Met Office Chief Forecaster Steve Willington said: “On Thursday, slow-moving heavy and thundery rain may bring prolonged rainfall to some areas, increasing the risk of localised impacts. There remains some uncertainty around where the heaviest rain will fall, so it is important to keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings”

A humanoid robot running 100 metres in 9.39 seconds sounds extraordinary. At this
week’s World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, one machine reportedly beat the
world record held by Usain Bolt, while another jumped higher than Javier
Sotomayor’s long-standing high jump mark.

On the surface, these achievements appear to represent a new frontier in sport. But
comparing robotic and human performance is fundamentally flawed. The World Humanoid Robot Games brought together more than 2,000 robots competing in events ranging from athletics and football to boxing and weightlifting.

The scale of the competition and the technological progress on display were
genuinely impressive. According to organisers, participation increased dramatically
from previous events, while performance levels improved substantially across
several disciplines.

These machines have the shape, appearance and physical characteristics of a
human. However, their achievements are the product of entirely different
biomechanics, making direct comparisons with athletes problematic.

And sport has never been solely about producing the fastest time, highest jump or heaviest lift. When we watch athletes compete, we are not simply witnessing physical feats.

We are watching people contend with fatigue, pressure, uncertainty, emotion and
risk. The Olympic movement itself defines sport through human development and
experience as much as results.

Mastering these challenges is just as important as mastering the physical skills
required to perform. It is this human experience that gives sporting achievements
their meaning and creates the connection between athletes, spectators and the
wider sporting community.

A robot may resemble a person, but it does not experience sport in the way humans
do. It does not feel nervous standing on a start line, overcome self doubt after injury, or experience the joy of victory and disappointment of defeat.

That is why comparing a robot’s sprint time with Bolt’s world record is ultimately misleading. The real achievement is not athletic excellence. It is technological progress.

The rapid development of humanoid robots is prompting important discussions about
how technology will shape the future of sport. Robotics could help coaches analyse performance, improve training methods and push the limits of human achievement even further.

At the same time, sport’s relationship with technology has rarely been
straightforward. The introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) in football, for example, remains controversial despite its aim of improving decision-making.

Debates continue over whether technology enhances sport or detracts from the
experience for players, officials and fans alike. Humanoid robotics raises even bigger questions. Who will have access to these technologies?

Will they be available across sport, or only to the wealthiest countries, organisations and teams? As with many innovations, there is a risk that robotics
could widen existing inequalities by providing greater advantages to those who
already possess significant resources.

Although some parts of the western media remain critical of the Games and
humanoids, it is important to remember that western sporting culture does not
represent all of world sport. Different societies have different relationships with
technology and different expectations of what sport can be.

This matters because sport has long been valued as something relatively accessible.
Football, often described as the people’s game, became a global phenomenon
because participation was possible almost anywhere. Increasing reliance on
advanced technologies risks moving sport further away from some of these
foundations.

The robot games also revealed how far the technology still has to go. For every
record-breaking performance, there were robots falling over, colliding with barriers, crashing into equipment and, in some cases, breaking apart during competition.

One sprinting robot reportedly had to be carried away after hitting a safety barrier and catching fire. Another crashed into a judge’s table during a weightlifting event.

These moments may seem amusing, but they highlight an important reality:
humanoid robotics remains a developing technology rather than a finished product.

Even so, the direction of travel is clear. In China, robotics is already becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life and industry. As humanoid technologies continue to develop and spread internationally, debates about their place in sport will only intensify.

For now, robots are not replacing athletes. But in the future, the governing bodies of certain sports may need to answer difficult questions about where robots belong, how they should be regulated and what role they should play in sporting competition.

This is the harrowing moment a huge torrent of floodwater devastates a village in Nepal.

As the wall of water and mud bulldozes its way through buildings, people are seen desperately running for their lives through fields along the Nepal-Tibet border. 

The Bhote Koshi River was suddenly overwhelmed with water this morning in flash floods that left a 30-mile long trail of devastation and claimed the lives of dozens.

