Asian Lite News Archive

Category: World News

  • Obama faces difficult final years

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    President Barack faced the prospect of a tightening gridlock in his final two years in office as Republicans gained at least six seats to wrest back control of the Senate for the first time in eight years. Riding a wave of discontent with Obama and his policies, Republicans picked their sixth Senate seat in North…

  • ALL ABOARD For Rolls-Royce Show

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    As Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is making final preparations for its first ever public exhibition, the Inside Rolls-Royce in London. Inside Rolls-Royce will run at London’s Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York Square, just off the Kings Road from Thursday 13 November to Sunday 16 November. Entrance to the public is free-of-charge with doors open from 10:00am…

  • India warns of nuclear terrorism threat

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    Warning that nuclear terrorism threats were a pressing challenge to the global community, India has called for stronger national and international action to prevent terrorists getting hold of nuclear material. “The threat of nuclear terrorism is one of the pressing challenges facing the international community,” Abhishek Singh, a first secretary in India’s UN Mission, told…

  • Friends with wings disappear

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    Bird populations across Europe declining rapidly….reports Alex Thmpson Bird populations across Europe have experienced sharp declines – a staggering 421 million birds over the past 30 years – with the majority of losses from the most common species, a research shows. The decline in bird populations can be linked to modern farming methods, deterioration of…

  • Teacher killer gets 20-year jail

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    A 16-year-old British school boy has been given 20 year prison sentence after he admitted murdering Leeds teacher Ann Maguire, BBC reported.. Will Cornick stabbed Mrs Maguire, 61, seven times in the back and neck at Corpus Christi Catholic College, then sat down and said “good times”. Leeds Crown Court heard he had told other pupils…

  • Israel approves new houses in east Jerusalem

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    Jerusalem’s municipal committee  approved the construction of 400 housing units in an east Jerusalem neighbourhood, media reports said. The 400 housing units are set to be built in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ramat Shlomo. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and retiring Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar both agreed to promote the construction in the neighbourhood in…

  • Palestinians arrested for Jerusalem riots

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    Seventeen Palestinians have been arrested for their involvement in recent riots in east Jerusalem, Israeli police said. A total of 111 people have been arrested in the city over the past 10 days for disturbing public order, Xinhua reported. Five Jewish men were Sunday detained in Jerusalem’s Old City for attempting to enter the Temple…

  • Special Report: Kurdish women fighters

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    Kurdish women fighters, an unprecedented example of equality in Middle East The Syrian city of Kobane, where resistance against jihadis of the Islamic State (IS) has become a symbol of Kurdish unity, is also an unprecedented example of equality for its women, who fight side by side with men in the streets. The images of…

  • HELLO MOTO- From China

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    Employees pose for a group photo in front of the “HELLO MOTO” installation during a celebration of Lenovo’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility in Beijing, China, Oct. 31, 2014. Lenovo Group, the world’s biggest personal computer maker, said on Oct. 30 it has fully acquired Motorola’s mobile business, making Lenovo world’s third largest smartphone maker. In…

  • Are you sleeping with your smartphone?

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    A considerable number of people take their smartphones with them to bed – some even holding them in their hands as they dream, said a survey. According to a latest survey by California-based QR Code Press magazine, 53 percent of respondents said they regularly took their smartphones with them when they went to bed. QR…

  • J.K. Rowling reveals story characters

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    British author Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the author of the “Harry Potter” series, has revealed previously undisclosed background details of the saga’s characters on her website, Pottermore, media reported. The author is immersed in writing short stories relating to places and characters that appear in the Harry Potter series on her site. Some pieces provide additional…

  • DULMIAL: The Village with the Gun

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    Dulmial, Pakistan, popularly known as  ‘the Village with the Gun,’ paying tributes to  the Soldiers of the First World War, 100 years on…reports Dr Irfan Malik and Michael Noble, The Centre for Hidden Histories, University of Nottingham A nineteenth century cannon sits at the centre of a Pakistani village. Here we take a look at the…

