United News of Bangladesh

The eight cooling towers of the Dukovany nuclear plant now overlook early construction work for two additional reactors, as the Czech Republic moves forward with an ambitious plan to significantly expand its nuclear capacity. Geological teams are drilling 140 meters below ground to assess whether the site can support a $19 billion project that aims to at least double the country’s nuclear power generation and further solidify its status as one of Europe’s most nuclear-reliant nations. South Korea’s KHNP won the bid over France’s EDF to build a new plant featuring two reactors, each producing more than 1,000 megawatts. Once operational in the late 2030s, they will join Dukovany’s four existing 512-MW units, which date back to the 1980s. The agreement with KHNP also gives the Czech Republic the option to add two more reactors at its other nuclear facility in Temelín, which currently operates two 1,000-MW units. After that, the country plans to develop small modular reactors (SMRs). “Nuclear will likely supply 50% to 60% of our electricity around 2050, possibly even more,” said Petr Závodský, head of the Dukovany expansion project, in an interview with The Associated Press. According to Závodský, expanding nuclear energy is essential for phasing out fossil fuels, ensuring stable and affordable power, meeting emissions targets, and supporting rising electricity needs from data centers and electric vehicles. A Nuclear Comeback Across Europe The Czech program coincides with a renewed European interest in nuclear power driven by rising energy demand and increasing pressure to cut carbon emissions. Although nuclear energy produces radioactive waste, it emits no greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. The European Union has labeled nuclear energy as environmentally sustainable under its green investment framework, opening pathways to funding. This decision benefits nuclear-heavy states like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and France. Several countries are reconsidering nuclear policies: Belgium and Sweden have reversed plans to phase out nuclear power, while Denmark and Italy are reassessing their bans. Poland is preparing to join 12 other pro-nuclear EU nations after signing a deal with U.S.-based Westinghouse to build three reactors. In 2024, nuclear energy accounted for 24% of the EU’s electricity. Britain is also pursuing nuclear growth, signing a cooperation agreement with the U.S. and committing £14.2 billion ($19 billion) to build Sizewell C, its first new reactor since 1995. Czech utility CEZ, 70% state-owned, has formed a strategic partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR to develop small modular reactors. Financing the Project The Dukovany expansion is expected to cost more than $19 billion. The Czech government plans to acquire an 80% stake in the new plant and secure a long-term loan for its construction, which CEZ will repay over 30 years. The state will also guarantee stable electricity revenue for 40 years. EU approval is anticipated, as nuclear energy supports Europe’s goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. “Without new nuclear units, we simply cannot meet our needs,” Závodský said. “Right now, 40% of our power comes from nuclear and another 40% from coal. The coal must be replaced.” Financial uncertainty has previously stalled expansion efforts. In 2014, CEZ canceled a Temelín reactor tender after the government refused to guarantee financing. Russia’s Rosatom and China’s CNG were excluded from the current Dukovany tender due to security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Czech Republic has also terminated its reliance on Russian nuclear fuel by signing supply deals with Westinghouse and France’s Framatome. The KHNP contract guarantees fuel for 10 years. Opposition and Concerns Despite strong domestic support for nuclear power, critics remain both inside and outside the country. Environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth argue the project is too expensive and say funds would be better spent on improving energy efficiency. The Czech Republic also still lacks a permanent storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. Both the Dukovany and Temelín plants sit near Austria’s border. Austria, which abandoned nuclear power after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, has long opposed Czech nuclear projects. A major dispute in 2000 over the Temelín plant led to a political standoff and weeks of blocked border crossings. Austria continues to be the EU’s most anti-nuclear nation, and its lower house of parliament has already rejected the Czech plan for small modular reactors.

