Indian-Americans celebrate Chhath in US

Washington: Hundreds of Indian Americans worshipped the Sun god on Sunday evening and Monday night at several places in the US. In New Jersey, India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal and his spouse Dr Abha Jaiswal joined the “Morning Arag” or the worship of the rising sun at Donaldson Park, Highland. Organised by the Bihar and Jharkhand Association of North America and Bihar Foundation, one of the largest Chhath celebrations saw the participation of families of top corporate leaders. pti

Lebanon raises electricity cost after decades

Beirut: Lebanon’s state power company Electricite du Liban (EDL) raised the price it charges for electricity for first time since the 1990s on Tuesday, an EDL spokesperson said, in a move officials say will pave the way for an eventual increase in power supply. Lebanon has not had round-the-clock power since the 1990s and cash transfers to EDL to cover chronic losses have contributed tens of billions of dollars to the country’s huge public debt. The price for state power in Lebanese pounds was previously equivalent to roughly 1 US dollar cent per kWh. reuters

SpaceX expects first Starship launch this year

New York: SpaceX is targeting early December to launch its giant Starship rocket system into orbit for the first time, a pivotal demonstration flight as it aims to fly NASA astronauts to the moon in the next few years, a US official said on Monday. Billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX has sought for years to send its towering next-generation rocket system into orbit from the company’s private launch facilities in Texas, where it has only launched prototypes of Starship’s upper half some 6 miles (10 km) high to demonstrate landing attempts. reuters

India gives 200 vehicles to Nepal for elections

Kathmandu: On Nepal’s request, the Indian government on Tuesday handed over 200 vehicles to the Himalayan country that would be utilized at the time of general elections slated for the 20th of this month. The Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, handed over vehicles to Minister for Finance, Janardan Sharma, as a gift of India for logistical support to various Nepali institutions for the conduct of elections. Out of 200 vehicles 120 will be utilized by security forces and 80 vehicles by the Election Commission of Nepal.