A week after catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal and Tibet, aid operations remain severely hampered by treacherous conditions in communities that have been almost entirely destroyed. Survivors who fled to higher ground are still being evacuated by army helicopters, while thousands of people remain unaccounted for.
The mountain village of Syabru Besi was among the hardest hit, with the road leading to it completely washed away. According to local government officials, at least 500 people from the village are missing, representing a quarter of its population. The village now resembles a muddy riverbed, with only a single building left standing.
On-the-ground reporting from affected districts
Guardian reporters Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Gaurav Pokharel, accompanied by photographer Ahmer Khan, have been documenting the devastation in the Betrawati and Rasuwa districts. Their reporting includes interviews with multiple survivors and haunting footage of the debris, capturing the scale of human suffering in the region.
In a video report, Ellis-Petersen describes what she has witnessed, providing a firsthand account of the destruction and the ongoing rescue efforts. The conditions have made it difficult for aid to reach those in need, with many areas accessible only by air.
Other significant news stories
In a separate development, Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, has stated that the country is seeking Donald Trump's support for a plan to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Katz said there is "no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration," a proposal that has been widely condemned as a potential war crime. Trump had previously discussed a US takeover of Gaza in early 2025 but has since distanced himself from the idea.
Meanwhile, a survivor of child sexual abuse has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, alleging that its Grok chatbot used images of her abuse to generate new illegal pornographic images. Margaret Mabie, an attorney for the plaintiff, said: "The difference here between many criminal cases that you'll see with AI-generated material is that you cannot prove that the kid in the material is real. But here, because you can associate it with the series, we know that it is an identifiable victim who is still alive and was a real child in the photo." Neither xAI nor SpaceX, which acquired the company in February, responded to requests for comment.
Political and cultural updates
US Vice-President JD Vance has made controversial remarks during a podcast interview, stating he is "doing as much of God's work as possible" and is unbothered "if that leads to the end times," which he believes "are coming." Vance also commented on artificial intelligence, calling it "kind of satanic" and suggesting he would not be shocked if the antichrist were present.
In other news, Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has died at the age of 70. Google has won a significant antitrust case against the US Justice Department, avoiding the forced sale of its ad technology. Patagonia has joined a lawsuit challenging the reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. An MMA fight in Florida drew condemnation after a fighter made antisemitic comments and a spectator was ejected for waving a swastika flag.
Economic and environmental highlights
Uber has announced it will cut 3,300 corporate jobs, slashing 10% of its workforce to make operations "simpler and faster." The company is also requiring most staff to return to the office, with less than 1% of employees expected to work remotely.
The UN has warned of a record El Niño event, which it says is "supersizing before our eyes" and likely to be the largest in at least 1,000 years. This, combined with global heating, means 2027 is set to "blow apart" the record and become the hottest year ever recorded.
Finally, a new musical titled Misfits Together, by Bastille's Dan Smith and To Kill a King's Ralph Pelleymounter, will offer an intimate portrait of Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller's marriage, set against the 1950s' "red scare" and drawing parallels to the current volatile state of the US.