Sitting in a classroom hundreds of miles from her storm-ravaged Alaska Native village, 10-year-old Rayann Martin lifted her fingers to show her age. Her teacher followed up with a question in Yup’ik. “Ten — how do you say 10 in Yup’ik?” “Qula!” the children answered together. Martin is one of hundreds who were airlifted to Anchorage after the remnants of Typhoon Halong flooded several small coastal villages along the Bering Sea last month. The storm washed away dozens of homes — some carrying occupants inside — and destroyed or severely damaged nearly 700 others. One person died and two remain missing. As evacuees adjust to life far from their traditional communities, some displaced children are finding comfort in a Yup’ik language and culture immersion program — one of only two in Alaska. “I’m learning more Yup’ik,” Martin said, adding that she now uses the language with her mother, teachers and classmates. “I usually speak more Yup’ik in villages, but mostly more English in cities.” Yup’ik, spoken by roughly 10,000 people, is the fifth most common home language in the Anchorage School District, where more than 100 languages are represented. The district launched its first immersion program — in Japanese — in 1989, later adding Spanish, Mandarin, German, French and Russian. After years of requests from parents, the district secured a federal grant and opened a K-12 Yup’ik immersion track nine years ago. Its first cohort is now in eighth grade, with classes based at College Gate Elementary and Wendler Middle School. A principal’s connection shapes the response College Gate principal Darrell Berntsen, who is Alaska Native (Sugpiaq) from Kodiak Island, has personal ties to communities uprooted by natural disasters. His mother was 12 when the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and tsunami devastated her village of Old Harbor, forcing an evacuation to Anchorage before the community was rebuilt. Berntsen, who grew up living a subsistence lifestyle, said he understands what evacuees from Kipnuk, Kwigillingok and other villages have lost. He also has long been invested in preserving Alaska Native languages — a passion shaped in part by family history. His ex-wife’s grandmother, Marie Smith Jones, was the last fluent speaker of the Eyak language when she died in 2008; his uncles were punished in school for using their Indigenous Alutiiq language. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket launches NASA’s twin Mars spacecraft When evacuees began arriving at an Anchorage shelter after the October floods, Berntsen greeted families, listened to their stories and encouraged them to enroll their children in the Yup’ik program. Many showed him photos of traditional foods — duck, goose, moose, seal — they had saved for winter but lost in the flood. “Listening is a big part of our culture,” he said. “Letting them know, ‘You’re welcome at our school. We’ll do everything we can to make you comfortable in the most uncomfortable situation you’ve ever been through.’” Displaced children enter immersion classrooms About 170 evacuated students have joined the Anchorage School District, including 71 in the Yup’ik immersion program. Once the smallest immersion offering, it is now “booming,” said district world language director Brandon Locke. At College Gate, students spend half the day learning literacy, science and social studies in Yup’ik, and the rest studying English, math and language arts. Among them is 10-year-old Ellyne Aliralria of Kipnuk, whose family’s home floated upriver during the early October floods. She said the rising water also swept away her sister’s grave. Aliralria enjoys learning more Yup’ik phrases, though she notes the dialect differs from the one spoken back home. “I like to do all of them, but some of them are hard,” she said. Adjusting to city life is also challenging. She and her family now live in a motel nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) from their southwest Alaska village. “We’re homesick,” she said. The program also draws non-Yup’ik participants like 10-year-old Lilly Loewen, whose parents enrolled her because they thought the opportunity was “really cool.” “It is just really amazing to talk to people in another language,” she said. Restoring culture and reconnecting generations Berntsen plans additional activities — gym nights and Indigenous games — to help students adjust. One event will feature the “seal hop,” which mimics the movement of hunters approaching seals on the ice. He believes the immersion program is helping repair damage caused when earlier generations of Alaska Native children were discouraged — even punished — for speaking their languages. It is now creating new connections, Locke said: some children can speak with great-grandparents whose own children were never taught Yup’ik. “I took this as a great opportunity for us to give back some of what the trauma took from our Indigenous people,” Berntsen said. Source: AP