  • US urges restraint in Jerusalem

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    The US today voiced concern about escalating tensions across Jerusalem, urging all sides to refrain from “provocative actions”. “We condemn yesterday’s shooting of a US citizen in Jerusalem,” Xinhua quoted State Department spokesperson Jennifer Psaki as saying at a daily press briefing. “We’re extremely concerned by escalating tensions across Jerusalem and particularly surrounding the Haram…

  • Zambia has a white acting president

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      Appointed acting president of Zambia following Michael Sata’s death , Guy Scott made history by becoming the first white head of state in sub-Saharan Africa since aparatheid – though a debate rages on his eligibiliity. Frederik de Klerk of South Africa was the region’s last white president, until his party lost to Nelson Mandela’s…

  • Sweden to recognise Palestine

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     Sweden will officially recognise Palestine as an independent state, the first European Union (EU) member to do so, the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reported, citing Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced earlier this month that Sweden would recognise the state of Palestine. A decree will be issued later Thursday by the Swedish…

  • Life in Hong Kong’s protest Village

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    Isabel Fueyo spent a month at the epicentre of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement   A month after the pro-democracy movement of Hong Kong began with the peaceful occupation of city streets, the daily life of one of the areas has been enriched by the ingenuity of protesters who have converted the area into a self-sustaining settlement. This…

  • How culture affects physiology?

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    People who are born in aggressive environments may pass on traits that make it more likely for future generations to react to certain situations in a violent manner, found a research, underscoring how culture could affect biology. Biology is affected by culture just as culture is changed by human biology, the researchers noted. “These changes,…

  • US urged to lift Cuba cargo

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    UN General Assembly again urges US to end Cuba embargo ….reports Arul Louis  The UN General Assembly (UNGA) asked the US to lift its Eisenhower-era embargo against Cuba in a near unanimous vote Tuesday that showed a stark isolation of Washington on the issue. Only Israel voted with the US against the resolution while closest allies like…

  • China to help Afghan projects

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    China is willing to participate in Afghanistan’s infrastructure construction, Premier Li Keqiang said . Li made the remarks while meeting visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xinhua reported. Any country that wanted to realise national prosperity and improve people’s livelihood needed a safe, stable and harmonious…

  • India seeks ban on e-cigarettes

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    Indian Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan calls for for complete ban on e-cigarettes Indian  Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has favoured a complete ban on e-cigarettes and all products described as “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)”. Harsh Vardhan ruled out their acceptability in the light of research findings by experts which have held that they are no…

  • COMENT: Israel-Hamas Talks

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    Dr. Alon Ben-Meir,  a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU, looks into the new development in the Middle East Although the expected resumption of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo was postponed, it will likely take place in the next few weeks as the two sides appear to seek…

  • Iraqi Kurds onward to Syria to fight ISIS

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    A group of Iraqi Kurdish fighters arrived in Turkey to fight the Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, a media report said. A private plane carrying Peshmerga forces landed at an airport in Sanliurfa province from the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Erbil, Xinhua reported citing state-run Anatolia news agency. The forces, sent by the Kurdish…

  • Obama defends new Ebola directives

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    US President Barack Obama has defended the government’s new directives regarding monitoring of people who have been exposed to the Ebola virus, asking the public not to let themselves be influenced by “fear”, since progress is being made in halting the spread of the disease. If there was not a strong international respnse to the…

  • Documentary on Snowden debuts

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    “Citizenfour,” a documentary about former US intelligence operative Edward Snowden, garnered praise and criticism over the weekend in its debut at US theatres, while the US remains divided between those who consider him a hero and others who call him a traitor. The movie, directed by US journalist Laura Poitras, opens with a blurred image…

  • Pistorius to appeal verdict

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    South African prosecutors involved in the Oscar Pistorius case will appeal the verdict and sentence on the double-amputee Olympic athlete’s manslaughter conviction, which resulted in a five-year prison term for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. “We have taken the decision to appeal both the verdict and the sentence,” said a statement from…

