December 17th, 2015

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ThursDAY • December 17 • 2015

DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 343 • 12 PAGes • 4

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ESTD. 2005

For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change Myanmar: Chinese jade miners in overdrive ahead of new govt PAGE 09

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— Ingrid Bengis

Jubilee should be a stepping stone: Tovihoto

SC gives green signal for Premier Badminton League

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VOICE OUT fOr rITIka MEhTa

DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): Mounting pressure on the law enforcing agencies to act swiftly in identifying and arresting those involved in the killing of businesswoman Ritika Mehta in the heart of Dimapur on December 14, more organizations demanded justice while condemning the murder on Wednesday.

Late Ritika, who was the proprietor of Apna Hotel located at Nyamo Lotha was shot dead point blank by unidentified gunmen. She later succumbed to her injury in a hospital.

Nagaland Governor PB Acharya while expressing deep concern requested the State government to take strict steps to arrest the culprits immediately.

It instructed the Nagaland State government to ensure safety and security to the citizens of the State, which, Acharya pointed out, is the responsibility of any elected Government. The Nagaland government should also sanction necessary compensation to the victim’s family, the Governor added.

The Governor also expressed apprehension that this type of violence and killings will harm the prosperity and development of the State. He also appealed all business people to show restrain and be peaceful.

Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) on the other hand said a precious life could have been saved had the law enforcing agencies took to their task seriously.

Not happy with the way investigation on the case was being carried out by the law enforcing agencies, NCD pointed out that assassination bid on late Ritika was also made on

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

We came from the village to watch the...no, no, not the concert. We came to watch the wedding!

Govt advisory to social media, press community DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The Home Department has issued advisory to the administrators of social media/blogs and the press community not to issue unconfirmed information pertaining to law and order at Shamator town and also provocative statement made by Tikhirs and Yimchungrus which is likely to escalate the situation.

• Take strict steps to arrest the culprits immediately: Governor • Police did not deal with the case seriously: NCD • Killing unacceptable to all women in the State: NMA

November 13 but despite the seriousness of the situation and danger on her life, law enforcing agencies failed miserably to nab the culprit.

Had the case been dealt seriously at that time a precious life could have been saved, it maintained. It therefore asked the law enforcing bodies to leave no stone unturned in arresting the culprit at the earliest and bring justice to the bereaved family.

Naga Mothers Association (NMA) termed it unacceptable to all the women in the State that armed violence was committed on a mother, when the fortnight commemoration of violence against women was just recently observed.

“In a Christian state where we profess the ideals of Christianity, this dastardly act has become another shameful blot in our history.

The NMA along with different women organizations, including the Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, demands justice and immediate arrest of the culprits and severest punishment as per the law,” the NMA press statement read.

It stated that gun culture and random killings cannot be a way of life anymore, nor killings be condoned. Drawing the attention of the top leaders of the State and the law enforcing agencies, including the District administration, it has demanded a free fair, unbiased investigation into the unwarranted death of this “strong woman who stood up bravely for her rights.”

While expressing anguish and outrage, the Dimapur Naga Student Union (DNSU) condemned the savagery of the assailants and urged the law enforcing agencies to act swiftly to ensure that crimes like this are nev-

er repeated. “The killing was reprehensible and we hope that the criminals who did this sickening act are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the DNSU stated.

Kohima Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) said such anti-social activities and elements disturbing the law and order situation were extremely reprobative in the society.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Nagaland State Unit said killing of innocents would not bring any solution but rather divide the peace among the Naga society.

The party has urged the law enforcing agency to book the culprits as per the law of the land without further delay.

Former Miss Nagaland 2012 and Reigning Miss World Beauty India, Imlibenla Wati said it is heartbreaking to see the state of present Naga society where one human do not hesitate to commit heinous crimes and inflict unspeakable pain and suffering upon another human being, even to the extent of taking life in cold blood.

It is all the more painful knowing the fact that we live in a state where majority of us are Christians, she added. “As a concerned citizen, I implore upon every right thinking citizen to voice out and condemn such inhuman crimes such as the murder of a businesswoman in Dimapur recently and every other crime that is plaguing our society,” Imlibenla appealed in a press note.

Chumukedima Chamber of Trade and Commerce Association (CCTCA) appealed to the law enforcing agencies to apprehend the miscreants and award exemplary punishments at the earliest.

Crimes involving juveniles Traffic regulations for up by over 50% in 9 years Dimapur Night Carnival NEW DElhI, DECEMBER 16 (AGENCIES): Cases of cognizable crimes involving juveniles have jumped by 50.6% between 2005 and 2014; the government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

"As per data collected from states and Union territories, an increase of 50.6% -from 25,601 cases in 2005 to 38,586 cases in 2014 - in cases under total cognisable crimes registered against juvenile in conflict with law, was reported," minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in reply to a written question.

The cases registered were both under IPC and Special and Local Laws.

The issue of crime by juveniles is mainly dealt through Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 which provides for reformative care in case of children or juvenile in conflict with law, said Chaudhary.

According to NCRB data for the year 2014, the share of IPC crimes registered against juveniles in total IPC crimes has risen from 1% in 2005 to 1.2% in 2014. The major crime-heads against juveniles during 2014 were theft (20%), rape (5.9%), grievous hurt (4.7%) and assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty (4.7%).

A look at state/UT-wise figures of crimes against juveniles shows Madhya Pradesh at the top of the table last year, followed by Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan and Delhi.

As many as 48,230 juveniles were apprehended across the country in 2014, of which 1,592 were girls. This marks a 10.9% rise over the number of juveniles apprehended in 2013.

Around 52.9% of the juveniles apprehended last year were either illiterate (10,530) or educated up to primary level (15,004).

DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): In view of the Dimapur Night Carnival to be held from December 17 to 20 at the Naga Shopping Arcade, Dimapur Traffic Police has issued several traffic regulations.

A press note from the Dimapur Police informed that vehicles shall be parked only in the following allotted areas: bus counter area behind Town Hall; meat vendor stall area behind Super Market; and Essar Petrol Pump near Walford Junction. The parking and security of the vehicles will be looked after by the Dimapur Naga Students Union (DNSU) and for which a nominal Parking fee will be levied.

The premise of the Town Hall is reserved as parking area for the officials of the Carnival, it stated. Police further said that only single parking will be allowed along the road side opposite the Naga Shopping Arcade from Nagarjan Junction to Walford Junction. Vehicle owners/drivers shall be responsible for its safety and are advised to keep it under attendance at all times, informed the police.

Police further cautioned that vehicles parked in ‘NO PARKING ZONES’ will be towed away and the owner of such vehicles shall be ticketed as per law.

The mentioned traffic regulations will be in effect from 4:00pm to 10:00pm during the carnival period.

Congress trying to politicize December 14 incident: Patton

Nagaland Home Minister Y Patton on Wednesday termed it unfortunate that the Congress in Nagaland was trying to politicize the incident of December 14 wherein businesswoman Ritika Mehta was shot dead by unidentified gunmen. He further condemned the killing.

In a statement to the media, Patton said Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has dragged his name by holding him and the Dimapur police personnel accountable over the unfortunate incident.

The home minister maintained that the Congress seem not aware that the Dimapur City Commissioner had provided security to the victim ever since the first incident occurred.

“We should know that crime is a crime, and in fact, Dimapur police have done their best to contain various crimes, and the crime rate has actually come down drastically,” Patton asserted.

While reiterating that the violence can never be the means to bring peace and solution, Patton informed that the State police have been directed to nab the culprits responsible for the crimes.

It is the strong commitment of the State government that, under any circumstances, it will leave no stone unturned to see that peace and tranquility is not disturbed in and around Dimapur city in particular and the State in general, the home minister maintained.

School Education Dept asked to pursue GoI for SSA salaries

KohIMA, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The Department of School Education has been requested by the Finance Department, Budget and Monitoring Cell, Government of Nagaland to “pursue sanctions” from the Government of India in respect of salaries for SSA employees for December onwards.

“Since the State Government is facing resource constraints, it will not be possible to grant further advances beyond the month of November 2015,” stated Y. Kikheto Sema (IAS), Secretary to the GovSI. No. 1 2 3 4 5

ernment of Nagaland, in a letter to the Commissioner & Secretary to the School Education Department.

Updating the School Education Department on the status of payment of SSA salary for the months of March-November 2015, Kikheto Sema noted that salary for employees under flagship programs such as SSA, RMSA etc. are released “only when funds are received from the GoI.” He also produced a detailed break up (see box) “Against the receipt of General grants from the GoI on 08.12.2015, which

is basically for payment of salaries amounting to Rs. 3127.07 Lakh.”

He informed that there is a balance amount of Rs. 339.51 Lakh under General Grant i.e. for salary.

“However, since the average monthly salary requirement is about Rs. 800.00 Lakh, this balance amount is insufficient to cover even one month salary requirement for SSA employees,” stated the Secretary. In lieu of this, the School Education Department has been requested to pursue sanctions from the GoI for salaries from December onwards.

Item Amount (Rs. in lakhs) Amount released by GoI on 08.12.2015 3127.07 Less, amount earlier released as advance salary 398.19 Balance available (1-2) 2728.88 Authenticated for September to 2389.37 November 2015 on 11.12.2015 Net Balance (3-4) 339.51

Salvation is free: Pope Revolutionary app to record Chopper service in NER falls under MHA subsidy warns against fraudsters the causes of death globally C M Y K

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NEW DElhI, DECEMBER 16 (PIB): Helicopter services in operation within the States of North East are under a subsidy scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Helicopter services are in operation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Under this scheme, cost of operation after deducting recovery from passengers, is shared in the ratio of 75:25 between MHA and the North Eastern States, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr Jitendra Singh in Lok Sabha informed today in a written reply. Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd (PHHL), a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is the major service provider in the North Eastern States.

VATICAN CITY, DECEMBER 16 (REUTERS): Pope Francis on Wednesday warned Catholics against fraudsters who would have them pay to pass through "Holy Doors" at cathedrals around the world, a ritual in the Church's current Jubilee year. "Be careful. Beware anyone who might be a little fast and very clever who tells you have to pay. No! You don't pay for salvation. It is free," he said in unscripted remarks to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for weekly audience.

During the year-long celebrations that began last week and are one of the most important events in the 1.2 billion-member Church, the faithful will make pilgrimages to Rome and other religious sites around the world, mostly local cathedrals. By passing through a holy door of a church, which remains closed except during a Holy

Pope Francis receives a cake as he arrives to lead the weekly audience in Saint Peter’s square at the Vatican December 16. (Reuters Photo)

Year, Catholics symbolically pass from sin to grace.

Holy Years usually take place only every 25 years and the next one was due in 2025. But the pope, who wants a more inclusive and less judgmental Church, called an extraordinary one on the theme of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. To underscore that the Church should show additional concern for the poor this year, he

has taken the tradition beyond houses of worship and will open a symbolic "holy door" at a Rome homeless shelter on Friday.

Rome has already seen some Holy Year fraud.

This week Italian police confiscated 3,500 counterfeit parchments bearing purported blessings by the pope and were being sold to pilgrims coming to Rome for the Holy Year.

MElBoURNE, DECEMBER 16 (IANS): A team of researchers has developed a revolutionary new app to capture accurate global cause of death data on tablets and mobile phones at a time when two in three deaths - 35 million each year - are unregistered worldwide, including in India.

Around 180 countries that are home to 80 percent of the world's population do not collect reliable cause of death statistics.

“Without the accurate cause of death information, we cannot monitor disease and injury trends, we can't keep track of emerging health problems and we don't have any markers to show us whether programs and policies are actually working,” said professor Alan Lopez from University of Melbourne.

To develop the app, the

research team redesigned a short “verbal autopsy” questionnaire and tested it in India, the Philippines, Mexico and Tanzania. The app was then field-tested in China, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea.

Family members of the deceased were given surveys in hand-held devices.

A computer then analysed the data to make a diagnosis, bypassing the need to rely on doctors to do this work.

The method involves data collection by health workers, registrars and village officials who use the app to administer the surveys.

“The data is fed into a computer, which makes a diagnosis. It requires very minimal training. This way doctors are free to do what they do best, which is providing essential medical care to their communities,”

the authors noted.

Computers can reliably provide a diagnosis by linking symptoms with a specific cause of death in realtime.

The instant provision of information overcomes what can be a 10-year lag between the death and the doctor's report.

“So if you live in a country where no-one is dying from malaria, then why are you pouring money into malaria-prevention programmes? And conversely, if people are dying from lung cancer, why aren't you investing in tobacco control?” professor Lopez asked.

Verbal autopsy research has shown that computer models are just as accurate as physicians in making diagnoses based on verbal autopsy data, at a fraction of the cost.

The app is the result of

a decade-long global collaboration led by the University of Melbourne and researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington.

“In countries with scarce data on causes of death, policymakers need this information to better understand local disease burden and effectively allocate resources,” added IHME director Dr Christopher Murray.

Up-to-date, reliable information on what people are dying from and at what age, is really important for policies to prevent premature death.

“Our app provides a way to do this, quickly, simply, cheaply and effectively, in real time, with the power of technology, professor Lopez concluded in a new paper published in the journal BMC Medicine.

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ThursDAY 17•12•2015

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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Jubilee should be a stepping stone: Tovihoto Morung Express News Dimapur | December 16

Formerly known as Dhansiri Valley Area Council, the Walford Area Council celebrated its Silver Jubilee at a glittering programme held at Bethesda Higher Secondary School, Dimapur on Wednesday with MLA and Chairman, NIDC Ltd, Tovihoto Ayemi as the chief guest.

Speaking at the programme, Tovihoto said that the attainment of 25 years of existence should be taken as a stepping stone to achieve further milestones and make positive progress for the people. “While reminiscing the glorious past with such celebration, it should also be a celebration for hope and aspiration to usher in a new era of prosperity,” Tovihoto said.

He was appreciative of

Students of Bethesda Higher Secondary School perform a jubilee opening act during the programme. (Morung photo)

the unity of several tribes and communities residing in the Walford Area for coming together to commemorate the occasion.

He said that bringing effective changes to the area depended on the unity of the leaders and the residents as well and encouraged them to continue liv-

ing in harmony.

“We should also not forget the pioneers of the council but remember them with gratitude,” Tovihoto said.

Secretary of Walford Area Council, Vetsosa-o Nyekha presented a brief history of the council. He said that the area consisted of five sectors

with six GBs and a total population of 6720.

During the programme, Rev Moses Murry, Advisor, Walford Area Council released the jubilee souvenir.

Prior to the jubilee function, Tovihoto unveiled jubilee monolith in the premises of Walford Area Council Hall.

MLA and Chairman, NIDC Ltd, Tovihoto Ayemi being felicitated during the programme on Wednesday in Dimapur. (Morung photo)

Kohima DPDB holds last meeting for 2015 KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): The last Kohima District Planning and Development Board meeting for the year 2015 was held at DPDB Conference Hall on December 15. The Meeting was presided by the vice Chairman DPDB and Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Rovilatuo Mor IAS. The Board reviewed the last meeting minutes and deliberated on the following agenda: - Renewal of Societies and New Registration of Societies. On the agenda for Renewal of Societies, the Board decided to approve the following existing Societies: Association for development Society at Lower Chandmari, Kohima; East Zone Sports & Games Development Association at Middle Chandmari, Kohima; Vimhazo Multipurpose Societies at Poterlane (Dzvuru) Kohima; Goodwill Societies

at Poterlane (Dzuvuru) Kohima; Youth Mission at Keyake (Seikhazou)Kohima; Christ King Church Society at P. Khel Kohima village; Tongpu Society at Lower Agri colony; Empowering Youth Association at Kohima Village; Liberty Club at Lerie colony, Kohima; Emmous Salesion Noritrat; Don Bosco Educated Society; Excel Computer Centre.

The Board also decided that the existing societies should renew their registration in three months ahead of the expiry of its registration. On the agenda of New Registration of Societies, the Board decided to approve the following applicants on condition to fulfill all the necessary requirements filled by the applicants and verified by the verifying officers and to forward it for necessary action.

The new Registration

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of societies included Nagaland Baptist Church Council School Society at Bayavu Hill Kohima; Baptist High Kohima Society at Mission Compound, Kohima; Suna Service Society at Kitsubozou, Kohima; Solidarity Women Self Help Group at Lower Chandmari, Kohima; Dzevi Society at Thizama Village; Aor Telongjem Welfare Society, New Capital Complex. The Board further deliberated on the issue and decided that the concerned screening Committee should sit once in two months for new registration of societies for verification and scrutiny process.The vice Chairman DPDB and DC Kohima reiterated on the presentation of departmental activities for the year 2016 and requested all the DPDB members to be prepared for presentation of its departmental activities in the DPDB meetings.

Muga Krishi Vigyan Mela held in Mkg Kids Carnival dish out fun and entertainment

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MOKOKCHUNG, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): Coinciding with 125 years Jubilee celebration of Mokokchung town, a ‘Muga Krishi Vigyan Mela’ was held on December 2015 at District Sericulture Office, Mokokchung which was jointly organized by MSSO, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, and Department of Sericulture.

During the inaugural function the chief guest Sushil Kumar Patel, Deputy Commissioner, Mokokchung exhorted the farmers in the line of value addition activities to uplift the farmer economy. He also said that Muga silk, which

is found only in the North East region has vast potential to put this district in the map of Muga silk production.

Imtisosang, Addl. Director of Sericulture, Nagaland delivered his speech on enriched and fertile soil found in our state and encouraged the farmers to utilize the soil honestly.

This was followed by distribution of rearing appliances to adopted seed rearers

by Central silk board.

The technical session was led by Dr. B.K. Singh, Scientist-D and Head, MSSO, CSB, Guwahati and trained the farmers on latest packages of production

technology on Muga-culture.

Alemkumzuk, District Sericulture Officer highlighted the farmers on MNREGA convergence programme. He stated that in any land based agriculture activity, the man days cost shall be provided only through their job cards, as the Central Govt. has clearly mentioned in the operational guidelines. Therefore, unless farmers know this benefit of job cards, the farmers would be deprived from availing their man days cost. Altogether 172 farmers attended the programme.

Morung Express News Mokokchung | December 16

In commemoration of the quasquocentennial celebration of Mokokchung Town, the Fab Affairs under the aegis of the Mokokchung District Art and Culture Council organized a kids carnival for the first time in Mokokchung at P. Shilu Park. The organizers quote that it is the “cheapest fest delivering the best”.

The main purpose of the carnival is for the kids to enjoy and to make them happy and not for profit. One of the favourite among the kids is the presence of Mickey Mouse, another first of a kind in Mokokchung.

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Left: Kids pose with Mickey Mouse in front of the castle gate at the kids carnival organized by the Fab Affairs at P. Shilu Park, Mokokchung. Right: Children pose in front of the ‘tyre climbing’ site at the kids carnival. (Morung Photos)

The various attractions of the carnival include a sand castle building, Photo booth, bouncy, tunnel crawling,

face painting, fun games and food items. The carnival is a part of the 125 years celebration of Mokokchung town.

Elders voice concern Mon DPDB cum advent Christmas held on health sector

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MON, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): The Advent Christmas Celebration cum DPDB meeting of Mon was held at Mon View on December 15.

Quoting a passage from 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 14 to 16 Pastor Menuolhoulie Sekhose, Tenyimia Church, Mon in his message said that Holiness is the essence of God’s nature and therefore as obedient children of God we should be holy in all our daily conduct.

The President of the Konyak Union in his greetings lauded the Government officers headed by the Deputy Commissioner, Mon W. Honje Konyak for initiating various social activities such as the ‘Mission I Love My Mon Town’ launched to promote civic senses and sanitation, and District Hospital Mon for winning of the Kalayaklap award under the Mission Swachha Bharat. He also lauded the Officers club for organizing the departmental tournament which is a good gesture to strengthen the spirit of unity and oneness among the officers posted in the district.

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having fun but according to the organizers, it’s the parents and the grownups who are enjoying it more.

the programme saying that they are the pillars of Mokokchung town.

During the interactive session, the voice of the elders was mainly concerned with improving the health sector in the town. One of the oldest hospitals in Nagaland, the IMDH is in Mokokchung town. Yet due to the absence of modern machinery/equipments and specialist doctors in many departments (especially the absence of a pediatrician) people have to go to other districts like Kohima and Dimapur and to neighboring states like Assam and Meghalaya which is not only a burden but also results in losing of precious lives during emergencies.

