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The prevention and control of dengue in Nepal depends on effective vector control – WHO

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu ,  WHO  — Dengue is endemic in Nepal. The country is experiencing a surge in cases that started from the week commencing 8 August to 26 August. Between January to 28 September 2022, a total of 28 109 confirmed and suspected dengue cases and 38 confirmed deaths due to dengue have been recorded, affecting all seven provinces. The causative serotype(s) is unknown. This represents the largest dengue outbreak in Nepal with regard to the cumulative number of cases reported nationwide per year.

Description of the outbreak

Between January and 28 September 2022, a total of 28 109 suspected and confirmed cases of dengue fever including 38 confirmed deaths (overall CFR 0.13%) have been reported from all seven provinces of Nepal, affecting all 77 districts in Nepal (Figure 1). Bagmati province which is the second-most populous province has reported the highest number of cases (78.2%) and deaths (68.4%).

According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of the Ministry of Health and Population, the highest number of new cases in 2022 have been reported in the districts of Kathmandu (n=9528; 33.8%), Lalitpur (n=6548; 23.2%), and Makwanpur (n=2776, 9.8%).

Data on demographics was available for 23% of cases (n= 6734) of which 76% (5175/6734) were aged 15-59 years old, and 54% were males (n=3637). As of 28 September, 38 deaths have been verified, of which males and cases aged 15 – 59 years old each accounted for 55% (n=21) of reported deaths. Cases aged over 60 years old accounted for 39% (n=15) of reported deaths.

Dengue cases have increased since July coinciding with the rainy season with majority of the cases reported during September (83.6%; n=23 514)

The proximity of mosquito vector breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for dengue virus infection.  Although dengue does not spread from human to human, mosquitoes can become infected after biting infected individuals. This cycle, therefore, makes the infected mosquito capable of spreading the dengue virus among households and in the neighbourhood, leading to clusters of cases.

The prevention and control of dengue depend on effective vector control. WHO does not recommend that any general travel or trade restrictions be applied to Nepall. WHO promotes a strategic approach known as Integrated Vector Management (IVM) to control mosquito vectors, including Aedessubspecies (the vector of dengue). IVM should be enhanced to remove potential breeding sites, reduce vector populations, and minimize individual exposure. This should involve vector control strategies for larvae and adults (i.e., environmental management and source reduction, and chemical control measures), as well as strategies for protecting people and households.

Vector control activities should focus on all areas where there is a risk of human-vector contact (place of residence, workplaces, schools and hospitals, and construction sites in Kathmandu Valley). Vector control activities can include covering, draining, and cleaning household water storage containers on a weekly basis. Space spraying with insecticide can be deployed as an emergency measure. Chlorination and application of suitable larvicides/insecticides for water storage in outdoor containers should also be considered.

Personal protective measures during outdoor activities include the application of repellents to exposed skin or clothing, and the wearing of long sleeves shirts and trousers. Indoors, additionally, protection can include the use of household insecticide aerosol products or mosquito coils. Window and door screens, as well as air conditioning, can reduce the probability of mosquitoes entering the house. Insecticide-treated nets offer good protection to people against mosquito bites while sleeping during the day. Since Aedes mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk, personal protective measures are recommended particularly at these times of the day.

There is no specific treatment for dengue infection, but early detection of warning signs and timely access to appropriate clinical management (including referral to an appropriate health care facility) reduce the risk for severe dengue complications and mortality. Vector and human case surveillance should continue to be enhanced in all affected areas and across the country. Where feasible, resources should be allocated for the strengthening of a sample referral mechanism for the confirmation and sub-typing of dengue virus.

WHO does not recommend that any general travel or trade restrictions be applied to Nepal based on the information available for this event.

‘Heat and Eat’ range of exotic Nepali foods now available in the UK

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London – Nepal Foods, in collaboration with BBC Masterchef Santosh Shah, has introduced a range of authentic and exotic Nepali foods in the UK market.

Launching the products at a ceremony organised at House of Lords on Monday, second runner up in the BBC MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020, Mr Shah said that he was so happy to launch ready to eat authentic Nepali foods in the UK.

‘All you need to do is boil the water, drop the whole packet in the warm water, and wait for a few minutes. Now you can eat it with bread, rice or as a soup,’ Shah said. He said the shelf life of these products was 18 months and they could be kept in room temperature. ‘This is another addition of Nepali food to the world,’ he said.

