The Context

A massive rescue operation is continuing after flash floods and landslides swept through Nepal and Tibet, triggered by a glacial collapse that sent a wall of water, mud, and rock down valleys. At least 389 people are confirmed dead in Nepal, with more than 900 missing, and hundreds are unaccounted for in Tibet. The disaster destroyed villages, bridges, and infrastructure, and the United Nations is mobilising aid, while the British Red Cross and other agencies are supporting local efforts. Families are desperately waiting for news, with 33 UK citizens missing and India reporting 290 citizens unaccounted for, many of them pilgrims and workers.

The programme also reported the death of Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader, at the age of 84, who was serving a life sentence for genocide. Additionally, UEFA is pursuing criminal legal action against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, over the abandoned plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup. Returning to the floods, scientists are investigating the cause, noting that satellite imagery and seismic analysis point to a huge avalanche of ice and rock, possibly linked to climate change, and they are monitoring the risk of further flooding from unstable temporary dams. Rescue efforts involve thousands of police and army personnel, with an army barracks turned into a healthcare centre, and survivors describe the suddenness of the disaster and the ongoing search for the missing.