Kashmir's growing heat crisis hits health and harvests
Zaina Begum stood helplessly next to her withering paddy field.
A farmer in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pulwama district, she had been waiting for rainfall for more than a month, hoping to save her crop from dying, BBC reported.
So when it finally rained earlier this week, she was hopeful.
"But it was already too late by then," she said. "Our land had completely dried up."
The region recorded its highest daytime temperature in 70 years at 37.4C (99.32F) - at least 7C above the seasonal average, according to BBC.
Ellen DeGeneres: I moved to the UK because of Trump
US TV star Ellen DeGeneres has made her first public appearance since moving to the UK, saying she decided to settle in England the day after Donald Trump was re-elected US president, BBC reported.
The comedian and host told a crowd in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, that life "is just better" in the UK.
Ellen said she and wife Portia de Rossi were considering getting married again in England after some moves in the US to reverse the right to gay marriage, and that America can still be "scary for people to be who they are".
She also addressed allegations of a toxic workplace that led to the end of her long-running chat show in 2022, admitting she could be "very blunt", but dismissed the stories as "clickbait", according to BBC.
First Monday of Shrawan: Devotees throng to Pashupatinath temple (With photos)
Devotees thronged to the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu to observe the first Monday of Shrawan.
On the occasion, all four doors of the Pashupatinath temple have been opened for the devotees from 3 am today.
Arun Biset, an official of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), shared that provisions have been arranged considering that around 500,000 devotees would visit and pay homage to the holy shrine.
The Hindus perform pooja to lord Shiva with top reverence by fasting on the Mondays of Shrawan month.
A large number of devotees thronged the Pashupatinath temple from early morning today, Biset said.
The PADT has stated that tickets of less than Rs 7,500 will not be issued for the special pooja in the month of Shrawan.
Likewise, a free meal will be served to the devotees at Pashupathinath temple from Marwari Samaj and this arrangements will be continued every Monday this month.
Furthermore, the PADT has ensured a bus service for free along the ring road in the valley on every Monday for the devotees coming to the Pashupatinath temple.
Heavy rainfall likely in one or two places of four provinces today
The monsoon wind has its influence throughout the country at present with the monsoon low pressure trough somewhat north to its average position, the Meteorological Forecasting Division said.
There are chances of heavy rainfall at one or two places of Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Karnali Provinces today.
As the weather remains generally cloudy throughout the country, light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at some places of Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces and at a few places of the rest of the country, according to the Division.
There is also a possibility of light to moderate rain and snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous region of the country tonight.
In view of the risk of floods, landslides, and debris flow, the Division has urged the residents to apply precautions and safety measures in urban and Tarai regions.
It has been informed that water levels in large and small rivers and rivulets could rise, potentially affecting daily life, agriculture, health, tourism, and transportation on roads and air traffic near river areas.
