Sambu Raiping celebrated

Source:

Imphal, March 26, 2013: The 2nd Sambu Raiping, a cultural festival cum sports meet was held from March 19 till March 23 at Zingsui in Ukhrul district.

MLA of Ukhrul AC, Samuel Risom graced the event as the chief guest.

Significantly, Samuel Risom, who is recorded as the first MLA to have visited the village despite inaccessible road, was given a rousing traditional reception by the villagers.

Headman of the village, HAS Phanitphang led the villagers in according a warm welcome to the chief guest and his team.

The MLA distributed 31 blankets to the villagers on the occasion.

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/sambu-raiping-celebrated/

Rare earths hunt goes to space

AFP

(File photo) An employee works on a machine which recycles rare earths.

The quest for rare earths vital to some of modern life’s most indispensable technologies may see mining robots jet to the stars within decades, a world-first conference in Australia was told Wednesday.

Yttrium, Lanthanum and the other 15 minerals which make up the group of elements known as rare earths are crucial to everything from wind turbines and hybrid cars to cruise missiles and the ubiquitous smartphone.

As technology advances so too does demand for the elements which, although relatively abundant, require laborious and waste-intensive processing to be freed from surrounding rock.

They are a precious commodity – so precious scientists are now looking beyond Earth’s reaches for new supplies, with moon and asteroid mining becoming a lucrative prospect, according to researchers and tech firms gathered in Sydney for the world’s first formal “Off-Earth Mining Forum”.

“It’s about joining the dots,” explained conference convenor Andrew Dempster from the Australian Centre for Space Engineering.

“I think we’ve got to the point where people are saying ‘yeah, I think we can do this’.”

A cross-section of the space and mining industry’s top minds have gathered to swap ideas about the latest advances in space and mining technology, from Rio Tinto and Sandvik to NASA and Japan’s space agency JAXA.

Rene Fradet, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory – the organisation behind the current Mars Curiosity Rover mission – believes space mining will be possible and economical within 20-30 years.

But Dempster thinks it could be quicker than that.

“Most of the technology already exists, but there needs to be a business case. It depends on making that business case.”

Like the challenges, the costs are substantial: to transport one kilogram to the moon is $ 100,000, and none of the cutting-edge completely automated technology comes cheap.

One delegate, NASA affiliate Berok Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California, has developed technology to make waterless sulphur-based cement from the loose rubble on Mars and Earth’s moon.

Matthew Dunbabin, from the Australia’s government’s science agency CSIRO, has done a large-scale simulation of using mining machinery in space and told delegates the main issue was electrical power.

Few space missions had attempted significant excavations – the sum total of all NASA’s Apollo missions had been 382 kilograms and the Mars programme had netted in the order of “grams”, Dunbabin said.

Gravity, temperatures, atmospheric pressure, radiation and the consistency of surfaces themselves all present unique problems, complicated by the fact that operations in space would have to be largely automated and remote-controlled.

Space drilling also throws up the question: who owns the moon’s resources?

SingTel Optus lawyer Donna Lawler likened it to the law of the high seas, where energy firms can mine in international waters without claiming territorial ownership.

More than 100 countries including the US have ratified the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which holds signatory nations responsible for activities in space but it is as yet untested.

It may be soon if space mining joins the moon landings in the annals of science fiction-turned-reality.

“There’s nothing really science fiction about any of this. In many ways a lot of the technology already exists, I don’t think we really have to invent much science,” said Dempster. – AFP

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/rare-earths-hunt-goes-to-space/

Myanmar team

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Imphal, March 26, 2013: A 12-member delegation from Myanmar led by the Saigang division MP and Saigang division Power Minister would visit Manipur on April 2 on a goodwill mission.

The delegates led by Myanmar MP U Khin Muang Shwe and Saigang division Power Minister U Kyaw Win would include trade representatives.

The Myanmarese delegates would study trade related matters with officials of the Government of Manipur.

They would also discuss about purchase of power from Manipur.

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/myanmar-team/

CAU students protest robbery inside hostel

Source:

Imphal, March 25, 2013: Hostellers of Central Agriculture University (CAU) Iroishemba today protested a robbery inside Girl’s Hostel campus of the university which reportedly took place last night.