  • N-deal possible in a month: Rouhani

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      Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that a final nuclear deal between Tehran and the six world powers may be possible within a month. In a meeting with Norwegian Ambassador to Tehran Odyssey Norheim , Rouhani said that Iran has taken positive steps in the previous rounds of nuclear talks with the P5+1 group…

  • US Lauds Rousseff Re-election

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    The White House congratulated Dilma Rousseff on her re-election as Brazil’s president, pledging to continue efforts to boost bilateral relationship. Spokesman Josh Earnest called Brazil “an important partner” for the US, saying, “We are committed to continuing to work with President Rousseff to strengthen our bilateral relationship.” He said in a statement that President Barack…

  • Burqa protest at Australian parliament

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     Three Australian men attempted to enter Parliament House in Canberra, wearing different outfits as part of a protest against ‘burqas’. The three were wearing a Ku Klux Klan mask, a ‘niqab’ and a motorcycle helmet, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The protesters were stopped between Old Parliament House and the Parliament House forecourt and told…

  • GALLERY: Tokyo Film Fest

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    This year marks the 27th edition of Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the only Japanese film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). TIFF started in 1985 as Japan’s first major film festival. Since then, TIFF has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals in Asia. TIFF seeks out…

  • The Ambitions of a First Lady

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    Grace Mugabe, the first lady of Zimbabwe and always called as the Hillary Clinton of Africa, is aiming for presidency…writes Oliver Matthews  Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Grace Mugabe, has entered politics in the hope of succeeding her ailing 90-year-old husband, President Robert Mugabe, who after 35 years in power could be thinking about retiring. At age 49…

  • ISLAMIC NEW YEAR 1436AH

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    Islamic New Year 1436AH has now begun.  Islamic New Year is based on the lunar calendar. The Muslim calendar began when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his followers immigrated (Hijra) from Makkah to Madina to establish a new Islamic state based on the teachings of the Holy Qurân…

  • Cameron rejects EU £1.7 billion bill

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    British Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK will not pay £1.7bn being demanded by the European Union. “If people think I am paying that bill on 1 December, they have another think coming,” the prime minister said in Brussels, BBC reported. “It is not going to happen.” But Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the…

  • Scottish Labour Leader Quits

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    Scottish Labour Party  leader Johann Lamont quit after accusing the party leadership of treating Scotland as a “branch office”, BBC reported.Ms Lamont’s deputy, Anas Sarwar MP, 3, will take over the leadership on a temporary basis. Anas is son of Punjab governor and former Labour politician Mohammed Sarwar. Labour’s tally of 41 Scottish MPs at risk from…

  • Desi Girl Goes Opera Way

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    The Rajah’s Son & Princess Labam, written and directed by Nishi Rajan,will open November 7th at the Medicine Show Theatre in New York City. The musical will run for 6-nights only Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm from November 7th through November 22nd The Off-Broadway Indian Musical ‘The Rajah’s Son & Princess Labam’ held a special preview…

  • GLOBAL MEDIA: An opportunity for India

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    Collapsing credibility of Western media will create an an opportunity for India…writes  Saeed Naqvi  Even the skeptics now agree that India shall be a power in the Asian century. To insure this rise to the top, India must maximize all its assets. One asset for which it has a reputation is a lively media, a function…

  • France blitz ISIS targets

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      France’s Rafale fighter jets struck a training centre of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group overnight in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the French army’s chief staff, General Peter de Villiers, said . As part of the coalition military offensive to halt the militants’ advance, French aircraft dropped 70 bombs, of which 12 were…

  • ‘Dead heart’ transplanted in Australia

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    Australian surgeons said  that they have made a major breakthrough by making a dead heart beat again and successfully using it in a transplant. Previously, surgeons relied on donor hearts from brain-dead patients whose hearts were still beating. But the director of Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital Heart Lung Transplant Unit, Peter MacDonald told a press…

