Finally they declare it !

Yes...they have declared it. It is official now. Abhisek Bachchan has propsed Aishwariya Rai right after the Guru premiere. They are now officially engaged. This must be one news the whole nation was waiting for.

The Banaras visit a mont back had sent the media and the junta into a tizzy speculating a marriage. They didnt mayy then but something surely happened.

The US has said it - al Qaeda leader are in Pakistan

al-Qaeda's leaders hiding in in Pakistan trying to get their basics right the U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said yesterday.

This is an unusually direct statement from the US who has always maintained that the terrorists are holed up somewhere in the Pakisstan-Afghanistan border.

The al Qaeda is accused of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people in 2001.

Reports from the Agencies

No to ULFA

95 per cent people said ‘NO’ to ULFA claim of sovereignty of Assam in a recent survey.

The survey conducted in 9 districts of the state was undertaken APW - by an organization run by kins of ULFA militants. The districts included in the survey are Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Goalpara, Guwahati (metro), Dhubri, Darrang, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Nalbari. The survey will be extended to other districts of the state soon.

ULFA chairman Arabindo Rajkhowa has however rejected the survey and described the APW as a body "comprising agents of RAW and IB (that) functioned at the behest of the Indian machinery".

ULFA's insistence on making sovereignty the core issue for any talks with the government is one of the reasons that have stalled the peace process in Assam. The Centre has already rejected the demand.

Interestingly, the banned outfit stepped up its activities around the same time the result of the survey was declared. 17 people were killed in a series of attacks across the state. It is alleged the ULFA is behind the attacks.

Power Cut!

Despite the state facing an acute shortage our politicians are still shying away from bold decisions that are needed to counter it. Like the previous leaders, Chief Minister Kumaraswami and Deputy Chief Minister Yeddiruppa also have not done anything tosolve this problem.
They are not denying power shortage however. They admit that the need of the state is 140 million units per day against the current production of 115 million units. Buying power from our neighbouring states at Rs 250 crore per month is deemed too costly an option which leaves with just one option – the tried and tested load shedding. But this could be an even bitter option as it might cost them popularity especially among the farmers. And the local body elections are round the corner. Hence rather than an attempt to solve the problem, escapism seems to be the mantra. At least till the elections are over.

Ceasefire against DMD extended

The four-year old cease fire with the. Dima Halam Daogah has been extended by another year.
“The suspension of operations agreement between the security forces and Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), a militant outfit operating in Assam, has been extended for a period of one year up to December 31, 2007," said a home ministry release
DHD primarily comprises Dimasa tribe, a dominant population in North Cachar (NC) Hills district, while Karbis are in majority in the adjoining Karbi-Anglong district. Both the districts have a sizeable presence of other tribes like Kukis, Hamars and Khasis

Ramdev’s cure for cancer

Controversy is the food for Ramday, and he continues to strive on it when he claimed Yoga can cure cancer.
Ramdev on Monday claimed that regular practice of seven breathing exercises or 'pranayams' had successfully cured cancer within six to nine months. “Cancer of the breast, liver, prostate, uterus, pituitary gland, brain tumours and even leukaemia, can be cured by practising the seven breathing exercises," he claimed.
He said his claims were based on documentation and hundreds of patients have benefited, He also prescribed some medicines "Some other ingredients like wheat grass juice and those derived from neem and tulsi leaves are also administered to patients alongside the breathing exercises." Said Ramdev.
Lending his belif to allopathy he said it and was needed in emergencies, but they should come only after Yoga, which has proven benefits. "Otherwise, the health department should be renamed as allopathy department and the health minister as allopathy minister," said Ramdev in humour.
Denying his intentions of creating controversy he said,"I have no intention to get into any controversy. I am doing my job.” And also that it didn’t bother what people thought of him. Also in a press conference the yoga guru said he would have nothing to do with politics.