About this Episode
Flash floods triggered by a glacier‑related ice‑rock avalanche have struck the Nepal–Tibet border, killing at least 95 people and leaving hundreds missing, officials say. A torrent of mud, water and debris swept away homes, roads, bridges and hydroelectric plants. Communications and power are disrupted across affected districts. Nepalese authorities report 384 tourists unaccounted for — many believed to be pilgrims headed for Mount Kailash — along with dozens of security personnel. Rescue teams, including army and police, are battling blocked rivers and unstable terrain; helicopters cannot yet land in some areas. China urged all‑out search efforts and improved early warning systems. Downstream regions in India were warned of flood risk. Climate‑driven glacier instability is likely a contributing factor.
Meta has agreed to major changes to Facebook and Instagram and will pay up to $17bn to settle a US lawsuit by states alleging the platforms addicted and harmed children. As part of the settlement, Meta will implement nationwide teen protections including daily usage limits, blocks on nighttime use, restrictions on school-time notifications, bans on certain cosmetic filters for under‑18s, and other safety measures. However, the company denies wrongdoing. The payout — distributed to states over 10 years pending court approval — includes sizable shares for California and other plaintiffs. Attorneys general called the deal transformative for child safety online, while Meta urged industry‑wide adoption of similar reforms and warned success depends on peer platforms following suit.
Colombia’s far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced a swift crackdown on migrants, ordering police and migration authorities to detain and deport people in irregular situations or those accused of crimes. Announcing joint operations to begin immediately, he promised priority for Colombians and likened his stance to ally Donald Trump’s “America First” rhetoric. De la Espriella also declared gangs involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion and smuggling as terrorists to be crushed “by reason or by force.” Critics — including human rights groups and opposition politicians — call the policy xenophobic and warn it undermines a decade-long approach that helped many Venezuelan migrants; about 2.8 million Venezuelans live in Colombia, roughly 850,000 irregularly. Officials question whether migration authorities have capacity to execute the plan.
A fire at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences maternity ward killed 14 newborns after an air-conditioning unit sparked a blaze, witnesses say. Eyewitnesses reported locked doors, absent staff, delayed rescues and inadequate fire protocols; only one of 15 infants survived. Hospital officials deny the ward was locked, saying it was manned to prevent baby theft. Rescue teams reportedly smashed windows; some say help arrived hours after the fire. Islamabad’s chief commissioner says teams responded immediately. Pakistan’s prime minister ordered an immediate investigation and suspended the federal health secretary. The tragedy echoes past deadly fires in Pakistan, where weak safety laws and poor enforcement are often blamed.
