O’Brien all set to grill students

By Our Correspondent GUWAHATI, July 12 – The wait is over and ace quizmaster Barry O’Brien is all set to taste the intellect of the students in the much-awaited third edition of the NEDFi Brain Jam Open Quiz 2008 to be held tomorrow in Pragjyoti ITA Machkhowa from 3 pm onwards. Interacting with the media persons here today at the Guwahati Press Club, Barry said, “ I always look forward to coming to Guwahati and this time too I am equally excited.” “There would certainly be change in the format and things like buzzer round would be added for the first time,” he informed.When asked, Barry said, “Though the general awareness of the people in the North East is on the rise, however, there is still scope of improvement.”He insisted on the need for hosting more and more quiz competitions in the State to develop a sense of inquisitiveness in the minds of the young and old alike.“Combination of life skills, general knowledge and general awareness is what can develop the overall personality of the people. In this regard, the role of education system and the family environment is immense,” he pointed out.NEDFi Brain Jam Open Quiz 2008 is being organised and co-ordinated by Priya Communication.The ace quizmaster today further divulged that he is seriously considering opening up learning centres in Guwahati and other parts of the North East, which would help in developing an individual’s personality. “May be in another 12 months time, I would have more to share with you about my plan to open the learning centres in Guwahati,” he asserted.On his love for Assam, Barry said, “ If ever I leave Kolkota and had to find a new place to live in, it would be either Pune or Guwahati.”“The preliminary round of the quiz competition will qualify six teams for the final rounds with two participants in each team. The winning team will win a package trip to Thailand. The total budget for the prizes is estimated at Rs 2.5 lakh,” informed Anoop Khanna of Priya Communications. source: assam tribune

Show cause notice issued to BRM Law College

Show cause notice issued to BRM Law College

By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, June 28 – The Bar Council of India has served a show cause notice on the Bishnu Ram Medhi Government Law College here to state as to why the approval of affiliation accorded to it by the Council should not be withdrawn. The Council has restrained the Law College from admitting students with effect from the 2008-09 academic session unless some conditions concerning basic infrastructure are met by it. The Council has also served a similar notice on Gauhati University to show cause as to why the degree of law conferred by it should not be de-recognised for the University’s granting affiliation to the college, which has failed to meet the minimum requirements. As per the Bar Council of India Act, the approval of the Council is mandatory for a law college. Without this approval, nobody is allowed to pursue legal practice in any court of the country. source: assam tribune

Over 8,500 killed, 900 students buried as powerful quake hits China

Over 8,500 people were killed and nearly 900 students were reported to be buried in one of China's strongest earthquakes in decades that struck the country's southwest Sichuan province on Monday.

Described as a 'disaster' by premier Wen Jiabao, the tremor measuring 7.8 of the Richter scale injured thousands in the mountainous province even as the shock waves rattled Chinese cities and caused casualties in Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces and Chongqing municipality.
Chinese state media said that 8,500 people had died in Beichuan county in Sichuan province from the massive quake.

It said another 10,000 people were believed hurt in the same county in the devastating tremor.
Nearly 900 students were feared buried after a high school building collapsed in Dujiangyan City, about 100 kms from the earthquakes epicentre of Wenchuan County in Sichuan province, official Xinhua news agency said. It gave no other immediate details.

The quake jolted vast swathe of China sending waves of panic as thousands of people came out of high rise buildings and poured into the streets in cities including Beijing and Chinas economic hub Shanghai, where China's tallest building Jinamo tower was also evacuated. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.

The quake was also felt as far as in Bangkok, capital of Thailand and Hanoi in Vietnam.
Troops were rushed to the affected areas for disaster relief work, while President Hu Jintao ordered 'all out efforts' to help the victims.
China previously reported an earthquake of similar magnitude on July 28, 1976 in Tangshan city near Beijing in which over two lakh people were killed.

"My fellow Chinese, facing such a severe disaster, we need calm, confidence, courage and efficient organisation," Premier Wen Jiabao said as he flew to the disaster-struck area to oversee relief work.

Telecom networks in Chengdu, Chongqing and Zhengzhou cities were paralysed after the quake. In Chengdu, cracks were seen some buildings, Xinhua said
The quake that jolted eastern Beijing measured 3.9 on the Richter scale.
Lisa Wang, an office worker in Oriental Plaza in downtown Beijing, said the whole building was evacuated after the tremor.

Officials said 80 per cent of the buildings toppled in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu, 146 kms from Wenchuan County, the epicentre of the killer quake.
"My colleagues, more than 50 people, rushed downstairs from the sixth floor into the plaza in front of the building. A large number of people, other office workers, were already there and more people poured out," she said.

She said hundreds of people stayed outside for about 15 minutes before returning to their offices. Similar experiences were reported by others, some saying they even felt dizzy.
Before the strong earthquake struck, the Sichuan provincial seismological bureau detected a moderate quake measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale in Mianzhu city of Deyang, Xihnua said.
Monday's quake was the strongest to hit Sichuan province in more than 30 years. Overall, 44 aftershocks had been reported, the strongest one measuring 5.6, it said.

Chinese Air Force has sent helicopters to assist in relief work in the quake stricken areas, while the State Seismological Bureau is also dispatching a team to gauge the situation.
Image: Rescuers search in the rubble of the collapsed Juyuan middle school in China's Sichuan province after the devastating earthquake on Monday.
Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/may/12china.htm