The programme was concluded with a mass prayer.

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Home Commissioner holds meeting for Republic Day 2016

KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): A meeting was convened by the Nagaland Home Commissioner, Neihu C. Thur in his office chamber today to chalk out the programme and work distribution for celebration of the Republic Day on January 26, 2016 at Kohima. The State Home Commissioner while greeting the officers in the coordination meeting called upon all concerned for cooperation with the State Government in order to have the celebration of the upcoming Republic Day in most befitting manner. The meeting discussed that as usual, the ceremonial parade contingents will be comprised of the participation of para-military forces, Territorial Attendees of the Mon DPDB meeting cum advent Christmas celebration held on Decem- Army, students from various schools and others. It was informed that the Nagaland State Disaster Management ber 15. (DIPR Photo) Authority will be launching the State Disaster ManageHe appealed to the DPDB of the department. the Deputy Commissioner, ment Response Force which will be inaugurated by the members to tirelessly work Asserting that people Mon W. Honje Konyak. He Governor of Nagaland, P.B. Acharya on the occasion for peace and development need change in the pres- lauded the officers for the and a mock drill will also be displayed right after the of the community and ent society, he said DPDB cooperation and support ceremonial programme is over. Other highlights of the brighten the corner wher- should be an agent of rendered to the district programme will include cultural presentations, enterever they are posted. change where the members administration during the tainment items, games and exhibition etc.

Delivering a message on should come well prepared past one year. The meeting My Vision for DPDB Mon, with new thoughts, views concluded with review of Inter ward Christmas Cake Race 2015 Aochuba DFO (Forest), and innovative ideas for last meeting minutes and Mon said that DPDB is an discussions and to have an discussion for improve- MOKOKCHUNG, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): In commemimportant platform where effective planning to redress ment of Mon Namtola road oration of Mokokchung Town Quasqui Centenary celebration, the annual Inter-Ward X-Mas Cake Race 2015 various policies and pro- the issues in a better way. and other agendas. grams of the Government The Principal ITI AlongThe DPDB cum Pre- will be held on December 24 from 8:00am onwards at Imare executed for the wel- she Sangtam shared his Christmas celebration was kongmeren Sports Complex. In this regard the Mokokfare of the people. He said experiences as a member chaired by Er. Talitemsu chung Municipal Council has requested all concerned God's Blessings as you DPDB should be a platform of the DPDB for the last 15 E.E. (R&B), Mon. Welcome ward authorities to participate with a team of 13 runners th to share the grievances and years of his service in Mon address was proposed by comprising of 3 Female and 10 Male participants. For any commemorate your 75 Birth Day at the same time to high- district. the EAC, Mon Thejavizo queries concerning the event and submission of forms, light the achievements of Earlier, The DPDB Kakhro and invocation was all are informed to contact Phone No. 9862222555.

"A Beautiful and Wise the Government agencies meeting was conducted pronounced by Khampei of Woman is the Perfect KDCC informs to emulate other members under the chairmanship of Mon village. workmanship of God, KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The Kohima DisA Heaven sent Miracle." trict Congress Committee (KDCC) has informed that the committee’s office will remain closed from DecemYour life embraced with ber 21, 2015 till January 5, 2016, in view of Christmas and New Year festivals celebration. A press note from Simplicity, Reducing WOKHA, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The Chief Veterinary the KDCC further extended Christmas and New Year selfishness, and with & AH Officer, Wokha conducted an awareness camp on greetings to people of the state. a desire to Invest Your fertility management in bovine on December 15 and 16 KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 as KCJA for being getting at Chukitong and Wokha town respectively. The camp (MExN): The Kidima Cath- trained and imparting Shillong Chamber Choir to perform at Mkg Life on Us has made Us was conducted under the aegis of the National Project on olic Juniors’ Association them social, choreography MOKOKCHUNG, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): The grand who We are today and Bovine Breeding and sponsored by Nagaland Livestock (KCJA) 25 Years Silver Ju- and spiritual guidance. Re- finale of the weeklong celebration of 125 years of Mowe feel it more as You bilee (1991- 2015) yearlong ligious doctrine instructed Development Board during 2014-15. kokchung town will be on December 17 with the intercommemorate your 75th Dr Mhonchan Shitiri encouraged farmers to go for back- celebration is scheduled to to insight sacraments val- nationally renowned Shillong Chamber Choir all set culminate on December ues was the core for the yard dairy farming and also spoke on the topics of breed Birthday. You are one 19 & 20 with Reverend Fa- faithful children, the nuns to perform live at Imkongmeren Sports Complex from selection, AI , care & management of calves, heifers, farm ther Alex Keduoneilie Vizo added. Children would be 5:00pm. The event is being organized by the Mokokcperfect creation of God. sanitation & hygiene and livestock insurance schemes. Dr as Main Celebrant at Ki- confident for competitive hung District Art & Culture Council (MDACC).

Loving Chidren, Mhonlumi Lotha meanwhile encouraged the farmers to dima Village Council Hall. world and cherish for high build on the four pillars in dairy industry i.e breeding, weed- The yearlong celebration moral dignity, FSMA Sister Sogotsumia Thinuo community Daughter/Son In Laws Date: 17/12/2015 ing, feeding and heeding for maximum benefits. is held with the theme “Let added. building inaugurated and Grand Children. MRS. MARLA IMCHEN the little children come to Junior Instructors, …” (Matthew 19: 14).

Kelevinu Zita, Visekunu CHIECHAMA, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The inauguraReverend Father Thom- Victoria and Vizobinu Rita tion programme of the Sogotsumia Thinuo community as Muttathil, Parish Priest said that the Silver Jubilee building cum 4th general session was held on Decemof Kidima will bless and was the great opportu- ber 15 at the Mekhruzou, Chiechama Village with Dr. unveil the Jubilee Monolith nity for Juniors for regu- Neiphrezo Keditsu, MLA & Chairman of NSMDC Ltd and Reverend Father Ray- lar practice of hymns and as the chief Guest. Addressing the function, Dr. Neimond D’Souza SJ, Director learnt social life with lead- phrezo congratulated the Sogotsumias for successfully of Eden Garden, Khuzama ership training apart from constructed the community building in a short span. would be lighting Jubilee spiritual exercise. Some While expounding the importance of culture and tradiCandle, a press note in- highlights of the jubilee tion, he urged the elders to promote and preserve it for formed. Franciscan Sisters celebration include Con- young generation in order to make them to get the truth of Saint Mary of the Angels fession, Eucharist and the knowledge which would guide them in their endeavor (FSMA), Sr. Riya (Superior); First Communicant for 28 and life. He also called upon the youth, particularly the Sr. A. Salomi (Headmis- children. Various singing students, to not only get a mere degree but to specialize in their endeavors with strong determination and deditress); Sr. Medosenü Jacin- and dance competetions cation so that they would able to compete in this fast ta Thakro and Sr. Roselyn are also set to enthrall the changing and competitive world. Earlier, the chief guest DIMAPUR TRAFFIC POLICE in collaboration with THE MORUNG EXPRESS expressed their happiness attendees during the de- also unveiled the monolith and opened the building. for completion of 25 years votional service.

MOKOKCHUNG, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): Commemorating the 125 years of Mokokchung town, a special programme for elders of Mokokchung town was organized by Social Service Society, Red Cross, Doctor’s Forum and Rotary Club of Mokokchung at Multi Purpose Hall on December 16.

The programme was graced by Thongo Imlong, son of Imlong Chang a prominent figure in making and shaping Mokokchung town in the late 1890s. Thongo Chang in his speech shared his experience of how Mokokchung town has grown through ups and downs. He thanked the elders numbering more than 400 for coming together to attend

Bovine fertility camp held

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“This is awesome! I am loving it,” screamed little Sunep, as he climbed down a slider.

It is not only the kids who are

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THURSdAY 17•12•2015

NORTH-EAST

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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Rajya Sabha disrupted over Arunachal governor issue New Delhi, De cember 16 (iANS): The Rajya Sabha was disrupted on Wednesday as Congress members sought the sacking of the Arunachal Pradesh governor. The house functioned for around one hour in the morning, as opposition members questioned the government's decision to increase the excise duty on petrol by 30 paise.

However, soon after Jaitley responded to the opposition's queries, Congress members demanded the sacking of Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prashad, accusing him of "murdering democracy".

The Congress has alleged that the governor has been interfering with the activities of the state government.

The Congress, which is in power in Arunachal Pradesh, has slammed the governor for his suo motu convening of the assembly session, alleging the agenda for the house set by him was for partisan reason to topple the Congress government in the state.

In the din, the house was adjourned for half an hour by Chairman M. Hamid Ansari, and then adjourned again till 2 p.m.

Post lunch, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien tried to take up legislative business.

However, Congress member Pramod Tiwari stood up and said he has given a notice over the issue.

Arunachal governor destablizing government: Congress tells Pranab The Congress on Wednesday complained to President Pranab Mukherjee that Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa was trying to destabilize the government.

This was being done on the directions of the central government, a Congress delegation led by party president Sonia Gandhi told Mukherjee after meeting him at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said such unconstitutional steps had never been taken in the country's history.

"It is a matter of regret that unconstitutional actions are being taken by the Arunachal Pradesh governor on the directions of the central government," Azad said.

He said the state assembly was to

Congress rebels join BJP MLAs to ‘impeach’ Arunachal Speaker

Congress President Sonia Gandhi submitting a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The party Vice President Rahul Gandhi is also seen. Photo: PTI

"Every legislature functions as per Constitution...

The house is adjourned till January, before that, the governor reconvenes it, which he has no right to do," Tiwari said, adding that he was not criticising the governor or the speaker of the state assembly.

"He cannot call session. As per constitution, only when council of ministers passes the proposal, assembly is called. He also fixed agenda," he said. Kurien urged the Congress member to move a "substantive motion" to discuss the issue.

The Congress was backed by the CPI-M, with party leader Sitaram Yechury saying the governor cannot be discussed, but the action can be discussed. "Issue is not discussing governor, what we want to discuss is governnor's action," Yechury said.

"I am saying that can be discussed, only move substantive discussion," said Kurien. Yechury said that a motion has been moved by CPI-M member K.N. Balgopal.

Kurien then informed the house that the notice is under consideration of the

chairman. Congress members then trooped near the chairman's podium, raising slogans. The house was then adjourned till 3 p.m.

When the house met again, the protests continued. Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot tried to take up the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill.

The government wanted to get the bill passed in the din, and earlier in the day Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati too said the "important bill" can be

passed without discussion.

"I had requested it is an important bill, as soon as the bill is passed it will be good. It is about welfare of SCs/STs. There are atrocities and perpetrators are not punished, we have made changes in this bill," Gehlot said when moving the bill.

Congress leader Anand Sharma, however, objected to passing the bill in the din.

Kurien asked the Congress to cooperate, but the sloganeering continued.

The house was then adjourned for the day without passing the bill.

convene on January 14 but the governor preponed it to December 16 without consulting Chief Minister Nabam Tuki.

Azad said the governor had also sought the removal of the speaker though he enjoyed the support of the majority in the Arunachal assembly.

"Such a thing has happened for the first time in the country," Azad said. The Congress leader also said the governor had requisitioned central forces to the state without the chief minister's knowledge.

"An attempt is being made to destabilize an elected government in a sensitive border state," Azad said. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge were also present in the delegation.

(IANS)

Arunachal Pradesh was on Wednesday rocked by a political crisis as 21 rebel Congress MLAs joined hands with 11 of BJP and two independents to ‘impeach’ Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia at a makeshift venue.

Up in arms against Congress Chief Minister Nabam Tuki for the last three months, 21 rebel party MLAs, including 14 disqualified on Tuesday, with the help of BJP and independent legislators, congregated at a community hall after the State Assembly complex was ‘sealed’ by the local administration, and ’impeached’ Mr. Rebia in an impromptu session chaired by Deputy Speaker T. Norbu Thongdok.

Twenty-seven MLAs, including the

Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues, boycotted the proceedings. After the impeachment motion had been moved by Leader of the Opposition Tamiyo Taga of BJP, Thongdok called out the name of Rebia to enable him offer clarifications, if any, on the impeachment notice but the Speaker was not present.

The resolution was then put to vote and was supported by 20 dissident Congress MLAs, barring the Deputy Speaker who did not vote, 11 of BJP and two independents. All 33 of them also put their signature of consent on the resolution, which was then declared passed. Reacting to the development Rebia, termed the move as “illegal and unconstitutional“.

(PTI)

Arunachal minister seeks Centre's aid for FAME Gogoi urges PM to appoint a Manipur scribes protest iTANAgAr, December 16 (TNN): New Delhi recently, an official communi- permanent Governor in Assam against bomb threat Arunachal Pradesh transport minister que said here on Tuesday.

Jomde Kena has sought financial and technical support from the Centre for a pilot project to use hybrid and electrical vehicles in Arunachal Pradesh to maintain a clean and pure environment.

The minister said this to Union minister for heavy industry Anant Geete during a meeting of the state transport ministers on FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electrical vehicles) in

Kena said 80% of Arunachal was covered by forest and the state was striving hard to keep its ecosystem clean.

The pilot project proposal would be sent to the Union ministry of heavy industry for sanction and implementation. The Union minister has assured Kena of clearing off the proposal at the earliest for effective implementation of the scheme, the communique added.

Meghalaya village gifts land to Sri Sri ShilloNg, December 16 (TNN): The chiefs of remote Raliang village in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills region have gifted a small plot of land to spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for implementing his projects.

Elders of the Dorbar Shnong (village council) handed over land documents to Sri Sri at a function here following which the founder of The Art of Living promised to utilize the plot for the benefit of

villagers. He said it would be his endeavour to ensure that all youth in the village are gainfully employed.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at the Polo Grounds here on Tuesday, Sri Sri gave a clarion call for peace. "If our identity of belonging to the human race is forgotten, we are in trouble," he said.

He added that conflicts arise out of the need to assert individual and ethnic identities and forgetting that 'we are part of the hu-

man race of 7 billion people.'

Encouraging people to promote and nurture their ethnic language, culture and beliefs as per heritage and customs, the spiritual leader said one should understand that the world will lose something if everything is uniform.

Calling on world leaders to foster a sense of care and service, Sri Sri said, "A true leader is one who makes people (his followers) happy."

Tripura earning profit out of bamboo nursery, plantation AgArTAlA, December 16 (ANi): Farmers and youth in Tripura are engaging themselves in bamboo nursery and plantation activities to make an earning.In several villages in remote Kanchanpur subdivision, once a den of the militants, young entrepreneurs are getting involved in bamboo nursery and plantation business.

Farmers who were once engaged with paddy and vegetable cultivation are now turning into bamboo growers as it is more profitable and there is huge demand for bamboo-made products traditionally as well as in industrial and construction activities."Here, bamboo groves have succumbed to flowering and fruiting. We have started a nursery of bamboo sapling to sell them to people those who want to grow bamboo. We hope to make profit out of this," said Surajit Kumar Nath, Bamboo Nursery Farmer In recent times in Tripura there was huge crisis of bamboo particularly after the gregarious flowering followed the death of the entire grove. With the state governments initiative under Bamboo Mission for bamboo plantation to fill the forest area beside river embankments there has been huge demand of bamboo sapling which the state government nurseries are finding tough to fulfill the demands."Our village was attacked by NLFT (militants) in which 10 non-tribal people were killed and that created a rivalry between the tribal and the non-tribal. A present the situation is peaceful and we are growing bamboo nursery here.

The forest department here has huge demand for bamboo sapling as they are going to plant it to stop breaking of river embankments by plantation of bamboo throughout the river banks, beside this various pandals,

construction works, fencing, and at present demands for bamboo in small scale industry for producing various decorative items of bamboo like sofa, chairs and many others are there and so the return from bamboo is also very profitable," said Rajesh Das, another bamboo nursery worker Moreover, with the setting up of bamboo based industries in the state the demand is on rise and which has turned bamboo in a lucrative item. Hence to make the most of the demand for private bamboo nurseries and keeping this idea Centre for Forest-Based Livelihood and Extension, trained and supported the youths and farmers of Kanchancpur in bamboo nursery and plantation activities.

After various training for capacity building in the area on date there are more than 300 youths and farmers who are directly or indirectly engaged with bamboo nursery or plantation. These growers expressed that bamboo is a very profitable item as there is huge demand and scope of utilizing this in versatile things and thus more and more people are getting encouraged in growing bamboo. They added that with Tripura getting normal as insurgency has been neutralised most the people of the state have returned back to the ancestral villages, which once they were compelled to leave due to insurgency, now people are fulfilling those barren areas with bamboo sapling as the market for bamboo is even better and profitable than paddy, vegetable or rubber.

Most of the growers viewed that bamboo which is also called 'Green Gold', will also fulfil their dream for a better future and better return from their small initiative in the coming days.

New Delhi, December 16 (PTi): Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint a permanent Governor in the state and accused the current incumbent of "unnecessarily interfering" in the administration.

"I have met the Prime Minister and urged him to appoint a permanent Governor for Assam as early as possible as Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Acharya, who is holding additional charge of Assam, is unnecessarily interfering in the administration," he told reporters here.

Referring to Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, Gogoi alleged that "RSS agents" were "appointed" in most of the Raj Bhavans in the country as Governors.

"The Arunachal Pradesh Governor is trying to oust a democratically-elected Congress government in the state. They wanted to do a similar act in Assam too," he said.

The chief minister said he has submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister apprising him about various problems being faced by the Assam government and sought central government's help.

The demands include additional financial assistance to Assam, according schedule tribes status to five communities, early resolution of the ongoing peace talks with the ULFA besides others.

Asked about the coming assembly elections, which is expected to be held in March-April, Gogoi, a Congress veteran, ruled out any alliance with any party, like Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF. "Why should we forge an alliance when we are in a position to form a government on our own. We will get absolute majority," he claimed.

Our Correspondent

Imphal | December 16

'Ready to become CM for 4th term'

Congress veteran Tarun Gogoi today said he is ready to become Chief Minister of Assam for the fourth consecutive term.

"Yes, I am ready," he said at a press conference here when asked whether he would be the Chief Minister again.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had recently declared that the 79-yearold Congress veteran would be the Chief Ministerial candidate for the party in the coming Assam assembly polls likely to be held in March-April next year.

Gogoi has been Chief Minister of Assam for the third consecutive term since 2001.

The Chief Minister claimed Congress will get absolute majority in the polls and ruled out any alliance with any party, including Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF. "Why should we forge an alliance when we are in a position to form a government on our own. We will get absolute majority," he said.

Gogoi also described his once deputy Himanta Biswa Sarmah, who has joined BJP recently, as a traitor saying that he would soon desert BJP too.

"There was a TADA case against Himanta. He was accused of being involved in several corruption cases. I will expose him soon," he said.

Scribes on Wednesday staged a sit-in here at Keishampat registering a strong protest against an underground group which planted a bomb at the residential gate of a journalist last Monday.

Later, a silent protest rally was taken out by the journalists who submitted memorandums to Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and Deputy CM Gaikhangam demanding immediate security protection for them. The memorandums said the journalists are frequently threatened by various militant groups operating in the state and hence they need safety for their life.

The 24-hour protest began at 6 a.m. All journalists will stay away from work till 6 a.m. tomorrow. No newspaper will hit the stands on Thursday because of the stir. On Wednesday, all Imphal-based papers came out without editorials to protest the incident.

All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM) yesterday condemned the bomb threat against news channel Impact TV editor-in-chief Yumnam Rupachandra Singh who is also the general secretary of EGM. The bomb was found at his residential gate at about 7:30 pm on December 14.

Appealing to all organisations not to issue ‘unwelcome press statements’ for publication in future, the scribe bodies said militant outfits should desist from issuing diktat against journalists and media houses.

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4

THURSDAY 17 •12•2015

Business

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

PM Modi seen pivoting from roads to fields in next budget New Delhi, December 16 (reuTerS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will recalibrate budget priorities in 2016 to focus on social initiatives, such as the country’s first major crop insurance scheme, while capping previously prioritised infrastructure spending, officials say.

Modi splurged on roads and railways this year in a strategy to spur economic growth. But it came partly at the expense of federal programmes for farmers and the poor, suffering through back-toback drought years.

In the first confirmation of a shift in strategy, a senior government source

with knowledge of deliberations for Modi’s second full budget said New Delhi would focus more on the social sector following what he described as a “shocking” defeat in last month’s state elections in largely rural Bihar.

