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www.morungexpress.com
Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 194
The Morung Express “
www.morungexpress.com
Army truck crash kills 7, ignites Kashmir protest [ PAGE 8]
The cigarette girl who became a queen!
Railway Budget: Rio emphasis on NE connectivity
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 9]
[ PAGE 2]
Palestinians flee after Israel warning, airstrikes
By Sandemo Ngullie
I don`t think they are acting?
GPRN/NSCN condemns violation & breach of CFGR
CNTC calls meet to discuss NSDZ DIMAPUR, JULY 16 (MExN): The Central Nagaland Tribal Council (CNTC) has called for a meeting on July 18 to hold discussions on the proposal to set up Nagaland Special Development Zones (NSDZ). A press note from the CNTC informed all its executive members to attend the meeting at 10:00 am at the CNTC office, Naga Shopping Arcade on July 18.
Thursday, July 17, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –D. H. Lawrence
India, England resume battle amidst AndersonJadeja row [ PAGE 12]
Brics advocate peaceful resolution to end conflicts
reflections
DIMAPUR, JULY 16 (MExN): The GPRN/NSCN has condemned what it termed as a “violation and breach” of agreed Ceasefire Ground Rules (CFGR) by the Assam Rifles on July 14. A press release from the MIP, GPRN/NSCN informed that personnel from the Assam Rifles had “raided” the private residence of its Regional Administrative Officer (RAO), Chakhesang region at Sovima, Dimapur. Stating that the breach of CFGR by security personnel is “becoming a regular trend despite many reminders,” it urged the “higher authorities to rein-in their boys and stop their further misadventures.” “Thepriceofthehard-earned peaceistoohighanditsimply cannot be compromised…” stated the GPRN/NSCN. It further said that the Deputy Kilonser cum Chairman (Caretaker) of the Chakhesang Region, Kevetsolo Kevi has “confirmed the raid of his residence and also claimed that one shorthand pistol of .32 (7.65) Caliber was taken away.” The GPRN/NSCN further stated that the security personnel continued to “patrol around the area for 3-4 hours causing immense mental agony to the family and creating insecurity feelings around the area.”
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Life is a travelling to the edge of knowledge, then a leap taken
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Residents wade through floods as they go back to their home while Typhoon Rammasun batters suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, July 16. Typhoon Rammasun knocked out power in many areas but it spared the Philippine capital, Manila, and densely-populated northern provinces from being directly battered Wednesday when its fierce wind shifted slightly away, officials said. (AP Photo)
Black money: over rs 1 lakh crore illegal income detected
NEw DELhI, JULY 16 (PtI): The government has detected over Rs one lakh crore of undisclosed income in the last financial year, a figure more than double as compared to the search and seizure action undertaken by the income tax department during 2012-13 to check black money. According to official data, the I-T department detected undisclosed
income worth Rs 10,791.63 crore in search operations during the just concluded 2013-14 fiscal while it also found unreported income of Rs 90,390.71 crore. The action was conducted by the I-T department against individuals, business firms, corporates and other financial institutions to check tax evasion. The total figures recorded at the end
of both these operations, searches and surveys stand at Rs 1,01,181 crore. The corresponding cumulative figures for the 2012-13 fiscal (under both the heads) was Rs 29,628 crore, a figure less than half of the current recorded amount. During the last fiscal (2013-14), the I-T also seized assets like jewellery, fixed deposits and cash worth Rs 807.84 crore.
F o R tA L E z A / N E w DELhI, JULY 16 (IANS): BRICS countries have condemned terrorism in all its forms and said there can be no justification for terror, while advocating peaceful resolution of conflicts. The Fortaleza Declaration was adopted by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries Tuesday at their sixth summit meeting in this Brazilian city. The declaration said the United Nations had a central role in coordinating action against terrorism. “We call upon all entities to refrain from financing, encouraging, providing training for or otherwise supporting terrorist activities,” it said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech at the summit, said there should be zero tolerance towards terrorism. He also said selective targeting of terrorism will not work and terrorist forces, especially states flouting basic norms, should be isolated. The declaration also expressed concern at the increasing use by terrorists and their supporters, of information and communications technologies (ICTs). BRICS countries expressed deep concern over the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Iraq. Referring to Iraq where security forces are seeking to take
Condemns terrorism in all forms, says no justification for terror
back territory seized by militants, BRICS countries said they strongly supported the Iraqi government in its effort to overcome the crisis and uphold territorial integrity. “We are concerned about spill-over effects of the instability in Iraq resulting from increased terrorist activities in the region, and urge all parties to address the terrorist threat in a consistent manner.” On Ukraine, the BRICS countries called for a comprehensive dialogue, de-escalation of the conflict and restraint from all the actors involved “with a view to finding a peaceful political solution in full compliance with the UN charter”. Referring to Syria, BRICS expressed deep concern over violence and condemned increasing violations of human rights by all parties. “We call upon all parties to commit immediately to a complete ceasefire, to halt violence and to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian organisations and agencies,” the declaration said. The BRICS countries reaffirmed their commit-
ment to contribute to a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ArabIsraeli conflict. “We believe the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a fundamental component for building a sustainable peace in the Middle East. We call upon Israel and Palestine to resume negotiations leading to a two-state solution with a contiguous and economically viable Palestinian state existing side by side in peace with Israel.” BRICS opposed “continuous construction and expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories by the Israeli government”,and said it violates international law, gravely undermines peace efforts and threatens the viability of the two-state solution. Referring to the Iranian nuclear issue, BRICS countries said there was no alternative to a negotiated solution and reaffirmed their support to its resolution through political and diplomatic means and dialogue. “We recognise Iran’s inalienable right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy in a manner consistent with its
international obligations,” the declaration said. On Afghanistan, the BRICS countries said the country needs development assistance and foreign investment to attain lasting peace and stability. “We expect a broad-based and inclusive peace process in Afghanistan which is Afghan-led and Afghanowned.” The BRICS countries called for a more concerted action to tackle piracy at sea and drug problem. The declaration said BRICS was committed to establishing a post-Bali work programme for concluding the ongoing Doha Round, so as to build an “open, inclusive, non-discriminatory, transparent and rule-based multilateral trading system.” The BRICS also called on a conclusion of global climate change negotiations for a legally binding agreement in accordance with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, especially the “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”. In terms of outer space code of conduct, the five countries said they are open to “an inclusive and consensus-based multilateral negotiation”, adding the exploration and uses of outer space shall be for peaceful purposes so as to prevent an arms race.
‘Graft-free growth is key for nagaland’ NSCN (IM) terminates cadre accused of assault
MUMBAI, JULY 16 (thE INDIAN ExPRESS): Padmanabh Acharya, Governor-designate of Nagaland, on Tuesday said tourism and equal development could change the face of the northeastern state. “I am in favour of corruption-free, equal development and a boost to the tourism sector in this region,” Acharya told Express. A veteran Mumbaikar, Acharya has worked in North East states for several years as a full-timer of the RSS’ student wing, the ABVP. “The people of Nagaland as well as the entire
Governor-designate in favor of equal development
North East region are fed up with insurgency. They want development. The problem is corruption. The fruits of development have not reached the ground level in an equal proportion,” Acharya said. The 83-year-old plans to reach Kohima on Saturday and take the oath of the office on Monday. “There is peace only in Sikkim and Mizoram. I think that a wrong picture of Nagaland has been cre-
ated in the rest of the country. The people of Nagaland are not responsible for that,” he said. Acharya, who can understand Nagamese, said one could easily learn the language if one understands the meaning of just 500 words. “Our universities spend a lot of money on teaching foreign languages but no one is serious about learning languages of North Eastern states. I will take
some steps in this regard too,” said Acharya, who is a former member of Mumbai University’s senate. Acharya said he had asked the Secretary to the Governor to ensure that locals wouldn’t be upset over the timing of his swearing-in. “We should take the local climate into consideration. The sun rises at 4 am there,” he said. On his list of invitees are some friends from Manipur with whom he has family relations. “They are lovely people,” he said, pointing towards a painting on his wall depicting women from Manipur.
DIMAPUR, JULY 16 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) today informed that it has terminated one Corporal T Imkong, who was accused of assaulting a carpenter instructor at Salomi village on July 12. A press note from the MIP, NSCN (IM) stated that corporal T Imkong had “in the past committed other offences unbecoming of Naga Army and as per Naga Army Rules and Regulations, he is terminated from National Service on this day, July 16, 2014.” “As a responsible government, we acted upon Corporal T. Imkong immediately after learning of the incident and put in him in our custody till the investigation period and subsequently terminated,” stated the MIP. The NSCN (IM) however expressed concern with the “subsequent events whereby the Yimchunger Akheru Arikhao (YAA) had come up with a public protest condemning the incident and surprisingly
the ultimatum served to us.” While appreciating and encouraging “public consciousness in any matter which is against the spirit of brotherhood and peace,” the NSCN (IM) however stated that it has failed to “comprehend the motive of the YAA going hyperbole over the matter.” It informed that on July 12, the altercation between the two had occurred “under the influence of alcohol and that after filing FIR by T Sepenchu Sangtam against Corproral T. Imkong, both the parties met and resolved their differences.” It further disclosed that the FIR was withdrawn “in good faith.” The NSCN (IM) stated that the YAA had “failed to verify the incident in a fair manner and that they have also ignored the fact that the FIR has been withdrawn and both the parties have resolved the matter since they are acquaintance to one another.”
india tops the list of global poor: Un
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NEw DELhI, JULY 16 (IANS): India tops the list of countries with the largest share of global extreme poor though the poverty rate in southeast Asia as a whole saw a substantial fall from 1990 to 2010, a new United Nations report said. The poverty rate in southeast Asia fell from 45 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2010. Although poverty remains widespread in south Asia, progress in the region has been substantial, the Millennium Development Goals Report 2014 said. However, India had the largest share of global poor at 32.9 percent, more than countries like China, Nigeria and Bangladesh, said the report which was released here Wednesday. India also had the highest child mortality rate worldwide in 2012 with 1.4 million children dying before reaching their fifth
India is home to 1/3rd of world’s extreme poor
birthday, it said. In 2012, south Asia accounted for 2.1 million of the 6.6 million deaths in children under five worldwide and with 1.4 million children dying before reaching their fifth birthday, India had the highest child mortality rate worldwide, said the report which tracks progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs, with a number of sub-targets covering a range of poverty, hunger, health, gender equality, education and environmental indicators, were agreed by all countries as an outgrowth of the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, most with a due date
of 2015. Human development is a guiding principle of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government having a mandate for development of all, in an inclusive manner, union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah said while releasing the report. “The prime minister has given special emphasis for giving highest priorities of the government for provision of adequate sanitation, drinking water, maternal and child care, particularly to the disadvantaged sections,” she said. Lise Grande, United Nations resident coordinator for India, said: “India’s role in global development
is the most important in the world. The MDGs can’t be reached globally if they are not reached here.” “The new post 2015 framework cannot succeed if it does not reflect the aspirations, and does not have the commitment and support of India. “India’s commitment to reach the MDGs has been an inspiration to countries around the world; its leadership now in defining the new framework has never been more important,” she added. The report said south Asia has made great progress on the MDGs, but requires greater efforts to achieve most targets by the end of 2015. In South Asia, the adjusted net enrolment rate of children of primary school age increased from 80 percent in 2000 to 94 percent in 2012.
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The Morung Express C
Railway Budget: Rio emphasis on NE connectivity
NEw DElhi, July 16 (mExN): The Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and Former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio participated on Railway Budget 2014-15 on July 15. Rio congratulated the Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda for his innovative and progressive ideas that are oriented towards the progress of Indian Railways. He mentioned that the Diphu Dhansari- Karong railway line was sanctioned in 1997-98 and the foundation stone was laid in 1998 but it was diverted from Jiriban to Tupul in Manipur which need to be reviewed and taken up by the Railway Ministry as the original proposal for construction of railway line from Diphu
Dhansari to Karong. The Dimapur –Zubza railway line (Kohima-State Capital connectivity line) the project was sanctioned in 2006-07 the implementation of the project was delayed due to land acquisition problems which has since been resolved, the Ministry should carry out the project on priority. Dimapur -Tizit Railway Line is one of the main line for the state as this will connect from the East to West of the State, covering 300 km and will traverses rich mineral belt including oil fields and will also act as a feeder to Tuli Paper MP (Lok Sabha) Neiphiu Rio Mill. Further, it will cross through vast area of agri- crops farming in the state. Dimapur Railway station farming, tea cultivation, Rio said that improve- need priority as it serve bamboo and other cash ment and upgradation of passengers from Naga-
land, Manipur and part of Assam. It also serves as a strategic point for defence, army and other military and para-military force in the region. Dimapur being one of the busiest station next to Guwahati need to have more platforms, adding of more coaches, increase of seat reservation quota, improvement of existing platform with modern technologies to serve the ably disabled persons as well. He has strongly invited the attention of the Railway Minister and the House to consider these points in the greater interest of the state in particular and the North East Region in general. He appreciated the increase of 54% budget al-
location for the North East Region Railways. While appreciating the budget allocation for the North East he said that except Assam other states of North East Region could not improve much until date. He also mentioned that if Jammu & Kashmir can be connected well by rail why not North East States? “After 67 years of India’s Independence and 50 years of Statehood we still remain the same with just 8 km stretch of railway line which was built during the British time. Fruit of Freedom has not yet reached us,” said the MP. This was stated in a press release issued by Kuolie Mere, PRO Nagaland house, New Delhi.
‘Renewal of thoughts needed for rebuilding nation’
Community College ACAUT Nagaland Scheme at GPK interaction held inaugurated at Sazolie College
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Kohima, July 16 (mExN): The Community College Scheme at Government Polytechnic Kohima was inaugurated on July 15. The scheme is aimed to provide skill based training to the unemployed youths with free of cost for a period of one year, the sectors for training are Software Development and Fashion Technology. By the end of the course, the students will be given certificate level-III and he/she can continue for certificate level-IV or become self-entrepreneur or seek job in the said sectors. Students will undergo various trainings at Skill Knowledge Providers (SKPs) at the NIELIT, Meriema and the Global Open University, Nagaland, Kohima. The chief guest, Athili Kathipri, Director, Technical Education, graced the function and he spoke of the Government of India (AICTE) initiative to introduce a new system of education system on a pilot project basis. The function was attended by OSD, Technical Education, Deputy Director, NIELIT, Meriema, HOD, Fashion dept. Global Open University, Kohima, Principal and staff of Government, Polytechnic Kohima and students of the training. Khrieketoulie Rupreo, Coordinator, chaired the program while the Principal presented the keynote address. A brief guidelines was outlined by K. Kapfo, lecturer.
Kohima, July 16 (mExN): “A nation’s thinking is in ruins before it is in ruins” was how noted intellectual and Consultative Body member of ACAUT Nagaland Niketu Iralu described the present state of Nagaland. Expounding on the adage, Iralu said, “Our society is in ruins because our thinking is first in ruins; our thinking is not clear, not focused and shallow; our values are shallow too.” He was addressing the ACAUT interaction with the students and faculty of Sazolie College, Jotsoma, Kohima on July 15. He also said that selfishness is violation of hu-
Faculty and students of Sazolie College, Jotsoma with ACAUT Nagaland members during the interaction held on July 15.
man rights. “Why can’t Nagas issue quit notice to selfishness when factions are quick to issue quit notice to factions and tribes to tribes?” he lamented. He envisioned that Nagas
must somehow muster the intelligence and wisdom to say this indulgence cannot be allowed to destroy our society anymore. K Seyie, prominent businessman, President of
Khonoma Ruffuno Nagaland and Advisor to APO rued that Nagaland is a subsidized economy and that we have become a generation of parasites. Adding to this sad reality, he took um-
Heavy rains lash parts of Kohima
brage at rampant unabated taxation and corruption prevalent now. Therefore, “ACAUT stands for what is right, which is, taking on corruption and unabated taxation,” he said. Kezhokhoto Savi, Convenor, Legal Cell, ACAUT said that the Nagaland Government should constitute Lokayukta at the earliest to tackle corruption. “RTI has no teeth but Lokayukta is the the teeth” he addressed the students at the packed college auditorium. Earlier, Khekiye K Sema explained the position of ACAUT on ‘One Government One Tax.’ Tia Longchar and Joel Nillo Kath addressed the students too. This was stated in a press release issued by Media Cell, ACAUT Nagaland.
NNC calls meeting
Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): The Naga National Council call for meeting to senior members, central executive council and regional authorities are informed to attend on meeting on July 18 without fail. Naga national council General Secretary Dr. Amento Chishi in a press release informed that the meeting has been called for important discussion. Contact for venue at +918794834970.
Training of coordinators and master trainers
Our Correspondent Kohima | July 16
Moderate to heavy rains lashed the state capital Kohima today causing major problems of water-logging and traffic jams in several parts of the town. Water-logging was witnessed in several parts of the town due to poor maintenance of drain-
age system. In the area, just above Mezhur Higher Secondary school, footpath bridge, the drainage was blocked with empty bottles and plastic. It burst out into the main road, causing lots of hardship to the commuters. Meanwhile, the traffic police have deployed manpower to ease traffic to assist the
situation so that commuters do not face problems, especially during peak hours. It was reported that, because of the heavy rainfall, some areas faced landslide in Kohima like new Market area, though no major damage were reported. The rain also brought down the temperatures in the city considerably.
Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): A three-day training of coordinators and master trainers for D.EL.ED course for teachers, distance mode, is being conducted at SCERT from July 15 to 17. In the inaugural function on July 15, the chief guest, M. Patton, Commissioner & Secretary, SE & SCERT, stressed on the urgency and immensity of the work concerning providing teachers with professional training. He called upon all concerned to play their respective part effectively and responsibly in this challenging venture. Others who spoke in the occasion were Prof. Upadhaya, Sr. Consultant, NIOS, Vipralhou Kesiezie, Director, SCERT, Kevi Liegise, Project Director, SCERT, Binod Doley, Regional Director, NIOS, Moa Longkumer, Jt. Director, SCERT.
Acknowledgement
Smile Train Shija Cleft Project - Mission Nagaland Our Correspondent Kohima | July 16
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Through this column, we, the bereaved family members, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all individuals, churches and organizations who stood by us physically, materially, financially and through prayer, during the sudden illness and demise of our beloved, Late. Ketholetuo Aleu Mepfhü-o on 9th July 2014. We regret our inability to mention each and every one of you in person but humbly pray that the Almighty God bless you all abundantly. Loving wife, children and relatives.
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AR conducts plantation drive Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): Headquarters 7 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (N) undertook a plantation drive on 15 Jul 2014 in its garrison to make the environment clean & green. The “Go Green” plantation drive saw active participation of families, Jawans and Officers of the garrison. Saplings of many varieties of trees were planted with great enthusiasm and fervor to contribute to the noble cause of having a green environment around us. A total of 300 saplings of various varieties including ornamental plants were planted in around the Garrison to make the drive a huge success towards preserving our nature.
DSE directs DEO/SDEO Kohima, July 16 (mExN): The Directorate of School Education directed all DEO/SDEO to depute the Activity and Competency Learning (ACL) District team along with the convener of their respective district (DEO/SDEO) to attend an orientation programme for two days from July 23 to 24 at DUDA Guest House, Kohima. This was stated in a release issued by school education director Zaveyi Nyekha.
Health Care Establishments informed Kohima, July 16 (mExN): The National Health Care Establishment Act 1997 (Act No. 3 of 1997), under the establishment of Nagaland Health Care Centers has notified to all the Nursing/ Maternity Homes, Hospitals, Day Care Centers, Poly Clinics, Clinics, Diagnostic Units etc registered under Health Care Establishment Act, 1997 to renew the license for a period of three (3) years within a month. This was stated in a press note issued by Dr. G. Kemp, Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland.
