GUWAHATI, Dec 26— Assam government today took strong exception to the statement made by Union Minister for Department of Development of North eastern Region (DONER) Arun Shourie that the Centre would consider the request for a ‘special development package’ for North East provided peace was restored in the region. The statement made by Shourie here yesterday has evoked sharp reaction from the Assam government. Minister of State for Planning and Development Himanta Biswa Sharma who claimed to be speaking on behalf of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, today informed that the State government would dash...

GUWAHATI, Dec 26 – The security forces are still in the dark about the identity of the miscreants involved in the mortar attacks in the city last evening, which killed two persons and injured 19 others including former member of Parliament Prabin Sarma. The Director General of Assam Police has announced a reward of Rs one lakh to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the miscreants involved in the attacks. Superintendent of City Police Hiren Nath told The Assam Tribune this evening that the needle of suspicion points towards the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)...

Imphal, December 26: Continuing its drive against corrupt elements and to cleanse education department of all ills, the proscribed Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) said six persons - including Education (S) Minister Dr Maniruddin Sheikh – charged of indulging in corruption will be given death sentence. While five are currently under the custody of the outfit the Minister will soon be given the same treatment, contended a press statement of secretary, publicity and research, Langamba Mangang. Five others who will be given the death penalty on December 31 are Khwairakpam Raghumani (45) s/o (L) Kh...

New Delhi, Dec. 26: Angry at being left out of the ongoing peace process, the NSCN (Khaplang) has questioned the importance of its rival, the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), and the Naga Hoho in the context of the Naga movement.

“Let the world and the Naga Hoho know that it was not Isak Chisi Swu (alone) who formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland. It was formed by Swu and S.S. Khaplang. What Th. Muivah formed was an organisation called Nagalim, to which the Nagas never accorded recognition,” states a booklet published by the “Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland”, which is the...

Guwahati, Dec. 25: The Orang National Park authorities have successfully tackled the poaching menace with not a single rhino falling prey to poachers over the past one-and-a-half years.

Officials said the park, which had lost about 50 per cent of its rhino population between 1994 and 1999, has been more successful in guarding its inmates than its famed counterpart in Kaziranga.

The rhino population in the park had gone down to 50 from nearly 100 between 1994 and 1999, triggering alarm among the forest officials. The 1999 census had put the rhino population of Orang at 46.

Chief wildlife...