tweeted @HillaryClinton: “Hi there! I’m Mary Jo “mom, small business owner, and Granite…

  • US, Cuba talks extended

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    The US and Cuba ended their latest round of talks on normalising relations and reopening embassies without results, but agreed to continue the negotiations, a State Department spokesperson said. “Talks between Cuba and the US have concluded for the day,” spokesperson Marie Harf tweeted. “They will continue tomorrow, followed by press availabilities.” The State Department…

  • Ireland to decide on same-sex marriage

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    People in Ireland  cast their votes in a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage, a media report said. The referendum was held 22 years after Ireland decriminalised homosexuality, BBC reported. According to sources, over 3.2 million people are expected to cast their votes on whether they want to amend the country’s constitution to allow gay and…

  • NRI scientist turns blood into nerve cells

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    Stem cell scientists led by Mick Bhatia from the McMaster University have successfully converted adult human blood cells into neural cells. The team directly converted adult human blood cells to both central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) neurons as well as neurons in the peripheral nervous system (rest of the body) that are responsible…

  • Obama’s favourable ratings hits high

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    Americans’ favourable ratings of US President Barack Obama now stand at 53 percent, which marks his highest score since September 2013, Gallup found in a poll released . This comes after a year in which these ratings were mostly below the 50 percent level, according to the May 6-10 poll. The recent increase in how…

  • Tremor felt in Kent

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    A 4.2 magnitude earthquake has been recorded in Kent, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has said. The tremor originated near Sandwich at a depth of 15km (9.5 miles) underground at 02:52 BST, it reported. Residents in other areas including Margate, Canterbury and Southend-on-Sea, Essex, reported feeling the earthquake. Kent Police said a number of calls…

  • Cameron talks EU reforms

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    David Cameron has said he is determined to reform Britain’s relationship with the EU. He begins discussions with other European leaders on his plans. At a summit in Latvia, he will outline changes he wants to see, including restrictions on benefits for migrants reports BBC. The prime minister said he expected “lots of ups and…

  • Companies must check their wood is legal: WWF

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      A WWF-UK study released today raises concerns about the ability of some UK companies – including Oak Furniture Land and Fender – to prove where their wood supply comes from. Customers could unwittingly be buying products containing wood from threatened forests. Some products are not covered by the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which requires…

  • US threatens not to sign n-deal with Iran

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    Washington has threatened “not to sign” a final nuclear agreement with Tehran unless the Iranian government gives access to its possible military dimension-related sites and nuclear scientists. “If we don’t get the assurances we need on the access to possible military dimension-related sites or activities, that’s going to be a problem for us,” State Department…

  • British Sikhs back in Nepal

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    By Vishal Gulati   After rescuing flood victims and helping rebuild homes in Bosnia, British Sikhs are back to help – assisting Nepal to rise again from the debris of three nerve-rattling major earthquakes and many more aftershocks that have killed thousands of people and caused widespread destruction. They are middle-aged volunteers from the Slough-based charity…

  • ‘Bin Laden was dedicated to family’

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    Declassified documents here about Osama bin Laden reveal that he was a dedicated family man who constantly worried about his four wives, 20 children and other relatives and who sometimes issued detailed instructions about how they should conduct themselves. Bin Laden took minute interest in the marriage plans of his son Khalid to the daughter…

  • US launches secret space plane X-37B

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    The US Air Force’s mysterious X-37B space plane was launched  for its fourth secret space mission. The reusable, unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle lifted off atop an Atlas V rocket at 11:05 a.m. from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The US Air Force did not say how long the X-37B will remain in orbit, but each of…

  • Eight men charged in Hatton Garden jewellery heist

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    Eight men have been charged with plotting and executing the Hatton Garden jewellery heist, Scotland Yard has said. Detectives from the Met’s Flying Squad charged the men, aged between 48 and 76, with conspiracy to burgle on Wednesday evening reported BBC. They have been remanded in custody to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.…

  • British terror suspect living in Denmark

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    A terror suspect from Manchester, who is banned from returning to Britain, is living freely in Denmark, media reported. Ahmed Halane, 22, a Danish citizen who grew up in the towns of Bolton and Chorlton, is suspected of fighting with militant groups abroad, BBC reported. He is the elder brother of Zahra and Salma Halane,…

  • ISIS captures Syrian ancient city Palmyra

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    ISIS fighters have captured the ruins of Palmyra after overnight fighting saw them take complete control of the historic city, according to a monitoring group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was no news of any destruction so far at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes ancient temples and colonnaded streets reports Sky…

  • Tories plans to seize illegal immigrants pay

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    In a radical move police would be able to seize the wages of illegal workers as proceeds of crime under government plans to be set out in next week’s Queen’s Speech. PM David Cameron will say that it has become “too easy” for migrants not entitled to be in the country to exploit loopholes reports…

  • India tops in consumer confidence survey

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     India, with a score of 130, ranked the highest in consumer confidence among 60 markets. The online survey released was measured by American agency Nielsen. India’s score of 130 was one point higher than the fourth-quarter of 2014, followed by Indonesia (123), the Philippines (115) and the United Arab Emirates (115), Nielsen said of its…