I-Day meeting venue changed Kohima, July 16 (Dipr): The Home Department General Administration has stated that in continuation to the Department’s meeting Circular regarding work distribution for Independence Day 2014 the venue of the meeting will be at Home Commissioner’s Conference Hall on July 18 at 12:30 and not in the Conference Hall of Chief Secretary. Besides the officer’s/department’s mentioned in the earlier Circular, Commandant General Home Guards and Civil Defence, Home Guards is also requested to attend the meeting.
NCP merger: Youth wing GS requests withdrawal of signature
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Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): In a letter addressed to the Speaker, Nagaland Legislative Assembly, NCP youth wing general secretary, Amanbo Rentta has requested for withdrawal of signature from the resolution of State NCP “merger” with BJP on June 16. Stating the he was one of the signatories in the said “merger”, Amanbo clarified that he tendered his signature assuming the resolution taken was a collective resolution. “It was to my surprise when I realized that I was misled into thinking that it was and became a part of it,” he stated. The fact, he said, was that there was still one MLA in the party and lots of State party officials remained loyal to the party. “Realizing my folly, I have decided to withdraw my signature and support from the said resolution and remain steadfast in the NCP in the days to come,” Rentha stated, while requesting the NLA speaker to take the case into consideration and do the needful.
Orientation workshop on FTK moKoKchuNg, July 16 (Dipr): Orientation workshop on Water Quality and Field Testing Kit’s (FTK) which is being organized by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Mokokchung Division will be held on July 17 and 18 at Longkumer Kilem, Mokokchung. Executive Engineer, PHED, Mokokchung, N.Yanger Pongen has informed that one (1) representative each from WATSAN Committee and school teacher from twenty (20) villages under Ongpangkong (N), Ompangkong (S), Chuchuyimlang and Tuli Blocks would attend the training on July 17. On July 18 representatives from twenty (20) villages under Changtongya, Chuchuyimlang and Kubolong Blocks will attend the training. Resource persons during the workshop will be Alemjungla Longchar (Chemist) and Sentiyapang, J.E. The training will begin from 10:00 a.m.
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PDLFSA meeting cum election
General Manager, NABARD, V Chelladurai (4th right) and member secretary, Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB), Rusovil John (5th right) along with members of Green Succession of Nagaland State (GREEN SONS) on the occasion of the 5 Foundation Day celebration held at Lotha Hoho Ki, Dimapur, Wednesday. (Morung Photo)
21st Aug. 1967 to 9th July 2014
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Smile Train Shija Cleft Project - Mission Nagaland, successfully conducted free health camp on cleft lip and palate patients across Nagaland, which was conducted from July 11 to 14 last. Altogether, 13 patients took registration, out of which 7 patients were successfully operated. Some of the patients could not be operated during this camp, due to medical problems, and keep under observation, said Dr. Vikethonyü Kesiezie, Managing Director, Oking Hospital, KOhima. The Mission Nagaland conduct free health camp every month at Oking Hospital & Research Clinic (P) Ltd, Kohima. An expert team of plastic surgeons from Shija Hospitals and Research Institute Pvt. Ltd., Health City, Langol, Imphal, Manipur will be available next month. Patients with cleft and palate patients can enquire at Oking Hospital & Research Clinic (P) Ltd., Kohima @ 0370-2290080. The tentative camp
will be informed through local newspaper later, said Dr. Kesiezie. Smile Train Shija Cleft Project ,Mission Nagaland project is a joint initiative of Smile Train Shija Cleft Project, Oking Hospital & Research Clinic (P) Ltd., Kohima, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) - Nagaland and Explore Nagaland towards rendering new smile, new hope and new life to all the cleft lip and cleft palate patients by rendering absolutely free of cost corrective surgery. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan - Nagaland has been supporting this project by sponsoring travelling and food allowances to the cleft lip and palate patients who are in the age group from 6 to 18 years. A cleft is a separation or gap in the body structure. Two major types of oral facial clefts are cleft lip (involving the lip) and cleft palate (involving the roof of the mouth or the soft posterior tissue inside the mouth). Most cannot eat, drink or speak properly. Due to shame, they cannot even attend school or hold a job and lead a painful life in isolation.
pErEN, July 16 (mExN): The Peren District Leprosy Field Staff Association has convened general meeting cum election of new office bearers for the tenure July 2014 to July 2017 in Peren Town, in the CMO conference hall at 11:00 am on July 24. According to a press release issued by its President Asibo all the members of the association are requested to come with innovative ideas without fail. Further, any member intending to hold any post should apply in plain paper addressed to the President he/she wished-for, before the sitting begins. No application will be entertained after the conference initiate.
Scholarship form under CEAF Kohima, July 16 (mExN): District Education Officer, Kohima informed all the school principals/ headmasters (both government and private) under DEO Kohima to collect the stipends/scholarship form under Children Education Assistance Fund (CEAF) for the year 2014 from the office of the DEO Kohima during office hour. The last date for issue of form is August 14 and last date for submission to the Centre Superintendent will be August 30. This was stated in a release issued by Kohima DEO Ruovihulie Angami.
Special Education Teachers elect office bearers Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): The Special Education Teachers, Nagaland in a meeting on June 27 elected a new team of office bearers with Vikato I. Chishi (9089840269) as President and Akhono (9615336933) as Vice President. Following are the district representatives: Vekuto - Phek (9436664612); T.S. Hongwang Mon (8414046044); Puloto - Zunheboto (9856316384); Azhato - Peren (8731013226); Ekonthung - Wokha (9089949387); Bendang - Mokokchung (9612539681); Atoka - Kiphire (9612520552); Mughali K. Yeptho - Dimapur (9089452049); Henvih - Lonleng (8974802634); Y. Ninghisang - Tuensang (8014292826); Megokolia George Pier - Kohima (9856485033).
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Seven NE lawyers to Naga women on Ukhrul situation give legal help in Delhi Newmai News Network Senapati | July 16
The Naga Women Union (NWU) has condemned any form of violence and also strongly condemned the unfortunate killing of Ngalangzar Malue on July 12 at Finch Corner, Ukhrul district in a broad day light by unidentified persons. The NWU also condemned the Government of Manipur's alleged taking advantage and political mileage of the situation during the time 'when it was facing internal crisis over power and portfolios'. "The Government instead of taking stock of the situation and the responsibility to investigate objectively chose to deploy Manipur police commandos and the IRBs who are well known in the state for their notoriety, indiscipline and disregard for human lives
TNL undecided on next course of action ukhrul, July 16 (NNN): The Governor of Manipur is yet to respond to the petition of Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the Tangkhul apex civil body demanding the revocation of Section 144 CrPC clamped in Ukhrul town since July 13 morning in the aftermath of the killing of Ngalangzar Malue, a member of Ukhrul district Autonomous District Council by suspected militants. TNL had earlier served a 24 hour deadline for the revocation of Section 144 CrPC and also withdrawal of the Manipur police commandos and IRB personnel deployed in Ukhrul town in hundreds. The deadline ended at 5:30 pm today but there has been no decision yet from the Tangkhul apex civil body. TNL president Artax Shimray
and rights," it stated. The Manipur Government also imposed 144 CrPC in the district headquarter of Ukhrul which is creating tension and fear
said that since the UNC sponsored bandh is underway today the Tangkhul civil organisations will not meet today. "We will decide what course of action will be taken after the bandh gets over," stated Artax Shimray. Meanwhile, the promulgation of CrPC 144 in Ukhrul town continued for the fourth day today with hundreds of Manipur police commandos and IRB personnel loitering in the streets of the town. All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), United Naga Council (UNC), Naga Women Union (NWU) and several other Ukhrul district based civil bodies including Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) have strongly voiced against the promul-
psychosis to the public, particularly women and children and violating the rights of the people, the Naga Women Union added. "We also question the
gation of CrPC 144 in Ukhrul town. Former vice chairman of ADC, Ukhrul district and sitting member of the council Ngalangzar Malue, 60 years, was killed in Imphal-Ukhrul road on July 12 by suspected militants. The Manipur Government, based on the intelligence reports, has blamed the involvement of NSCN-IM but the latter outfit had washed off its hand in the incident. The following day, hundreds of Manipur security force personnel swoop down at the regional office of Wung Tangkhul Region (WTR) of the NSCN-IM in Ukhrul town in the pre-dawn raid picking up 8 cadres of the NSCN-IM and seized the available weapons from the office.
arbitrary and random act of raiding the office of the Wung Tangkhul Region of NSCN and the arrest of 8 cadres on mere suspicion when it is a well known fact
that many armed groups including valley based groups, operate in the district and have records of violence in the area. The Government of Manipur has
once again demonstrated its malicious and prejudice attitude towards the Nagas and such insensitivity will only deepen the existing distrust and animosity," the NWU cautioned. The Government of Manipur should instead seek support of the concern people of the region to deal with the issue rather than resorting to “knee jerk reaction”. NWU urged the Government of Manipur to address the grievances and issues raised by the people instead of resorting to un-warranted use of force to address a situation. "We demand that Cr.PC 144 be immediately revoked, the police commandos and IRB be removed from the district and the NSCN-IM cadres be unconditionally released and their properties returned in the spirit of maintaining peace and communal harmony in the state," it demanded.
Tripura MP wants easy visa for Bangladeshis AgArtAlA, July 16 (IANS): A Lok Sabha member from Tripura Wednesday said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has assured him that her ministry would take steps to provide hasslefree visa to Bangladeshis willing to visit India. "External Affairs Minister (Sushma) Swaraj assured me that she would take appropriate steps to provide visa without any trouble to Bangladeshi citizens keen to visit India," Jitendra Chaudhury told IANS over phone from New Delhi. Chaudhury, a Communist Party of India-Marxist lawmaker and former TripuJaintia children participate in Behdienkhlam festival celebration in Jowai, in Meghalaya, Wednesday, July 16. Behdienkhlam ra industries and commerce is a traditional festival of the Jaintias celebrated after sowing, seeking a good harvest and to drive away plague and diseases. minister, met Sushma Swaraj Young men symbolically drive away evil spirits by beating the roof of every house with bamboo poles. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) in New Delhi Tuesday and
submitted a memorandum requesting her to issue easy visas to Bangladeshis. Chaudhury explained to the minister about the hardship faced by Bangladeshis to obtain visas to visit India, specially Tripura and other northeastern states. Highlighting the strategic location of the northeastern region and its proximity to Bangladesh, Chaudhury said there were scope to set up joint venture projects by Bangladeshi and Indian investors in the resource rich region. "For economic development of northeastern states, please encourage Bangladeshi investors and traders to visit the region more frequently."
New delhI, July 16 (IANS): The Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that seven advocates from the northeast, including five women advocates, have been empanelled by it to provide free legal assistance to people from the region staying in the capital. Submitting its report before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw, the DLSA said various awareness and sensitisation programmes have been organised qua grievances of the northeast people during May-July in various parts of the city. The bench was hearing a suo motu cognizance taken by it on media reports about the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania and issued certain directions on the safety and security of northeast people. "Seven northeast state advocates, including five lady advocates, have been empanelled with the DLSA for the years 2014 onwards, so that people from the northeast feel more comfortable and their experience is used not only for counselling but also as resource person," the DLSA report said. A special drive - Para Legal Volunteers Training - was carried out for northeast people during the
summer, in which around 250 students from all over India from 37 universities participated. Eighteen students from the northeast took part in the programme, the report added. Meanwhile, a contempt petition was filed seeking initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against two Delhi lawyers who allegedly abused and assaulted people from the northeast inside the Tis Hazari court premises in May. The court would hear the plea July 23. Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the alleged victims, told the court that the northeast people had gone to the Tis Hazari court May 23 for recording a statement in a molestation case, also concerning a woman from the northeast, and were abused and assaulted by some lawyers inside the courtroom. The woman from the northeast was allegedly molested on the night of May 22 outside the Vishwa Vidyalaya Metro station by an advocate. On May 23, she went to the Tis Hazari court with her friends and a lawyer for recording her statement. The contempt plea said the lawyers, who had gathered inside the courtroom in support of their accused colleague, hurled abuses at the woman and her supporters and later assaulted some of them.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
MSF to commemorate Chitaranjan death anniv COMPuTEr ACADEMy ImphAl, July 16 (NNN): Ten years ago a promising student leader from Manipur became a human torch shouting against the draconian law Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 seconds before he fell into coma. He was admitted in a hospital with more than 90 percent burn injuries but succumbed the following day. Pebam Chitaranjan self-immolated in 2004 protesting against the AFSPA during the mass protest in Manipur when the civil society organisations both from the hills and the valley strongly protested against the draconian law. The Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF) is organising a mega event to remember the Chitaranjan death anniversary in Imphal on August 16. The mass protest in Manipur was
triggered after a woman by the name of Thangjam Manorama was raped before she was murdered by the Assam Rifles in 2004. Series of protest followed. The state government had to clamp curfew in the valley districts for weeks. Meanwhile, addressing the media here, MSF vice president RN Koireng said a public meeting will be held at THAU Ground, Imphal on August 16 after floral tributes were paid At Bishenpur bazar where Chitaranjan had torched himself and also his birth place Takhellambam Leikai in Imphal. Koireng expressed anger that the 60 legislators of Manipur were passing resolution after resolution every year to extend AFSPA in the state, instead of investing their energy to repeal the draconian law.
Tamenglong district in the ‘dark’ about WCup ImphAl, July 16 (the hINdu): Citizens of Tamenglong, a hill district in Manipur, could not watch FIFA world football cup matches. Reason: no power supply. For the sports loving people of Manipur there cannot be a more cruel punishment than this. The district has not been getting power for the last four months because of faulty power transmission lines and other equipment. Protests from the people and three MLAs from the district were of no avail . Sports enthusiasts from the district had to collect information like scores, names of the scorers later from friends elsewhere in
the state over the mobile phones. The non governmental organisations in the district submitted an ultimatum to the chief secretary to supply power to the district within seven days. But the chief secretary did not even acknowledge it. The NGOs have banned all kinds of works in the national projects within the district with effect from Tuesday midnight for an indefinite period.. The most affected will be the improvement of highway 37 and tunneling works of the Jirighat-Tupul rail project. A joint statement issued by the NGOs said that Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has been telling the people that his government would
ensure that consumers get uninterrupted power between 10 to 12 hours a day. This may be true for some parts of the state. They said that the high sounding slogan that hill and valley are one should be translated in letter and spirit. They also recalled that some years back the Chief Minister had inaugurated a 132 KV power sub station at Rengpang in the district. But the people of the district have been groping in the dark. The ban on the national project works shall continue till the people get power supply. The government should be held squarely responsible for all untoward incidents, the statement said.
Government of Nagaland
State Health Society National Health Mission Health & Family Welfare Dept. Nagaland: Kohima
NL/NRHM/Estt./B-35/HR/2010/6350
Dated Kohima, the 16th of July 2014
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Applications are hereby invited to fill up the post under National Health Mission (NHM), Nagaland; Sl. No 1
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NO.DET-7/35/2010/278
Dated Kohima, the 8th July 2014.
INFORMATION
(To ITI Passed out Trainees)
It is hereby informed that the National Trade Certificate (NTC) for Affiliated trades in respect of ITI Passed Out Trainees (from ITI Kohima & Mokokchung) are ready for issuing up to July 2012. Therefore, passed out candidates may contact and collect from the concern ITI. Contact No: 9856511103(ITI, Mkg) 8974634940 (ITI, Kma) Sd/(MUTHINGNYUBA SANGTAM) Director, Employment & Craftsmen Training, Nagaland, Kohima.
Born on: 26-03-1956 Died on: 07-07-14
Through this column we the bereaved family members deeply express our profound gratitude and thanks to all individuals, churches and organizations who stood by us through prayers, by their physical presence and financial assistance and much need support during the brief illness and at the sudden sad demise of our beloved mother — Yanbani N. Ngullie on 7th July. 2014. We convey our sincere thanks to:1. Lotha A.G. Church, Dimapur 2. A.G. Church, Mungya Village 3. Mr. & Mrs. Senjumo Ngullie 4. Mr. & Mrs. Marry 5. Mr. & Mrs. Shanbemo S. Ngullie 6. Mr. & Mrs. Tsenbemo Ngullie 7. Mr. & Mrs. Ezonthung Ezung 8. Mr. & Mrs. Rakhamo Ngullie 9. Mrs. Mhalo M. Kikon 10. R.K. Ezung We regret our inability to mention each individual but your loving service extended to us will always remain and cherished in our heart and May God Almighty Bless you all. Loving husband, Sons & Daughters
4
Dimapur
public discoursE
Thursday 17 July 2014
The Morung Express
A layman’s thought on Foothill Road Controversy
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axation by NPGs, Unions and Syndicates has long been the bane of Naga society. This has also become a favourite excuse of several politicians and bureaucrats for failure to execute or complete any given project. Poor workmanship has often been blamed on heavy taxations. Not to be left behind, several politicians and bureaucrats makes sure they extract their pound of flesh for any project or scheme that is to be executed. This seems to be the case with the Foothill Road undertaken at the initiative of the NFHRCC. Leaving aside all other myriad problems faced by NFHRCC and the Department, I want to draw the pub-
lic’s attention on the more serious issue of Taxation or Commission demanded by the Politician as alleged. Although it can only be termed as an allegation until it can be proven in a court of Law, I am sure most of the public are well aware by now and will not be surprised if it is proven to be true as this seem to be a deeply ingrained practice by certain Ministers. A noble initiative started by the civil societies with high hopes and expectations sadly has become embroiled in a labyrinth of controversies and ego clash with no end in sight. The present government has also badly bungled on this issue as the Cabinet sub-Com-
business
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Air India to sell its long range Boeing 777s
MuMbai, July 16 (agencies): Air India has invited bids to sell three Boeing 777200LR planes to cut down on its operating loss. Last October the national carrier sold five planes of the same type to Etihad Airways for a deal valuing about $ 350 million. Etihad operates the planes on Abu Dhabi-Los Angeles route. Air India acquired 20 Boeing 777s including 8 777200LRs and 12 777-300ERs. The Boeing 777-200LRs were used to operate non stop service between Mumbai and Delhi and New York. There were also plans to launch direct service between Bangalore and San Francisco but plans were dropped as spike in fuel prices and airline’s inability to generate enough premium traffic led to losses. Currently the 777200LRs are flown on India-Saudi Arabia routes.
mittee set but by the Government seem to have achieved just the reverse of what it was set up for with members of the NFHRCC walking out and the society dangerously getting divided along tribal lines. This has the potential of even blowing up into bigger crises which could destroy the very fabric of the Naga society. The Cabinet sub-Committee seem to be in a state of paralysis once their feeble attempt at negotiations failed. The Committee should have been more prepared with fresher ideas and members with better negotiating skills and political acumen should have been entrusted with the negotiations. Even the Home
Last year Air India concluded a deal to sell five of these planes and used the proceeds to retire debt incurred in its acquisition. Air India said tender for the sale of three planes would be open till atleast one bid is received. “The Boeing 777-200LR is not a fuel efficient aircraft and on average burns 7 tonnes a fuel per hour. In comparison the Boeing 787 burns five tonnes and larger Boeing 777300ER burns over 7.5 tonnes. This was impacting route viability and hence we have decided to sell or lease them,” an airline source said. The government carrier is replacing the Boeing 777s with 787s to Europe and East Asia routes. AI will use the Boeing 777 300-ER to US, while Dreamliners have replace the 777 200-LRs to Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Osaka.