At least 95 people have been confirmed dead in Nepal following the natural disaster, and more than 90 Nepali citizens and 300 tourists, including 33 Britons and 47 Americans, are missing in the region.

In the terrifying video, the first wave erupts up across the bank of the river and within seconds engulfs the trees and homes built not far from the bank.

As the unstoppable water careens down a bend, huge clouds of mist and spray from the impact overwhelm the humble settlement.

A main road running through the small town is soon covered and the ominous sludge of the floodwater rapidly creeps across the field on the other side, where dozens of people are trying to flee.

It is just one such example of total annihilation being experienced across the region, with fears that more bodies will be found as search and rescue operations get underway. 

Entire buildings become submerged by huge waves of floodwater and mud, decimating the settlement 

As the wall of water and mud bulldozes its way through buildings, people are seen desperately running for their lives through fields along the Nepal-Tibet border

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Officials in China-controlled Tibet said they feared ‘major casualties’ with some missing in the county of ​Gyirong after a mudslide hit a land crossing between the neighbours this morning. 

In Tibet, one clip showed the Gyirong Port land crossing being ripped apart by the flood and dragged downstream. 

Dozens of people were seen running away in terror seconds before the water and mud crashed into the structure and wiped it out. 

Experts believe a 4.4-magnitude quake triggered an ice avalanche which in turn blocked the Lhende river. Water then built up behind the blockage before bursting downstream with devastating consequences. 

In footage that shows towns after the immediate swell of water, buildings and roads are covered in thick layers of mud.

Mounds of debris jut out of the thick silt and vehicles are sometimes entirely submerged.

Nepali officials said hundreds of tourists and trekkers are unaccounted for, made up of 341 foreign nationals and at least 93 Nepali citizens.

Among the unaccounted are 12 from the UK – including a 13-year-old girl – 105 Indian nationals, four from South Africa, 17 from Malaysia and three from the United States. One each from Australia and the Netherlands are also unaccounted for.

Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside after flash floods at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026

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A combination of satellite images shows the valleys near the Nepal-China broder on August 25, 2026, before the devastating floods (T), and on August 26, 2026, after the disaster (B)

A house lies deluged in sludge after flash floods at Devghat in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026

Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside after flash floods at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026

The aftermath of massive flash floods and mudslides near the Nepal-China border in Nepal on August 26, 2026

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The nationalities of nearly 100 more people have not yet been established, while an additional 37 people are believed to be non-resident Indians living in Nepal. 

Sunil Sharma, a Nepal Tourism Board spokesperson, said the 133 missing were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in China’s autonomous region of Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.

Alpine Eco Trek, which offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, confirmed that 12 British nationals on its tour across the Nepal-Tibet border were missing on Wednesday.

Ram Kumar Adhikari, the manager of Alpine Eco Trek, said two Irish nationals and four South African nationals who were also on the excursion are believed to be missing.

Mr Kumar Adhikari said there was ‘not much info to share at the moment, but yes we have 12 British citizens (supposed) to make entry this morning’.

South Korea said eight of its citizens were unaccounted for, while an additional 12 were stranded following the deadly floods.

There are fears that a second flood may send Nepal, Tibet and neighbouring India into further chaos. 

Flood alerts were issued in the populous northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as they border Nepal and several rivers flow down the mountains into their plains.

The UK’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Baroness Winterton said following the disaster: ‘Heartbreaking to see the loss and damage caused by the Rasuwa flood in Nepal.

‘Sending our thoughts to all those affected by the disaster. We are working closely with the Nepalese authorities following concerning reports of British nationals who are missing.

‘We encourage British nationals in Nepal to follow guidance from the local authorities and remain alert to the changing situation.’

Earlier today, the British embassy in Kathmandu said the UK was ‘deeply saddened by the devastating flood which hit Rasuwa and other parts of Nepal this morning. Our thoughts are with all those caught up in this disaster.’