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after their trip home was postponed for more than a week due to damage sustained by their original return capsule, likely caused by space debris. According to China’s Manned Space Agency, the crew left the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft in orbit and instead traveled back aboard Shenzhou-21, which had recently delivered a new three-member team to the Tiangong space station. Their planned return was canceled after inspectors found small cracks in a window on Shenzhou-20, indicating it had probably been struck by debris. The astronauts had spent six months aboard the station and were supposed to return on Nov. 5, four days after the new crew arrived. Their mission was extended by nine days, bringing their total time in orbit to 204 days — the longest stay by any astronaut on China’s space station to date. It remains unclear whether switching capsules will alter the timeline for upcoming missions. The agency confirmed that Shenzhou-22 will be launched but did not provide a date. Mission commander Chen Dong said he felt relieved after landing, describing the journey as both a valuable training experience and a genuine challenge. “Human space exploration is never easy,” he said. “It’s full of obstacles — which is exactly why we pursue it.” The return capsule floated down under a red-and-white parachute and touched down in the Gobi Desert in northern China late Friday afternoon, kicking up a cloud of dust. About half an hour later, the astronauts were carried from the capsule and placed in chairs before being transported across the desert in orange vehicles. Space debris remains a growing hazard, with millions of fragments orbiting Earth at high speed and posing serious risks to spacecraft, satellites, and astronauts. The three astronauts, who launched in April, continued conducting experiments alongside the new crew during the delay and remained in good condition, the space agency said earlier this week. Also returning to Earth were four mice that unexpectedly spent extra time in orbit after arriving on Shenzhou-21 two weeks earlier. Scientists are studying how microgravity and confinement affect small mammals, hoping to develop technology to breed and monitor animals in space. Researchers said the mice adapted quickly, eating, drinking, and sleeping normally, and will now undergo further examination at a hospital. China’s space program, overseen by the military, is a major source of national pride. State broadcaster CCTV aired the landing live, with a Chinese flag planted near the touchdown site. China has made rapid progress in space exploration — building the Tiangong station, deploying a rover to Mars, and planning to send astronauts to the moon by 2030. Tiangong, which first hosted a crew in 2021, is smaller than the 25-year-old International Space Station, from which China was excluded due to U.S. national security concerns. The ISS has experienced its own delays, including a 2024 Boeing capsule mission that kept two NASA astronauts in space for nine months instead of one week.

Blue Origin successfully launched its massive New Glenn rocket on Thursday, sending a pair of NASA spacecraft on a long journey to Mars. This was the second flight of the New Glenn — the rocket Jeff Bezos’ company and NASA hope will play a key role in future lunar missions — and it achieved all major objectives. The 321-foot (98-meter) rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after a four-day delay caused by bad weather and strong solar storms that produced rare auroras in southern U.S. states. In a milestone achievement, Blue Origin safely recovered the booster after separation — a requirement for cutting launch costs and a practice already routine for SpaceX. Employees erupted in cheers as the booster touched down upright on a barge 375 miles (600 km) offshore, while Bezos watched from Launch Control. “Next stop, moon!” the team chanted after the landing. About 20 minutes later, the rocket’s upper stage released NASA’s twin Mars orbiters, completing the mission. Congratulations also came in from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. New Glenn’s maiden test flight in January reached orbit with a prototype satellite but failed to land the booster. The two identical spacecraft, named Escapade, will spend about a year in a holding orbit roughly 1 million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth. Once Earth and Mars align next fall, they will use Earth’s gravity to sling toward Mars, arriving in 2027. After entering orbit, the spacecraft will study Mars’ upper atmosphere, its scattered magnetic fields, and how both interact with solar wind. Scientists hope the data will explain how Mars lost most of its atmosphere and shifted from a warm, wet planet to a dry, dusty world. The findings are expected to guide future efforts to protect astronauts from radiation on Mars. Rob Lillis of the University of California, Berkeley, the mission’s lead scientist, said Escapade will provide a unique “stereo” view of Mars’ space environment using two spacecraft simultaneously. The mission costs under $80 million and is managed by UC Berkeley. NASA originally planned to launch the orbiters last fall but skipped the ideal window due to uncertainty over New Glenn’s readiness. Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, New Glenn is five times larger than Blue Origin’s suborbital New Shepard rockets. The company plans to launch a prototype Blue Moon lunar lander aboard New Glenn in the coming months. Founded in 2000 by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin holds a NASA contract for the third crewed lunar landing under the Artemis program, while SpaceX was chosen for the first two. However, NASA recently reopened the tender for the first crewed landing due to concerns over Starship’s testing pace. NASA aims to send astronauts around the moon early next year using its own Space Launch System (SLS). A later Artemis mission will attempt a lunar landing, part of the agency’s goal to return humans to the moon before the decade ends amid growing competition from China. Twelve astronauts last walked on the moon more than 50 years ago during NASA’s Apollo program. Source: AP

Scientists have unveiled two promising new malaria treatments as resistance to existing drugs continues to grow. One involves a next-generation medicine developed by Swiss drugmaker Novartis, while another relies on a single-dose combination of four widely available antimalarial drugs. Novartis’ experimental drug, GanLum — a mix of a new compound, ganaplacide, and long-acting lumefantrine — showed a 97% cure rate in trials across 12 African countries, outperforming standard treatments and proving effective against drug-resistant malaria strains. The company expects to seek regulatory approval within 18 months. Dundee and US surgeons perform world-first robotic stroke surgery Meanwhile, researchers in Gabon found that a one-time four-drug regimen was nearly as effective as current three-day treatments, offering a simpler option for patients. Experts warn, however, that emerging resistance and funding cuts could hinder future progress in the global fight against malaria. Source: AP

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has named Dr. Richard Pazdur, a longtime regulator and cancer specialist, as the new director of its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) — the agency’s largest division — following the abrupt departure of its previous chief amid an ethics probe. Pazdur, who has served at the FDA for 26 years, previously headed the agency’s Oncology Center of Excellence and played a key role in speeding up approvals of cancer therapies. He will now lead the unit responsible for reviewing and ensuring the safety and quality of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. His appointment comes just over a week after Dr. George Tidmarsh resigned as CDER director following a government ethics review into “serious concerns about his personal conduct.” Tidmarsh, a former pharmaceutical executive, had been appointed by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. A lawsuit filed earlier this month accused Tidmarsh of using his FDA position to pursue a “personal vendetta” against the chairman of a Canadian drug company where he once worked. Tidmarsh has denied the allegations but has not responded to recent requests for comment. Pazdur’s promotion comes as the agency faces internal turmoil after a series of retirements, dismissals and resignations under the Trump administration, which have left morale low and staffing depleted. The FDA’s drug center has lost more than 1,000 employees over the past year due to layoffs and resignations, according to agency figures. Pazdur is expected to bring stability and continuity to the agency’s leadership amid ongoing tensions between CDER and other FDA branches, including the vaccine and biologics division led by Dr. Vinay Prasad. He will also oversee several new initiatives introduced by Commissioner Makary, such as a voucher program designed to fast-track reviews of drugs deemed a “national priority” within one to two months — a significant acceleration from the FDA’s previous six-month expedited review process. As the FDA’s top cancer regulator, Pazdur has been credited with reshaping cancer drug approvals by allowing the use of early indicators like tumor shrinkage to speed access to new treatments. That policy has drawn criticism from some academic experts, including Prasad, who previously questioned the agency’s leniency toward cancer drug approvals before joining the FDA earlier this year. Source: AP 