Minister, who is not known for his prudence and who heads the Committee, surprisingly has been tight-lipped on this issue and seem incapable of even issuing a statement in his capacity as the Home Minister even when Dimapur was thrown into a state of chaos. This raises serious questions on his capability to hold such an important post. The committee lacked courage or the political will, this resulted in zero results. This Cabinet subCommittee seem to be more of an eye-wash than a genuine attempt at finding a solution to the problem. If the Government is genuinely concern at finding a solution, then the
Government Should abolish the present committee go back to the drawing board and come up with a better solution, perhaps entrust one or two senior politician or bureaucrat with better negotiating skills. After all there are also a lot of people even within the ten tribes who also understands the position of the government and the difficulty it is facing. Both NFHRCC and govt should give room and make space for negotiations and not be too rigid in their stance as the road is neither the sole property of the NFHRCC or the Government. Lanu Jamir Chumukedima
What do the lawyers say?
y question is within the ambit of the traditional perspective. To me the three pre-Christian golden canons for the Nagas were the Fear, the Shame and the Taboo. These unwritten tenets ruled the roost in the past, and it remains relevant till date as is compatible as the modern teaching on Christian morality based on Bible. By personal experience, these three tenets used to condition the upbringing and particularly the character building of one into a conscientious maturity of a person. When a person lacks one of the tenets, the quintessence of the prerequisites of the character of a human is lost, and thereby imbalance sets in that person(self experience). When a man is bereft of these three tenets, he is hardly human. Physically and spiritually that man is definitely human, and yet morally he is not in the category of human. When a human no more possesses those basic tenets, he begins to have the characteristics of animals. Why? Because he has no shame, no fear and no taboo. The consequences are that he has tendencies to commit shameful acts, fearful crimes and unrestrained behaviour like animal. Animals do not have such tenets. They do anything as per their instinctual guidance. God created them to be in that nature without spirit. Thus, even when an animal commits heinous crime, it is not considered a sin. Man is created by the same God to be above animals. Have we lowered ourselves vol-
untarily to be in the category of animals? I posed this question to myself and to any taker. India is popularly unpopular with the rate of rapes today. It is reportedly known that in every 20 minutes a woman is raped in the country. India had 33,707 rape cases in 2013 which indicates a rape case in every 15 minutes rather. Nagaland had 67 rape cases in 2013 and the figure fails to befit a Christian State. This is a manmade major calamity, a direct result of sluggish administration. What message is being sent out to other countries? I am sure, the advice for women in other countries is to avoid the visit to India lest there is risk of getting raped. In other words, if you want to be raped visit India, is the message. What an image we have? When a wild animal attacks a human, it causes harm, kills or devours if not cripples the victim for life. Similarly, to satiate himself, when a man rapes a woman, the victim is hurt mentally and physically. The worst is the social stigma which the victim has to bear in her whole life. The moment she is harmed and exposed, her world is turned topsy-turvy. She curses herself why she was born to bear the brunt of the harsh world. The victim has to go through much agony not because of her folly but fate had it that she became the victim of the human who is bereft of the tenets. The other day, the News paper carried a story about a stray dog mauling a two months old baby in Nabi Karim locality in
Delhi. The baby succumbed to her injury. The reaction of the locals in that area was not to spare the attacker, the dog. They did not file RIR in any Police Station nor sought any permission from any authority to avenge for the death of the baby. The dog was killed without hesitation by the locals. Be it the domestic animals or the wild animals, when one causes harm to any human or poses threat to human beings, we do not wait for legal formalities but opt for self defence. The Indian law seems to soft pedal with people who behave and act like wild animals. At the very moment a debate is on in the country on the proposal of Union Minister Maneka Gandhi to make existing laws more stringent to deal with juvenile rapist. The proposal has logic as there is no such as minor rape or major rape. Age does not make any difference here. Rape by a juvenile or by adult is rape, nothing more nothing less. One is the victim of animal and the other is the victim of human. Yet, the degree of end results of harm faced by the two victims are same. In any case, the human culprit is booked and tried in the court of law for his crime. Should the culprit animal be tried in the Indian court of law similarly? What do the lawyers say? By the by, I am flattered by Akum C. It should make me humbler.
Open letter to the Chief Minister T R Zeliang
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he Naga people are happy that you got the post of Chief Minister. More than us happy, you should feel privileged Sir. Privileged because you can serve us. We are looking up to you to bring great changes. Your predecessors have done works but they have disappointed us because more than works for us, they have amassed personal wealth. Sir, Nagaland’s literacy stands at 80.11 % as per 2011 census. Nagas are no longer the illiterate tribals. We are educated enough to know who is doing right and who is doing wrong. Please do not disappoint us. Sir, the areas that Nagas are strong are Tourism, Horticulture, agriculture, art and sports. Tap those and you will see a stronger Nagaland. Other areas that needs immediate attentions are Roads ( NH-29 is in a mess ), health care sector, Roads and Education ( Government Schools). Please prioritize those areas also. I leave to your
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wisdom to what other areas you need to look into. Sir, we don’t care what you have done previously or who you are. We are willing to forgive and forget. Rein in your new ministers and yourself and please do not just amass personal wealth and go away. Your party NPF has disappointed us Nagas in a big way but we are willing to forgive and look forward to a fresh new start. Be that one leader who will go down in Naga History for working selflessly; who will remembered with fondness and will earn the tag “ People’s Chief Minister”. Nagas especially the younger lot are frustrated and are now cynics at best. Make us optimistic and help us to wake up everyday with a hope for changes. Thanking you for your time. Yours sincerely, The Young Nagas. Kevitho Kera Dimapur
An appreciation to Thepfulhouvi
hrough your esteemed Morung Express, July 16, 2014 issue I read Mr. Thepfulhouvi Solo’s write-up on Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and I appreciate his courage to question the role of FNR and other Naga organisations. But at the sametime it would be much appreciated if he could have courage to appreciate the good works of Naga organisations. Today there is relatively peace in our land, barring stray incidence, because of relentless efforts made by various Naga organisations which were supported by the state Government, national and international organisations. We cannot simply ignore the priceless job done by them. The then Peace Mission of Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) had to deal with only one Naga National Council (NNC), but today peace-brokers are dealing with several outfits and its has become an herculean task for them to bring all together to a peace table. The NNC (Adinno) to whom Mr. Thepfulhouvi is affiliated has become another stumbling block towards Naga reconciliation. Lately the NBCC did continued with its peace mission but could not make much headway to bring together Naga groups, so also Naga Hoho, Nagaland GBs and DBs association, Naga Mothers’ Association, Naga Students’ Federation, Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights, Political Affairs Committee of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN)-I and II, among others and now FNR which is supported by various Naga organisations, church, national and international organisations, is trying its utmost effort to broker-peace between the outfits. The situation then prior to 1964 was quite different then now. Definitly questioning the efforts of our organisations and church is tantamount to totally undermining the Naga peace process. Our collective efforts should not be hammered by pessimism. Ghoshito Assumi Senior citizen Purana Bazaar, Dimapur
Z. Lohe New Ministers’ Hill, Kohima
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.
_
LEISURE
Simple Rules - There is just one simple rule: “Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.”
SUDOKU Game Number # 2938
DAILY CROSS WORD
CROSSWORD # 2944
DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:
STD CODE: 03862
Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital: Shamrock Hospital Zion Hospital: Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital Apollo Hospital Info Centre: Railway: Indian Airlines Chumukedima Fire Brigade Nikos Hospital and Research Centre Nagaland Multispecialty Health & Research Centre
Answer Number # 2937
KOHIMA
Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: Oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home:
232224; Emergency229529, 229474 227930, 231081 228846 228254 231864, 224117, 227337 228400 232106 227607 232181 242555/ 242533 224041, 248011 230695/9402435652 131/228404 229366 282777 232032, 231031 248302, 09856006026
STD CODE: 0370
Northeast Shuttles
100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202
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Y D K B U F P R U N P Y O P D K P J O P
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U G K N V P P R J E O F L E H G N R Q C
B L O E W Z P G X V O A U I A I Z F B R
B P G F N G N V F X F J S A D D J I Z A
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E Y V O D D L X Z K F A G U I J K A U F
R R G L Z F C R E A T E A N D C R A F T
S Z I D I D O U B L E S I D E D T A P E
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T M N E M B O S S I N G T O O L W O R R
A I K R H G J T L V S P S B Y K E Q I S
M R P S I L I C O N A I D O J L E K C C
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P R A A C U E B U P A G B X J E Z N K O
S O D W P E E L O F F S I M I N E G I M
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C R S S R S H D O R B C S A J E R A N P
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MOKOKCHUNG:
E I A L F K A C A R D S V Z B Z W Q A H
ACROSS 1.Indian prince 6. Gossip 10. Eyebrow shape 14. Anoint (archaic) 15. Disabled 16. Unadulterated 17. Minim 18. Holly 19. Dainty 20. Variety 22. Lantern 23. A type of large sandwich 24. Practical 26. Shabby 30. A pinnacle of ice 32. A mixture of metals 33. Sings (to attract) 37. Found on a finger 38. Go on a buying spree 39. Container weight 40. Bond certificate 42. Hot chocolate 43. Anagram of “Arson” 44. Gentle stroke 45. It pumps blood 47. 2,000 pounds 48. Sodium chloride 49. Unshackled 56. Decorative case
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DOWN 1. Indian music 2. Rectum 3. Types of an engine 4. Countertenor 5. Rumor 6. Ascend 7. Fit 8. Ends a prayer 9. Unsmooth 10. A device for applying 11. Not urban 12. Illegal activity 13. Rope fiber 21. Pull 25. Buff 26. South African monetary unit 27. Wings 28. Smooth-tongued 29. Permissiveness 30. Clairvoyants
31. Sea eagle 33. Twirled 34. Small freshwater fish 35. God of love 36. Oceans 38. Relative positions 41. Neither ___ 42. Choral composition 44. Small portable bed 45. Despised 46. Avoid 47. Brusque 48. Arid 50. Roman emperor 51. Ranch 52. Black, in poetry 53. Telephoned 54. Feudal worker 55. A whitetail
Ans to CrossWord 2943
DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC) CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862-282777/101 (O) WOKHA: 03860-242215 (O) 9402643782 MOKOKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/101 (O) 9856872011 (OC) PHEK: 03865-223838/101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)
TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879 MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)
Toll free No. 1098 childline
O
KOHIMA: 0370-2222952/101 (O) 9436062098 (OC)
ZUNHEBOTO: 03867-220444/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)
CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE
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FIRE STATIONS
STD CODE: 0369
Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :
2226241 2226214
Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home: Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):
2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343
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LOCAL
The Morung Express
Thursday 17 July 2014
Book Review
Dimapur
5
MEx FILE
REV. Lano Longchar: The King’s Messenger GPRN/NSCN condoles “Your life is a book, others are reading it. Does your life point Heavenwards? Let others see Jesus in you.”
“R
ev. Lano Longchar: The King’s Messenger” is one of the very few books from Nagaland that relates to the life story of a person. And this book carries a certain uniqueness. Unique because it is not like any other ordinary book but it can be compared with the nature of the Holy Bible - this book also has life and very much alive and living. The pages of his life spans through stories of triumph of God’s grace over struggles, pain and torture that this Godly man endured, the blessings and revelations, and the mission for which he was called upon. He is truly THE KING’S MESSENGER. He says, “Unless we have a testimony, our life is meaningless” and truly so, he is a living testimony of God’s unconditional love and His mighty works. As he aptly says that his book is not to popularise himself but to let the world know about the simple yet powerful message of God’s love and His mighty works through a small channel of the Gospel and that he wants to be a channel of blessing for the people. Born in a humble Chris-
tian family he grew up in the light of Christian principles both in the family and in the society. During their growing years only a ‘privileged’ few could step out of the confines of the village in the pursuit of education. Those students were even considered as ‘foreign’ students. Rev. Lano was also privileged enough to continue his schooling at Mokokchung. While there, he had a different zeal. He says, “I was awestruck with the senior students who could converse in English. They looked like heavenly angels.” Longchar resolved to learn English as soon as he can. This zeal, I believe, in actuality, as his life story unfolds one can only see that God was preparing him for a much greater mission field. His favorite hymnal, ‘Love Lifted Me’ has a lyrical rendering to his life story and not only that, one can see the promise of God’s love that endured him through all circumstances. Looking at the way God revealed His plans to him in his dream one can only see how God works in mysterious ways. Though he did not understand the meaning of his dream that time when he was placed
in a life and death situation and he could only come to the conclusion that his end was near. Such instances show that we need to constantly build our relationship with God through prayers asking His will. As we see from the often repeated cliché – man pro-
Neiphiu Rio congratulates new governor of Nagaland
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio and his wife felicitated the new Governor of Nagaland Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya in New Delhi on July 16.
NEw DElhi, July 16 (mExN): Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Neiphiu Rio has extended heartiest congratulations to the new Governor of Nagaland, Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya. Rio expressed confidence that Acharya will strengthen the peace process and facilitate towards realization of permanent peace, while reminding that the ongoing peace process and the strong desire of the people for a solution to the decades old Naga political problem is the most important agenda before
the people. “I am confident that your vast experience of more than five decades of involvement with the people of Nagaland and the north east at the grass roots level will be of great benefit to the people of our State and the Nation,” stated Rio in a letter addressed to the Governor. “Over the past five decades, you have made significant contributions for the welfare of the people especially the youth, students and the downtrodden. You are a man of the masses having worked at the grass roots level and your appoint-
ment as our Governor is a matter of great joy and happiness for all of us who are aware of your tireless efforts.” Rio further expressed hope that the new Governor will be able to make a positive impact on Nagaland and its citizens during his tenure and contribute towards the realization of the aspirations of the people. Rio further assured his fullest cooperation in realizing the common goals and looked forward to working together in “our common responsibility of serving the nation.”
poses but God disposes, he decided to go for theological studies at Nellore Bible College in South India but God had already prepared a different plan for him. And once he fully committed his life, the Lord opened up his ways in ever more wonderful ways.
and creating fear psychosis in the mind of the innocent public.” It further asserted that the Nagas “can no longer tolerate such kind of repeated atrocities meted to the innocent civilians.” It also demanded that the Government of India “revoke the draconian Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and remove the Assam Rifles from all the Naga Inhabited areas.” NKU: The Naga Kuotsu Union (NKU) has expressed shock at the raid on the house of its member Ketusielie Kuotsu, District Fishery Officer (DFO) Wokha at Officers’ Hill (Thegabakha), Kohima on July 12. A press note from the NKU termed the incident as a “great insult and demeaning to Government servants who even after proving themselves as Government servant was not paid any heed; and even after ascertaining the identity and not
the one as sought; raided the house for more than 4 hours without any piece of suspicion or illegal possessions to be found.” It condemned the action and demanded a public apology for “harassment and agony meted out to an innocent member and family of our clan.” “Assam Rifles should make public the identity of such treacherous informer or of the source who might have done so out of hatred or jealousy or with wrong motives, or any lapses committed on the part of Assam Rifles should be made public so that such agonizing incidents do not happen to any innocent citizens in future, it added. VUK: The Vihutsumia Union Kohima (VUK) has condemned the “arbitrary raid” conducted on the residence of one of its members, Ketusielie Kuotsu on 12 July and stated that the AR personnel “raided the
we see the growing number of anti-Christ attacking Christianity and the Church. These are testing times but sadly we seem to have forgotten our Alpha and Omega God and have put our faith and trust in other ‘gods.’ In times as such one can also reflect upon the life of Rev. Lano to reorient our faith in the Lord seeing the mighty works and how God used His messenger to deliver healing as well as raise the death. It’s not that we need to be a Thomas first or else the very beauty of faith and belief becomes meaningless. We believe in the risen Lord. God’s power is indeed wonderful. The beautiful episodes of life still continue for the man of God Rev. Lano Longchar and even at 79, he wills to continue serving the Lord for many more years and specially to bring many youths to the Lord. Like a tree struck by the lightening, we can truly see God’s love and grace being revealed through his life. I invoke the readers to take a soulful journey with Rev. Lano Longchar and have a blissful experience in encountering our Savior Lord Jesus. Dr. Asangba Tzüdir
Book on renowned Naga missionary released
AR recovers arms Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): Troops of 37 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ 6 Sect Assam Rifles launched a search operation in Chumukedima and recovered one 7.65 mm pistol with two magazines, assorted ammunition and incriminating documents from a house on July 14. The recovered items were handed over to Diphupar Police Station, Dimapur. This was informed in a press release issued by Assam Rifles.
Meeting for Independence Day preparations Kohima, July 16 (Dipr): The Home Department has requested the following officers/departments to attend the meeting convened in the conference hall of Home Commissioner on July 18 at 12:30 pm to chalk out the work distribution/ programme for Independence Day 2014. : 1. 2. 3.
Morung Express News Dimapur | July 16
The life story of renowned Naga missionary Rev. Lano Longchar, in part, has been turned into a book. The book “Rev Lano Longchar: The King’s Messenger”, written by Dr. Lanusangla Tzüdir, Publisher & Chief Editor , Heritage Publishing House was today released at Rev. Lano’s residence in Naharbari here. It was formally released by CL John, Minister for Rural Development, Government of Nagaland. Rev. Lano during the launch called the book just a fraction of his biography. He expressed that bigger volume of his biography will be released later. The book, though small with only 60 pages, narrates the “triumph of God’s grace over the struggles, pain and torture that this Godly man (Rev. Lano) endured and the mission for which he was called upon.” It also contains stories of his background – family, his early life, education et al. Also, there are testimonials of the reverend by ten different individuals. In the prelude, Lanusangla wrote, “Over the conversation (with Rev. Lano), I came to realize that the intention of the reverend
Organizations condemn Assam Rifles' raid in Kohima NSF: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has condemned the “highhandedness and arrogant act of the 19 Assam Rifles (IGAR) meted upon innocent Naga citizen Ketusielie Kuotsu and his family.” A press note from the NSF expressed its “resentment against the frequent atrocities by the Assam Rifles perpetrated upon the Nagas due to the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and time and again creating war-like situations inspite of the ceasefire being signed at the highest level.” NSF stated that the incident “reflects of the many ill-intended activities of the Assam Rifles (AR) acting as negative forces and the draconian law where the innocent citizens are targeted without any rhyme or reasons.”It demanded the IGAR (N) to “redress the incident” and questioned “the concerned commanding officer whether it is justifiable to say sorry after harassing
Reading through the pages of his life one can only marvel at the power of God that is so wonderfully manifested in his life. His consuming passion for the lost souls can be seen from his desire to serve the Lord for many more years. He is indeed a powerful communicator of the Gospel and a towering giant of the faith exemplifying true humility and love for Christ. This comes through his constant companionship with God which is a result of his call for his anointing every moment of his life. Like a ship passing through rough storm, life’s sail is not always smooth and is tested through tribulations and temptations. Even God was tempted as well as criticized and Rev. Longchar is no exception. He sees criticism as a part of temptation and that it is a blessing if we don’t fall into it. He only thanked God for the temptations and sought His strength to endure the testing times. Many a times in our life as a Christian, like Jesus disciple Thomas, we do not believe or have faith in the power of God and that a direct revelation becomes a ‘necessary condition’ to dispel such doubts. Today,
Dimapur, July 16 (mExN): The GPRN/NSCN has expressed grief at the demise of one of its active members, Howoto Sumi, ASO (Assistant Sectional Officer), Ministry of Chaplee (Finance) GPRN/NSCN. The GPRN/NSCN MIP in a condolence note “acknowledged the sincere and dedicated services rendered by him for the common cause and though his stay with us was short in years yet, his contributions were countless in deeds.” While paying final tribute to the late comrade, the GPRN/NSCN earnestly prayed to God Almighty to rest his soul in peace and also to comfort the bereaved family members during their time of sorrow.
house without any rhyme or reason…” “They barged into the house, while the victim and his young family were asleep and began turning house upside down,” alleged a press note from the VUK. “The unscrupulous raid for no fault of his and the refusal to reveal the reason for which the raid was conducted is an outright denial of right guaranteed to all citizens under the constitution of India,” the VUK stated. It further said that the “mental trauma inflicted on the young child and wife of Ketusielie is not going to be easily erased, not to mention the flur of the image on his image as a respectable citizen of Nagaland.” It demanded that the AR tender a public apology for causing mental trauma and tarnishing the image of its member and take stringent action against the concerned officer as per the provision of the law.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
(L-R) Minister CL John and Rev. Lano Longchar during the release of the book “Rev Lano Longchar: The King’s Messenger” on July 16.
was not to tell his story to the world. He was not seeking to glorify himself, but to tell the simple yet powerful message to the people that, God through his death and resurrection saved him and how his life was anointed and used mightily by the power of the Holy Spirit in making him a channel of blessing for the people.” The writer during the launch stated that the book has the richest content.