It added: ‘We urge British Nationals in Nepal to follow official guidance and exercise caution in the affected areas.’ 

the UK. Once the “voice of reason” between the feuding brothers, Kate is said to have believed the Sussexes “had an agenda” — and that Prince Harry stepping down from royal duties was “inevitable”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to return to the UK within weeks, moving into a private non-royal residence and enrolling their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in British schools.

The move marks a remarkable reversal for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who turned their backs on the royal family and the UK in 2020, relocating to Montecito in California in what they famously described as a ‘flight to freedom’.

Following their departure from their roles as senior working royals, the couple achieved financial independence and participated in several high-profile interviews, most notably with American chat show icon Oprah Winfrey, during which they made a series of explosive claims about their time in Britain.

Prince Harry subsequently published his memoir, Spare, which he described as a tell-all account of his time within the royal family.

The couple’s intentions were revealed last week, when it emerged that both King Charles and Prince William had been informed simultaneously of their plans to return to the UK, reports the Daily Star.

Royal sources have since disclosed the Prince of Wales is “completely united” with the King in refusing to permit Harry and Meghan to assume a ‘half in, half out’ role within the monarchy.

Close friends of both William and the Princess of Wales have indicated that while they “cannot forgive” the Sussexes for their damaging allegations against the Firm, they remain resolute in their desire to “look forward to the future”.

Although Prince Harry will not be resuming his former royal responsibilities, it has been suggested he will continue his efforts to repair his relationship with his father, the King, whom he has visited during trips to London.

The Duke is not thought to have spent any time with his brother, the Prince of Wales, or his sister-in-law, Kate.

Kate was once considered the “voice of reason’ between the brothers as their relationship fell apart and eventually felt she ” between the brothers as their relationship deteriorated, yet ultimately felt she “could do no more to bring the brothers together”.

The Princess of Wales is said to have believed her brother-in-law would desire more than being a “bit-part player” in the monarchy, given his profound differences with her husband. The biography William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, by The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers, also details how Kate came to believe Harry and Meghan were “not to be trusted” following their interview with Oprah.

The book further reveals that the future queen, who had been more than willing to give Meghan a chance upon joining the Royal Family, believed the Sussexes “had an agenda” and that their conduct went beyond simply being “difficult”. She also considered Prince Harry’s departure from his role within the Royal Family to have been “inevitable”.

According to the company’s travel logs, shared with the Press Association, the age of the missing British citizens ranges from 13 to 65.

Alpine Eco Trek said the youngest member of the group is believed to be a 13-year-old girl, according to PA.

It also reported four of the firm’s Nepali tour guides are also missing.

The company’s manager Kumar Adhikari said he was in contact with the guides until 08:40 when they were expected to be at Tibet’s immigration office, but their phones were disconnected.

“We were hoping that inside it was safe,” he told PA, “but later the video came from China’s government which [showed] even Tibet’s side was hit by the flood.”

Adhikari said he was “slowly responding to” the families of the Britons but has been unable to give them any updates, adding he has been in contact with the British consulate and forwarded them copies of the clients’ passports.

“I feel so sad. We are just thinking about what to do next…We are in pain at the moment, deep pain.”

Another tour company impacted by the flash floods, Himalayan Glacier US, told the BBC they have lost contact with a group of 47 guests and staff who where making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, which included two British citizens.

Kailash Journeys also reported a group of 27 guests and staff missing, with a spokesperson saying they were last in contact with them early Wednesday morning local time.

A list of names provided to the BBC included two men who are British citizens.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he is “deeply concerned” by news of the flash flooding, and wrote on social media: “All my thoughts are with those affected and with British nationals in the area and their relatives here at home”.

In a joint statement with Australia, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland, the UK embassy in Nepal urged British nationals in Nepal to “exercise caution in affected areas”.

A deplorable duo allegedly swooped in on the home of a Florida couple who had perished in a helicopter crash to steal their prized possessions just days after the fatal accident.

Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, and Melany Perdomo, 24, are accused of burglarizing the South Florida home of Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra, two victims of the August 19 helicopter crash in northern Kenya that killed seven people.

