July 3, 2020

Nagaland Post

Watch us on YouTube

www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXX No. 207

DIMAPUR, FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020 Pages 12 ` 5.00

West Ham beat Chelsea 3-2 in EPL

Follow us on @Nagaland_Post

sports, Page 12

nagalandpostofficial nagalandpostofficial

State govt responds to Governor

DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): A letter dated June 16,2020 written by Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi to the chief minister Neiphiu Rio had caused reverberations across and beyond Nagaland when it literally put the state government in the dock for the “precarious law and order situation” and “armed gangs” effectively challenging the writ of the constitutionally mandated government and running their parallel governments while the law and order machinery offered no resistance.

A meeting was held on June 19, 2020 between the Governor and chief minister and cabinet as per the request from the Governor in his letter. The police department responded to the Governor’s observations by citing crime statistics at a press briefing on June 26.

In its response to the Governor’s letter issued through the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), the government said the assessment of law and order being precarious and which deteriorated and collapsed since August 2019 “ does not appear to be factual.”

On the crucial issue of

the Governor disclosing that he has decided to exercise special powers over law and order as per Article 371(1) (b) of the Indian constitution, DIPR said the state government viewed that this was done away with as per the resolution adopted by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on December 17, 2013.

Therefore, attempting to invoke the Article was like trying to put back the clock and in contravention of the December 2013 assembly resolution. Further, DIPR said the state government viewed any attempt to invoke Article 371(1)(b) under the guise of discharging special responsibility as “anti-people” adding there should be no roll back to the era of the 1960s during the period of formation of Nagaland.

DIPR maintained that the situation is a “political problem” which has remained unresolved for the past 57 years of existence of state of Nagaland . According to DIPR the government of India has also acknowledged it as a political issue and for which talks were held with Naga Political Groups (NPGs) since 1997

at the highest level of prime ministers including the present incumbent.

DIPR narrated the appointment of R.N. Ravi as Governor on August 1,2019 and how he had earlier as Interlocutor, contributed to the framing and signing of the Framework Agreement on August 3,2015 and concluded all talks with Naga groups on October 31,2019 for expected early political solution.

Further, DIPR maintained that after conclusion of talks in October ,2019 and expectation of solution, terming organisations as “armed gangs” might not be in the interest of peace process and not congenial to the achievement of lasting peace as desired by both the state and central governments.

Also DIPR felt that the signing of the Framework Agreement in 2015 and the conclusion of negotiations in October 2019 should have addressed and resolved the issue of “sustenance of political organisations.”

DIPR also said Nagaland has come a long way from the “precarious law and order and precarious security situation” in the past decades where assassination

attempts were made on VIPs including the incumbent chief minister, then works and housing minister on May 30,1995 besides serious challenges on fulfilling constitutional obligations such as participating in elections etc. DIPR also said the 1990s witnessed the most volatile security environment with killings, fratricide and violent factional clashes occurring on regular basis.

It said the fact that voting percentages between 78% to 92% during the past three successive decades bore testimony to people’s support for constitutional process.

In comparison with the past decades, DIPR reiterated that the law and order situation present “continues to be normal and peaceful” and that all wings of the law and order machinery were working effectively in tandem to ensure peaceful atmosphere.

However, it admitted that there were “anti-social and unruly elements at certain places” trying to vitiate the atmosphere by trying to o impose illegal taxes and extortions but that the state police have been dealing with them in a proactive manner. It said police had

India’s COVID19 tally crosses 6 lakh mark

WSH asks NCD to strictly abide by its constitution

Recruitment should be merit-based: NVCO, Ayush doctors

DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) has asked the Naga Council Dimapur to strictly abide by its constitution while electing new team. In a statement, WSH said every organization has its own constitution that governed its functioning and all organsiational matters. Deviation from the constitution would lose its credibility and weightage and set a bad precedence, it added.

WSH pointed out that the constitution clearly laid down how its members should be constituted, who fulfilled the criteria to occupy a post or power to take such decisions.

In a civilized world, WSH said that any person, group or tribe violating the constitution with its brute force or cunningly maneuvering for its selfish interest was “illegal, immoral and shameless and should be considered as traitors

NEW DELHI, JUL 2 (PTI): India’s COVID-19 tally zoomed past six lakh on Thursday with a singleday increase of 19,148 cases, just five days after it crossed the five-lakh mark, while the death toll rose to 17,834, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

It took 110 days for coronavirus infections in the country to reach one lakh, while just 44 days more to go past the six-lakh mark.

The country’s COVID19 case load increased to 6,04,641 on Thursday, while 434 persons have succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

With a steady rise, the number of recoveries stands at 3,59, 859 while one patient has migrated. There are 2,26,947 active cases of coronavirus infection presently in the country.

“Thus, around 59.52 per cent of patients have recovered so far,” an official said. The total number of confirmed cases included foreigners.

This is the sixth consecutive day when coronavirus infections increased by more than 18,000. There has been a surge of 4,14,106 COVID-19 cases from June DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): 1 till date.

Nagaland registered 34 new COVID-19 positive cases on Thursday while 15 more patients recovered from the virus.

With this the state’s total tally has risen to 535 cases-- 338 active cases and 197 recovered.

In a tweet, Health minister S. Pangnyu Phom informed that the 34 cases were among the 226 samples that were tested. He said 32 were from Peren quarantine centre, 1 each from Dimapur and Kohima quarantine centres.

All the positive per“ B a h ! N e w n o r m a l sons have been shifted to doesn’t mean giving us the designated COVID-19 face masks and shields hospitals for medical care. instead of money.”

As per the severity of symp-

and anti-peace.” WSH said NCD, being the most important organisation for urban Dimapur, was expected to abide by its constitution.

Further, WSH said that any person/group trying to sabotage the constitution and take advantage of it should be labeled as conspirator working against the harmony of all the communities residing in Dimapur.

“In case of anything happening to NCD by these conspirators, those abetting it and trying to forcibly override the constitution will be blamed and solely responsible for breaking the oldest organisation of Dimapur,” it cautioned. WSH termed as “unfortunate and uncalled for” the desire of “some ambitious people” to occupy a chair unconstitutionally and unlawfully by forming some unmandated self styled organisation and said that every sensible person should stand against it.

DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) and Concerned AYUSH Doctors of Nagaland, which met in Kohima on June 29, 2020 and discussed the “grievances/ill treatment/ discrimination” faced by AYUSH doctors of Nagaland in recruitment, have demanded that open recruitment should be purely on merit basis.

NVCO through its press and media cell stated that the concerned AYUSH doctors, at the meeting, highlighted grievances especially in recruitment and expressed apprehension that the Health department could only select the serving doctors, despite overage, to fill up the recently created 11 medical officer (AYUSH) posts.

filed cases suo-moto in 95% of incidents of extortion without any complaint and accordingly took swift action.

To deal with extortion, DIPR said police formed Anti-Extortion Cell in all districts headed by the SDPO along with other personnel. In Dimapur, where crime scene was most active, it said the Cell is headed by an officer of DCP rank. Also Mobile Highway Patrolling for anti-extortion measures was also in operation in Kohima and Dimapur along the National Highway.

In addition, a Special Task Force (STF) of two companies with well trained and specially armed personnel was created in March 2018 to augment operational capabilities for raids and search and rescue operation against criminals.

DIPR reported that during the past five years, police along with Assam Rifles and other Security Forces have registered a total of 893 criminal cases against various factions and a total of 1238 persons arrested. The cases include Arms Act, Explosive Act, UA(P)Act, ransom, NSR Act, murder, robbery (Cont’d on p-7) etc.

COVID-19 vaccine by PfizerBioNtech shows promise international, Page 9

Two more frontline workers test positive for COVID-19 in Kohima Correspondent

KOHIMA, JUL 2 (NPN): In yet another instance of COVID-19 afflicting frontline workers, one official from the Smart City project and a driver-- who have been involved in the quarantine management activities-tested positive on June 29.

Following this, Kohima Municipal Council administrator and Kohima Smart City Development Limited chief executive officer Kovi Meyasie and staff, who were amongst the primary contacts of the official, had gone on home isolation.

Sources informed Nagaland Post that the CEO and three others gave samples for tests on Thursday, while tests on 13 other staff would be conducted on Friday. The Smart City office was also closed and the entire building and its surroundings were sanitized.

Meanwhile, the driver who tested positive was volunteer of Bethel Kitchen at the NBCC Convention Hall, where food are prepared for quarantine inmates.

However, how the driver contracted the virus

was not known. Sources informed that the kitchen has been sealed for the past two days.

According to District Task Force Kohima (DTFK), aggressive contact tracing was activated and more than 115 primary and secondary contacts have been traced so far.

DTFK informed that the test results of 15 persons, among the primary contacts, were negative and more samples have been sent for testing to BSL-3 lab (Naga Hospital Authority Kohima).

All the primary contacts were now under quar-

Containment zones marked in Peren dist Following the detection of COVID-19 positive cases from among those sent for home quarantine at Dobashi colony, Jalukie Town and adjoining areas and ward number 5 Tening Town, DC Peren Sentiwapang Aier has declared those areas as “containment zones.”

In an order, DC has directed the district administration officials to immediately “demarcate and barricade the containment zone” in order to prevent community spread of COVID-19. Further, DC stated that contact tracing and other medical protocols, by the medical department, will be carried out with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, a meeting between the District Task Force and JAC on COVID-19 Peren district was held on July 2, where both the sides deliberated on the issue.

Divisions among 14 tribes at this juncture not healthy: Imna Along Correspondent

KOHIMA, JUL 2 (NPN): State BJP president and minister Temjen Imna Along categorically stated that divisions among the 14 Naga tribes in Nagaland were not healthy at this critical juncture just before the impending final solution to the decades-old Naga political problem.

He made this observation during a press conference held at the State BJP office Thursday to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to provide free ration to 80 crore people.

Referring to BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav’s statement on delimitation, Along appealed to citizens not to have any tribalistic view on the issue, pointing out that Madhav had expressed his opinion.

Mentioning that the (Cont’d on p-8) long cherished dream of

Temjen Imna Along (File)

every citizen of Nagaland, including BJP, was to see culmination of the political negotiation, Along said if tribalistic colours always cropped up, then it calls for retrospection.

He asserted that unity of the 14 tribes was paramount and recalled that the 2001 census was rejected, even as the Framework Agreement was signed in 2015 and the peace talks successfully concluded in 2019-- pending a final solution, adding solution was more important.

antine, DTF said and appealed to the public to not panic but follow all precautions related to COVID-19.

It may be recalled that on June 25, Nagaland reported its first case of frontline workers being infected by the virus.

Five frontline workers, stationed in Dimapur and Kohima were infected with COVID-19 while on duty.

The 5 cases included-four bus drivers on quarantine duty (two of them tested positive on June 23 and two on June 25) and a receptionist at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima, who tested positive on June 25.

NCD appeals councillors

DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) has urged its councillors not to associate themselves with the “self-style Dimapur Tribal Apex Hoho (DTAH)” and also not to attend the joint meeting conveyed by DTAH on July 3, 2020 at IMC hall Dimapur.

In a press release, NCD general secretary Thsapongkyu Sangtam said that the NCD does not recognise the “so called Dimapur Tribal Apex Hoho”. Sangtam stated that “groundless organization/ union/society always destroys the social fabric of our present societies and peaceful co-existence of community.” He said NCD remained “truly the only Naga apex body of Dimapur district.” Affirming that it abides with its constitution, NCD has warned members not to go against it.

On the tussle within the party, the State BJP chief remarked that such differences within political parties were not new, clarifying that the district presidents did not challenge the authority of the State president but wanted to know how strong the president was.

On Governor’s letter to chief minister, Along said the cabinet had already shared its mind with the governor, showing how Nagaland was performing better.

Mentioning that the cabinet had discussed at length with the governor the issues raised by him, Along said it was important to take into account the situation prevailing in the State for so many years. He added that the governor should be made to understand how Nagaland had been and how he should strive bring a solution as an interlocutor.

DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): Acknowledging the state government move to set up Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB), Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) has urged the state government to issue draft the Naga National workers content of the regulations under the banner of various before the cabinet approval groups.” “so as to give sufficient time As the constitutional to study for views, input head of the state, NH said and comment on it.” ENSF governor’s “contention to president Sepili L Sangam curb corruption” was laud- and assistant general secreable as Nagas have to move tary Khomo P stated that on with justice and equal- by doing so the NSSB would ity “despite of our struggle ensure equal opportunity of against suppression.” employment unlike in the The hoho said that suc- past. ENSF, therefore, urged cessive governors had failed the government to “look for in the past to remove cor- an equitable and justiceable ruption in the state, saying solution in order to forbid it was “an admitted fact from future ramification.” that corrupt practices are Corrigendum everywhere.”

In order to ensure effec- DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): tive and transparent investi- Apropos the news item gation into corruption, NH ‘LYOD, Hayithung react to said the state government DAYO statement’ published had established Nagaland on July 2, the last para Lokayukta replacing the should read as “...should not erstwhile Vigilance and An- take the delimitation exercise ti-Corruption on February as a tribal gain or loss...” and 1, 2019. (Cont’d on p-8) not as published.

ENSF wants draft of NSSB before approval

With 34 fresh cases, State COVID tally now 535 NH, State JD(U) react to

338 active cases & 197 recovered

This is it!

K Y M C

NAGALAND COVID-19 STATUS AS ON july 2, 2020 District Dimapur Kiphire Kohima Longleng Mokokchung Mon Peren Phek Tuensang Wokha Zunheboto Total

Asymptomatic cases 39 0 83 0 1 38 145 9 20 0 3 338

Recovered 147 0 38 0 0 0 7 0 5 0 0 197

Total Cases 186 0 121 0 1 38 152 9 25 0 3 535

Distribution of Cases by domicile district Kohima Dimapur Mokokchung Phek Zunheboto Tuensang Mon Wokha Kiphire Longleng Peren Others 49 87 1 10 5 30 63 10 4 2 228 46

toms, all the 338 active cases were asymptomatic, principal secretary Home, Abhijit Sinha informed in his daily briefing.

Further, among the 15 patients that recovered, 12 were from Kohima, 2 from Dimapur and 1 from Peren.

Meanwhile, the recovery rate in the state plummeted to 36.82%.

BSL-2 lab operational

The newly inaugurated Bio Safety Level-2 (BSL-2) laboratory at CIHSR, Dimapur began testing COVID-19 suspected

samples from July 1. The lab received the first batch of 178 samples on July 1.

Sources informed that the lab has the capacity to test 90 samples in 2 hours.

Meanwhile, till July 2, a total of 12,570 samples had been tested and results of 11,854 samples were received. Of the 12,570 samples, 8251 were received at the BSL-3 lab (Naga Hospital Authority Kohima) and BSL-2 lab (Christian Institute Of Health Sciences & Research, Dimapur), out of which 8133 were tested and 423 samples tested positive for COVID, principal secretary Home, Abhijit Sinha informed.

In addition, a total of 6240 samples were also tested by TrueNat, out of which 124 samples tested positive and sent for confirmation by RT-PCR.

Governor’s letter to CM

DIMAPUR, JUL 2 (NPN): Reacting to Nagaland governor RN Ravi’s letter to the chief minister Neiphiu Rio, in which he raised the question of law and order in the state, the Naga Hoho Thursday said that Nagas’ struggle for self determination cannot be considered as law and order problem and urged the Government of India to address the aspirations of the Nagas at the earliest.

NH through its communication cell maintained that till the “Indo-Naga” political issue remained unresolved, all forms of unrest “starting from taxation to killings were bound to live with us”. NH, however, said that “no one should take it otherwise as if we are encouraging the unwanted situation being created by

K Y M C

state

2

Dimapur district gears up for monsoon

DC Dimapur Anoop Khinchi addressing Dimapur DDMA members on July 2 at the conference hall of DC Dimapur. (DIPR)

DIMAPUR: Deputy commissioner Dimapur Anoop Khinchi convened a meeting with the DDMA members on July 2, in view of monsoon preparedness and possibility of heavy rains, flash floods and strong wind in the next two weeks.

According to DIPR report, chairing the meeting, Anoop said that in case of any disaster, the first priority would be for saving lives after which would come property and other issues. Anoop directed the Power department for making emergency team available for restoration of lines and also asked them for barricading areas in case of tree fall, causing threat to human safety.

TVSU condemns ‘unwarranted raids’ by SF DIMAPUR: Thilixu Village Students’ Union (TVSU) has condemned the pre-dawn “frequent unwarranted raids” conducted Indian security forces (SF) on “bonafide members” of Thilixu Village, Dimapur.

In a press release, TVSU president, Abetoli Kiba and general secretary, Ghunavi Aye said amid pandemic when all citizens are cautious and maintaining social distancing, the raid conducted at the residence of GPRN/ NSCN kilonser, Hokato Vusshe in the wee hours on June 26 by security forces was “simply aims at the peaceful atmosphere”.

The union claimed that the raid resulted in physical and mental harassment to the family and alarmed the neighbourhood.

Thilixu Village Students’ Union has appealed both the parties to “agree on the cease-fire ground rules and mutually observe and abide” by the same.

Khinchi also directed all the executive magistrates for identifying unstable buildings in their respective jurisdiction, which are likely to collapse and to submit report at the earliest and also advised them to draw out a preparedness plan of their areas.

Further, DC directed the PWD department to submit a status report of Balijan, Dhansiri and the Nagarjan bridges. Home Guards department and DMC while expressing their willingness to work in case of any eventuality also highlighted on financial assistance from DDMA Dimapur, towards which the DC assured to help them.

In the meeting, ADC

Niuland, Athrila highlighted on re-strengthening of Balijan Bridge as it was the only lifeline for the people staying towards Niuland area. She also suggested for repairing of the hanging bridge between Niuland and Hovukhu village.

ADC Medziphema, suggested for arranging an alternative route for transporting essential commodities should there be a major landslide.

Assam Rif les and CRPF also expressed their willingness for providing any logistics under their ambit should a disaster hit the district.

Anoop advised one and all for gearing up, while observing that heavy showers may occur any time.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

news in Brief SDO (Civil) Mon notifies: In view of the detection of COVID-19 positive case in Mon town, SDO (Civil) Sadar Mon, Chumlamo Humtsoe notified all the persons who had come in close contact with the positive persons during the funeral at Thamnan ward on June 22 or otherwise have been advised for self isolation till their tests were conducted by Medical department.

They have been asked to contact the following numbers at 9862780643/98 56015152/8974225174.

