Asian Lite News Archive

Category: World News

  • Obama discusses Yemen with King Salman

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     US President Barack Obama spoke with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia over the phone to discuss recent developments in Yemen, the White House said. Yemen has been suffering from political unrest and clashes between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemeni President Abd- Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who has fled the country. Obama…

  • Yoga makes its way into European Parliament

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    Unique discussion forum on yoga with global humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at European Parliament in Brussels on April 21 as a curtain raiser to the newly declared International Day of Yoga For the first time since the United Nations declared 21 June as the International Day of Yoga, the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with India supported by…

  • Bolt eyes historic ‘triple-triple’

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    Star sprinter Usain bolt says the prospect of a landmark “triple-triple” is a motivating force as he prepares for his final Olympic Games in Rio next year. The Jaimaican sprint legend will be aiming to repeat his 100 metre, 200m and 4x100m triumphs at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games, reports Xinhua. “That’s one…

  • NASA reveals colour image of Pluto

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    NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, set to fly by the Pluto system on July 14, has sent its first colour image of the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon. “The image reveals tantalising glimpses of this system,” Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said in a statement. Charon is seen dimmer than Pluto…

  • Obama takes Cuba off from terrorism list

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      US President Barack Obama told Congress his intent to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the White House said. In a message to Congress, Obama  certifies that the Cuban government “has not provided any support for international terrorism” over the past six months and it has provided assurances that it…

  • Obama pledges continued support to battle ISIS

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    US President Barack Obama pledged continued support with training and equipment to help combat the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. The ongoing fighting against the extremist group dominated Obama’s talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the White House, who is on his first visit to the US, Xinhua reported. Obama “pledged to continue…

  • SpaceX fails rocket recovery test

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    Private US spaceflight company SpaceX has launched its sixth cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS), but failed in an attempt to land a part of its Falcon 9 rocket on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The California-based company’s Dragon cargo ship, filled with over 1,950 kg of supplies and payload, lifted off…

  • US Senate panel passes n-deal with Iran

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    A Senate panel approved a bill demanding a congressional review of any nuclear deal the Obama administration inks with Iran by the end of June. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday voted 19-0 to pass an amended version of the bill, which will advance to the full Senate for a vote, Xinhua reported. The new…

  • Israel blasts Russia-Iran weapons sale deal

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    Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon slammed a Russian decision to lift a ban on selling an advanced missile defence system to Iran as a “direct result” of a framework nuclear agreement reached between six world powers and Tehran. “The S-300 deal we’re hearing now, which is in fact the Russian approval to resume transactions they…

  • US might take Cuba off terrorism sponsor list

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      US President Barack Obama will decide soon on whether or not to remove Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism, a move that would allow Washington to lift a series of sanctions on the island, the White House said. “Expect a decision in the coming days,” spokesperson Josh Earnest told reporters at…

  • Iraq seeks more US support to fight ISIS

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    Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said  that he will ask for more support from the US during his visit to Washington to fight the Islamic State (IS) terorist group. “During our visit to the United States, we look forward to the development of our bilateral relations in accordance with the strategic framework agreement that would…

  • Mars may have liquid water

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     Adding to the growing literature on possible life conditions on the Red Planet, new research from NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity shows that it is possible that there is liquid water close to the surface of Mars. The explanation is that the substance calcium perchlorate has been found in the soil which lowers the freezing point…

  • Obama not ready to endorse Hillary

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      US President Barack Obama is not ready to formally endorse his ex-secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in her bid for the presidency because it is possible that other hopefuls for the post will appear, including other “friends” of the chief executive, the White House. A day after Clinton, who was defeated by Obama in…

  • Pope calls for ‘frankness’

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     In a homily  urging “frankness” and “courage”, Pope Francis appeared to defend comments calling the World War I mass killings of Armenians “genocide” which sparked a diplomatic row with Turkey. “We cannot remain silent before what we have seen and heard,” Francis said celebrating mass at the Vatican hotel. “Today, the message of the Church…

  • ISIS threatens a 9/11-style attack on US

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    The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has in a video threatened to “burn America” in a 9/11-style attack, according to media reports. The chilling IS video warns that there is “no safety for any American on the globe”, the Daily Mail reported. Titled “We Will Burn America”, the video calls on IS supporters to attack…

  • World’s first selfie museum is here

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      Now also known as the “selfie capital of the world”, the Philippines has an art museum that, instead of keeping you away from art pieces, encourages you take selfies with them and share your pictures with the world. The Art in Island in the Philippines’s capital Manila uses three dimensional replicas of paintings and…

  • Australian newspapers launch survival campaign

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    Australia’s biggest media companies are joining forces to save their printed newspapers from extinction as increased online media has caused circulation and advertising to plummet in recent years. APN News and Media, Fairfax, News Corp, and Seven West have launched a “Influential by Nature” pro-newspaper campaign to convince advertisers to continue the circulation of the…