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area of Kenya when it crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County.

The pair were arrested Tuesday on charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a vehicle and grand theft, according to arrest reports obtained by NBC.

According to police, who spoke to NBC, the alleged burglary occurred sometime between August 20 and August 22, at Valencia Avenue, Coral Gables, after news broke that the men were killed thousands of miles away. The break-in was reported by the housekeeper on August 23.

Police say the Valencia Avenue home had been left in complete disarray, with valuable artwork, jewelry, electronics and personal and business documents allegedly stolen.

Even the victims’ prized vehicles were allegedly taken: a Range Rover and a Porsche Taycan.

However, investigators eventually managed to trace one of the victims’ stolen Apple MacBooks to an address in Hialeah. 

Melany Perdomo, 24, and Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, were arrested Tuesday on charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a vehicle and grand theft, according to arrest reports.

The South Florida couple was married in 2017 and enjoyed traveling the world. Hlavaty was the co-founder of Market Group, a real estate development and branded design company and Parra was an aviation software executive from Miami and served as president of the Bimini Bay Homeowners Association

Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra were killed in the helicopter crash in Kenya on August 19. Just days later, police say their Coral Gables home was broken into as a thieving duo made off with their prized possessions

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When police arrived to execute a search warrant, Garcia allegedly tried to hide in a bedroom closet. Perdomo was found upstairs. Both were then taken into custody according to the arrest reports.

During the search, authorities allegedly discovered numerous documents belonging to the deceased couple, the Range Rover key fob and several pieces of their valuable artwork.

While the arrest reports do not identify the victims by name, they reference the date of the crash and say the homeowners had been ‘tragically killed in an unforeseen fatal accident while away from the residence.’

The homeowners are being remembered by loved ones as a ‘loving couple who cherished their time together, especially traveling, making memories, and enjoying life with their family and friends.’

Reverend Eddie Rodriguez, the interfaith minister who officiated their wedding, told WPLG that some couples remain with you long after the ceremony.

‘There are couples that stand out for you, and they certainly did,’ Rodriguez said.

During Garcia’s bond hearing on Wednesday, shocking accusations came to light when prosecutors pointed to his criminal past.

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, according to Kenyan authorities. All six passengers and the pilot died. Five victims were US citizens

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Although the reports do not identify the victims by name, they reference the date of the crash and say the homeowners had been ‘tragically killed in an unforeseen fatal accident while away from the residence,’ as per NBC reporting

The theft was reported to police by the home’s housekeeper on August 23, investigators then traced one of the victims stolen MacBooks to a Hialeah address where they located Garcia and Perdomo attempting to conceal themselves

Garcia appeared in court for his bond hearing on Wednesday but the proceedings took a unual turn when Garcia’s attorney presented a notarized document that he said came from Garcia’s family from one of the victims. The document purportedly gave Garcia permission to enter the victims home and make use of their vehicles 

‘Your honor, you’ll see that the defendant’s got prior felony convictions for burglarizing homes, money laundering, dealing in stolen property,’ a prosecutor told Judge Mindy Glazer.

The prosecutor also raised the disturbing possibility that the victims’ deaths had been known to whoever entered their home.

‘I don’t know if this home was specifically targeted because I believe it was in the media that the victims passed away,’ the prosecutor said.

Garcia’s attorney, Paul Basile, however, offered a startling explanation.

He produced a notarized document that he said came from Garcia’s family and allegedly authorized Garcia to enter the home and use the victims’ vehicles.

The document immediately drew skepticism from the judge.

‘Oh I gotta see this,’ Glazer said. ‘Really?’

She questioned why the victims would have supposedly handed over access to their home and luxury cars to Garcia, given his criminal record.

‘Before they went on their vacation, they decided to give Mr Garcia authorization to use their vehicles, Mr. Garcia, who has a criminal history?’

Judge Mindy Glazer remained skeptical of the documents and and ordered a probable-cause hearing. Later that afternoon when the hearing resumed, Garcia was ultimately ordered held without bond. Perdomo remained behind bars on an immigration hold.

