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  • China’s new large rocket makes maiden flight

    The successful flight inaugurates the “third step” of China’s manned space program, which is to construct a space station

    PTI

    China’s new large carrier rocket Long March-5B made its maiden flight on Tuesday, sending the trial version of the country’s new-generation manned spaceship and a cargo return capsule for test into space, official media reported.

    The white large rocket blasted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the coast of southern China’s island province of Hainan at 6 p.m. (Beijing Time), state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

    About 488 seconds later, the experimental manned spacecraft with no crew, together with the test version of the cargo return capsule, separated with the rocket and entered the planned orbit.

    The successful flight inaugurates the “third step” of China’s manned space program, which is to construct a space station, CMSA said.

    Specially developed for China’s manned space program, Long March-5B will be mainly used to launch the modules of the space station, it said.

    The Long March-5 integrates top space technologies, including non-toxic environmentally friendly fuel and a highly stable control system, state-run Global Times reported.

    “After the launch of the Long March-5, China will launch a series of 20-ton rockets, including the Long March-5, 6 and 7,” Wang Xiaojun, commander-in-chief of the Long March-7, told the daily.

    The rocket will help carry the core module and experiment modules to China’s space station.

    China initiated the manned space program in 1992. Designed as the country’s strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbit, or 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit, an earlier Xinhua report said.

  • Coronavirus | Highest number of cases in single day; recovery rate at 27.41%, says Health Ministry

    The ministry said 1,020 COVID-19 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of those cured to 12,726

    PTI

    As many as 3,900 new COVID-19 cases and 195 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, the biggest spike in a single day, the health ministry said on Tuesday and asserted that some states were not reporting cases in a timely manner, which is now being addressed.

    Addressing the daily briefing on the COVID-19 situation in the country, joint secretary at the health ministry Lav Agarwal said the total number of cases stand at 46,433 and the death toll at 1,568.

    We are dealing with an infectious disease. Thus timely reporting of cases and their management is very crucial and gaps in these areas were noted in some states, which after due persuasion are being addressed, Agarwal said.

    The ministry said 1,020 COVID-19 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of those cured to 12,726, a recovery rate of 27.41 per cent.

    We are very comfortable in terms of managing COVID-19 as of now, but any laxity at the field level may have consequences, he said.

    Asserting that it is important to trace each and every contact of COVID-19 positive patients, Mr. Agarwal said conducting surveillance for Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and influenza like illness (ILI) symptoms in facilities in containment zones and otherwise, yields very valuable data and guides further action.

    The lockdown has yielded very positive results, doubling time of cases has improved from 3.4 days before lockdown to 12 days now, he said, adding that it is important to sustain the momentum.

  • India likely to operate 64 flights to repatriate 14,800 of its nationals from 12 countries

    These special flights would be operated by Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express

    PTI

    The Central government is likely to operate 64 flights from May 7 to 13 to bring home around 14,800 Indian nationals stranded abroad because of the coronavirus lockdown, said senior government officials on Tuesday.

    These special flights would be operated by Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express to repatriate Indians from 12 countries —the UAE, the UK, the US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, said the officials.

    India has been under a lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and it will continue till May 17. All commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period.

    Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Monday it will facilitate the return of asymptomatic Indian nationals stranded abroad from May 7 onwards, in a phased manner, through aircraft and naval ships on a payment basis.

    Between May 7 and 13, India is likely to conduct 10 flights to the UAE, seven flights each to the US and the UK, five to Saudi Arabia, five to Singapore and two flights to Qatar, the officials told PTI.

    It is also likely to conduct seven flights each to Malaysia and Bangladesh, five each to Kuwait and Philippines, two each to Oman and Bahrain, the officials noted.

    Out of the 64 repatriation flights, 15 would be from Kerala, 11 each would be from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, seven each would be from Maharashtra and Telangana, and remaining flights would be from five other states, the officials said.