ANTA Kohima informs owners/drivers of local taxis: All Nagaland Taxi Association (ANTA) Kohima has informed that DC office Kohima has set a new/fresh car pass system based on odd and even serial numbers to all local taxis under All Nagaland Taxi Association, Kohima Hqs. All Nagaland Taxi Association requested all owners or drivers of local taxis, Kohima to be at NST Bus Stand (Regional Taxi parking, Kohima) on July 3, 9 a.m to avail the said car passes (900 nos). Double entry/availing of passes will be liable to be punished under All Nagaland Taxi Association rules and no substitutes will be given car passes.

a.m at Naga Council conference hall, Nyamo Lotha Road, Dimapur. Naga Council Dimapur also informed all councilors to attend the meeting.

DoSE to conduct survey: Principal director School, Education Shanavas C has notified all concerned that the department proposes to conduct a survey for assessing the reach of the tele/radio online education being conducted since May 2020. Head of institutions of all GHSS and GHS are directed to login into the ‘DoSE Survey’ link given at ‘https://dosenl.in’ between the period of July 3 to 5 and respond to the ten numbers of questions given at the portal. Department of School Education also informed that it is compulsory for the above mentioned head of institutions to submit correct information for all the questions within the given due date as the matter relates to providing education to all sections of students during the lock down period.

SMC informs: Shiv Mandir Committee (SMC), Singrijan, Rangapahar has informed devotees that the celebration of ensuing Bol Bom Utsav (Shravan Mela) from July 6 at Shiv Mandir, Singrijan has been suspended due to NCD annual general meeting: Naga COVID-19. Shiv Mandir Committee Council Dimapur (NCD) has convened will remain closed for visitors till furits annual general meeting on July 4, 11 ther notice.

LHD supports In fond memory of Lt. Tochang Aier NCD demand 7th Death Anniversary Dimapur: Lotha Hoho Dimapur (LHD) has extended support to the resolution to select/elect new office bearers of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) as per the existing Constitution of NCD. This was resolved unanimously on July 2 executive meeting of the Hoho, stated a release by LHD.

1st Death Anniversary Late TEMSUNUNGLA

Missing you always. Take care in Heaven.

- Loving Mom, Dad, Brothers, Sisters and nephews, nieces and in-laws

“Death leaves us a memory no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal” It’s been a year since you left us for your heavenly abode.

But our mind still talks to you.

Our heart still looks for you.

Our soul knows you are at peace.

Your legacy of good deeds, caring, love and smile shall always be an inspiration to us, your love and prayer is still our guide.

We miss you mum.

Loving Sons, Daughters & Grandchildren DP-3003

DP-3015

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Died on 3 rd July 2019

K Y M C

K-1176

ALENUO KIN ZEHOL 03/07/2015 Those special memories of you Will always bring a smile.

If only….. we could have you back For just a little while.

Then we could sit and talk again Just like we used to do…

But the fact that you are no longer here, We think of you in silence.

God has you in His arms, We have you in our hearts.

Remembering you, Loving Husband, Children, Mom, Dad, Brothers & Sisters.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We the bereaved family of Late Miss Initoli Yepthomi would like to express our profound and heartfelt gratitude to all the families, friends, wellwishers, prayer warriors, churches, different unions and organizations, Late Miss Initoli Yepthomi Born - 24/07/1984 who stood by us Died - 28/06/2020 throughout the course of her illness till her sad demise in different ways.

Words are inadequate to express our heartfelt thankfulness and appreciation. It is our humble prayer that our Almighty God bless each one of you abundantly in return.

Loving mom, brothers, sisters, in-laws and all family members.

DP-3009

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Lt. Mr Mezikho Rhetso 02/08/1975 – 28/06/2020 Words are inadequate to express our heartfelt gratitude to all individuals, colleagues, friends, churches, organizations and well-wishers, who stood by us during illness and sad demise of our beloved Lt. Mr Mezikho Rhetso.

We regret our inability to thank each and everyone for your kindness and sympathy in our moment of despair, but we will always remember your good deeds and pray that our Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

K-1179 Loving family members

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT “Gone from sight, never from heart”

Late Yevili Naro Rochill Born on 01/07/1976 Died on 28/06/2020

SPCA Mokokchung condemns killing of pet dog DIMAPUR: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Mokokchung expressed dismay at the recent cruel and inhuman killing of pet dogs at Changki village in Mokokchung district on June 30.

A press release from SPCA Mokokchung secretary stated that, office of the deputy commissioner of Mokokchung district had issued an order on May 21 declaring the “shoot-atsight” order on dogs as a punishable offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCAA) 1960 and the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Board of India.

While condemning the heartless killing, the SPCA hopes that district administration will take appropriate action against the culprits.

5TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY

DP-3014

Lt. PAUSUIDING MERU Born: 13/7/1956 – Died: 24/6/2020 Though inadequate to express enough thanks by words, we the bereaved family hereby convey our heartfelt gratitude to all who stood by us throughout prolong illness and on his demise.

Our inability to thank each and everyone individually; who has supported us physically, financially, materially and spiritually is highly regretted, however we pray for abundant God’s blessing to shower upon you all.

Convey special gratitude to: 1. Mrs & Mr. T.R. Zeliang, Hon’ble Leader of Opposition Nagaland 2. Heningkunglwa Village Council 3. Heningkunglwa Baptist Church 4. Heningkunglwa VEC 5. NPF Peren Division 6. NPF 7 Peren A/C 7. Peren Dist. Pensioners Asstn.

8. Healing & Prayer supporters 09. CIHSR 4th Mile, Dimapur 10. Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati 11. L.M. Hr. Sec. School, Mhainamtsi 12. Family Health Clinic, Jalukie Town Loving Wife, Children, Grandchildren & In-laws DP-3017

The bereaved family of Late Yevili Naro Rochill acknowledges each and everyone who stood by us physically, spiritually, morally and financially throughout the course of her sudden illness and sad demise on 28th of June 2020.We extend our profound gratitude to many friends, well wishers and neighbours who visited our home, attended the wake, service and burial.

We convey our special gratitude to: 1) Dimapur Sumi Baptist Church (DSBC) 2) Shri Namri Nchang & Family (MLA Advisor Water Resource GON) 3) Dr. Atem, Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) 4) Dr. K.T Murry, Dy. Chief Veterinary Officer 5) Dr. Asangla & Family 6) Dr. Jeshua Nchang 7) Doctors and nurses of Zion Hospital Dimapur 8) Aichisaghemi Community Dimapur (ACD) 9) Veterinary colony 10) Mr. Hokuto Zhimomi, G.B Vety Colony 11) Mr. Tokiye Kiba, Ex-Chairman Vety Colony 12) Mr. Tokiho Swu & Family 13) Veterinary Sa-Sumi Kiphimi Kuqhakulu 14) Niu-Colony Fellowship 15) Family & Friends, Tuophema 16) Zekeidi Zeliang, NDPP President Peren Region 17) Irangbam NDPP Women Wing President Tening 18) Aku NHAI, President NDPP Tening A/C 19) Veterinary Staffs 20) Mr. Hoviqhe Swu & Family.

We deeply regret our inability to thank everyone individually but it's our sincere prayers that the Almighty God Bless you all abundantly.

Loving Husband, Children, Brothers, Sisters, In-Laws and Relatives DP-3011 K Y M C

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: I s t h e M o d i g o v t excessively hiking prices of fuel to fatten its finances?

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

A B C

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A

B

C

Yes. No. Can’t Say.

89% 0% 11%

Next poll

Q: Is Nagaland staring at likely

community transmission of COVID-19?  Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST July 3

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala Cloudy with a thunderstorm

33 26

Aizawl

A p.m. t-storm in spots

27 21

Guwahati Cloudy with a stray t-storm

29 25

A stray a.m. t-storm; cloudy

30 22

Imphal

Itanagar Not as warm; morning t-storms 27 23 Shillong

A morning t-storm in spots

Kohima

Showers and a heavier t-storm 24 20

24 18

Dimapur A p.m. t-storm in spots

31 24

Cloudy with a t-storm

26 20

Mkg

Tuensang A shower and a t-storm around 19 16 Wokha

A p.m. t-storm in spots

Zunheboto Cloudy with a thunderstorm

26 21 23 19

3

State

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

BJP lauds PM’s free ration initiative

Correspondent

KOHIMA, JUL 2 (NPN): Nagaland state BJP president Temjen Imna Along welcomed the Prime Minister’s initiative of free ration to 80 crore people in the country at the state BJP office Kohima on Thursday.

Highlighting the initiatives of the PM at a press conference, the president maintained that PM has extended PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for a further five months i.e from July till November for distributing free food grains to the poor section of the society in view of the increased need during the festivals.

He also informed that the government will incur an additional expenditure of Rs. 90,000 crore to provide 5 kgs of wheat and 1 kg of gram every month to the poor, adding that the free distribution of foodgrains to 80 crore people in India could feed 2.5 times the US population, 12 times the UK population and twice the European Union’s population.

He also added that Modi government had announced an additional allocation in the world’s largest food security scheme PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana earlier this year which aimed to ensure sufficient

DMC advisory to traders and public

Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) administrator Albert Ezung has informed that there have been instances of transmission of Coronavirus through wet markets/slaughter houses especially those dealing with fresh meat like beef/pork/chicken/fish etc in other parts of the world. Therefore, to contain possible transmission and spread of the viruses through such medium, the DMC has issued an advisory to all the concerned dealing with the above mentioned trade to operate as per the FSSAI guidelines within the jurisdiction of Dimapur municipal area. There should be proper disposal of waste/fluids and butchers should handle the meat hygienically. Failure to comply with these directives shall be penalised as mentioned: Rs. 1000 for first instance; Suspension of trade license for three months for second instance and cancellation of trade license at the third instance.

Residents not to throw waste/garbage

Temjen Imna Along addressing the media at the press conference in Kohima, Thursday. (NP)

foods with the poor and needy amid the coronas virus crisis.

The foodgrains were to be distributed to all the beneficiaries under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority household (PHH) ration cardholders, he informed.

The eligible individuals would receive 5 kgs of foodgrains and 1 kg gram per month for a period of three months between April and June, which has now been extended for five more months.

Further he said with the start of the lockdown the government came up

with PMGKY and in the last three months, Rs 31 thousand crore has been directly deposited in the JanDhan accounts of 20 crore poor families and upwards of 18 thousand crore were also deposited in the bank accounts of over 9 crore farmers, Along said.

The president informed that starting July, many festivals would begin like Guru Purnima on July 5 followed

by Saawan and said during such time, the needs and expenses of all increases and therefore keeping all this in mind, PMGKY has been extended till Diwali and Chatth Puja till the end of November. He said the scheme was announced

by the centre as part of the first rescue package during the COVID-19 pandemic and was coming to an end on June 30.

To queries Along said ration card or AAY holders and even those who do not own ration cards and people in need will receive the food grains.

He said inspite of the logistic difficulties in the state, state government reached out many people and claimed to have covered 90% in need in the state, adding that Nagaland has benefited a lot during the last three months and extension for another five months will relieve the people immensely.

DMC also directed all residents under its jurisdiction not to throw waste/garbage in the drains. Residents have been requested not to throw waste/garbage in drains, in view of the advisory issued by Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), with regard to weather forecast of heavy rainfall and strong winds, with possibility of flash floods as well as landslides from July 1 to July 12. Clogged drains being one of the main reason for water logging and flooding, colony authorities have been directed to ensure total prohibition of disposing garbage in the drainage within their respective colonies. For clean and healthy Dimapur, DMC urged for cooperation and civic responsibilities from the general public.

MMU Phek conducts outreach programme DIMAPUR: Medical Mobile Unit team (MMU) Phek, conducted an outreach programme and provided health services on June 28 at K. Khuno village.

A press release by chief medical officer (CMO) Phek office stated that the outreach programme was carried out by GNM, Keviholi and laboratory technician, Zasetsolu, who conducted ante-natal check-up on six pregnant women and also gave “health talks” on ANC, maternal health and child health.

The release informed that screening of fever cases, RDT for malaria and diabetes, blood pressure check for the age group of 60 years and above was also conducted. The release also informed that importance of social distancing, wearing mask and hand washing were also highlighted.

New X-ray machine dedicated at District Hospital Wokha

CIH conducts online trainings on various horticultural aspects DIMAPUR: Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), DAC & FW, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GOI, Medziphema conducted online trainings through MeetApp on various aspects of horticulture on June 12, 23 and 30.

A press release from CIH Medziphema stated that, trainings covered various topics.

Professor & head of Floriculture & Landscape Architecture, NAU, Gujarat, Dr. Alka Singh delivered lecture along with On the occasion of “State Bank of India Day”, the State Bank of India (SBI) practical demonstration on Wokha handed over PPE kit to Dr. Motsuo Memorial District Hospital, Wokha flower arrangement and its value addition. Principal scientist, on July 1. (SBI Wokha)

ICAR-CSSRI, RRS Lucknow, Dr. T. Damodaran, trained on bio-enhancers and biopesticides for organic vegetable production system in North Eastern Region. Technical staff from CIH, senior technical assistant Marina and horticulture specialist Meribeni Shitiri also delivered trainings.

Dy. commissioner, DAC & FW-cum-director CIH, Dr. N.K. Patle also held interaction with participants along with the invited resource persons and technical experts. Altogether 74 participants attended the online training session.

CMO Wokha Dr. C. W.Tungoe, MS Dr. Tumchobeni along with medical staff at the dedication programme.

DIMAPUR: Dedication programme of new X-ray machine and four ventilators was held at Dr. Motsuo Memorial District Hospital (DMMDH) Wokha on July 2.

A press release from NHM district media officer Chothanu stated that, in a brief speech the CMO Wokha, Dr. C.W. Tungoe stated that the x-ray machine and ventilators were much needed requirements

in the hospital as COVID19 cases continue to spike in the state. He informed that Dr. Chumben Murry, MLA and legislator-in-charge of COVID-19 had purchased the x-ray machine from the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) and thanked him for the same.

Medical superintendant, Dr. Tumchobeni said that

four ventilators have been received from Health and Family Welfare department and will be installed in the hospital to handle any critical COVID-19 cases in the district.

Earlier, a short prayer was pronounced by pastor Wokha Town Baptist Church, Rev. Abemo Jungio.

155 returnees were quarantined at LFIQC: SCC DIMAPUR: Sumi COVID-19 Committee (SCC) has informed that 155 returnees from 16 different communities of Dimapur, Peren and Mon districts were quarantined at Livingstone Foundation International Quarantine Center (LFIQC) out of which 17 were tested COVID-19 positive.

In a press release, SCC (LFIQC) convenor, N. Suhuto Chishi, who is also the youth secretary of Western Sümi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu (WSBAK), informed that LFIQC had two groups of returnees from five different states, viz. Haryana, Hyderabad, Orissa, Bihar, and Delhi.

The quarantine centre which is jointly managed by the Western Sümi Hoho (WSH) and WSBAK

received the first group of returnees on May 25 and the second group on May 26.

SCC said 74 returnees were from Peren district, 14 from Mon and 67 from Dimapur district. The committee provided the community wise data as follows: Dimapur District: Sumi-37, Lotha-6, Ao-7, Angami-2, Chang-1, Yimchungar-2, Phom-3, Nepali-2, Konyak-1, Garo-1, Kuki-1, Rongmei-1, Bengali-1, Bihari-1; Peren District: Zeliangrong- 74 and Mon District: Konyak- 14.

SCC said returnees were “swab tested” by the medical department, out of which 17 returnees were tested positive for COVID-19. It said the positive returnees were immediately sent to Dimapur COVID Hospital for proper care and treatment.

After completing all the necessary procedures, SCC said the remaining returnees were sent to their respective districts on different days. The last group of returnees (62 people) at LFIQC were released on June 24.

SCC said the LFIQC management team tried its best in taking care of the returnees. To boost the mental and spiritual health of the returnees, the committee said daily evening worship service was conducted and online counselling arranged.

The committee said the service was made possible because of the immense support from the churches, organizations and individuals. It said the government of Nagaland also provided basic needs and required assistance.

Migrant workers avail ANBS in Tuensang, Zunheboto

DC Tuensang, Kumar Ramnikant distributing ANB free Migrant workers availing supply of ANBS under the ration to a stranded worker on July 2. (DIPR) department of F&CS Zunheboto on July 2. (DIPR)

DIMAPUR: Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme (ANBS) was launched at GHSS auditorium, Tuensang on July 2 by deputy commissioner Tuensang, Kumar Ramnikant.

According to DIPR report, ANB is a scheme which provides 5 kg of rice per head and one kg of chaana per family per month for stranded migrant workers/ labours by department of Food and Civil Supplies.

K Y M C

DC Tuensang in his remark once again called upon all to follow social distancing, use mask and practice hand washing so together COVID-19 can be defeated. Tuensang has COVID positive cases which are all under COVID care facilities and everyone must cooperate and help fight so it does not spread in the community level, he added.

Under ANB 356 ben-

eficiaries for the month of May and June 2020 were covered in the first phase and the second phase is on scrutiny phase which may come up to 1000 beneficiaries, the department updated.

Meanwhile, the department of Food & Civil Supplies (F&CS), Zunheboto has been providing 5 kgs rice and 1 kg chana per month for two months, May and June 2020, free of

cost to all the migrant workers stranded in Zunheboto district.

According to DIPR report, as of July 2, migrant workers numbering 876 persons have availed the scheme. The benefit is extended to all the workers who are currently engaged in road construction and other works at the outpost as well. The distribution is expected to be completed by the end of this week.

K Y M C

4

northeast

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

Assam lab isolates COVID-19 virus AR bust gun making factory in Mnp RMRC in Dibrugarh is the fourth lab to successfully isolate SARS-CoV-2 virus

Regional Medical Research Centre in Dibrugarh.

GUWAHATI, JUL 2 (PTI): The Regional Medical Research Centre in Assam’s Dibrugarh has become the fourth laboratory in the country to successfully isolate SARS-CoV-2 virus that can be used for the production of a vaccine against COVID-19, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.

Scientists at the RMRC have isolated the COVID-19 virus in VERO-CCL81 cell line in the BSL-3 level lab available at the institute, he told reporters here.

The RMRC is the third government laboratory in the country after the NIV, Pune; and the CCMB, Hyderabad, to isolate the virus.

The other facility to do so is Bharat Biotech, a private biotechnology laboratory in Hyderabad.

The scientists used an immortal cell line VERO-CCL81, derived from kidney epithelial cell lines from green African monkey, which expresses the important ACE2 receptor needed

by SARS- CoV-2 for cellular

‘Save Nambul river’ campaign kicks off in Imphal

Save Nambul River flagged off by Manipur forest minister Awangbou Newmai in Imphal on Thursday.

