FIFA rejects Ireland's 2010 WC inclusion request

D
ublin, Dec 2: FIFA rejected Ireland's request to be included as the 33rd team in 2010 World Cup in South Africa on Tuesday, Dec 1, on the ground that having more than 32 teams was out of question.
FIFA official Jerome Valcke said that acceptance of Ireland's inclusion request would make way for other teams to make a similar appeal.


"There is no hope at all that there will be more than 32 teams at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa." he said adding that FIFA took the request into consideration only because the team had made a special request in Zurich.

The World Cup Finals draw is set to take place on Friday, Dec 11.

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Google iPhone To Launch Before Christmas?

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here are serious rumors about the Google Phone stormed by Gizmodo and we suspect that it may be announced before this christmas. As they say, it won’t be just another Android handset but it will have something that will be the real Android leaving an impression that the Android devices we were using were fake Androids! It will have Google Voice at its heart meaning that it may use Google Voice even for voice calls which means that call tariff by the service providers will be pretty much sc**wed.

The new Android is codenamed Flan and the device hardware will be manufactured or branded by Google. And considering that Google is now one of the biggest brands we have ever seen like Coke or McDonalds, it feels that the name alone can sell the initial lot of phones. But we have some bitter experience with the Windows mobile phones so we are not sure if it would last as the best mobile phone OS.

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ULFA's Rajkhowa arrested in Bangladesh, say sources

A
rabinda Rajkhowa, chairman of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and its publicity secretary Apurba Baruah have been arrested in Bangladesh, informed sources said on Wednesday.

Both are expected to be in India's custody soon, the sources told IANS.

The two leaders are believed to have been arrested by the Special Branch of the Bangladesh Police from downtown Dhaka.

Rajkhowa, 56, was in Bangladesh for close to two decades, operating out of bases in that country to order hit-and-run strikes in Assam.

He founded the ULFA in 1979 along with five other leaders, including the outfit's commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who is believed to have escaped Bangladesh and is reportedly hiding in China.

Last month, Bangladesh reportedly handed over two ULFA leaders, self-styled foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury and finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, to Indian authorities.

Indian officials say they were arrested on the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura while trying to sneak into India.

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Conservation through fictional schoolboy

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he Assam Forest Department is banking on a fictional schoolboy who communicates with animals to strengthen its conservation drive.

Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain on Tuesday evening unveiled the first of a series of storybooks titled Paltu aaru Sonali Bandor (Paltu and Golden Langur). The central character of the 36-page book is Paltu, a 10-year-old son of a farmer.

"Paltu has been conceived as a child conservator who can talk to and understand the feelings of animals, birds and reptiles. A farmer's child, he is given the power to communicate with animals by a golden langur," said author Narayan Mahanta, divisional forest officer of Assam State Zoo.

The story unfolds when Paltu chances upon an army of primates devouring crop in his father's farm in a remove village. As he confronts the golden langurs, they tell him how they were compelled to raid the farm after the forest behind the village was destroyed.

"Paltu and his family subsequently shift to the city, and they are appalled by the lack of greenery. He ventures into the zoo where he meets primates who tell him how they came to be behind bars," said Mahanta.

Paltu's ability to communicate with animals comes with a rider - he will lose the power if he, even unwittingly, harms any creature.

Mahanta told Hindustan Times Paltu would keep cropping up in storybooks with a different creature in each book. Paltu aaru Sonali Bandor has illustrations by Utpal Talukdar, and is available in four languages - Assamese, Bengali, English and Hindi.

The Assamese and Bengali versions have been priced at Rs 50 each while the English one costs Rs 75 and the Hindi Rs 100.

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Assam to use biometric cards for wage disbursement under NREGA

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he Assam Government has decided to use biometric card system, one of the latest tools of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for disbursement of wage under the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)'s scheme implementation. Thus, Assam would be the second state in the country after Andhra Pradesh to use biometric card system' for wage disbursement under NREGA implementation.

Assam Panchayat and Rural Development minister Chandan Brahma disclosed this here on Tuesday. According to him, in view of huge size of the NREGA programme it is necessary to make best use of latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the facility would help in ensuring effective implementation and proper management of the Programme but will also bring transparency and thereby credibility.