  • Strategy against ISIS working: Hagel

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    The US-led strategy to defeat the Islamic State (IS) is working, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday, but emphasised that the fight against the terrorist group will be a “complicated, difficult contest”. Talking to reporters at the Pentagon after meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo, Hagel said the administration has repeatedly made…

  • Now Pope’s Tips to Tame Crime

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    Pope wants death, life terms to be abolished…. Pope Francis issued a call for all the countries to abolish capital punishment and also eliminate sentences for life imprisonment because “a lifetime in prison is a hidden death sentence”. At a Vatican meeting Thursday with representatives from International Association of Criminal Law, the Pope said that…

  • A GOOD NEWS! Exercise is bad for your health…

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    Nury Vittachi in his column Funny Side analyses the other side of exercise  Your narrator met an old friend while practising for a triathlon the other day. That is, he was practising for a triathlon: I’d just taken a taxi to the shop for a second box of donuts. NOT that that means this writer…

  • Modi condemns Canada terror attack

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     Prime Minister Narendra Modi  condemned the terror attack on the Canadian parliament and pledged to strengthen cooperation with Ottawa to combat terrorism. “I strongly condemn the attacks on the Canadian military personnel in Quebec and Ottawa and the shooting in the Canadian parliament in Ottawa,” Modi said in a statement released by the external affairs…

  • Inspirational lives of Nobel laureates

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    Shilpa Raina looks into the inspirational lives of Nobel laureates   A bicycle and a book on mathematics belonging to economist Amartya Sen, a notepad of Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa and a wooden bear that was on the desk of Finnish politician Martti Ahtisaari – these and other personal collectibles of various Nobel laureates…

  • Canada terror drama continues

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    Soldier killed in shootout near Canadian parliament, gunman shot dead In an attack that police believe involved more than one gunman in the Canadian capital city, a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial was killed and a security guard in the nearby parliament buildings left wounded Wednesday. “Condolences to family of the soldier…

  • IAEA confirms Iran’s commitment to n-deal

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    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a new report confirming Iran’s commitment to an interim nuclear deal it signed with the six world powers last year. The monthly update report by the IAEA indicated that the Iran is continuing to meet its commitments under the interim accord that came into effect in January,…

  • Pistorius given 5-year imprisonment

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    South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was  sentenced by a Pretoria court to five years in jail for the culpable homicide death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was sentenced at the Pretoria High Court by Judge Thokozile Masipa, the Independent Online reported. On Sep 12, Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for the Valentine’s Day…

  • WHO declares Nigeria officially Ebola-free

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    The World Health Organisation (WHO) Monday officially declared Nigeria Ebola-free , after no new cases were confirmed in the past 42 days, even as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) appealed to the donor community to provide grants to countries affected by the deadly virus. WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Rui Dama Gaz, made the announcement…

  • Plight of Palestine refugees

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    Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU, looks into the plight of Palestinian Refugees During the donor conference held in Cairo a few days ago, the US, EU, and other countries pledged $2.7 billion for reconstruction in Gaza. It is undoubtedly necessary to make such a humanitarian effort…

  • US airdrop arms in Kobane

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      US military has airdropped weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Kurdish fighters in the Syrian city of Kobane to heighten up defence against the Islamic State (IS) militants. “The aircraft delivered items that were provided by Kurdish authorities in Iraq and intended to enable continued resistance against IS’ attempts to overtake Kobane,” the Pentagon…

  • ? Pope Francis beatifies Paul VI

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    Pope Francis beatified Paul VI during a heavily attended Mass in St. Peter’s Square, at which he said of the pope who closed the Second Vatican Council that “he led the Church with wisdom and a vision of the future”. The pontiff said that Paul had noted that the Church, especially the Synod of Bishops…

  • Vatican approves gays & divorced

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     Participants in the Vatican synod of bishops approved  a final document that proposes acceptance of gays and compassion for divorced persons “with respect and delicacy.” Relatio Synodi, the final document approved Saturday point by point by bishops and cardinals with the right to vote, was made public at the request of Pope Francis, who also…