‘My mission has always been to put Nepalese cuisine on the world map and to show the world how amazing Nepalese cuisine is,’ said Mr Shah.

The products launched on Monday include: (Aloo Bodi Tama (potatoes with bamboo shoots), Mustang Dal (lentils from Himalayan district of Mustang, Nepal), Qwanti (mixed beans sprout curry), chana ko dal (split chickpeas lentil) and maas ko dal (black lentil).

Brand director of Nepal Foods and CEO of Market Direct, Bikash Nepal, said that each product has been overlooked by MasterChef Santosh Shah to make sure the texture and taste is authentic. ‘To ensure the flavour, taste and the texture of these products are as traditional as you would find it in Nepalese home, Santosh had to personally make visits to the factory and taste them himself,’ he added.

Nepal Foods also announced that they have launched the Nepal Foods Foundation charity and have joined hands with PHASE Worldwide, a British charity. ‘We want to give back to the community especially to those farmers who they buy their products from,’ said Mr Nepal.

‘We are very proud of our partnership with Nepal Foods,’ said Billy Curryer, Director of PHASE Worldwide. ‘With our partner, PHASE Nepal,  we focus on health, education and livelihoods,’ he added.

Ambassador of Nepal to the UK, Gyan Chandra Acharya, said that this  was a very good example of food, trade abd culture – a composite whole. ‘Nepal-UK bilateral trade is very limited and we want to increase it,’ said Mr Acharya adding quality and branding are very important. ‘It’s a no less achievement to make your products available in a  very competitive market like the UK . Make Nepal known to the culinary world in the UK and abroad,’ he added.

Nepal Foods said that their products will be available in Nepalese stores across the UK and some large Indian stores from later this week. You can also order online at www.nepalfoodonline.co.uk

(All pics by Kushal Shrestha)

 

Nepal Airlines to sell five Chinese-made turboprops

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BY RILEY PICKETT — Nepal Airlines will sell five Chinese-made turboprops for a loss. The aircraft in question are unfit to fly and have been grounded for years. The airline previously tried to lease them out but has had no takers. They have been a financial burden on the airline, which is already grappling with enormous debt. The airline accepts that demand for these aircraft is low and will have to sell them for far less than it paid ten years ago.

Financial burden
The Nepalese Finance Ministry owns the five aircraft. They were initially procured for the airline to be used on underserved mountain routes. The planes listed for sale include two MA60 aircraft and three Y12e aircraft. The aircraft were not in service for long before they were grounded. The airplanes have had an unusually high number of maintenance issues for their age, and spare parts are hard to come by for this aircraft. On top of maintenance dilemmas, the airline has struggled to find enough qualified pilots to fly the planes and even fewer flight instructors that can teach other pilots to fly the aircraft.

In July 2020, the airline’s management announced that it would ground all Chinese-made airplanes. In December 2020, the airline petitioned the Nepalese Civil Aviation Ministry in hopes that they would receive permission to part with the aircraft. After being grounded for two years, the airline finally received the authorization.

Farewell attempts

For these reasons, the Financial Ministry approved Nepal Airlines’ request to lease the aircraft to another air carrier. The airplanes were put up for lease on September 14th. The only parties eligible to bid for a lease must have a valid air operator’s certificate and at least one aircraft in their fleet. If another air carrier were to lease the planes, it would be a dry lease, meaning that the lessor would be responsible for supplying the flight and cabin crew.

The bidding period was scheduled to close on October 31st. However, no party has seriously considered leasing the aircraft leading the airline to put them up for sale this week. Before the aircraft became available for lease, the Financial Ministry told the airline to sell the aircraft for a loss if a lessor should not arise, as they have been burning a hole in its wallet for years. Both parties recognize that the longer these planes remain unairworthy, the less they will be worth. A former board member of Nepal Airlines, Ashok Pokhrel, stated,

“No doubt, the planes can fly. It was a management problem that the shiny new planes never flew for the purpose they were brought,

“Now, years after they were acquired, it is wise to sell them rather than keep them in storage,

“If the planes begin to rust, they will become scrap.”