Correspondent IMPHAL, JUL 2: Manipur forest, environment and climate change minister Awangbow Newmai on Thursday flagged off a oneday media campaign- ‘Save Nambul River’.

The Nambul river which is one of the main perennial sources of water for the Loktak Lake flows through the heart of Imphal city. Unfortunately, the river is dying rapidly due to pollution, incessant unplanned construction and human encroachment.

This has also affected the water quality of Loktak and subsequently fishers and wetlands dependents of Loktak.

The media campaign organised by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) in collaboration with the directorate of environment and climate change was flagged from Thong Nambonbi, in the heart of the capital city.

Talking to reporters after the flagging off the campaign, the forest minister lamented the immensely polluted condition of the river in the last 40-50 years.

The ‘Rejuvenation and Conservation of Nambul River’ project being implemented under the National River Conservation Plan of the Centre was a government initiative to save the river, he said. Opining that the project will succeed with the support from the general public, he appealed for cooperation from public in all projects initiated by the government.

Stating that he was surprised to learn that participants of the ‘Save Nambul River’ media campaign will travel upto Loktak using boat, he said “It is indeed a great initiative taken up for mass awareness for rejuvenation and conservation effort of the Nambul river.”

He stressed on the need for preservation and conservation of nature’s gift and appreciated the role of media for spreading widespread awareness among masses on environmental conservation in the state. .

Commissioner of state IPR M Joy opined that saving environment needs cooperation from all sections of the society.

He said the success

of ‘Save Nambul River’ media campaign will definitely open a way to revive Nambul river and restore the waterway which was once used for the purpose of trade and commerce in the state.

Deputy director Dr T Brajakumar of directorate of environment and climate change revealed that during 60’s Nambul river was a big waterway used for commercial activities, however in last 10-20 years, the quality of the river degraded.

The directorate along with other stakeholders have been carrying out conservation efforts to restore it to its former glory.

Also dwelling on the origin of Nambul river, he said three streams flowing from Kangchup Hills with distance of 47 km, 27 km and 18 km respectively joins at Iroishemba to form the Nambul river.

He pointed out the stretch of 9.14 km from Iroishemba to Heirangoithong is the most polluted zone, adding that Heirangoithong flows to into Loktak Lake at Yangoi Karong which is around 26 kms. Stating that the rejuvenation of the river is a big challenge, he said the media campaign is a trial method and the success of the campaign will immensely boost their mission.

It may be mentioned that the Rejuvenation and Conservation of Nambul River is a project under the National River Conservation Plan of the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change with project cost of Rs 97.72 crore to be completed in three years in a phasedwise manner.

entry, Sarma said quoting the researchers.

“In layman’s term, the significance of the COVID19 virus isolation by the team of scientists from the RMRC, Dibrugarh, is that live and viable SARS-CoV-2 can now be produced in the laboratory in abundance when required,” he said.

This is impor tant for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine where the virus grown in a laboratory is inactivated by heat or chemical and purified for use as vaccines after preclinical and clinical trials, he said.

Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with the NIV, Pune, which supplied the virus grown in tissue culture, has developed an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (COVAXIN) which will go for Phase I and II trials starting in July.

The COVID-19 virus, which is just over six-monthold has spread across all human communities and scientists now have detected over 10 strains circulating

Total active COVID-19 cases rises to 12 in M’laya

Correspondent

Shillong, Jul 2: Another person tested positive for COVID 19 in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district, taking the total active cases in the State to 12, even one more recovered on Thursday.

Personnel of Assam Regimental Centre, who had been admitted in the Military Hospital in Shillong after testing positive for COVID-19 on returning to Shillong from Assam recently, recovered on Thursday, thus taking the total recovery figure to 42.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Alexander Hek Laloo said the latest COVID-19 infected person, who tested positive, is a resident of Khanapara-B, along the Assam-Meghalaya inter-state boundary. The patient is an employee at the Green-Wood Resort at Guwahati.

“The person had tested positive in Assam and the information was shared with the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi district R.M.Kurbah, who in turn ran a RT-PCR confirmatory test on the person, which also tested positive,” Hek said.

“We conducted a confirmatory test on the RTPCR after he was referred by Assam government since he is a resident of Meghalaya,” he said, adding that the patient is now admitted in an

4 more COVID-19 OFFICE OF THE cases in Arunachal; SUHOI STUDENTS’ UNION AND SUHOI VILLAGE COUNCIL FELICITATION total rises to 195

With immense joy and pride, the Union and the Suhoi Village Council extends heartiest congratulations to the following students: 1. Miss Pulokali V Zhimomi, D/o Rev.Viheshe Zhimo and Tokheli Zhimo for clearing HSLC with 1st division and securing distinction in English and Social Science in the recently declared HSLC Examination 2020.

2. Miss Pulotoli K Ayemi, D/o Khetovi Ayemi and Toheni Ayemi for successfully clearing HSLC with 2nd division in recently declared HSLC Examination result 2020.

We wish you great success in your future endeavors

DP-3019

Itanagar, Jul 2 (PTI): Four more persons have tested positive for COVID19 in Arunachal Pradesh, raising the state’s tally to 195, an official said.

Of the fresh cases, two were reported from Lower Siang district and one each from Namsai and the capital complex, he said.

“The new patients had recently returned to the state and were in quarantine facilities. They were asymptomatic,” Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said on Wednesday night. The state now has 128 positive cases, he said adding that 66 patients have recovered from the disease and one person died.

(KALI K ACHUMI) President Suhoi Students’ Union

around the world.

Originally, only two types of the virus were noted, the L-type and the S-type, but the S-type is slowly disappearing.

The RMRC team also developed in April this year an in-house test (TSP-PCR) to detect the L or S type of the virus within three hours, the minister pointed out.

It was found that all strains circulating in Assam were L-type but now scientists have classified the virus into different clades (O, A1, A2a, A3, B, B1, etc) which differ from one another very minutely.

“The A2a clade is now the most dominant across the world, including India”, he said.

The ICMR-RMRC, situated at Lahowal in Dibrugarh, has been supporting the state of Assam and other NE states in the fight against COVID-19.

Till now, the centre has provided almost 50,000 diagnostic test reports of COVID-19 for the people of this region.

(AKIHIKA NEHO) (INAHO YEPTHOMI) Statistical Sec. Chairman Suhoi Students’ Union Suhoi Village Council

isolation ward in the Corona Care Centre at Nongpoh, the district headquarters of Ri-Bhoi.

He said a vigilance team of the health department has been sent there for follow-up action and contact tracing is on to identify people whom the patient had come into contact with.

The total COVID-19 positive cases detected so far in Meghalaya are 56, including one death, 12 active and 43 recoveries.

“As on Thursday, of the 19,994 swab samples sent for testing, 19,679 yielded negative results while results of 260 tests were awaited.

Correspondent

IMPHAL, JUL 2: Troops of Assam Rifles busted a gun making factory allegedly run by a suspected NSCN (I-M) operative in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.

A police source said that the illegal factory found running at Lunguira Tang in Ukhrul town was busted on Tuesday by troops of Somsai Battalion of Assam Rifles who launched an operation based on specific inputs. A 9mm pistol, .22 rifle and some rounds of live ammunition along with tools and spares for making local small arms were recovered from the factory.

The suspected N S C N ( I - M ) o p e r a t ive identified as Lightson alias Likeson son of late Jhon Shaiza who was allegedly behind making of small arms escaped on seeing the troops approaching the factory. Lightson alias Likeson was also allegedly involved in smuggling and extortion related activities and inputs were being received since March 2020 regarding his movement, the source said.

The suspect had returned to

NO.NPSC/C-5/2012

FELICITATION With immense pride and thanks giving to God, the Dimapur Nkonjan Lotsu Ekhung extends our heartiest congratulations to Shri. NYIMSHIO OVUNG promoted to District Education Officer, Department of Education & Er. NYAMO OVUNG promoted to SDO under Works & Housing Department.

We further wish them good health and more success in their future endeavours.

(R. ZUMOMO TSANGLAO) Chairman DNLE DP-3012

IN THE COURT OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DIMAPUR , NAGALAND

NOTICE

Dt. Dimapur the 30th June 2020 No.Rev-190-D/ Notice is hereby given that Shri /Smti K. Hotoni Sumi, resident of Purana Bazar who has applied for issue of mortgage clearance concerning to Patta No. 659, Dag No. 1062, measuring an area 00-03-14 located at Block No/Village Purana Bazar Mouza No. 3 which has been mortgage in the SBI, Dimapur Bank/Society.

Claims & Objection if any on the aforesaid land may be submitted in written in the Court of the undersigned on or before 9/7/2020.

Deputy Commissioner Dimapur : Nagaland DP-3013 GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT 8 TH NAP BATTALION NALTOQA: : : :ZUNHEBOTO

NO. Rank Name S/O Village PS. District State

and tools for manufacturing weapons were recovered by the troops, the release added. The apprehended cadre was identified as SS Secretary (law, custom & culture) Henkhogin alias Kaiku Vaiphei (65) of S Kotlian and the accomplices as; Nekhobal Vaiphei (42) and Ginlalmuon (45) of the same village of the suspect.

They were suspected to be involved in the manufacturing and smuggling of illegal weapons. Along with the recovered items, the trio have been handed over to Churachandpur police station for further investigations, the release informed.

KOHIMA

ADDENDUM

Dated Kohima, the 2nd July, 2020

In continuation of the Commission’s Notification of even number dated 26th February 2020, on the basis of marks obtained in the Written Examination and Viva-voce for CTSE 2018 and options exercised by the candidates and in pursuance of Hon’ble Court Judgment & Order dated 29-06-2020 passed in W.P. (C) No. 25(K)/2020, the Commission is pleased to declare the list of successful candidates in order of merit for the following post(s) under the Government of Nagaland: Item No. 11 3(Three) Posts of Extension Officer (Class-III Non Gazetted) under Sericulture Department Rank Name Roll No Remarks 1st EDWARD HUMTSOE 8142 JEPIKA H YEPTOMI 8149 2nd 3rd NGOIANG ONGH 8151 Note: 1. Any selected candidate not intending to accept the post for which he/she is selected may submit a Non-Acceptance Letter within 1(one) week from the date of issue of this notification.

2. 3(Three) posts of Extension Officer (Class-III Non Gazetted) under Sericulture Department (1 (one) post each reserved for Backward Tribe Chang, Yimchunger & Zeliang) shall be carried over and re-advertised.

KEVEKHA KEVIN ZEHOL, NCS Secretary, Nagaland Public Service Commission Kohima

DIMAPUR-797112 : NAGALAND

NO.8NAP/RO-7/2020-21/545

Ukhrul recently, the source added. In yet another operation, troops of Assam Rifles apprehended a suspected active cadre of United Socialist Revolutionary Army (USRA), a Kuki- based armed group under suspension of operation truce with the government.

He was apprehended along with his two accomplices near S Kotlian village in Churachandpur district on June 30 , a release of the PIB (Defence Wing), Imphal stated.

Two 9mm countr y made pistols, one 12 bore country made rifle with three live rounds, Rs 1.04 lakh , three mobile phones

NAGALAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

DIMAPUR NKONJAN LOTSU EKHUNG

(ROMEO ODYUO) Secreatry DNLE

Suspected USRA cadre along with his two accomplices arrested by AR in Manipur.

Dated, Naltoqa, the 30th June 2019

- 84546 - CONSTABLE - MENUOKHRIELIE - YANGULIE - TUOPHEMA - CHIEPHOBOZOU - KOHIMA - NAGALAND

SUB :- CALLING NOTICE You are found willfully absenting from duty with effect from 01.04.2020 to till date without any leave per prior permission from the authority and in which 1st, 2nd, 3rd calling notice has been issued to you.

You are therefore, directed to report within 7(Seven) days to the undersigned from the date of publication of this notice, failing which necessary disciplinary action will be taken against you as per Nagaland service discipline and appeal Rules 1967.

Commandant 8th NAP Battalion Naltoqa, Zunheboto DP-3005

IN THE COURT OF DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE WOKHA : NAGALAND

S/C No. 56/2020 NOTICE NOTICE INVITING CLAIMS/OBJECTIONS OF OTHER CLAIMANT(S) FOR ISSUE OF SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE UNDER PART-1 OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925.

Whereas application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate/pension benefit of Late Orenbomo Lotha has been applied by Smti. Lokyonglo Lotha, W/o. Lt. Orenbomo Lotha, R/o H/No…., Wokha, Nagaland for possession of; 1. SBI A/C No. 11596941505.

2. Leave encashment GIS, GPF & Family Pension.

Notice is hereby given that any person having interest in the administration of the estate/pension benefits of the said deceased may, if she/ he so desire appear in this court on or before 26/07/2020.

Given under the hand and seal of the court on this day, the 26/06/2020.

Sd/- District & Sessions Judge Wokha : Nagaland WC-163

IN THE COURT OF DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE WOKHA : NAGALAND

S/C No. 49/2020 NOTICE NOTICE INVITING CLAIMS/OBJECTIONS OF OTHER CLAIMANT(S) FOR ISSUE OF SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE UNDER PART-1 OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925.

Whereas application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate/pension benefit of Late Thungso Lotha has been applied by Smti. Lozano Lotha, W/o. Lt. Thungso Lotha, R/o H/No…., Wokha, Nagaland for possession of; 1. SBI A/C No. 11846670960 2. PPO No. Pen/Com/4468/NL/S/8254 Notice is hereby given that any person having interest in the administration of the estate/pension benefits of the said deceased may, if she/ he so desire appear in this court on or before 26/07/2020.

Given under the hand and seal of the court on this day, the 26/06/2020.

Sd/- District & Sessions Judge WC-164 Wokha : Nagaland

IN THE COURT OF DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE WOKHA : NAGALAND

S/C No. 51/2020 NOTICE NOTICE INVITING CLAIMS/OBJECTIONS OF OTHER CLAIMANT(S) FOR ISSUE OF SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE UNDER PART-1 OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925.

Whereas application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate/pension benefit of Late M Ngheo Lotha has been applied by Smti. N. Orensali Tsopoe, W/o. Lt. M. Ngheo Lotha, R/o H/No…., Wokha, Nagaland for possession of; 1. SBI A/C No. 32714165670 2. PPO No. 111918407 Notice is hereby given that any person having interest in the administration of the estate/pension benefits of the said deceased may, if she/ he so desire appear in this court on or before 26/07/2020.

Given under the hand and seal of the court on this day, the 26/06/2020.

Sd/- District & Sessions Judge WC-166 Wokha : Nagaland

IN THE COURT OF DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE WOKHA : NAGALAND

S/C No. 52/2020 NOTICE NOTICE INVITING CLAIMS/OBJECTIONS OF OTHER CLAIMANT(S) FOR ISSUE OF SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE UNDER PART-1 OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925.

Whereas application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate/pension benefit of Late Nrichen Lotha has been applied by Smti. Libeni Lotha, W/o. Lt. Nrichen Lotha, R/o H/No…., Wokha, Nagaland for possession of; 1. SBI A/C No. 31966943447 2. Gas Card Consumer No.6585 Notice is hereby given that any person having interest in the administration of the estate/pension benefits of the said deceased may, if she/ he so desire appear in this court on or before 26/07/2020.

Given under the hand and seal of the court on this day, the 26/06/2020.

Sd/- District & Sessions Judge WC-165 Wokha : Nagaland

national

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

5

Putin vow to strengthen Indo-Russia Govt approves purchase of fighter jets, missiles Modi, ties to address challenges of post-COVID

NEW DELHI, JUL 2 (PTI): In the midst of India’s tense border standoff with China, the defence ministry on Thursday approved procurement of 33 frontline fighter jets, a number of missile systems and other military hardware at a cost of Rs 38,900 crore to bolster the combat capability of the armed forces, officials said.

They said 21 MiG-29 fighter jets will be procured from Russia while 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft will be bought from State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). A separate proposal to upgrade existing 59 MiG-29 aircraft has also been approved.

The ministry has also approved procurement of 248 ASTRA beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile systems. The missile is designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft and has all weather day and night capability, the officials said.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC is the highest decision-making

Representational image of Su-30 MKI aircraft.

body of the defence ministry on procurement.

The DAC also approved acquisition of Pinaka missile systems as well as procurement of long range land attack missile systems having a firing range of 1000 KM. In a press release, the ministry referred to the “current situation and the need to strengthen the armed forces for the defence of our borders” while talking about the decisions of the DAC. The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in mul-

tiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks. The tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details.

The proposals approved by the DAC also included procurement of Pinaka ammunition, software defined radios for the Army and BMP armament upgrades.

The procurement of 21 MiG-29 and upgrade of the existing fleet of MiG-

29 is estimated to cost the government Rs 7,418 crore while purchase of 12 new Su-30 MKI from HAL will be made at a cost of Rs 10,730 crore, the officials said.

In the statement, the ministry said capital procurement worth around Rs 38,900 crore was approved by the DAC. “Focused on indigenous design and development, these approvals include acquisitions from Indian Industry worth Rs 31,130 crore. The equipment are to be manufactured in India involving

Indian defence industry with participation of several MSMEs as prime tier vendors,” it said.

“The indigenous content in some of these projects is up to 80 per cent of the project cost. A large number of these projects have been made possible due to Transfer of Technology by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) to the indigenous industry,” the ministry said.

It said the cost of these design and development proposals is in the range of Rs 20, 400 crore.

“While acquisition of Pinaka missile systems will enable raising additional regiments over and above the ones already inducted, addition of long range land attack missile systems having a firing range of 1000 KM to the existing arsenal will bolster the attack capabilities of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force,” the ministry said.

“Similarly induction of Astra Missiles having beyond visual range capability will serve as a force multiplier and immensely add to the strike capability of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force,” it said.

NEW DELHI, JUL 2 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the coronavirus crisis on Thursday and resolved to strengthen the Indo-Russia ties for jointly addressing the challenges of the post-COVID world.

During a telephonic conversation, the two leaders agreed to maintain the momentum of bilateral contacts and consultations, leading to the annual bilateral summit to be held in India later this year.

The prime minister conveyed his keenness to welcome Putin in India for the bilateral summit.

The leaders took note of the effective measures undertaken by the two countries to address the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed on the importance of closer India-Russia ties for jointly addressing the challenges of the postCOVID world, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Putin thanked Modi for the phone call and reiterated his commitment to further strengthening the

Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi. (File)

special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries in all spheres.

During their conversation, Modi congratulated Putin on the success of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Allied Forces in the World War 2, and also for the successful completion of the vote on constitutional amendments in Russia, the statement said.