    “Approximately 14,800 Indian nationals are likely to return to the country through these 64 flights during the seven-day period. The government will run more repatriation flights after May 13,” one of the officials said.

    The Minister also shared air fares to be paid by those seeking to return. A flight from London to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and New Delhi will cost ₹50,000 (per passenger). Flights from Chicago, San Francisco, Newark and Washington will cost nearly ₹1,00,000; a flight from Dubai will cost ₹13,000 and from Abu Dhabi ₹15,000. Flights from Singapore and Malaysia will cost ₹20,000.

    Passengers will also have to pay for their quarantine facilities, but a final decision will be taken by the State governments.

    To a question on why were passengers being charged exorbitant airfares on par with commercial rates?

    The Minister said, “this is a commercial service. We will not be offering subsidised fares. As it is Air India is surviving on a government subsidy of ₹500 crore to ₹600 crore per month and most private airlines are hand to mouth and are loss making.” He explained that air tickets also factored the cost of a two-way journey as many aircraft will fly from India empty.

    “This exercise is for those who find themselves distressed and are stranded because either their visas have expired or either they are being deported or either they went to these countries for work and wanted to come back,” the Minister said.

  • NEET on July 26, JEE-Main from July 18

    CBSE working on reduced syllabus for next year

    The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical and dental courses will be held on July 26, while the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-Main for admission to engineering courses will begin on July 18 and continue from July 20 to 23, Human Resource Development MInister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said on Tuesday.

    The JEE-Advanced examination for admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) will be held in August, and the exact dates will be announced soon, Mr. Pokhriyal said, in an interaction with students via Twitter. The dates for the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test, for admission to Ph.D programmes and employment as an assistant professor, will also be announced soon. All four national examinations had been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis and ongoing lockdown.

    Decision soon

    Before these admission examinations can be held, the Class XII Board examinations must be completed. Mr. Pokhriyal said the dates for the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) pending Class X and XII Board exams would be announced soon, with the decision likely in the next couple of days.

    For students worried about the loss of classroom teaching during the lockdown, Mr. Pokhriyal assured them that the CBSE will assess the loss of instructional time for proportionate reduction in curriculum load for the 2021 Board exams. The Board’s Course Committees have already started work on drafting reduced syllabus for various scenarios, depending on how much longer the shutdown of schools continues. He added that the Centre was making efforts to disseminate academic content via television and other modes for students in rural areas where online connectivity is problematic.

    No fee hike

    Apart from academic loss, the pandemic crisis has also caused financial distress for many. In such a situation, Mr. Pokhriyal assured students that IITs, IIITs (Indian Institute of Information Technology) and NITs (National Insitute of Technology) had all been directed not to increase fees for the next academic year 2020-21. He had earlier appealed to private schools to consider not hiking fees as well.

    With the Centre allowing the travel of stranded migrants this week, students of the fully residential Central government-run Navodaya Vidyalayas are also on their way back to their homes. Students from 62 schools where the migration process is underway are being supported with food and other facilities en route, said Mr. Pokhriyal.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • With all family members in quarantine, burglars loot valuable items from house

    Tangmarg: Burglars struck and stole valuable items from a locked house at a time when all the family members were in quarantine.

    The theft incident occurred at Harduichloo village of Tangmarg area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

    Sources told KNT that unidentified burglars barged into the locked and deserted house of Muhammad Akbar Ganai son of Abdul Gaffar Ganai and decamped with all valuable items. The burglars took advantage of absence of family members who are all in quarantine.

    Sources added that the 3 positive cases of Covid-19 have surfaced in the family so for and all the family members have been put in quarantine.

    In the same village 14 positive cases have been found so for.

    Station House Officer, Police Station Tangmarg told KNT that they are ascertaining the facts and a formal case in this regard has been registered. (KNT)

  • SMC corporator tests positive for Covid-19

    Srinagar: Srinagar Municipal Corporation Corporator whose brother was tested positive for covid-19 on May 1, has been tested positive on Tuesday.