She expressed that in her six years as a publisher, though the book maybe the smallest, she enjoyed a lot working on it. She said many of the thoughts in the book were an outcome of interaction with Rev. Lano Longchar. She also acknowledged that the reverend has a consuming passion for the lost soul. The book published by Heritage Publishing House is price at Rs. 200/-
NPF asks govt to address drought- like situation Our Correspondent Kohima | July 16
The Naga People’s Front (NPF) during its consultative meeting of central office bearers, frontal organizations, cells, divisions and A/C unit presidents held here on July 15 asked the government to formulate a comprehensive programme to face any eventualities from drought- like situations in Nagaland. “Indicators from various agencies points to a droughtlike situation in the state where the rural populace will be affected to large extent,” the NPF stated in the form of resolution among other matters. It may be recalled the state is facing a droughtlike situation due to scanty rainfall where many farmers are unable to attend to paddy fields till date. Meanwhile, the Phek Farmers’ Club (PFC) thanked NPF for extending solidarity to the farmers in time of distress. PFC president Chekhunieyi Vero and chief coordinator Thuputhiyi Venuh expressed happiness that figuring such matter in the form of
resolution of the political party, has sent a big relief to the affected farmers and further appealed to the state government to give due attention to it. The Club also requested to other organizations and agencies to show similar attitude to the farmers as they (farmers) solely depend their livelihood through agricultural activities. The meeting also condemned the bomb blast, damage of office building and property, and burning of NPF president’s effigy at Mokokchung office. The meeting urged upon the government to bring the culprits to book and take appropriate action. On the recent activities of NFHRCC, it resolved, “It is a clear case of overreached into the domain of state's executives and its machineries.” The NPF opined that a credible pressure group or civil societies are expected to function within its mandated perimeter, whereas dictating the government of the day with self-defined terms and conditions will only complicate the objectives, the release stated.
Director General of Police, Nagaland, Kohima. IGAR (North), Nagaland, Kohima. Commandant, 164, Naga Territorial Army, Jakhama. DIG CRPF, Nagaland, Kohima Commandant 19th Assam Rifles Commandant 155th Bn BSF Battalion, Chedema Director, Sainik Welfare & Resettlement Commissioner & Secretary, School Educa-
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.
tion Commissioner & Secretary, Art & Culture Commissioner & Secretary, Land Resource Development Commissioner & Secretary, IPR Commissioner & Secretary, PHE Commissioner & Secretary, Horticulture Commissioner & Secretary Health & Family Welfare. Special Secretary, Home. Deputy Commissioner, Kohima Superintendent of Police, Kohima CEO, Kohima Municipal Council, Kohima Director, Youth Resources & Sports Director, Music Task Force. Director, IPR DIG, Fire SDO, PWD (H), Nagaland Civil Secretariat
Mon DC appeals on curbing influx of liquor and opium moN, July 16 (Dipr): In light of the increasing rape cases and influx of liquor and opium from Assam and Myanmar into Mon district, affecting the young generation, Deputy Commissioner of Mon in the DPDB meeting appealed to the Excise and Police department to intensify the check gates to curb inflow of “antisocial elements” in the district. She also stated, “Rape was never the culture of the Nagas.” At the same time, she lauded the KNSK and KSU for checking IMFL. The Mon District Planning & Development Board (DPDB) meeting was held under Deputy Commissioner Angau I Thou on July 15 at the DC’s conference hall. The DC also briefed the board members on the prevailing law and order situation in the district and lauded the apex NGOs bodies of the Konyaks for assisting the district administration and the Police force in maintaining peace and tranquility in the district. Angau I Thou also lauded the yeoman service rendered by the Medecines Sans Frontieres (MSF) to the people of Mon district. She informed that the MSF will be leaving the hospital on July 19 and a grand farewell programme would be organized in their honor by the people of Mon. Referring to the appeal of the President KNSK regarding financial assistance for organizing Miss Mon Beauty Pageant 2014 and KNSK Conference 2014, the Deputy Commissioner urged upon the members to come forward to contribute financial aid to the KNSK and the farewell programme of the MSF. While briefing on the
activities of Mon Civil Hospital, Dr. Lemnyei Konyak, Medical Superintendent thanked the District Administration, Police and the NGOs for providing security to the hospital and their timely intervention in the incident that occurred on June 23, 2014 at District Hospital, Mon. He also regretted the inconvenience caused to the public for closure of the hospital for few days. He also thanked the DPDB for allotting Rs. 10,00,000 (Ten Lakhs) towards the Hospital from LADP and at the same time requested the DPDB for construction of shelter for the security personnel. In the power point presentation, the MSF presented the overall achievement of the Hospital under MSF during the last 4 years of their service. They also pointed out major change in the hospital, training of staffs, medical care, capacity building, rehabilitation, upgradation to hundred beds, community participation, etc. besides infrastructure development, construction of buildings, biomedical equipments, water & sanitation, logistic materials, power supply, etc. They also asserted measures to be adopted to maintain the current service and quality of care, and requirement of sufficient funds to provide quality service to the people. While thanking the PHED department for restoration of water supply to Wangkhao College, Temlei Konyak, Lecturer, requested the PWD (R&B) for renovation of the road to the College. The DC also directed the CMO and the DPO to present their departmental activities in the next DPDB meeting.
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.
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IN-FOCUS
The Power of Truth
The Morung Express THursDAy 17 July 2014 volumE IX IssuE 194
GuEsT EDiTorial Chingya luithui
The Challenge For Democracy
J
ust over 150 years ago, when President Lincoln promised America “a new birth of freedom” it was hinged on the ideals of a “government of the people, by the people, for the people...”. Widely accepted as one of the best encapsulations of the idea of democracy, at its core is the idea of “people”. But who are the “people”? Herein lies the first challenge, amongst many others, to the idea of democracy as a system of governance. Experiences and histories of nation building from around the world have shown that how peoplehood is understood is intrinsically linked and pivotal to the democracy project. It is fundamental to the direction in which democratic institutions and governance systems are developed, evolved, and designed. Essentially, it all boils down to how inclusive or exclusive the understanding is. The Dayton Agreement, which officially ended the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, was highly constraint by exigencies of ending the violence and therefore had a very limited understanding of peoplehood that covered only three dominant ethnicities; other groups and interests were simply ignored. It resulted in entrenching governance systems and institutions that, first of all, had little scope for future institutional and political change, and secondly, did very little to accommodate diverse opinions much needed for a healthy democracy. Assuming the broadest, most liberal understanding of peoplehood is taken as the framework, the second foundational challenge lie in democracy’s ability to accommodate the needs of a wide range of people. This approach would, as examples, include the daily wage labourer, the learned professor, the beggar, the sex worker, the salesman, the bus driver, the glamorous fashion modeller, the HIV positive individual, and even criminals. Can a democratic government reflect and address the needs of such a disparate diverse set of people? Does it actually represent everyone equally or at least equitably? Can it protect the interest of an individual or a minority group despite it being counter to the desire of the majority? The third challenge is the question of who defines “people”. History is replete with dominant groups hijacking the idea of “peoplehood” for their own gains and in the process excluding many. Particularly, where election as an institution is seen as the basis to determine the mandate to decide, those already in the margins are pushed further to the sidelines. And in situations of conflict, such as ours, armed groups use the idea of peoplehood to either exclude or include sections of the society according to their convenience. All these is not to say that democracy is useless but to make it useful for us, we need to challenge the hegemony of the idea of democracy as the rule of the majority. The Naga people have suffered much violence and bloodshed because in the course of conceptualising and building the Naga nation we have, to some extent, fallen inadvertently into the pitfall of subscribing to the idea of Naganess and Naga peoplehood as defined by others. Even Naga political groups are guilty of this. In the process, many have been excluded. If we are to make Naga nationalism meaningful, we need to reclaim our own history to define ourselves, and by this it should not just be anthropological re-definitions but one that embrace our shared political aspirations as a people. (Feedbacks, suggestions, and comments can be mailed to chinxwrites@gmail.com)
lEfT WING |
Lindsey Tanner AP Medical Writer
Got A Rash? iPad, other devices might be the cause
U
nexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing metals. Recent reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies from a variety of personal electronic devices, including laptops and cellphones. But it was an Apple iPad that caused an itchy body rash in an 11-year-old boy recently treated at a San Diego hospital, according to a report in Monday's Pediatrics. Nickel rashes aren't life-threatening, but they can be very uncomfortable, and they may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the skin eruptions become infected, said Dr. Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady Children's Hospital, where the boy was treated. Jacob, who co-wrote the report, said the young patient had to miss school because of the rash. The boy discussed in the Pediatrics report had a common skin condition that causes scaly patches, but he developed a different rash all over his body that didn't respond to usual treatment. Skin testing showed he had a nickel allergy, and doctors traced it to an iPad his family had bought in 2010. Doctors tested the device and detected a chemical found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating. "He used the iPad daily," Jacob said. He got better after putting it in a protective case, she said. Whether all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel is uncertain. Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company's "products are made from the highest quality materials and meet the same strict standards set for jewelry by both the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission and their counterparts in Europe." "We have found that allergies like the one reported in this case are extremely rare," he said in an emailed statement. Microsoft spokeswoman Ryan Bartholomew declined to comment on whether that company's devices contain nickel. Amy Storey, a spokeswoman for CTIA-The Wireless Association trade group, said nickel isn't widely used in the industry's products' outer coatings because it can block radiofrequency signals from reaching the devices. She said she didn't know which makers use it. People with existing nickel allergies are at risk for rashes from nickel-containing devices. According to an advisory about cellphones on the website of the Nickel Institute, a global association based in Toronto representing nickel producers, the risk arises from contact with nickel-plated outer surfaces "over prolonged periods of time." "The length of time required to elicit an allergic reaction will vary from 5 or 10 minutes to never, depending on the sensitivity of the individual," the advisory says. Nickel rashes also have been traced to other common products including some jewelry, eyeglass frames and zippers. Jacob said evidence suggests nickel allergies are becoming more common, or increasingly recognized. She cited national data showing that about 25 percent of children who get skin tests for allergies have nickel allergies, versus about 17 percent a decade ago. Clare Richardson, spokeswoman for the Nickel Institute, said research shows as many as 17 percent of women and 3 percent of men in the general population have nickel allergies. She noted that the European Union has legislation aimed at limiting the amount of nickel that can be released from products that come in direct and prolonged contact with skin.
THE EDIT PAGE
C O M M E N T A R Y
Amantha Perera Inter Press Service
From Tigers to Barbers: Tales of Ex-Combatants
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eople are willing to wait a long time for a few minutes in the hands of Aloysius Patrickeil, a 32-year-old barber who is part-owner of a small shop close to the northern town of Kilinochchi, 320 km from Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. Old men with bushy moustaches sit on chairs alongside youngsters sporting trendy haircuts and beards in the latest styles from Tamil movies, while mothers drag their kids into the long line for the barber’s coveted chair. “He is the best in town,” Kalliman Mariyadas, a young man waiting his turn, says confidently. A few years ago, Patrickeil wasn’t such a famous man, nor did he wish to be one. Till 2009 he was a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the armed separatist group that fought a 26-year-long civil war with successive Sri Lankan governments for independence for the country’s minority Tamil population. Patrickeil, now the father of a one-and-a-half year-old infant, was part of the LTTE’s naval arm known as the Sea Tigers until a military offensive decimated the rebel group in 2009. Today, he is wary of divulging details of his past career. “There is no point – what happened, happened. I don’t want to go back there,” he tells IPS, while massaging the head of one of his middle-aged clients. His main aim now is to make sure his enterprise keeps making money. “People will always want to get haircuts, so it is a good job selection,” he says with a smile. A beloved member of the community, he loves to talk of his shop and his future plans, but not so much about his violent past and involvement in a conflict that claimed some 100,000 lives on both sides. When the Sri Lankan government declared victory over the Tigers in May 2009, after a bloody battle in the former rebel-held areas in the north and east of the country, close to 12,000 LTTE cadres either surrendered or were apprehended by military forces, according to government data. By June this year over 11,800 were released following rehabilitation programmes of varying length, leaving 132 in detention. Patrickeil himself was in detention, and then underwent rehabilitation (including vocational training) until February 2013; like thousands of other former militants, he must now navigate the former war zone as a civilian. “They want a better life, they want to live like ordinary people,” says Murugesu Kayodaran, rehabilitation officer for the Kilinochchi District Divisional Secretariat. But after years of war, violence and no sense of what “ordinary” life means, he tells IPS, this seemingly simple task is harder than it first appears. Of the released ex-Tigers, most are engaged in manual labour in the north, according to data provided by the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation. Other popular areas of employment include the fishing industry, the farming sector or the government’s civil defence department. Currently, 11 percent of rehabilitated former LTTE fighters are listed as unemployed, more than two-and-a-half times the national unemployment rate. Very few official programmes offer assistance. One government loan scheme provides individuals with up to 25,000 rupees (192 dollars), but so far only 1,773 who qualify for the programme have received the money, according to existing records. An initiative undertaken by the International
A
s the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, assumes his duties he will face many challenges in fulfilling his task of promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. In the face of widespread government hostility to the work of his Office, he will need all the help he can get. It is a shame, therefore, that he cannot expect the unequivocal support of his UN colleagues in other agencies and departments. Almost two decades after the UN promised to ‘mainstream’ human rights, some senior UN officials still shy away from defending human rights, and even side with those who would prioritize ‘stability’ over fundamental rights. A good example arose in Kenya last week. Kenyans held a political rally to mark the anniversary of a momentous event: Saba Saba – Kiswahili for ‘seven seven’ – so named to commemorate the 7th July in 1990 when Kenyans turned out in their thousands, despite intimidation and attacks, to demand pluralism and the end of the one-party state. Many people died that day, thanks to a brutal government crackdown that also saw scores arrested. But their sacrifice was ultimately rewarded: in December 1991, Kenya returned to multiparty politics. The unfortunate reality with autocracies and non-responsive regimes is that sometimes people need to stand up, even if they get shot down in response. This year, thousands of Kenyans invoked the memory of Saba Saba in demanding a national dialogue on a multitude of issues adversely affecting them. Unfortunately, a chorus of voices asked them to sit down before they even had a chance to stand up, asserting that peaceful assembly was a recipe for chaos. And shamefully, these voices included the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Kenya (UN-Kenya), on behalf of the entire UN-Kenya system. On July 3, UN-Kenya joined the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in a joint statement of concern – a condemnation, really – about the Saba Saba rally
Aloysius Patrickeil, once a member of the feared Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), now spends his time giving his loyal customers haircuts in a small town in Sri Lanka's Northern Province.
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offers grants of 50,000 rupees (roughly 380 dollars), but since 2013 only 523 have received the modest sum. “We try to help the most deserving cases after careful evaluation,” M S M Kamil, head of ICRC’s Economic Security Department, tells IPS. The lack of complimentary schemes, however, means that thousands are floundering without a steady income. Kayodaran says that sustained long-term assistance is needed to foster careful reintegration of thousands of ex-combatants, many of whom still feel stigmatised. “They feel they need financial independence to be able to feel normal like the others, but there are other underlying issues like depression, trauma and lack of family support that remain unaddressed,” he says. A little help goes a long way Just a few miles west of Patrickeil’s popular salon, 37-year-old Selliah Bavanan works alone in his tire repair shop in the small town of Mallavi. Also a former Tiger, he is evasive about his role in the group. All he confides to IPS is that “the situation at the time demanded that we make the decision to join the group.” Now he keeps a close eye on the road that links Kilinochchi, the main financial hub in the region, with the western parts of the district. “My primary customers are the big vehicles,” he states, adding that there are many that take the route these days, ferrying material for the large-scale development work taking place in areas that were held by the Tigers until early 2009. When he received the ICRC grant earlier this year, Bavanan made an astute decision – he invested the money in equipment for his humble enterprise and has seen a sharp spike in customers ever since. “I
make between 1,500 and 3,000 rupees (about 11-21 dollars) daily; it is good money,” he insists, while repairing a large, punctured tire. Patrickeil received a similar grant and invested the money in mirrors, scissors and other accessories for the shop that was owned by a friend. “I pay half my daily income to the owner,” says Patrickeil who also makes about 3,000 rupees per day in a region where the monthly cost of living is some 25,000-30,000 rupees (190-230 dollars). Life on this small income is not easy, with many ex-combatants in the region supporting extended families. One injured former LTTE cadre that IPS spoke with was supporting a family of three, plus a younger brother and two ageing parents. Officials like ICRC’s Kamil say that rehabilitated former female combatants find job options even more restrictive than their male counterparts. Psychological assistance programmes for those traumatised by years of war are just getting off the ground in the former conflict areas, but none of them are designed specifically for ex-combatants. There is also no official data on how many former LTTE members were wounded, but government records suggest that at least 10 to 20 percent of the Northern Province’s population of some 1.1 million people are war-injured, a large number of which were combatants during the conflict. They say their biggest challenge now is social acceptance and financial independence. While the immediate outlook is bleak, many harbour aspirations of improved circumstances in the years to come. “First there was war, then there was peace; now we have poverty, and hopefully the next stop will be prosperity,” says Patrickeil’s customer Mariyadas, standing up for his turn with the Sea Tiger-turned-barber.
UN forsakes its values when it favors ‘stability’ over fundamental rights maina Kiai
Though he should be focused on governments, the new High Commissioner for Human Rights will also need to hold senior UN officials to account for undermining rights, as recent events in Kenya show planned by the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD). The business community’s objection to the rally was no surprise, as it often, and wrongly, believes that shortterm stability—even if forced—is better than long-term democracy (an argument global companies recently put forward in Hong Kong). But why should UN-Kenya reflexively align itself with business rather than civil society or people demanding their rights? According to the statement, UNKenya and its business partners were “convinced” that the rally would “… create more tensions [and] anxiety among investors and Kenyans in general.” The only solution to Kenya’s problems, they said, is “… a peaceful, secure environment in which investors are confident that their investments are secure.” The almost 500-word statement mentions “economy” or “economic challenges” five times. “Freedom” appears twice, but the words “human rights,” “self-determination” and “accountability” are conspicuously absent.