The prime minister noted the participation of an Indian contingent in

the military parade held in Moscow on June 24 as a symbol of the abiding friendship between the people of India and Russia.

An official statement issued by the Russian side said the two leaders discussed topical issues on the Russian-Indian agenda and confirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening the privileged bilateral strategic partnership and close cooperation both in the bilateral format and within international organisations and associations.

Amit Shah meets CMs of UP, Haryana, 28 ministers including 12 from Scindia camp sworn in Delhi; discusses COVID-19 situation

Amit Shah along with Harsh Vardhan and others during a meeting on strengthening COVID response in New Delhi. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, JUL 2 (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday held a meeting with the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the national capital and its adjoining areas, located in the two neighbouring states.

Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have seen a spike in the number of coronavirus cases, leading to the Home Minister stepping in to handle the situation and improve the health infrastructure.

Shah reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Delhi-NCR with the three chief ministers, a home ministry official said.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was also present in the meeting.

The NCR comprises districts belonging to Hary-

ana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The prominent ones being Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) and Ghaziabad (both Uttar Pradesh) and Gurgaon, Faridabad (both in Haryana).

Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi -- Yogi Adityanath, Manohar Lal Khattar and Arvind Kejriwal respectively -- attended the meeting through video-conference.

The novel coronavirus has infected 89,000 people in Delhi and killed 2,803 as on Wednesday.

In Uttar Pradesh, the coronavirus tally has reached 24,056 cases and 718 deaths.

In the NCR district of Gautam Buddh Nagar, 2,362 COVID-19 cases have been detected positive and 22 people have lost their lives so far.

In Ghaziabad, so far

851 people have been infected by the coronavirus and 56 have died.

A total of 14,941 COVID-19 cases were detected in Haryana and the virus so far has claimed 240 lives in the state.

Gurgaon and Faridabad have reported 92 and 80 fatalities, respectively.

The two districts put together account for over 9,300 infections.

Restrictions imposed earlier on the free movement of people between Delhi and NCR became a major issue during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister on Thursday had asked officials to stay alert on the movement of people in NCR districts to check the spread of COVID-19.

“By remaining alert in NCR districts (of UP), the spread of COVID-19 can be checked. There should be alertness on movement in these districts,” a statement quoted the CM as telling senior officials during a meeting with them.

On June 18, at a meeting, the home minister had said a common strategy should be framed for Delhi and NCR to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and added that the suburbs like Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad can’t be separated from the national capital in this battle.

BHOPAL, JUL 2 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inducted 28 new ministers on Thursday including 12 from Jyotiraditya Scindia’s camp. Of the 22 Congress MLAs who resigned from the Congress to join the BJP, 14 are now in the expanded ministry.

The total strength of Scindia’s camp in the ministry is now 14 as two former MLAs were already inducted in the cabinet.

Officiating Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a function in the Raj Bhawan. Meticulous observation of COVID-19 protocol marked the 45 minute ceremony.

Among those inducted on Thursday, 20 are of cabinet rank and eight are ministers of state.

Former ministers included from the BJP are Gopal Bhargava, Vijay Shah, Jagdish Devda, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Bhupendra Singh, Brajendra Pratap Singh and Vishwas Sarang.

From Scindia camp, Bisahulal Singh, Aidal Singh Kansana Imarti Devi, Prabhuram Choudhary, Mahendra Singh Sisodia, Pyadyumna Singh Tomar, Hardeep Singh Dang, Rajwardhan Singh Dattigaon have been taken as cabinet ministers.

While Brajendra Singh Yadav, Girraj Dandotia, Suresh Dhakad and O.P.S.

MP Governor Anandiben Patel and CM Shivraj Chouhan with the newly inducted ministers of the State Cabinet, after the swearing-in ceremony in Bhopal, July 2. (PTI)

Bhadoria from Scindia camp were inducted as ministers of state. From BJP Prem Singh Patel, Om Prakash Saklecha, Usha Thakur,

Arvind Bhadoria and Mohan Yadav were also inducted as cabinet ministers.

While Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Inder Singh

Parmar, Ramkhelavan Patel and Ram Kishore Kavre took oath as ministers of state.

Those inducted from

Scindia camp had resigned as legislators in March which led to the toppling of 15-month-old Kamal Nath Government.

All of them will contest by-polls likely to be held in the state soon. Twenty four assembly seats are vacant in the state assembly.

Besides Chouhan, senior BJP leaders including Scindia and union minister Narendra Singh Tomar among others were present on the occasion.

DC-575

the FIR lodged by the CBI on June 27 against GVK Reddy, his son G.V. Sanjay Reddy among others for alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 705 crore in the running of the airport. According to the CBI, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had formed a joint venture with GVK Airports Holdings Limited, promoted by the GVK group under public private partnership firm Mumbai International Airport Ltd. for upgradation and maintenance of Mumbai Airport. The FIR said that on April 4, 2006 the AAI entered into an agreement with MIAL for modernisation, upkeep, operation and maintenance of Mumbai airport. “It is alleged that the promoters of the GVK group in MIAL in connivance with their executives and unidentified officials of the AAI resorted to siphoning of funds using different ways,” the FIR said.

DC-577

MUMBAI, JUL 2 (IANS): Four days after registering a case against Gunupati Venkata Krishna Reddy, the chairman of the GVK Group of Companies and his son G.V. Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director of Mumbai International Airport Ltd. among others for alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 705 crore in the running of the airport, the CBI carried out searches at multiple locations in Mumbai and Hyderabad, sources said on Thursday.

A CBI source connected to the probe told IANS, “Multiple teams of CBI carried out searches in Mumbai and Hyderabad on Wednesday in connection with the probe.” The source, however, said that the searches were not carried at the residential premises of the Reddys but at the premises of the companies named in the FIR. The action comes in the wake of

DC-576

CBI books GVK chairman, son for siphoning off Rs 705 crore

6

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post Vol. XXx NO. 207 Dimapur, FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

Virus leaves economy in ICU

A

s India moves to unlock 2, there is an air of uncertainty over whether the economy can rebound enough and quickly after it had been dealt a crippling blow by the nationwide lockdown since March 25,2020. Anyway, the Indian economy has not been doing too marvellously in the months preceding the lockdown but definitely the COVID-19 pandemic has not left it untouched. Even before the pandemic properly hit India, in the financial year ending in March, GDP only grew at 4.2%. The sequence of quarterly GDP growth numbers leading up to that point tells a clear story: 7% growth shrunk to 6.2%, then to 5.6%, 5.7%, 4.4% and finally 3.1% in the quarter that ended with the lockdown. Investment shrank by almost 3% over the year. The investment crisis and India’s large debt pile have the same cause: a government that thinks its own spending is what will fuel economic growth. According to official statistics, government spending increased by 12% last year, more than twice the growth rate of private consumption. Government spending was similarly higher than the other components of GDP in the previous year as well. As a consequence, the government last year again, before the pandemic properly hit - had a fiscal deficit 4.6% higher than the one it inherited six years ago. This was an embarrassing revelation against the backdrop of claims that it has inherited everything bad from the previous Congress government. Such alibis cannot work for ever and certainly not with economists and analysts who understand the lies behind the jingoism. The big news and not necessarily the good news was brought by the International Monetary Fund(IMF) which stated that Indian GDP in the ongoing financial year, which began in March 2020, will contract by 4.5%. Just a few weeks ago, IMF had been predicting 2% growth for the year. A slowdown of this magnitude will have enormous human consequences. As it is the economy has been on slowdown pre-lockdown and by now, it is close to recession. The impact of coronavirus lockdown has led as many as 92 million urban Indians and 89 million rural Indians exhaust their savings within the first 21-day lockdown. By the end of June, 139 million urban Indians are anticipated to run out of their savings. An economic stimulus for business and, much more important, a relief package for the poorest and most vulnerable citizens is to be expected after a catastrophe such as Covid-19 and the lockdown. After several pleas since April by the opposition, notably the Congress and also noted economists, the Modi government finally launched an employment scheme with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crore for migrant workers who returned to their home states during the coronavirusinduced lockdown. Launching the scheme, Modi said during the nationwide lockdown, the talent from cities returned to villages and it will now give a boost to development of rural areas. By some estimates, the loss of three months’ income would leave nearly half of the country’s population mired in poverty, reversing all the gains made. Worse, the government’s finances are strained. Tax revenues are set to crash and India’s hitherto relatively stable debt-to-GDP ratio may spike up toward 90%. Controlling the spread of the pandemic will bleed state resources, leaving little for the welfare measures that will be essential in coming months.

DailyDevotion The Conditions of Discipleship

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also….And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me….So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. —Luke 14:26-27, 33 If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself.

To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.

The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.

Quotes

It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

Post-mortem

Calling a spade a spade by our Hon’ble Governor I t is not everyday that we get to see and hear the constitutional head of a state in India write a lengthy D.O letter of displeasure to the Chief Minister of the concerned state, and that too, making it public.

This, in itself, is the clearest indication that we Nagas today, indeed, have a peoples Governor. Governor Ravi is not a politician but a 1976 – batch IPS officer who served as the Deputy National Security Advisor and also the Intelligence Bureau Director, and, therefore, shoots straight from the hip and have no reservations in calling a spade a spade.

Giving credit where it is due, all thanks to the GOI for appointing our interlocutor, R. N. Ravi, as the Governor of Nagaland.

Governor Ravi is the best that has happened to Nagaland after a succession of a series of Governors who all fell to the whims and charms of our Chief Ministers. It is only today, we Nagas have a Governor who has the gall to stand up to the working machinations of the executive and question the Chief Minister, as per law. And what does the law say? The law, as in the 16 Point Agreement, say that the Governor shall have special responsibility for so long as the law and order situation continues to remain disturbed on account of hostile activities.

In exercising this special responsibility, the Governor shall, after consultation with the state executive, act in his individual judgment. This special responsibility of the Governor will cease when normalcy returns.

Article 371(A) is a written document that is a law in itself and therefore any Naga group or individual cannot take the liberty to interpret or misinterpret the article according to their own whims and fancy. The law is definitely relevant and in force.

Governor Ravi is going by the book. If the unabated taxation, extortions and intimidations in the face of the barrel of the gun is not hostile activity, then what is? And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

The real extortion is in the syndication – the mafia system of intimidation and transactions in crores which the higher echelons of the armed Naga groups have perfected into an art. Even as the foot cadres are victimized for petty extortions in Nagaland, the higher ups of the armed groups/gangs hardly gets a mention for swindling and extorting crores through ‘hawala’ channels spanning not just different cities of India but abroad as well. The gospel truth is that the face of Naga nationalism has been completely twisted beyond recognition purely for per-

sonal gain. Governor Ravi’s letter to the Chief Minister is the clearest indication that he was compelled to act in his individual judgment after being frustrated with the meaningless consultations with the executive which had simply failed to exercise its powers to safeguard the interests of the people.

Without saying it aloud, Governor Ravi has simply admitted the fact that the state government is literally hijacked by the armed Naga groups/gangs.

Governor Ravi is that one man who knows the intricacies of the Naga political problem, and, therefore, the need of that drive to take on the bull by the horns.

This completely separates him from all the past Governors of Nagaland. He, having being the interlocutor before his appointment as Governor, has been a boon for Nagaland. As it is, he had been instrumental in the signing of the framework agreement and then bringing the several groups together so as to enable the formulation of one solution for the Nagas.

The tragedy here lays with the Naga political groups. They failed to take advantage of the door that Governor Ravi had opened for them to reconcile, come and stand together in one voice, for that one Naga solution. Naga solution has room for all the Nagas and

When everybody works with honesty

W

yet the Naga political groups failed to reconcile. Each group content with their own government, own taxation, extortion and intimidation in the common name of Naga nationalism. This is never standing for Naga political issue by any stretch of imagination. This is plain gangsterism which the Governor rightly pointed out. After all these decades we have a Governor who genuinely cares enough to call a spade a spade and we spite him for that? Let us not cut our nose to spite the face.

Allow me to pin point the cause of our unfortunate circumstance today. The Chief Minister, in order to safeguard his chair, has already turned a blind eye to the unhindered corruption at all levels and has made no effort to eradicate the ills that are destroying the health and vitality of our society, the state, and its institutions.

The personal agenda of the Chief Minister seems to have taken precedence over governance and because of this the legitimacy of the state government is being openly challenged without any resistance from the state law and order machinery.

Instead, the state police have become a partner in crime collecting their share of taxes in check gates along with the half a dozen armed groups.

It is not as if the Naga people are not aware of the

Appeal to all the returnees of Mon district

Y

ou went outside of our home state because you believed in yourself, you think that you're responsible enough to face any challenge in life.

Therefore, I would like to appeal to you all to act like a responsible person.

Some of your parents, doesn't want you to be back home, because they are afraid that either you might get infected or you might bring back the virus along.

But the Leaders fought tooth and nail to bring you home.

The government provides Train, buses, food and lodging. Now that you're home, so learn to face the obstacles instead of being an obstacle. Mon being the highest number of returnees receiver, you might not get the accommodation as you expected, but whatever you are getting are the best your leaders could afford. There were some dramas but I don't want to mention it, but just sharing in general.

You went out by yourself and for yourself. You worked and earn for yourself. Some of you might have never contributed anything to the society or Church even at your village level. But our leaders and Church workers are kind enough to bring you back and trying their best to protect you from the invisible enemy.

Some of the returnees are really good, they are behaving well, but there are some who are really notorious. The good ones should try to control those notorious ones instead of good ones being carried away by those notorious rebellious few.

You are to follow the SOPs strictly, because those SOPs have been laid down to protect you and your near and dear ones.

The DC, SP, CMO, and Additional SP are all in self isolation at home. For whom?

For you and me. They are the outsiders by birth but being Government servant, they have to come out and serve us...

The people receiving you, escorting you, serving you meals, etc. they all have their family members back at home. But they came and serve you even after knowing that they will also be in self Quarantine after meeting/serving you guys. So, don’t think that you are the only people who are in Quarantine. Those Drivers who dropped you to Quarantine centre haven't seen their families from the day they started ferrying the returnees.

The day I went out from home, my sister-in-law packed me a mosquito net in my bag, saying "Stay safe in the Jungle after coming back from Mon". Does it mean she don't love me? No! She was just protecting my old mother and those beautiful children whom I called my Niece and Nephews.

Those NGO Leaders whom you see with big smile while receiving you guys haven't gone back home for many days, because they are afraid of themselves.

Therefore, it is my humble request to you all, to be responsible citizens. You will not be in Quarantine for your entire life so let's bear the inconveniences together.

United, we can win this battle.

Khamhi Konyak, Shangsa Village, Mon

T

bankruptcy in leadership today. People are not being able to speak out their mind but the crying need is for leaders to whom the purity of the method to achieve a goal is as important as the goal itself. Instead what do we have today? Where is the consultation or the transparency? Do people have any inkling about what is being transpired between the Chief Minister and the armed Naga groups? The people have been sandwiched by the policy of ‘live and let live’ between the Chief Minister of Nagaland and the armed Naga groups Thank God for Governor Ravi. What little developmental projects we see in Nagaland today is because of him. Nagas have for too long shied away from calling a spade a spade. It is because of the inaction, if not the patronage, of the state government that today we are forced to swallow the audacity of the NSCN commenting in the print media about the madness of “extortion” that are being carried out by some groups in the guise of freedom fighters. The NSCN even went to the extent of validating itself as a “holier than thou entity” which does not commit extortion at any point of time but levies legitimate taxes from the people. The people are being forced to swallow this hypocrisy in the face of an impotent law

and order machinery of the state government.

NNC of the old under the leadership of AZ Phizo fought for defending the legitimate right of the Naga people. The NSCN is a break-away faction from the mainstream NNC and which basically adopted the communist ideology as its manifesto. It is completely an anti-thesis to the purest form of democracy of the Naga people. The same faction is now the fountain head of extortion, intimidation and lawlessness in the state. The inaction of the state government in checking this menace is not going to stop the people in raising voice against the illegitimacy and the associated crimes of the NSCN. Today, we have a state gover nment that is not mindful of history but only of itself, and is only too happy to appease the many armed groups in order to solidify its hold on power at the expense of development and the suffering public.

Yes, the hopelessness was enveloping but thank you, Governor Ravi, for being that glimmer of hope and light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Thank you once again for calling a spade a spade, and for being the peoples Governor. And rest assured, we love you and stand solidly behind you.

Dr. Kakheto Zhimomi

The right advisor

welve years ago, when I was researching for a school for my daughter, my criteria was simple. I was looking for a school where the commute was simple, the teaching staff was adaptive and the head of the school was dynamic.

I knew that whatever I decided would imprint a lifelong legacy on my child’s initial years. The selection was not simple. Whatever I decided, she would have to endure it for 14 long years, in good times and also in bad, from lower KG to Class- XII. While making the choice, I never followed any conventional norms set by our society, or the way in which we rank schools through their Board results. It was a tough decision to make for us as parents. To take a call for the greatest asset that we have been blessed with was hard.

When it comes to selecting your financial advisor, I guess you will have a similar dilemma.

Before I go any further, let me give you a disclosure. As a financial advisor myself, I don’t exactly fit into the criteria to write on this subject myself. But since I am more into preaching, than practising, maybe I can give you a perspective on what constitutes a good financial advisor.

First, let us be comfortable with the fact that there are some very good financial advisors around us. But the problem is that one simply can’t distinguish a good one from a bad one.

That, at least, is true in the short run. The outcome of a good financial advisor can be derived over decades of advisory. Now, this is difficult. The same way it is difficult to choose a school for your child.

To find a good financial advisor, keep looking and ask your friends or family for references. Since the whole field of

financial advisory is new to our society, it will be difficult to do thorough research.

When you meet an advisor, ask questions. A good advisor will not throw jargons at you. Instead, he will explain things in a very simple manner. Sometimes, he might not know everything you ask, which is normal. But with his honesty, you will understand his intentions.

A good advisor is thoughtful and sensible. He or she should understand you and your fears and aspirations. A good coach understands his players first. Only by understanding his players can he formulate a game plan.

If you go straight to him and say I have five lakh rupees and I can invest for five years, don’t expect an easy answer. A good advisor will ask you many questions. Your tax liabilities, your other investments, your net assets, your other liabilities. He might ask you your spouse’s financial details as well. The more he knows, the more prudent will his advice be. This brings me to one fundamental point: if you stick to one advisor, he or she will know a lot about you from before.

I believe a good advisor will almost force you to ask this basic question: What are you doing and why are you doing that? You may not have the answer. But that’s okay. A good advisor will make you ask this question, and when he can make you ask this question, you know you have found your advisor. Congratulations!