In a groundbreaking medical milestone, surgeons from Scotland and the United States have successfully performed what is believed to be the world’s first remote robotic stroke surgery on a human body. The procedure was led by Professor Iris Grunwald of the University of Dundee, who conducted a remote thrombectomy—a surgery to remove blood clots after a stroke—on a human cadaver. While Prof Grunwald operated from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, the body was located at a university facility miles away. Just hours later, Dr Ricardo Hanel, a neurosurgeon based in Jacksonville, Florida, performed the first-ever transatlantic robotic surgery, operating on a body in Dundee from more than 6,400 kilometers away. The team hailed the achievement as a potential “game changer” that could revolutionize stroke care, especially for patients in remote areas who currently lack access to specialist treatment. “It felt as if we were witnessing the first glimpse of the future,” said Prof Grunwald. “What was once considered science fiction is now a demonstrated reality.” The University of Dundee is home to the world’s only facility where doctors can practice on cadavers that have liquid circulating through their vessels to simulate human blood flow. The recent test marked the first time a full mechanical thrombectomy was performed on a real human body. Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, described the operation as a “remarkable innovation” that could help close the treatment gap for people living in rural areas. The experiment used four cadavers donated within the past three years. The robotic systems, developed by Lithuanian company Sentante, enabled the surgeons to manipulate catheters and wires remotely, mimicking every hand movement in real time. In practice, a doctor at the patient’s side would insert the wires, while a remote specialist—possibly even from another country—could perform the actual thrombectomy using the robotic system. Both Prof Grunwald and Dr Hanel completed the procedure after only 20 minutes of training, with a latency of just 120 milliseconds. Tech firms Nvidia and Ericsson partnered on the project to ensure seamless connectivity between the two continents. Prof Grunwald said the innovation could address two key global challenges: the shortage of qualified thrombectomy specialists and the limited access to treatment based on geography. “Every six minutes of delay reduces the patient’s chance of a good recovery by 1%,” she said. “This technology could save countless lives by bringing treatment to the patient, not the other way around.” Last year, Scotland recorded 9,625 ischaemic strokes, but only 2.2% of patients received thrombectomy treatment. Across the UK, the figure stood at 3.9%, according to Public Health Scotland. Sentante CEO Edvardas Satkauskas said the success marks a new era for remote medical intervention, “Sometimes, the future is much closer than we think.” With inputs from BBC

Preliminary testing has detected the bacteria responsible for producing the botulism toxin in ByHeart baby formula, California health officials said, following an outbreak that has sickened at least 13 infants in 10 U.S. states since mid-August. No deaths have been reported so far. “Consumers in possession of this product should stop using it immediately,” the California Department of Public Health warned in a statement late Saturday. The ongoing investigation by state and federal health agencies involves additional testing of ByHeart’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. The New York-based company has recalled two lots of the powdered formula, which carry a best-by date of December 2026. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said affected infants, aged between two weeks and five months, were hospitalized after consuming the formula. Reported cases have occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington. California health authorities tested a can of ByHeart formula that had been fed to an infected baby. Early results “suggest the presence” of the bacteria linked to botulism, though confirmatory testing could take several days. ByHeart said in a statement that further testing is required to determine if the bacteria that causes botulism are indeed present, noting that many related bacteria occur naturally and are not harmful. “We take this very seriously,” the company said Sunday. Pfizer secures Metsera acquisition after outbidding Novo Nordisk in high-stakes race The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a total of 83 reports of infant botulism since August, including those connected to ByHeart. Botulism, though rare, affects fewer than 200 U.S. infants annually. It is caused by bacteria that produce toxins in the large intestine, potentially leading to paralysis. Infants under one year are most at risk, with symptoms including weak muscle tone, drooping eyelids, poor feeding, and breathing difficulties. All infants affected in the ByHeart-linked outbreak have been treated with BabyBIG, the only available treatment for infant botulism. Produced by California’s Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, BabyBIG is made from plasma of immunized adults and helps shorten hospital stays. Officials said the outbreak poses no risk to national formula supplies, as ByHeart represents just 1% of U.S. formula sales. The company previously recalled five batches in 2022 after detecting a different bacterium, cronobacter sakazakii, at its packaging facility — the same germ at the center of the 2022 Abbott Nutrition crisis that caused a nationwide shortage. Meanwhile, the FDA, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is reviewing infant formula ingredients and nutrient standards under a new initiative called “Operation Stork Speed” — the first comprehensive review since 1998. Source: AP