The joint statement caught my attention partly because the role of multilateral organizations in promoting assembly and association rights will be the topic of my next report as UN Special Rapporteur. It also caught my eye because it was tone-deaf to supporting human rights. Kenyans today may not be living in a one-party state, but they are lurching toward one. Insecurity is on the rise, with increased extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions. Members of the political opposition and independent civil society voices are increasingly stigmatized, harassed, jailed and even accused of terrorism. Peaceful assemblies are viewed as criminal acts. There is palpable and widespread discontent. And yes, there is tension. But it has nothing to do with peaceful activists taking to the streets to demand better for their country. It has more to do with scores of ordinary citizens being gunned down across the country while the government does little to stop it, and as ingrained corruption rots Kenyan society and its values. Kenyans don’t want violence; they have had enough already. What they
WRITE-WING
want is accountability, ethnic equity, participation and good governance. And with that, stability will follow. In the end, the Saba Saba rally ended peacefully. But that’s not really the point. The ability to peacefully assemble is both a Kenyan constitutional right and a universal fundamental right. It is a cornerstone of democracy that breeds pluralism, diversity of voices and yes, even stability. Assemblies should be presumed to be lawful and peaceful until they are shown to be otherwise. No UN agency or program should need to be reminded of this. Why is the onus on citizens to forsake their fundamental rights in favor of ‘stability’ – an illusory concept anyway when it grows from the seeds of corruption, cronyism and repression? Why is UN-Kenya hanging them out to dry, rather than stepping up to defend their fundamental rights? The joint statement was shocking, and contrary to everything the UN should stand for. While it is governments that vote at the General Assembly, the fact is that ordinary people are entitled to a voice. They are the ultimate clients of multilateral organizations such as the UN, and the source of legitimacy for the governments that represent them there. Taking to the streets, often at the risk of life and limb, is one of the ways they can make their voices heard. We know that human rights work receives only 3% of the total UN budget, but that does not mean that it should receive only 3% of the UN’s attention. Human rights are supposed to be a one of the three pillars of the UN system, alongside security and development. But right now they look like a third wheel. The High Commissioner’s main task is to hold governments accountable for the human rights pledges they make. Sadly, as the Kenyan case illustrates, he will need to divert quite some time to similarly hold the UN system to account and to make this pillar real rather than rhetorical.
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PERSPECTIVE
7 of Don’t wait for the revolution - live it theNomads digital age
Thursday
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
17 JUly 2014
NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE
W
e can’t create a better world if we haven’t yet imagined it. How much better then, if we are able to touch such a world, experience it directly, even live in it—if only to a partial degree and for a brief moment. This is the idea behind “prefigurative interventions,” actions that not only work to stop the next dumb thing the bad guys are up to, but also enact in the here and now the world we actually want to live in. These kinds of interventions come in all shapes and sizes, from modest artistic gestures like John and Yoko’s 1969 “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It)” Times Square billboard, to utopian-flavored mass movements like Occupy Wall Street with its free libraries, communitarian ethic, and experiments in direct democracy. Clever protest campaigns can bring little shards of utopia not just into the streets but also into our elections and even legislatures. “You never change things by fighting the existing reality,” Buckminster Fuller advised. “To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” A brilliant insight, but he’s only half right, because the best direct actions—and social movements—actually do both. Consider the lunch counter sit-ins of the 1960s. They were not only brave acts of resistance against the racism of the Jim Crow South, but they also beautifully and dramatically prefigured the world the civil rights movement was trying to bring into being: blacks and whites sitting together as equals in public spaces. The young students didn’t ask anyone’s permission; they didn’t wait for society to evolve or for bad laws to change. In the best spirit of direct action, they walked in there and simply changed the world. At least for a few moments, in one place, they were living in an integrated South. They painted a picture of how the world could be, and the vicious response from white bystanders and police only proved how important it was to make it so. Many people at the forefront of the nonviolent civil rights movement were moved to action by their spiritual commitments. Be it the “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” of the Golden Rule, or Gandhi’s call to “Be the change you want to see in the world,” the ethical traditions of many religions have a powerful prefigurative dimension. When people of faith try to live out their deep principles, actually walk their talk, they tend to come up against power in ways that can wake a nation’s conscience. Jesus himself (who promised that anyone who followed his teaching would always be in trouble) was one of history’s more brilliant prefigurative campaigners. He didn’t merely argue that true greatness comes from humbly serving others, he illustrated it by washing his disciples’ dirty feet. By socializing with outcasts, visiting lepers, and always raising up the “least of these,” Jesus didn’t simply prophesy a future beloved community, he made it manifest. With the dominance of market capitalism and its apologists proclaiming an “end of ideology,” provocations that stretch our political imaginations are more vital than ever. Social theorist Steve Duncombe goes a step further, arguing that we need to bring back utopian thinking. In his recent book, Open Utopia, he ar-
andrew Boyd
When pranksters and creative organizers create temporary utopias, the experience leaves us wanting more - and ready to work hard to get it
gues that even for reformers, utopian thinking is necessary, providing “a compass point to determine what direction to move toward and a measuring stick to determine how far one has come.” However, in an era of media saturation and distrust of the utopia-inspired disasters of the 20th century, this is increasingly hard to do via criticism alone. Using dystopian visions to sound the alarm—a more and more popular strategy—is just another form of criticism that leaves the status quo standing, Duncombe argues. What is needed instead are direct interventions that both embody and point toward utopian possibilities. Contemporary social movements, it turns out, are chock full of them. Monthly Critical Mass bike rides prefigure future cities in which bicycles actually hold their own as traffic. PARK(ing) Day is a global day of action in which people put a day’s worth of coins into a parking meter and transform their parking space into a mini-park or jazz lounge or tiny public swimming pool. It prefigures a greening of urban space and a reclaimed commons. Once out in the open, seemingly radical ideas are re-
vealed as the reasonable proposals they are. The Yes Men, probably the best-known political pranksters around today, are masters of utopian provocation. By impersonating the powerful via fake press releases, websites, and public appearances, and tricking the media into covering their announcements as real, they hoax us all into thinking—at least for a moment— that the WTO has abolished itself, that GE is actually going to give back the taxes it dodged, or that DuPont is finally going to do the right thing and compensate the 100,000 victims of the Bhopal chemical spill for decades of suffering. Before the hoax is revealed, we think, “Am I dreaming? Could I possibly be living in such a world?” By the time the gig is up, not only have DuPont and their ilk been forced to issue public denials explaining why they’re NOT going to do the obvious right and good thing, but the rest of us, having momentarily experienced as real this twilight world where power operates ethically, are left thinking, “Yeah, why don’t we live in such a world?” And we’re more motivated to go out there to make it happen. We tend to think of pranks as, at worst, mean-spirited practical jokes, and at best, sudden surgical strikes that reveal the emperor has no clothes. But as the Yes Men have shown, pranks can also be positive and pre-figurative. More and more, contemporary movements look not to religion, but to pranksters and artists—and their playful, ironic modes of intervention—to bring the utopian impulse back into the conversation. In 2006 members from a coalition of environmental groups posed as a government agency—the Oil Enforcement Agency—that should have existed, but didn’t. Complete with SWAT-team-like caps and badges, agents ticketed SUVs, impounded fuel-inefficient vehicles at auto shows, and generally modeled a future in which government takes climate change seriously. Clever protest campaigns can bring little shards of utopia not just into the streets but also into our elections and even legislatures. When Jello Biafra ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1979, one of the planks in his platform called for beat cops to be voted on by the neighborhoods they patrolled. Once out in the open, this and other seemingly radical ideas were revealed as the reasonable proposals they were, and thousands of San Franciscans pulled the lever for Jello. Even legislation can be pre-figurative. One of my pet projects, “What Would Finland Do?” aims to introduce a bill in the New York legislature to prorate traffic fines according to the net wealth of the driver. It wouldn’t pass, but a lot of New Yorkers might think: “Why the hell not?” and the long fight for greater economic equality might inch a tiny bit forward. (Finland, by the way, has such a law, and in 2004 the 27-year-old heir to a sausage fortune was fined $204,000 for driving 50 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone.) Whether religious or artistic, a playful thought experiment, or a serious attempt to be true to one’s values in the face of state violence, pre-figurative engagement allows us to experience for ourselves (and demonstrate to others), that another world is necessary, possible—and maybe even beautiful.
Why Social Transformation demands social friction Hovering above the restrictions of place and culture, detached from democracy, and technocratic to its core, a new discourse favours a frictionless approach to solving social problems
A
amy schiller
t a New America Foundation breakfast discussion in New York in June, 2014, the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates discussed “the case for reparations” compensatory payments to the descendants of those who were enslaved by the Atlantic Slave Trade. Reparations are a hotly-contested idea in the United States, in part because they trigger many people’s fear of exploring the post-slavery legacy of racism. But Coates started his explanation of this resistance with poignant simplicity: "It's hard. It's very, very hard," he said. Coates went on to delineate the conflict that emerged in America between the ideals of rugged individualism in a uniquely providential country; and the reality of constant plunder, violence and exclusion that runs through AfricanAmerican history, perpetrated by both individuals and government institutions. In emphasizing how hard it is to close this gap, Coates was not simply expressing empathy towards his fellow citizens at the daunting prospect of racial reckoning. He was also pushing back against the broader desire to find a ‘frictionless’ method of addressing racism and its effects. Accepting collective responsibility for racism is painful, disorienting, and raw, and that means that reparations must be pursued through the most contentious institutions in society – namely social movements and government. The only real way out of the impasse America has created for itself is through, not around, these institutions and the struggles they represent, at both the personal level and in politics.
Over the past several decades however, many commentators have celebrated the continued decline of government and the increased freedom and mobility of capital, both in terms of economic production and the exchange of information. Neo-liberal globalization has eroded the power of preexisting public and social obligations, since corporations need not remain in any place that demands too much of them, to say nothing of their cosmopolitan profiteers. One result of this process has been the emergence of a new discourse around social change in which the outsize impact of corporations and benevolent plutocrats is celebrated. Hovering above the restrictions of place and culture, and detached from democracy and public accountability, this new discourse favors a technocratic approach to social transformation in which solutions to the world’s problems are invented and imposed. With an increasing focus on private institutions, and a fetishization of data in place of nuanced cultural narrative and history, private power has sold itself as more capable of advancing the social good than either public institutions or collective action. In the absence of obligatory transparency or accountability, greater speed and efficiency are certainly possible. And if enormous concentrations of money and power can be deployed for social benefit, why stifle them by introducing the friction of a democratic counterweight? That’s a good question, but the answer is quite clear: the work of persuading a critical mass of citizens to take action on reparations or any other important problem is incredibly long and hard, yet in a democracy it’s also essential. By contrast, the vocabulary of many of today’s corporate leaders and “philanthrocapitalists” celebrates workarounds to democracy and public action in the same way that Silicon Valley entrepreneurs celebrate their ability to ‘disrupt.’ Both groups relish the ease with which they can accomplish their aims, once all competing interests have been neutralized. For example, the CEO of Airbnb said this to the Wall Street Journal: "I want to live in a world where people can become entrepreneurs or micro-entrepreneurs, and if we can lower the friction and inspire
them to do that…then this is the promise of the sharing economy." Another recent article – this time published in the bible of philanthrocapitalism, the Stanford Social Innovation Review – describes how “public sector innovators” are being “unleashed” to improve government “by replicating the market conditions that have long fostered breakthrough innovation in the private sector.” Examples include improvements to public parking systems that would “require the city to migrate away from an established system that employed many workers and relied on existing infrastructure - the type of situation that has long made it difficult to implement innovations in the public sector.” Note that ‘innovation’ here seems to be a euphemism for ‘marginalizing workers and circumventing demands for transparency’ – in other words, removing the obstacles that are inherent to the democratic process. This use of language reveals the real weakness of this mentality: if a project can be made easy, (for example, by removing oversight or abolishing the need to negotiate with labour unions), then it must be an improvement, a better way of achieving social change. The author Evgeny Morozov calls this ideology “solutionism” – “an intellectual pathology that recognizes problems based on just one criterion: whether they are ‘solvable’ with a nice and clean technological solution at our disposal.” Like most important public policy problems, however, reparations are ‘solutionism-proof.’ In a rebuttal to the rhetoric of those who want to achieve progress without obligation or sacrifice, reparations and other measures to address racism and racial injustice demand grassroots movements to prompt centralized state action. As Ta-Nehisi Coates concludes, “It’s not that the state owes [black people] anything, it’s that we are the state. We built the state.” Even a commentator as conservative as Howard Husock acknowledges that political reform provides the only avenue for the collective introspection and sacrifice that reparations demand: “to the extent that we decide, as a polity, to redistribute income for certain purposes, government can do so.”
There should and will be a ton of ‘friction’ involved in acknowledging the gutwrenching truth of exploited labour and stolen property. Deciding on large-scale, redistributive action, particularly regarding the consequences of racism, is just about the most difficult mandate one could adopt in the United States. The answer to a national legacy of racial oppression cannot be arrived by short-circuiting democracy. It demands a level of personal inquiry, a willingness to sacrifice, and a commitment to collective action that is completely missing from the new discourse around privatized, high-tech, frictionless social change. Reparations will be hard fought and hotly contested, with different interests marshalling the full forces of persuasion and debate. To truly address the legacy of racism, any resulting prescriptions will require the universal acceptance of collective responsibility. At the most basic level, this would mean persuading the public to accept either a new tax or vastly reshuffled government budget priorities. But the prospect of collective repayment for the exhaustive and formalized pillaging of black property, labour, families and more would force an entire society to recognize that it has been complicit in a history of systematic criminality. Reparations are a crucible for tackling national myths about history and collective responsibility in America. Facing up to these myths would generate tremendous frustration, outrage, and potential political gridlock – so to those afraid of friction they would be ‘grossly inefficient’ to say the least. Wrestling with centuries of formal discrimination would impose obligations on everyone in the US, forcing people to reckon with painful narratives that are often marginalized or silenced. But sanitized social change – carefully engineered and described in the most anemic terms available – isn’t change at all. Power concedes nothing without a fight, and the fight is always worth it. Reparations for racial discrimination show why the wrenchingly difficult processes of confrontation, negotiation and repair both rely on and encourage the human traits most crucial for deep-rooted social transformation: empathy, obligation, humility, sacrifice, patience and a neverending commitment to democracy.
amy Goodman
T
CommonDreams
he freedom to communicate and to share has entered a new era. The power promised by this freedom, by the Internet, is immense, so much so that it frightens entrenched institutions. Governments, militaries, corporations, banks: They all stand to lose the control they exert over society when information they suppress runs free. Yet some of the most ardent advocates for the free Internet have become targets of these very institutions, forced to live on the run, in exile or, in some cases, in prison. Julian Assange is perhaps one of the most recognized figures in the fight for transparency and open communication. He founded the website WikiLeaks in 2007 to provide a safe, secure means to leak electronic documents. In 2010, WikiLeaks released a shocking video taken from a U.S. military attack helicopter, in which at least 12 civilians are methodically machine-gunned to death in New Baghdad, a neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq. Two of those killed were Reuters journalists. Throughout the massacre, the Army radio transmissions are heard, a combination of grimly sterile orders to “engage” the victims and a string of mocking exchanges among the soldiers, belittling the victims and celebrating the slaughter. On the heels of the video’s publication, WikiLeaks provided three more major document releases, with hundreds of thousands of classified documents, from official U.S. military communications about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which allowed direct research into, for example, the scale of civilian casualties in those wars. WikiLeaks also revealed hundreds of thousands of U.S. State Department cables, exposing dark, cynical realities of U.S. diplomacy. The secret cables are credited with fueling the Arab Spring, especially the overthrow of the corrupt, U.S.-supported regime in Tunisia. While the WikiLeaks website managed to protect the identity of the source of these remarkable leaks, an FBI informant pointed the finger at a U.S. soldier, Pvt. Bradley Manning. Serving in U.S. military intelligence in Iraq, Manning was frustrated with U.S. military abuses. He allegedly copied the trove of files and delivered them to WikiLeaks. Manning was arrested and thrown into solitary confinement, in conditions the United Nations labeled “torture.” Manning was court-martialed. After conviction and sentencing to 35 years in an Army prison, Manning announced his intention to transition to a woman, and formally changed her name to Chelsea Manning. One month ago, Manning wrote in an opinion piece in The New York Times, “I believe that the current limits on press freedom and excessive government secrecy make it impossible for Americans to grasp fully what is happening in the wars we finance.” WikiLeaks investigations editor Sarah Harrison is British but now lives in Berlin. When Edward Snowden leaked his trove of National Security Agency documents in Hong Kong, Harrison flew there. She and WikiLeaks provided key assistance to Snowden as he made his way to political asylum in Russia. Harrison is concerned that if she returns to her native England, she will be arrested. I caught up with her in Bonn, Germany, where she told me: “Britain has a Terrorism Act, which has within it a portion called Schedule 7, which is quite unique ... it gives officials the ability to detain people at the border as they go in or out or even transit through the country. This allows them to question people on no more than a hunch, giving them no right to silence, no right to a lawyer." Also in Berlin is U.S. citizen Laura Poitras, the first journalist to respond to Snowden in his efforts to leak the NSA documents. She convinced Glenn Greenwald to travel with her to Hong Kong, launching the Snowden era in U.S. national-security reporting. Poitras had already been detained and aggressively questioned many times on entering the United States, very likely for her unflinching exposes on the U.S. national-security system. Greenwald, a U.S. citizen, chooses to live in Brazil. Since the Snowden revelations, on advice of his lawyers, he avoided visiting his home country. Poitras and Greenwald finally did return to the U.S. to collect the prestigious George Polk Award for their journalism. Three days later, they were part of the teams at The Guardian and The Washington Post that won the Pulitzer Prize. Then there is Edward Snowden. He has been charged with espionage for making one of the largest and most significant leaks in U.S. history, which has sparked a global debate around surveillance, privacy and the national-security state. This weekend, The Guardian published an interview with Hillary Clinton. She said Snowden should return to the United States, where he could mount a vigorous legal and public defense. The day after, I asked Julian Assange what he thought. He replied: “The U.S. government decided to smash Chelsea Manning—absolutely smash her—to send a signal to everyone: Don’t you ever think about telling people what’s really going on inside the U.S. military and its abuses. And they tried to smash also the next most visible person and visible organization, which was WikiLeaks, to get both ends the source end and the publishing end.” I interviewed Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he has been holed up for the past two years. Ecuador has granted him political asylum, but he fears that if he steps foot out of the embassy, he will ultimately be extradited to the United States, landing him in a U.S. prison for years to come for his work with WikiLeaks. At the heart of his case, and of so many others, is the question of whether the Internet will remain a free and open platform for communication, or a commodity controlled by a few corporations, censored and surveilled by the U.S. national-security apparatus.