Several of the aircraft have already begun showing signs of corrosion. The next owner will likely use the planes for parts instead of going through the trouble of making them airworthy again. The airline’s experience with these planes has shown that aftermarket support is limited, leading many operators to opt to acquire aircraft produced by well-established western manufacturers. ( From : Simpleflying)

Mulayam Singh Yadav, founder of Samajwadi Party in India, dies at 82

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New Delhi — The founder of the Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, died of illness on Monday, 10th October 2022 at the age of 82.

Yadav was admitted at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana, due to ill health where he breathed his last.

The news of the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav was confirmed by his son Akhilesh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh Yadav was born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village, Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Murti Devi and Sughar Singh Yadav. He entered politics after meeting Sarvashri Madhu Limaye, Karpoori Thakur, Ram Sewak Yadav, Raj Narayan, and Janeshwar Mishra. He was inspired and motivated by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia’s socialist ideas and beliefs.

Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1967. In 1989, Yadav was elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time. Yadav created the Samajwadi Party in 1992. He joined up with the Bahujan Samaj Party to win the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in November 1993.(Agencies)

India facing a pandemic of resistant superbugs

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By Soutik Biswas —  At the 1,000-bed not-for-profit Kasturba Hospital in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, doctors are grappling with a rash of antibiotic-resistant “superbug infections”.

This happens when bacteria change over time and become resistant to drugs that are supposed to defeat them and cure the infections they cause.

Such resistance directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019, according to The Lancet, a medical journal. Antibiotics – which are considered to be the first line of defence against severe infections – did not work in most of these cases.

India is one of the countries worst hit by what doctors call “antimicrobial resistance” – antibiotic-resistant neonatal infections alone are responsible for the deaths of nearly 60,000 newborns each year. A new government report paints a startling picture of how things are getting worse.

Tests carried out at Kasturba Hospital to find out which antibiotic would be most effective in tackling five main bacterial pathogens have found that a number of key drugs were barely effective.

These pathogens include E.coli (Escherichia coli), commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals after consumption of contaminated food; Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can infect the lungs to cause pneumonia, and the blood, cuts in the skin and the lining of the brain to cause meningitis; and the deadly Staphylococcus aureus, a food-borne bacteria that can be transmitted through air droplets or aerosols.

Doctors found that some of the main antibiotics were less than 15% effective in treating infections caused by these pathogens. Most concerning was the emergence of the multidrug-resistant pathogen called Acinetobacter baumannii, which attacks the lungs of patients on life support in critical care units.

“As almost all our patients cannot afford the higher antibiotics, they run the real risk of dying when they develop ventilator-associated pneumonia in the ICU,” Dr SP Kalantri, medical superintendent of the hospital, says.

A new report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) says that resistance to a powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems – it defeats a number of pathogens – had risen by up to 10% in just one year alone. The report collects data on antibiotic resistance from up to 30 public and private hospitals every year.

“The reason why this is alarming is that it is a great drug to treat sepsis [a life-threatening condition] and sometimes used as the first line of treatment in hospitals for very sick patients in ICUs,” says Dr Kamini Walia, a scientist at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and lead author of the study.

Things are so worrying that only 43% of the pneumonia infections caused by one pathogen in India could be treated with the first line of antibiotics in 2021, down from 65% in 2016, the ICMR report says.

Saswati Sinha, a critical care specialist at AMRI Hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata, says things are so bad that “six out of 10” patients in her ICU have drug-resistant infections. “The situation is truly alarming. We have come to a stage where you are not left with too many options to treat some of these patients.”

Resistance to antibiotics says doctors at Kasturba Hospital, is widespread even among outpatients from villages and small towns with conditions such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Since most don’t carry prescriptions and can’t recall the drugs they were prescribed, doctors find it difficult to get records of their past exposure to antibiotics.

Managing such patients is an ordeal. “The situation is desperate, and desperate measures – ordering more and more antibiotics is likely to result in more harm than benefits,” says Dr Kalantri.

Public health experts believe many doctors in India prescribe antibiotics indiscriminately.

Antibiotics, for example, cannot cure viral illnesses like the flu or the common cold. Patients with dengue – a viral infection – and malaria – caused by a single-celled parasite – often receive antibiotics. Antibiotics continue to be prescribed for diarrheal diseases and upper respiratory infections for which they have limited value.