"Through this system the job card holders will be able to receive their money without hassle in their own Gaon Panchayat", said Brahma. The scheme would be operational from January next.

The Bio-Metric ATM is equipped with biometric sensor which has finger print authentications as a standard feature and it is possible for rural people to use just thumb impression on a touch screen which will allow the beneficiaries to withdraw their week's wages. The ATM accepts fingerprint as the means of authentication instead of PIN numbers only as used by other ATMs.

Business correspondent of banks would be responsible for executing of the scheme in presence of head of Gaon Panchayat. The dept has tied up with State Bank of India, Axix Bank and Assam Gramin Vikas Bank (a rural bank) for issuing Biometric Card and disbursement of wages under NREGA scheme.

The state Govt. would have to pay 2 per cent service tax for implementation of the biometric card.

Brahma informed that the state Panchayat and Rural Development Dept. had issued 34 lakhs job cards among rural households. In the current financial year, up to October, 378.03 lakhs person days were created for implementation of various schemes of rural development under NREGA in Assam.

The dept has also decided to increase the daily wage rate of job cardholders under NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) from Rs 80 to Rs 100. it would be effective from December 2. Assam Panchayat and Rural Development minister Chandan Brahma has announced this here on Tuesday.

Brahma claimed that the implementation of NREGA has improved over the years. "We spent Rs 950 crores on NREGA in the year 2008-09, for this year Government of India has allotted Rs 1361 crore which we hope to spent within this fiscal year", added the Assam Panchayat & Rural Develop Minister.

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Powerful bomb found inside hospital complex in Imphal

A powerful bomb, weighing about 5 kg, was found inside the campus of Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital (RIMSH) here in Imphal West district of Manipur, police sources said on wednesday.

The explosive was detected yesterday by a security patrol. Bomb disposal squad personnel later defused the explosive, which was attached with a long wire and could have been triggered by a remote control device, the sources said.

Expressing shock over the incident RIMSH Director L Fimate urged all sections of the people not to create disturbances within the hospital and institute.

Alleging foul play, RIMSH Superintendent Y Mohen said explosive appeared to have targetted him as it was found from his official quarter premises.

Mohen recalled some pharmacies located inside the hospital had been asked to vacate their premises and suspected that they (pharmacies) might have hired someone to plant the bomb.

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20 millions mobile phones without IMEI blocked for security reasons

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orakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 1(ANI): In a major step devised to combat terrorism and fraud in the country, around 20 million mobile phones without the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) was blocked on Tuesday as the deadline set by the Union Government came to an end.

IMEI number is a 15-digit unique number, which appears on the operator''s network whenever a call is made. It helps to track or block a mobile phone, if it is lost or the SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) is changed.

The decision to ban the phones was taken after intelligence agencies reported that militants had used mobile phones without IMEI number in launching attacks.

The market is flooded with Chinese made handsets with a variety of features, which does not have IMEI, and consumers using these instruments said that they were facing a tough time.

“My cell phone is not working due to lack of IMEI number and I am very disturbed. If this was the step that the Government was going to take for security reasons, then why were these phones allowed in the market,” said Amit, a consumer.

However, there are reports that these instruments may become operational with a new IMEI card issued by the authorities.

“As per the information we have, the consumer whose cellular services have been blocked due to new provision of IMEI, they need not worry because new IMEI cards will be issued (by the authorities) for a reasonable price of Rs. 150 to 200,” said Dinesh Modi, dealer of cell phones. (ANI)

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When Pranab Mukherjee lost his temper in Parliament

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ew Delhi, Dec 1 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday lost his temper after being interrupted by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat in the Rajya Sabha, while replying to a question.

The Finance Minister was replying to a question on shortage of food items, when Karat asked him about the status of sugar.

Furious Mukherjee shouted at Karat saying that he was not liking her behaviour, following which an uproar prevailed in the house.

When Mukherjee calmed down, he said that there was shortage of sugar and the Government is preparing to tackle the issue related with sugar.