It was unlikely more money would be freed up for infrastructure when the budget is unveiled in February, he said, because the government is trying to keep spending on track to lower the fiscal deficit.

Commitments to raise government salaries, military pensions and to infuse capital into state banks reeling under bad loans have left little room for additional spending. What

money is left, sources say, will be earmarked for the social sector - especially rural districts that house three-fifths of voters.

The renewed focus on social-welfare programmes precedes crucial state elections in heartland farming states such as West Bengal next year and Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

farmers, a farm ministry source said on condition of anonymity.

Indian farmers rarely take out crop insurance unless it’s needed to secure a bank loan. Existing insurance plans, based mainly on crop yields, cover 10 percent of farmers. Many farmers barely make a living from small and marginal plots and cannot afford the premiums. The premiums tend to be based on the crop yields of more prosperous farmers who use higher quality seeds, fertilizers and equipment.

Under the plan being considered, a portion of premiums to be paid by farmers would be linked

CROP INSURANCE In what could be the first major scheme for farmers since Modi took office in 2014, the government is planning to launch a fresh version of the national crop insurance programme next summer. It would cover the majority of India’s 263 million

to their capacity to pay, the first source said.

To attract more growers, the government could lower the share of the premium farmers pay to up to 30 percent from 50 percent earlier, the agriculture ministry source said. The proposed plan would also limit government support to insurers so that the overall hit to the budget stays low.

State and federal governments spend about $373 million a year on premiums, while total payouts have been less than $700 million in recent years. The farm ministry source expects only a marginal increase in the total premiums the govern-

ment pays.

“The prime minister is constantly trying to find new schemes and formulate policies to help the villagers,” said a Modi aide who declined to be named. “But the truth is that we are still trying to identify the right strategy ... it’s a work in progress.”

Funding for roads and bridges more than doubled in this year’s budget and is now higher than the sum allocated to education. At the same time, funding was halved for a scheme that gives millions of poor children free food, and allocations to make clean water available in rural areas were drastically cut.

Excise duty hiked on petrol, SC slaps temporary ban on luxury diesel car sales The measure unsettled both inDelhi, December 16 city to reach other states. An existing diesel to fetch Rs.2,500 cr New (PTi): The Supreme Court has or- charge imposed on trucks making vestors and automakers, who have deliveries to Delhi itself was doubled, while all trucks over 10 years old will be banned from the capital.

Other measures in the Supreme Court order with longer-range ambitions include a demand for all taxis in the capital to replace diesel with natural gas, as well as a broad, immediate ban on burning garbage.

The National Green Tribunal, an environmental court, earlier this week ordered a ban on the registration of all diesel vehicles for nearly four weeks to help clean up the air in Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities.

dered a temporary ban on the sale of large diesel cars in New Delhi and hiked a levy on trucks entering the city, as India’s highly polluted capital seeks ways to tackle one of its worst-ever bouts of toxic smog.

An order passed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday bans the registration of sport-utility vehicles and other diesel cars with an engine capacity of 2,000 cc or more in Delhi and the surrounding region until March 31.

The court stopped short of banning smaller cars, but did prohibit trucks from transiting through the

New Delhi, December 16 (iANS): With the Indian basket of crude oils going below $35 a barrel, the government on Wednesday hiked excise duty on petrol by 30 paise a litre and on diesel by Rs.1.17 to gather additional revenue of Rs.2,500 crore.

Basic excise on unbranded petrol has been increased from Rs.7.06 per litre to Rs.7.36, and on unbranded diesel from Rs.4.66 per litre to Rs.5.83.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley said the increase in duty will yield an additional Rs.2,500 crore in the remainder of the current fiscal up to end-March 2016.

Along with other levies, the total cess on unbranded, or normal, petrol will come to Rs.19.36 per litre as against Rs.19.06 currently.

On unbranded diesel, the total excise duty, after including special excise duty, will be Rs.11.83 per litre as compared to the current Rs.10.66.

The basic excise duty on branded petrol has been raised from Rs.8.24 per litre to Rs.8.54, and on branded diesel from Rs.7.02 to Rs.8.19 per litre.

Excise duty was last raised on petrol by Rs.1.60 per litre and on diesel by 30 paise a litre.

State-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has announced price cuts on petrol by 50 paise a litre, and of diesel by 46 paise in Delhi, with corresponding decrease in other states, effective from Wednesday.

The oil marketer said that allowing for local levies, the price of petrol per litre from Wednesday will be Rs.59.98 in Delhi, Rs.65.53 in Kolkata, Rs.67.04 in Mumbai and Rs.60.28 in Chennai.

Diesel will cost Rs.46.09 a litre in Delhi, Rs.49.70 in Kolkata, Rs.53.28 in Mumbai and Rs.47.28 in Chennai.

The Indian basket of crude oils, comprising 73 percent sour-grade Dubai and Oman crudes, and the balance in sweet-grade Brent, plunged to $34.25 on Tuesday for a barrel of 159 litres, as per data compiled by the state-run Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell.

Finance Minister reaches out to opposition to rescue GST New Delhi, December 16 (reuTerS): Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the opposition Congress party that has stalled the passage of a landmark tax reform in parliament, by offering to consider its demand for lower rates and a simpler structure.

The proposed goods and service Tax (GST) is India’s biggest revenue shake-up since independence from Britain in 1947, as it seeks to replace

a slew of federal and state levies, converting the nation of 1.2 billion people into a customs union.

But the Congress, which championed the measure during its 10-year rule, has refused to back what it calls a “flawed” GST. It wants the government to cap the rate of GST at less than 20 percent, scrap a proposed state levy and create an independent mechanism to resolve disputes on revenue sharing between states.

Striking a conciliatory

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invested heavily in diesel technology for India, long seen as a promising major auto market.

Shares in automakers have dropped on concerns over the implications of the ban in Delhi, which environmental campaigners would like to see extended in some form to other large Indian cities.

Top utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra’s (MAHM.NS) stock was trading down 4.4 percent after the ruling on Wednesday morning, while gas stocks rose as investors bet providers would benefit from the crackdown to improve air quality.

note on Wednesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the demand to scrap the state levy was “fair and arguable” and he was ready to compensate states if cancelling the levy resulted in revenue losses to them.

“This 1 percent (levy) issue is resolvable,” he told a meeting of business chambers.

While the new tax is widely expected to add up to two percentage points to economic growth by supplanting a chaotic

structure that inflates costs for businesses, it has been languishing in parliament since last December.

Jaitley also said standard rates under the new tax would be less than 18 percent, in a bid to address the Congress party’s concerns that a higher tax rate would be inflationary, make Indian businesses uncompetitive and encourage tax evasion.

“India is now committed to have a very reasonable standard rate,” he said.

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SC directs testing of Maggi sample by Mysuru lab New Delhi, December 16 (iANS): The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the testing of Maggi noodles samples as directed by National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) will now be undertaken by the Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute lab.

An apex court bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C. Pant said that the local commissioner shall collect samples of Maggi noodles from the companies’ Lucknow-based godown and send them to the lab. The court said the report of the testing would be submitted before it.

The court order came on Nestle’s appeal challenging the NCDRC December 9/10 order directing the testing of Maggi noodles sample by Chennai lab.

The court said the NCDRC would not proceed with the hearing of the class action suite filed by the union of India claiming Rs.640 crore from Nestle for marketing noodles with suspect quality.

Swiss publish list of dormant bank a/cs for first time GeNevA, December 16 (AFP/PTi): Switzerland today published for the first time a list of dormant bank accounts to give their owners’ heirs a chance to come forward and claim the funds.

The list contains the names of individuals or companies without any movements on their Swiss bank accounts for the past 60 years.

It is published on a website, www.dormantaccounts.ch, and contains just over 2,600 names, the Swiss Bankers Association said in a statement.

The combined value of the assets is about 44 million Swiss francs (USD 44.5 million). In addition, 80 safe-deposit boxes are published.

Claimants have a year to come forward before banks must hand the assets over to the Swiss state.

WB approves USD 1.5b to support clean India campaign wAShiNGToN, December 16 (PTi): The World Bank has approved a USD 1.5 billion loan for the ambitious clean India campaign to support the government in its efforts to ensure all citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation and end the practice of open defecation by 2019.

As per World Bank statistics, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80 per cent living in rural areas. More than 500 million of the rural population in India continue to defecate in the open, suffering from preventable deaths, illness, stunting, harassment and economic losses.

The loan will be used for Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Support Operation Project. The Bank said the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) will play the overseeing and coordinating role for the programme and support the participating states.

“One in every ten deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation. And studies show that low-income households bear the maximum brunt of poor sanitation,” said Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director for India. “This project, aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Swachh Bharat initiative of the government, will result in significant health benefits for the poor and vulnerable, especially those living in rural areas,” he said.

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1.Gambol 5. Frolics 10. Cushions or mats 14. Dwarf buffalo 15. Soup server 16. Send forth 17. Chime 18. Underline 20. Failure to be present 22. Mixture 23. Arctic bird 24. Wrath 25. Slums 32. Wrongs 33. Ancient unit of dry measure 34. Liveliness 37. Bothers 38. French for “Morning” 39. Be dressed in 40. N N N N 41. Seminal fluid 42. Mix together 43. Violation 45. Spanish for “Friend” 49. Writing liquid 50. Sea cow 53. Killer wave 57. Graniteware

59. Twin sister of Ares 60. Not a single one 61. Waste conduit 62. Peddle 63. 3 64. Sea eagles 65. A period of discounted prices

DOWN

1. Epic 2. A round handle 3. Charged particles 4. Ceremonies 5. Spunky 6. Alley 7. Sum 8. Anagram of “Lyme” 9. Arid 10. Smooth brown oval nut 11. Amidst 12. Sad song 13. Drive 19. Gash 21. Cashews and almonds 25. Anagram of “Ties” 26. Trumpet 27. Boats 28. League members 29. Chose 30. Snivel

31. Indian bread 34. Smut 35. Therefore 36. Equal 38. Japanese apricot 39. Impuissance 41. Clobbered 42. List of options 44. Penny pinchers 45. Catkin 46. Country estate 47. Absurd 48. Smelling spoiled 51. If not 52. Pitcher 53. Tall woody plant 54. Region 55. Foundry 56. Small island 58. Barley bristle Ans to CrossWord 3448

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ThursdAY 17•12•2015

Mokokchung Town 125th Years Anniversary Celebration continues Pragmatism seems to be replacing the 4th Night‘Fashion Fiesta’ old Naga stubbornness to change: SC Jamir showcases local talents Our Correspondent Mokokchung | December 16

The felicitation programme of the Mokokchung Town 125 Years Anniversary was held at Imkongmeren Sports Complex here this evening with the Governor of Odisha, Dr.SC Jamir as chief guest who was also awarded with the appellation ‘Quasquicentennial Man’ by the “people of Mokokchung.”

SC Jamir while delivering his speech as chief guest observed that “pragmatism seems to be replacing the old Naga stubbornness to change.” He however cautioned that there is no shortcut to success and that proper planning, visionary leadership, hard work, peace and unity are preconditions to Nagaland’s prosperity.

“The work has to begin now. It would of course take decades for Nagaland to match a prosperous state of the country,” he said.

Jamir surmised that ensuring peace; remaining united; shunning tribalism; discarding irrelevant practices and meaningless thoughts and adopting a new relevant and practical mindset; and strengthening the education system are the five challenges Nagas face in order to progress.

“To know the exact dimensions of what lay ahead

Prominent citizens honoured

Governor of Odisha Dr.SC Jamir is presented the ‘Quasquicentennial man’ appellation by former Nagaland chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir on behalf of the people of Mokokchung Town, Wednesday, December 16. (Morung Photo)

and what awaits our people in general and the youth in particular, we must identify the challenges before us,” Jamir added.

Saying that India is on the threshold of becoming an economic superpower, and that the government of India is committed to its Act East Policy, he predicted that within a decade an unprecedented change will sweep over the region, including Nagaland, and wondered if Nagaland was prepared to “absorb the massive changes.” “ The preparation should begin in right earnest from the present. Un-

less we remain prepared, we might miss the bus,” he said. Saying that it is a classic case where options are limited, Jamir added that Nagas “either accept a changed, modern and progressive mindset or we spell doon for ourselves.”

While celebrating 125 years of Mokokchung town, Jamir observed, it is also time to evaluate the present state of affairs in the state. “Our first job is to design a concrete roadmap for the future. This design should have provisions which will prepare us for the future, while assisting us to walk shoulder

to shoulder with the rest of the country,” Jamir stated, saying that “a bright future beckons us.” He, however, warned “we cannot and should not be blind to the reality.”

He also wished that the celebration on Mokokchung town’s 125 years be the beginning of a “new journey of hope, love, peace, new progressive mindset, nationalism and diligence.”

Earlier, former chief secretary to the government of Nagaland, Alemtemshi Jamir IAS (retd.) conducted the introduction and presentation of the appellation to Dr. SC Jamir on behalf of the people of Mokokchung.

Other highlights of the programme included a speech by K.Khekiye Sema IS (Retd.) on the topic “Reflections of Mokokchung” as well as a choral presentation by The Refiners, Ungma. Citations to various prominent citizens of the town in various professions were also presented and a special Thanksgiving Prayer was pronounced

by Rev.Dr. I Nuklu Longkumer, Church & Mission Secretary, ABAM while ADC Mokokchung, Rajesh Soundararajan IAS moved the vote of thanks.

The Director and choreographer of the show Esther Jamir with Imlibenla Wati and the models in Ramokla Pongen’s Cocktail Tulle Dress collection at the ‘Fashion Fiesta’ showcasing Mokokchung’s best fashion designers and models at Imkongmeren Sports Complex.

(Morung Photo)

The fourth night of the 125 years celebration of Mokokchung Town witnessed a ‘Fashion Fiesta’ showcasing Mokokchung’s best fashion designers and models on a night of a large crowd. The show was directed and choreographed

by Esther Jamir and the show stopper of the night

was Mokokchung’s darling Imlibenla Wati.

The designers at the show included Akala Pongen, a communiqué designer showcasing her retro collection, Akum Longchar with her knit wear collection and Ramokla Pongen with her Cocktail Tulle dress Collection.

Funky fresh boys pose for lens after winnning the Nagaland Open Freestyle Dance Competition at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, Mokokchung. the Finale of the dance competition was held in Mokokchung as a part of the 125 years anniversary of Mokokchung town.(Morung Photo)

Young talent Purchila (13 years) at the Little Orpheu organized by Huntingboots Inc at the Insta Show as part of the grand celebration of the 125th year anniversary of Mokokchung Town on Wednesday, December 16, 2015. Huntingboot Inc which is a nonprofit organization comprising of likeminded citizens of Mokokchhung organized the ‘Insta Show’ to showcase young talents at the Mokokchng Town Quasquicentinnial celebration. (Morung Photo)

CondolenCe message

CL John mourns educator demise KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): Minister for Rural Development & REPA, CL John today conveyed his deep shock to learn about the untimely demise of Subhash Tabha, Headmaster, Government High School, Chen on December 15.

Lt. Tabha was one of an exceptional incumbent, who had stayed in the posting place without any hesitation and discharged his duty diligently, though the same is located in one of the remotest and far flung area among other places in the State, the Minister stated in his condolence message.

Lauding his contribution, CL John further said the vacuum caused by Lt. Tabha premature death would be difficult to fill and his service to the GHS Chen will heartily remembered by the students as well as citizens of that areas. The Minister also shared his deepest sorrow and sympathy with the bereaved family in this hour of grief and offered prayers of peace and solace to the departed soul.

Kohima press fraternity socialise over picnic DTA bids farewell to Principal Director, Director and official KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The Kohima Press Club (KPC) held its annual get-together-cumpicnic on December 16 at Dzüü riverside. Around 36 members including few well wishers of the club attended the event.

A brief programme was held before the feast wherein KPC President Xavier Rutsa thanked all the members for their cooperation in the club’s activities throughout the year.

He also acknowledged the well wishers who have continuously supported the KPC and those who have contributed towards the annual event of the club.

KPC magazine Committee Convener, Vishü Rita Krocha updated the members on the progress for the upcoming magazine which is scheduled to be launched on January 20 next year, marking the 15th anniversary of the club.

She reminded all the

members to furnish their details and photographs to the committee members at the earliest.

A raffle was drawn among the members present at the get-together where Khietole won the first prize while Ketu Viluo and Xavier Rutsa won the

second and third prizes and H Chishi won the consolation prize.

Earlier in the programme, KPC joint secretary, Ng Solomon Sha invoked God’s blessing. This was informed in a press note by Alice Yhoshu, the General Secretary of KPC.

KOHIMA, DECEMBER 16 (DIPR): The Directorate of Treasuries & Accounts (DTA) bade farewell to its Principal Director Z. Mesen, Director L.N. Konyak and Store Keeper Sofuru Tetseo on December 16 at the Directorate Conference Hall, Kohima.

In his farewell speech, the Principal Director, Z. Mesen thanked the Almighty God for attaining the superannuation in good health which he described as an achievement for a Government servant. He joined the department of Cooperation on December 21 1980 as Sr. Inspector and thereafter he joined the Department

of Treasuries & Accounts as Junior Accounts Officer on December 21, 1983 through NPSC. He said that he had been posted ten times during his 35 long years of service.

He said government servants should sincerely serve the people with absolute integrity. With regard to department, he urged the present officers and staff to cooperate and face the challenges posed before the Department such as New Pension Scheme, computerization of working system as the Department has to cope with the advancement of Science & Technology.

Director, L.N. Konyak

T

hose were the sweet days. Comes December and neighbours crank up the volume of their record players blaring Boney M and other Christmas songs.

Back then, not everyone owned a tape record, and I heard people tell each other how they love to wake up in the morning to the sound of a Christmas song which probably an early riser in the neighborhood will be playing in the still foggy winter morning. A subtle force behind Christmas songs, so full of live that it stirs up the festive mood and yet so sweet that you don't mind even when your neighbour's old stereo would awaken you from your winter slumbers under the huge pile of a blanket. It's not like being awakened rudely by the banging on your door, but you lie still and continue to listen to it with warmth.

Not to mention the cassette and music player shops that played the Christmas songs loudly all around the town and every kid seem to know every carol, though they sang with their own unique lyrics which were like "police never die (feliz navidad), I saw mommy kissing sun takulu.”

What will Christmas be like without its carols? An event in history which began with the angels singing it's song, it is not a surprise that Christmas songs has grown apart from the rest of music flairs to become a genre in itself.

Though music is changing so rapidly, no matter what, musicians of every kind seem to be ever more into doing their own renditions of the old time carols in every imaginable style.

The difference is that, today we might miss some of the old ways of how the songs were learned or picked up by hearing it on loud speakers.

Who needs i-pods, mobile phones and earphones anyway! All we needed to learn a song was for a friend to own a tape record and a borrowed cassette. Times have changed and so have we, but the reason the angels sang is the reason we sing even today and the songs shall ever be.

Today it may be considered a nuisance to blast your subwoofers, but a passing thought prods the mind to ask whether the spirit of Christmas is being subdued by the festivities of December. If only I had those loud speakers then.

Kekhrieneizo Nakhro

Applauding the Dimapur Traffic Police

T

hrough your esteemed daily I would as a layman like to convey my appreciation to the Dimapur Traffic Police for the invaluable services rendered to the public in the best manner. Though everything has Pros and Cons of kinds, looking at the brighter side I find our DTP to have some very hardworking, humble, understanding and kind personnel. I remember the other day while coming out from the District Hospital Dimapur the personnel stationed at the Junc-

I

n the busy street of Dimapur railway station, a stage was set on a truck and a man began to preach. The sight attracted the wandering crowd. It was also surrounded byheavily armed soldiers. The man spoke with a sense of calmness and serenity.

He was probably a travelling preacher from other state and as he addressed the crowd, he stated that this world would be free of guns and insecurities if we can all embrace the peace given through our Lord Jesus Christ. As I listened to him speak, his word began to resonate deep within me. Yes, mankind needs more than human security and protection; we need

tion Point preferred to halt the several NL10s coming from Nagarjan side while clearing way for an auto rickshaw carrying some patients heading towards the hospital. Not saying that VIPs shall not be respected but I appreciate the kindness, understanding and humanity shown as such is paramount for all. My aunt was hospitalized for almost three weeks and I noticed this attitude of the traffic more than once while to and fro visiting her.