During the chaotic treatment of Covid-19, patients were treated with antibiotics which resulted in more adverse effects. Last year, an ICMR study of 17,534 Covid-19 patients in Indian hospitals found that more than half of them who acquired drug-resistant infections died.

Yet prescriptions for broad-spectrum antibiotics – drugs that should be reserved for tackling the most serious, hard-to-treat bacterial infections – comprise a whopping 75% of all prescriptions issued in India’s hospitals, studies have found.

To be true, doctors are not to blame entirely. In large, crowded public hospitals, they are starved of time to see patients, diagnose their illnesses, sort bacterial from viral diseases and design treatment plans, says Dr Kalantri.

A widespread lack of knowledge about antibiotics means that most patients – rural and urban – are not aware of antibiotic resistance. Even the rich and educated take antibiotics if they fall ill or pressure doctors to prescribe antibiotics.

As prices of antibiotics fall and diagnostics remain expensive, doctors prefer to prescribe drugs rather than order tests. “Doctors are sometimes not sure what they are treating, and they want to treat everything by using broad-spectrum drugs,” said Dr Walia.

Hospital infections are also to blame. Patients are often pumped with antibiotics to compensate for poor hygiene and sanitation, “because no doctor wants to lose a patient because of an infection”.

“It is a perfect storm as far as India goes. There are lots of infectious diseases in the background, lack of infection control and a lot of unnecessary consumption of antibiotics,” Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the One Health Trust, a global public health think tank, says.

Experts believe India needs to invest more in and beef up diagnostic labs, produce more infectious diseases physicians, reduce hospital infections and train doctors on the usage of antibiotics based on tests to tackle the rising threat of superbugs. Otherwise, “resistance to antibiotics has the potential of taking the form of a pandemic in near future,” warns Dr Walia. ( BBC )

Indian gov’t launches task force to monitor cheetah introduction project

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NEW DELHI — The Indian government said on Friday that it has formed a task force to monitor a cheetah introduction project in the central part of the South Asian country.

“The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has constituted a task force for monitoring Cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh and other suitable designated areas,” an official statement said.

The task force consists of officials of forests and tourism of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and Inspector General of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in New Delhi Amit Mallick.

According to the environment ministry, the NTCA will facilitate the work of the cheetah task force and render all necessary helps. “The task force shall be in force for a period of two years,” it added.

Last month cheetahs were reintroduced in India decades after their extinction from Indian habitat.

Eight cheetahs — five females and three males — were flown from Windhoek in Namibia to the Madhya Pradesh state in a customized cargo plane. They have been kept at the Kuno National Park.

“Cheetah restoration is part of a prototype or model for restoration of original cheetah habitats and their biodiversity. This will help to stem the degradation and rapid loss of biodiversity,” the environment ministry said.

-Xinhua

Nepal Election: EC making voters well informed

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KATHMANDU, RSS

The Election Commission has published the details of all voters-their serial number, voter number, voting place, polling station, name of father, mother, husband or wife.

The EC published the details of voters in its website-www.election.gov.np. The EC, however, would send sealed voter name-list with photo and contact number at the office of the Election Officer later.

It has published the final voter name-list on September 16 for the election of the House of Representatives and Province Assembly scheduled for November 20. The EC has postponed the task of collecting voter name-list after announcement of HoR and Province Assembly election until the election.

EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel shared that the EC would make efforts not to let anyone deprived of voting rights just because of minor errors in the voters details.

As per the details of voters name-list approved by the EC, there are 17.988 million voters for the coming HoR and Province Assembly election.

There were 17.733 million voters in the local-level election held on May 13. The EC has determined 10,891 polling centres and 22,226 polling station under this.

Similarly, the EC would address any questions of voters regarding election related curiosity and confusion in toll free number after Dashain. It has set up and brought into operation a press office at Bahadur Bhawan from September 30 to facilitate with media and to disseminate fact and effective information about election.

The EC has forwarded a plan to run voter education programme by using maximum digital means for the election.

The EC has continued election activities during public holidays on Dashain festival. According to the set election calendar, under the proportional representation system, the same group can nominate another candidates to the vacant places that would remain because of the withdrawal of candidacy between October 6 and 8 (until 3 pm). And, the political party concerned should submit the name list to the EC.

