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The Beni-Jomsom road linking Mustang district with national highway and Beni-Darbang road connecting three local levels of Myagdi district with its district headquarters have been disrupted since this morning due to landslides in various places.

Vehicular movement along the Beni-Jomson road has come to a grinding halt following a landslide at Majhkharja in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-2, Sukebahar IN Annapurna Rural Municipality-3 and at Mahabhir, according to the District Traffic Police Office, Myagdi.

Chief of the District Traffic Police Office, Bishal Darji, shared that the Beni-Darbang road has been obstructed due to landslides at Beni Municipality-4 and Phaparkhet in Mangala Rural Municipality-2.

Locals have been facing problems due to obstruction of vehicular movement following the landslides.

Efforts are underway to clear the landslide debris, police said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the partnership between India and China is not against any third country.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Minister said that the China-India partnership will not affect any country.

His remarks come at a time when Nepal raised objections over the India-China agreement reached on Wednesday to reopen border trade through Lipulekh Pass and India and China are having a tariff war with the US.

The federal capital looks like the protest capital of Nepal, with protests of all sorts becoming a part and parcel of daily life. Just months after teachers and non-teaching staff of government schools launched a strident protest for the fulfillment of their ‘just demands’, teachers and principals of private schools have started hitting the streets of Kathmandu with their own set of demands.

The latest protest at Maitighar Mandala comes at a time when the Education, Health and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives is about to pass a Bill on school education.

Unveiling a phasewise protest, the protesters have warned that they will intensify their protest by shutting schools from Aug 25 if the government does not address their demands by then. So, what’s getting the protesters’ goat and pushing them onto the streets of Kathmandu from the classroom? Among the five points of objection, first and foremost is the bill’s intent to make private schools registered under the Company Act ‘nonprofit-oriented’. The removal of provisions on ‘full scholarship (the schools want to distribute scholarships on their own, but are okay with a transparent committee formed with the representation of concerned municipality/rural municipality distributing freeships), the end of the practice of schools supplying things not produced by them (uniform, educational materials, food, etc) and the removal of the rule allowing only students of community schools to enrol in CTEVT courses are among their major demands.

Apparently, the protesters have the backing of ‘umbrella organizations’ of schools such as PABSON, N-PABSON and HISSAN. In the wake of the recent protest, it will be worthwhile, once again, to revisit the preamble of our Constitution, which defines Nepal as an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular, inclusive, democratic, socialism-oriented, federal democratic republican state.

The Bill may be one more half-hearted attempt of the government to gear toward socialism even as socialism remains an alien concept in different walks of our national life, including education. While the government should better regulate private educational institutions and try every bit to make education affordable for all by reigning in exorbitant fees and other charges (remember, right to education is a fundamental right), and make sure that only deserving candidates get freeships, robbing private schools of sources of profit may bleed them dry, causing the education system to collapse.

In the interest of students, parents and the society at large, the government and the protesters would do well to strive for a negotiated settlement. 

A Bangkok court is set to deliver a verdict in a lese majeste case against former Thai Prime Minister and billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. He faces up to 15 years in prison over a 2013 interview in which he suggested palace involvement in the 2014 military coup. Critics say Thailand’s law is often used to silence political opponents, and past cases have punished even minor perceived insults to the monarchy.

According to BBC, the ruling comes as Thaksin’s daughter, suspended PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, faces her own court case, which could remove her from office. Observers say the outcomes may hinge on Thailand’s traditional power brokers, with Thaksin potentially remaining free on bail while appeals and further legal battles unfold.

Colombia experienced two violent attacks on August 21, 2025 attributed to dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla group, resulting in at least 18 deaths and over 40 injuries, BBC reported.

In Cali, a cargo vehicle loaded with explosives detonated near a Colombian Aerospace Force base, killing six people and injuring 71. Hours earlier, a National Police UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in a coca leaf eradication mission was shot down in Amalfi, Antioquia, resulting in 12 officers’ deaths.

President Gustavo Petro condemned the attacks, attributing them to dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla group that rejected the 2016 peace agreement. The government has pledged to pursue the perpetrators with full force.

These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges Colombia faces in addressing violence from groups opposed to the peace accord, according to BBC.

Nigeria has deported 102 foreign nationals, including 60 Chinese and 39 Filipinos, for involvement in internet fraud and cybercrime, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said. The crackdown targets scams that trick victims into fake cryptocurrency investments and online romances, according to Al Jazeera.

EFCC noted additional deportations since August 15, with more planned. The operation follows a December Lagos raid that arrested 792 suspected cybercriminals, including 192 foreigners. Experts warn these gangs exploit weak cybersecurity systems, targeting mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and Europeans, causing major financial losses.

The US State Department is reviewing over 55m visas for potential violations that could lead to revocation or deportation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced an immediate pause on worker visas for commercial truck drivers, citing risks to public safety and American livelihoods, according to Al Jazeera.

All visa holders face continuous vetting for overstays, criminal activity, or support for terrorism. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, including workplace raids, restrictions on humanitarian programs, and revocation of student visas—some linked to protests or protected speech.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered fresh negotiations for the release of all hostages while approving plans for a major assault on Gaza City, BBC reported.

He rejected a Hamas-backed ceasefire proposal that offered only a partial hostage release, insisting Israel will accept a deal only if all captives are freed and Hamas is disarmed.

The Israeli military has begun preparations for a ground offensive, warning Gaza City’s one million residents to evacuate south. Heavy bombardment continued on Thursday as aid groups vowed to stay and support those unable to flee.

The war, sparked by Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, has killed about 1,200 people in Israel and over 62,000 in Gaza, according to BBC.