U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has reached a deal to acquire Metsera Inc., a New York-based obesity drug developer, after beating Danish rival Novo Nordisk in a heated bidding war. Metsera, which currently has no marketed products, is developing a pipeline of oral and injectable therapies aimed at obesity and diabetes — two of the most profitable sectors in the global drug market. The acquisition marks Pfizer’s renewed push into the fast-growing weight-loss drug segment, months after halting development of its own obesity pill candidate. Under the agreement announced Friday, Pfizer will purchase Metsera for up to $86.25 per share, comprising $65.60 in cash and a contingent value right worth up to $20.65 per share, depending on future performance milestones. Metsera’s board cited antitrust concerns surrounding Novo Nordisk’s offer and said Pfizer’s revised proposal offered the “best transaction for shareholders in both value and certainty of completion.” The deal comes just days after Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, raised its bid to as much as $10 billion, up from a previous offer of $9 billion, which had prompted a lawsuit from Pfizer. Pfizer’s final offer — initially valued at around $4.9 billion in September — was modified to include a larger upfront cash payment. Aberdeen scientists create new tool to detect hidden meat in shop-bought meals Pfizer said it expects the transaction to close shortly after Metsera’s shareholder meeting on November 13. Novo Nordisk confirmed Saturday that it will not submit a higher offer, effectively ending its pursuit of the company. Novo’s final proposal had included $62.20 in cash per share plus a $24 contingent payment tied to future development milestones. Source: AP

Colorful northern lights may light up the night sky across several northern U.S. states on Thursday night, thanks to an incoming solar storm triggered by a massive burst of energy from the sun. The sun recently released a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a huge expulsion of charged particles — that is heading toward Earth. Space weather forecasters have issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch, with the solar burst expected to arrive between Thursday evening and early Friday. According to Shawn Dahl, a space weather forecaster at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the strength and reach of the auroras will depend on the timing and interaction of the solar particles with Earth’s magnetic field. “If the timing lines up, auroras will quite likely spin up overnight,” Dahl said in an email. Authorities are monitoring the situation but do not expect significant disruptions to communications or radio signals, he added. Auroras could be visible — particularly in darker, rural areas — across Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. However, the bright moon may make the lights harder to spot. If solar activity continues, the northern lights could also be visible on Friday night. Why northern lights appear The sun is currently at the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, making aurora sightings more frequent and widespread. Auroras — commonly visible near the poles — occur when charged particles from the sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere, producing vivid displays of green, pink, and purple light. As the sun’s magnetic poles prepare to swap places in this cycle, solar flares and geomagnetic disturbances become more intense. Last year, Earth experienced its strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades, lighting up skies across the Northern Hemisphere, including Germany, the UK, New England, and even New York City. NASA and NOAA expect the sun’s heightened activity to last through the end of the year, although the exact peak of the cycle won’t be known until months afterward. When solar storms turn dangerous While often beautiful, solar storms can also disrupt technology on Earth. High-energy particles can interfere with power grids, satellites, GPS, and air traffic communications. In 1859, one of the most severe solar storms ever recorded caused auroras as far south as Hawaii and even set telegraph lines ablaze. Another event in 1972 reportedly detonated magnetic sea mines off Vietnam’s coast. Scientists cannot predict solar storms months in advance. Instead, they issue alerts only a few days before the charged particles are expected to reach Earth. How to watch the auroras To maximize the chance of seeing the northern lights, experts advise heading to a dark, open area away from city lights, such as a local or national park. Weather conditions are crucial — cloud cover can easily obscure the spectacle. Aurora forecasts are available on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center website or through dedicated aurora-tracking apps. For sky watchers, capturing a photo with a smartphone camera can sometimes reveal faint aurora colors invisible to the naked eye — making the celestial show even more memorable.   Source: AP