10 june,Tokyo- Human error was the likely cause of an F-35A fighter jet crash in April, Japan’s defence ministry said Monday, and flights of the stealth jet will resume after new training measures.
The jet crashed into the sea in April after the 41-year-old pilot suffered “spatial disorientation”, in which a person loses their sense of balance, the ministry concluded.
“The crash was likely caused by spatial disorientation of the pilot, not technical problems with the aircraft,” a ministry official told AFP.
The ministry plans to resume flights of the aircraft after pilots are briefed on spatial disorientation, and receive training in a simulation of the experience, the official said.
The state-of-the-art fighter jet went missing on April 9 while flying 135 kilometres (85 miles) east of Misawa, northeastern Japan, on a training mission.
It lost contact about 30 minutes after taking off from Misawa Air Base with three other aircraft.
It was the first reported crash by an F-35A, according to Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force. Last week, the ministry called off its search for the jet about two months after the accident sparked a scramble to recover the pilot and secrets onboard.
Some parts of the pilot’s body and debris have been recovered, including the jet’s tail, but the flight data recorder has not been found.
The ministry has kept monitoring a wider area to protect “classified military information” as Japan and the US are keen to prevent sensitive debris from the plane being recovered by Russia or China.
Japan is deploying F-35As, each of which costs more than 10 billion yen ($92 million), to replace its ageing F-4 fighters.
They are a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to upgrade the nation’s military capacity to meet changing power dynamics in East Asia, with China rapidly modernising its military. (RSS)
10 june, kandahar- More than 70 armed insurgents have been killed in Afghanistan’s southern region over the past 24 hours, as government forces have increased pressure on the Taliban in Kandahar and the neighboring provinces, an army statement said Sunday.
Units of the national army in the latest crackdown on the Taliban have killed three insurgents in Khakriz district of the southern Kandahar province early Sunday, said a statement of 205 Atal Corps released here.
According to the statement, a Taliban commander Mullah Mahmoud alias Bado Jan was also among those killed in the raids.Similarly, the statement reported killing 41 insurgents in Miwand, Mianshin and Shah Walikot districts of Kandahar province since Saturday.
Government forces, according to the statement, have also killed 10 Taliban fighters in Daichopan district of the neighboring Zabul province over the past 24 hours, the army statement said.
A total of 12 militants have also been killed in Khas Uruzgan district of the southern Uruzgan province as security forces targeted Taliban positions from the ground and air over the period, the army statement said.
Without briefing on casualties of security personnel, the army statement also noted that scores of militants had been killed in the southern region since Saturday.
Kandahar and neighboring Zabul, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces have been regarded as the hotbed of the Taliban militants and the militant group has intensified activities across Afghanistan including the restive southern region since launching its annual spring offensive on April 12.
Afghan Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid has instructed government forces to spare no efforts in foiling militants’ spring offensive and dispelling them from their hideouts in the country. (RSS)
10 june, kathmandu- Monsoon particularly begins in Nepal from the first week of June. But this time, it has not appeared till June 10. As things appeared differently, its entry is to be delayed by a week. Last year, it started on June 8.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division’s meteorologist Min Kumar Aryal, atmosphere favourable for the arrival of monsoon is on the gradual process of formation.
More influence of Westerly wind than local wind is required for the arrival of monsoon. Monsoon wind originated from the Bay of Bengal should have its presence above six kilometers from the bottom of atmospheric system, but the air has only entered the base so far this year. The present thundershower in morning, evening and night is triggered by the local wind. (RSS)
10 june, kathmandu- Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal has defended the debated Guthi Bill, reasoning that the bill would safeguard country’s religion, culture, tradition and originality. Minister Aryal’s statement was on the contrary to many lawmakers who are against the bill viewing it would destroy religion and culture.
“Guthi Bill is not against the constitution, it favours the constitution. Do not cast doubts. Discussions can be held on making the bill much better,” said the Minister responding to queries raised on the matter at today’s meeting of the National Assembly.
Explaining the issue of authority has been mentioned in the bill in a bid to bring uniformity to Guthi, she clarified that the efforts were only to systematise it.
Putting their views in the meeting, lawmakers Brishesh Chandra Lal and Sarita Prasain demanded an amendment to the bill. Earlier, the NA session was put off for 15 minutes following a protest by lawmakers of main opposition Nepali Congress against the bill.(RSS)
10 june, kathmandu- Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa today stressed the need for cooperation and solidarity among the South Asian countries to tackle challenges of disaster management and climate change.
He pointed out the problems being experienced commonly by the entire world, but not a local level or a country while inaugurating the South Asian Conference on ‘role of local level in disaster management, reconstruction, energy and climate change’ that started today here.
Referring to the issues as something connecting with nation development, he pointed out a significant role of local level in dealing with challenges that may surface in the way to resolve them.
The two-day conference has been organised jointly by the National Reconstruction Authority, the National Association of Rural Municipality Nepal, the Municipal Association of Nepal, the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific and the European Union.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gyawali, said that reconstruction task got acceleration and it became easier due to collaboration with the local-level.
He also gave a special presentation on benefits of post earthquake reconstruction and its sustainability.
A total of 70 people’s representatives and experts of local government from South Asian countries except Maldives and Bhutan have been participating in the conference.