Also would like to thank the IRB personnel

stationed at the City Tower Junction three nights back in front of the KFC and Pizza Hut for helping me out push start my car at around 8 or 9 at night after my battery dried up on me. That was a very contrasting attitude of an IRB personnel since most people’s have expressed nightmarish accounts with them (even my past encounters were terrible experiences, no offence). Perhaps they all are not the same and public service still is a motto for many of them (please keep this alive).

True Security the Prince of peace in our souls.

Sadly the same day, an innocent business woman in Dimapur was shot down mercilessly. The unfortunate news filled our hearts with remorse and deep pain. The proprietors of big and small business centres in our land are constantly on the attack. Serious thought, deliberation and actions has to be brought forth by the concerned authorities to find some early solution to the problem.

The condemnation and condolences in the paper are not enough to suffice the violent activities and

prosperous retired life.

OSD (G) Finance, V. Kezo also congratulated them for attaining the superannuation. President ASOTN, ASAN, NF&ASA, Directorate Ministerial staff were also delivered short speeches. The Director and the Incoming Principal Director, K. Tiayanger Tzudir gave farewell speech on behalf of the Department.

Additional Director, Zhekheto Zhimomi chaired the programme while vote of thanks and benediction were proposed by Additional Director, Zübemo Odyuo and Joint Director, Vahine Thisa respectively.

ANSTA Bhandari general conference held

PubliC sPaCe It's x-mas! Have you still got those loud speakers?

also expressed his gratitude to Almighty God for attaining the superannuation in good health and also thank to the Department for organizing such a grand farewell in honour of them. He added that the Department as of today was due to the sacrifices and dedicated services rendered by the senior officers.

Parliamentary Secretary for Treasuries & Accounts, Dr. T.M. Lotha speaking on the occasion said that the outgoing officers were sincere and committed in their duties and added that “it is not how long you serve but it is how much you have contributed”.

He wished them a happy and

public has to raise our voice loud and clear. Today, it’s someone family, tomorrow it may be ours.

These perpetrators are the enemies of humanity and proper investigation into these crimes should not be left up in the air andjustice shown to the bereaved family. The principle of “sowing and reaping” will always take its own course upon the guilty and those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Please remember that the justice of human court may fail but never the Divine. Therefore, fear the judgment from above.

Finally, to all the responsible authorities my humble prayer to you during the upcoming Second Phase of Dimapur Night Carnival is that may I not encounter any Uniformed or Badged personnel drunk and causing trouble instead of maintaining peace as I encountered in the first Carnival. I want to share the happiness with families during these seasons and not stay indoors of fear for security from those supposed to look after us.

DIMAPuR, DECEMBER 16 (MExN): The All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association, Bhandari Unit held its general conference with the theme, “Work Ethic Through Education” at Bhandari on December 9. ADC Bhandari, Orenthung Lotha and Co-ordinator ERBC, Y James Humtsoe were the chief guest and guest of honour respectively while JEO, Raphael Yanthan and SIS SDEO Bhandari Hq., Senjimo Lotha were the theme speaker.

According to press note from the Unit President, Rhonthungo Ezung, a new team of office bearers were nominated for 2016-18 session with Ntonsi as President, and Nzanthung Kikon as General Secretary. Meanwhile, the Unit further conveyed its congratulation to Tsupon Murry SDEOI Bhandari for receiving “National Award for Innovation in Educationla Planning and Administration” from NEUPA, under the HRD Ministry, New Delhi.

Octet School concert

Aga Rengma President WRSUN

The problems of hatred, greed, bitterness, anger, un-forgiveness, murder, etc., will be expelled once the Light of Life lights every human souls with pure divine love. What our society needs today is not more security or protection but the power of love and peace that is only found in Christ alone. True security lies not in our human defence but in the protection of God. With the celebration of Christmas at hand, let’s pray that the Prince of peace will shine its light upon every individual, family and our society. Blessed Christmas and prosperous New Year!

Vebu Khamo, Kohima Bible College

Lialo Swu, a student of Octet School of Music performs a musical piece during the concert on Wednesday. (Morung photo) Morung Express News DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 16

The Octet School of Music, Thahekhu on Wednesday held its 1st annual concert at Thahekhu with its students performing various

vocal and musical pieces.

Established in 2015, the school is run by Ikavi Jimo.

The annual concert was organized with the objective of promoting its students and provide them an exposure.

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper. Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

ThursDAY 17•12•2015

IN FOCUS

6

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express X issue 343X issue 185 Thursday 9volume July 2015 volume By aheli moitra

Nagaland State is issue-free

I

n 1964, the Members of Nagaland Legislative Assembly got a basic salary of Rs. 300 per month. Then there were small allowances added at the rate of Rs. 20-200 rupees entailing conveyance, entertainment and other miscellaneous activities. Medical expenses were paid for by the State for not just the MLA but anyone else fully dependent on him.

As of 2015, each MLA in Nagaland earned an estimate of Rs. 50-75,000 per month, including all other expenses.

Ministers and parliamentary secretaries earn up to Rs. 1,00,000 per month. If you’re the chief minister, you may earn up to Rs. 2,00,000 per month.

This is just the salary for their job. There are the added cuts and benefits running into indeterminate numbers for some.

Add to this the immunity enjoyed by these members from prosecution for pretty much anything they say in the house.

Or the many other immunities that come by way of Article 371-A. With these legal and financial aides, legislators in Nagaland have managed to make the State issue-free. This winter session saw the Nagaland Legislative Assembly convene for a whole 30 minutes, a chunk of whose time was dedicated to obituaries.

As a citizen one may wonder what the role of the MLA is in the first place. An MLA has the duty to represent his/ her constituents. They need to bring their constituency’s perspectives to the Assembly, raise their concerns, present petitions, and ask the government to take measures to resolve the issues. They need to present a financial break up of how Local Area Development Funds are being used. Why are these issues not being raised?

Legislators have the duty to review proposed laws. One reason that nothing was discussed this time was perhaps the introduction of the ‘Removal of Disqualification’ bill. In the political psyche of the present government, it is best to do away with constitutional accountability altogether.

One of the other major roles they are supposed to play entails scrutinising government expenditure. The major questions the Nagaland Government, and all of its 60 MLAs, should have raised and discussed in the Assembly entail students, scholarships, salaries for teachers and doctors, application of central schemes, allocation of timber wagons, the Lotha Hoho PIL and the 20 PILs filed by Human Rights Law Network on the failing healthcare in the State and alleging misappropriation of over Rs. 62 crore in the health sector.

The legislators, most of whom are now ministers, parliamentary secretaries or chairpersons, did not think any of these factors to be of concern to them. What was the rush?

Hornbill festival is past them. Pre Christmas parties have been attended. Christmas is not going anywhere. With or without any crisis, New Year parties will still happen. Then what is the reason that a State that is critically hit from all angles has nothing to discuss in Assembly?

If they indeed have nothing to do on the pretext of ‘Naga unity,’ it would be wiser on their part to divert their salaries to those doctors and teachers who have actually been working all year round.

Worried? Write to share on moitramail@yahoo.com

lEfT wiNg |

Andrew R.C. Marshall Reuters

Myanmar's high opium output a huge test for Suu Kyi govt: U.N.

O

pium production in Myanmar has stabilized for a third year, the United Nations said on Tuesday, but remained a daunting challenge for the untested government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that takes power in February.

Myanmar produced an estimated 647 tons of opium in 2015, second only to Afghanistan, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a new report. That figure was steady from the previous year, as was the total area under opium poppy cultivation, which stood at 55,500 hectares (212 sq miles) in 2015, the UNODC said.

Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC's chief in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, warned against calling the stabilization a "success". "Production remains at high levels, and displaced farmers without alternatives may return to growing poppy," he told Reuters.

Myanmar is a major producer of not only opium and its derivative heroin, but also the highly addictive drug methamphetamine, known across Asia by its Thai name "ya ba," or crazy medicine. The illicit industry is worth billions of dollars, and is driven by poverty, conflict and Chinese demand.

Narcotics pose another headache for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which will soon govern a large, impoverished and fractious nation after winning a landslide election victory in November. "Given the scale of the challenge ... she has a big task in front of her. It's not something that's going to be fixed in a day," Douglas said.

The NLD's election manifesto contained only two fleeting references to narcotics. "We do recognize the existence of this problem but we're too preoccupied with preparations for transfer of power and can't find a chance to think of it seriously at the moment," Win Htein, a senior NLD leader, told Reuters.

Suu Kyi has often addressed the issue of drugs in her speeches, he said. Even under an NLD government, the military will retain formal control over the ministries of defence, border affairs and home affairs - all crucial to counter-narcotics efforts.

Most drugs are produced in border areas controlled by ethnic rebel armies or by the Myanmar military and allied militias.

Myanmar, Laos and Thailand make up the so-called Golden Triangle, which churns out a quarter of the world's opium.

The area under cultivation in Laos also stabilized at 5,700 hectares (22 sq miles) in 2015, while Thailand had only a few hundred hectares, said the UNODC. Most Golden Triangle opium and heroin goes to China, but they are also widely available in Myanmar, where addiction is common and many injecting drug users are HIV-positive.

Experts fear that Myanmar could soon witness an explosion in methamphetamine use, already common in the rest of Asia. The Myanmar police launched an aggressive poppyeradication campaign in 2012, a year after a semi-civilian government replaced military rule. However, the UNODC's Douglas said its impact had been "minimal".

He called for the scaling up UNODC projects in Myanmar to provide opium farmers with alternative sources of income, such as coffee.

C O M M E N T A R Y

John Feffer Foreign Policy In Focus

Trump, the Islamic State, and the Cliché of Civilizations A few politicians and intellectuals decry "Islamofascists," but the real target of Islamophobia is the mainstream Islam of mosques, moderate imams, and your friendly Muslim neighbors

I

was listening to a German parliamentarian the other night. She was making some anodyne comments about transatlantic friendship and the importance of culture. And then she veered off to mention the recent attacks in Paris and the threat of the Islamic State. This issue, she said, required an urgent response from the “free world.”

The audience murmured its approval.

I never take my freedoms for granted, but I’ve never been particularly comfortable with the phrase “free world.” It gives off the musty odor of the Cold War. Even though the phrase was tailor-made for rousing speeches a la Churchill, a division of the world into free and unfree failed to capture the complexity of international relations at the time.

However flawed such Manichean thinking might have been, the resurrection of the phrase has even less descriptive value today. Does everyone outside the limited borders of the Islamic State live in the “free world”? Where does Russia fit in? How about China, which also abhors the Islamic State but has yet to intervene militarily in Syria (except in Ben Carson’s imagination)?

And frankly, it’s not Europe, the United States, and whatever other countries constitute the zone of freedom that most need to respond to the Islamic State. It’s the countries of the decidedly unfree world — Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States, Egypt, Jordan — that must take on their Sunni co-religionists if the battle is truly to be won.

Perhaps for these definitional reasons, some commentators have forsaken Cold War allusions to the fight against Soviet communism for something more clear-cut. They have reached further back in an effort to rally all people of conscience against the Islamic State. After all, no one calls the Cold War — or any of the deadly battles during that time in Korea, Vietnam, or elsewhere — the “good war.” That phrase is reserved for World War II and the fight against the Nazis. For the Islamic State to qualify as a truly demonic enemy and for the conflict to be stripped of all ambiguity, then, the would-be caliphate must be composed of nothing but fascists.

Last week, for instance, British Labor Party MP Hilary Benn denounced the Islamic State in such terms on the floor of parliament as part of a successful effort to authorize British participation in coalition air strikes in Syria: We are here faced by fascists. Not just their calculated brutality, but their belief that they are superior to every single one of us in this chamber tonight, and all of the people that we represent.

They hold us in contempt. They hold our values in contempt. They hold our belief in tolerance and decency in contempt. They hold our democracy, the means by which we will make our decision tonight, in contempt. And what we know about fascists is that they need to be defeated.

This speech by Benn, the son of Labor’s anti-war stalwart Tony Benn, won plaudits from a range of American conservatives such as Marc Thiessen at the American Enterprise Institute and former Moral Majority leader Cal Thomas. The former publisher of The Wall Street Journal, L. Gordon Crovitz, in his most recent column, wanted to know why the other Hillary, ditto her Democratic Party brethren, was refusing to denounce the Islamic State in similar terms.

Labeling ISIS as “fascist” contrasts with Democrats in the U.S. tying themselves into politically correct knots to avoid naming the enemy. President Obama still refuses to include “Islam” in the same breath as “terrorism.” In response to a question during last month’s Democratic presidential debate, the candidates all refused to say the U.S. is at war with “radical Islam.” Mrs. Clinton demurred by calling the term “not particularly helpful.”

At the risk of stating the obvious, I too believe that the Islamic State is barbaric. But I prefer to think of them as a murderous cult crossed with a band of criminals. Their ideology is of secondary importance. Calling them “fascist” might be satisfying at some level. But making this historical comparison can be counter-productive in conjuring up a world war of civilizational dimensions. After all, the propagandists of the Islamic State too would like to imagine that they are fighting a global conflict with the highest stakes imaginable. Bring it on, cry the followers of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This is our finest hour, thunder the lions of the free world. And thus the battle becomes almost cinematic.

Few are willing to utter the phrase “clash of civilizations,” for that thesis of political scientist Samuel Huntingdon from 1993 has become a cliché, and a thoroughly debunked one at that. But make no mistake: the rhetoric on both sides has escalated to that level. Lurking somewhere in this civilizational discourse, particularly on the European side, is an ageold anxiety that goes all the way back to the days of Charles the Hammer — that Islam, like fascism, is antithetical to civilization itself.

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a crowd during a presidential forum in Aiken, South Carolina on December 12, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Christopher Aluka Berry)

Where Others Fear to Tread Crovitz and his brethren, to their credit, refrain from trotting out the term of abuse that was de rigeur for their set during the heyday of neoconservative posturing in the 2000s: Islamofascism. But leave it to a French philosopher, Bernard-Henri Levy, to rush in where American conservatives currently fear to tread.

Levy’s recent article — “Paris Terror Attacks: Instructions for Warfare” — has been published all over the place (Huffington Post, Toronto Globe and Mail, Haaretz). It is a cri du coeur, a call to action, and a challenge to the “free world” all wrapped up in one. To buttress his declaration of war against the Islamic State, Levy invokes Victor Hugo: To these vile, ignorant men we must utter the beautiful words that Victor Hugo exclaimed in September 1870, at the time of the massacres of the Paris Commune: An attack on Paris is more than an attack on France, it destroys the whole world. The only word to describe these men is fascists.

Better: Islamofascists.

“Islamofascist” became briefly popular in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11. George W. Bush used the term in a 2005 speech at the National Endowment for Democracy in an effort to give his “war on terrorism” a more exalted, civilizational framing. As I wrote in my 2012 book Crusade 2.0, The linking of Islam and fascism was not new.

Historians had explored the connections between Muslims and Nazis before and during World War II. The Baath movement — which produced ruling parties in Iraq and Syria — had roots in earlier fascist movements. When scholar Malise Ruthven coined the phrase “Islamo-fascism” in a 1990 article, he had in mind dictatorial governments, some of which were allied with the United States, like Pakistan and Morocco. Newt Gingrich later played around with the term “totalitarian Islam” to describe Iran. After 9/11, however, writers like Christopher Hitchens and academics like Bassam Tibi redeployed the term “Islamofascism” to describe the Islamist opposition to those dictatorial governments.

According to the venerable New York Times, the term Islamofascism had a brief life span, crashing and burning by 2006.

No term was more deserving of a fiery flameout.

It was offensive on so many levels. It suggested an inherent link between Islam and fascism when historically fascism has had a more enduring love affair with Christianity (alongside flirtations with Hinduism, Buddhism, and even Judaism). Fascist ideology, moreover, focuses on the relationship between the state and the economy, favoring a corporatist model, whereas Islam coexists with many different economic systems. I could go on, but the “fascism” part of the equation was never really more than an epithet.

With the election of Barack Obama and a more nuanced U.S. approach to Islam, I thought that the term “Islamofascism” had finally been retired from service. But Levy resuscitates the term for a specific purpose. He deliberately wades into the conflict taking place within Islam itself, a clash within a civilization, between what he identifies as the good guys, the “Islam of the enlightenment,” and the bad guys, the Islamofascists. After exhorting Muslims to declare that the violence of the Islamofascists is “not in our name,” Levy then gives away his hand. He picks out, as representative of the anti-Enlightenment Islamists, not al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State or any of the terrorists who have undertaken military missions in the name of this illusory caliphate.

Rather, Levy zeroes in on Tariq Ramadan.

For those not familiar with this Muslim theologian — most famous for facing a travel ban to the United States during the Bush years — Ramadan is an articulate defender of political Islam. Born in Switzerland and grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ramadan currently teaches at Oxford University. He has consistently condemned terrorism in general and specific acts of violence in particular, thus meeting Levy’s “not-in-my-name” criterion. He’s also been on the UK Foreign Office Advisory Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Tariq Ramadan, in other words, would seem to be a rather odd embodiment of anti-Enlightenment values.

The dispute between Levy and Ramadan goes back more than a decade — at least to 2003, when the Muslim theologian criticized the French philosopher for his invocation of Enlightenment values in support of the invasion of Iraq. No doubt Levy is also incensed that Ramadan would have the temerity to compare Francois Hollande’s militarism after the Paris attacks to that of George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks.

Strip away the personal invective, however, and the uglier side of Levy’s argument becomes clear.

Yes, of course, he hates “Islamofascism.” And yes, he has some Muslim friends. But deep down, he’s uncomfortable with key elements of mainstream Islam, represented by people like Tariq Ramadan.

Cue the Donald All of this is rather heady stuff. Leave it to us Americans to strip the argument down to its basics.

Here, in the 2016 presidential race, we get Islamophobia straight, no chaser, and without Europeanstyle philosophizing.

The anti-Muslim sentiment of the Republican presidential candidates should have disqualified the lot of them by now. Ben Carson announced that he’d never support a Muslim political candidate. Bobby Jindal made headlines with his claim of Muslim “no-go” zones in Europe. Both Lindsey Graham and George Pataki urged monitoring of mosques (which, contrary to popular misconceptions, have been central to combatting extremism).

But the ugliest intervention has come from Donald Trump, who’s urged a complete ban on all Muslims entering the United States. Presumably that would include: • Muslims fleeing for their lives from the Islamic State • Muslims who have risked everything to work with and fight alongside U.S. troops • Muslims who have H-1B visas to code for Microsoft • Muslims who are family-oriented entrepreneurs and would eventually vote Republican Far be it for me to point out to the Republican Party that it is alienating one minority group after another in its effort to hold onto the dwindling demographic of angry white men. And jeez, even “Dark Side” Dick Cheney repudiated Trump by saying that his statement “goes against everything we stand for and believe in.”

But alas, Trump is no dummy when it comes to assessing the mood of the electorate. According to a Public Policy Survey, Trump’s Islamophobia will keep him at the top of the Republican heap: Among Trump backers, 67 percent support creating a national database of Muslims, 62 percent believe the discredited story that Arabs in New Jersey cheered as the twin towers fell on 9/11, more than half (51 percent) want to shut down mosques, and a full 44 percent believe Islam should be outlawed.

These beliefs constitute the real face of Islamophobia. A few politicians and intellectuals decry “Islamofascists,” but the real target of Islamophobia is the mainstream Islam of mosques, moderate imams, and your friendly Muslim neighbors.

Which brings us back to this question of a civilizational conflict. To repeat, there is no clash between Islam and the West, except in the minds of the Islamic State and the ideologues of the “free world” who believe that inside every Muslim is an Islamofascist dying to get out. The real clash is taking place within a civilization, within Islam, over doctrinal issues, the nature of the state, the relationship with the market, and so on — and the Islamic State is largely peripheral to this ideological clash.

More fundamentally, an equally contentious struggle is going on within the so-called free world. Here is where the civilizational rubber really hits the road. Will enough good people of conscience — enough moderate Christians and moderate Jews and moderate whatevers in the United States — stand up to the intolerance of our native extremism?

As an unknown French wit once said in the 1930s, America is the only society to go from barbarism to decadence without knowing civilization.

Bernard-Henri Levy is free to take potshots at Islam.

But, honestly, we here on this side of the Atlantic, in the throes of Trumpian decadence, are in desperate need of an Enlightenment of our own.