I am not touching on the traits of transparency, competency and honesty. If you have any doubt regarding these essentials in your financial advisor, run away as fast as you can and never look back.

Dipankar Jakharia

e are occupied with is- community and world. Nation sue of ‘Employment.’ will rise and shine when everyBut it comes and is body works with honesty. There gone when everybody woks. Ge- is a job everyone can do.

Marketing option nerically, it means ‘government It is trading and business. appointment and jobs in companies’ in the minds of people. It deals with consumerism, buyBut it should mean ‘daily work sale, retailing, bartering and fair for food’. Employment and self- price dealing. It is not against reliance are synonymous. There biblical principle. One can be is a job for everybody everywhere. holy in market places with busiGod created us to work for food ness. Early civilizations convey to survive and succeed. Educated bartering, swap and trading. In youth, returnees from quarantine process of procuring, supplycenters, and post lockdowns will ing and distribution of items, have no room for ‘unemploy- a fair dealer receives profits for ment’ issue if everybody works his livelihood. In process it promotes civilization, connectivity with honesty.

Earning drops with broke culture, and entrepreneurships. companies. Charity and free You can be a channel of healthy food come to exhaustion. Our connection.

Technological related opsociety is overstretched with ‘food without work and demands’. tion Our present world is a techLiving on others’ charity cannot go long. It is a happy world nological regulated generation. when everyone is seen working How we go about it? It means to survive and help others. It is income generating schemes and Self-reliance when we grow our earning. It deals with small and foods, earn and save by loyalty, cottage industries, manufacturand raise our children. There are ing factories, and production works around. The basic principle schemes. Metal works, painting, of humanity is ‘lightening oth- art works, tailoring, carpentry, ers’ burden’. There are choices ceramics, weaving, repairing, and options in consideration of tooling and waste saving are some examples. There are endemployment. less enterprising opportunities.

Cropping option It is the fundamental and You can be a dynamic tool of primary option which is a habitat transformation.

Government job option and traditional means for liveliThis is the last option behood. Our parents and ancestors survived and lived by this sole cause it is not designed for everypractice. It is the elementary one. This refers to interviews and science of hand-to-mouth form appointments based on criteria to live. Our fingers, hands, hours and competence. Qualified beand days are designed to work. come professionals, clericals and The novel coronavirus with lock- teachers. Government or national downs teach us the lesson of self- service requires caliber people of employment. It is to cultivate the integrity to iconize quality and habit of self-employment against image of a nation. You can bring insufficiency, economic break- credit to your government and nadown, hunger and starvation. It tion by your honesty and loyalty. is self-employed when one raises But sadly, in process, educated his vegetables, fruits and meats youth wait and get infuriated with disappointment while they could from domestic livestock.

Lockdown results in spider- have self-employed with both ends web free rooms, rich kitchen, meet. It will be a basic misleading clean running water, productive if our youth go to schools and gardens and farms producing colleges with a mentality of govpumpkin, tomato, potato, carrot, ernment service. We must know biter gourds, arum, bean, chilly, that availability of government cabbage, broccoli, lady’s finger, jobs gets saturated and exhausted Sir, onion, garlic, ginger alongside ba- while there are many jobs to do to With transition to online classes, it’s quite evident that acnana, cucumber, lemon, papaya, improve economy and transform cessibility and reach is drastically skewed particularly for our humanity and public community and other fruits. There are varietfolks in the rural districts. ies of medicinal and anti-viral in our world.

Apart from the intricacies one needs to access platforms; Our world is a happy place plants too. It is the fundamental even basic ‘internet connection’ is a distant reality for many in al approach to survival and suc- to live when we apply its three our hinterlands. cess. It is something everyone principles: Knowing God, the Surely our government can do something to carry out ‘incan do regardless educated or Creator, Honesty as daily policy, ternet connectivity’ on a war-footing. Public-Private Partnerships uneducated. Self-Employment is and hard Work as daily habit. can be one proactive way to approach it. The dividends from it the primary job from the begin- These are three everywhere. would be multifold. ning of human history that brings Phuveyi Dozo, Naga United self-sufficiency to oneself, family, Village, Dimapur Boka Rochill, Landmark, Dimapur Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

Reader’s Post Digital divide

national/state

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

Banning Chinese apps is ‘digital strike’: Prasad KOLKATA, JUL 2 (PTI): Calling the ban on Chinese apps a “digital strike”, Union Minister Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said India is wants peace, but if someone casts an evil eye, the country is capable of giving a befitting reply.

Hailing the “strong” leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he asserted, if our country has lost 20 soldiers, the toll is double on the Chinese side.

“Now you can hear about only two ‘Cs’ - Coronaviris and China. We believe in peace and solve problems through discussion, but if somebody casts an evil eye on India, we will give a befitting reply... if our 20 jawans have sacrificed their lives, then the toll is double on the Chinese side.

“You all must have noticed that they have not come out with any figure,” Prasad, also the Union electronics and information technology minister,

Ravi Shankar Prasad said addressing a virtual rally for the people of Bengal.

Recalling how India had responded after terror attacks in the recent past, Prasad, said, You all must remember how we had retaliated after Uri and Pulwama (terror strikes). When our PM is saying that the sacrifice of our jawans won’t go in vain, it has a meaning. Our government has the will to deliver.”

Insisting that India carried out a “digital strike” to protect the data of countrymen, Prasad sought to know why the TMC was

opposing the ban on Chinese apps.

“We are witnessing a strange trend in Bengal; the ruling TMC had earlier asked why we were not banning the apps, now they want to know why we are banning the apps. This is strange, why can’t they stand with the government at the time of crisis,” he said.

Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat Jahan had on Wednesday termed the Centre’s decision to ban 59 Chinese apps including TikTok an “eyewash and an impulsive decision”, and said the Union government should substitute them with Indian apps as the livelihood of many people associated with these applications had been affected.

He also attacked the CPI-M over its “silence” on the Sino-Indian border confrontation.

“I am surprised why the CPI-M has not criticised China. Is it the same CPI-M that it was in 1962?” he said.

7

26 die in fresh lightning strikes across Bihar (Ld)

CM Kejriwal inaugurates plasma bank

PATNA, JUL 2 (IANS): In Bihar, more people were killed by lightning strikes in a week than due to coronavirus. On Thursday, 26 more people died in fresh lightning strikes across the state.

An official of the Disaster Management Department said, according to information received from the districts, 26 people died due to lightning strikes on Thursday in the state - six in Patna, four in East Champaran, seven in Samastipur, three in Katihar, two each in Shivhar and Madhepura and one each in Purnia and West Champaran districts. The Meteorological Department on Wednesday had issued an alert for heavy rain and thunderstorms in the next 48 hours in Bihar. On Tuesday, 11 people had died by lightning in various districts of Bihar, while on June 26, at least 96 people died across Bihar in lightning strikes.

So far more than 78 people have died due to Covid-19 in Bihar in more than three months since the first case was detected in the state and more than 10,000 are infected with the virus.

NEW DELHI, JUL 2 (PTI): A plasma bank to treat novel coronavirus started functioning in Delhi on Thursday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma 14 days after recovery.

Addressing an online media briefing, Kejriwal said the eligibility for being a plasma donor is “very strict”, and hoped that with this bank the number of COVID-19 deaths will decrease in the national capital. Later, he inaugurated the ‘plasma bank’ and urged those who have recovered from the disease to donate plasma to other patients.

The government has set up the plasma bank at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

“Today, we have started the ‘plasma bank’ and some people have also donated.

As we all know there is no vaccine for novel coronavirus yet, but plasma therapy seems to be quite helpful for COVID patients,” he told reporters after visiting the plasma bank at ILBS. It (plasma donation) was happening in a scat-

asks people to donate plasma to save COVID-19 patients

Arvind Kejriwal visits the Plasma Bank at ILBS Hospital in New Delhi, Thursday, July 2. (PTI) tered way, so the idea was to bring it at one place in an organised manner, he said “There are strict guidelines for eligible donors. I would urge those people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma to other patients,” he said.

The chief minister said people who have recovered from the virus can contact 1031 and WhatsApp number -- 8800007722 -where they can get details for plasma donation. The donor will also be given an appreciation letter.

“A government doctor

State govt responds to Governor overall peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the state.

On encroachments over government forest land, DIPR said the state government has been dealing with the issue with utmost seriousness but it required constant efforts to address the accumulated issue. It cited that in a major eviction drive on June 26,2020 in Bhandari sub-division under Wokha district, a team comprising of administration, police and forest officials were on eviction drive.

On the Munglamukh forest colony and Intangki National Park, the government said encroachments dated back to 1993 and several attempts for eviction were done till 2002. However, some of the areas were converted to NSCN(I-M) designated camp.

DIPR also said the state government was evolving conviction rates and giving due attention by imparting training to Investigating Officers etc. On price rise due to extortion, the government said there could be some

escalation of prices of construction materials , though all essential commodities were sold below the specified Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

To the Governor’s concern over extortion from construction companies that have adversely affected the progress of the 4-lane construction on the KohimaDimapur highway , the state government said a review meeting was held on March 4,2020 with MD of NHIDCL including contractors and state officials including DCs of districts. According to DIPR, the feedback from the NHIDCL was that the DCs and state government were providing fullest support and cooperation to deal with any problem in execution of the project.

To highlight the peaceful scenario DIPR pointed out that Independence Day, Republic Day were celebrated peacefully and also other national days and annual state day. It also cited celebration of Hornbill Festival, conducting Dr.T. Ao trophy,

Naga wrestling and host of other national games etc.

In view of all the above, the state government maintained that the state was witnessing a period of peace and harmony and development were taking place on war footing. Also DIPR said the state has achieved all these due to focussed and dedicated approach to the entire law and order machinery adding it was aware of its responsibilities in ensuring safety and security to its citizens.

The state government also highlighted that during the past three months, Nagaland like the rest of the country and the world, was battling the global pandemic and for which tremendous support were extended by civil societies, church, NGOs and all stake holders. In this, DIPR said the government had set up a State War Room against COVID-19.

DIPR also said the state government had extended help to more than 2.12 lakh stranded migrants with ra-

RAINBOW COACHING CENTRE Lengrijan H/NO. 749. Dimapur: Nagaland.

Special Coaching offers for

JOB VACANCY

CL-10 & 12 (Arts) Repeaters

1. HR (with work experience and thorough knowledge of MS Office) 2. Store Keeper (with work experience and thorough knowledge of MS Office) Salary Negotiable For a reputed construction company.

Interested candidates can contact at: +91-8837210435

 Admission forms are available during office hour between 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

For more details: 9856857778 / 9862700227

MOUNT MARY COLLEGE & HR. SEC. SCHOOL

 Offer Intensive Coaching for the Repeaters of  Class-X/ XII-Arts/ XII-Com/ XII-Sci  Hostel Attached for Both Boys and Girls (Separately)  Form available during office hrs 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (Mon to Fri) Contact : 03862-248464/248394/9436600530/8132871005

Google.in : Rainbow Coaching Centre Lengrijan Dimapur.

VJ'S COACHING CENTRE D.C. COURT Road, Duncan : Dimapur ESTD-2000

DP-3018

(Science, Arts, Commerce & B. Ed.)

Ward -09, Chümoukedima-797103, Dimapur.

FULL FEES SPONSORSHIP NOTICE*

(Under Ministry of Mount Mary Academy) Class 11 (NBSE) SCIENCE & COMMERCE stream only (10 seats each) DEGREE/UG SCIENCE & COMMERCE (Nagaland University) stream only (10 seats each) * Applicable for Merit cum Mean Students Only.

Terms & Conditions Apply.

Managing Director 8974635770 DP-2989A

DP-2848

DIPR stated that the total number of IPC offences in 2018 was only 1223(NCRB DATA), which is 57.3 crime per 1 lakh population, compared with 93.1 in Manipur and 329.7 in Assam. It said the total number of murder cases reported in Nagaland in 2019 was 23 as compared to 39 in 2018 and the number of murder cases till July is 9. Further, the total number of rapes in 2019 was 19, compared to 11 cases in 2018 while a total of three cases were reported till date.

DIPR said as per NCRB figures , the total number of heinous and grave offences in Nagaland was coming down and further efforts are on to minimize them.

DIPR further continued to roll out figures under various categories of the past five years , such as killings in inter-factional clashes, attacks on security forces and civilians killed since 2001. During 2001-2005, there was 94 incidents ; in 2006-2010 there were 215 incidents; in 2011-2015 there were 116 incidents , and in the last five years(20152020) the total number of incidents had reduced to only 15, which it said was reflective of the improved law and order situation and the

DP-2800

(From p-1) Also a total of 713 extortion cases were registered during past five years where a total of 1007 extortionists were arrested.

Further highlighting the activities of the state police, DIPR said strict vigil was maintained against antisocial or criminal elements bent on derailing developmental activities such as road construction.

Also as suggested by the Governor, DIPR said the state government a Special Investigation Team(SIT) was formed to tackle extortions on highway construction companies which has been on the job since January 21,2020. In this regard, it said the SIT had registered six cases- four being registered suo-moto while two were transferred to Longleng district jurisdiction. In response to the Governor’s letter that only the foot soldiers of “armed gangs” were nabbed, DIPR said six functionaries of various factions including a ‘self styled’ deputy kilonser, a self-styled finance secretary were arrested and an additional three criminal cases registered suo-moto.

Further, buttressing the activities of the police,

OFFICE OF THE

DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY NAGALAND NO.DAN/REV-19/2018/363-365

DIMAPUR

Dated, Dimapur the 9th June' 2020

OFFICE ORDER

K-1178

Due to the nation lock down because of COVID-19 pandemic, the Authority hereby inform the local entrepreneures of Naga Shopping Arcade (NSA) that the house rent and water charges for the month of April' 2020 shall be exempted.

The tenants are hereby directed to take the note of this and further requested to pay the arrear amount at an early date.

DP-3007

(PANGZANGKOKBA) Secretary Development Authority Nagaland Dimapur

tions and means while giving cash assistance to 37,766 people of Nagaland stranded outside in DBT mode and thus becoming the first state in India to do so. It also cited special trains to being back stranded people to the state and provided relief to four lakh below poverty people of the state for three months ; providing health care, food, accommodation and logistics to thousands at government expense during the pandemic.

DIPR also said the state government was in constant touch with the prime minister, home minister and other central ministers on a weekly-basis to combat the crisis while the entire bureaucracy headed by the chief secretary, senior officials AHoDs were also working members of Team Nagaland and also participated in regular meetings with union cabinet secretary and union ministries.

will contact the person willing to donate his plasma and get basic details regarding his medical history and other eligibility requirements.

“Thereafter, the person can come to ILBS to donate his plasma. The government will also bear transportation expenses ,” he said. About eligibility parameters for donors, Kejriwal said that those aged between 18 and 60 and weighing not less than 50 kg can donate their plasma.

He said that a women, who has been pregnant in her life, cannot donate plasma, adding that those people, who take insulin and their blood

sugar level is not stable, also cannot be donors. “Those, who have heart, kidney and lung disease, are not eligible to donate their plasma.

People having a complaint of hypertension also cannot donate,” he said.

Plasma therapy involves taking antibodies from the blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 and transfusing those into a coronavirus infected patient to help kickstart the immune system to fight the infection.

During the briefing, Kejriwal said that plasma bank will be successful only when people come forward to donate their plasma for coronavirus patients.

“Till yesterday, around 58,000 people have so far recovered from the virus.

With very strict eligibility, a few people will be left, who can donate their plasma for COVID-19 patients,” he also said. “Plasma will be given based on doctor’s prescription and the hospital concerned will have to approach ILBS to get the same. I request people to not approach the plasma bank directly,” he added.

ED questions Cong leader Ahmed Patel for third time in PMLA case NEW DELHI, JUL 2 (PTI): Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigators on Thursday began the third round of questioning of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel at his residence here in connection with the Sandesara brothers bank fraud and money laundering case probe, officials said.

A three-member team of the central agency along with a few other officials reached Patel’s 23, Mother Teresa Crescent home in the Lutyens’ zone of central Delhi around 11 am.

The team members carried files, wore masks and gloves and were seen sanitising their hands and shoes before beginning the questioning as a precautionary measure in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Agency sleuths have questioned Patel, 70, in two separate sessions clocking

about 17 hours on June 27 and June 30.

He was allowed questioning at home by the agency after the Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat refused to visit the ED office citing prevailing COVID-19 guidelines that discourage senior citizens from going out. Officials said Patel’s statement is being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the latest session. He is being questioned about his purported links with Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech pharmaceutical company promoters, the Sandesara brothers, and alleged dealings of his family members with them.

The agency, last year, had questioned Patel’s son Faisal Patel and son-in-law Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui in this case and recorded their statements.

business/state

Su doku

KAKURO

that though posts would be filled through open recruitment preferences would be given to in-service doctors (NHM/contractual doctors) and those who have been serving for the past five to ten years or even more.

It stated that currently there were about 150 AYUSH doctors including master degree holders.

NVCO reminded that as public notification dated August 23, 2019 issued by the chief secretary cases of overage appointment would not be entertained under any circumstances. NVCO also reminded that High Court order had banned the appointment of contract/ ad-hoc disallowing the state government to appoint and regularise services of employees who had completed

three years of continuous services.

Meanwhile, according to NVCO, the concerned AYUSH doctors have placed four-point demand before the state government: I) all the posts of medical doctors (AYUSH) be recruited through the conduct of open competitive examination by NPSC; II) to create post for senior medical officers (AYUSH) apart from medical officer (AYUSH); III) to have weightage for MD for all exams or interview in AYUSH Medical Officer post; IV) to segregate the post of the five different systems - AYUSH (A-Ayurveda, YYoga, U-Unami, S-Siddha, H-Homoeopathy) and V) create more posts and filled up the vacant posts besides the recent 11 posts.

No. 9612 Yesterday’s solution No. 9611

No. 4231 Yesterday’s solution No. 4230

No. 3256 Yesterday’s solution No. 3255

Across 3. Stupid (5) 8. Month (5) 10. Distinguished (5) 11. Decompose (3) 12. Hut (5) 13. Booze (7) 15. Lords (5) 18. Narrow brooch (3) 19. Sri Lanka, formerly (6) 21. Retailer of meat (7) 22. Unfortunately (4) 23. Writing table (4) 24. Fairground ride (7) 26. First, original (6) 29. Raised edge (3) 31. Hairdressing shop (5) 32. Edinburgh, say (7) 34. Perfect (5) 35. Spirit (3) 36. Wash through (5) 37. Desires, expectations (5) 38. Deal (5) Down 1. Premature (5) 2. Sea creature (7) 4. Burst of noise (4) 5. Hidden gunman (6) 6. Bee substance (5) 7. P a r i s u n d e r ground (5) 9. Legendary bird (3) 12. Hide (7) 14. Strike (3) 16. Young eel (5) 17. Treacherous person (5) 19. Middle (7) 20. Pants (5) 21. Herb type (5) 23. Minor deity (7) 24. Roam (6) 25. Fastening device (3) 27. Of rabies (5) 28. Slightly damp (5) 30. People from Denmark (5) 32. Thick paper (4) 33. Gratuity (3)

NH, State JD(U) react to Governor’s letter to CM

(From p-1) However, NH said the state government has not framed any rules for the purpose of carrying into effect the provision of the Act. The hoho asserted that the state must move on free from corruption towards achieving a welfare state and egalitarian society.