  • Hillary announce White House bid

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    Hillary Clinton has formally entered the 2016 race for the White House in a bid to become the first woman US president. She launched her website, telling Americans she wanted to be their “champion”. Mrs Clinton ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 but lost to Barack Obama reported BBC. The overwhelming Democratic favourite,…

  • Bibi fear that Iran will comply with n-deal

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    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced fear that Iran will comply with a nuclear deal reached with six major world powers earlier this month until a final deal is sealed by the end of June, a media report revealed. This came about during a cabinet meeting held on April 3, a day after Iran…

  • Obama talks of new approach with Cuba

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    US President Barack Obama told Cuban President Raul Castro, during their historic meeting at the 7th Summit of the Americas in Panama, that “it is time for us to try something new” with regard to Cuba because the previous US policy did not work. The long-awaited meeting, the first between the two countries’ presidents in…

  • US, Cuba hold highest-level meeting since 1959

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    US Secretary of State John Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held a highest-level meeting in Panama City after a period of 56 years. The last high-level meeting took place in 1959, when Cuba’s former leader Fidel Castro met then US Vice President Richard Nixon, Xinhua news agency reported . Thursday’s meeting came ahead…

  • Richie Benaud 1930-2015

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    Richie Benaud, legendary Australian cricket captain who mesmerised generations of fans with his commentary on the game, died in Sydney on Thursday night, Cricket Australia said. Benaud, 84, was an outstanding leg-spinner and aggressive batsman in his playing days. He fought a long battle with skin cancer and had also suffered from the after-effects of…

  • Saudi invasion of Yemen a mistake: Iran

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     Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  denounced the Saudi-led military operation against Yemen as a “mistake”, saying the invasion has “set a bad precedent in the region”. Khamenei, while comparing the Saudi-led aggression to Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza, slammed Riyadh’s attacks against the Yemeni people as a “crime and genocide” for which it…

  • Police shooting video sparks outrage in US

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    By Arun Kumar   Angry protests swept the US as a horrifying video showing a white police officer shooting eight times a black person running away from him led to the officer being charged with murder and fired. Protests began within hours of the murder charge against white South Carolina police officer Michael Thomas Slager, who…

  • US approves $952 mn military hardware to Pakistan

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    By Arun Kumar    The Obama administration has notified the US Congress it’s selling Pakistan $952 million worth of attack helicopters, air-to-surface missiles and other military assistance saying it will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The State Department has approved the sale saying the “helicopters and weapon systems will provide Pakistan with…

  • Obama reiterates support for UNSC seat for India

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      BY ARUN KUMAR President Barack Obama has reiterated US support for India’s membership of a reformed UN Security Council as he considers it a foreign policy priority to continue to strengthen India-US relationship. “What the President said was that he said in the context of a reformed Security Council that the President would support…

  • Iran and US differ on framework of n-deal

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    Iran has some different interpretations about the details of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) outlined by the US on Tehran’s nuclear programme, Xinhua reported citing Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. Quoting a summary of the JCPOA released earlier by the Iranian foreign ministry, Iran media reported sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear programme “will…

  • Saudi prince at $22.6 billion is the richest Arab

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    Forbes Middle East has released the names of the 100 richest Arab personalities in the world, the first position going to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud with an estimated fortune of $22.6 billion. While Joseph Safra occupies second spot with $17.3 billion, the top 10 this year include members of the United…

  • Pakistan mulling Saudi request: Sharif

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      Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told parliament  that Islamabad will respond to Saudi Arabia’s request for military assistance after parliament concludes a debate on the crisis in Yemen. Sharif’s remarks came a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the Saudi kingdom has sought fighter jets, warships and ground troops from Pakistan as the…

  • Depressed should avoid Facebook

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     Are you feeling depressed lately after spending most of your time on Facebook? Stop comparing yourself with successful peers and use the website only for sharing memories and information with new and old friends. According to a researcher from University of Houston, social comparison paired with the amount of time spent on Facebook may be…

  • Obama rejects Israel’s condition on N-deal

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      US President Barack Obama dismissed a suggestion by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any nuclear deal with Iran be conditioned on the Islamic republic’s recognition of Israel. “The notion that we would condition Iran not getting nuclear weapons in a verifiable deal on Iran recognising Israel is really akin to saying that we…

  • Boston Marathon bomber awaits verdict

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    The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnev and his brother Tamerlan, accused of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that left three people dead and 260 injured, is now awaiting a verdict. The defence and the prosecution made their closing arguments and the 12 jury members will begin deliberations, Efe news agency reported. The trial, which began on…

  • South Asia’s concern of growing Pak nuclear arsenal

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    By Arun Kumar  Noting that “Pakistan, with the world’s fastest-growing nuclear arsenal, is unquestionably the biggest concern,” in South Asia, a leading US daily wants major powers to turn their attention towards it after finalising the Iran deal. Citing several recent developments, the New York Times said in an editorial that “These investments reflect the…