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The morung express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender.

Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

ThursDAY 17•12•2015

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7

The UN is imperfect, but we need it more than ever The disconnect between the public and the UN has given it an increasingly opaque image, compounded by dark scandals and media bias.

But would the world be as safe without it?

T

S

Laura Bullon-Cassis

here is no debating that recent news stories on UN peacekeeping missions have been particularly off-putting for readers worldwide. On 30 July, The Guardian revealed that the United Nations had knowingly continued employing a Russian company guilty of sexual abuse in the Congo. Just a few days later, on 11 August, Amnesty International alleged that UN peacekeepers shot dead a 16-year-old boy and his father, and raped a 12-year-old girl in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The latter incident prompted UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to raise alarm bells with the Security Council, call for profound soul-searching within the Department for Peacekeeping Operations and ask, among other things, for the resignation of the head of the UN mission to the CAR. At the same time, it is becoming clear that UN peacekeeping operations are all the more relevant and deserving of the general public's attention. In 2014, conflict forced 42,500 persons per day to leave their homes and seek protection elsewhere, according to data from the UNHCR. A survey by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that 180,000 people died in 42 conflicts last year.

Given the ongoing flow of distressing news about migrants in the Mediterranean and Calais, 2015 will probably not fare any better.

These numbers carry with them distressing narratives of uprooted families, of exclusion and radicalization, of untimely deaths and long-lasting enmities. They prevent the best-meaning governments, groups and organizations to effect sustainable progress: some level of peace and stability must be present for this to happen. They extend beyond the pain experienced by those directly affected to impact other peoples around the globe – whether one is liberal or conservative, migration flows in and around Europe are of great concern to all of us – as well as future generations.

They are also pervasively interwoven with our markets: conflict cost the global economy an estimated USD 14.3 trillion in 2014, according to the latest Global Peace Index. Conflicts affect the price of gas at your local petrol station.

This is where conflict prevention, the “limitation, mitigation and containment of conflict” through mediation, peacekeeping, peacemaking, confidence building and diplomacy, comes into play as a fundamental first step. With the increasing number of countries vulnerable to becoming so-called “failed states” and the seductiveness of transnational terrorist groups, the need for preventive action is pressing.

By default, the responsibility often falls into the hands of governments, but this presents a number of issues. Foreign policies of countries such as the UK

T

Free Trade or Protectionism

he contours of Podemos today – a political party that has the ambition to win the general elections in Spain and that already governs in municipalities such as Madrid or Barcelona – are the result of an exciting and complex journey. It was exciting because we were aware of having started to move along entirely new paths, which came nonetheless with having to reinvent ourselves with every step of the way.

The journey was equally complex as we set out to open new spaces for political participation within institutions that have for too long turned their back on the real demands of the people.

Podemos began when a group of us activists gathered to sign a basic manifesto called Mover Ficha (‘The Next Move’) bringing together around thirty activists from the different areas of education, health, housing, immigration, culture, ecology, etc. Many of us were coming from previous movements, the so-called Mareas (‘The Tides’), which came into existence as a result of the immense explosion of dignity that characterized the 15M movement (15 May 2011).

In a spontaneous and unexpected way, 15M represented a radical change in the configuration of social struggles and movements in Spain.

Parallel to this explosion of indignation, we see at this time the birth of the Mareas as key instruments in the struggle to defend public services in education, health and housing.

From the start, the Mareas focused less on the worker and more on the workplace, emerging as movements that explicitly set out to go beyond the ambitions of traditional labor organizations, to fight for the workers’ demands in favor of a much broader agenda of denouncing the dismantling of the system of social protections, making broad claims in defense of the common good and what belongs to us all.

The Mareas directly set out to interpelate the totality of the citizenry, condemning the loss of their social rights and stating the irreducible value of ‘the common’ - now under threat from the measures intended

UN Peacekeepers on patrol in Abyei.

and the US are closely tied to the narratives of several countries now in turmoil and, more often than not, action will be taken according to national interests.

Conversely, while the UN is not always welcomed with open arms, the legitimacy conferred by its truly global composition remains unparalleled. 193 out of 195 countries in the world are UN member states.

When UN peacekeepers are sent on a mission, their goal is not to conquer territories or fight against hostile groups. Under Chapter I, Article 1.1 of the UN Charter, the UN seeks “to maintain international peace and security [through] peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law. The good offices (the diplomatic skills) of its senior management, deployed through political missions worldwide, are often thought to be one of the UN’s greatest assets.

Moreover, UN peacekeeping missions are distinctively multidimensional. Alongside other UN entities such as agencies, missions provide support in strengthening the political, electoral and justice apparatus, thereby extending the notion of ‘peacebuilding’ past the containment or deterrence of violence and into the construction of a solid and more equitable nation-state. As of 30 April 2015, there are 16 peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN Security Council, employing 107,565 uniformed staff (which includes troops, police and military observers). These count a further 16,930 civilian personnel and almost 2,000 United Nations Volunteers.

The US, Japan, France, Germany and the UK are, respectively, the five most important funders of UN peacekeeping in 2013-2015. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia, India and Rwanda contributed the most troops as of 30 June 2015. Despite these financial and human vested interests, the burden of which are paid by the citizens of these countries, almost no debate on UN spending exists in their media and politics.

Undeniably, it is a hard one to have. There are two degrees of separation between a citizen and decisionmaking on peacekeeping: their government, and the UN Security Council.

The organization can thus seem distant, opaque.

And the logical corollary of this is that the UN is often deeply misunderstood. A recent poll, commissioned by the United Kingdom’s United Nations Association, found that a third of the British public did not recognize the UN as an international organization.

19 percent said it was the “world's government”, and 15 percent believed it was a global police force.

But peacekeeping needs your interest to do its job properly. Low public interest fuels governments’ donor fatigue. Governments will say that missions are expensive – the approved budget for UN peacekeeping operations for the 2014-2015 fiscal year is USD 7.06 billion. But conflict is far more costly: US military spending alone is projected to total almost 600 billion in 2015, for example. Making UN spending an issue in the electoral agenda will encourage governments who prefer to spend where voters will later reward them with votes.

This must be treated with care, however: political rhetoric can also end up feeding nationalistic, shortterm impulses to avoid such expenditures. The UN is a deeply political issue: Gallup’s yearly assessment of US citizens’ attitudes towards the UN shows that, in 2014, 52 percent of Democrats believe that the UN is doing a “good job”, compared with 28 percent of independents and 25 percent of Republicans.

The media has an important role to play. Its bias towards negative stories about peacekeeping further alienates readers worldwide. The United Nations has failed to match expectations in several cases, and it is undeniable that there are important limitations to its heavy and complex apparatus, but peacekeeping has had a documented preventive impact in Sierra Leone, Lebanon, El Salvador and Haiti, among others.

Where can we go from here? A good place to start would be to remember that the UN is neither a world government nor a global police force. It is a unique public organization, imperfect but increasingly important to you, wherever you are. As US social and environmental activist Anthony Kapel Jones put simply: “We focus on the places the UN has not been able to change human nature. But we are in a much safer world because of the UN than we would be without it.”

Podemos on education: the education ‘we can’ have Cecilia Salazar-Alonso

This vision of education forming the basis of the educational model that Podemos proposes is openly opposed to the ruinous policies of privatization that began in Europe in the 1980s for the destruction of key public services. Specific to the Mareas was their decentralized and leaderless nature, structured around local and regional assemblies which mobilized activists with no personal stakes in the conflict.

In this sense, they were movements that aspired to and called for the citizens’ re-appropriation of the public.

Podemos took root in these very movements that, despite their vigor and ample scope, found themselves facing institutions completely closed off to the demands of the citizenry.

Podemos’ best chance to access the institutions was building on the wide legitimacy of these movements, acquired through intense struggles to regain the support of the street; its best bet was thus transforming itself from a decentralized and self-managed movement into a party-formation, without losing either the movements’ participatory base and broad demands in defense of the public services that, at the same time, strongly denounced the austerity measures of the Troika.

Podemos’ plan was moving from the absolute horizontality of the movements – given by its leaderless, anonymous form – to building a strong capacity for leadership that would enable it to participate successfully in the electoral game, a space with rules and dynamics entirely inimical to the logics and trajectories of the movements from which it emerged. Podemos was nonetheless looking for a form of leadership capable of coexisting with the Mareas’ horizontal, participative and

transparent forms of organization and self-management. Squaring this circle was from the beginning and continues to be one of the greatest challenges for Podemos, a struggle encapsulated by the squared circle as symbol of the party itself.

Specifically in the field of education, Podemos followed from the start in the footsteps of the Marea Verde, that sprung up in defense of public education, by attempting to voice the consensus that arose from diverse ‘platforms’ of teachers, family associations, students, and the general public.

A vision for education In effect, Podemos’ electoral programs in the various elections – European, municipal, regional and now general elections – set out to give political expression to their myriad demands present in the documents of the hundreds of ‘platforms’ that formed the backbone of Marea Verde.

Significantly, within the parameters of the broad consensus provided by the ‘platforms’, education emerged as a fundamental right, rather than simply training, emphasizing its social role in reducing inequalities and as a key instrument for the construction of a more just and cohesive society.

This vision for education that forms the basis of the educational model that Podemos proposes today is openly opposed to the ruinous policies of privatization in education that began in Europe in the 1980s.

It strongly opposes these prac-

tices with a keen awareness that the future fabric of our society fundamentally rests on today’s model of education. Faced with the rise of selfish individualism, the depletion of social resources and rights, and the social polarization of a mercantilist and competitive model of schooling, Podemos proposes a model promoting inclusion, diversity, collaboration and openness to the community as fundamental to its success.

In the face of a predominant education model that tends to reduce it to a business, seen as a drain on the public services, making the middle classes pay for (partly) state subsidized private schools, Podemos fights for a public, free and secular education.

In the face of an educational policy that conceives of the school as a company that simply trains students for the workforce, Podemos emphasizes the vital necessity of the political, civic and personal development of students.

In the face of a school system dominated by externally imposed results-driven modes of evaluation, Podemos recovers the values of a learning process that adapts to the unique needs of every student.

In the face of an education system that classifies students on academic or socioeconomic levels, Podemos aspires to create diverse and multicultural educational centres and courses, ones better placed to reflect the globalized world we now live in.

In the face of schools that focus on the students’ need to accept and adjust to a social, economic and productive reality that exposes and exploits the limits of our planet, Podemos aims to train students to look for its ongoing transformation, creating minds able to critically determine and reflect on what exactly and how much we need to sustainably produce.

From the very beginning, Podemos has been a challenge, a loud protest for dignity that calls into question the process of involution taking place in Europe today, and an invitation to take charge of our lives and make politics what it was always intended to be: an open space for the management of the common affairs that concern us all.

eeing only non-Nagas running all the shops within the premise of the Dimapur Railway Station often saddens me. Unfortunately, this sight spreads much more beyond our railway station, although to a lesser degree. Certainly, we Nagas have to do something to make Nagaland look more like our homeland.

Having said this first as a matter of record, I must hasten to add that I am not a market protectionist either. So, my questions to the Nagas are: Could the Naga people be more prosperous or better off economically if we drove out all non-local businessmen from Nagaland? Or let me reverse this question: Would our Nagas be better off if we forbid trade across our borders? The logic of protectionism suggests that we would. But the question is, can it be supported? Is there an example in modern history of a single country successfully developing without trading and integrating with the global economy? No, there is not.

But still, countries implement trade barriers for a variety of reasons. Some trade barriers may be adopted to protect consumers because of the distrust of foreigners. Other times, trade barriers are set up to protect domestic businesses from international competition that could put them out of business.

There are three main types of trade barriers government uses. Undoubtedly, the most common one is the tariff. This is simply a tax imposed on an imported good or service for the purpose of raising government revenues. Another trade barrier is the limitation a government can put on the amount of an imported good allowed to enter a country. For example, a quota on the sale of a particular kind of foreign-made gun might limit the quantity to 10,000 per year. Then, there are other administrative trade barriers designed to limit imports. These may come in the forms of requiring imports to meet certain technical standards or bureaucratic rules, which may sometimes end up in effectively shutting out some imports from the domestic market. For example, the European Union (EU) has banned the importation of all animal meats in which steroids were used to stimulate growth. Although these last two trade barriers can be legitimate, they may be designed purely to protect domestic producers from international competition.

Without a doubt, trade barriers benefit domestic producers and their workers but hurt domestic consumers. Trade barriers restrict the supply of imports and drive up prices on imported products. As a result, more people are driven toward buying domestically-produced substitute goods. Of course, this is exactly what trade barriers are designed to do---restrict the sales of imports while stimulating sales for domestic firms.

Because domestic firms can now enjoy certain monopoly in the local markets and sell more of their substitute goods at higher prices, they can make more money. This profitability also creates more job security for their employees. However, the undesirable outcome is this: domestic consumers are the losers because any product they buy---whether the imported product or the domestic substitute---becomes more expensive for them now. Thus, trade barriers hurt consumers because the overall quantity, variety, and quality of products are lowered as a result of curtailing foreign competition.

Free trade, on the other hand, refers to the unencumbered flow of goods and services across national borders. That is, free trade is free from government intervention or other impediments that can block the flow of goods across borders. Virtually all economists are free trade advocates because they argue that over time, the benefits far outweigh the economic costs for a nation as a whole. According to them, the best way to address the concerns of domestic firms and their workers is not by imposing protectionist trade barriers. Instead, they believe that these displaced workers should be given further education or be provided the skill training necessary to smooth their transition into a line of work or business in which the nation has a comparative advantage in the market.

All developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, the countries of Western Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Estonia may be described as free market economies.

These countries have pursued outward-oriented economic policies and are able to enjoy high rates of economic growth. Whereas countries like North Korea, Cuba, Russia, and Argentina have followed some inward-oriented policies for many decades and, as a result, have not done well economically.

Still, some politicians may push inward-oriented economic policies in the name of promoting self-sufficiency, which would be like saying that every citizen would need to produce all the goods he or she consumes. To understand the folly of this policy, let’s use an example: If I buy meat from the butcher, then I get the meat and he gets my money. But if I raise a cow in my backyard for three years and slaughter it myself, then I have my meat plus my money.

So, why don’t I just keep a cow in my backyard? Because it would be a tremendous waste of time---time that I could have used to do something else far more productive. The point is, we trade with others because it frees up time and resources to do things that we are better at doing.

Most economists today believe that poor countries are better off pursuing outward-oriented policies that integrate into the world economy. For example, when a poor country exports rice and imports steel, it is as if it had invented a technology for turning wheat into steel. That country will, therefore, be able to experience the same kind of economic growth that would occur after a major technological advance.

When richer countries reduce trade restrictions on poor countries, the poor countries can get richer more quickly.

For example, when the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was passed by the U.S. government in 2000, it allowed many of Africa’s poorest countries to export textiles to the United States with little or no tariff. As a result, Madagascar’s textile export went up 120 percent, Malawi’s was up 1000 percent, Nigeria’s was up 1000 percent, and so on.

Indeed, free trade paves the way for poor countries to get richer. Export industries often pay higher wages than jobs elsewhere in the economy. But that is only the beginning. New export jobs create more competition for workers, which raises wages everywhere. Even rural incomes can go up, because there are fewer mouths to be fed from what can be grown on the land as more people leave rural areas for better opportunities elsewhere.

Trade lowers the costs of goods to consumers, which is the same as raising their incomes. When prices of goods are cheaper, consumers can afford to buy more and, therefore, enjoy a higher standard of living. On the other hand, trade barriers are a tax, albeit a hidden tax, which most consumers have no idea that the government is taking out of their pockets and giving it to the domestic firms. Or simply put, protectionism benefits domestic businesses and saves jobs in the short run but slows down economic growth in the long run, whereas free trade will go a long way toward alleviating poverty and taking us on a path to a thriving economy.

Readers may please note that, the contents of the articles published on this page do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

8

THurSDAY 17•12•2015

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

AAP, Cong demand Jaitley to quit New Delhi, December 16 (iANS): The AAP and the Congress on Wednesday separately asked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to resign over alleged wrongdoing in the Delhi cricket association which he once headed, even as the CBI denied again that it conducted searches at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office.

Jaitley, former chairman of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), rubbished the charges against him.

"What is the specific allegation? I can't answer vague allegations without any basis," Jaitley told the media.

Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party reiterated that the CBI did raid Kejriwal's office on Tuesday while targeting his Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar as it was looking for files related to the DDCA. Kejriwal tweeted that documents had indeed been seized from his office that were not linked to Rajendra Kumar.

He said CBI officials kept reading the DDCA file in his office. "They would have seized it. But after my media briefing, they left it. Not clear if they took a copy."

Kejriwal added: "Finance minister lied in parliament... Why is Jaitleyji

'Cannot reply to vague allegations' New Delhi, December 16 (PTi): Reacting to the corruption charges against him by the Aam Aadmi Party leaders in DDCA and the demand for his resignation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that the Delhi government cannot deflect the issue without any basis.

On being asked to respond on the corruption charges made against him by Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after the CBI raid at his Principal secretary office, Jaitley said, “I can reply if they (AAP) can tell me specific issue. I cannot reply to vague allegations.”

“State government and the party which is in the dock for having supported corruption and having interfered in the probe in this manner cannot deflect the issue without any basis,” Jaitley added.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal claimed so scared of DDCA probe?

What is his role in DDCA scam?"

The CBI spokesperson countered that Kejriwal's office was neither searched nor sealed, and whatever was taken away was related to corruption allegations against Rajendra Kumar.

"This information is being spread by certain quarters since yesterday to discredit the agency with intent to obstruct the investigation," the spokesperson said.

Deputy Chief Minister and Kejriwal confidant

Manish Sisodia demanded to know why the CBI seized the records of file movements of NovemberDecember this year if the agency was probing Rajendra Kumar's doings from 2007 to 2014.

"I want to categorically say that it was CM's office where the raid was conducted, DDCA files were looked into," Sisodia said.

The alleged search of Kejriwal's office rocked parliament for a second day, with Trinamool Congress members taking the lead.

Trinamool's Sudip

Bandhopadhyay said the CBI should be renamed "GBI" -- Gujarat Bureau of Investigation.

As AAP's most vocal Lok Sabha member, Bhagwant Mann raised slogans near Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's podium, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood up and offered him a glass of water.

Ignoring the CBI denials, AAP leader Sanjay Singh insisted that the CBI did search Kejriwal's office and said Jaitley was involved in the what he claimed were huge financial bunglings in

that file relating to DDCA was scrutinised and filed containing “cabinet decisions” was seized during CBI’s daylong raid on Tuesday. Kejriwal also launched a fresh attack on Jaitley, saying he had “misled” Parliament by saying that the CBI did not raid the Chief Minister’s office. The Congress today joined the chorus demanding Jaitley to resign after Kejriwal made his allegations. Flanked by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, party leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge senior spokesman Ajay Maken also sought setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the issue.

“Congress demands that pending the completion of inquiry through a JPC, Arun Jaitley step down, failing which the Prime Minister should sack him,” Maken said at a press conference.

the DDCA. He said the AAP would make public the documents related to DDCA on Thursday. The Congress demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the alleged financial irregularities during Jaitley's tenure as the DDCA chief.

Calling the Delhi government's threat to probe the charges as empty rhetoric, it said Jaitley should resign from the government until the JPC finished its probe.

The Congress listed

numerous alleged wrongdoings which it said took place during Jaitley's tenure as DDCA chief from 1999 to 2013.

Meanwhile, social activist Anna Hazare questioned the CBI's raid but said Kejriwal should have checked officer Rajendra Kumar's background before appointing him as his principal secretary.

"From the beginning Arvind has been fighting corruption. I have always told him that 'you should have people with strong character around you'."

Dec 16 gangrape victim's mother takes her name in public New Delhi, December 16 (PTi): In a brave homage to her daughter, the mother of the December 16 gangrape victim today took her name in public, and said people who commit heinous crimes like rape should hang their heads in shame and not the victims or their families. The 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally sexually assaulted on the ill-fated night of December 16 three years ago, and died 13 days later, triggering a massive public outrage. Among many, her spirit continued to live, and in tribute she was given the name 'Nirbhaya' or brave heart.