Meanwhile, the hoho has condemned the extension of Disturb Area and promulgation of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) 1958 in Nagaland by another six months by another six months. NH stated that the “Draconian Law” was not to maintain law and order in the region but to “act and suppress the innocent people.”

NH said the past decades proved beyond doubt that “through this demonic law many human rights” had been abused and the fundamental rights of its citizen violated by the “armed occupational forces.” NH said AFSPA has lost its relevance in a civilised society and its applicability has no place in the modern world.

The hoho has, therefore, asserted that the law must be repealed if the government of India truly honoured the peace process and a

THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY NIOS-10th & 12th Diploma/Degree/PG Courses (Distance & Regular Mode) www.thevirtualacademy.in WhatsApp/Call: 9366014407

peaceful solution to the long “Indo Naga political talks.”

State JD(U): Reacting to Governor R.N. Ravi’s letter chief minister Neiphiu Rio, Janata Dal (United) Nagaland unit accused Ravi of trying to usurp power through backdoor by way of asking files to be routed through his office in the name of law and order.

JD(U), through its publicity wing, expressed shock that the interlocutor-cumgovernor was addressing the same groups of Naga nationalists with whom he had been sharing platforms for the last several years as “armed gangs” and running parallel governments alongside the legitimately elected government.

Observing that this was very unbecoming of him as an interlocutor who had been advocating peaceful solution and had been time and again giving hopes

to Naga people, JD (U) said the letter exposed his true self towards the peace process he had been undertaking. The letter was nothing short of a surrender of his responsibility and giving up hope of bringing a solution to the vexed Naga political issue, it added.

JD (U) also questioned the governor that if he was so convinced that the law and order had collapsed, what was stopping him from discharging his constitutional responsibility by recommending President’s Rule in Nagaland.

Instead of trying to capture power through the backdoor, the party asked him to be more courageous and act upon the letter he had written. Otherwise, it would b absolutely inappropriate for a constitutional head of a State to participate in the functioning of an elected government, it added.

FOR SALE DALMATION

DP-3016

Crossword

(From p-1) NVCO stated that the concerned AYUSH doctors, during the last few years, have been asking the department to advertise the vacant posts for open competitive examination to be conducted by NPSC. NVCO stated that the department had earlier appointed an already overage doctor (AYUSH – Homoeopathy) on contract basis, which it termed as “illegal and not tenable in law whatsoever”. It stated that seniority was only applicable to serving regular employees, but for the fresh recruitment, it should be purely on merit basis.

According to NVCO, the concerned AYUSH doctors were dismayed at department’s recent assertion

The NSE Nifty surged 121.65 points, or 1.17 per cent, to close at 10,551.70.

Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market as they sold shares worth Rs 1,696.45 crore on Wednesday, according to provisional exchange data.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.40 per cent to USD 42.62 per barrel.

Going ahead shortterm trend is now clear with spot USDINR falling below 75.50 levels. “We expect rupee could head towards 74.50 in coming days,” Vakil said.

“Rupee ended strongly up on Thursday on strong inflows into local stocks even as upbeat economic data from the US diminished safe-haven appeal of dollar,” Jateen Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst (Commodity & Currency) at LKP Securities said.

The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.5813 and for rupee/euro at 84.8894.

Phone. No : 8794129933/7005300926 LAND FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE Kushiabill (near L. Hotovi Village) 61x100 (150/- per sq. ft.)

Attached to approach road Dial-9612002817

LAND FOR URGENT SALE

Location :- DAROGAJAN (any size of plot available) Price :- Rs. 190 per sq. ft. * Just 2½ kilometers away from ZION HOSPITAL Phn No. 9615086202/7005862706

DP-3004

the fundamental issue that the corporates and MSMEs are facing is related to the stressed assets.

For SBI, he said that there is no worry to lend as the bank’s provision coverage ratio (PCR) was around 85-87 per cent. Basu hoped that the second half of the current fiscal will be good.

Punjab National Bank MD and CEO S S Mallikarjuna Rao said it is not that the MSMEs started facing the problem during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The MSMEs have been passing through tough times for the last two years.

They have been facing cash flow problems,” Rao said.

He said these units were not having surplus cash flow as their operations were at stress, while fixed costs did not reduce.

Securities said.

“Market participants also expected dollar inflows while state-run banks remained on the sideline.

Moreover, investor sentiment strengthened further after Pfizer reported encouraging vaccine test results,” he said.

The first of four experimental COVID-19 vaccines being tested by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech showed encouraging results in very early testing of 45 people, the companies said on Wednesday.

The number of cases around the world linked to COVID-19 has crossed 1.06 crore and the death toll has topped 5.16 lakh. In India, the death toll due the disease rose to 17,834 and the number of infections spiked to 6,04,641, according to the health ministry.

The dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.26 per cent to 96.94.

The BSE Sensex settled 429.25 points, or 1.21 per cent, higher at 35,843.70.

1. Commercial land at 2½ Mile Dimapur Area 14000 sq. ft. at reasonable price 2. At Kushiabill, Dimapur Area Approx. 2 Bighas at reasonable price (NO BROKER) Contact No. 7005424879

LAND FOR URGENT SALE AT AOYIMKUM, DIMAPUR (PRIME LOCATION) 112×150 SITE FULLY DEVELOPED WITH WATER BORING (Genuine buyer only) CONTACT : 8787638844

LAND FOR SALE

LAND FOR URGENT SALE

4 LANE TOUCHED

4 Bighas For any Commercial Site Rs. 180 per sq. ft.

Contact : 8119074799 DP-3008

DP-2995

Kolkata, Jul 2 (PTI): Acknowledging the liquidity crisis being faced by the MSMEs, leading bankers of the country on Thursday said they will continue to lend their support to these units even during the postCOVID era.

There is a need for the bankers to provide more support to the micro, small and medium enterprises, State Bank of India Managing Director Arijit Basu said. Speaking at a webinar organised by ICC, he said, “MSMEs will remain a crucial cog in the wheel of the economy. For India to become self-reliant, MSMEs have an important role to play.”

Basu said these units must have a viable business plan to avail credit from banks. According to him,

Recruitment should be meritbased: NVCO, Ayush doctors

Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI): The rupee surged by 56 paise to close at more than three-month high of 75.04 against the US currency on Thursday tracking weakness in the greenback and gains in domestic equities amid optimism over potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Forex traders said investors turned to riskier currencies and assets after Pfizer reported encouraging vaccine test results.

The rupee opened at 75.51 against the US dollar and gained further ground to touch a day’s high of 74.99. The local unit settled at 75.04 against the US dollar, up 56 paise over its previous close. This is the highest closing level since March 27 when the rupee had settled at 74.89.

It had settled at 75.60 against the greenback on Wednesday.

The rupee logged its “biggest single-day gain since April 23, boosted by gains in the domestic equity market amid weakness in the greenback”, Devarsh Vakil, Deputy Head of Retail Research, HDFC

4th Mile Diphupar Few mtrs from National Highway 100x72 (with house @71 Lacs) 42 x 70 @ 22 Lacs Contact: 7085983329 7005210654 K-1169

LAND FOR SALE

K-1170

AFFIDAVIT According to Affidavit No. 130 (A)/2020 dated 06/06/2020 that my name is TEMJENYANGER IMSONG and I am also known as M A R I E M B A A O. That TEMJENYANGER IMSONG and MARIEMBA AO is the DP-3001 same person.

STOLEN TVS APACHE RTR 160 (BS IV) NL07EA3311 Model Year 2018 Engine No. BE4CJ2X19827 Chassis No. MD634BE4XJ2C19431 Colour - Matte Red Contact - 7641944033

PLOT WISE PER PLOT SIZE : 120×120 SQ. FT. PRICE : Rs. 3,50,000/- only per plot (No Negotiation : No Broker) Location: Lotovi Village at road side Between Luzheto Village & Kuhuboto town boundary.

Only 20 mins away from National Highway.

Purpose Pukhavi Colony (Limited plots, first come first only) For more details:Contact : 7005733438 / 7005603090

DP-3002

Bankers pledge continuing support to MSMEs

“We have no plans to pursue such action. We are committed to working with the government to address its concerns. We comply with the laws and regulations of the Government of India. Ensuring the data sovereignty, security and privacy of our users has always been and will continue to be a top priority for us,” the spokesperson said.

According to sources, developers of many of the 59 banned apps had taken down their apps from Google Play Store voluntarily.

Meanwhile, in a statement, one of the banned apps Bigo Live said it has

Likee from Google Play and App Store, and have suspended service in India until there is further clarity provided on this matter,” the company said.

To follow the government order, Likee said its R&D team worked around the clock to ensure the service shutdown.

“Likee is under the Singapore-based BIGO Technology and we hold utmost priority to the compliance of all local laws as well as the privacy and data security of all our users.

We will be working closely with the Indian government under the local legal framework,” it added.

Soon after the ban, TikTok stopped showing up in search results on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Some users searching for TikTok on Google Play ended up seeing some clone apps.

The Apple App Store showed ‘helper apps’ like VideoSplit for TikTok, but not the TikTok app itself.

DP-2997

However, the spokesperson did not disclose details of the apps that Google had blocked.

Similar action has been taken by the Apple App Store, sources said.

Chinese apps removed from Play Store and App Store include UC Browser, SHAREit, WeChat, CamScanner, and Mi Community.

TikTok app has gone offline and stopped working completely for users in India.

Meanwhile, TikTok spokesperson said the firm does not plan to take legal action against the government ban.

temporarily taken off the app from Google Play and App Store in India.

“The Government of India issued an interim order on June 29, 2020, to block 59 mobile apps, including Bigo Live. We respect the Indian government’s order and will temporarily take off Bigo Live from Google Play and App Store in India until there is further clarity provided on this matter,” it said.

According to the statement, Bigo Live is under Singapore-based Bigo Technology. “We hold utmost priority to the compliance of all local laws as well as the privacy and security of all our users. We will be working closely with the Indian government under the local legal framework.”

In a separate statement, Likee said it has temporarily taken off the platform from Google Play and Apple App store and has suspended its services in India.

“We respect the Indian government’s order and have temporarily taken off

DP-2989(B)

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI): The 59 Chinese apps banned by the government have been taken down from Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India, blocking their access to mobile phone users in the country.

The government had on Monday banned 59 Chinese applications saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. A day later popular short video app TikTok was taken down from Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The other 58 Chinese apps have now also been removed.

Google said that it has temporarily blocked access to the banned apps on its India Play Store.

“While we continue to review the interim orders from the Government of India, we have notified the affected developers and have temporarily blocked access to the apps that remained available on the Play Store in India,” a Google spokesperson said.

Rupee spurts to 3-month high

DP-3010

59 banned Chinese apps go off Google Play

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

DP-2983

8

international

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer-BioNtech shows promise N E W YO R K , J U L 2 (PTI): A COVID-19 vaccine candidate, tested by the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and the German biotech firm BioNTech SE, is safe, welltolerated, and can generate antibodies in people, according to a study.

The research, which is published in the preprint server medRxiv and is yet to be peer-reviewed, describes the preliminary clinical data for the candidate vaccine -- nucleosidemodified messenger RNA (modRNA), BNT162b1.

It said the amount of antibodies produced in participants after they received two shots of the vaccine candidate was greater than that reported in patients receiving convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients.

“I was glad to see Pfizer put up their phase 1 trial data today. Virus neutralizing antibody titers achieved after two doses are greater than convalescent antibody titers,” tweeted Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist from Baylor College

Pfizer said last month it’s preparing to produce millions of doses of the potential vaccine, if it’s ultimately successful.

of Medicine in the US, who was unrelated to the study.

Researchers, including those from New York University in the US, who were involved in the study, said the candidate vaccine enables human cells to produce an optimised version of the receptor binding domain (RBD) antigen.

According to the study, the RBD antigen, which is the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, is used by the virus to gain entry into human cells.

“Robust immunogenicity was obser ved

after vaccination with BNT162b1,” the scientists noted in the study.

Based on the study’s findings, they said BNT162b1 could be administered in a quantity that is well tolerated, potentially generating a dose dependent production of immune system molecules in people.

The research said patients treated with the vaccine candidate produced nearly 1.8 to 2.8 fold greater levels of antibodies that could neutralise SARSCoV-2. “We are encour-

aged by the clinical data of BNT162b1, one of four mRNA constructs we are evaluating clinically, and for which we have positive, preliminary, topline findings,” said Kathrin U. Jansen, study co-author and Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development, Pfizer.

“We look forward to publishing our clinical data in a peer-reviewed journal as quickly as possible,” Jansen said.

According to Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech, and another co-author of the study, the preliminary data are encouraging as they provide an initial signal that BNT162b1 is able to produce neutralising antibody responses in humans.

He said the immune response observed in the patients treated with the experimental vaccine are at, or above, the levels observed from convalescent sera, adding that it does so at “relatively low dose levels.”

“We look forward

to providing further data updates on BNT162b1,” Sahin said.

Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist at Harvard University in the US, who is unrelated to the study, said the trial results are promising.

“Potential good news from new vaccine trial -decent response in neutralizing antibodies -- the key type that is needed for immunity. Still a pre-print but hopeful,” he said on Twitter.

According to a statement from Pfizer, the initial part of the study included 45 healthy adults 18 to 55 years of age.

It said the preliminary data for BNT162b1 was evaluated in 24 subjects who received two injections of 10 microgrammes (µg) and 30 µg -- 12 subjects who received a single injection of 100 µg, and 9 subjects who received two doses of a dummy vaccine.

The study noted that participants received two doses, 21 days apart, of placebo, 10 µg or 30 µg of

Landslide at Myanmar jade mine kills at least 123

London, Jul 2 (AP): The World Health Organisation says smoking is linked to a higher risk of severe illness and death from the coronavirus in hospitalised patients, although it was unable to specify exactly how much greater those risks might be.

In a scientific brief published this week, the U.N. health agency reviewed 34 published studies on the association between smoking and COVID-19, including the probability of infection, hospitalisation, severity of disease and death.

WHO noted that smokers represent up to 18% of hospitalised coronavirus patients and that there appeared to be a significant link between whether or not patients smoked and the severity of disease they suffered, the type of hospital interventions required and patients’ risk of dying.

In April, French researchers released a small study suggesting smokers were at less risk of catching COVID-19 and planned to test nicotine patches on patients and health workers — but their findings were questioned by many scientists at the time who cited the lack of definitive data.

The Hpakant area in Kachin state is 950 kilometers (600 miles) north of Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, and is the center of the world’s biggest and most lucrative jade mining industry. Thursday’s death toll surpasses that of a November 2015 accident that left 113 dead and was previously considered the country’s worst. In that case, the victims died when a 60-metre (200-foot) -high mountain of earth and waste discarded by several mines tumbled in the middle of the night, enveloping more than 70 huts where miners slept.

Those killed in such accidents are usually freelance miners who settle near giant mounds of discarded earth that has been excavated by heavy machinery. The freelancers who scavenge for bits of jade usually work and live at the base of the mounds of earth, which become particularly unstable during the rainy season.

Most scavengers are unregistered migrants from other areas, making it hard to determine exactly how many people are actually missing after such accidents and in many cases leaving the relatives of the dead in

Seoul, Jul 2 (IANS): North Korea ranks among the most dangerous places to live as its people are exposed to high risks of natural disaster, poverty and social injustice, a report showed on Thursday.

According to the report by INFORM, a research centre under the European Commission, North Korea was rated as the 39th most dangerous place out of 191 countries analyzed, with its global risk index standing at

Istanbul Airport inaugurates first COVID-19 test centre

The testing centre has a capacity of carrying out 40,000 tests per day for both incoming and outgoing passengers.

I s t a n b ul , J ul 2 (IANS): Turkey’s biggest Istanbul Airport inaugurated its first COVID-19 test centre for international passengers.

Samples would be examined in the laboratories at the terminal, and the results will be delivered within two hours for 110 Turkish liras (US $16), according to the airport, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

It said the center, which was established at two separate points at the terminal, has a capacity of carrying out 40,000 tests per day for both incoming and outgoing passengers.

“We have a total of

50 sampling cabins in both spots,” it added, noting that the results could also be sent via email in Turkish and English.

Turkish airline com-

panies partially resumed their domestic operations on June 1 and international flights on June 11, after suspension over two months due to the pandemic.

According to the Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, more than one million passengers have been carried on both domestic and international flights in the first two weeks of June.

Istanbul Airport said that all the measures taken at the terminal aimed for a healthy and safe travel experience.

The airport served 64 million passengers last year after it began operation in April 2019.

OFFICE OF THE

KOHIMA KINUNGER SENSO TELONGJEM FELICITATION

Kohima Kinunger Senso Telongjem extends our heartiest congratulations to Mr. IMLIKOKBA LONGKUMER, S/o Mr. & Mrs. TAKOYABA LONGKUMER on being promoted to District Planning Officer, Mokokchung of Planning & Coordination Department.

The Union (KKST) wishes him all the best in all his future endeavours.

(K. SANEN LKR) (WAISEMBA) President General Secretary KKST KKST

Moscow, Jul 2 (IANS): Nearly 78 per cent of Russian voters backed constitutional reforms that could keep President Vladimir Putin in power until 2036, election officials said on Thursday.

With all the ballots counted, 77.9 per cent voted for the reform package and 21.3 per cent against, the BBC quoted the electoral commission as saying.

According to the officials, turnout among the 109 million eligible voters was 65 per cent.

The highest levels of support - above 90% - were in Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, in Chechnya in the North Caucasus, and Tuva, in Siberia.

In New York 816 voted at the Russian consulate and 505 rejected the reforms, while 310 voted for.

The other voting district where a majority were against was Nenets, in Russia’s remote Arctic.

The final results showed 65 per cent voted yes to the reforms in Moscow, and 77.6 per cent in St

Petersburg.