Publication of the closed list of candidates will take place on October 8. Similarly, claim and complaints over qualification of the candidates in the closed list will happen from October 9 to 15. The EC would look into the claim and complaints and take a decision on October 16. The notice about the removal of candidates’ name from the closed list would be published on October 25, and the closed list of candidates would be given a final touch on October 26.

Similarly under the first-past-the-post system, the registration of the nomination of candidates and the publication of the list of the nomination would take place on October 9. The submission of the complaints against candidates would occur on October 10.

And, the EC would take a decision after looking into the nomination and complaints between October 10 and 11. The name list of candidates will be published on October 11, and candidacy withdrawal on October 12. Similarly, the publication of the final name list of candidates and the distribution of election symbols would occur the same day.

India probes deaths in Gambia linked to Indian-made cough syrup

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New Delhi — India is investigating the deaths of dozens of children in The Gambia that the World Health Organization (WHO) said may be linked to a cough syrup made in the South Asian nation, two people from India’s health ministry have told the Reuters news agency.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday told reporters the UN agency was investigating the deaths from acute kidney injuries with India’s drug regulator and New Delhi-based cough syrup manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals.

The agency informed the Drugs Controller General of India of the deaths late last month, after which the regulator launched an investigation with state authorities in tandem with the WHO probe, the people said.

Maiden Pharmaceuticals manufactured and exported the syrup only to the West African nation, the people said.

Calls from Reuters to a listed telephone number for Maiden Pharmaceuticals went unanswered, as did an emailed request for comment. Calls to the Drugs Controller General of India outside of office hours also went unanswered.

India’s government has asked the WHO to share its report linking the deaths with the cough syrup and says it will take “all required steps in the matter,” the officials said. ( Agencies )

IMF chief highlights “fundamental shift” in global economy

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WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief said Thursday there is a “fundamental shift” in the global economy, urging countries to bring down inflation, put in place responsible fiscal policy, and jointly support emerging market and developing economies.

The global economy is moving “from a world of relative predictability – with a rules-based framework for international economic cooperation, low interest rates, and low inflation… to a world with more fragility – greater uncertainty, higher economic volatility, geopolitical confrontations, and more frequent and devastating natural disasters,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a curtain raiser speech ahead of the 2022 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank scheduled next week.

Stressing the urgency to stabilize the economy, Georgieva noted that global outlook has darkened by multiple shocks, among them a war, and inflation has become more persistent.

The IMF has downgraded its growth projections already three times since October last year, to only 3.2 percent for 2022 and 2.9 percent for 2023, the IMF chief said, adding that the global institution will downgrade growth for next year in its updated World Economic Outlook next week.

“We will flag that the risks of recession are rising,” she noted. The IMF estimates that countries accounting for about one-third of the world economy will experience at least two consecutive quarters of contraction this or next year.

“And, even when growth is positive, it will feel like a recession because of shrinking real incomes and rising prices,” she added.

Overall, the IMF expects a global output loss of about 4 trillion U.S. dollars between now and 2026. This is the size of the German economy – a massive setback for the world economy.

The IMF chief urged policymakers to stay the course to bring down inflation, and to put in place responsible fiscal policy – one that protects the vulnerable, without adding fuel to inflation, while calling for joint efforts to support emerging market and developing economies.

“A stronger dollar, high borrowing costs and capital outflows cause a triple blow to many emerging markets and developing economies,” said Georgieva, noting that the probability of portfolio outflows from emerging markets over the next three quarters has risen to 40 percent, which could pose “a major challenge” to countries with large external financing needs.

More than a quarter of emerging economies have either defaulted or had bonds trading at distressed levels; and over 60 percent of low-income countries are in – or at high risk of – debt distress.

The IMF chief urged countries to work together to address issues such as food insecurity, which is now affecting a staggering number of 345 million people, and climate change, the existential threat to humanity.

Since the pandemic began, the IMF has provided 258 billion dollars to 93 countries. Since the Ukraine-Russia war, it has supported 16 countries with close to 90 billion dollars. This is additional to last year’s historic 650 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDR) allocation. ( Xinhua)

16 killed, 36 injured in bus accident in Nepal

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By Krishnaram Pariyar, Makawanpur — As many as 16 people died and 36 others were injured in a road accident at Jitpur Simara Sub-Metropolis-22 of Bara district along the East-West highway today.