“Price rise is a matter of concern as it affects the common man the most. This situation is mainly due to shortage of essential commodities like pulses, sugar and edible oil. To ameliorate the effect the inflation, PDS needs to be strengthened,” Mukherjee said.

“Availability of sugar is 16 million tonnes, but the requirement is 23 million tonnes, similarly availability of edible oil is 92 million tonnes while the requirement is 158.64 million tonnes,” he added. (ANI)

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Cop kills self with service gun

K
OKRAJHAR: The personal security officer of BTC member Madhab Karki has allegedly shot himself dead with his service gun at Patgaon in Kokrajhar.The deceased, Moneswar Kataki (38), was a constable of 3rd Assam Police Task Force. Though the reason of Kataki's suicide was yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that frustration drove him to take this extreme step.
This is such second instance in the district since 2006. Kataki, who is from Dhemaji district, was deputed as Karki's personal security officer on November 14.

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Advani to highlight Manipur turmoil in LS

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MPHAL: BJP leader L K Advani has assured a party delegation from the North-East that he would highlight the chaotic situation besetting Manipur in the wake of the July 23 Imphal "fake encounter" and the alleged failure of the Okram Ibobi Singh government in the ongoing Parliament session.

On Monday, Advani promised this to party's N-E in-charge P Chandrasekhar Rao and Manipur unit secretary L Basanta Sharma who met him at his residence along with other members from the region.

"As briefed by our team assisted by the party's national spokesman Prakash Javedkar, Advaniji said he'd raise all important issues besetting Manipur in Parliament," Basanta said.

The delegation briefed the BJP leader about the collapse of education system in the state following boycotting of classes by three student bodies for the past three months in protest against the July 23 shootout, he added.

"Among various points, we mentioned about the alleged nexus between security forces and certain underground groups and their indulgence in extortion. Besides, the alleged piling of assets and property by the CM disproportionate to his known sources of income was also highlighted," Basanta added.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley along with Prakash Javedkar have also assured the delegation of highlighting the issue in Rajya Sabha.

On July 23, Manipur police commandos gunned down Chungkham Sanjit Singh, a "reformed" rebel, and a pregnat woman in an alleged fake encounter at the crowded Khwairamband market.

A civil movement led by Apunba Lup erupted against the incident after a national magazine published photographs showing Sanjit being surrounded by commandos before his death.

The government instituted a judicial inquiry to probe the incident and has suspended seven commandos, including a sub-inspector.

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Drop sovereignty demand first, PC tells Ulfa

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UWAHATI: Drawing the perimeter for holding peace talks even more boldly, Union home minister P Chidambaram has asked the Ulfa leadership to strike off its main demand of sovereignty from its agenda if it at all wants the government to hold a dialogue.

While presenting the 12th monthly report card of his ministry in the Capital on Tuesday, he said, "The government will talk only if they (Ulfa) shed the sovereignty demand and shun violence."

The minister insisted that the speculation about the government "planning to go ahead with talks with Ulfa without its fugitive commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah" is unfounded. He said. "I do not know who will come and who will not. So far. there's is no proposal for talks from Ulfa."

The home minister's well-defined pre-conditions for peace talks come days after a conglomerate of 28 organizations from the state met him in New Delhi and pressed for early resumption of negotiations with Ulfa. The People's Committee for Peace Initiatives in Assam (PCPIA) also urged both the Centre and Ulfa to come together and resolve all issues through dialogue.

In the first round of talks between the People's Consultative Group (PCG), an Ulfa-nominated panel comprising representatives from various sections of the civil society, and the Centre, on October 26, 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the government was willing to listen "to whatever concerns that you may raise". He had, however, reminded the delegation that he was a servant of the Constitution and urged them to recognize "the limitations of a complex polity", indicating that the Ulfa's demand of sovereignty could not be entertained within the framework of the Constitution.

The peace efforts, initiated by writer and the PM's former colleague in Delhi University, Indira Goswami, however, fell through after three rounds of talks with the PCG pulling out in protest against army operations against Ulfa while the talks were on.

