Friday, July 25, 2008

David Beckham, Angelina Jolie among ”World’’s Sexiest People”

Melbourne, Jul 25 : Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp, David Beckham and Angelina Jolie are among the ”World’’s Sexiest People”, according to WHO magazine.

Australian models Megan Gale and Lara Bingle are also included in the list, reports News.com.au.

The mag’’s annual edition, this year expanded from 25 people to 100, also names Aussies Kristy Hinze, Melissa George and Tasma Walton in 2008′’s sexiest people list.Hinze, Bingle, George and Jodi Gordon posed in swimwear for the mag’’s cover. The list also features Olympians like Matthew Mitcham; basketball beauty Penny Taylor; towering volleyballer Tamsin Barnett and aqua man Eamon Sullivan.

WHO’s Red-hot casts include Home and Away and the Perfect Partners include rock-star newlyweds Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz and super-toned Eva Longoria and Tony.










Will oppose any move to alter boundary of Assam

Guwahati, Jul 25 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said that he was not aware of any assurance given by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the Congress high command to review its stand included in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) about maintaining the territorial integrity of northeast.

Mr. Gogoi, however, said that his government would oppose any move to alter the boundary of Assam and inclusion of any area of the State in greater Nagalim.He issued the clarification when reporters asked him about the Manipur (Outer) Lok Sabha MP Mani Charanamei’s claim that he had decided to support the confidence motion as the UPA assured him to review its stand included in the CMP that on the territorial integrity of the northeast and realigning boundaries of northeastern States.

The Opposition, Asom Gana Parishad, accused the UPA and the Congress party for “bartering” territories of Assam and Manipur for mere survival of the Manmohan Singh government.

Manipuri Families demand child soldiers be released


Imphal, Jul 25 : Child soldiers of the militant outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) were paraded in front of the media this week. PREPAK claims these little soldiers believe in their cause and that they come and go on their own, not under any kind of pressure.

Nineteen school children have gone missing in Manipur over the last three weeks and the families of the children find it hard to believe their children left them for the militants.Across Manipur, grieving families of the missing children present the same picture - school uniforms and text books lying unused in a corner. The parents are desperate to get back their little ones.

“My thirteen-year-old child has been is kidnapped. I will die if I don’t see my son, and all I say is please hand over my son,” a distraught woman can be heard shouting.

“The outfits claim the boys voluntarily joined. How can we believe that such immature and tender boys made such a judgement? They cannot do so,” says a resident of Imphal.

Earlier, people were scared to speak, but today sit-in-protests over missing children are a common sight in the state.

Manipur DGP, Yumnam Joykumar says, “This trend indicates that the underground outfits are getting desperate.”

The general picture of the distraught families is in stark contrast to PREPAK’s claim of voluntary recruitment.

Panel to determine backwardness of tribes


Kohima, Jul 25 : The Nagaland Government has constituted a five-member committee to study the backwardness of nine tribes in the state as well as to give suggestions for their development and recommendations for job reservations.

Official sources said here today retired IAS officer K Kevichusa would head the Committee and the Joint Secretary of Personal and Administrative Reforms would be the member secretary.The other members of the committee are retired IAS officer Tali Longkumer, Reader in Nagaland University Dr Rajendra Singh and Lecturer in Nagaland University T Lorenthung Ezung.

The committee has been constitued to evolve criteria for identifying socio-economic backwardness of tribes in the state, study the socio-economic conditions and status of the nine tribes - Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Sangtam, Phom, Yimchunger, Chakhesang, Pochury and Zeliang - as well as those of the Sumis of Kiphire district.

The committee will also identify the tribes and recommend privileges, including job reservation, reservation in educational institutions, and suggest suitable organisational mechanisms at the government level to identify or review the backwardness of the tribes on a regular basis and monitor the implementation of various privileges extended to them.

The committee will submit its report to the state government within four months, the sources said.

Lalhmingliana admitted to Rajya Sabha today


New Delhi, Jul 25 : Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari today administered the oath of office to two newly elected Members of the House in his chamber.

The two members who made and subscribed to the oath were Mr Lalhmingliana, MP of Mizo National Front (MNF) from Mizoram and Mr Khekiho Zhimomi, MP of Naga Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan were also present on the occasion.Peoples Front(NPF) from Nagaland.