The accident took place as a bus (Bagmati State 06-001 Kha 0110) heading towards Birgunj from Narayangadh of Chitwan, somersaulted on the road due to high speed, according to the Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Makawanpur, Bamdev Gautam.

Ten persons died on the spot while two at Hetauda Hospital were in course of treatment. The injured ones are receiving treatment at Hetauda Hospital, Churehill Hospital, and Makawanpur Cooperative Hospital. Similarly, those injured seriously have been taken to Chitwan for further treatment.

Identities of the deceased have not been ascertained. (RSS)

34 people including 22 children killed in a gun rampage In Thailand

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Bangkok— At least 34 people have been killed and others injured in a gun and knife attack by a former police officer at a pre-school daycare centre in Thailand.

Police say he killed himself and his family after a manhunt following the attack in Nong Bua Lamphu province.

Children and adults are among the casualties at the nursery – police say the attacker shot and stabbed his victims before going on the run.

A motive is unclear. Police say the officer was dismissed last year.

The victims of the attack are reported to include children as young as two. At least 12 people have been wounded.

“The shooter came in around lunch time and shot four or five officials at the childcare centre first,” a local official Jidapa Boonsom, who was working nearby, told Reuters news agency.

“At first people thought it was fireworks,” she said, adding the gunman then forced entry to a locked room where children were sleeping.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described the shooting as “a shocking event”.

Police named the attacker as Panya Kamrab. He fled the scene in a white-four door Toyota pick-up truck with Bangkok registration plates.

A senior police officer in Nong Bua Lamphu province said 23 children were among the casualties, AFP news agency reports.

He said Kamrab, a police lieutenant colonel, had been dismissed last year for drug use.

Mass shootings in Thailand are rare although gun ownership rates are relatively high for the region. Illegal weapons are also common in the south-east Asian country, according to the Reuters news agency.

The nursery attack comes less than a month after an army officer shot dead two of his colleagues at a base in Bangkok.

In 2020 a soldier killed 29 people and injured dozens more in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. ( BBC )

King Charles III, Queen Consort host members of UK’s South Asian community in recognition of contributions

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LONDON: King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, hosted guests of South Asian heritage in Edinburgh on Monday in recognition of their contributions to British society.

The royals welcomed around 300 people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh to recognise the contribution that South Asian communities in the UK have made to the National Health Service, arts, media, education, business and the armed forces.

The king has been involved with British Asian communities for many years through his work with the British Asian Trust which he founded in 2007 with a group of British Asian business leaders.

The royal couple are visiting Scotland as part of their first joint public engagement since the end of the royal mourning period to remember Queen Elizabeth II.

They were visiting to formally give city status to Dunfermline, the birthplace of King Charles I.

Dunfermline was among eight towns that won city status as part of Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year to mark Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne.

SpaceX heads off for international space station with US, Russian, Japanese astronauts

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Florida —- Billionaire tycoon Elon Musk-led Space X blasted off from Florida on Wednesday and headed for the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission included a Russian cosmonaut and a Japanese and two American astronauts.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina onboard on October 5 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to the press statement released by NASA.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 is the fifth mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
The crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission are in orbit now
The international crew will serve as the agency’s fifth commercial crew rotation mission with SpaceX aboard the orbital laboratory.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon Endurance spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann as mission commander, and Josh Cassada, pilot. JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, also aboard the Dragon, will serve as mission specialists for their science expedition in microgravity aboard the space station, according to a statement.
“Missions like Crew-5 are proof we are living through a golden era of commercial space exploration. It’s a new era powered by the spirit of partnership, fueled by scientific ingenuity, and inspired by the quest for new discoveries,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
During their stay aboard the ISS, Crew-5 will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies on printing human organs in space and better understanding heart disease, he said. “While our eyes are focused upward on the heavens, let us never forget these missions will also better life here on Earth,” he added.
Such a mission is the first spaceflight for Mann, Cassada, and Kikina. While for Wakata, this is the fifth spaceflight. This is the sixth SpaceX flight with NASA astronauts – including the Demo-2 test flight in 2020 to the space station – as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
“Dragon will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module around 4:57 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6. NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of docking and hatch opening. NASA also will cover the ceremony to welcome the crew aboard the orbital outpost at about 8:15 pm,” the statement reads.
Crew-5 will spend several months in conducting new scientific research in areas such as cardiovascular health, bioprinting, and fluid behaviour in microgravity to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth.
“The International Space Station continues to serve a critical role in helping NASA and our partners understand and maximize the unique attributes of the microgravity environment,” said Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate in Washington.
“I am grateful to the many people who worked to ensure a safe Crew-5 launch despite the recent hurricane so the crew can fulfill their mission to the orbiting laboratory.” (ANI)