  • Will not succumb under pressure: Khamenei

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    Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said  that Tehran would not accept “unreasonable demands” by world powers during negotiations over its disputed nuclear programme, and ruled out letting inspectors interview its atomic scientists. “They (P5+1 countries) are making new comments in the nuclear negotiations. Regarding the inspections, we have said that we will not allow…

  • 170 ISIS members killed in Syria

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    At least 170 Islamic State (IS) militants have been killed since Sunday in airstrikes carried out by the US-led international coalition in addition to Kurdish attacks in the Syrian northeastern province of al-Hasakah, Kurdish officials said on Tuesday. Naser Haj Mansur, spokesperson for the defence department in the Kurdish autonomous region of al-Jazira in al-Hasakah,…

  • Hungarian wins Man Booker Prize

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    Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai has won the biennial Man Booker International Prize 2015. The award ceremony was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and Krasznahorkai was chosen from a list of 10 contenders from around the world. Krasznahorkai, born in 1954, gained considerable recognition with his numerous works, such as “Satantango” and…

  • North Korea cancels Ban’s visit

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    North Korea has cancelled UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s visit  to the Kaesong joint industrial complex, Yonhap News Agency reported. Ban said in a speech in Seoul that North Korea “suddenly” notified him of the cancellation through diplomatic channels earlier in the morning, adding that it was very regrettable. The UN chief arrived in South…

  • US upbeat on talks with Cuba

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    A senior US official has expressed optimism about the upcoming talks here with Cuba, saying that the two sides are “closer” to restoring diplomatic ties. “We’ve clearly gotten closer and worked our way to a fewer number of items on the checklist,” a senior State Department official told reporters in a teleconference . “That’s the…

  • Prince Charles to visit site where Lord Mountbatten was killed

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    Prince Charles is to meet the mother of a boy murdered in the same IRA bomb attack that killed his grand uncle, Lord Mountbatten. The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit the County Sligo village of Mullaghmore where his great-uncle died reports BBC. Mary Hornsey, whose 15-year-old son was among the four people…

  • @POTUS breaks Guinness world record

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    US President Barack Obama broke a Guinness record by becoming the fastest person to garner one million followers on Twitter, a feat he accomplished in less than five hours with his new account @POTUS, Efe news agency reported. Guinness World Records, which verifies and keeps an official list of world records, said on Tuesday on…

  • British workers forum raps Qatar Games

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    Trades Union Congress (TUC), Britain’s largest workers forum says FIFA sponsors must tell Qatar to play fair on workers’ human rights 62 workers may lose their lives for each game played during Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, a tournament likely to be sponsored by FIFA partner companies Coke, VISA, McDonald’s, Adidas, Kia and Hyundai. Without sponsorship, this…

  • Iran nuclear talks to resume

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    Iran and the world powers will begin new negotiations to finalise an accord on the country’s nuclear issue in the Austrian capital of Vienna. Iranian deputy foreign minister and senior negotiator Abbas Araqchi will meet EU political director Helga Schmid  to resume drafting of the text of the deal before the end-of-June deadline, Tasnim news…

  • UN chief to visit North Korea

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    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that he will visit the Kaesong industrial complex in North Korea  to promote trust and reduce tensions between the two Koreas, Efe news agency reported. Ban, who is attending the World Education Forum in Incheon in his native South Korea, confirmed his trip, making him the first UN chief to…

  • Israel plan to ‘strengthen’ Jerusalem

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    The Israeli cabinet announced a set of decisions aimed to “strengthen” the city of Jerusalem and arrange special events in 2017 on the 50th anniversary of the city’s unification. The decisions were announced in a special cabinet meeting held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in celebration of “Jerusalem Day”, which marks the day in…

  • Iran ‘concerned’ over Egypt death sentences

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    Iran expressed “concern and regret” over an Egyptian court sentencing to death former president Mohammed Morsi and his supporters. “Such verdicts, which encourage violence and exclusion (of opponents), hurts Egypt’s image and credibility,” Xinhua news agency quoted foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said. “We hope such approaches would be avoided,” Afkham said. Iran believed that…

  • Shakespeare’s face appears in botany book

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    A 400-year-old botany book contains what could be the only known portrait of English poet and playwright William Shakespeare made in his lifetime, an academic expert said. Leading British botanist and historian Mark Griffiths made the discovery when he was researching the biography of pioneering botanist John Gerard (1545-1612), author of “The Herball or Generall…

  • China unveils ‘Made in China 2025’

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    China’s State Council has unveiled a national plan, dubbed “Made in China 2025”, focusing on promoting manufacturing, Xinhua news agency reported. The plan was authorised by Premier Li Keqiang, the report stated citing a government notice issued in this connection. “Made in China 2025” is the first 10-year action plan designed to transform China from…

  • Finally Obama opens a Twitter account

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    “Dad, husband, and 44th President of the United States.” With this message, US president Barack Obama has joined Twitter with his personal account. According to the New York Times, his first post from @POTUS twitter handle on Monday included a greeting — “Hello, Twitter! It’s Barack. Really!” “Six years in, they’re finally giving me my…

  • India the new bright spot of hope: Modi

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    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India “is the new bright spot of hope” for the region and the world and that the country’s progress will help make the Asian dream “a bigger reality”. Addressing the Asian Leadership Forum, which was also attended by South Korean President Park Geun-hye, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and…