More than 45 per cent of the registered voters some 49 million citizens - cast early votes in the nationwide ballot, according to authorities, which extended the voting period by a week to prevent crowds at the polling stations and a possible outbreak of COVID-19.

The reforms will reset Putin’s term limits to zero in 2024, allowing him to serve two more six-year terms, said the BBC report.

Putin, aged 67, has not said he will run again for the presidency when his latest term runs out in 2024 - but has said it is vital he has the option to do so.

He has been in power in Russia, either as president or prime minister, for 20 years.

But several hundred opponents of the constitutional changes staged protests in Moscow and St Petersburg in response to the results.

Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny described the results as a “big lie” which did not reflect real public opinion in the country.

North Korea ranks among most dangerous places in world: Report

DC-578

WHO says smoking linked to higher risk of virus

Rescuers carry a recovered body of a victim of a landslide from a jade mining area in Hpakant, Kachine state, northern Myanmar Thursday. (AP/PTI)

their home villages unaware of their fate.

Local activists have complained that the profitability of jade mining has led businesses and the government to neglect enforcing already very weak regulations in the industry.

According to Global Witness, a London-based group that investigates misuse of revenues from natural resources, Myanmar’s jade industry generated about $31 billion in 2014, with most of the wealth going to individuals and companies tied to the country’s former military rulers.

Global Witness made its estimate in a detailed report, and more recent reliable figures are not readily available.

“Large companies, many of them owned by families of former generals, army companies, cronies and drug lords, are making tens or hundreds of millions of dollars a year through their plunder of Hpakant,” Mike Davis of Global Witness said when the group released its report in 2015.

“Their legacy to local people is a dystopian wasteland in which scores of people at a time are buried alive in landslides,” said Davis.

K-1177

H pa k a nt ( M ya n mar), Jul 2 (AP): At least 123 people were killed on Thursday in a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar, the worst in a series of deadly accidents at such sites in recent years.

A statement from the Ministry of Information said 123 bodies had been recovered from the site of the landslide in Hpakant, while the Myanmar Fire Service Department, which coordinates rescues and other emergency services, put the total at 126. “The jade miners were smothered by a wave of mud,” a statement from the fire service said.

A crowd gathered in the rain around corpses shrouded in blue-and-red plastic sheets, laid in a row on the ground.

Emergency workers had to slog through heavy mud to retrieve bodies by wrapping them in the plastic sheets, which served as makeshift body bags that were then hung on crossed wooden poles shouldered by the recovery teams.

Khin Maung Myint, a lawmaker from Hpakant, earlier said that in addition to the dead, another 54 people were injured and sent to hospitals.

BNT162b1, or received a single dose of 100 µg of the vaccine candidate.

According to the scientists, the highest neutralising concentrations of antibodies were observed seven days after the second dose of 10 µg, or 30 µg on day 28 after vaccination.

They said the neutralising concentrations were 1.8- and 2.8-times that observed in blood samples from people who had contracted the virus.

In all 24 subjects who received two vaccinations at 10 µg and 30 µg dose levels, elevation of RBDbinding antibody concentrations was observed after the second injection, the study noted.

It said these concentrations are 8- and 46.3times the concentration seen in those infected with the novel coronavirus.

At the 10 µg or 30 µg dose levels, the scientists said adverse reactions, including low grade fever, were more common after the second dose than the first dose.

9 Nearly 78% back Putin as president till 2036

5.2 on a scale of 1-10, reports Yonhap News Agency. The risk index is based on an analysis of such elements as a country’s exposure to natural disasters, vulnerability and the government’s risk-management capability.

A higher figure means more exposure to risks. The natural disaster risk index for North Korea was 5.1, with the sub-index for exposure to flood at 7.4. The risk indexes for typhoons and earthquakes were registered at 6.5 and

4.9, respectively.

The report showed that the North Korean people are highly vulnerable to poverty and social injustice as well, with relevant indexes recorded at 8.4 and 6.1. Meanwhile, South Korea was ranked at the 150th with its risk index of 2.1, the report showed. But its exposure to typhoons and tsunami was higher than North Korea, with their indexes registered at 8.5 and 7.6, respectively, according to the report.

Infotainment

10

1,500 artists call on govt to save live music

(L-R) Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, (behind) Roling Stones

P

aul McCartney, Ed Sheeran and The Rolling Stones were among some 1,500 musicians who called on Thursday for the British government to help the live music business survive the novel coronavirus outbreak.

“The future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of

people who work in them looks bleak,” the musicians wrote in an open letter to British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.

“Until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this worldleading industry.”

The letter called for a clear timeline on when music venues could reopen, as well as support for businesses and jobs.

Dowden responded to the musicians in a tweet bit.ly/3dQmayJ on Thursday saying he is “pushing hard for these dates & to give you a clear roadmap back”.

He said decisions on

‘AGT’ back in production for Season 15 with major changes

“A

m e r i c a ’s G o t Talent” has resumed production on its current fifteenth season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The NBC competition series started shooting in Los Angeles last week and has multiple safety measures in place to ensure all cast and crew are protected.

Creator Simon Cowell and executive producers Sam Donnelly and Jason Raff told Deadline about the changes they’ve made.

The show has relocated to Simi Valley, where an

outdoor movie stage was transformed into a drive-in movie theater. The judges, Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and newbie Sofia Vergara will be seated in socially distanced chairs after arriving in separate cars.

There will also be only one “Judge Cuts” episode compared with the show’s usual four. The season’s live shows are scheduled to begin on Aug. 11, where 44 acts will perform over four weeks. “I could see the relief on the crews’ faces that they were back at work and

then we turned around the corner to the set we’d built and it was honestly one of the most amazing experiences I can remember for a long time,” Cowell told the outlet.

“It was something that encompasses the Southern California lifestyle and scenery that we all know and love, and in some ways are missing right now. Wait until you see the vehicles the judges arrive in. We simply had to have some fun with this,” explained Sam Donnelly and Jason Raff.

(FoxNews)

reopening of live music venues would be difficult as it relates to the future of social distancing.

Music venues, concerts and festivals - including the annual summer Glastonbury festival - were shuttered or cancelled in March when the COVID19 pandemic took hold in the country.

Britain, whose death toll from pandemic is approaching 55,000, showed a Reuters tally of official data sources, is in the process of gradually reopening retail stores, schools and pubs.

T h e mu s i c i a n s i n the letter said live music added 4.5 billion pounds ($5.6 billion) to the British economy and supported 210,000 jobs across the country in 2019.

The appeal was signed by musicians across genres and generations, including Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bob Geldof, Coldplay, Sting and Dua Lipa, as well as producers and operators of concert halls and clubs.

(Reuters)

Jason Momoa to voice Frosty the Snowman

"A

quaman" star Jason Momoa will voice the character of Frosty the Snowman in an upcoming live-action film of the same name.

At the moment, Momoa is in negotiations to star as Frosty the Snowman in the film. If the deal is sealed, Momoa will voice Frosty in the live-action/CG hybrid, reports variety.com.

Momoa will also produce the Warner Bros project. The actor's "Aquaman" was a massive hit for the Hollywood studio, raking in $1.14 billion at the worldwide box office. The studio is also developing a sequel.

The character Frosty the Snowman comes from the popular Christmas song written by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson. It was first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950 after the success of Autry's "Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer".

Momoa will next be seen in sci-fi saga "Dune" as Duncan Idaho.

(IANS)

Sushant case: Cops to record Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s statement

T

he Mumbai Police, which is probing the alleged suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has decided to record filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s statement in connection with the case this week, a senior officer said on Thursday.

Police have so far recorded the statements of nearly 30 persons in connection with the case, he said.

“We will ask Sanjay Leela Bhansali to record his statement this week in connection with the suicide case of Rajput,” the officer said.

The 30 persons, whose statements have been recorded so include Rajput’s family members, actorfriend Rhea Chakraborty, casting director Mukesh Chhabra and Yash Raj Films’ casting director Shanoo Sharma, he said.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his Bandra apartmenton June 14, police said.

(PTI)

Vishal Pandya

D

irector Vishal Pandya, who is known for helming the “Hate Story” franchise and “Wajah Tum Ho”, has started shooting for his upcoming web-series “Poison 2”. He says it is tough to shoot with all the restrictions.

“It is difficult to shoot with these restrictions and all because what happens is ‘ek hota hai paper likh kar aana’ (rules and regulations written on paper) that’s a different thing and implementing it that is a different thing. (There is) Social distancing and then unit strength is also less. It takes time,” Pandya told IANS. He says eventually K Y M C

people will get the hang of it.

“I think it is going to take a couple of weeks to get into the groove and make it a habit,” he said.

In this heat, wearing the PPE suits gets uncomfortable, Pandya pointed out. “I could see people are getting a little uncomfortable. Of course, no one was saying but somewhere you could sense the irritation.

It’s too hot wearing all these masks, PPE kits and gloves,” he said.

Still, everyone is following guidelines, from the lightmen to spot boys and actors, he said.

The director said a lot of scenes have been reworked keeping in mind

social distancing. “We changed a lot of scenes where one actor doesn’t have to touch the other actor. They have to maintain two to three feet distance.

Somewhere, we are compromising from a creative point of view -- I think it’s going to be with everyone,” he said.

Pandya saluted the frontline workers and health workers like doctors and nurses.

“Today, I salute all the front line warriors, doctors and everyone because we wore the PPE kit for just half a day and I can see the reaction. So, I salute all the doctors for what they are doing,” he said.

(IANS)

R

obbie Williams has revealed that he and wife Ayda Field were threatened with being beheaded while doing charity work in Haiti.

The singer visited the Caribbean country with Unicef after the 2010 earthquake which left an estimated 250,000 dead and 1.5 million people without homes.

Recalling the scary incident on Field’s Postcards from the Edge podcast, Williams said: ‘I got threatened to be beheaded in Haiti.

We were going out there to help.

“I was like, ‘Should we go to the next street then?’, and looking back, it was scary.”

Field added: “I was with you. I too was being threatened to be beheaded as well.”

Williams previously discussed seeing the aftermath of the earthquake and explained: “As we walked around Jacmel on the first day, it’s hard to explain in words the massive and

Robbie Williams

devastating impact that the earthquake clearly had – it’s a whole different league from what I had imagined I would see.

“It was almost unbelievable, like a movie set.

Cars completely crushed –

some still poking out from underneath the buildings that have fallen on top of them.” In May, Williams also re-joined his Take That bandmates for a one-off virtual charity show.

(NME)

R

od MacSween, renowned music agent and founder/ CEO of ITB (International Talent Booking), spoke to Pollstar about his nearly three-decade-long working relationship with German hard rock legends Scorpions.

Asked about the band’s upcoming tour plans, he said: “The Vegas residency is being moved to 2021, along with a full-blown USA run. We’re planning some European festivals (current climate permitting) for summer 2021, then a fall 2021 European run, including an extensive German run.”

Scorpions’ “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency, which was scheduled to kick off on July 4 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, was called off due the coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping the globe.

“Sin City Nights” was slated to include nine performances during July 2020: 4, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18,

Elton John

E

Robbie Williams threatened with being beheaded during trip to Haiti

Scorpions to embark on ‘full-blown’ US tour in 2021

Difficult to shoot with social distancing Elton John announces weekly concert series restrictions, says ‘Poison 2’ director

lton John has announced the launch of the ‘Elton John: Classic Concert Series’, which is set to feature a different archival concert of his every week.

The series will launch this Friday (July 3) at 5pm BST. It will premiere exclusively on John’s YouTube Channel, kicking off with John’s 1976 performance at Edinburgh’s Playhouse Theatre.

John’s performance of his 1973 single ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting’ at Edinburgh’s Playhouse Theatre in September 1976 was released today (July 2) as a teaser.

Following the full premiere on Friday, new archival footage will be shared on John’s YouTube channel every Saturday for six weeks.

The series was created in order to raise funds

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.

“My Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund helps frontline partners prepare for and respond to the pandemic and its effects on HIV prevention and care for the most marginalized communities,” John said in a statement.

“We cannot jeopardize HIV testing and care during this time or else the results could be disastrous for the 37.5 million people living with HIV. So, I’m really happy to connect this YouTube Concert series to benefit our Foundation’s urgent COVID response.”

Recently, John dubbed Rina Sawayama‘s debut LP ‘SAWAYAMA’ his album of the year thus far in the latest episode of his Apple Music radio show, Rocket Hour.

(NME)

21, 23, 25.

Scorpions previously played a Las Vegas miniresidency in May 2016, consisting of five shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Scorpions are currently working on a new studio album. Tentatively due in 2021, the disc will mark the German hard rock

legends’ first release since 2017’s “Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads”, which was an anthology of SCORPIONS’ new and classic material.

Scorpions’ last fulllength collection of new recordings was 2015’s “Return To Forever”, partially comprising songs the band

had in the vault from the ‘80s.

It was the final recorded appearance of Scorpions’ longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced

by Mikkey Dee, formerly of Motörhead.

(Blabbermouth)

Saif Ali Khan gets trolled for claiming he is a victim of nepotism

S

aif Ali Khan declared in an interview that he has been a victim of nepotism, but he only ended up being a target of memes and tolls in social media.

“Nepotism in its purest form is something that even I have been a victim of... I am not going to take names but somebody’s dad has rung up and said don’t take him, take him in the movie. All that happens and it has happened to me,” Saif Ali Khan said in an interview with The New Indian Express.

However, the comment did not go down well with netizens. Trolls and memes started targeting the actor, who is the son of renowned actress Sharmila Tagore and late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

“Saif Ali Khan: I am the victim of nepotism.

Memers: Is this a joke?,” reads a meme. “#SaifAliKhan who brought the theory of Eugenics and Gifted Genes to justify Nepotism in 2017, today talking about being a victim of Nepotism. His mother bought him the National Award over Shah Rukh Khan in Swades.

He’d even tried to trivialize the Nepotism debate at an Award Show,” tweeted a user.

Saif Ali Khan

“Congratulations #SaifAliKhan. You just graduated from the Ananya Pandey institute of Struggle!!,” reads another sarcastic tweet.

“Facts in countr y nowadays.. Sunny Leone is Virgin; Kejriwal is Best CM; Rahul Gandhi Is PM candidate; CRPF kills Citizens; Sonam Kapoor got Telant; Saif Ali khan is victim of Nepotism; Sushant Singh Rajput was Depressed,” tweeted another user.

“I think he doesn’t know the meaning of nepotism, please someone teach him the meaning of that #Saifalikhan,” urged another user.

Ever since Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise, the nepotism debate has become a hot topic of discussion on social media.

Star kids are facing flak from netizens for allegedly enjoying a privileged status over outsiders in the film industry.

(IANS) K Y M C

11

sports

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

Aubameyang ‘willing to SPAL hold AC Milan 2-2 in Serie A stay’ at Arsenal, says Arteta

Players of AC Milan and SPAL fight for the ball during their Serie A match.

MILAN, Jul 2 (Agencies): AC Milan were rescued by an extraordinary own goal from Francesco Vicari as they fought back to draw 2-2 against lowly 10-man SPAL on Wednesday after 38-year-old Sergio Floccari scored one of the goals of the season for the hosts.

SPAL, playing the sec-

ond half with a man less, were on the brink of an unlikely win until Alexis Saelemaekers sent a harmless ball into the area and Vicari, under no pressure, stuck out a leg and diverted it into his own goal.

It was heart-breaking for SPAL after they defied Milan with a courageous rearguard action for the

whole second half.

The hosts had stunned Milan by taking a 2-0 lead in half an hour with Floccari getting on the scoresheet with an audacious volley over Gianluigi Donnarumma from 35 metres.

Milan, who brought on 38-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the second half following his recovery

Guardiola rules out Sancho’s return

Pep Guardiola

Manchester, Jul 2 (IANS): Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola categorically denied that Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho could return to Etihad Stadium and stated the move won’t make any sense. Sancho played for two years in the Manchester City youth set-up before deciding to move to Bundesliga with Dortmund in 2017.

He has gone on to be-

come one of the most talented youngsters in world football currently and attracted interest from some of the elite European clubs, including City’s cross-town rivals Manchester United.

“No, no, no. He (Sancho) decided to leave. Why should he decide to come back?” Guardiola said via video conference before their clash against Liverpool as per Sky Sports.

“We wanted him to

stay like Eric Garcia and Phil (Foden) but he decided like Leroy now and myself, when I decided to move to other countries to be a manager, to move.

“When he decided to move to Dortmund it’s not because he is going to decide to come back one year later. It would make no sense. He didn’t want to be here, so that is why I think he doesn’t want to come back here,” he added.

Sancho has been linked with a potential move back to the Premier League with United reportedly leading the race.

Dortmund’s asking price - which is reported to be somewhere in the region of 100 million pounds - remains a stumbling block for the Englishman’s potential suitors.

Sancho featured in 32 Bundesliga games (25 starts) this season and scored 17 goals and assisted 16 times as Dortmund finished (69) second on the table behind champions Bayern Munich (82).

from a calf muscle injury suffered during the coronavirus stoppage, stayed seventh with 43 points and SPAL one off the bottom on 19.

“There was disappointment,” said SPAL coach Luigi Di Biagio.

“It’s normal after giving so much and running so much — it leaves a lot of bitter-

Djokovic tests negative for COVID-19

Belgrade, Jul 2 (IANS): Tennis World No.1 Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena have both tested negative for coronavirus, the player’s media team said on Thursday. Djokovic was the fourth player to test positive after participating in his Adria Tour which ended up producing a cluster of coronavirus cases.

“Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena are negative for COVID-19. That was shown by the results of the PCR tests that both had in Belgrade,” said the statement.

The statement says both had no symptoms and that they were in self-isolation in the Serbian capital since testing positive 10 days ago.

Djokovic has been under fire in recent days due to the lack of social distancing norms followed during the Adria Tour. He has however found support from Serbian athletes and even the Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.

ness in the mouth. We’re alive. Let’s try to continue because I couldn’t ask more of the boys. I’m really proud of what they’ve done.”

SPAL went ahead in the 13th minute thanks to shambolic Milan defending. A corner was launched into the goalmouth and it bounced off three Milan players before falling to Mattia Valoti who turned it into the net.

The second was a masterpiece as Bryan Dabo headed the ball forward in midfield and it bounced to Floccari who spotted Donnarumma off his line and volleyed it over the startled goalkeeper.

Hakan Calhanoglu had the ball in the net for Milan but it was chalked off for offside against Ante Rebic in the build-up.

Just before the break, SPAL midfielder Mirko Valdifiori flew in recklessly on Theo Hernandez and was initially booked but his studs were dangerously high and it was changed to a red card after VAR review.

