All Pastors of Sümi Churches in Dimapur Area Under WSBAK

Bei jin g, Feb 29 (IANS): The death toll due to the deadly coronavirus in mainland China increased to 2,835 on Saturday, with an overall 79,251 cases, according to health authorities.

The National Health Commission said that it received reports of 427 new cases and 47 deaths on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Among the deaths, 45 were in Hubei province and one each in Beijing and Henan.

The Commission added that 1,418 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus, while a total of 39,002 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

On Saturday, the first official economic data confirmed fears that the Chinese economy has been badly hit by the coronavirus, with a February plunge in manufacturing activity, reports the South China Morning Post.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) slowed to 35.7, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, having slipped to 50.0 in January when the full impact of the coronavirus was not yet evident.

A PMI reading of 50 marks the point between expansion and contraction.

Globally, more than 83,650 people in over 50 countries have been infected.

As of Saturday morning, the number of confirmed cases outside China were reported in South Korea (2,931), Japan (940, including 705 on Diamond Princess), Italy (888), Iran (388), Singapore (98), Hong Kong (94), the US (60), France (57), Germany (53), Kuwait (45), Spain (41), Thailand (41), Taiwan (39), Bahrain (36), Malaysia (25), Australia (24), the UK (20), the UAE Workers sewing material suits to be used in the COVID19 outbreak, at the Zhejiang in Wenzhou on Friday. (19), Vietnam (16), Canada (14), Macau (eight), Iraq (eight), Sweden (seven), Oman (six), Switzerland (five), Russia (five), Croatia (five), Israel (four), Greece (four), Philippines (three), India (three), Lebanon (three), Romania (three), Mexico (two), the Netherlands (two), Pakistan (two), Austria (two), Georgia (two), Finland (two), and one each in Nigeria, Norway, Lithuania, Belarus, Brazil, Belgium, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Cambodia and North Macedonia, according to figures issued by the South China Morning Post.

The deaths outside China were recorded in Iran (34), Italy (21), South Korea (16), Japan (11), Hong Kong (two), France (one), Taiwan (one) and the Philippines (one).

The latest developments came as the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday upgraded the global risk of the outbreak to its highest level, the BBC reported.

But the UN body said there was still a chance of containing the virus if its chain of transmission were broken.

WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also stressed that fear and misinformation were the biggest challenges to overcome.

Asia Bibi with French President Emmanuel Macron, Friday at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (PTI)

PARIS, FEB 29 (IANS): Aasia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who was cleared by the country’s Supreme Court of blasphemy charges after spending eight years on death row, has said that she always believed she would be freed.

Bibi made the remarks on Friday in an exclusive interview to the BBC during a visit to France where she is promoting her memoir, “Enfin Libre!” (Finally Free), written with French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet.

Bibi, who now resides in Canada following her acquittal in 2018, told the BBC that her Christian faith helped her through the ordeal.

“They said change your faith, and you’ll be freed. But I said no. I will live my sentence. With my faith,” she said.

“I found out from my husband that the whole world was praying for me. And that even the Pope had prayed for me. That made me happy. And I found out the whole world was praying for my misery to end.

“That made me feel that their prayers would definitely free me.”

Despite her ordeal, Bibi told the BBC that she still felt positively about Pakistan and hoped to return there one day.

“It was my country that freed me. That makes me proud,” she said, while calling on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to free anyone unjustly accused or convicted of blasphemy and to ensure that the charges were investigated properly.

“Innocents should not be punished for no reason and people who are innocent, in prison, should be freed,” Bibi told the BBC.

Kua la Lumpur , Feb 29 (IANS): Former Home Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be sworn in on Sunday as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia, the National Palace said in a statement on Saturday following a week of political power struggles.

The surprise announcement from the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said the King had agreed to appoint Muhyiddin as premier after receiving a list of nominees from party leaders and independent MPs, and deeming that he may have the majority support needed in Parliament, reports Efe news. Muhyiddin will be sworn in at the National Palace at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday. “(The King) said the appointment of the Prime Minister cannot be delayed for the sake and wellbeing of the nation... He believes this is the best decision for everyone and hopes this puts an end to the political crisis at the moment,” Ahmad Fadil said. The political crisis was sparked by the stepping-down of Mahathir Mohamad as Prime MinisMuhyiddin Yassin waves to media outside his house after being appointed as the new prime minister in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday. (AP/PTI) ter and Bersatu party chairman on Monday. The King had accepted his resignation and had appointed him as interim premier until a new government was former.

The palace’s announcement of Muhyiddin as the new leader came hours after Mahathir said he had the numbers needed to be the next Prime Minister, and the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition announced its support for him.

Mahathir’s Bersatu party on Friday nominated its president Muhyiddin as its prime ministerial candidate. In a twist on Saturday, Muhyiddin also declared himself Bersatu chairman, even though Mahathir returned to that position during the week.

