Connect with us

International

Nepal counts 148 deaths and massive damage after the worst rains in decades

The intense monsoon rains have caused floods and landslides in Nepal, causing the death of at least 148 people and the disappearance of dozens. The Kathmandu Valley, the epicenter of the catastrophe, has been the most affected, with 73 fatalities reported.

Floods have caused massive damage to infrastructure such as homes and bridges, leaving thousands of people homeless. Rescue teams work hard to locate the missing and provide assistance to those affected, but they face great challenges due to adverse weather conditions and blocked roads.

The deputy inspector general of the Armed Police, Kumar Neupane, explained to EFE that security forces have been mobilized to remove debris and open key roads throughout the country. So far, 3,626 people have been rescued and transferred to a safe area.

Nepalese authorities have reported that the death toll may continue to rise as search and rescue operations progress.

In addition to the deaths, dozens of injuries and thousands of displaced people have been reported.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

The Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, has been one of the areas most affected by floods. Saturday recorded the highest level of rain in decades, which caused rivers to overflow and flood entire neighborhoods.

According to Neupane, the rescuers have recovered 35 bodies buried by landslides in the Jhyaple Khola area of Dhading, on the Prithvi road, which connects the Kathmandu valley.

“A bus and two minibuses were found buried in the landslide. The police have been recovering the bodies since Sunday morning,” he said.

A low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal caused prolonged rains this year. The monsoon, which normally begins in mid-June and ends at the end of September, will extend this year until the first week of October.

The Government of Nepal today ordered the closure of schools in the Himalayan country for at least three days, in an effort to mitigate the impact of widespread floods.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

This decision, taken at an emergency cabinet meeting, seeks to protect the safety of students and educational staff, the spokesman for the Ministry of Education, Laxmi Prasad Bhattarai, said in a statement.

The interruption of transport, the damage to school buildings and the serious impact on the communities have forced the Government to take this measure. In addition, it has been decided to postpone all ongoing exams due to extreme weather conditions.

The Kathmandu valley, the epicenter of the floods, recorded yesterday the highest level of rain since 1970. Thousands of homes have been submerged and authorities fear that the number of fatalities will continue to increase.

Sharmila Sharma, who lives in a rented room in the Nepalese capital, told EFE how the water flooded her home up to a meter high. “This has been one of the worst floods I have seen in Kathmandu in the last 30 years,” he said.

Videos and photos on social media platforms and local media showed people trying to move with water up to their waists. In many places, residents used buckets to empty their water-filled houses.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_300x250

International

Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the departure of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, one of the key architects of the administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants.

Noem, who has been assigned a new role as a “special envoy” to Latin America, will be replaced starting March 31 by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, the president said in a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social.

According to media reports, Trump made the decision after Noem’s recent hearings in Congress, during which she faced tough questions regarding the awarding of a major public contract.

Continue Reading

International

Young Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced Thursday that the young Mexican woman who proves to have the best ball control skills will receive her personal ticket to the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.

The left-wing leader had previously said she would not attend the tournament’s opening game on June 11 in the Mexican capital and instead planned to give away the ticket number 00001, reserved for her by FIFA.

During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum explained that women between 16 and 25 years old can participate by submitting a video through an official platform.

“What do they have to do? Keep the ball in the air for one minute,” she said, referring to the soccer juggling challenge that will determine the winner.

Among the judges selecting the winner will be Mexican striker Charlyn Corral, the world’s top female scorer who set a ball-control record in 2005, and professional referee Katia Itzel García.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

Sheinbaum also revealed that she plans to watch the opening match during a large public gathering with giant screens in the Zócalo, located in the historic center near the presidential palace.

“Very few people will be able to attend the opening. So I will watch it here with the people, and a young woman will represent me and the people of Mexico,” the president said.

Sheinbaum has previously commented on the high cost of World Cup tickets, as well as the difficulty of obtaining them in a metropolitan area with more than 20 million inhabitants.

In the 2026 tournament, jointly hosted by United States, Mexico, and Canada, Mexico will stage 13 matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

The opening match will take place at the legendary Estadio Azteca, which previously hosted World Cup opening ceremonies in 1970 and 1986, occasions when the presidents in attendance were famously booed by the crowd.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow
Continue Reading

International

Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday rejected claims that the military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was carried out under pressure from the United States government.

Sheinbaum explained that the deployment of federal forces was aimed at executing outstanding arrest warrants against Oseguera Cervantes, who was considered one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States.

“That was not the objective (to ease pressure from the United States). It is very important, and I want to repeat it. This individual had an arrest warrant, or several,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the operation conducted on February 22.

According to the president, the initial goal was to capture Oseguera Cervantes, but military forces responded after coming under attack during the intervention.

“The operation was to detain him. The problem is that they were attacked — the Secretariat of National Defense — and they responded at that moment,” she said.

Advertisement
20260224_estafa_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

The president insisted that the action was not carried out in response to external demands, although she acknowledged intelligence cooperation with the United States.

“It was not done in any way because of pressure from the United States, not at all. Of course, there was intelligence information from the United States that was used specifically,” she concluded.

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News