Basile said he could only rely on information provided by Garcia’s family.

But Glazer made clear she was unconvinced.

‘Yeah, I would not give that much weight,’ she said.

Basile further claimed that the notary was a friend of one of the victims.

The judge refused to decide the matter without hearing directly from investigators and ordered a probable-cause hearing.

That afternoon, a detective and a friend of Hlavaty and Parra both testified and both said they believed the purported authorization document was fraudulent.

The victims’ friend also described the damage allegedly left behind after the break-in.

The front door was reportedly destroyed, while a camera and part of the home’s security system were allegedly ripped out.

For Glazer, the circumstances surrounding the alleged burglary were particularly troubling.

‘I’m not going to address anything until I hear from the officers for the probable cause hearing,’ she said. ‘But I mean, it’s pretty egregious to break into somebody’s home of victims who had just perished.’

Following the afternoon hearing Garcia was ultimately ordered held without bond.

Perdomo remained behind bars on an immigration hold.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Garcia’s attorney, Paul Basile for comment.

At least 97 people have been killed in the flash floods triggered by an earthquake in Nepal, officials say, with hundreds more missing – including British and Australian tourists

Heroic rescue efforts are still being made to save as many people as possible in the devastating floods in Nepal and China.

The death toll currently stands at 97 on Thursday morning (August 27), but Nepali Army officials say another 384 people — including tourists — are missing. Videos released by the army show the incredible efforts soldiers are going to in searching for survivors.

One shows three troops giving a man, covered in mud from a mudslide, a piggyback to safety, while others highlight how soldiers are wading through mud to get stretchers to the injured.

A spokesperson said they have rescued 54 people in the affected zone, which covers both Nepal and China.

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The terrifying flash floods were triggered by an earthquake around the two countries’ border. Records show a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck near Kodari at 8:37am local time (3:52am in the UK) on Wednesday (August 26).

That led to an avalanche in the Himalayas that “eventually caused the collapse of glacial lakes in the Tibet region of China”, said Nepal foreign minister Sishir Khanal.

Mr Khanal added: “Equipped with helicopters, drones and rafting boards, rescuers from all state forces — Nepal Police, Armed Police and Nepal Army — were deployed to the flood-hit area.”

Missing people come from the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Nepal, India, and South Africa.

Devastation in Nepal is widespread, as at least 19 bridges and 200 trucks have been swept away in the mountainous country, and 25 miles of road and 13 hydroelectric projects have also been damaged.

In China, it is unclear how many people have been killed, wounded, or have gone missing in the disaster. State-run media has reported a mudslide near the Gyirong Port.

Reports said: “The disaster has cut off roads leading to the port on the Chinese side, as well as communications and power supplies.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered “all-out efforts” to find survivors. Xi also called for an evacuation and medical treatment in the affected area.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered humanitarian aid to its neighbour Nepal. Modi said on X: “Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts.”

Hope is dwindling for the tourists missing after the apocalyptic floods in Nepal yesterday – as rescuers battle near-impossible conditions to reach survivors.

Thousands are feared dead after a churning wall of mud, rock and freezing water bulldozed down the Rasuwa valley, crumpling concrete and washing away entire villages in disaster-movie scenes.

Desperate images have emerged from the receding waters of villagers battling to escape swirling cesspits of debris and picking through rubble for survival essentials.

Other footage, too graphic to publish, shows remains being pulled from the river banks – the victims’ bodies severely injured by the seismic force of the water.

The US Geological Survey has now said the torrent was caused by a ‘glacial collapse’ – thought to have seen a 2,000ft mass of ice break away – causing ‘catastrophic impacts downstream’.

Rescuers said last night 157 bodies had been pulled from the water and rubble, but the death toll was expected to climb significantly. 

One emergency worker said it would take hours to reach stricken areas because of the five-foot-deep sediment blocking roads.

More than 300 of those missing were tourists, who had been visiting the area for the hiking and religious pilgrimages for which it is famed. 