Chidambaram's stand on the pre-conditions of talks are seen by security experts as the "final word" and there's no option for the Ulfa leadership but to drop the issue of sovereignty from its demand list and sit for talks.

With two top senior Ulfa leaders, "foreign secretary" Sasha Choudhury and "finance secretary" Chitrabon Hazarika in Assam Police custody, the issue of peace talks has again received a new lease of life. Apart from the PCPIA, the breakaway pro-talk faction of Ulfa s 28th battalion, who have declared unilateral truce, have also urged Chidambaram to hold early talks with Ulfa.

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Ulfa rebel confirms camps in Myanmar

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HILLONG: A hardcore Ulfa militant on Tuesday revealed that at least three camps of the banned outfit, housing over 100 rebels, are still active in Myanmar. Not only that, they have close nexus with the NSCN (K) as well, he said.

Gobin Ojha alias Kiran Jyoti Gogoi, who has been one of the key inmates in the camps having several rebels under his command, surrendered at the BSF's Assam-Meghalaya Frontier headquarters here along with a Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) militant, Arun Terong.

The duo, involved in extortion, bomb blasts, kidnapping and killings, handed over two pistols and a few rounds of ammunition before BSF IG Prithvi Raj on the occasion of the force's (Assam & Meghalaya Frontier) 45th Rising Day.

The Ulfa militant later told newspersons that about 110 rebels, including some women, belonging to the outfit's 28th battalion were living in a pathetic condition at the three camps in the jungles of Myanmar. "They don't get proper food and medicines. Life's very difficult there," Gobin said.

"Bijoy Das, the commander of Ulfa's 28th battalion, was also operating from one of those camps," he added. "The Khaplang faction of NSCN, too, has camps in the area and both the groups had a close nexus," said Gobin, a native of Assam's Sivasagar district who had joined Ulfa in 2005.

Incidentally, the Ulfa's 28th battalion had owned up to the recent attack on a train in Assam's Golaghat district. Sixteen wagons of the train, carrying high-speed diesel from Numaligarh Oil Refinery to Panki in Uttar Pradesh, were destroyed in the blast.

On the other hand, Terong, the KLNLF militant, was the bodyguard of the outfit's general secretary and was involved in two bomb blasts at the Diphu railway station and another in front of a temple, also in Diphu, Karbi Anglong, in November, 2007.

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Ulfa rebel confirms camps in Myanmar

S
HILLONG: A hardcore Ulfa militant on Tuesday revealed that at least three camps of the banned outfit, housing over 100 rebels, are still active in Myanmar. Not only that, they have close nexus with the NSCN (K) as well, he said.

Gobin Ojha alias Kiran Jyoti Gogoi, who has been one of the key inmates in the camps having several rebels under his command, surrendered at the BSF's Assam-Meghalaya Frontier headquarters here along with a Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) militant, Arun Terong.

The duo, involved in extortion, bomb blasts, kidnapping and killings, handed over two pistols and a few rounds of ammunition before BSF IG Prithvi Raj on the occasion of the force's (Assam & Meghalaya Frontier) 45th Rising Day.

The Ulfa militant later told newspersons that about 110 rebels, including some women, belonging to the outfit's 28th battalion were living in a pathetic condition at the three camps in the jungles of Myanmar. "They don't get proper food and medicines. Life's very difficult there," Gobin said.

"Bijoy Das, the commander of Ulfa's 28th battalion, was also operating from one of those camps," he added. "The Khaplang faction of NSCN, too, has camps in the area and both the groups had a close nexus," said Gobin, a native of Assam's Sivasagar district who had joined Ulfa in 2005.

Incidentally, the Ulfa's 28th battalion had owned up to the recent attack on a train in Assam's Golaghat district. Sixteen wagons of the train, carrying high-speed diesel from Numaligarh Oil Refinery to Panki in Uttar Pradesh, were destroyed in the blast.

On the other hand, Terong, the KLNLF militant, was the bodyguard of the outfit's general secretary and was involved in two bomb blasts at the Diphu railway station and another in front of a temple, also in Diphu, Karbi Anglong, in November, 2007.

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