But, today on the third anniversary of the infamous incident that shocked the entire world, the victim's mother Asha Devi, in a display of extraordinary courage, took her daughter's name in public. "My daughter's name was Jyoti Singh and I am not ashamed to name her. Those who commit heinous crimes like rape, their heads should hang in shame, not the victims or their families. You should take her name too," she said at 'Nirbhaya Chetna Diwas' here, a public event organised by women's and citizens groups at the Jantar Mantar to mark the anniversary.

The parents of the girl, Asha Devi and Badri Singh Pandey also demanded that juvenile convict, allegedly the most brutal" of the six offenders, and scheduled to be released on December 20, should not be released, citing he was a threat to the city.

"On the third death anniversary of our death, we are seeing the release of the juvenile convict. Where is justice in that? I do not know whether he is 16 or 18. I only know that he has committed a brutal crime and there should be no age limit for punishment," Asha said.

She also put forth four demands from a public platform that the five accused including the juvenile convict should be sentenced to death, fast-track courts be set up in all the courts to offer speedy justice to sexual assault victims, amendments to the Juveniles Justice Act be passed and utilisation of Nirbhaya Fund for setting up high quality forensic labs in all states.

Celebrities like Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Delhi Congress chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee, and various women's groups had gathered at the Jantar Mantar to pay homage to the girl and agreed that it was the certainty of justice which can bring about a change.

PAN mandatory in hotel bill PIL in HC against govt's 'blacklists' Delhi, December 16 (PTi): ed that such petitions would give rise to payments, foreign travel tickets New A PIL was today moved in the Delhi High "communal overtones". The ASG and

New Delhi, December 16 (iANS): The government on Wednesday announced mandatory quoting of income tax permanent account number (PAN) for payment of hotel bills and buying of foreign travel tickets costing Rs.50,000 and above. PAN would also be mandatory for cash payments of more than Rs.50,000 for cash cards or prepaid instruments, as well as for acquiring shares in unlisted companies for Rs.1 lakh and above. The new norms aimed to curb domestic black money generation will be effective from January 1, 2016, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia told reporters here.

Furnishing of PAN for post office deposits of over Rs.50,000 has been dispensed with to facilitate small investors. Adhia said PAN has been mandatory for opening all bank accounts, except Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts. He said on purchase of jewellery or bullion, major sources of generation of black money, PAN would be required if the sum involved is Rs.2 lakh per transaction. Currently, it is mandatory for transaction of Rs.5 lakh and above.

PAN will also be mandatory on purchase of immovable property of Rs.10 lakh and above. Non-luxury cash transactions of Rs.2 lakh will also require submission of PAN details. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told parliament on Tuesday that the government had made PAN mandatory for cash transactions of Rs.2,00,000 and above. An official notification in this regard would be issued shortly, he told the Lok Sabha while presenting his ministry's supplementary demand for grants.

Indian-American's 'Super Condom' Can Help Combat AIDS hOUSTON, December 16 (PTi): Aiming to increase global use of condoms as a way to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS, researchers including an Indian-American professor have developed a new non-latex condom which contains antioxidants and can kill the deadly virus even after breaking.

Mahua Choudhery and her team of researchers at Texas A&M University have come up with the hydrogel condom which could help in the global fight against HIV. The condom is made of an elastic polymer called hydrogel, and includes plant-based antioxidants that have anti-HIV properties.

"We are not only making a novel material for condoms to prevent the HIV infection, but we are also aiming to eradicate this infection if possible," Choudhury, assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center's Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, said. "Supercondom could help fight against HIV infection and may as well prevent unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases and If we succeed, it will revolutionise the HIV prevention initiative," said Ms Choudhury, the lead researcher. Ms Choudhury, who studied Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Genetics in India before getting her PhD in the US, has been researching diabetes and the obesity epidemic.

She was one of 54 people awarded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Grand Challenge in Global Health" grant. This year's initiative asked winning recipients to create an affordable, latex-free condom to help battle the HIV epidemic, which is currently affecting 35 million people in the world. "If you can make it really affordable, and really appealing, it could be a life-saving thing," Ms Choudhury said. The condom material already exists as a water-based hydrogel for medical purposes such as contact lenses, researchers said.

In addition to protecting against STDs and pregnancy, researchers enmeshed in the hydrogel design the antioxidant quercetin, which can prevent the replication of HIV and if the condom breaks, the quercetin would be released for additional protection. Researchers hope the condom will enjoy greater use and have a stronger effect at preventing the spread of HIV as the new design is more comfortable and also heightens sexual pleasure.

The condom has already been created and now the only thing keeping it from going to market is an approval on its patent application.

Court challenging the constitutional validity of 'blacklists' maintained by the Centre since 1984 which contain names of some NRIs and persons of Indian origin who have been denied entry into the country on national security grounds.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath after hearing arguments of the government and the petitioner, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, listed the matter for orders on January 8. The committee has contended that most of the persons named in the lists are Sikhs and thus the government's action was confined to a particular community.

Additional Solicitor General, Sanjay Jain denied the allegation and contend-

central government standing counsel Anil Soni questioned how the committee can champion the cause of those people who due to their antecedents may not be conducive to the security of the country.

The bench was also provided the process followed by the government while reviewing these lists to add and delete names from it. The committee in its plea has alleged that the blacklists are "unconstitutional, illegal and arbitrary", as there was no legal sanctity attached to them and there is no law or policy for providing any legal system for preparing such lists. Persons affected are not even given an opportunity to be heard, the petition contended and sought that these people be allowed to enter the country.

ISRO’s control room during the successful launching of six Singapore satellites onboard PSLV-C29 which blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, about 110 km from Chennai, at 6 pm on December 16. It is the landmark 50th space mission conducted by ISRO. (Doordashan TV Grab)

Prepare procedure, SC to Centre on judges appointment New Delhi, De cember 16 (iANS): The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the government to prepare a memorandum of procedure that would be followed by the apex court collegium in the appointment of judges to higher judiciary.

Pronouncing the order, the constitution bench headed by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar said the government will prepare the memorandum of procedure in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) who in turn will undertake the exercise with

the unanimous opinion of the five-member collegium.

"The government of India may finalise the existing memorandum of procedure by supplementing it in consultation with the CJI," said the bench also comprising Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.

The order said the CJI will take a decision (on MoP) based on the unanimous view of the collegium comprising the four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court.

The collegium consists of the CJI and the four seniormost judges immediately following him. While specifically saying that the MoP would spell the eligibility criteria, transparency in the appointment of judges, setting up of secretariat, and method of dealing with complaints, the court said the MoP may also provide for any other matter considered appropriate for ensuring transparency and accountability including interaction with the recommendees by the collegium of the Supreme Court.

However, in a note of caution, the court said it

would be "without sacrificing the confidentiality of the appointment process".

The court said the MoP may indicate the eligibility criteria including the minimum age for appointment of judges, after inviting and considering the views of the state or the central government depending on the court to which appointment was being made from time to time.

The eligibility criteria and the procedure as would be spelt out in the MoP for the appointment of judges ought to be made available on the website of the concerned court and

on the website of the law ministry. The apex court further said the MoP may also provide for an appropriate procedure for minuting the discussion (maintaining the minutes) including "recording the dissenting opinion of the judges in the collegium while making provision for the confidentiality of the minutes consistent with the requirement of transparency in the system of appointment of judges".

The court favoured having a secretariat both in the apex court and the high courts prescribing its "functions, duties and re-

sponsibilities". It would be for the better management of the system of appointment of judges. The MoP, the court said, may provide for an appropriate mechanism and procedure for dealing with complaints against anyone who is being considered for appointment as a judge.

The court made it clear that the guidelines were only broad suggestions for consideration and supplementing the MoP for the faithful implementation of the principles laid down in the second judges case (1993) and the third judges case (1998).

Forgot car key again? Check for early signs of Dementia New Delhi, December 16 (iANS): When 36-year-old Latha could not any more take the embarrassment of daily episodes of forgetfulness - recalling where she kept her money or forgot to pick up children from school she finally decided to visit a good neurologist.

Blamed by her family for being irritable and short tempered at times, she was later diagnosed with early signs of dementia -- a chronic syndrome characterised by a slow decline in memory, personality and overall functioning of an individual and on the rise among young Indians.

"There is a definitive surge in the number of young Indians diagnosed with dementia at an early age. Depression is setting at a young age in Indians which results in less interest in work and disturbance in the food and sleep patterns leading to memory decline," Dr. Mohinish Bhatjiwale, director (neurosurgery and neurosciences) at Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital in Mumbai, told IANS in an email. Dr. Atul

Prasad, director and senior consultant (neurology) at BLK Super Specialty Hospital in New Delhi, agreed: "Yes there is a surge in young patients - both men and women with memory-related problems."

Latha, who often complained about fatigue, poor memory and feeling low, was prescribed a small mood stabiliser dose by Dr Prasad along with some lifestyle changes. Within weeks, her mood swings improved and in a span of six months, there were no further complaints of memory disturbances.

According to Dr. Sunil Mittal, director at Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (CIMBS), in New Delhi, many factors contribute towards dementia, some being genetic, others environmental. "While we have little control over our genetic predisposition, what we certainly can do is to make the best of what we have in our hands," Mittal told IANS. A recent US study found that women who reported problems

with their memory were 70 percent more likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia decades later. Normal memory problems include taking several minutes to recall where the car is parked, forgetting to call a friend back, putting things down and being unable to find them soon after or forgetting the name of someone you have just met. "Stress, grief and lack of sleep can also affect memory, as can trying to do too many things at once," said the authors in the journal Neurology.

Dementia, however, is not a specific disease. It is an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of such cases.

If you have symptoms like finding multi-tasking increasingly difficult, problems negotiating familiar places, such as you regularly can't find your ve-

hicle in the car park, forgetting the names of close relatives and friends or problem in recognising faces, colours, shapes and the like, it needs to be attended.

"It is important to detect early signs of mild cognitive impairment which can be a red flag for onset of dementia. Once detected, to prevent progression of dementia is also important," Mittal noted.

Keeping the mind active with attention enhancing tasks and cognitive tasks goes a long way in preventing dementia. Leading a healthy lifestyle with balanced diet, moderate exercise and healthy coping with stress can go a long way in preventing dementia. "Certain other medical conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and stroke can also be risk factors for dementia," Mittal stressed, adding: "Therefore, it is extremely important to keep them under check with regular follow-up and proper treatment."

"After all, a healthy mind and healthy body go hand-in-hand,"

he said. "Children are affected more owing to parental conflict at home and emotional disturbance which renders them emotionally dry. It is extremely important to have a mix of positive environment, emotions and lifestyle to develop a strong and long-lasting memory," Bhatjiwale suggested.

Can singing improve memory in youngsters already diagnosed with early stages of dementia?

"Participating in musical activities can help individuals with dementia boost their self esteem and prevent social isolation. Musical tasks can be a healthy exercise for the mind while being a pleasant and enjoyable experience at the same time," explained Dr. Shobhana Mittal, a consultant psychiatrist at CIMBS. The mind is like your body and it is up to you how much you make it work. "Playing Sudoku, Bridge and other such mind-related games helps sharpen your mind and memory," advised Dr. Rajshekhar Reddi, a leading neurologist from Max Hospitals.

ThursdaY 17•12•2015

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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Myanmar: Chinese jade miners in overdrive ahead of new govt HPAKANT, December 16 (reuTers): Using heavy earth-excavators and explosives, miners have been tearing into Myanmar’s northern hills in recent months, in a rush to excavate more jade from the world’s richest deposits of the gemstone before a new government takes office next year.

Acres of forest have been felled, leaving behind craters, barren cliffs and a web of dirt tracks in the once-picturesque Kachin hills as the Chinese firms that dominate the jade business step up mining and aggressively seek new concessions.

They are anticipating the multi-billion dollar industry could change once Aung San Suu Kyi’s election-winning National League for Democracy (NLD) party takes office with a promise of clean governance, those in the trade say.

The NLD has said it will bring in rules and competition and crack down on rampant smuggling that deprives the government of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, but sceptics doubt it will be able to do much in the remote, rebel-infested region.

Nay Win Tun, a flamboyant lawmaker and heavyweight in the jade trade with close links to the Myanmar military, says the Chinese have been flooding the trade with cash and equipment, ramping up production and taking over local miners.

“Right now, the market is being ruined by China,” he said in a rare interview at one of his mines near

Hpakant, dressed in an orange shirt, sunglasses and a cowboy hat, and surrounded by a uniformed entourage.

“Chinese companies tried to do a joint venture with my company,” added Nay Win Tun. As he spoke, one of his attendants stooped down and tied his shoe-laces.

“I didn’t accept because they’re asking for a share of profit that’s too much.”

About 600 jade mining firms operate on 20,000 acres around the town of Hpakant, but activity is dominated by about 10 firms, among them mostly Chinese-led ventures, according to Ye Htut, the deputy head of Myanmar Gems Enterprise, a department of the Ministry of Mines.

“We are worried about the political changes in the coming months,” said Eik Yin, a site manager for Triple One Company, a China-Myanmar joint venture in Hpakant. But he declined to comment whether this was leading to ramped up production.

Because of the steppedup extractions, thousands of ethnic villagers are being forced off their land. Scavengers, or “handpickers” who in their thousands scour mountains of loose earth and rubble for nuggets of jade, are sometimes buried alive, including 114 killed in a landslide last month.

Many of the scavengers are addicted to narcotics.

EARTHMOVERS Aung Ko Oo, director of the locally-owned Thukha Yadana mining company, said mainland Chinese firms had stepped up activ-

Instead of jade, scavengers find heroin and destitution

Dump trucks load with soil at the Hpakant jade mine at Kachin state November 26, 2015. (REUTERS Photo)

ity since the start of the year.

“Mostly they came in by joint venture with local (ethnic) Chinese companies,” he said. “Our firms have already sold two sixacres sites to the Chinese.

We need money.”

Myanmar miners say they cannot stand up to Chinese tycoons who buy influence and invest in modern heavy machinery like Caterpillar and Komatsu earth-excavators. Processions of giant trucks, with eight-foot high wheels, are a common sight in the area and all belong to Chinese firms.

These firms have successfully cornered the market, selling directly to visiting Chinese buyers they are already familiar with, according to traders who spoke to Reuters.

A Myanmar Gems Enterprise official said Chi-

nese firms had co-opted local army commanders to secure mining concessions on their behalf, knowing they were too powerful for the local government to refuse them.

“The military officers already have deals with the Chinese companies to transfer the sites to them,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“They don’t change the name of ownership sometimes. No one dares to touch (these) sites.”

Military officials were not immediately available for comment, and Zaw Htay, a senior official in the president’s office, declined comment.

Much of the jade is being smuggled into China each year, locals say. Jade is a status symbol in China widely believed to bring fortune, wealth and longevity.

According to official data, China - the world’s biggest jade market - imported only about $540 million of Myanmar jade in the first nine months of this year. Global Witness, a non-governmental organisation, estimated the value of Myanmar’s jade production at $31 billion in 2014.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was unaware of any allegations of Chinese companies’ involvement in jade smuggling, but added the country was opposed to such illegal activities.

A regional police official in Hpakant said hundreds of trucks were concealed in the Kachin jungles, a few of which operated each night to transport undeclared jade rocks from Hpakant towards the China border.

“At night, there are nine

or 10 trucks moving,” the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Since it’s an army dominated area, the Chinese work together with the army to move trucks to Hpakant.”

In its election manifesto, the NLD led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi pledged closer scrutiny of investments when it replaces the current government early next year. But given the military’s political power and vast network of business and influence, it may be impossible to police the jade industry.

“Even this government can’t control this region because of the military’s domination,” said Eik Yin, the manager for Triple One. “Until now, Aung San Suu Kyi hasn’t been able to influence the military, so I don’t think an NLD government can either.”

YANGON, December 16 (reuTers): Unsuccessful jade scavengers in Myanmar seeking to assuage their despair are swelling a tide of drug abuse in Kachin state that presents a challenge for the untested government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi after its landslide election win.

Narcotics addiction is rife among the gem scavengers or “handpickers” who flock to the northern township of Hpakant, producer of some of the world’s highest quality jade, in hopes of finding lumps of the precious stone overlooked by big miners.

But the gems elude many of them. Some start using heroin to help survive the harsh working conditions and others even contract HIV. “I do want to quit drugs at the moment,” said 25-year old Phyo Nyi, who was introduced to drug use by a friend five years ago. “If I can quit this, I am going to find gemstones. That’s what I want to do.”

Activists worry about the growing number of serious drug users, especially the young, and say the Myanmar authorities lack the will to tackle the issue. “The authorities are saying there are no more drugs in Kachin state,” said Naung Latt, a member of the region’s Anti-Drug Action Group. “But all young persons are drug victims now.

Most of the state school students above grade six are using drugs and some are injecting themselves.”

A presidential spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the issue. Resolving the issue will be a thorny task for the government led by Suu Kyi, whose party election manifesto made only two fleeting references to narcotics.. Even under an NLD government, the military will retain formal control over the ministries of defence, border affairs and home affairs - all crucial to counter-narcotics efforts.

Most drugs are produced in border areas controlled by ethnic rebel armies or by the Myanmar military and allied militias. The boom in Hpakant’s population coincided with an exponential rise in opium production in Myanmar, the world’s second-largest producer after Afghanistan.

Heroin, an opium derivative, is cheap and widely available in Kachin State, and Hpakant’s workforce seems to run on it. Myanmar produced an estimated 647 tons of opium in 2015, second only to Afghanistan, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Tuesday.

That figure was steady from the previous year, as was the total area under opium poppy cultivation, which stood at 55,500 hectares in 2015, the UNODC said. Aid workers say their effort to rein in disease includes hiring drug users to earn a few dollars by collecting used syringes in a disposable box. “Before, I thought only people of Kachin and Shan ethnicity were using drugs,” said activist Naung Latt. “But there are now many people who come from different parts of the country, using drugs and losing their lives.”

NKorea sentences Canadian Elected heads of United Nations formally kicks off pastor to hard labour for life govt at greater early race for its next secretary-general seOuL, December 16 (reuTers): 15 years of hard labour but released him last death risk: Study uNITeD NATIONs, De- General Assembly - U.S. Am- selection of previous SecreNorth Korea’s highest court has sentenced year after holding him for two years.

a South Korea-born Canadian pastor to hard labour for life for subversion, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

Hyeon Soo Lim, the head pastor at a Toronto church that is one of Canada’s largest, has been held by North Korea since February. Earlier this year, he had appeared on North Korean state media confessing to crimes against the state.

North Korea’s supreme court said Lim had attempted to overthrow the North Korean government and undermine its social system with “religious activities” for the past 18 years, Xinhua reported.

The court held that he fabricated antiNorth Korean propaganda as part of a U.S. and South Korean-led “human rights racket” against the country, according to Xinhua. The court said Lim confessed to helping people defect from North Korea, and said he had met the U.S. ambassador to Mongolia regarding the plans, Xinhua reported.

Most North Korean defectors fleeing the isolated, repressive country travel to South Korea via China and Southeast Asia, although it is possible to defect via Mongolia.

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency has not reported on the court’s decision.

North Korea has previously sentenced a Korean-American missionary, Kenneth Bae, to

In July, Lim appeared at a news conference in North Korea and confessed that he had travelled to the country on the pretext of humanitarian work and gathered information that he used in sermons outside the country to drive the regime to a collapse “with the love of God.” His church, the 3,000-member Light Korean Presbyterian Church, has said Lim had visited the North more than 100 times since 1997 and has helped establish an orphanage and a nursing home there. Lim has lived in Canada since 1986 and is a Canadian citizen. His church said in March that Lim, who was 60 at the time, has “a very serious health problem, very high blood pressure, he’s on a prescription, and his family is anxious to send medicine.”

Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years. Last year, Pyongyang released three detained Americans including Bae and another man who had left a copy of the Bible at a club. It freed a South Korean national with a U.S. green card in October this year after holding him for six months. In June, the North’s highest court sentenced two South Koreans accused of spying for Seoul to hard labour for life. The pair are among three South Koreans known to held by the North.

NeW YOrK, December 16 (IANs): Winning the battle of ballot may have its own pitfalls as a new study led by an Indian-origin researcher has found that politicians elected to lead a country’s government may experience premature death.

After adjusting for life expectancy at time of last election, the research team found that elected leaders lived 2.7 fewer years and experienced a 23 percent greater risk of death compared to runnersup. “This suggests that the stress of governing may substantially accelerate mortality for our elected leaders,” said Anupam Jena, associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

“By comparing the lifespans of elected leaders with runners-up, we were able to calculate the mortality cost of winning elections and serving as head of state,” co-author Andrew Olenski from Harvard Medical School noted.