Military personnel rescue a man coated in mud from the floodwater

The ferocious floods carved a wide scar down the course of the Trishulu River

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Police officers carry an elderly lady to safety on Wednesday afternoon

Survivors pushing through debris-strewn water to salvage essentials

Families of the 33 Britons, including a schoolgirl, who were in the area but are now uncontactable have told the Daily Mail of their anguished wait for information. 

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to do ‘everything we can’ to support Britons caught up in the nightmare.

Also among the missing were 133 Indians, 53 Ukrainians, 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 24 Canadians and eight South Koreans.

A 13-year-old British girl and her parents are believed to have been among a tour party of 17 trekkers crossing the Nepal-China border at precisely the moment disaster struck.

One neighbour told the Mail last night: ‘They’re a wonderful family. We’re devastated by this news and are praying that they’ll be OK.’

Britons aged 13 to 65 who were on the nine-day trek to Mount Kailash – a sacred site for Hindus and Buddhists.

Among the missing British nationals are three men aged 65, 64, and 52, and seven women aged 44, 47, 51, 60, 63, 63, and 65. 

Ram Kumar Adhikari, who runs Alpine Eco Trek, which organised the tour, said the group was last heard from at the Gyirong border crossing at 8.40am Nepal time.

Some 15 minutes later, a wave of mud and rubble swept down the valley and engulfed the crossing. 

Mala Patel, 60, from Coventry, who is uncontactable after going on an organised religious trip to the Nepal-Tibet border

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Residents gaze over buildings submerged in mud as the sun rises on Thursday morning

A local trudges through deep sludge in Devighat, in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, on Thursday morning

Bridges were destroyed and trees uprooted, causing damage that will take years to undo

A woman grieves outside a hospital in Trishuli Bazar, where hundreds are feared to have died

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Mr Kumar Adhikari said: ‘We had been receiving regular updates on the group’s progress. The group leader and guide were in constant contact and told us that the team had reached the Chinese immigration office at 7am.

‘Our group leader and guide remained online until 8.40am, so we assumed they had crossed immigration. There is no internet access on the Chinese side, so we had no reason to be immediately concerned.

‘Then we received news of the massive flood. You can see [in the video] people running in the footage, and some of them could be members of our group.

‘I feel so sad. We are just thinking about what to do next. We are in pain at the moment, deep pain.’

Four of his Nepalese tour guides, aged 35, 38, 45 and 29, are among the missing. A rescuer interviewed by China’s state broadcaster said they had been trying to make contact with the Gyirong border crossing but ‘so far there haven’t been any results’.

Mala Patel, 60, and Bipin Patel, 66, from Coventry, were on an organised pilgrimage in the area when the disaster struck.

Their son Anant Patel, 29, told the Mail they were due to cross the border into Tibet to visit Mount Kailash, but have been uncontactable since the flood.

He said: ‘I haven’t been told anything, but I’ve obviously seen what’s happened on the news.

CCTV footage showed the immense wall of water demolishing buildings at the Nepal-China border in Gyirong

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A bridge can just be made out amid the cascading brown water before it was washed away 

Satellite images show the valley before a flash flood (top) and after it (bottom) 

‘I wasn’t concerned about them in any way, but you don’t expect something like a natural disaster to happen.

‘I’ve tried ringing them and sent messages, but I’ve heard nothing back. They are uncontactable so I’m very worried.

‘I’ve logged their details with the Foreign Office and I’m waiting to hear back.’

Mala and Bipin live in a smart detached house in the leafy Stivichall area of Coventry.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, told the Mail: ‘They are a lovely couple, I’ve known them for years.

‘Mala and Bipin work in the education and tutoring sector. They have an office in the house which they use daily. They are both Coventry City season ticket holders.

‘It’s a tight-knit community around here and everyone looks out for each other, so we’re all deeply concerned and just hoping for the best.’

Tour company Kailash Journeys confirmed it had not been able to account for seven UK nationals – five women and two men aged between 19 and 55 – travelling with the company. 