On the occasion, experts from different countries put forth their views on the role of local levels on disaster management, reconstruction, energy and climate change sectors.
There would be presentation of experts working in disaster management, reconstruction, energy and climate change sectors, chiefs of rural municipalities and municipalities at different session of the conference.
Chairperson of National Association of Rural Municipality in Nepal, Hom Narayan Shrestha, sid that the conference was organised with an objective of sharing experiences on various issues including disaster and reconstruction and helping to make further strategy. (RSS)
10 june, Bajura- The office of the Budhinanda municipality of Bajura district has been padlocked for the past six days. The locals of ward no 5 and 7 padlocked the office from June 5 demanding the scrap of the decision of constructing dumping site in the area.
A local Bharat BK said that daily activities of the municipality have been halted due to the padlock.
The locals said that selecting the area between ward no 5 and 7 for constructing dumping site to manage the garbage of the municipal area was not justifiable.
The locals said that they were compelled to lock the office after Mayor decided to construct the dumping site by neglecting their memorandum as well as discussion held time and again to correct the decision.
They complained that the dumping site is going to be constructed by neglecting negative impact on people’s health due to the construction of dumping site. (RSS)
10 june, Geneva- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and members of his delegation attended a reception organized Sunday evening by Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva.
On the occasion, Nepal’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to Switzerland, Mani Prasad Bhattarai and other officials at the Mission accorded welcome to the Prime Minister.
Addressing the reception, PM Oli maintained that there was a need of taking forward the country’s development at a rapid pace through the support and cooperation of all Nepalis within and outside the country. He said the incumbent government has accepted this responsibility.
The present government, which had come through big struggle in the past and taken lead in constitution making, is aware of this responsibility, he added.
Stating that the people have handed a big confidence on this government after the completion of a long struggle of sacrifice, PM Oli reiterated that good governance and rapid economic growth alone were the government’s main mission. He stated that he was informed of the demand of and aspiration for non-resident Nepali citizenship.
At the programme, the Prime Minister also interacted with the Nepali community living in Switzerland.
President of the NRN Organization Switzerland, Mani Raj Gurung, among other speakers on the occasion expressed that the Nepalis living abroad wanted to continue their closeness with and serving their motherland as well as extending their support in the efforts towards materializing the goal of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.’
Prime Minister Oli arrived in Geneva from Doha of Qatar earlier on Sunday in connection with his visit to various European countries. He was welcomed at the Geneva International Airport by Mani Prasad Bhattarai, the Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Office, World Trade Organisation and other International Organisations in Geneva, officials of the missions, the councillor of the Canton of Geneva and senior Swiss officials among others.
Prime Minister Oli is in Geneva to take part in the Centenary Session of the International Labour Organisation. He is scheduled to address the plenary of the ILO Centenary Session today. (RSS)
10 june, Kavrepalanchok- Ruins of a structure and artefacts from the Lichhavi period have been found at Shreerampati in Panchkhal municipality-7 here. A team from the Departmentof Archaeology found the ancient ruins and the artefacts in course of its study and archaeological excavation of the heritage sites at the place lasting for about two weeks.
The team had started excavation since May 29 at the site where the locals of Shreerampati had indicated that there were remains of an ancient palace. Department’s archaeological officer Bishnu Prasad Pathak said that the team completed the excavation of the site on Sunday. He said that the articles found during the excavation would be taken to the Department for archaeological examination and the site has been restored to its original condition.
Senior archeologist Uddhav Acharya who was involved in the excavation shared that they found the remains of rooms with 24-inch wide stone walls and a compound wall at the site. He added that they also found pieces of clay pots, a pestle stone, shivalinga, stone spout, remains of a clay pipe for channeling water to what is said to be ancient pond and some wide bricks.
According to him, all these articles belong to the Lichhavi period. The locals had been saying that the remains of the Lichhavi king Mandev’s palace, pond, well, stone spout and other structures was spread over around 12 ropanis area in the locality.
The locals had contacted the Department after they found pieces of old bricks and ancient coins while ploughing the field for cultivation in the area. They had been calling for excavation and protecting the area ever since then.
The artefacts date back to the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th century, Acharya said. (RSS)
10 june, Muglin- Police have confiscated 90 kilogrammes cannabis from Prakhal at Rapti municipality-12in east Chitwan. Acting on a tip-off, a police team under the command of Inspector Basanta Thapa from the Area Police Office Bhandara confiscated the cannabis hidden inside a dry water tank. The person said to be transporting the cannabis is absconding and police are hunting for him.
The Area Police Office Bhandara has stepped up its campaign against marijuana smuggling and it has confiscated 350 kilogrammes of the substance over the last two months. It has also been destroying illegal hemp cultivation in the area. (RSS)
10 june, Hetauda- State 3 government chief minister Dormani Poudel, who had been hospitalized after problem was seen in the valve of his heart, has been discharged after a successful angioplasty.
He had been admitted to the Sahid Gangalal Heart Centre in Kathmandu on June 2. A team of cardiologist Dr Chandra Mani Adhikari had carried out the angioplasty surgery on the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister Poudel is scheduled to arrive here from Kathmandu on Tuesday in time to chair the State Coordination Council meeting on June 12 and 13, Prakash Dahal, the Chief Minister’s press coordinator, said.(RSS)