16 injured in Tinsukia blast

A journalists meet at Guwahati Press Club today insists on providing space for the accused journalist Mukul Pathak, who was arrested by the CBI officials few days back (with the ex-Education minister of Assam, Ripun Borah accusing them to offer bribe to an investigative office), to clarify his stand at the earliest.Organized by Journalists' Action Committee, Assam and the NFNE, the meeting also emphasized on providing the basic minimum salary and facilities to the working journalists of the state. Various speakers at the meeting, which was presided over by Keshab Kalita, also expressed anger at the pitiful condition of the media persons, where 60% of them are compelled to work without the...

Thousands of people are thronging atop the Nilachal hill to attend the grand Ambubachi, the name of an event that begins on Sunday at the historic Kamakhya temple premises.The temple belonging to the 16th century and the most important of the 51 Hindu `piths' in India, will be remaining closed for three days. Hundreds of sadhus, sants and sanyasins from across the country and abroad are arriving for the tantric 'Ambubasi Mela'.During the three days no religious rite will be performed in the temple with a beehive-shaped shikhara built by Koch dynasty king Chilarai in 1565, and priests and devotees will wear red clothes and offer garments of the same hue to Goddess Kamakhya.Religious belief...

A top leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom who was languishing in bail has been released on bail by a district court on Sunday. But minutes after he was taken away by some unidentified associates.According to information, the former self-styled commandant of ULFA's 28th battalion, was released on bail and the rebel leader stepped out of the prison cell in Dibrugarh in eastern Assam on Saturday evening.He was arrested from a hotel in Siliguri in West Bengal in May 2006 and was charged on 15 counts in cases ranging from murder to kidnapping and extortion. Earlier, he got bail in 14 other cases and a Tinsukia court Saturday granted his bail plea for the last case.The release has led...

Rice is the staple food for majority of the population in India. It contributes 65% of the total food grain production of the country. With the food crisis and inflation wreaking havoc to the most under-served communities in India, researchers are looking for methods of increasing the rice production. Also the growing population and changing food habits are further making it critical to up the rice yield. System of rice intensification (SRI) technology has immense potential of increasing the rice yield. This method of rice cultivation has become popular in many Indian states. However, still there are several states lacking with even the basic awareness of SRI technique. Needless to say...