The flood was triggered near the border of Tibet, before a 30ft wall of freezing water mixed with rubble stormed down the path of the Trishulu river. Witnesses thought that they were seeing explosions caused by a military invasion.

The valley floor was decimated by the torrent and left a barren, muddy plain

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Vehicles were picked up and shoved down stream along with whole buildings

More than 400 people were missing as of Wednesday night, but that number was expected to climb

Experts said the ‘snout’ of an entire glacier in the snow-capped Himalayas appears to have dislodged, sending iceberg-sized chunks cascading down to block the Lhende river, a tributary of the Trishuli.

Dr Daniel Shugar, an earth scientist and professor at the University of Calgary, told the New York Times: ‘The bottom looks like a bomb exploded – it’s just deposits from the broken-up glacier.’

Simon Cook, a glaciologist at the University of Dundee, said: ‘This is a big chunk of ice that is stored at high elevation in the mountain.

When it broke off, he explained, the force ‘pulverised’ the ice into water, creating a fast-flowing torrent.

Footage from the moment of impact  showed an astonishing level of destruction.

Terrifying CCTV video released by Chinese officials showed people running for their lives and lorries being knocked over and smashed to pieces.

Whole villages were washed away, stunned Nepalese officials said, but the full horror will not be known for days.

Terrified families scrambled up the region’s mountainous terrain to flee the onslaught of mud.

Roads, hydropower stations and bridges were all destroyed. In one harrowing video, filmed on a school bus, children screamed as their driver tried to get them away.

The Nepal army dispatched 14 helicopters and disaster response teams but the waters made it difficult for them to land close to the worst hit areas.

Local Kalpana Malla told the BBC: ‘My family members were swept away by the flood in front of my eyes. My father, my mother my sister and her kids were swept away. There was no chance at all.’

Suman Chalise, a 34-year-old teacher, said: ‘I witnessed the flood sweep away eight or nine trucks, along with houses and people. It was absolutely heart-wrenching. I had not witnessed such devastation before.’

In hard-hit Nuwakot district, upper floors of buildings, slathered in mud, were all that could be seen after the torrent surged by. Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and stunned survivors were left caked in mud.

A woman consoles a relative as they wait for news of family members missing after the flood

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A boy puts his hands to his head as he looks out over devastation wrought by the flood

Shreedhar Neupane, a local journalist, said: ‘It was sheer panic. I saw thick, muddy slush flowing in a river where clean water once ran. I saw people swept away. I saw houses collapse and wash away. I saw strong bridges carried off by the water.’

Raju Bhadel, 56, said: ‘I got a call from my brother-in-law. They were crying and said their entire house had been swept away.’

Keshav Prasad Baral, 68, said: ‘My wife is still somewhere beneath the mud. She’s gone.’

‘There is devastation everywhere we look,’ said Tula Bahadur in Rasuwa. ‘Settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my relatives are missing.’

Nepal’s prime minister Balendra Shah vowed ‘all the means and resources’ of the nation would be used to help victims.   

In Tibet, on the Chinese side of the border, military commander Chen Xi said ‘various loaders and excavators are being used to clear a path’ but he warned: ‘The mountain slopes around us could collapse at any time because the road runs along steep cliffs and there may also be a risk of another mudslide.’

The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the ‘exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave’ meant that in just moments the level of the Trishuli River rose by an incredible nine metres (27ft). 

Before-and-after satellite imagery shows lush green mountainsides buried under brown debris and sediment.

Last night there were fears of a second flood. Alerts were issued in the populous northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which border Nepal.

Here, Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to do ‘everything we can’ to support British nationals. 

He said: ‘These scenes emerging are devastating. My thoughts are with all those affected, including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy.’

Tablets and computers have become crucial school supplies for many students. But the same devices children use to read text, write essays, solve math problems or research history projects can also offer distractions in the form of games, social media and web browsing.

It can be a challenge for parents to figure out how to help children stay focused when using these devices. That can be especially complicated with school-managed devices, where parents may have limited control over settings and restrictions.