  • Iran will abide by its promises: Rouhani

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    Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will observe its obligations according framework deal with the P5+1 group of world powers on Tehran’s nuclear programme, provided that the other side abides by its obligations as well. “The world should know that we are not deceptive and are not liars and any promises we give will be…

  • Charles letters to be released

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    The British Supreme Court says letters by Prince Charles to the government can be published, after a campaign launched by The Guardian newspaper. The newspaper sought disclosure of the letters, written to seven government departments between 2004-5. There is no date set for the release of the letters. But the government may launch another legal obstacle…

  • 535 missing in Kenyan University attack

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    At least 15 people were killed and over 60 injured by armed assailants who forced their way into a university in northeastern Kenya and opened fire at students  even as authorities said 280 students were rescued while 535 still remained unaccounted for. Kenya Red Cross officials said at least 65 people, including two policemen, were…

  • Iran calls US military threats hollow

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    Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said that US threats to revert to a military option in case of failure to reach a nuclear agreement were repetitive and hollow. Dehghan’s remarks were in response to statements by US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in a television interview in which he said “the military option certainly will remain…

  • Iraqi forces re-capture Tikrit city

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      Iraqi forces, aided by Shia militiamen, re-captured the northern city of Tikrit which was earlier controlled by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, media reported. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived in Tikrit  to claim the victory, which took place a year after the city was first attacked by the IS, CNN reported. Al-Abadi,…

  • Gunmen attack Kenyan college

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      Masked gunmen  attacked a college in central Kenya near the Somalian border, police said. Witnesses said explosions and heavy gun-firing began in the morning in the Garissa University College, located in the town of the same name, some 150 km from the Somalian border Xinhua reported. Kenyan security forces have surrounded the compound. It…

  • Lufthansa confirms depressive episode of co-pilot

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    Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, thought to have deliberately crashed an airliner in the French Alps last week, in 2009 reported to the Lufthansa flight school the fact that he had overcome a “serious depressive episode,” the German airline has said. Lufthansa revealed the new information in a communique on Tuesday after conducting an internal investigation and…

  • Pakistan must break terrorist links : US experts

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    By Arun Kumar Citing the case of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, two US experts want the US to push Pakistan to end its selective fight against terrorism. “Pakistan’s selective approach to fighting terrorism continues to undermine US national security objectives in the region,” wrote Lisa Curtis, a…

  • World’s oldest person dies aged 117

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    The world’s oldest person, Japanese woman Misao Okawa,  of natural causes aged 117, Efe news agency reported. Okawa died at a retirement home where she lived in Osaka, according to facility doctors cited by national broadcaster NHK. Okawa was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest living woman in February 2013. The secrets…

  • Email reveals details of G20 leaders

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    An email by the Australian immigration department accidentally revealed personal details of world leaders at the last G20 summit, including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a leading British daily reported. An employee mistakenly sent the passport numbers, visa details and other personal identifiers of all…

  • Muslim families urged to help relatives

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    Muslim families across Britain are being urged to take action if they suspect a loved one might be planning to travel to Iraq or Syria through an innovative nationwide campaign. The Families Matter campaign was welcomed to Leicester at an event hosted by the Federation of Muslim Organisations; part of a national community tour across the…

  • India to airlift nationals from Yemen

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    India said that it would airlift its nationals from unrest-hit Yemen and is also sending a large ship to the Yemeni capital as Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition warplanes continued airstrikes against the Shia Houthi rebels for the fourth consecutive day. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “Today we got permission to fly from Sanaa for…

  • DNA tests halfway complete in Germanwings air crash

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    French investigators said that they have performed DNA tests on the remains of 78 out of the 150 victims of the Germanwings air crash . The names of the victims, whose remains were tested, have not yet been released, since for that, it will be necessary to crosscheck the results obtained with the DNA samples…

  • Most parents can’t see obesity in their kids

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    Parents of obese children may not be able to recognise that their kid is overweight unless they are at very extreme levels of obesity, new research led by an Indian-origin scientist shows. Moreover, the study published in the British Journal of General Practice found that parents are additionally more likely to underestimate their child’s weight…

  • Arab leaders agree to form unified force

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      Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Arab League member states have agreed on the formation of an Arab military force to counter growing security threats. A high-level committee will be formed to start implementation of the joint Arab force decision, Xinhua cited Sisi as saying. In his speech on the final day of the…

  • Singapore bids farewell to its founding father

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    The funeral of Singapore’s founder and first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was held  with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing him as “among the tallest leaders of our times” and a friend of India. Lee, 91, died on March 23 at the Singapore General Hospital where he was warded for severe pneumonia since February…

  • Australia claim historic fifth Cup

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    Australia became the first team to clinch five cricket World Cup titles crushing traditional rivals New Zealand by seven wickets in the final of the 11th quadrennial tournament at the majestic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here. New Zealand’s hopes of trouncing their trans-Tasman big brothers — and 2015 World Cup co-hosts — in the latter’s…