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CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has reached home district Jhapa along with his wife Radhika Shakya to celebrate Dashain. He will organize a greeting program on the occasion of Dashain, Tihar, Chhath and other festivals in Jhapa on Tuesday.  Oli will receive tika from his father Mohan Prasad Oli on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashami at Prithvi Nagar in Bhadrapur Municipality of Jhapa. He will return to Kathmandu on the same day.

In a major boost to the Indian Air Force's combat prowess, the first batch of indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) will be inducted into the IAF inventory at a ceremony in Rajasthan's Jodhpur today.  The indigenous choppers will be inducted into IAF in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. "The induction of these helicopters will be a big boost to the IAF's combat prowess," Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. The new chopper getting inducted into the force is capable of aerial combat and will help the force combat slow-moving aircraft, drones and armored columns during conflicts.  The induction ceremony will be led by Rajnath Singh who has played a crucial role in progressing cases for buying indigenous platforms for forces. He was also present in the Cabinet Committee on Security which cleared the purchase of 15 of these LCHs for the air force and the army.  Of the 15 limited series production helicopters approved, 10 are for the IAF and five for the army. It can land and take off from an altitude of 5,000 meters with weapons and fuel, the officials said. The choppers have been flown extensively in Ladakh and the desert sector to meet the requirements of the armed forces.  The IAF has inducted multiple helicopters to its fleet in the last three-four years with the induction of the Chinooks, Apache attack helicopters and now the LCHs. The IAF is now also deploying women pilots in Chinook choppers carrying routine supply missions to the northern and eastern borders. CCS met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 30, 2022, in New Delhi.  The CCS has approved the procurement of 15 Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Limited Series Production at the cost of Rs. 3,887 Cr along with Infrastructure sanctions worth Rs 377 crore. Light Combat Helicopter Limited Series Production (LSP) is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter containing approx.  45 pc indigenous content by value which will progressively increase to more than 55 pc for SP Version.  "This helicopter is equipped with requisite agility, maneuverability, 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 Defense (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations, against slow-moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), high altitude bunker busting operations, Counter Insurgency operations in 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 Defense.  State-of-the-art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features such as reduced Visual, Aural, Radar and IR signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability have been integrated in LCH for deployment in combat roles catering to emerging needs for the next 3 to 4 decades. Several key aviation technologies like Glass Cockpit and composite airframe structures have been indigenised. The future Series Production version will consist of further modern & indigenous systems. Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, India is continuously growing in its capability to indigenously design, develop and manufacture advanced cutting-edge technologies and systems in the Defence Sector.  The manufacturing of LCH by HAL will give a further push to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and boost the indigenisation of defense production and the defense industry in the country. LCH will reduce import dependence for the Combat helicopters in the country.  Light Combat Helicopters are already on the import embargo list. With its versatile features built-in for combat missions, LCH has the export capability. (ANI)

The death toll from a suicide bombing at the Kaaj Educational Center in Afghanistan's capital Kabul has gone up to 43.  The casualty figures in Friday's college bombing in the Hazara neighbourhood are likely to rise further, as per the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Till now 43 persons have been killed and around 83 are wounded with girls and young women as the main victims. "Human toll from Friday's college bombing in Hazara neighborhood of Afghan capital continues to rise. 43 killed. 83 wounded. Girls & young women are the main victims.  Casualty figures likely to rise further. Verification process continues by UNAMA human rights teams in Kabul," tweeted UNAMA.  Earlier, on Friday the blast occurred in the 13th security area of Kabul, Taliban spokesperson Abdul Nafee Takour was quoted as saying by TOLO news.  There are multiple media reports claiming that about 100 students of the institute have been killed in the attack, however, the UNAMA said that its human rights teams in Kabul are helping to establish an accurate record of the college attack in the Hazara neighborhood. Earlier, a number of women from Afghanistan's minority Hazara community on Saturday protested in Kabul against the terror attack at the Kaaj Educational Center. The women protestors dressed in black chanted slogans against the genocide of minorities and demanded their rights, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.  This explosion comes a few days after a blast was reported near the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul that sparked a global outcry. The recent blast outside the Russian Embassy in Kabul was also condemned in the strongest terms.  This series of blasts come as the Taliban completed one year of its rule in Afghanistan following the ouster of the US-backed civilian government last year. Rights groups said the Taliban had broken multiple pledges to respect human and women's rights. Meanwhile, the Taliban on Monday shot into the crowd of young girls who were peacefully protesting in Herat to demand their right to go to school.  "Young girls were peacefully protesting in Herat today to demand their right to go to school & the Taliban began shooting into the crowd. Don't abandon the women of Afghanistan. Be their voice. Innocent lives are being lost because we choose to be silent," tweeted Shabnam Nasimi, Policy Special Advisor to former UK Minister for Afghan Resettlement and Minister for Refugees.  After capturing Kabul in August last year, the Islamic authorities imposed severe restrictions on women's and girls' rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents.  Rights groups say that the Taliban's human rights abuses have brought widespread condemnation and imperiled international efforts to address the country's dire humanitarian situation. (ANI)

Two persons who died in a bus accident in Hetauda have been identified. Tek Bahadur Karki, spokesperson of District Police Office Makwanpur informed that the deceased are 60-year-old Dilli  Bahadur Darzi, who lives near Damak-5 Model Campus in Jhapa, and 51-year-old Kalpana Rajwanshi, who lives in Belbari Municipality-8 of Morang. The bus number Na 7 Kha 2032, which was going from Kathmandu to Damak, got out of control and had an accident last night at Hetauda sub-metropolis-15 section of Makwanpur. 36 people on the bus were injured in the accident. 30 of the injured have been discharged after treatment. District Police Office Makwanpur said that two injured persons have been sent to Kathmandu and three persons to Bharatpur for further treatment. One person is being treated in Hetauda.