Expressing concern over the Pakistan government’s indirect threats to a Pakistani scribe for his recent media reports in the acclaimed newspaper Dawn, the Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) urged the Islamabad based government to show respect to the media. The northeast India based scribes’ forum argues that the Nawaz Sharif government should not act against Cyril Almeida with personal vendetta, who showed his commitment in reporting the ongoing rift between the civilian government and the military in the backdrop of Indo-Pak conflict.
“I am told and have been informed and have been shown evidence that I am on the Exit Control List,” twitted Almeida recently. Dawn’s senior scribe however reiterated that he loves his country very much. The exclusive report was published a week after the Indian armed forces conducted a surgical strike on terrorist camps inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Carried out on 29 September, the unique strike was in revenge against the 18 September terror attack in Uri of J&K by the Pakistan based militants killing 19 Indian soldiers.
Later the Pakistan government issued a statement claiming the news report ‘was clearly violative of universally acknowledged principles of reporting on national security issues and has risked the vital state interests through inclusion of inaccurate and misleading contents’. Prior to it, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had an exhausted discussion with the country’s army chief General Raheel Sharif, ISI chief Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar, interior minister Nisar Ali Khan and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The JFA pointed out that the Pakistan government should admit respect Almeida’s right to report in the recognized media outlets and also urged both New Delhi and Islamabad regimes to deal with the situation affectively to prevent further escalating the violence in the border areas.
New Delhi, March 1: Concerns have been raised over the national HPV vaccination campaign launched on February 28, 2026, with a citizen questioning its scientific basis, operational preparedness, and public health prioritisation.
In a public statement, Donthi N. Reddy said that not a single state has published baseline data on cervical cancer incidence or HPV prevalence prior to the rollout. Without such baseline indicators, he argued, outcomes cannot be measured, and without measurable outcomes, the reported annual expenditure of ₹1,300 crore cannot be properly evaluated.
The campaign involves administration of the HPV vaccine Gardasil-4 to 14-year-old girls across the country, aiming...
North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, participated in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) from 24–27 February, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of NEADS, represented the organisation at the Forum. He also participated in his capacity as the Constituency Focal Point for People Affected by Conflicts and Disasters and as a Regional Coordinating Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM).
During...
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday submitted a detailed “Chargesheet 2026” against the BJP-led Assam government, symbolically placing it before what it termed the “People’s Court of Assam.” The chargesheet targets the government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, covering the period from May 10, 2021 to February 18, 2026.
In a press briefing in Guwahati, APCC leaders alleged large-scale corruption, economic mismanagement, constitutional violations, and failure to protect the rights of indigenous communities. The document lists 20 major charges, including the alleged operation of a “syndicate raj,” accumulation of illegal wealth, rising public debt, and...
Shillong, February 16, 2026: The death toll in the devastating explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills has risen to 33, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma confirmed on Monday during a suo-motu statement in the State Assembly.
The tragedy occurred on the morning of February 5 in the remote Mynsngat-Thangsko area, where an illegal “rat-hole” coal mine reportedly exploded, allegedly due to the unauthorized use of explosives inside narrow underground tunnels. The incident has triggered widespread outrage and prompted the state government to constitute a high-level Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
Initial rescue operations carried out by the NDRF, SDRF and...
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday launched a sharp counter-offensive against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling the much-hyped SIT report a “super flop” and accusing the CM of staging six months of political drama to divert attention from land and corruption allegations.
Addressing a packed press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, Gogoi said the Chief Minister had kept the SIT report for six months, only to unveil it through a “manufactured spectacle” involving national media, which ultimately failed to produce a single piece of evidence against him. “He swung a mace in the air, but there was nothing in his hands,” Gogoi said.
Flanked by MPs...
A multi-crore dairy project at Sanbasa in Nazira has collapsed amid serious allegations of financial irregularities and internal mismanagement, dealing a severe blow to rural livelihoods in the area.
The Sundarpukhuri Dairy Cooperative Society, formed by local farmers under the initiative of Dr. Jagadish Barman, once served as a crucial source of income for over 245 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The cooperative reportedly contributed nearly ₹1 crore annually to the local rural economy.
As part of its expansion, the cooperative launched its own marketing network under the brand name “Kareng” and set up a milk pasteurization plant at Sanbasa village. However, internal disputes...
Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a recent press conference, dismissing it as “worse than a C-grade cinema” and accusing the Chief Minister of making baseless and sensational claims.
The Chief Minister, however, maintained that the allegations involving Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and Elizabeth Gogoi—wife of Gaurav Gogoi—were serious in nature and should not be treated lightly.
Addressing the media, CM Sarma said the matter assumed greater significance as it involved a sitting Member of Parliament. “These are grave allegations. When a sitting MP, who...
Handique Girls’ College will confer the 3rd Rajabala Das National Award on noted author and senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, President of the Press Club of India, in recognition of her significant contributions to society and journalism. The award will be presented on March 8, 2026, at a special function to be held on the college campus.
On the occasion, the Rajabala Das Memorial Annual Lecture will be delivered by eminent journalist and thinker Prasanta Rajguru, Editor-in-Chief of Prag News.
Instituted in 2024, the Rajabala Das National Award is conferred annually on a personality of national stature who has made outstanding contributions to society. The award includes a...
Guwahati, 4 February: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday held a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, during which party leaders made a series of allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and launched an online platform to collect information related to their claims.
The press conference was attended by former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress election observer Bhupesh Baghel, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge of Assam Jitendra Singh, APCC President Gaurav Gogoi, and other senior party leaders. During the event, a video titled “Who Is Himanta Biswa Sarma?” was released, followed by the launch of a QR-code-enabled template...
Guwahati, January 24: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday mounted a blistering attack on the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government, branding it a regime of “vote thieves, land thieves, cattle thieves and water thieves,” while addressing a massive public rally at Hatikholia Ground, Moranjana, near Rangia.
Addressing nearly 20,000 supporters, Gogoi raised what he termed the central political question before the people of Assam—“Who is Himanta Biswa Sarma?”—and said the Congress must now directly reach out to the masses. He called for the immediate formation of small outreach teams comprising youth and women to go door-to-door and explain the...
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