Bersatu’s SecretaryGeneral then released a statement refuting Muhyiddin’s claim, saying the only person who has absolute power to lead the party was chairman Mahathir. On Saturday morning after a meeting with leaders of the PH coalition, Mahathir said in a statement that he was confident he had “the numbers needed to garner majority support in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament).”

ISTANBUL , FEB 29 (AFP): A Turkish official said Saturday that Turkey destroyed a chemical warfare facility after dozens of its soldiers were killed by Syrian regime fire in the last-rebel enclave of Idlib province.

The Turkish army destroyed overnight “a chemical warfare facility, located some 13 kilometres south of Aleppo, along with a large number of other regime targets,” the senior official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on sources inside the war-torn country, said that Turkey instead hit a military airport in eastern Aleppo, where the monitoring group says there are no chemical weapons.

Thirty-three Turkish soldiers were killed in an air strike by Russian-backed Syrian regime forces in the Idlib region on Thursday, the biggest Turkish military loss on the battlefield in recent years.

The latest incident has raised further tensions between Ankara and Moscow, whose relationship has been tested by violations of a 2018 deal to prevent a regime offensive on Idlib.

As part of the agreement, Ankara set up 12 observation posts in the province but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces -- backed by Russian air power -- have pressed on with a relentless campaign to take back the region.

On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with his Russian counter part, Vladimir Putin, in a bid to scale down the tensions.

Erdogan may travel next week to Moscow for talks, according to the Kremlin.

Depite being on opposite ends, Turkey, which backs several rebel groups in Syria, and key regime ally Russia are trying to find a political solution to the Syria conflict. Destroyed chemical warfare facility in Syria: Turkey Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers Ra ma lla h, Feb 29 (IANS): Dozens of Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in different areas in the West Bank, medics said. Around 134 Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers’ gunfire, rubber bullets and tear gas in the clashes on Friday, mainly near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Xinhua news agency quoted the Palestinian Red Crescent Society as saying. Witnesses said that demonstrators threw stones at Israeli soldiers in protest to earlier Israeli settlers’ assaults on south and west of Nablus. Similar clashes broke out in the village of Kafr Qaddum, near the city of Qalqilya, where Palestinian dem- onstrators burned tires and threw stones at the soldiers.

15 th DEATH ANNIVERSARY Lt. Mr. Kivikhe Aye

Seems like yesterday that you left us but your benevolence and guidance help us go forth the journey of life. Man is mortal but his deeds are immortal.

Thank you for all the beautiful memories; you are always cherished. God be with us till we meet again.

DP-1601

Your loving wife, children & grandchildren.

We the bereaved family of Late Echo Wanjai of Angphang village would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to each and every individual, Church, neighbours, well wishers from far and near who stood by us financially, materially, physically and most of all through prayer during our deepest time of sorrow at the sad demise of our most beloved Grandmother.

Although we are unable to thank individually, it's our earnest prayer that may our Heavenly Father bless each and every one of you abundantly. Dear Grandma, With the gift of years Comes the treasure of knowing That there are many who love you dearly The memories you've made with us will last forever. The tenderness you've shared with us will never fade. The most wonderful you could ever gift is a special part of you. And the truth your love has taught us can only be strengthened by the gift of time. For where roots grow deep, memories grow forever. You may be gone from families but you' re never gone from our hearts. We will miss you beyond measure.

With prayer, Loving sons, daughters, children, in laws & grandchildren. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Born 14-04-1917 Died 26-02-2020 K-587 K-458

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We, the family members of Lt. Yantsao Shitiri are sincerely grateful to each and every individual who have given us support and comfort physically, materially, financially & through prayers during this time of loss on 9 th Feb. 2020.

Your expression of sympathy will always be remembered. God bless you all.

Loving family members DP-1581 DP-1596

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing".

K-549

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” 2 Timothy 4:7

We, the bereaved family of Lt. Zakievolie (Mezhülhoulie Angami) would like to convey our sincere gratitude to every individual, Organisations, Churches, Village communities, Relatives, Friends, Neighbors, and well wishers who stood by us through Physically, Financially, Spiritually during the illness and demise of our beloved on 9 th February 2020 Our special thanks to: Zion Hospital Dimapur Blood Donors Chedema Village Chedema Baptist Church BKK Chedema Chedema Baptist Miapuonuo Krotho Chedema Kuda Krotho Chedema Dimapur Thenuko Krotho Chedema Chiipahi Krotho Crossway Christian Revival Church Dimapur Angami Baptist Church Council Office Staff Vilie Krotho Chedema Razha Society Dimapur Thevo Tsanuo Uneikosa Peli Kikruma Welfare Association Kohima Airtel Staff Kohima 4 th NAP C. Coy Circuit House Colony Council Apex Motor Enterprise We regret our inability to mention each and every individual but may the Almighty God bless you all abundantly in return for your good deeds

Loving wife, children, in-laws, relatives and family members 15/10/1961 TO 09/02/2020 DP-1584