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
Dimapur
NATIONAL
Thursday 17 July 2014
The Morung Express
Modi calls for urgent reform of UNSC, IMF FoRtaleza (bRazil)/ New Delhi, July 16 (iaNS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday called for “urgent reform” of institutions such as the UN Security Council and International Monetary Fund while stressing the international community should have zero tolerance towards terrorism. In his statement in the BRICS summit on the agenda “Political Coordination: International Governance and Regional Crises”, he noted it was taking place at a time when the world was facing a high level of turmoil and uncertainty and “remaining mute spectators” to countries in peril could have “grave consequences”. Modi, who addressed his first international meeting as prime minister, said collective pressure should be exerted on states to deny sanctuaries and support to terrorists even as he noted that terrorism had not been combated effectively due to “different yardsticks”. The sixth meeting of BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - leaders is being held July 15-16 in Brazil. Modi said that India looked forward to work with its BRICS partners on security and economic development of Afghanistan and said the grouping should explore how they can help end the conflict in Iraq. He stressed BRICS
Modi seeks stronger defence, nuclear partnership with Russia
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS 2014 summit in Fortaleza, Brazil on July 15. The leaders of the BRICS nations are meeting in Brazil for a summit where they are expected to officially create a bailout and development fund worth $100 billion. It’s meant to be an alternative to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which are seen as being dominated by the U.S. and Europe. (AP Photo)
must translate its political resolve into concrete and coordinated plan of action, and move towards advancing global peace and stability. Restoring the climate of peace and stability was an urgent need for global progress and the world must unite to decisively confront challenges, he said. “Corrective action must begin with the reform of institutions of global governance. This has been on the
BRICS agenda since its inception. Institutions like the UN Security Council and IMF need urgent reform. They must become more representative and reflect ground realities,” he said. Modi noted the region stretching from Afghanistan to Africa was experiencing turbulence and conflict, and causing grave instability that is fast seeping across borders. “This impacts us all. Remaining mute spectators to countries being torn up in
this manner can have grave consequences,” he said. Noting Afghanistan was facing an uncertain future and its people have suffered for decades, Modi said the world must unite to help them build a peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous country. “We must help Afghanistan fight the forces of terrorism. This is important for it to preserve the progress it has made in the last decade,” he said, adding India will continue to assist
it in capacity-building, governance, security and economic development. On the situation in west Asia, he said it poses a grave threat to regional and global peace and security. “India is particularly concerned because this affects the lives of seven million Indian citizens living in the Gulf region. We should explore how BRICS members can work together in helping end the conflict in Iraq,” he said. He said the develop-
FoRtaleza (bRazil)/New Delhi, July 16 (iaNS): India is keen to further deepen and broad-base its strategic partnership with Russia, including in defence, nuclear energy, trade and investment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Brazil and invited him to visit Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. Modi, who met Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at Fortaleza Tuesday, expressed appreciation for Russia’s friendship and unstinting bilateral and international support for India’s economic development and security since the early days of India’s Independence, said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. During the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, Modi reaffirmed that relations with Russia will continue to enjoy the priority that they always had in India’s foreign policy. Modi said he looks forward to working with Putin to further deepen and broadbase the strategic partnership, including ments in Syria continue to cause serious concern and India has consistently called upon all sides to give up violence, while it was also concerned at the recent outbreak of violence between Israel and Palestine. “For a comprehensive solution, there is no alternative to an inclusive political dialogue. A military, or externally imposed solution, will not work. India stands fully prepared to play a part in any peace process,” Modi said.
in the areas of defence, nuclear energy, space, energy, trade and investment, people-to-people contacts and addressing regional and global challenges. The statement said Modi conveyed his sincere appreciation for Putin’s decisive leadership in deepening and expanding the “India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership”. Putin congratulated Modi over his victory in India’s general elections. The two leaders looked forward to their annual summit in New Delhi in December 2014 as an opportunity to outline a bold vision and roadmap for their relationship in the years ahead, the statement added. Modi said he looked forward to visiting Russia in 2015. Modi suggested that Putin should travel outside Delhi when he comes for the annual summit in December and visit a nuclear power plant, a reference to Kudankulam project in Tamil Nadu which has been set up in technical cooperation with Russia.
He said India also supports efforts to stabilize the situation in many African countries facing challenges of security and development. Modi termed terrorism a a threat that has assumed war-like proportions and was in fact a proxy war aimed at innocent civilians. “I firmly believe that terrorism, in any shape or form, is against humanity. There should be zero tolerance towards terrorism. Humanity must unite,
and isolate terrorist forces, especially states that flout basic norms. Selective targeting of terrorism will not work,” he said, calling for an early adoption by the UN of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Noting cyberspace was a source of great opportunity but cyber security has become a major concern, he called on BRICS countries to take the lead in preserving cyberspace “as a global common good”.
Tatra case: AK Antony admitted V.K. Singh told him about bribe 2011 Mumbai blast accused
New Delhi, July 16 (iaNS): The CBI has said former defence minister A.K. Antony, a witness in the Tatra truck case, admitted that former army chief Gen. V.K. Singh informed him of the bribe offer by Lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh for clearing the trucks’ purchase file. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday filed a charge sheet against retired army officer Tejinder Singh following V.K. Singh’s allegation of bribery offer over irregularities in the import of heavy-duty Tatra trucks for the Indian Army. “A.K. Antony, raksha mantri (defence minister), in his statement in parliament March 27, 2012, and the one recorded under Section 161 CrPC during investigation, has confirmed having been informed by Gen. V.K. Singh about such of-
fer of bribe made to him about 1-1.5 years ago by Lt.Gen. (retd.) Tejinder Singh,” the CBI said in its charge sheet which was made available to the media Wednesday. “During investigation, Antony admitted having been informed by Gen. V.K. Singh with respect to offer of bribe by Lt.Gen. (retd.) Tejinder Singh for clearing the Tatra trucks purchase file,” it said. The CBI has submitted a list of 20 witnesses in the case - including Antony, Gen. V.K. Singh, then joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Dheeraj Gupta, and then adviser to the prime minister, T.K.A. Nair. The investigating agency in its nine-page charge sheet claimed that facts proved Gen. V.K. Singh’s allegation that Lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh had offered him Rs.14 crore for clearing
a tranche of “sub-standard” Tatra trucks for the army. “(Gen.) V.K. Singh on July 27, 2010, had issued a letter to the then national security advisor recommending Lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh for the post of chief of national technical research.” “This was period that the chief of army staff (COAS) and Lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh had excellent working relations till the alleged offer to bribe was made by him to the COAS,” the CBI said. It said that, however, after the date on which the bribe was allegedly offered, these two officers have not been in touch. The CBI said that “during investigation, (Gen.) V.K. Singh claimed to have recorded the alleged conversation between him and Lt. Gen.
Tejinder Singh Sep 9, 2010. However, the same was not provided by him to the investigating agency despite efforts”. In March 2012, Gen. V.K. Singh alleged that Lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh met him Sep 22, 2010, and offered him the money on behalf of Vectra group owner Ravi Rishi to clear the file for procurement of 1,676 Tatra HMVs (High Mobility Vehicles) for the army. The CBI filed a case against Lt.Gen. Tejinder Singh in October 2012 under Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. On the basis of Gen. V.K. Singh’s complaint, a preliminary inquiry was registered April 11, 2012. The agency had also carried out raids at seven locations in Delhi, Noida and Mumbai Oct 20, 2012.
nabbed from Goa airport
MuMbai, July 16 (iaNS): Abdul Mateen Fakki, an accused in the 2011 triple blasts in Mumbai who was absconding, has been nabbed by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Goa’s Dabolim airport, sources said Wednesday. Believed to be an Indian Mujahiddeen activist, the 50-year-old Fakki was nabbed when he arrived on a Dubai flight Tuesday night. He was later brought to Mumbai for investigation, ATS sources revealed. Fakki was Wednesday evening produced before the Special MCOCA Court of Y.D. Shinde who sent him to police custody till July 28. The triple blasts of July 13, 2011 ripped through congested localities of Dadar, Opera House and Zaveri Bazar - the latter two are gold-diamond jewellery hubs - killing 26 people and injuring another 130. Seeking his remand, the prosecution said Fakki played a key role in the triple blasts conspiracy and also transferred huge amounts of money from Dubai to India which was used towards financing the terror operation. The sources said Fakki is believed to have financed the operation by passing money through “hawala” sources to Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal. Prior to this, police nabbed five more accused - Naqvi Ahmed, Kunwar Pathreja, Haroon Naik, Mohammed Ansari and Nadeem Shaikh - in connection with the blasts. They are undergoing trial under the MCOCA, Indian Penal Code and other laws.
Army truck crash kills 7, ignites Kashmir protest Women’s Panel Row: UP govt blames typo
The Indian army is ubiquitous in Kashmir, and locals make little secret of their fury against its presence in the disputed region. Two of the taxi’s passengers and the driver died on the spot, while four other passengers, including the pregnant woman, died in a hospital, the officer said. Shortly afterward, hundreds of local residents, chanting anti-India and pro-independence slogans, Kashmiri protesters throw stones at Indian policemen during a protest in Srinagar on hurled rocks at the army conWednesday, July 16. Violent protests erupted Wednesday after seven people were killed in a collision between a taxi and an Indian army truck on a busy highway on the outskirts of voy. Soldiers fired live amSrinagar, a police officer said. (AP Photo) munition in the air and later SRiNaGaR, July 16 (aP): people, including a pregnant the outskirts of Srinagar, the re- used rubber bullets and tear An army truck collided with a woman, and triggering violent gion’smaincity,apoliceofficer gas to disperse protesters. Thedriverofthearmytruck taxiWednesdayinIndian-con- protests. The accident took saidoncustomaryconditionof was arrested and the cause of trolled Kashmir, killing seven place on a busy highway on anonymity.
the accident is being investigated, said Abdul Ghani Mir, a top local police officer. Syed Ali Geelani, a separatist leader, called for a general strike on Thursday to mourn the deaths, according to a statement. Elsewhere in the region on Wednesday, an Indian border guard was killed by firing from Pakistani border officers, a security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Three other border guards and three civilian porters were wounded. The security official said the firing was an “unprovoked” violation of the 2003 cease-fire.
luckNow, July 16 (iaNS): Faced with outrage over downsizing the budget for the state women’s commission, the Uttar Pradesh government Wednesday clarified that information given in response to an RTI poser were “factually incorrect”. The government said the state women’s commission had “erroneously” released the facts and attributed it to a typographical error by a clerk. Earlier, a Right to Information (RTI) query posed by social activist Urvashi Sharma revealed that the Samajwadi Party government has slashed the budgetary allocations made to the state women’s commission in the past three years. A clarification to this effect was sent to the social activist Wednesday and copies of which were also sent to chief information commissioner of the state and principal secretary (information) Navneet Sehgal. In a statement, the women’s panel also said the budget for the financial year 2014-15 had in fact been increased by the Akhilesh Yadav government. Opposition parties - the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Wednesday slammed the state government over the issue. “We condemn this move. When BSP was in power, it had started welfare scheme for the poor, Dalits and downtrodden,” BSP chief Mayawati said. Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said: “This is the tragedy of our time. Life of a woman is considered lower than the value of a bicycle.”
SC seeks response from states on passive euthanasia
New Delhi, July 16 (iaNS): The Supreme Court Wednesday issued notice to all states seeking their views on a poser whether a terminally ill person can execute a living will that his or her life support system be withdrawn if he or she reaches a vegetative state with no hope of revival. The constitution bench of Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman issued the notice on a plea before it, saying the question of euthanasia (mercy killing) needs a comprehensive examination as there was no authoritative judicial pronouncement on the issue. The court also said passive euthanasia was permitted with safeguards. The notice is returnable in eight weeks. The court appointed senior counsel T.R. Andhyarujina as amicus curiae. The Feb 25 apex court reference had come on a plea by NGO Common Cause seeking the right
of terminally ill patient to execute amy living will and ‘attorney authorization’ for the withdrawal of all life support system in case he or she enters a vegetative state with the journey to natural death having already commenced. Given the complexity of the issue, the hearing saw the court weighing various options, including which was a better forum for the determination of the issue - the court or the legislature before finally deciding to hear the matter. The court said: “Legislature is the only forum where many views will be deliberated and filtered. The court can’t visualise all the situation. How to make it fool proof. It is a matter of life and death.” Justice Chelameswar said: “Prima facie, I am of the view that not only parliament but even the state legislatures can deliberate on the issue. Seeking the matter to be better left to the legislature, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said:
“Euthanasia in whatever form is a matter for the legislature (to deliberate) and not for the court (to decide).” Opposing the plea by NGO Common Cause, Rohatgi said passive euthanasia was a form of suicide and how could it be harmonised with penal provisions on abetment of suicide and attempt to suicide. Rohatgi said there was no clear distinction between active and passive euthanasia. Giving lethal injunction is active euthanasia and shutting out the life support system thereby accelerating the conclusion of the process of natural death which had already commenced is categorised as passive euthanasia. Addressing the ground realities, Rohatgi told the court that sometimes relatives of a terminally ill patient on the course of natural death want to end his or her life but doctors want to wait for 10 days and each day costs Rs.25,000 and the family may not have the amount.
Appearing for NGO Common Cause, counsel Prashant Bhushan said the 1996 apex court constitution bench in the Gyan Kaur case had said that the right to live with dignity included the right to die with dignity. He said the right to die with dignity and the right of the patient to refuse medical treatment could be extended to voluntary passive euthanasia in the case of a terminally ill patient suffering from pain and with no hope of recovery. Pressing the plea that a terminally ill patient with deteriorating health and no hope of recovery should be allowed to execute his or her living will and ‘attorney authorization’, Bhushan said it could be allowed with sufficient safeguards as such a right flows from the common law and patient’s right to refuse treatment. The apex court March 7, 2011, in the Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug case had allowed passive euthanasia with the approval of the concerned high court.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, second left, serves food to a schoolboy at a kitchen run by Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-governmental organization, in Jaipur on Wednesday, July 16. The kitchen feeds thousands of students in government schools under the Indian government’s mid-day meal scheme. Clinton will also visit Lucknow city during his current India tour. (AP Photo)
Thursday
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The Morung Express
17 July 2014
Palestinians flee after Israel intensifies airstrikes on Hamas
GAZA CITY, JulY 16 (AP): Hundreds of Palestinian families, their children crying, fled Wednesday, as Israel intensified airstrikes on Hamas targets, including homes of the movement’s leaders, following failed Egyptian cease-fire efforts. Before the renewed bombardment, Israel had told tens of thousands of residents of border areas to evacuate their neighborhoods. The Palestinian death toll in nine days of fighting rose to 204, with some 1,450 wounded, Palestinian health officials said. On the Israeli side, one man was killed and several people were wounded since the fighting erupted on July 8. The renewed bombings came a day after Israel initially accepted an Egyptian truce proposal that called for a halt of hostilities. That was to be followed by talks on the terms of a longerterm cease-fire, including easing Gaza’s seven-yearold border blockade by Israel and Egypt. Hamas rejected the plan and instead launched more rockets at Israel. The militant group views a significant easing of the blockade as key to its survival, but does not believe Egypt’s current rulers — who deposed a Hamas-friendly government in Cairo last year — can be fair brokers. As Cairo’s effort collapsed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
A girl cries as Palestinians flee their homes in the Shajaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza City, after Israel had airdropped leaflets warning people to leave the area, on Wednesday, July 16. A Hamas website says Israel has fired missiles at the homes of four of its senior leaders as it resumed bombardment of Gaza, following a failed Egyptian cease-fire effort. Health officials say the Palestinian death toll in nine days of fighting has reached 204.(AP Photo)
warned that Hamas will pay a high price for rejecting the truce offer. The website of the Gaza Interior Ministry said Israel warplanes carried out dozens of air strikes before dawn Wednesday, targeting 30 houses, including those of senior Hamas leaders Mahmoud Zahar, Jamila Shanti, Fathi Hamas and Ismail Ashkar.
Zahar was a key figure in Hamas’ violent takeover of Gaza in 2007, while the other three were members of the Palestinian parliament elected in 2006. Many Hamas leaders have gone into hiding since the beginning of the Israeli offensive. Alongside the air strikes, Israel also told tens of thousands of residents of the northern town of Beit La-
hiya and the Zeitoun and Shijaiyah neighborhoods of Gaza City, all near the border with Israel, to evacuate their homes by 8 a.m. Wednesday. The warnings were delivered in automated phone calls, text messages and leaflets dropped from planes. The Israeli military said in its message that large numbers of rockets were launched from these ar-
eas and that Israel plans to bomb these locations. “Whoever disregards these instructions and fails to evacuate immediately, endangers their own lives, as well as those of their families,” the message said. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of residents of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah were seen walking in the streets, carrying small bags
with belongings. Older children carried smaller ones, in their arms or on their backs. Some of the women and children cried, looking terrified. The Wafa Rehabilitation Center in Shijaiyah, which cares for 15 disabled and elderly patients, received several calls demanding the patients evacuate, said its director, Basman Ashi. He said an Israel shell hit near the building, causing damage to the second floor, but no injuries. Ashi said he won’t evacuate because his elderly patients have nowhere to go. Four foreign volunteers — from England, the U.S., France and Sweden — have set up camp at the rehabilitation center to deter the military from targeting it. English volunteer Rina Andolini, 32, said the patients range in age from 12 to over 70 and none can walk or move without assistance. She said there are also 17 Palestinian staff members. Andolini said the patients are living in a constant state of fear, intensified by the Israeli tank shelling from across the border. When asked about the situation at the rehabilitation center, the office of the Israeli military spokesman said its residents “have been asked repeatedly to leave.” “There is a rocket launching site in the area,” the military said, adding that Gaza militants use the center to hide “behind civilians.”
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Japanese nuclear plant deemed safe TOKYO, JulY 16 (AP): A Japanese nuclear plant won preliminary approval Wednesday for meeting stringent post-Fukushima safety requirements, clearing a major hurdle toward becoming the first to restart under the tighter rules. The Nuclear Regulation Authority accepted a 418page report that found that design upgrades and safety improvements at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s two reactors at the Sendai Nuclear Power Station have complied with the requirements introduced last July. The regulators said the plant is now deemed capable of avoiding severe accidents such as the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns in an equally serious situation. All of Japan’s 48 remaining reactors are offline for safety checks and repairs since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami hit Fukushima Dai-ichi, causing multiple meltdowns. Five regulatory commissioners agreed to move to a next step, allowing the authority to start a 30-day technical public comment period until Aug. 15 before a final approval. Authority’s chairman Shunichi Tanaka called it “a major step” and that the inspection for the Sendai plant incorporated lessons from Fukushima, particularly focusing on ways to build layers of protection in case of serious incidents in a country prone to natural disasters. “Previously, safety inspections were merely designbased, but this time we focused on how to prevent severe accidents,” he told a weekly commissioners’ meeting, which was repeatedly disrupted with anti-nuclear protesters heckling from the floor. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to bring at least some of Japan’s 48 reactors back online, saying a prolonged shutdown hurts Japan’s economy. It will still take a few more months to get the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Sendai Nuclear Power Station online, officials said. The operator has to clear final steps such as on-site checks, followed by obtaining local government consent. Though public opposition over restarts exceeds support, Abe’s government has been calling for restarts, reversing a nuclear phase-out policy adopted by the previous government. The safety approval for the Sendai plant and its expected restart marks a big boost for the nuclear industry. The Sendai plant is 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) southwest of Tokyo and on the southern tip of Japan’s Kyushu island. Regulators in March placed the plant, which operates two of 19 reactors nationwide that are undergoing safety checks, on a fast-track for safety approval, largely because the operator was quick to raise the bar on tsunami and earthquake safety. Regulators will now shift work to the screening of the remaining 17 reactors that applied for inspection.
Number of people with HIV unchanged since 2012 Jailed Chinese pastor’s family escapes to US lONDON, JulY 16 (AP): The number of people living with HIV worldwide has remained virtually unchanged in the past two years and AIDS-related deaths are at their lowest since peaking almost a decade ago, according to a report from the United Nations AIDS agency released Wednesday. Officials declared that ending the AIDS epidemic is possible even though they acknowledged the number of new infections — more than 2 million last year — was still very high. UNAIDS estimated there were about 35 million people living with HIV last year and in 2012.
The agency also set targets to reduce deaths and new cases by 90 percent by 2030. It previously unveiled a strategy to get to “zero AIDS-related deaths,” which included ensuring all people who need treatment are on it by 2015. Last year, there were about 12.9 million people receiving life-saving drugs and 22 million people still waiting. Some 1.5 million people died from AIDS-related causes. Other health experts questioned whether setting more ambitious targets is wise. “This idea of ending AIDS isn’t realistic,” said Sophie Harman, a senior
lecturer in public health at Queen Mary University of London, who was not part of the report. She said it would be more helpful to think about managing the epidemic. “Everyone can get behind ending AIDS, but this report doesn’t really tell us how to do that.” Still, UNAIDS insisted in its report that we are at the “beginning of the end of the AIDS epidemic” and said the global outbreak can be stopped by 2030. But with no vaccine and millions of people carrying the virus or becoming newly infected, some scientists said ending HIV may be idealistic rather than practical.
“We’ve made progress, but the number of people getting infected is still extraordinarily high,” said Shabbar Jaffar, a professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He said that scaling up treatment further, especially in Africa, where about 70 percent of people with HIV live, would be very difficult. “They are already working beyond capacity at the moment.” Jaffar said it was misleading to suggest we are close to eliminating AIDS. “The road will get longer and harder and we really don’t know where we’re going to end up,” he said.