Milan, who had 25 shots on goal and 16 corners, pulled one back through Rafael Leao with 11 minutes left before the hapless Vicari came to their rescue.

London, Jul 2 (IANS): Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said star striker and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is willing to stay at the club despite reports linking him with a move away from Emirates Stadium in recent times.

Aubameyang, who scored two goals during Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Norwich on Wednesday, has just one year left on his current contract with ‘The Gunners’.

“He (Aubameyang) is willing to stay with us,” Arteta was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

“He is really happy where he is. He can see what we are tr ying to do and hopefully he can evolve as well some parts of his game he might feel he can improve. We are pushing him every day. I leave that to the football club and the senior people that finalise the contracts,” he added.

Following his brace against ‘The Canaries’, Aubameyang became the fastest Arsenal player to score 50 goals in the Premier League.

It took him just 79 matches to achieve the landmark and he broke legendary Frenchman Thi-

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

erry Henry’s record, who took 83 matches to score 50 goals for the club.

“Auba knows really well what my thoughts are

towards him and the project that I want to create, and how much he is part of that. And after that it is not in my hands,” Arteta said.

Villarreal move closer to CL spot Madrid, Jul 2 (Agencies): Gerard Moreno scored a pair of first-half goals as Villarreal defeated 10-man Real Betis 2-0 on Wednesday to move closer to a Champions League spot in the Spanish league.

It was Villarreal’s fifth win in six matches after the pandemic break, moving it three points being fourth-place Sevilla with five rounds remaining. It is two points ahead of sixth-place Getafe, which visits leader Real Madrid.

It is the first time this season Villarreal has been as high as fifth in the league standings.

A 2-2 draw against Sevilla at home was Villarreal’s only setback after the league resumed last month.

Moreno converted a seventh-minute penalty kick and added to the lead from inside the area in the 30th to become the league’s topscoring Spaniard with 15 goals. Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema has 17 goals and Barcelona’s Argentine playmaker Lionel

Players of Villarreal and Real Betis fight for the ball during their La Liga match.

Messi has 22. Betis played a man down the entire second half at its Benito Villamarín Stadium as Nabil Fekir was sent off after being shown yellow cards a few minutes apart in first-half stoppage time.

Betis, whose only win after the break came against last-place Espanyol, stayed in 13th place.

Valencia lost 2-0 to

Athletic Bilbao at home for its third straight defeat, dropping to 10th place and moving further away from the qualification spots for the European competitions.

It was the team’s first match since coach Albert Celades was fired on Monday. The team’s only win since the league resumed came against midtable Osa-

suna.

Raúl García scored a goal in each half for Athletic, which moved to seventh place with its second consecutive win.

Granada stayed in the fight for a Europa League spot with a 2-0 win at Alavés, while Valladolid missed a penalty kick late in second-half stoppage time in a 0-0 draw against Levante.

Man Utd No fans at La Liga stadiums Lewis Hamilton targets record as F1 returns confirm Gomes

S p i e l b e rg, J u l 2 (IANS): Defending champion Lewis Hamilton will be targetting Michael Schumacher’s record when Formula One returns this weekend after the 2019-20 season was savaged due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Austria’s Red Bull Ring in Spielberg will play host to the first race of the season, which otherwise would have been the 11th race on the normal calendar.

Six-time champion Hamilton, who is gunning to equal Schumacher’s alltime record of seven titles, stated recently that everyone will have to follow changes put in place by the authorities for the sport to operate successfully in the wake of the pandemic. “We are preparing the best way we can for what is going to be the most difficult season that Formula 1 and all of us has experienced,” Hamilton told Mercedes earlier this week as per Sky Sports.

“With the difficult times that we’re facing and the changes that we have to make in order to operate.”

Several laws have been put in place for safety of everyone involved which will see the F1 in a brand new K Y M C

departure

Lewis Hamilton

avatar altogether.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, who had earlier announced that this will be his final year with Ferrari, expressed his happiness with the prospect of getting back on the circuit after the long enforced break.

We’ve been waiting now for quite a long time and it has started to feel like a long time,” Vettel told Ferrari as per Sky Sports.

“Having a tease in Mugello was nice but getting back in the real car for the real thing is definitely what we are looking forward

to. Going racing, competing with the others Austria is a place that I like and a circuit that I like so it’s good to know that we are finally allowed to get back,” he added.

Meanwhile in a noble gesture, Mercedes will have black-liveried cars in the 2020 season as the world champions aim to make a visual stand against racism and for diversity in the wake of ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign.

Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will race black-liveried Mercedes cars.

Further, Formula One drivers have also discussed ‘taking a knee’ at the seasonopening Austrian Grand Prix as per reports.

McLaren’s Lando Norris has said: “If we are going to do it, we should all do it as a grid.

“We will do whatever we can to show we care and respect everyone. We will do what is right when the time comes,” he was quoted as saying by BBC. The 2020 season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed

a week later by a second race at the same track on July 12.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will take place a week after that, before a break.

Then there will be two backto-back races at Silverstone (August 2 & August 9), followed by the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona (August 16).

The Belgian GP will follow that on August 30, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6. All the races will be supported by Formula 2 and Formula 3.

London, Jul 2 (IANS): Manchester United have confir med that Angel Gomes has left the club as the 19-year-old rejected the offer of a new contract.

Gomes joined the Reds youth academy when he was six years old and made his first team debut at the age of 16 in 2017. The attacking midfielder made 10 senior appearances for the team in total. His last game for the Reds was the 4-0 win over Norwich City at Old Trafford in the Premier League in January, reports Xinhua news agency.

“Everybody at Manchester United would like to wish Angel the very best of luck for the future and thank him for his efforts for the club,” said Manchester United in a statement on Wednesday.

According to British media reports, the talented footballer rejected an offer of 30,000 pounds ($37,400) weekly wage from the Reds as he was not assured of regular playing time under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

for rest of the season

Madrid, Jul 2 (Agencies): Spain’s secretary for sport Irene Lozano and LaLiga president Javier Tebas have categorically ruled out fans returning to matches before the end of this season to minimise the risk of the novel coronavirus spreading.

Tebas said last month that fans should be allowed back once it is safe to do so, while the league drew up a draft protocol in the event that the government’s department for sport approved their return.

Yet Lozano, who has repeatedly stated that the campaign should finish without supporters as those were the conditions for matches returning after the March hiatus, drew a line under the matter in a breakfast meeting with reporters on Thursday.

“The safest thing to do is to complete the season without spectators,” she said.

“Football moves masses of people, it’s not like the theatre. A match behindclosed-doors is attended by only 250 people, but a stadium only at one-third of its capacity could mean 30,000 people. That’s why it’s different to other activities.”

None of Europe’s top five leagues have been able to hold matches with spectators since football has returned, although championships in countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria and Denmark have allowed fans back in to matches.

Tebas said that the league was no longer planning for fans to return, adding that the main obstacle was the prospect of people congregating before and after games, as happened at a recent derby between Sporting Gijon and Real Oviedo.

“Right now LaLiga is not prioritising the return of supporters to stadiums,” he said.

K Y M C

12

sports

Nagaland Post, Dimapur FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2020

working to mark 1 year West Ham beat Chelsea 3-2 in EPL IOC to go until Tokyo Olympics

With only goal difference keeping West Ham out of the relegation zone at kick-off, they were pushed back early on by Chelsea, with Marcos Alonso and Willian hitting the target for the Blues, who were wearing their new home shirts.

But Antonio was a threat on the break and should have done better when he scuffed wide on 13 minutes. Pulisic then blew a good chance of his own at the other end, curling over from 15 yards out as Chelsea resumed control.

However, it was West Ham who thought they’d

taken the lead against the run of play on 34 minutes when Soucek finished off a goalmouth scramble - but after three and a half minutes of deliberation, VAR ruled the floored Antonio was offside.

Chelsea rubbed salt in West Ham wounds by winning a penalty at the other end moments later when Pulisic was too slick for Issa Diop and Willian made no mistake from the spot.

But West Ham refused to be denied and from another corner, Soucek once again got the better of Cesar Azpilicueta at the back

post and headed the hosts level seconds before the half-time whistle with his first goal for the club.

West Ham began the second half impressively and within six minutes of the restart completed the comeback when Antonio - who had a good penalty appeal against Rudiger in the build-up - slammed home Jarrod Bowen’s low centre.

But hopes of a vital win were short-lived, and when the standout Pulisic was brought down on the edge of the box Willian whipped a fantastic freekick in off the post - although Lukasz Fabianski’s positioning on his side of the wall looked questionable.

Sub Jack Wilshere making his first appearance since October - played in Antonio for a one-on-one but Kepa Arrizabalaga was out well to deal with the danger before Chelsea replacement Olivier Giroud mis-kicked at the vital moment at the other end.

There was no mistake from Yarmolenko though.

The ice-cool Ukrainian - who had left Alonso trailing - showed exemplary composure in the final moments to twist past Rudiger and fired past Kepa to grab three vital points for his side. Chelsea host Watford on Saturday while West Ham travel to Newcastle on Sunday.

Rijiju, Sindhu to launch Fit India Talks

Casillas bids goodbye to FC Porto

Zidane warns Real about overconfidence

Players of West Ham and Chelsea fight for the ball during their Premier League match.

Lo n d o n, J u l 2 (Agencies): Andriy Yarmolenko stepped off the bench to hit the winner as West Ham shrugged off VAR controversy to beat Chelsea 3-2 and give their Premier League survival hopes a huge boost.

The Hammers had controversially been denied an opener when Tomas Soucek’s strike was scrubbed out by VAR but battled back from Willian’s (42) penalty to lead when Soucek (45+2) and Michail Antonio (51) netted either side of the break.

However, a superb free-kick from Willian (72)

looked to have shared the points until West Ham broke away and Antonio teed up Yarmolenko to cut past Antonio Rudiger to fire home in the 89th minute.

That goal sealed just the third win of David Moyes’ second tenure at West Ham and lifts the Hammers three points above the relegation zone with six games remaining.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be frustrated at failing to capitalise on Leicester’s loss to Everton earlier in the day, when a win in east London would have moved them up to third.

Kiren Rijiju

PV Sindhu

New Delhi, Jul 2 (IANS): The government of India’s flagship program Fit India on Thursday announced that it is launching a series of interactive sessions with some of the top sportspersons of the country intended to inspire the schoolchildren.

The sessions, titled Fit India Talks, premieres Friday July 3 in the presence of Union Minister of Human Resource Development Dr. R.P. Nishank, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju as

well as badminton star P.V. Sindhu and Indian football team skipper Sunil Chhetri.

The Fit India Talks sessions are being organized in association with SAI and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

“I requested Kiren Rijiju ji to speak to our schoolchildren directly through a platform and not only did he completely oblige but also decided on bringing aboard the likes of PV Sindhu and Sunil Chhetri on board for our first session. All of us

will be present on July 3.

Please ask whatever you want and we’ll answer you during the session at 5 pm,” Nishank was quoted as saying in the release.

A host of leading sports celebrities will be sharing their experiences of childhood, stories on how they got inspired, their failures, struggles and their success.

This will give the audience a very inspirational yet interesting account of their journeys -- from common students to world-class champions.

“This is a series where the champion athletes will speak to the students and share their inspirational life stories. I invite all the schoolstudents, teachers and the parents to join in and interact with us directly,” Rijiju was quoted as saying in the release.

Madrid, Jul 2 (IANS): Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Iker Casillas has brought an end to his five-year stint with Portuguese club Porto. His contract with the club ended on Wednesday.

On July 11, 2015, Casillas had signed with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Porto on a two-year deal with the option of a one-year extension.

He had suffered a heart attack during a training session last year and had not played any competitive football since April, 2019.

FC Porto released a video on their Twitter handle titled “Iker Casillas: Forever one of us” in tribute to the goalkeeper, who made 156 competitive appearances for the club.

Dugarry calls Messi ‘half autistic’ Madrid, Jul 2 (Agencies): Former France striker Christophe Dugarry has been roundly criticised for insensitive comments made towards Lionel Messi, in which he referred to the Argentine as a “1.5m tall kid” who is “half autistic”.

Dugarry was speaking on RMC Sport as part of the broadcaster’s coverage of Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, a match in which Griezmann was subbed on for the final minutes of yet another disappointing display under Quique Setien.

The 48-year-old maintains that Griezmann’s struggles to nail down a starting spot at Camp Nou are down to a lack of harmony and caused outrage when proposing a solution to the problem.

“What is [Griezmann] afraid of ? A kid who is 1.5 metres tall and half autistic?” the 1998 World Cup winner said. “All he has to do is show some balls at some point.”

“I’ve been saying for a year that he has a problem with Messi. He has to hit him in the face. It’s true that Messi could give him more passes, but honestly I am not surprised. Griezmann loses balls, doesn’t

Lionel Messi

play with confidence.

Of course, Dugarry’s Griezmann should go and comments caused outrage talk to Messi to solve the throughout the football problem.” world and he has since

issued an apology, albeit later deciding to delete the response from his social media account.

“I’m sincerely sorry for the breadth and depth of my remarks about Lionel Messi,” he tweeted. “I didn’t want to stigmatise people with autism disorders, that was not my intention. I apologise to the people I shocked and will do it again (apologise) on Team Duga (TV show) this evening.”

Messi was not the only Barca employee Dugarry singled out for criticism, however, with under-fire coach Setien getting both barrels from the Frenchman.

“He is not a decisive coach. Setien is very nice but he doesn’t have the right credentials – he didn’t know who to change,” Dugarry said. “He replaced Sergio Busquets in the 85th minute to bring in Ansu Fati and launched Griezmann in the 90th.”

“I don’t think it’s anything against Griezmann, he just doesn’t know how to get this team to play.

He’s completely overwhelmed. I’m convinced that he has nothing against Griezmann, but rather he is just incompetent.”

People wearing protective face masks are seen in front of the Giant Olympic rings at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo. (File)

Tokyo, Jul 2 (Agencies): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is working with Tokyo 2020 to find a suitable way to mark one year to go until the postponed Olympic Games, according to senior IOC official Christophe Dubi.

Tokyo 2020 confirmed last month that it would not hold any large-scale events to celebrate the milestone, which falls on July 23, due to the coronavirus crisis.

Dubi, the IOC executive director for the Olympic Games, told insidethegames the organisation and Tokyo 2020 were looking at how the one year to go date – typically an important one for organisers – could be observed.

“We will have to mark the milestone,” Dubi said.

“We are working on this with Tokyo 2020 and

we hope to generate some positive energy around the milestone.”

Tokyo 2020 held a oneyear-to-go celebration on July 24, 2019, which included the unveiling of the Olympic medal designs and an event attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzü Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach.

Such celebrations are traditionally staged by each Summer and Winter Olympic Games Organising Committee. The decision from Tokyo 2020 not to stage similar events this year is understandable given the global health situation, coupled with a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the Olympic and Paralympic host city.

Dubi said Tokyo 2020 is also hoping to have some of the “fundamentals” in

place by the end of the month, including venues and the competition schedule, as part of its roadmap for the postponed event.

“This is what is currently being done, negotiating with the venues, the hotels and with the village et cetera,” Dubi added.

“It is a monumental task, we talk with them very regularly and they are progressing. They are very thorough and we are very confident.”

The upcoming months are expected to see Tokyo 2020 coordinate with partners towards a basic agreement of service levels and install countermeasures for challenges caused by the postponement.

The rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8 in 2021.

Madrid, Jul 2 (IANS): Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane caused a surprise after he left winger Eden Hazard out of his squad to face Getafe in the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium on Thursday night.

Hazard still hasn’t got back to anywhere near his best form after a long-term ankle injury. Speaking in his press conference before announcing the squad, Zidane was asked about several hard challenges the winger had received since the return of football to Spain, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We know he is very good, and our rivals know that as well. Our rivals play hard, but we have to be relaxed. Eden has had a few problems because he has been out of action for

a long time, and we have to have patience with him, but he will be fine again soon,” explained Zidane.

Barcelona’s 2-2 draw at home to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday means that Real Madrid can go four points clear of their title rival with a win on Thursday. “I am happy and proud of the players because what they are doing isn’t easy. However, we still have six finals to play, and we have to give everything.

We are in good shape, but that doesn’t mean anything,” commented the Real Madrid coach, who doesn’t want to see an excess of confidence.

“There are 18 points to play for, and I am not Zinedine Zidane going to say anything until we are mathematically this situation as a player, haven’t won anything,” he champions. I have been in and at the moment, we insisted.

Graves in contention as next ICC chairman

Gauff can change the world: Navratilova

Dubai, Jul 2 (Agencies): Shashank Manohar has stepped down as chairman of the International Cricket Council, with Colin Graves in contention to replace him.

Manohar became the first independent chair of the ICC upon his appointment in 2016 and has gone on to head the world’s governing body for two terms.

The Indian administrator was re-elected unopposed after his initial two years but has opted to walk away with immediate effect, leaving deputy Imran Khwaja in charge on an interim basis.

ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said, “On behalf of the ICC Board and staff and the whole cricket family, I would like to thank Shashank for his leadership and everything he has done for the sport as ICC Chairman. We wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”

The board will approve the process for his succession in the next week, with former England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Graves a leading contender.

Coco Gauff

London, Jul 2 (IANS): Legendary tennis player Martina Navratilova heaped praise on 16-yearold America sensation Coco Gauff for her powerful speech at a ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest recently.

Gauff had delivered a strong message last month during a demonstration at Delray Beach in Florida in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police personnel.

Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during the course of her illustrious career, stated Gauff wants to change the

world for the better and her immense following at such a young age can help her realise that dream.

“She’s (Gauff) just so poised on and off the court.

She was just really brought up with great qualities and it shows how she plays, it shows how she’s active now politically,” Navratilova said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“I smile so much when I see the reach that she already has now and she will have in the future.

She’s one of those people that can change the world for the better and she seems to want to do that.”

“ I t h i n k t h e way things are going now, with some countries making great progress and some countries, like ours here in America - in my opinion going backwards in time, I think it’s essential that people get involved,” she added.

G a uff c a ug ht the imagination of tennis followers worldwide after she stunned Venus Williams in the opening round of 2019 Wimbledon.

She won her first WTA title, aged 15, at the 2019 Linz Open and became the youngest women’s singles title holder since 2004.

Printed, Published and Edited by Geoffrey Yaden at G.M. Printers, Circular Rd. Dimapur-797112. Ph: Desk 248489, Fax: 225366, e-mail-npdesk@gmail.com. Adm.& Advertisement  :248267 Fax: 248500 e-mail-npostadvt@gmail.com Kohima: 2290567, R.N. 40978/90 RN/NE 707 K Y M C

K Y M C