Helpful options can include using built-in tools and settings on devices, creating routines and introducing time-management techniques.

Here are some tips for parents to help children stay on task.

School-issued devices vs. personal devices

The strategies parents choose may depend on whether their children are working on their own devices or ones issued and managed by schools.

Parents have more control over personal tablets or computers, and are able to restrict pop-up notifications from programs, block websites or remove apps entirely. But school-issued devices often come with preloaded software and apps, and schools might manage those devices’ settings.

Parents can talk with school administrators about what controls and restrictions are already in place and what options may be available to families concerned about screen time. Parents can also ask whether assignments or homework can be completed on paper. But reducing students’ use of technology entirely can also involve tradeoffs, particularly when some tools offer individualized instruction or help students develop technology skills increasingly expected in the workforce.

In some cases, schools are giving parents additional tools to monitor and manage devices outside of school hours. Battle Ground Public Schools in Washington, for example, introduced overnight login restrictions last year for elementary and middle school students on school-issued Chromebooks, while also allowing exemptions for some families. The restrictions were put in place as a result of parent concerns about device usage late at night and possible interruptions to sleep.

Make devices less distracting

Students can be distracted by notifications that pop up from apps, messages and other services. One simple way to quiet those interruptions is to put up a digital Do Not Disturb sign.

Apple devices, including MacBooks, have focus modes that let users silence some or all notifications, calls and texts. Do Not Disturb is one of the preset modes, and users can also set up their own. On Android devices, a standalone Do Not Disturb feature does the same thing while a separate focus mode, available through Digital Wellbeing in settings, can pause selected apps and gray out their icons so they are harder to open.

Parents can also use built-in controls on Apple and Android devices to regulate screen time, either on their own phone or on a child’s linked device. Depending on the device and how it is set up, parents can restrict access to categories of apps, such as games or entertainment, or set a daily time limit for an individual app.

Google users can use Family Link to manage settings and screen-time limits on a child’s Android device or Chromebook. Apple users can manage these controls for a child’s iPhone, iPad or Mac through Family Sharing.

Keep in mind that screen-time limits aren’t foolproof. Depending on the device and settings, children may be able to request additional time or override some restrictions.

If a setting is unavailable, parents may need to check the school’s device policy or ask the school or district’s technology department what controls are available.

There’s also a decidedly low-tech solution to a distracting app: Delete it. If a particular app is consistently pulling a child away from schoolwork, removing it from the device eliminates the temptation to open it in the first place.

Help kids manage their attention

Device settings can remove some distractions, but experts say parents should also help children learn how to manage their own attention and technology use.

“Everybody has individual rhythms of attention,” said Gloria Mark, professor emerita at the University of California, Irvine, and author of “Attention Span.”

Experts recommend paying attention to when students are most alert, and scheduling work that requires the most concentration during those periods. Those rhythms can vary throughout the day and depend partly on whether someone naturally functions better earlier or later in the day. A quiet or dedicated workspace can also help, as can avoiding multiple devices at once, such as texting while reading or switching to another screen during homework.

To learn and retain information, Mark said, students need to actively engage with material and avoid frequent distractions: “So quick attention shifts are not conducive for learning and retaining information.”

“When people become more conscious of what they’re doing, they can also become more intentional. And when you’re more intentional, you can form a plan,” she said, adding that setting goals and rewarding accomplishment helps people focus on their tasks.

Children should also start homework as early as possible after taking time to decompress from the school day, experts say. Waiting until late at night can interfere with sleep.

The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate every distraction or monitor every move, Mark said. Parents can instead help children understand when and how they focus best and develop strategies for staying with one task. They don’t need to “helicopter” their children, she said, but should help them understand the importance of focusing and staying with one thing.

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AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan contributed to this report from London.

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Renowned contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama has died at age 97 in a Tokyo hospital. Kusama’s work was shown in museums around the world. Repetitive motifs in various shapes were her trademark, especially dots that danced on canvases or sparkled as balls or dots of light in her installations.

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