Bangladesh starts probe into national grid failure

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Dhaka : An investigation committee of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) started its probe on Wednesday to identify the reasons behind the blackout for 7-8 hours.
The grid which failed at 2:04 pm local time on Tuesday caused the widespread blackout, barring some northern parts of the country, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Chief of the investigation body and executive director (P&D) of the PGCB, Yeakub Elahi Chowdhury said, “We started our probe this morning to identify the possible causes behind the national grid disaster and also the exact point of the incident.”
The PGCB formed a five-member investigation committee, headed by Yeakub Elahi Chowdhury, following the national grid failure, reported Dhaka Tribune citing UNB.
Later, an experienced individual who had been working as a consultant with grid systems locally and internationally was co-opted into the committee.

According to Dhaka Tribune citing official sources said the investigation committee was given three days to complete the probe.
Meanwhile, State Minister Nasrul Hamid instructed the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources to form two more investigation committees to identify the cause of the grid failure and also gave recommendations to avert any further disasters in the future.
After relentless efforts, the power supply was restored in the entire country, starting from the Kalyanpur grid sub-station and then restored power supply to the president’s official residence, Bangabhaban, and the prime minister’s official residence, Ganabhaban, at 5 pm.
Gradually, power supply was restored in other parts of the area, and within 10:30 pm the entire country had electricity, reported Dhaka Tribune.
On Tuesday, the transmission line tripped somewhere in the eastern part of the country, especially in districts east of the Jamuna river, according to the officials at Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB).
Bangladesh’s biggest national power grid failure incident happened on November 1, 2014, when the entire country was without power for 17 hours.
Even in May 2017, a similar incident of grid failure happened in 32 districts. (ANI)

Dashain Being celebrated by Nepali around the world

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu —  Vijaya Dashami, the 10th day of the Bada Dasain festival, is being celebrated by Nepali people across the country  and the world with great enthusiasm by receiving ‘tika’ and blessings from elders.

The worship of Sri Durga Bhawani at Dasainghars for nine days concludes formally on the day of Vijaya Dashami after the abhishekh or sprinkling of holy water takes place which marks the beginning of tika. People receive tika and jamara till the full moon day.

Tika and jamara are considered the auspicious gifts of the goddess Nawa Durga and they signify prosperity. It is believed that one need not seek an auspicious hour if one undertakes any new assignment, campaign or journey on the auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami.

The Vijaya Dashami festival is considered as one of the biggest festival of Nepalese Hindu. It is celebrated in commemoration of the victory of truth over evil and the victory of divine forces over demonic forces.

India inducts Light Combat Helicopter into the IAF

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London –  The Indian Defence Ministry has announced that they have inducted the  first batch of indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) into the Indian Air Force.

The helicopter, named Prachand (The Fierce One), was inducted into the IAF on Monday in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The induction ceremony was held in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. Newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan was also present.

“For a long time, there was a need for attack helicopters and during the 1999 Kargil war, its need was felt seriously. The LCH is a result of research and development for two decades and its induction into IAF is an important milestone in defence production,” Minister Singh said.

The new chopper inducted into the force is capable of aerial combat and will help the force combat slow-moving aircraft, drones and armoured columns during conflicts, the Indian Defence Ministry said.

“LCH is capable of dodging the enemy, carrying a variety of ammunition, and delivering it to the site quickly. LCH perfectly meets the needs of our armed forces in various terrains and it is an ideal platform for both our Army and Airforce,” the Minister added.

Light Combat Helicopter Limited Series Production (LSP) is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter containing approximately 45 per cent indigenous content by value which will progressively increase to more than 55 per cent, officials said.

“This helicopter is equipped with requisite agility, manoeuvrability, extended range, high altitude performance and around-the-clock, all-weather combat capability to perform roles of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations, against slow-moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), high altitude bunker busting operations, Counter Insurgency operations in the jungle and urban environments and support to ground forces and would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force and Indian Army,” said the Ministry of Defence.