Bangladesh charges 18 over garment factory collapse
DHAKA, JulY 16 (REuTERs): Bangladesh’s anti-corruption agency filed charges on Wednesday against 18 people accused of breaching regulations over the construction of a building that collapsed last year killing more than 1,130 people. The April 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza, built on swampy ground outside Dhaka, ranks amongst the world’s worst industrial accidents and sparked a global outcry for improved safety. Most of the victims were garment workers. The accused include the owner of the building, Mohammad Sohel Rana, and his parents, the local mayor, engineers and three owners of garment factories that used the building.
The Anti-Corruption Commission had previously not listed Rana as his name did not appear in documents covering ownership of the land and design approval, which instead listed his parents. “The charge sheet has been filed against 18 people, including Rana after further investigation found his involvement,” commission spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattachajee told Reuters. Municipal officials gave permission for extra floors in the building, but they had no such authority, he added. Rana is in detention since he was arrested after a four-day hunt shortly after the building collapsed, apparently
trying to flee across the border to India. Low labour costs and, critics say, shortcuts on safety, make Bangladesh, the second-largest exporter of ready-made garments, the cheapest place to make large quantities of clothing. Last year, the government raised the minimum wage for garment workers by 77% to 5,300 taka ($68) and amended the labour law to boost workers’ rights. But erratic decision-making over inspection of factories poses a new set of problems for the $24 billion industry, which accounts for 80% of exports. Turmoil in the sector has put at risk the livelihoods of nearly 4 million garment workers, mostly women.
Mutant worms to de-addict you from alcohol! WAsHINGTON, JulY 16 (IANs): The answer to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms in people has been found in worms. Neuroscientists have generated mutant worms that do not get intoxicated by alcohol - a result that could lead to new drugs to treat humans. Scientists accomplished this feat by inserting a modified human alcohol target into the worms. An alcohol target is any neuronal molecule that binds alcohol, of which there are many. “This is the first example of altering a human alcohol target to prevent intoxication in an animal,” said Jon PierceShimomura, an assistant professor from University of Texas at Austin’s college of natural sciences. One important aspect of this modified alcohol target, a neuronal channel called the BK channel, is that the mutation only affects its response to alcohol. The BK channel typically regulates key functions like activity of neurons, blood vessels the respiratory tract and bladder.
“We got pretty lucky and found a way to make the channel insensitive to alcohol without affecting its normal function,” Pierce-Shimomura added. The scientists believe the research has potential application for treating people addicted to alcohol. “Our findings provide exciting evidence that future pharmaceuticals might aim at this portion of the alcohol target to prevent problems in alcohol abuse disorders,” researchers noted. The worms called Caenorhabditis elegans model intoxication well. Alcohol causes the worms to slow their crawling with less wriggling from side to side. The intoxicated worms also stop laying eggs which build up in their bodies and can be easily counted. The modified human BK channel could be inserted into mice in further studies to investigate whether this particular alcohol target also affects tolerance, craving and other symptoms relevant to humans, researchers contended. The findings were reported in the Journal of Neuroscience.
BEIJING, JulY 16 (AP): Three members of an imprisoned pastor’s family have sneaked out of China to the U.S. with the help of activists after complaining about an extended campaign of harassment by Chinese authorities, a Christian rights group said Tuesday. Zhang Shaojie’s daughter, son-in-law and 1-yearold grandchild landed in Dallas, Texas, and have now gone to Midland, according to U.S.-based China Aid. The group said an underground network of activists helped the three leave China via Southeast Asia. Zhang, who led the Nanle County Christian Church in the central province of Henan, was sentenced this month to 12 years in prison on charges of fraud and gathering crowds to disturb public order. Zhang’s church is sanctioned by the communist government, which allows worship only in statemonitored groups, but was involved in a dispute with local authorities over land for a new building. While land disputes are common in China, Zhang’s popularity prompted other Christians to rally around him to defend what they say is religious freedom. China Aid founder Bob Fu said that after Zhang
was sentenced, his elderly parents received threats and were harassed, his daughter’s car was kept by police and Nanle officials mobilized different government agencies to write to the court to ask for a longer sentence. Calls to Nanle police and the press office of the Nanle Communist Propaganda Department rang unanswered. A press officer at the Henan police department said he did not have any information about Zhang Huixin and her family. Fu said Zhang’s daughter, Zhang Huixin; her husband, Sun Zhulei; and their
daughter, Sun Jiexi, were blocked at Beijing’s airport on June 23 from leaving the country by Chinese security officials citing “national security.” Nanle and Henan police officers were also at the airport monitoring them, he said. Fu then flew to Southeast Asia to activate a network that escorted the three out of China and to the United States. He said U.S. authorities gave the family authorization to enter the country for one year during which they could decide whether to appeal for asylum on the grounds of religious freedom. A spokesman for the
U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Nolan Barkhouse, would not confirm the account. The three arrived Tuesday in Midland, Texas, and were staying in a guesthouse owned by the First Baptist Church, Fu said. “Our family and our church want to thank the U.S. government and many anonymous church leaders in different parts of the world for helping assist our family’s hard fought freedom,” Zhang was quoted as saying in an email from Fu. “Our family comes here to raise awareness of the deteriorating situation of religious freedom in Nanle and in China.”
This Tuesday, July 15, 2014 photo released by China Aid founder Bob Fu shows imprisoned Chinese pastor Zhang Shaojie’s daughter Zhang Huixin, second from left, her husband Sun Zhulei, left, and their daughter Sun Jiexi with church members, including Fu, center, after they arrived at the Midland International Airport in Midland, Texas. (AP Photo)
China ends drilling ops in disputed sea
HANOI, JulY 16 (AP): China on Wednesday was moving a massive oil rig away from waters claimed by Vietnam after announcing the end of operations, a development that should end a tense standoff between the nations in the South China Sea. But in withdrawing the rig on its own terms, Beijing has demonstrated it will not be stopped from carrying out exploration activities in waters it considers its own — regardless of the regional or international criticism such actions provoke. China deployed the rig in early May close to the Paracel Islands, triggering fury in Hanoi, which demanded Beijing withdraw it and sent patrol ships to try and disrupt the operations. China insisted it had done nothing wrong, and accused Vietnam of illegally disrupting its activities. Adding to tensions in the region, deadly riots targeting per-
ceived and actual Chinese interests broke out in Vietnam, leaving several dead and exposing the level of nationalist sentiment in the country against its giant neighbor. The deployment of the rig was widely seen as part of a strategy by China of gradually staking out its claims in the South China Sea, all or part of which are also claimed Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. China’s Foreign Ministry said after the rig’s withdrawal was announced that it was because the typhoon season was beginning and that its operations had been completed. It said oil and gas has been discovered during the operation, but was assessing the data gathered before deciding its next move. It has always been unclear whether the Beijing deployed the rig for genuine exploration reasons or geopolitical ones. When it announced the deployment, Beijing said it would withdraw it on Aug.
15, also citing the typhoon season. Ha Le, deputy director of Vietnam’s fisheries resources surveillance department, said China began removing the rig and escorting vessels Tuesday night, and by 8 am Wednesday it was 40 nautical miles northwest of its original location and continuing to move toward Hainan island. Le said 30 vessels from Vietnam’s coast guard and fisheries patrol forces that were sent to try to force the Chinese oil rig away will return to port to avoid the incoming Rammasun typhoon. China’s unwillingness to move the rig exposed Vietnam’s lack of options when dealing with its giant neighbor. The workings of the government here are shrouded in secrecy, but it has long been assumed that the Party is split between a faction that favors a tough line against Beijing — and consequentially stronger ties with the United States and its allies in Asia — and those members who
believe a compromise can be reached with their ideological allies to the north. As a result of the rig placement, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said the country was preparing to file a legal challenge to China’s claims in an international tribunal, something that risks angering China. It remains to be seen whether Vietnam will go ahead with that now the rig has been withdrawn. Former Vietnamese ambassador to Beijing Nguyen Trong Vinh said China’s removal of the rig didn’t signal a change of attitude on behalf of the country. “The removal of the oil rig from our continental shelf and exclusive economic zone is only temporary. Maybe they pulled out the oil rig ahead of the typhoon season. It does not mean that they have abandoned their resolve to take control of most of the East Sea,” he said, using the Vietnamese term for the South China Sea.
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Thursday 17 July 2014
The Morung Express
Sri Lanka fight back Conte after Elgar's century
stuns Juventus with shock resignation
South African batsman Dean Elgar celebrates scoring a century, as teammate Faf du Plessis congratulates him during the first day of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 16. (AP Photo)
GALLE, JULY 16 (REUTERS): Opener Dean Elgar struck a magnificent century for South Africa but Sri Lanka came back strongly with four wickets in the final session to balance the scales on the opening day of the first test on Wednesday (local time). Elgar's 103, his second test century, put South Africa in a strong position at tea on 194 for one, but following his dismissal in the third over of the final session, the visitors slid to 268 for five wickets at close. Quinton de Kock, unbeaten on 17, and nightwatchman Dale Steyn were at the crease when stumps were drawn. Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal struck two decisive blows for Sri Lanka to bring his team back into the reckoning. He first got rid of Elgar, who hit 11 fours and three sixes, when the batsman flashed at a wide delivery and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal. In the penultimate over of the day, Lakmal, with the second new ball which was taken after 85 overs, bowled out AB de Villiers for 21.
Spinners Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera toiled all day and picked up a wicket each in the final session. Herath's tight length frustrated Hashim Amla, who was making his debut as test captain, and he ended up hitting a catch to Perera at extra cover after scoring just 11. Perera accounted for Faf du Plessis (80) when he fell to a bat-pad catch to Kaushal Silva. Du Plessis hit five fours and a six during his knock and shared a second-wicket stand of 125 with Elgar. Neither Elgar nor Du Plessis allowed the Sri Lankan spinners any chance to settle into a rhythm, using their feet well to block anything pitched on a good length or getting to the pitch of the ball to hit through the line for boundaries. With the pitch hardly offering any assistance, Sri Lanka adopted different fielding strategies for the batsmen. Although they did not succeed in breaking the partnership, they managed to restrict the scoring rate with the second session producing just 83 runs
off 32 overs. South Africa had reached lunch on 111-1 after Amla won the toss and elected to bat. The wicket of Elgar's opening partner Alviro Petersen was the only success Sri Lanka had in the first two sessions. After an opening stand of 70, off-spinner Perera gave Sri Lanka the breakthrough by trapping Petersen leg before on the back foot for 34, a decision confirmed after an unsuccessful review by the batsman. Sri Lanka lost the services of fast bowler Shaminda Eranga in the final session when he attempted to stop a powerful drive from Du Plessis off Herath at mid-off and split the webbing between his right thumb and index finger. Eranga left the field for treatment and did not take any further part in the match. "Eranga had eight stitches inserted in the webbing of his right hand and was unable to take the field," Sri Lanka manager Michael de Zoysa told reporters. "We will monitor his progress and see whether he will be able to bowl tomorrow (Thursday)."
BOLOGNA, JULY 16 (REUTERS): Antonio Conte, who coached Juventus to three successive Italian league titles, has stunned Serie A by resigning two months after signing a deal for this season. "I need to announce the decision to mutually terminate my contract with Juventus, which tied us together for this season,” Conte told the Juventus TV Channel. “There was a journey towards this decision.” Conte, a former Juventus player for 13 years who took charge at the Turin club in 2011, wanted investment in the team in order to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League. His Serie A champions finished 17 points ahead of second-placed AS Roma as they became the first team to break the 100-points barrier. The best Conte could muster in Europe, however, was an appearance in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2013, when Juve were brushed aside 4-0 on aggregate by eventual winners Bayern Munich. Last season they crashed out at the group stage before losing their Europa League semi-final with Benfica 2-1 on aggregate. "You were a great leader for our lads and this news leaves me enormously sad,” Juventus CEO Andrea Agnelli said on the club website (www.juventus.com). "I think of the three years we spent together, three years that allowed us to write history with this club: three consecutive league titles, two Italian Super Cups, but above all exponential growth." Conte's contract with Juve was set to end next
Allegri to replace Conte
FILE - In this April 7, 2014 file photo, Juventus coach Antonio Conte waves to supporters during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Livorno at the Juventus stadium, in Turin, Italy. On Tuesday, July 15 Juventus and Conte announced the coach's contract terminated by mutual consent. (AP Photo)
June, but at the end of last season he refused to commit his future to the club, where he made more than 500 appearances in 13 years as a player. Throughout last season he spoke about how a lack of resources was hampering Juve's potential to take on the best on the continent and after winning the title, he said he was “tired”. HUGE IMPACT Conte refused to comment on his future amid media reports that he is considering putting himself forward for the Italy manager's job after Cesare Prandelli resigned following a disappointing World Cup.
"For now I'm thinking about the present, about the decision I've just made,” added Conte. "I'll think about my future tomorrow." Conte had a huge impact on Juventus. They finished seventh in Serie A in 2011, 24 points behind champions AC Milan with the club still reeling from the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal that saw them relegated to Serie B and cost them two league titles. In his first season, Juve saw off Milan and won the league going unbeaten in the process, and in the following two years the gap between his side and the rest of Serie A grew bigger.
Asafa Powell makes modest return to track in Lucerne
LUcERNE, JULY 16 (AFP): Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell wasted no time getting back into the thick of the action a day after his doping ban was reduced, running a modest 10.30sec in the 100m at the Lucerne meeting on Tuesday. Powell, who along with fellow-Jamaican Sherone Simpson was told on Monday the Court of Arbitration in Sport had cleared him to run again, finished third behind compatriot Julian Forte, who won in 10.23, and Antoine Adams of St Kitts and Nevis, second in 10.29. The former world record holder, who is still the fourth
Asafa Powell from Jamaica, takes part in the men's 100m race, at the International Athletics Meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland on July 15. (AP Photo)
fastest man in history, was suspended for 18 months but the ban was reduced to six months on appeal, leaving him free to compete immediately, the CAS ruled. He and Simpson were suspended by a Jamaica Anti-doping disciplinary panel after testing positive for the banned stimulant oxilofrine, which they claimed had been taken in a contaminated food supplement. They appealed to CAS to have their bans reduced to three months and the appeals were partially upheld. As they had already served six-month bans, they are now eligible to compete again.
Dwyane Wade re-signs with Miami Heat
FILE - In this April 14, 2014, file photo, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) pauses on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards in Washington. A person familiar with the situation says Wade is staying with the Heat, agreeing to a two-year deal with a player option for 2015-16. Wade made reference to the deal Tuesday, Kuly 15, 2014, tweeting "Home Is Where the Heart Is" and calling himself a "HeatLifer" in a photo of him below Miami's three NBA championship banners. (AP Photo)
MIAMI, JULY 16 (AP): Dwyane Wade is staying with the Miami Heat, and his latest deal is designed to give both the player and the only franchise he's ever known some flexibility in the coming years. Wade signed a new contract with the Heat on Tuesday. It's a two-year deal, the second
of those seasons a player option, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side announced terms. "I am proud to have spent every single day of my career as a member of the Miami Heat and to have
brought three championship titles to this great city," Wade said in a statement. "I've been here through the good times and the hard times. I have confidence in the Miami Heat organization and the team they are building." Earlier Tuesday, Wade tweeted "Home Is Where The Heart Is... My
Home,My City,My House" and attached a photo of himself standing below the three NBA championship banners that hang at Miami's home arena. Financial terms were not announced, though it's expected Wade's salary for next season will not reach the $20.2 million he would have made under his previous contract. Heat President Pat Riley confirmed that Wade again bought into the Heat mantra of sacrifice. The contract he signed four years ago left millions on the bargaining-room table, in part to make the deals with LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem happen. "Dwyane has been the franchise cornerstone for this team since the day he arrived 11 years ago," Riley said. "He has shown his commitment to the Heat many times over the course of his career and has always been willing to sacrifice in order to help build this team into a champion. This time is no different." Wade's return was expected, yet still represents a huge win for Miami during
free agency — especially since it comes less than a week after James left the Heat after four seasons and returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. So now, what was the "Big 3" is a "Big 2." Bosh is in the process of finishing a $118 million, five-year contract with Miami. Also Tuesday, the Heat signed Luol Deng to a two-year, $20 million deal, which was agreed to over the weekend. "Luol Deng is one of the most important free agent signings that we have ever had in the history of the franchise," Riley said. "He is a proven All-Star and quintessential team player, both as a scorer, as well as an All-NBA defender. He brings the attitude of a warrior and competes every single night against the very, very best." Miami also announced the signing of small forward James Ennis, who has been one of the team's summerleague standouts this year. Ennis was the 50th pick in the 2013 draft and spent last season playing in Australia. Wade is entering his 12th Heat season and is the
franchise's all-time leader in games, points, assists and steals. He and Haslem, who is also expected to complete a new two-year contract with Miami in the coming days, are the only players to appear on all three of the Heat teams that won NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013. He was limited to 54 games last season, in large part because of a maintenance program designed to limit wear and tear on his knees. But when he was on the floor, he was effective — shooting a career best 54.5 percent and averaging 19.0 points. With James gone, Wade likely won't have the luxury of resting as much this season. He's averaged 24.3 points for his career, 16thbest in NBA history and fifth-best among active players with at least seven seasons. And only seven other players in league history have as many points (17,481), rebounds (3,605), assists (4,301), steals (1,262) and blocked shots (696) as Wade has posted so far in his career.
Not even Conte's fourmonth touchline ban at the start of the 2012-13 season for match-fixing offences relating to his time at Siena could stop his side cruising to a second league title in as many years. Juventus were unstoppable last season, winning every single home game and losing only twice. Conte's departure will increase speculation around the futures of midfielders Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal, who have both been transfer targets for Manchester United. "It was an unexpected decision, a bolt from the blue,” said Juve captain
TURIN, JULY 16 (AP): Massimiliano Allegri has been hired to coach Italian champion Juventus a day after Antonio Conte unexpectedly left the club. Juventus announced that Allegri will be presented later Wednesday. The 46-year-old Allegri was fired by Milan in January after 3 1/2 seasons with the squad, having led the Rossoneri to the Serie A title in his first year in charge in 2010-11. Allegri previously coached Grosseto, Sassuolo and Cagliari. Conte led Juventus to the last three Serie A titles but left by mutual consent Tuesday. Allegri had been mentioned as a possible replacement for Cesare Prandelli as coach of Italy's national team but now Conte and Roberto Mancini are the top candidates for that job. Gianluigi Buffon at a news conference organised for Carrarese, a club the Italy goalkeeper holds shares in. "Juventus lose a great deal, it’s pointless denying what our coach truly brings to the team and how much of the credit he deserves for the last three years. “Probably it is something that matured over time and had been brewing for a while. “I don’t know why he decided to leave, as I haven’t spoken to him. (But) when you reach decisions like this, the only reason can be you no longer want to continue this type of work.”
Off-Road Maestro to begin from July 18 DIMAPUR, JULY 16 (MExN): Off-road enthusiasts and 4×4 vehicle owners will be gearing up for the most exciting and toughest motor-sport event ever witnessed in Nagaland. The Off-Road Maestro, a first of its kind event in the North-East India, will witness competitors and adventurists hitting the dirt, maneuvering through the mud, drenching rain, steep slippery slopes, and deep ruts and obstacles specially designed by experts. A press note informed that the event is jointly organised by Nagaland Motor Sports Association- NAMSA in association with 4x4 Attitude which is sponsoring the 1st and 2nd prize. The event is scheduled to be held from July 18 to 19 at the State Stadium, DC court junction, Dimapur. Competitors will be judged on skills as well as time taken to complete the track/course. The track consists of a series of obstacles like steep inclines and descent, slush pits and chassis benders designed to test the resilience of the machine and navigational expertise. This Off-Road sport is gaining popularity in South and North India with international events like Rain Forest Challenge now coming to India, with its 1st Edition to be held this monsoon. Polaris® Industries Inc. the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles, Toyota and Ford will be setting up display vehicles for test drives at the event. The event will be open to the public for free viewing. Event Schedule: July 18 - Scrutiny/Driver briefing from 12 noon to 5 pm July 19 – Race starts at 8 am.