The protesters today locked the entrance gate of the university and raised slogans urging the authority concerned to initiate action against the robbery.

This is the second such incident inside the girl’s hostel.

According to the students, the burglars sneaked into the hostel through the windows of the uncompleted buildings near the girl’s hostel last night.

The prompt response by the inmates of the girl hostel on the alarm raised by some students prevented the burglars from stealing things.

The students also pointed out that it was the second such incident inside the girl’s hostel.

Two mobile phones, Rs 2000 and articles of clothing were stolen on the night of March 14 last.

Contending that the burglars are taking advantages of the silence of the university authority in the previous case, the students today registered strong protest to the burglary.

The protesters raised slogans and displayed placards reading ‘Safeguard the first priority of womanhood,’ ‘Are you still waiting for a rape or murder?’ ‘We want justice,’ ‘Theft is a crime,’ etc.

The protesters locked the entrance of the university from 8.30am.Later, a team of police personnel from Lamphel PS and media persons were allowed to enter the campus wherein the campus was inspected.

A pair of chappals, abandoned by the burglars was recovered.

Meanwhile, Dean of the University, Prof N Iboton said the matter was informed to the Lamphel PS.

He also said the wall fencing of the girl’s hostel could not be completed while also admitting inadequate security.

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/cau-students-protest-robbery-inside-hostel/

KNF Nehlun bats for Kukiland

Source:

Imphal, March 25, 2013: Adhering to the ideology propounded by KNF founder president Nehlun Kipgen, KNF (Nehlun) has been striving to achieve the goals aspired by the late leader, the most important being creation of a Kukiland.

Briefing media persons at their Daitwi base camp situated along Indo-Myanmar border today, KNF-N spokesman KS Elson said that Nehlun Kipgen set up KNF on March 18, 1987 in a village near the Indo-Myanmar border.

Since then KNF has split into three/four factions thereby creating a confusing situation to the people.

Nevertheless, KNF-N has been following the ideology of Nehlun Kipgen to secure a Kukiland as desired by the late leader, stated KS Elson.

KNF-N is not an organisation set up anew.

It is camping separately as an independent organisation body so that it can strictly abide by the ideology of KNF.

KNF-N is not a party to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact, he clarified.

Asserting that KNF-N would struggle with all its might and dedication until a Kukiland is created, Elson opined that the Government of India would be compelled to listen to the demands of Kuki people if the Kuki civil society organisations act in unison.

KNF-N appreciated the initiative of Kuki State demand as the same demand was what the Nehlun Kipgen aspired for.

The outfit would cooperate with all organisations who adhere to the ideology of Nehlun Kipgen, added the spokesman.

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/knf-nehlun-bats-for-kukiland/

Nothing in reserve for SA parks

AP

Charles Tompson patrols Table Mountain National Park. South Africa needs to expand the size of its protected areas by about two and a half times. Picture: AP

Cape Town – South Africa will have to more than double the size of its network of national parks and nature reserves by 2020 if it is to meet its international biodiversity commitments – but no additional funds have been allocated to acquire more land for the next three financial years.

This emerged during a financial briefing by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs to the National Assembly’s oversight portfolio committee yesterday.

The only major budgeted increase over and above the existing three-year Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the department’s biodiversity and conservation responsibilities is R25 million a year to SA National Parks (SANParks) to combat rhino poaching.

Committee chairman Johnny de Lange instructed senior officials to draft a statement of concern that could be included in the committee’s report.

“The committee feels this is a serious problem,” he said.

David Mabunda, chief executive of SANParks, said: “We have to triple the size of the (conservation) estate as it stands, which is a really tall order.”

It was a slight exaggeration, as currently just over 7 percent of South Africa is formally protected and the international obligation is 17 percent by 2020 – meaning an increase of around two and a half times is required.

De Lange said he was particularly worried that none of the additional R225m requested by the department for “expansion of the conservation estate” had been allocated by the Treasury. SANParks’ current three-year medium term budget for parks expansion is just R51.7m.