The researchers compared 279 nationally elected leaders from 17 countries to 261 unelected candidates who never served in office. The study group was made up of candidates in elections that took place from 1722 to 2015.

The researchers determined the number of years each competitor lived after the last election that they ran in, and compared the results to the average life span for an individual of the same age and sex as the candidate during the year of the election. The results were published in The BMJ (British Medical Journal).

cember 16 (reuTers): The United Nations formally kicked off the race for the next secretary-general on Tuesday and the world body’s 193 members were encouraged to consider putting forward a woman for the top job that has been held by a man for the past 70 years.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, is due to step down at the end of 2016 after serving two fiveyear terms. The job customarily rotates between regions, with Eastern Europe next on the list.

The 15-member Security Council, including veto powers China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France, traditionally considers an undisclosed list behind closed doors and recommends a candidate to be elected by the General Assembly.

In a bid to boost transparency, the presidents of the Security Council and the

bassador Samantha Power and Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark - sent a letter on Tuesday to U.N. member states to begin the search for Ban’s replacement by outlining the process and soliciting candidates.

“Convinced of the need to guarantee equal opportunities for women and men in gaining access to senior decision-making positions, Member States are encouraged to consider presenting women, as well as men, as candidates,” they wrote.

The General Assembly requested such a letter be sent when it adopted a resolution on the issue in September.

“This fires the starting gun for the race to be the next secretary-general,” said British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who helped draft the letter, adding that it brought gender equality, transparency and clarity to the process.

The letter simply notes “the regional diversity in the

taries-General.”

U.N. officials say they hope a list of candidates will be completed by March. The letter said contenders will have the opportunity to meet informally with member states and that the Security Council will begin its selection process in July.

Lykketoft said so far two candidates had been put forward for selection - former U.N. General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim of Macedonia and Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic.

“We invite candidates to be presented with proven leadership and managerial abilities, extensive experience in international relations and strong diplomatic, communication and multilingual skills,” said Power and Lykketoft in the letter.

They asked states to present candidates to them in a letter, which would then be circulated to the 193 U.N. members.

A year on, Pakistan massacre survivors say waiting for aid, justice PesHAWAr, December 16 (reuTers): Families of children killed or wounded in Pakistan’s worst militant attack accuse the local government of breaking its promises of medical treatment and justice, a year after Taliban gunmen massacred 134 students in a Peshawar school.

Victims’ relatives say they will attend the official anniversary commemoration on Wednesday, but vowed to pressure the authorities to deliver on their commitments.

The government promised it would help with medical expenses above an initial Rs400,000 ($3,800) grant, but only 22 of approximately 60 families who applied have received any funds, said Akbar Khan, who represents 124 families of those wounded.

“There are many children who were disfigured, or crippled, who need con-

tinuous long-term treatment. And above all, they need psychological rehabilitation,” said Khan, whose 17-year-old son Umar was shot in his left arm during the attack.

Muhammad Ibrahim, a provincial health official in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of which Peshawar is the capital, said not all funds had been disbursed because of delays in families submitting receipts for the money they spent.

Khan is among the parents who have also asked the government to facilitate treatment of their children abroad, as it said it would, but have not heard back.

“I have been shot twice in my arm. I have had three or four surgeries, but still need further treatment.

And we cannot get that treatment in Pakistan,” said Syed Ansar Ali Shah, 16, who has a metal plate holding his left hand together.

According to Khan, just two children, Ahmed Nawaz and Ibrahim Afridi, had received government assistance for treatment abroad so far.

Ibrahim disputed the figure, saying at least six people had been sent overseas with government funding.

ASKING FOR MONEY BACK The provincial health department is now demanding that the unspent portion of the Rs400,000 grant people received be returned, some families of the wounded say.

“These parents say that their children are not recovered: they cannot sleep, they cannot move properly, and some of them even have bullets still lodged in them,” said Akbar Khan.

Health official Ibrahim confirmed that some families had been asked to return funds they had not used.

Azhar Mehmood, 15, was shot four times and has difficulty walking. He still attends the Army Public School where the massacre occurred, but says months of surgery have adversely affected his education.

Mehmood was among several students who complained that the government broke a promise to delay board exams for those children wounded in the attack.

As a result, they say, they have lost a year of study.

“I was shot in both my hands, and I wasn’t able to write (the exam). I was in hospital at that time. When the exams started, my hands were both in plas- Shahana Ajoon, mother of Asfand Khan, sits beside a picture of her son in Peshawar, ter,” said Obaid Sajid, 16, Pakistan December 11, 2015. (REUTERS Photo) On Dec. 2, Pakistan 15-year-old son was killed, en into confidence. We who has to repeat the ninth hanged four men tried in said she had no faith in the should have been shown grade. secret military courts for investigation, because it why these were the people JUSTICE FEELS ELUSIVE their involvement in the took place behind closed who were the culprits,” said For the families of the massacre. All four were doors and no evidence was burqa-clad Ajoon, who sobbed while speaking of 134 pupils and 16 staff said to have confessed to made public.

“We do not know who her son. members who were killed, facilitating the attack, the Ajoon and her husband the primary concern is that military said in a statement. those people were. We Shahana Ajoon, whose should have been tak- run an organisation that justice is done.

provides support to parents of the 134 slain students.

Many members said they were still traumatised by events a year ago.

Among them is Aurangzeb Khan, whose 16-yearold son Hassan was killed during the attack.

Khan has left his son’s bedroom untouched since the day of the attack. He quit his job months ago, and now spends most of his time either in the room or in a shed that he converted into a shrine to Hassan.

As he speaks, he holds a medal in his hands, a tribute to his son given by the government earlier this year, blackened over time.

The medal, he says, is a symbol of the authorities’ attitude.

“They use my taxes to clean their jeeps, wearing nice uniforms, eating good food. Look at their houses.

(The army) are making merry in their bases, and look at us,” he said.

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ThursDAY 17•12•2015

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Platini will not attend FIFA ICC Test rankings: Ashwin, Jadeja in top 5 ethics committee hearing PARIS, DecembeR 16 (ReuteRS): Suspended European soccer chief Michel Platini will not attend Friday's FIFA ethics committee hearing in protest at what he condemns as a political process designed to prevent him running to lead the world governing body, his lawyers said on Wednesday.

Platini was provisionally suspended for 90 days on Oct. 8, alongside outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter, over a suspicious payment from FIFA to Platini, deepening a corruption scandal that has engulfed soccer's ruling body.

The ethics panel is set to rule on their cases, and could impose much longer bans than the provisional suspensions if it finds the men guilty of violations.

Blatter is due to appear on Thursday. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Platini's lawyers objected to comments in French newspaper L'Equipe by ethics committee spokesman Andreas Bantel that the former France captain would be sidelined for "several years".

"Michel Platini ... has decided not to attend his hearing at the FIFA ethics committee on Dec. 18, 2015, as the verdict of this ethics committee has been announced in the press last weekend by one of its spokespersons, Mr An-

dreas Bantel, in disregard of all fundamental rights, starting with the presumption of innocence," the lawyers said in a statement.

By his decision to boycott the hearing Platini "intends to show his deepest indignation towards a process which he considers as uniquely political and designed to prevent him from putting himself forward for the FIFA presidency," the lawyers said in their statement.

FIFA said they noted Platini's decision but his lawyers were still welcome to attend the hearing, which would be handled in "an unbiased manner".

"Mr Platini would miss the opportunity to present his points of view vis-a-vis the adjudicatory chamber in

person," FIFA's ethics committee said in a statement.

"However, his legal representatives would be fully able to present his case at the hearing."

It added: "We would like to clearly stress that the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee will deal with the present case in the same way as with any other procedure independently and in an unbiased manner."

Platini, who has been head of European soccer's governing body UEFA since 2002, had registered as a candidate to replace Blatter in a vote on Feb. 26.

He had been seen as a frontrunner for the job before he was suspended as part of an investigation into the payment of 2 million

Chelsea board 'considers Mourinho future': reports LonDon, DecembeR 16 (AFP): Jose Mourinho's future as Chelsea manager is in suspense over his failure to lift the team out of their alarming slump, according to British press reports on Wednesday.

The Daily Mail said that the Chelsea board was due to meet to discuss Mourinho's position on Wednesday, while the Daily Telegraph claimed the club's hierarchy was drawing up a list of potential replacements.

Premier League champions last season, Chelsea are currently just a point above the relegation zone after losing nine of their 16 matches to date. They have, however, reached the Champions League last 16.

Reports suggest it would cost Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich between £10 million ($15 million, 13.7 million euros) and £40 million to sack Mourinho for a second time, having previously dismissed the Portuguese in 2007.

Mourinho signed a new four-year contract in August. Chelsea gave him a public vote of confidence in October,

but there has been no official communication from the club on his position since then.

Mourinho, whose side host Sunderland in the league on Saturday, was expected to take training as usual at the club's training ground in Cobham, 17 miles (27 kilometres) southwest of London, on Wednesday.

Several newspapers, including The Sun, reported that Chelsea's players were angered by Mourinho's claim that they had "betrayed" his work following Monday's 2-1 defeat at league leaders Leicester City.

But midfielder Cesc Fabregas says that it is the players' responsibility to haul the club out of their current predicament.

"We all have to take responsibility," Fabregas said in a Facebook interview.

"If you are a big player and you are paid like a big player, you must play like a big player and behave like a big player.

"We can bounce back, 100 percent.

There is enough time to achieve it, but we must start now. It is up to us."

Swiss francs ($2 million) he received from FIFA in 2011 for work he completed between 1998 and 2002.

Last Friday, he failed in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the suspension lifted, meaning he was unable to attend Saturday's draw for the Euro 2016 Championship in France.

FIFA is suffering the worst corruption scandal in its more than 100 years of existence, drawing in top officials and triggering investigations by U.S. and Swiss authorities.

Blatter said in a letter on Tuesday that the ethics committee's investigation was "tendentious and dangerous", adding: "This trial reminds me of the Inquisition."

DubAI, DecembeR 16 (PtI): Ravichandran Ashwin held on to his top spot, while Ravindra Jadeja rose a rung to be fifth in the all-rounders' chart of the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Tuesday.

However, no Indian found a place in the top-10 of batsmen's rankings even though Ashwin (2nd) and Jadeja (8th) represented the country in the bowlers' list.

Elsewhere, Kane Williamson stood just two steps away from the top spot in the rankings for Test batsmen, which were released after the conclusion of the Dunedin and Hobart Tests.

Williamson has earned the rise to third place, just three points off South Africa's AB de Villiers, thanks to two consistent knocks of 88 and 71, helping New Zealand extend its winning streak to 12 home Test victories in a row, after they beat Sri Lanka by 122 runs.

Williamson's team-mate Martin Guptill has jumped up a remarkable 18 places, after scoring 156 and 46.

Guptill was rewarded with only his second man of the match award in Tests.

Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum has moved up two places to 17th, while his Sri Lanka opposite number Angelo Matthews has marked the visiting side's presence in the top 10 batsman rankings, down one place to seventh.

Over in Hobart, Australia skipper Steven Smith has tumbled three places to fourth and he is now just 11 points ahead of his team-mate David Warner.

But there was better news for Adam Voges who led the charge for Australia with a first innings doublecentury. Voges' knock has vaulted him 19 places to a career-high 15th place in the latest rankings.

Shaun Marsh supported Voges ably, scoring 182, and together the pair added a sixth-highest all time partnership of 449 runs. In the process, Marsh has risen 17 spots to a

sportswear giant Adidas hinted for the first time on Wednesday at the possibility of cutting links with FIFA in the wake of the corruption allegations dogging the bidding process for the 2006 World Cup. "If FIFA succeeds in reforming itself -- and in my view they're making good progress here -- then we will continue," Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer told the business daily Handelsblatt.

Adidas has sponsored FIFA for more than 40 years and the

house in order, "we will have to think about what the alternatives are," Hainer said.

German football has been engulfed by claims that a 6.7 million euro ($7.2 million) payment to FIFA was used to purchase the votes of four members of FIFA's executive committee in 2000 -- days before Germany narrowly won the right to host the 2006 finals.

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has been suspended by the organisation he has headed for 17

iCC TEsT plAyER RAnKings (as on December 15) Batsmen Rank (+/-) player Team pts Avge hs Ranking 1 ( - ) Joe Root Eng 886 54.90 917 v Aus at Trent Bridge 2015 2 (+1) AB de Villiers SA 881 51.39 935 v Aus at Port Elizabeth 2014 3 (+1) K. Williamson NZ 878 49.16 893 v Aus at Perth 2015 4 (-3) Steven Smith Aus 874 54.61 936 v Eng at Lord's 2015 5 ( - ) David Warner Aus 863 50.64 880 v NZ at Perth 2015 6 (+1) Younus Khan Pak 826 53.94 880 v SL at Lahore 2009 7 (-1) A. Mathews SL 814 50.46 877 v NZ at Christchurch 2014 8 ( - ) Hashim Amla SA 810 50.64 907 v Pak at Abu Dhabi 2013 9 ( - ) Alastair Cook Eng 803 47.47 874 v Ind at Kolkata 2012 10 (+1) Misbah-ul-Haq Pak 764 48.89 842 v NZ at Abu Dhabi 2014 Bowlers Rank (+/-) player Team pts Avge hs Ranking 1 ( - ) Dale Steyn SA 875 22.56 909 v WI at Centurion 2014 2 ( - ) R Ashwin Ind 871! 25.39 871 v SA at Delhi 2015 3= ( - ) J Anderson Eng 846 28.96 847 v WI at Barbados 2015 ( - ) Yasir Shah Pak 846*! 24.17 846 v Eng at Sharjah 2015 5 ( - ) Stuart Broad Eng 840 29.12 852 v Aus at Trent Bridge 2015 6 ( - ) Trent Boult NZ 803 28.10 825 v Eng at Lord's 2015 7 (+4) J Hazlewood Aus 792*! 22.65 792 v WI at Hobart 2015 8 (-1) R Jadeja Ind 789*! 23.76 789 v SA at Delhi 2015 9 ( - ) V Philander SA 746 22.08 912 v Ind at Johannesburg 2013 10 (-2) R Herath SL 739 29.66 851 v Pak at Colombo (SSC) 2014

tions of corruption.

While a number of other major sponsors, such as Coca-Cola and VISA, have called on Blatter to go, Adidas has so far taken a more conciliatory tone. Hainer's comments to the Handelsblatt are the first time he has hinted at rupturing ties with FIFA. He rejected suggestions that Adidas might have known about the shady wheelings and dealings going on within FIFA. "Noone can claim Adidas is responsible," he said.

Hernandez blames Van Gaal for leaving United

bengALuRu, DecembeR 16 (ReuteRS): Javier Hernandez left Manchester United because manager Louis van Gaal told him he had a "one percent chance" of playing as a striker if he stayed at the club, the Mexican has said.

Hernandez joined United in 2010, and scored 37 Premier League goals in 49 starts for the club.

He was loaned out by Van Gaal to Real Madrid for the 2014-15 season.

The Mexico international joined Bayer Leverkusen for a reported 7.3 million pounds ($10.96 million) in August and has scored 10 goals in 11 league starts for the Bundesliga side and 18 in all competitions for the club this season.

United, in contrast, have struggled for goals, Turning to Thursday's game, Pique insisted that Barcelona -- who lifted the and their leading Premier League scorer is midtrophy in 2009 and 2011 -- would be all business as they chase a record third Club World Cup title.

Winning philosophy "We can't use jet lag as an excuse, although it does have a strong impact," said the former Manchester United centre-back. "We still notice it and we have to bear that in mind for the game tomorrow. He said the competition gave his team a good chance to continue winning titles.

"We are Barcelona so we must win," he added. "We are playing against a different kind of team, in a different environment from usual. Guangzhou are Asian champions and we know they are a dynamic team and it's a great challenge."

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique refused to rule Brazilian forward out of playing in Sunday's final in Yokohama if he recovers from a groin strain in time.

"Neymar continues with his recovery process," he said.

"Just because you don't see him training, doesn't mean he is not training. I am not one in favour of taking risks with injured players.

"We will see, but not before getting to the final. First we have to win the semi-final."

Enrique insisted the Catalan giants would not underestimate Evergrande, who stunned Mexican side Club America 2-1 in the quarter-finals last weekend, pointing to Brazilians Paulinho and Robinho as potential threats. "We won't be overconfident," he said.

Bowlers, Australia's Josh Hazlewood has entered the top 10, rising up four spots after claiming seven wickets in Australia's win over the West Indies, while off-spinner Nathan Lyon has moved up two spots into 15th after a three-wicket haul in Hobart.

Adidas mulls 'alternatives' to sponsoring FIFA Leicester's Mahrez FRAnkFuRt, DecembeR current contract runs until 2030. years, and faces a hearing at the rules out Jan move But if FIFA fails to get its ethics committee over allega16 (AFP): The head of German

Barca's Gerard Pique unrepentant over Twitter row YokohAmA, DecembeR 16 (AFP): Barcelona defender Gerard Pique on Wednesday refused to apologise for igniting a Twitter row with Real Madrid rivals Alvaro Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos.

No stranger to public spats with Real players, Pique incurred the wrath of his Spain teammates by calling Arbeloa "an acquaintance," making clear reference to the term "cono" -- referencing a traffic cone -- an apparent dig at the full-back's mobility.

Despite flying 10,700 kilometres (6,600 miles) to contest the Club World Cup in Japan, Pique was immediately quizzed about the spat by Spanish journalists on the eve of Barca's semi-final against China's Guangzhou Evergrande.

"That's not a question about sport," he said with a sheepish grin.

"Look, I said (Arbeloa) wasn't a friend. Make of it what you want. I don't have anything to add."

A war of words erupted after Pique recently posted a tweet appearing to mock Real's recent expulsion from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player, prompting Arbeloa to accuse him of being obsessed with Real.

When Pique responded in kind, Ramos waded in by calling on him to show respect, but Pique opted not to inflame the situation ahead of Thursday's Yokohama clash.

"There has been a lot of fuss about my tweets but feel free to interpret how you want," he said.

"The role of Sergio Ramos is normal for a captain. He is the Real Madrid captain and a great captain. He came out to defend his teammate and I honestly admire him for that."

career best 37th in the batsman rankings.

West Indies Darren Bravo has been rewarded for being the lone centurion from his side, moving up two spots to 25th.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test

fielder Juan Mata, who has just four in the league so far. "Van Gaal said that I only had a one per cent chance of playing in my position, so I headed to Bayer," the striker told Spanish newspaper Marca.

"I felt confident from the very first day. I feel important, not just because of my goals, but because I feel that I'll start every game."

Hernandez joined United when Alex Ferguson was in charge, but saw his playing time dwindle after the Scot retired.

"I'm so grateful to Ferguson," he said. "I think he's the best there's ever been, especially his squad management skills. "Every player had his place. A squad player could still play 15 games a season. He opened the door to Europe for me and I won two league titles there."

bengALuRu, DecembeR 16 (ReuteRS): Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez, who has reportedly caught the attention of several clubs across Europe after his strong performances in the first half of the season, has ruled out a move away from the Foxes during the January transfer window.

The 24-year-old, who joined Leicester from Ligue 2 club Le Havre in 2014, has been one of the Premier League's standout performers so far, with 11 goals and seven assists in 15 appearances this season.

"It's best for me to stay until the end of the season. I was at Le Havre, I had six months left but nobody came to get me. Leicester tried very hard to get me," Mahrez told French radio station RMC. "I could feel that they wanted me. I took the decision without knowing the culture or the area. It was a risk. "When you come from far away and you ended up in the Premier League it makes you happy."

Leicester, who were on the brink of relegation last season, moved two points ahead off second-placed Arsenal after Monday's 2-1 win over champions Chelsea but Mahrez has reiterated that the team are not title contenders.

"We are not going to win the league, no. I don't think we have broad enough shoulders to do it. At the moment we are first, but that means nothing, the big teams will wake up at some point," Mahrez said.

Claudio Ranieri's men kick off their festive fixtures against 10th-placed Everton on Saturday, followed by matches against Liverpool, Manchester City and Bournemouth.