Djokovic, Nadal qualify for ATP World Tour Finals LONDON, JULY 16 (AGENcIES): Top ranked players Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have qualified for the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Djokovic, who wrested the top spot in ATP ranking from Nadal after winning his seventh Grand Slam championship at Wimbledon, have already won the tournament three-times in 2008 (Shanghai), 2012 and 2013 (London). The Spaniard lost to Djokovic in the 2013 Finals. It was his second runners-up finish after losing to Roger Federer in the 2010 Finals in London. This is one of the few major titles Rafa hasn`t won in his glittering career. With Djokovic, he is the first player to book a berth for the elite eight-player tournament for this edition. He will be playing for the 10th straight year in the tournament. In the doubles, imperious Bryan brothers – Bob and Mike, have qualified for the tournament and will look to win the tournament for the fourth time. They finished the 2013 edition as runners-up after losing to the Spaniard pair of David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco in three gruelling sets at the O2 Arena. The American brothers have won the title in 2003, 2004 and 2009. They have qualified for the 13th consecutive time. This year`s season finale will be held from November 9-16 at the O2 Arena. Since 2009, O2 Arena`s indoor stadium has been hosting the event non-stop. Before it`s London stop, the tournament – which was previously known as the Tennis Masters Cup, was held in Shanghai for four years from 2005 to 2009.
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Thursday
Entertainment
The Morung Express
17 July 2014
First Look: Priyanka The cigarette
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girl Chopra in 'Mary Kom' who became a quee ! S
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he first look of Priyanka Chopra's much awaited biopic `Mary Kom` is finally out. Priyanka, who will be seen playing Olympic medalwinning boxer Mary Kom in a biopic, had said earlier that the sports drama is the `hardest` film of her career.
The actress took to Twitter to share the first look of `Mary Kom`. And she is quite excited about the upcoming movie. The film has been directed by Omung Kumar and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali on a story and screenplay written by Saiwyn Quadras.
The National Award winning actress, known for portraying every character with poise and perfection, has indeed trained super hard for her role as MC Mary Kom, the boxing champ. `Mary Kom` is slated to hit the theatres on September 5 this year.
he may now be the Queen of Spain but new pictures of Queen Letizia show she was just like any other student during her university days, taking odd jobs to make ends meet. Letizia first studied journalism at university in Madrid before taking a masters course at a university in Mexico, where these new pictures reveal she took a job as a hostess promoting a tobacco brand. The images were taken in the mid-90s while the Queen studied at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. Known as just Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano at the time, the wife of King Felipe VI can be seen in a shirt bearing the name of the 'Boots' brand of tobacco, along with jeans and a red scarf. The pictures show Letizia smiling as she goes around offering information about the brand and giving out 'Boots' cigarettes to congress visitors to earn some extra cash. It makes a stark change from today, where Letizia and her husband were on a two-day visit to Morocco on their third foreign visit since he recently became king. The royal couple were in Rabat, where they
visited the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V. Letizia studied in Mexico after completing a course in journalism in the early 1990s at the University Complutense of Madrid. After spending time studying in Mexico in the mid-90s, she eventually returned to Spain, where before meeting Prince Felipe, she worked as a newsreader for CNN. She later went on to become the main anchor on Spain's TVE news programme, which led her to meeting her future husband. They got engaged in 2003 and married in 2004 at Cathedral Santa María la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. Letizia gave up her high-flying career on marrying Prince Felipe. The couple has since had two children, Infanta Leonor de Todos los Santos of Spain, born 31 October 2005 - who is next in line - and Infanta Sofía de Todos los Santos of Spain, born 29 April 2007. In June, King Juan Carlos I announced his abdication as king of Spain, handing over the crown to his oldest son Felipe and Letizia, who was once married before and is often described as the 'Spanish Kate Middleton'.
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Pictures reveal Spanish royal Letizia selling tobacco when she was a student at Mexican university
Marvel creates a storm as it Kim Kardashian Is “So Excited” Over reveals Thor is now a WOMAN Her Hugely Successful Mobile Game T
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omic book fans have been rocked by an unexpected move by Marvel, which has revealed that Thor is now a woman. The hammer-wielding superhero will appear in her more shapely form in October, as Marvel experiments with bringing in a new audience. Reaction to
the proposed change was mixed, with fans taking to Marvel's Facebook page to rail against changes to their childhood heroes. The new-look superhero was also discussed on The View, with Whoopi Goldberg excitedly declaring: 'Thor, the God of Thunder, he messed up, and he's
no longer worthy to hold that damn hammer of his. 'For the first time in history, that hammer is being held by a woman. That's right. Thor is a woman!' In a statement Marvel said the new look Thor will be the eighth lead female protagonist, as the publisher tries to open up comics to more
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women. For those mourning the loss of the God of Thunder, Aaron had words of comfort, saying 'This is not SheThor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it’s unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before.'
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ity aiming to end the stigma surrounding mental illness - called for people to speak openly about it, given that they are likely to know someone suffering in some way. She added ''It's really important to now be able to have open conversation about it.'' She isn't the only star to open up about certain issues, and Demi Lovato has spoken about her father who passed away on June 22, 2013 after battling cancer - and his own illness in the past. She previously said ''My dad suffered from severe mental illness so at least there's peace in knowing he's not suffering anymore.''
ing her positive feedback about the game over Twitter. I love that fans are constantly telling me on social media their favorite parts of the game and even offering suggestions, Kanye West's wife added. We're working really hard to integrate fan feedback and we've already added one of my favorite
vacation spots to the game! There's so much more to come, including plenty of cute new looks and exotic locations, she concluded. The CEO of Glu Mobile Inc. (GLUU), the games' creator, Niccolo de Masi, also recently said, It might be our biggest game of the year. We're not surprised.
Kim is a one-of-a-kind talent with an incredibly precise fit to the game engine that we tailored but already had in the company. The app, which allows users to create their own celebrity and customize a new look, is currently free to download, but players can pay to become more famous.
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Andrews to Be Killed Saving Gay Best Friend
Mental illness L isn't shameful
uardians of the Galaxy' star Glenn Close whose sister has bipolar disorder - has spoken out about mental illness and called for it to be discussed more freely, insisting it is not a taboo. She told the New York Daily News newspaper ''It is part of the human condition ... Actually, because so many people are affected by it, it is something that should be a uniting, hope-filled issue rather than something that people have always been loathed to talk about, and afraid and shamed about it.'' The 67-year-old star - who is a founder of the Bring Change 2 Mind char-
he reality TV star's mobile app, 'Kim Kardashian Hollywood',' is predicted to rake in a whooping $200 million. Kim Kardashian cannot believe how successful her new app is. The reality TV star, who launched the mobile game called 'Kim Kardashian Hollywood' on June 25th, is so excited about its overwhelming popularity. Since so many people have already purchased the app, Bloomberg News estimated that it is set to earn a huge $200 million. Kim recently spoke of the surprising success to E!News, stating, This project has been an amazing experience. I'm so excited that people are enjoying the game! I partnered last year with a fantastic company called Glu Mobile to create what is now the No. 3 Free and No. 5 Grossing game on the Apple App Store, she continued. We collaborated on every aspect of the game's design details and continue to do so with the updates we are bringing out. The Kardashian sister also expressed how grateful she that fans are giv-
egendary comic book character Archie to be killed off saving gay best friend .The famous freckle-faced comic book icon is meet-
ing his demise in Wednesday's installment of 'Life with Archie' when he intervenes in an assassination attempt on Kevin Keller, Archie Comics' first open-
ly gay character. Andrews' death, which was first announced in April, will mark the conclusion of the series that focuses on grown-up renditions of Andrews and his Riverdale pals. 'The way in which Archie dies is everything that you would expect of Archie,' said Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics publisher and co-CEO. 'He dies heroically. He dies selflessly. He dies in the manner that epitomizes not only the best of Riverdale but the best of all of us. It's what Archie has come to represent over the past almost 75 years.' Keller's character first joined Veronica Lodge, B etty Co op er, Jughead Jones and Reggie Mantle in the Archie Comics spin-off 'Veronica' in 2010. He later appeared in his own solo title. In 'Life with Archie,'
Keller is a married military veteran and newly elected senator who's pushing for more gun control in Riverdale after his husband was involved in a shooting. 'We wanted to do something that was
came up with the storyline of saving Kevin. He could have saved Betty. He could have saved Veronica. We get that, but metaphorically, by saving Kevin, a new Riverdale is born.' In recent years, deaths of high-profile comic book characters like Peter 'Spider-Man' Parker and Steve 'Captain America' Rogers have made headlines and garnered intense reaction from fans. Goldwater notes that Andrews' passing isn't just a publicity stunt but also a lesson about gun violence and a declaration of diversity in the new age of Archie Comics. 'Archie is not a superhero like all the rest of the comic book characters,' said Goldwater. 'He's human. He's a person. When you wound him, he impactbleeds. He knows that. ful that If anything, I think his would redeath is more impactally resoful because of that. We nate with the hope by showing how world and bring something so violent can home just how important happen to Archie, that Archie is to everyone,' said we can — in some way — Goldwater. 'That's how we learn from him.'
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North East United signs India, England resume battle Spanish veteran Capdevilla amidst Anderson-Jadeja row
GuwAhATI, JuLy 16 (PTI): NorthEast United Football Club, the Guwahati franchise of the upcoming Indian Super League, Wednesday named former World and European Championships winning Spanish defender Joan Capdevila as its marquee player. Capdevila who marshalled the left back position for La Roja, was a prominent member of the sides that won both the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008. He has played over 400 games with 36 goals in the Spanish La Liga for big guns like Espanyol, Athletico Madrid, Deportivo, and Villarreal. The 36-year-old who played for La Liga Club Espanyol last season, said he was excited to join the club after speaking to team co-owner and Bollywood actor John Abraham. The Guwahati franchise, thus became the second team after Atletico de Kolkata to name their marquee player. The Kolkata franchise had announced UEFA Champions League winner Spaniard Luis Garcia as their marquee player and Antonio Lopez Habas as
their marquee manager earlier this month. "At this stage, after winning everything which is there to win, a new challenge was needed. After speaking to John Abraham about the way he is passionately looking to promote football in India and the project of NorthEast United FC, it excited me to take up the
challenge. "India is a huge country and it should be a privilege for me to be a small part in popularising this global game here and working with the young talented footballers of North East India," Capdevila stated in a release. Abraham also expressed his excitement in roping in the World Cup winner. "We are confident
ECB to contest Anderson misconduct allegation
that his achievements in the game and his presence in our team will motivate young Indian players and his inputs will help us build a strong in the future. "Speaking with him when he was in Brazil, I got a sense of his passion for the game and specially his excitement about joining our team was motivational and unparalleled. We look forward to his arrival in India," Abraham said. Lajong FC Managing Director and NorthEast United FC co-owner, Larsing Sawyan said, "This is the best thing that has happened to NorthEast United FC. A player of Capdevilla`s calibre will definitely add impetus to our ambitions in the upcoming ISL. "Football fans from the North East are already familiar with him and we believe the excitement of the ISL in North East has already reached a high level. We welcome Joan Capdevilla to NorthEast United FC and hope he can help us bring success both on and off the field." Supported by the All India Football Federation, ISL is co-promoted by IMG-Reliance and Star India and is tentatively scheduled to be held from September 19 to November 30.
Uruguay likely to host World Cup 2030
London, JuLy 16 (IAnS): Uruguay are favourites to host the FIFA World Cup 2030 despite the South American country`s President Jose Mujica calling the FIFA hierarchy "old sons of b*****s". With Russia hosting the 2018 edition and Qatar 2022, the US has been earmarked for the 2026 World Cup, according to Daily Mail. However, since Uruguay is a small country, with a population
of only just over 3.3 million, there are some reservations in the footballing circles. For this reason FIFA want the 2030 World Cup to be cohosted by Argentina to mark the competition`s centenary. "FIFA wishes to celebrate the World Cup`s 100 years in Argentina and Uruguay, I can confirm that," AFA president Julio Grondona, who is also FIFA`s senior vice-president, told Argentina`s Radio 10 earlier
this month as reported by ESPN. "(An agreement) has been signed by the two associations (AFA and Uruguay`s AUF). What will we do? We`ll see but surely something of quality." Japan and South Korea World Cup in 2002 is the only time the tournament was co-hosted by two countries. Uruguayan capital of Montevideo had hosted the first World Cup finals in 1930 where the hosts beat Argentina in the final
Chelsea sign Filipe Luis; Demba Ba leaves
London, JuLy 16 (AP): Chelsea says a deal has been struck with Atletico Madrid to sign defender Filipe Luis. The Premier League club says the transfer is dependent on the 28-year-old Luis agreeing personal terms. The Brazilian will be filling the void left by Ashley Cole, who was allowed to leave Stamford Bridge when his contract expired at the end of last season. Chelsea has already raided Atletico Ma-
Demba Ba
Filipe Luis
drid to strengthen in the summer transfer window, Spain striker Diego Costa joining on a five-year contract on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Senegalese striker Demba Ba underwent a medical test at Turkish club Besiktas on Wednesday as the
team works to finalize a transfer deal with Chelsea. Ba has agreed in principle to join the Istanbul club, but president Fikret Orman said "transfers have to match our budget." Ba said "I want to showcase my talent to everyone as soon as possible. Besiktas is a great club and I want to be a part of this club." The forward failed to establish himself at Chelsea after productive spells at Hoffenheim and Newcastle.
Rosberg signs new Mercedes deal
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FILE - In this July 5, 2014 file picture, Germany's Nico Rosberg of Mercedes celebrates after qualifying in pole position for the British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone circuit, Silverstone, England. Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg has been rewarded by Mercedes for his strong start to the season with a new contract. The 29-year-old German, who has been driving for Mercedes since 2010, has signed a "multi-year" deal, Mercedes said on July 16. (AP Photo)
PARIS, JuLy 16 (AFP): Nico Rosberg, locked in a titanic duel with teammate Lewis Hamilton for this year's drivers' title, on Wednesday signed a new "multi-year" contract with Mercedes, the German F1 team announced. Rosberg, 29, joined Mercedes on the German car giant's return to F1 in 2010. In five seasons he has won six times, with 17 podiums and eight pole positions. "Mercedes....is delighted to announce that it signed a multi-year contract extension with Nico Rosberg on 14 July 2014," a statement on the team's official website confirmed.
Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff added: "This new contract brings us important stability and continuity for the future and I am delighted to be able to make the announcement in time for the home race of Mercedes-Benz and Nico in Hockenheim." Rosberg leads the 2014 drivers title race by a mere four points from Hamilton, who joined Mercedes from McLaren on a three year deal in 2013, going into the German Grand Prix on Sunday. Hamilton, the 2008 champion, made up ground on Rosberg when claiming
victory at Silverstone last time out, with Rosberg, who had set pole, failing to finish. Up to the British Grand Prix Rosberg had finished first or second in all previous eight races. Rosberg said he was "proud" to drive for the team he described "as the best in the world". "It has been a difficult road to get to where we are now - but everybody kept believing and, thanks to the fantastic support from Mercedes-Benz, we are now leading the way in F1," he said. "There has been big progress during the past year, building up our structure, management and capability for the future. "We have an awesome team and I am confident that we have the right people in place at every level. I'm looking forward to the next years together, when we will keep pushing to win even more races and, hopefully, championships." Wolff added: "Nico has been part of the Silver Arrows project since day one and he has had a big stake in the development of the team since 2010. "His speed, commitment and focus have all helped to give clear direction and to drive the team forward. With his performances in 2014, Nico has demonstrated to the outside world what we knew already in the team; that he is one of the very top drivers in Formula One."
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni watches a teammate batting in the nets during a training session at Lord's cricket ground in London on Tuesday. India are due to play England in the second cricket test match of the series at Lord's starting on Thursday. (AP Photo)
London, JuLy 16 (PTI): The simmering row involving James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja has added some spice to the series as India and England gear up for the second cricket Test at Lord`s where a lively wicket is expected to welcome the two teams here on thursday. As if the `lifeless` wicket at Nottingham was not enough, the alleged altercation between the two players has marred the start of the five-match series. A date for hearing has not been finalised as yet which means Anderson is sure to play and the incident is bound to have a bearing when the two teams square up. ICC has charged the home paceman Anderson for pushing and abusing Jadeja during the lunch break on the second day of first Test. If found guilty he could miss at least two and up to four Tests or upto 8 ODIs, something that the hosts will not desire under any circumstances. The ECB has retaliated with a report against Jadeja as well. As much as the English team management will be lobbying hard for
the leader of their attack, they will also be keeping an eye on the pitch for the game. Two days ahead of the match, the centre-wicket at Lord`s bore a distinctive green tinge. Much of it is expected to disappear by time of the toss on the first
London, JuLy 16 (REuTERS): England will contest misconduct accusations against bowler James Anderson made by India, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Tuesday. The allegation relates to an incident involving India's Ravindra Jadeja during the first test match between the teams that ended in a draw on Sunday. "The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today reacted with surprise that the India team has made allegations against James Anderson under Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for a minor incident involving Ravindra Jadeja during the first Investec Test match at Trent Bridge," the ECB said in a statement. "In the light of this the ECB has notified the ICC of its intention to lodge code of conduct breaches against Jadeja. Anderson categorically denies the accusations made against him and the ECB has pledged their total support for the player should he be charged by ICC." Under ICC Code of Conduct regulations, the ECB cannot make any further comment and enquiries should be directed to the ICC in Dubai. The second test of the five-match series starts on Thursday at Lord's.
score at this ground historically is 315 runs, but from 2010 until 2014, it has gone up to 403. The fact that this is the only ground that hosts two Tests in an English summer helps of course. And so, skipper Alastair Cook would be confused.
SquadS IndIa: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Stuart Binny, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishwar Pandey, Pankaj Singh, Varun Aaron, Wriddhiman Saha. England: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior (wk), Sam Robson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Simon Kerrigan.
Match StartS at: 3.30pM ISt. morning. Even so, it is possible that the wicket will retain some juice in it, thanks to this delayed shaving. It will be joyous news for the quicker bowlers on both sides then, a sort of reward for the hard work they put in during the Nottingham game. At the same time, such a scenario will also be in keeping with how Tests at Lord`s have panned out in recent times. The average first-innings?
At the one hand he will want a placid track to reverse his batting fortunes. From becoming his nation`s top century-getter in Test cricket to not scoring in three-figures for the last 25 innings, it has been a steep decline for him. While he will want a little less hard work even against a mediocre Indian attack, at the other hand he will also desire more
assistance for his bowlers as England continue their search for an end to their nine-match winless streak. He will feel happier with the finer print that is in the bowling figures at Lord`s. Pace bowlers have found a lot of success here in recent times. If the period from 2008-2014 is considered, they have taken 165 wickets at an average of 21.95 in comparison to the spinner?s figures of 69 wickets at 29.28. The faster bowlers` figures are even more impressive when compared with the period from 2000-2007 wherein they took 145 wickets at an average of 27.68. The distinctive slope at this famous ground perhaps plays to their advantage. Any which way, it can be assumed that spin will not be a major factor in this Test unless something extraordinary happens to the pitch over the course of five days. As such then, England will not be playing left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan, who is as it is considered a long-shot given his disappointing debut in the Ashes last year. He is said to be in the squad to begin his reintegration to the Test format.
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