“They’re not giving a single (extra) cent towards our international obligation – there has to be a good reason for that,” he said.

“We must indicate to the international community that we’ve frozen this (commitment) and that we’re not going to meet our targets. We can’t let it hang like this.”

The department has been given some major additional allocations for infrastructure projects, including R390m to SANParks for its indigenous forest management on the Garden Route – only R53.3m had been requested – and R70m to the iSimangaliso Wetlands Parks Authority (St Lucia) that had requested R104m.

The current medium-term allocation for the Oceans and Coasts branch has been increased substantially to include R34m for the manning and operation of the fisheries research vessel RS Algoa – taken back from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries last year – and an additional R31m for the manning and operation of the new polar research and supply vessel SA Agulhas 2.

“We can see clearly that the government is trying to spend more on infrastructure, so there are some good aspects, but less on operations and that is worrying,” De Lange said. – Cape Argus

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/nothing-in-reserve-for-sa-parks/

T-Mobile Finally Gets iPhone

T-Mobile, welcome to the iPhone club. Finally.

T-Mobile USA, the nation’s No. 4 cellphone company, will start selling Apple’s iPhone 5 April 12, and it also will offer cheaper, contract-less data plans, the carrier announced today at its “Uncarrier” event in New York City.

This makes T-Mobile the first major U.S. carrier to offer the iPhone 5 with no contract.

“If you come to T-Mobile you have signed your last contract. They are dead. Gone. No more,” T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere said.

While T-Mobile’s biggest competitors, AT&T and Verizon, require customers to lock into a two-year service contract in exchange for discounts on smartphones, T-Mobile announced it is getting rid of device discounts and service contracts to offer a “radically simplified” installment payment plan on a “full device portfolio.”

Starting April 12, the iPhone 5 will be available on its upcoming 4G LTE network for a down payment of $ 99, and then customers can pay off the rest in $ 20 monthly increments for two years. The iPhone 4 and 4S will also be available.

The data plans, which were posted on the company’s website Monday before today’s media event, start with unlimited talk and text messaging with 500 megabytes of data downloads for $ 50 per month for the first line, and increase to $ 60 a month for 2 gigabytes of data, or $ 70 a month for unlimited data usage.

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In comparison, Verizon Wireless sells the 16 GB iPhone 5 for $ 199, with a new two-year contract, and charges $ 90 per month for unlimited talk and text messaging with 1 gigabyte of data and offers 2 gigabytes for $ 100 per month. AT&T sells the iPhone 5 for the same price, with a new two-year contract, and charges around $ 90 a month for unlimited talk and text messaging with 300 megabyte of data or around $ 110 per month for 1 gigabytes of data.

T-Mobile’s new rates combined with offering the iPhone 5 at a low cost will save consumers “more than $ 1,000″ on the Apple smartphone, when compared to owning the device on AT&T’s two-year contract, Legere said.

Without a contract, T-Mobile’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert said customers who want to leave T-Mobile can do so without any further obligations other than the phone payments, which they can finish paying off or trade in the phone for a “fair market value credit.”

The monthly payments to own the phone will be separate from service fees. The new plan will also allow customers to upgrade phones when they want.

The latest models from Android photos are also coming to T-Mobile, Legere announced. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is coming to T-Mobile May 1, but no official price was announced. BlackBerry Z10 will be available nationwide today for $ 99.

The HTC One is “coming soon,” Legere said, but will also be sold for $ 99.

The best smartphones cost the additional $ 20 per month on top of your phone bill, Sievert said, while lower-end phones have smaller fees.

T-Mobile also announced it is undergoing a major “modernization” of its network. The company is adding additional bandwidth to its network — 50 percent more than AT&T, Legere said — and rolling out its new LTE network, the last of the four major carriers to do so.

“Today, T-Mobile launched its state-of-the-art 4G LTE network in seven major metropolitan areas, including Baltimore; Houston; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Phoenix; San Jose, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.,” its news release said.

via NorthEast Calling - NorthEast India | India's No1 online News Magazine http://www.necalling.com/t-mobile-finally-gets-iphone/