    Nodal officer for covid-19 at GMC Srinagar Dr Salim Khan confirmed to news agency—KashmirNews Observer (KNO), that SMC Corporator who’s brother was tested positive on 1st May, has been tested positive for novel coronavirus at CD hospital Lab on Tuesday.

    After corporator’s brother was tested positive for the COVID-19 on Friday, authorities instructed over 50 people to remain under isolation and home quarantine.

    A corporator from Kawdara who’s brother had allegedly concealed his travel history and was living with his family was tested positive on Friday.

    The development created panic among the SMC employees as Corporator, brother of infected was seen with Corporation’s top officials during the sanitation drives—(KNO)

  • ASI, CRPF trooper, 4 civilians injured in Pakherpora grenade attack

    Srinagar: Two security men including a police officer and four civilian were injured in a grenade attack at Pakherpora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Tuesday afternoon.

    Reports reaching GNS said that militants hurled the grenade towards joint deployment of 181BN CRPF and police in Pakherpora. In the attack, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI) Ghulam Rasool alias Dilawar, CRPF constable Santosh Kumar and four pedestrians received sustained splinter injuries.

    All the injured persons were evacuated to Sub-District Hospital Pakherpora for treatment.

    A doctor at SDH Pakherpora told GNS that the health facility has received six injured persons including two security men and four civilians. He identified two of the four injured civilians as Shafeeq Ahmad Najar and Irfan Wani. The doctor said that the other two persons are women aged about 40 and 50 years.

    The doctor said that the injured four civilians were referred to SMHS hospital Srinagar for advanced treatment.

    Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Budgam Nagpure Amod said that a grenade was lobbed in the Pakherpora market. All Security personnel are safe. “2 civilians received minor injuries,” he said.

    Meanwhile, soon after the blast, a joint team of CRPF, police, and army launched searches to nab the attackers. (GNS)

  • COVID-19: Two positive cases deliver healthy babies in SDH Sopore

    Sopore: Two pregnant ladies who were tested positive for COVID-19 have delivered healthy babies in Sub District Hospital (SDH) Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday.

    Officials told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that two COVID-19 patients hailing from Old town Baramulla and Nowpora Sopore today delivered healthy babies in Sopore hospital.

    Block Medical Officer (BMO) Sopore, Dr Asif said Gynecology department at Sopore Hospital headed by Dr Abdul Wahid, Dr Kashif performed the surgeries of the twin patients, adding that both the babies including boy and a girl are fine.

    The officials said samples of babies could not be taken yet. “We are monitoring their condition,” they said.

    According to Gynecologist doctors, both the positive cases (ladies) were nine-months pregnant and were tested positive on April 27 and April 30. The doctor said both the mothers are also fine—(KNO)

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  • 3 CRPF men among 4 killed in Handwara shootout

    Additional reinforcement of forces rushed to the area

    Srinagar: Three paramilitary troopers were among four persons killed in a brief shootout at Wangam area of Qaziabad Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.

    Reports reaching GNS said that militants attacked 92 bn CRPF (A Coy) party at Wangam at around 5:32 pm. In the attack, two CRPF men were killed on the spot while two others suffered injuries in the shootout. Both the injured were shifted to hospital where one among them succumbed on the way, they said.

    The paramilitary troopers retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for around five minutes, they said.

    As the guns fell silent, one more body was spotted near the shootout site and investigations have been launched to ascertain whether the body is that of a civilian or someone else, they said.

    PRO CRPF Pankaj Singh told GNS that militants attacked the CRPF party at Wangam. “In the attack, three CRPF men were killed, two of them on the spot and another on way to the hospital,” he said, adding one more CRPF personnel has been hospitalized.

    Regarding the body found near the spot, PRO said that there is a question mark about him as no weapon was found from him.

    Soon after the attack, additional reinforcement of army, SOG and CRPF rushed to the spot and launched a massive search operation to trace out the fleeing militants. (GNS)