Warne names Ganguly captain of his India Test XI

meLbouRne, DecembeR 16 (IAnS): Australia's leg-spin legend Shane Warne, in his best India Test XI, has named Sourav Ganguly as captain, Sachin Tendulkar as the No.4 batsman and V.V.S. Laxman as the 12th man.

Warne, who is the second highest Test wicket-taker in the world with 708 scalps from 145 matches, continued his series of naming the best XI from countries he has played against.

And it was unsurprising that Warne named Test cricket’s overall greatest run-scorer Sachin Tendulkar at No.4 in his side. Tendulkar -- who retired at 40 having played a staggering 200 Tests, scored 15,921 runs in his remarkable career, with 51 hundreds -- was an automatic selection considering the momentous on-field rivalry he has had with the Australian spin wizard.

However, Warne said selecting his India XI was his toughest team to date, with the biggest decision being who to choose between Laxman (8,781 runs in 134 Tests) and former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin (6,126 runs from 99 Test) at the No.6 position.

Between 1996 and 2012, Laxman hit six out of his 17 Test hundreds, and four out of his six One-

Day Internationals (ODIs) hundreds against Australia.

"This was the hardest team to select as I played against a few legends at the end of their respective careers like (Dilip) Vengsarkar, Sanjay Manjreker, Ravi Shastri and Manoj Prabhakar as well as current players like Zaheer Khan too,” Warne wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

"The Indian side I've selected is a very strong one and would be tough

to play against. The hardest position to select for me was the number 6 spot between my great friend VVS or Azharuddin."

Ultimately, while Warne named Azharuddin in his team and opted to have Laxman carry the drinks, he said the final decision would depend on the conditions.

“Hence I named 12 and would choose the 12th man on the day!”

Warne’s greatest India XI fea-

tures Virender Sehwag (8,273 runs) and Navjot Singh Sidhu (3,202 runs) at the top of the order, followed by Rahul Dravid (13,288 runs) at first drop.

Tendulkar would be followed by Sourav Ganguly (7,212 runs) - also named captain of Warne’s team while Azharuddin at No.6 would be followed by iconic all-rounder Kapil Dev (434 wickets and 5,248 runs).

Current India limited-overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni sneaks into the side and would wear the gloves.

While Warne’s criteria for his greatest XIs demands he must have played against all selected, Dhoni qualifies having faced Warne in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Anil Kumble (619 wickets), Harbhajan Singh (417 wickets) and Javagal Srinath (236 wickets) round out Warne’s bowling attack.

Next, Warne has promised to name his greatest combined Ashes XI and Sri Lankan Test XI. The team: Virender Sehwag, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Javagal Srinath (VVS Laxman 12th)

THURSDAY 17•12•2015

D

irector JJ Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be the first film in the hit franchise series to be released in 3D during its initial run, alongside 2D and Imax versions.

"Force Awakens" will hit screens on December 18 in a multitude of formats, digital 3D, three different Imax 3D versions and regular digital 2D, said The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2012, "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace" first released in 2D in 1999, was converted to 3D and re-released, but then Disney tabled plans to re-release 3D versions of the other two films in the series.

Abrams explained his decision to send out a 3D version, saying, "As someone who really hasn't been the most vocal advocate of 3D, the strangest thing happened to me on this.When I was watching the reels in 3D, there were a number of shots and I know this sounds insane that I hadn't understood in the three-dimensional space quite the way I did when I saw them in 3D. I actually felt that there were things that were playing better in 3D. I had never felt that before."

Disney and Lucasfilm announced in late 2013 that Force Awakens would be available in 3D, and the movies' format choices are now listed on marketing materials.

Films that were shot with 3D cameras, such as James Cameron's "Avatar" (2009), Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" and Ridley Scott's "The Martian", tend to promote the 3D aspect much more than those shot with 2D cameras and then converted to 3D. The new "Star Wars" movie was converted. Three different formats of "Force Awakens" will play in Imax theatres.

MAKES ITS DEBUT IN 3D

Anoushka Shankar’s next album focuses on refugee crisis

C M Y K

ordan Smith is The Voice 2015

ordan Smith was the longrunning favorite on The Voice who had even bumped Adele from the top of the iTunes chart.

The Kentucky native and his coach Adam Levine on Tuesday fulfilled their destiny as they officially became the winners of season nine.

On a live finale that also featured performances by some of the biggest names in music - including Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Usher, and Coldplay - the 22-yearold winner held his hand over his face in shock as he was named the season champion.

After a tender hug with runner-up Emily Ann Roberts - who had tears running down her face even before the announcement

- his coach Adam rushed up for a hug of his own.

‘Oh my God it’s heavy, it’s so heavy,’ Jordan said of the trophy after finally taking it from host Carson Daly after freeing himself from Adam’s hug.

His family also joined him onstage as he once again performed Climb Ev'ry Mountain from The Sound Of Music - a favorite performance from the season - with Pharrell Williams holding him by the shoulder and shaking his head at him in wonder.

Neither Adam nor Jordan - who ended the broadcast in a hug with his family - got to speak after his win.

But earlier Adam had said of Jordan: ‘Rarely is there a person who’s that talented as a singer and as a human.

‘There’s something just incredibly dignified about

who he is. He just deserves to win.’

Jordan, meanwhile, had called it ‘so surreal’ to even be in the finale, adding: ‘I can remember sitting in class and doing my music theory homework and taking exams and wishing for something like this. ‘I’ve learned on this show that you can be exactly who you are and you don’t have to fit that mold that everyone says that you have to fit.

‘And to be the winner of The Voice would just ultimately prove that to me.’

Gwen Stefani’s remaining hopeful, Jeffery Austin, was the first finalist to find out he had not won, followed by Blake Shelton’s Barrett Baber.

Blake’s other finalist, Emily Ann - wearing an eyecatching dress with a billowy floor-length blue skirt - had

tears streaming down her face as she waited for the decision.

But she had earlier insisted that she was not concerned with the final result.

‘I’m so happy with the accomplishments I’ve made thus far, and I feel like a winner right here,’ she had said earlier in the show. All four finalists won Nissan cars and had performed three times during the finale, once in a group with the top 24, then with a special guest star and a final time by bringing back some of their favorite rival competitors from the season.

Jordan was joined by the show’s former coach Usher - called ‘our dear friend’ by Carson - to sing David Guetta’s hit Without You, surrounded by dry ice and with Usher heading down to hug the current coaches after his

performance. ‘Great to have Usher back,’ Carson said.

Jordan then brought back Amy Vachal, ‘fearless’ Korin Bukowski, Evan McKeel, Regina Love and Mark Hood for Journey’s classic Any Way You Want It. He called Evan ‘like a brother

to me,’ and said Amy was ‘one of my dearest friends on this show.’ He also said he brought back Mark for his ‘electrifying stage presence,’ adding: ‘I can’t think of anybody else in the whole entire earth who I would rather sing onstage with.’

Taylor Swift announces concert film Ed Sheeran quits social S media, focussed on travel

S

itarist Anoushka Shankar is currently working on her ninth album “Land of Gold”, which talks about the ongoing refugee crisis in the world. The 34-year-old sitarist, who is on a month long tour in India, said through the record she aims to bring peace in the society. “My current album, which I am working on now, is very focused on the refugee crisis. That is something which has been influencing me a lot… It’s important to remember that what happened in Paris is a tragedy, Syria is also a tragedy.

There are so many tragedies all over,” Anoushka told PTI. Unlike her classical base of her latest album “Home”, which has earned the musician her fifth Grammy nomination, her upcoming project will be a crossover. “‘Land of Gold’ means everyone is searching their land of gold that means a place for safety and security for children. It won’t be based on classical music.”

Anoushka, who is back in India after a gap of two years, is amazed to see that people here are more vocal in voicing their concerns.

“It’s great that people are debating. It’s fantastic. If people don’t speak up then it be-

comes a little dangerous. I think people should protest and argue when they don’t like something… If they are arguing that’s a big point in democracy,” she said.

The sitarist, who performed in the Capital last night as part of her four-city tour, “Home” pays tribute to her father Ravi Shankar and Anoushka said revisiting the times spent with the legendary sitarist has been nostalgic.“It was nostalgic and very fresh too. There is something magical about our music, which is ancient and at the same time improvised. You have to go really deep within yourself to play.

“It’s not like just sitting and connecting with the past. So, it felt very bitter and sweet. It really felt amazing that I felt connected with my father through music.” believes transforming phase of Indian classical music has enabled its longevity.

“Indian classical music has amazing musicians.

Classical music always has audience but it has been niche. But that doesn’t worry me. It is developing and changing the way it has been performed and that makes our music last,” she said.

inger Taylor Swift celebrated her 26th birthday with the announcement of her concert film. "Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes. I have a little surprise for you.#1989WorldTourLIVE @applemusic (sic)," Swift, who celebrated her birthday on December 13, tweeted.

Swift also included a clip of the film in which she explained her dreams for the tour.

"Getting ready for this, I wondered about a lot of things. I wondered what it would be like to perform for 70,000 people. I wondered what it would look like if they were all lit up and just dancing around like no one was watching them," she said.

Referring to her many celebrity guests on the tour, she said: "I wondered what would happen if I invited the most amazing artists in the world to come out with me and perform with me on my stage. Would they do it?" The film, directed by Jonas Akerlund, will release on December 20.

S

inger Ed Sheeran has taken a break from the social media to travel the world.

Sheeran shared a note on photosharing platform Instagram, saying that he is "taking the opportunity of not having to be anywhere... to travel the world", reports mirror.co.uk.

“I’m taking a break

from my phone, emails and all social media for a while. I’ve had such an amazing ride over the last five years but I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes so I’m taking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed,”

Swee� Tiding� Basket of Goodies

Sheeran posted.

However, stressing that he is not leaving his work, the 24-year-old also added that his third album is on its way. “It will be the best thing I have made thus far," added the “Lego House” singer, who has 16 million Twitter and 5.5 million Instagram followers.

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ThursDAY 17•12•2015

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Bryant inspires Lakers to first victory in 7 games

LOS ANGELES, DEcEmbEr 16 (TSX): Kobe Bryant scored 22 points in three quarters, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to snap a six-game losing streak by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 113-95 on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Rookie D'Angelo Russell came off the bench to score 19 points and record seven assists as seven Lakers reached double figures in scoring. Guard Lou Williams scored 16 points, forward Julius Randle finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds and center Roy Hibbert added 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which won for only the second time at home this season.

Michael Carter-Williams had 19 points and Khris Middleton chipped in 16 to lead Milwaukee.

Kings 107, Rockets 97 D e Ma r c u s C o u s ins scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and point guard Darren Collison made up for the absence of teammate Rajon Rondo with 14 points and C M Y K

C M Y K

James capped a 12-0 thirdquarter run with a reverse slam dunk, and Cleveland defeated Boston.

James, who finished with 24 points, had six during that run and also capped a 10-3 fourth-quarter spurt that made things comfortable for Cleveland.

Guard Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 17 points, while forward Jae Crowder, who played strong defense on James much of the night, added 14. Guard Isaiah Thomas shot 3-for-15 from the floor en route to 12 points.

Dec 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) as he drives to the basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

13 assists.

Collison started for only the third time all season and played 41 minutes after Rondo was suspended

for one game for hurling gay slurs at referee Bill Kennedy during a game against Boston in Mexico City on Dec. 3.

Omri Casspi scored 19 points and added six assists and the Kings won their third straight to match the longest win streak of the season.

Cavaliers 89, Celtics 77 With Kyrie Irving almost ready to make his season debut after recovering from a knee injury, LeBron

Nuggets 112, Timberwolves 100 Kenneth Faried had 19 points and 10 rebounds and reserve Randy Foye added 19 points off the bench as Denver took down Minnesota.

Six Nuggets scored in double-figures. Danilo Gallinari had 14 points, while Will Barton chipped in 14.

Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota with 23 points on nine-of-17 shooting.

Guard Zach LaVine added 20 points and five assists off the bench in the loss.

Kohima P Khel sports KOHImA, DEcEmbEr 16 (mExN): The 62nd Biennial Sports Meet 2015 of P. Khel, Kohima Village organized by Pfuchatsumia Youth Organization (PYO)

will be held on December 19 at Kohima village ground, Ziekezou. A press release in this regard has invited all khel members and well-wishers to the meet.

6th Chizami Cup semi final cHIZAmI, DEcEmbEr 16 (mExN): The 6th Chizami Cup organized by Life Sports, Nagaland, entered the semifinals today with two teams from Pfutsero and one team each from Chizami and Senapati.

In the first of the quarterfinals, Wings FC, Chizami bulldozed its way into the semifinals with a thumping 8-0 victory over Exuberance FC, Pfutsero.

Yhunshalo Kemp got on the scoresheet thrice to get the second hat-trick of the tournament. Tingnyek Konyak scored a brace, while Nyithong Magh, Khwetelhi Thopi and Kezhase Mathew scored one apiece.

In the second quarterfinals, Halcyon United, Pfütsero defeated local side Young Stars SC, Chizami 3-1. Keni Chutso, Rhitsho Mero and Medoneituo Sekhose scored for Halcy-

on United while Septhpou Gangmei scored the lone goal for Young Stars.

Senapati FC, Senapati also romped its way to the semifinals with a 7-0 victory over Unique Boys FC, Chizami. Mayosing scored a hattrick while Mun Zingkhai, Henser, Koveo Joram and Siilonii scored a goal each.

The Hills FC, Pfutsero bagged the last of the semifinal berths beating Albatross FC, Chozuba 3-2 in an engaging encounter. Vetsuzo Chuzho got the fourth hat-trick of the tournament The Hills FC. Berelhu Shijoh and Punurii Nienu scored a goal each for Albatross FC. December 17: Semi Finals 1. Senapati FC, Senapati vs The Hills FC, Pfütsero (9:00am) 2. Wings FC, Chizami vs Halcyon United, Pfütsero (12:00pm)

SC gives green signal for Chennaiyin FC beat Kolkata join FC Goa in final Premier Badminton League NEW DELHI, DEcEmbEr 16 (TNN): The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Badminton Association of India to hold Premier Badminton League which is scheduled from January 2.

A fortnight before Premier Badminton League(PBL) is to start, clouds of uncertainty were hovering over the sporting event with Meghalaya High Court staying the tournament scheduled to be held from January 2 to January 17.

Facing uncertainty, the Badminton Association

of India rushed to the Supreme Court which stayed the HC order and allowed the Association to hold the tournament which will feature six franchises and several international players.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the association, pleaded a bench of Justices M Y Eqbal and C Nagappan to stay the HC order. He said that HC had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition and the court erred in staying the tournament.

The bench, after a brief hearing, stayed the HC or-

der.

The PBL will have 18 matches, including two semifinals and one final match. The final match is scheduled for January 17.

The HC had passed the order on a petition filed by Sobhagaya Media Private Limited challenging the validity of the franchisee meet held in New Delhi on December 6. Claiming to be a franchisee of the League, it had alleged that the decision pertaining to tournament was taken allowing it to participate in the meeting.

Awaiting government nod for Pakistan series: BCCI to Giles Clarke

LAHOrE, DEcEmbEr 16 (IANS): Former England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke has been told by the Indian cricket board authorities they are waiting for the government approval for a series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka.

Giles has played the role of a facilitator for the resumption of India-Pakistan cricketing ties, holding meetings in Dubai with the boards' officials recently.

But he too has received a reply similar to what was given to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) when he spoke to Board of Control for Cricket in

India (BCCI) president Shashnak Manohar. The Indian board chief told him that the Indian government had not yet given its go-ahead for the series, reports dawn.com on Wednesday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already given the green light to the PCB to host the series in Sri Lanka.

Two tentative dates for the series, comprising three One-day Internationals and two T20 matches, have been put forward by the PCB: Dec 15-Jan 4 and Dec 19-Jan 4.

The PCB hasn't officially announced Clarke's reply to its chief Shaharyar

Khan, the report added.

Shaharyar Khan on Monday announced he will wait for a few more days for a final decision on the series after receiving a call from Clarke, who reassured that he will speak to the BCCI again.

The two boards signed an MoU last year in which they agreed Pakistan will host India four times while India will host their arch-rivals twice in the next eight years.

The PCB isn't keen to officially announce the cancellation of the series since it believes such a move can have an adverse impact on their next scheduled series with India in 2017.

KOLKATA, DEcEmbEr 16 (IANS): Three goals down in the first leg, Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) literally have to wake up from the grave and make a comeback if they are to edge past Chennaiyin FC and make the Indian Super League (ISL) final as the two teams lock horns in Kolkata for the second leg of the semifinals on Wednesday.

Though the job at hand is tough, it is not beyond Atletico's reach. ATK coach Habas and his men would like to believe that they can pull it off, but then in the first leg match at Pune, Chennaiyin had beaten ATK 3-0.

The hosts need to score at least thrice and not concede and hope they come out on top in the penalty shootout.

But it is easier said than done. Chennaiyin would leave no stone unturned to ensure they safely reach the final on December 20.

On Saturday, Chennai decimated the white and red brigade at Pune, where the former had to play their home leg because of the flood situation in their city.

What came as a surprise was that Atletico, who were having it easy finding the back of the net in the last few outings, could not do so that day.

However, former India cricket captain and ATK co-owner Sourav Ganguly is still hopeful of a turnaround.

"Yes, I am hopeful. Let's see if we can get a 3-0 result here and then get to the shootout. We have beaten

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Chennaiyin previously and I don't see why we cannot do it again. But in the first leg they played better," Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata on Monday.

Ganguly's hopes will be pinned on the likes of Iain Hume and Arata Izumi who have been on the ATK scoresheet consistently. But what will give him nightmares is the

fact that winger Sameegh Doutie and defensive midfielder Borja Fernandez are both injured and might not be ready in time for the clash.

For Chennai, they will have a three-goal cushion to rest their head on. Marco Materazzi would rely on his defence to do the job and maybe hit Kolkata hard on the counters, using

the pace of Stiven Mendoza and the technical ability of Brazilian playmaker Elano Blumer who is all set to comeback into the team after missing the last tie due to suspension.

ATK will however, take confidence from the fact that they have won two of their three matches against Chennaiyin this season, but a 3-0 deficit is always

difficult to overturn.

Spanish giants FC Barcelona had made such a comeback in the 2012-2013 season of the Champions League when they beat AC Milan 4-0 at Camp Nou in reply to their first leg loss of 2-0. But will Atletico have the same drive, the passion to do it? Or will it be too easy for the men from Chennai?

Prosecutors seek Swiss help in German World Cup tax case

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ZUrIcH, DEcEmbEr 16 (rEUTErS): German prosecutors have asked Switzerland, home country of soccer world governing body FIFA, to help look into a suspicious payment linked to Germany's hosting of the 2006 World Cup, including by sifting through bank data.

The Frankfurt state prosecutor has sought legal assistance over a 6.7 million euro ($7.3 million) transfer from Germany's DFB football association to soccer's world governing body, both authorities said on Wednesday.

In November, police and tax investigators raided DFB headquarters and searched the homes of officials to investigate suspected tax evasion linked to the awarding of the tournament.

At the heart of the investigation is the 2005 pay-

ment from the DFB that Der Spiegel magazine alleged was a return of a loan from then-Adidas CEO Robert-Louis Dreyfus to help buy votes for Germany's successful World Cup bid in 2000 at a FIFA ballot.

Swiss authorities are separately reviewing 133 reports of suspicious finan-

cial activity linked to FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar - among a raft of corruption allegations engulfing the sport.

Former DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, his predecessor Theo Zwanziger and the association's former general secretary, Horst Schmidt -- who all held senior positions on the 2006 organizing committee -- are suspected of tax evasion over the German payment, prosecutors have said.

The DFB and Niersbach, plus then-organizing chief Franz Beckenbauer, rejected the votes-forcash accusations, whereas Zwanziger has said the slush fund allegations were true and that Niersbach clearly knew about the fund, without providing information on his own knowledge of the affair.

Niersbach, who resigned over the scandal, has said an internal investigation was under way to find out why the amount was paid to FIFA and what was it used for.

Asked at a news conference on Oct. 22 why the DFB had paid FIFA the amount, he replied: "I don't know."

Switzerland was asked to conduct various investigations relating to the transaction and tax evasion case, including investigating Swiss bank data, Frankfurt's senior public prosecutor Nadja Niesen, said.

She was confirming a report by the Swiss paper NZZ. Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General said it would treat the German request as a priority, but declined to comment on its content or potential outcome.

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