Heavy rains since September 27 have led to devastating floods and landslides across Nepal, claiming at least 66 lives, with officials warning that the death toll could rise.

The continuous downpours have also caused widespread disruptions to major roads and domestic air travel, authorities confirmed on September 28.

According to home ministry official Dil Kumar Tamang, 69 people are still missing, while 60 others have sustained injuries.

The Kathmandu Valley, which houses the capital and has a population of four million, is among the worst-hit regions, experiencing significant flooding that brought traffic and daily activities to a halt.

Tragically, six players from the Nepali Football Association’s academy in Makwanpur district lost their lives in a landslide.

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) reported that the incident occurred in Indrasarowar as the players were attempting to move to safety. Search teams were immediately dispatched, and the bodies

Swimmers from the American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt, dominated the swimming events on Saturday, claiming the most medals at the ongoing All African University Games (FASU Games) in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the competition is being jointly hosted by the University of Lagos and Lagos State University (LASU).

In the men’s 200m freestyle final, AUC’s Ali Mohammed clinched the gold medal with a time of 1:54.90, while his teammate, Ziad Ahmed, secured the silver with a finish time of 1:58.77. Mugisha Jacob from Makerere University, Uganda, completed the race in 2:21.96, earning the bronze medal.

In the women’s 200m freestyle, Zeina Haytham of AUC emerged victorious, winning the gold medal with a time of 2:16.82. Victoria Okumu from the United States International University in Africa (USIU), Kenya, won the silver in 2:18.64, and Sarah Ahmed, also from AUC, took the bronze with a time of 2:25.52.

Expressing his joy, Ali Mohammed said, “I am happy, though surprised because I went into the event with uncertainty, so coming out first was a surprise. I thank God I was able to do it; it was not an easy task.”

Similarly, Victoria Okumu shared her excitement about winning the silver medal, stating, “It was tough, but good that I took silver. It is better than yesterday when I won bronze. I’m so overwhelmed I won this; I never expected that I would come out second.”

The American University in Cairo currently leads the swimming medal table at the FASU Games.

Two death row inmates were executed in the United States this week, marking the second use of nitrogen gas for an execution in the country’s history.

In Oklahoma, 52-year-old Emmanuel Littlejohn was executed by lethal injection for the 1992 murder of Kenneth Meers during a convenience store robbery. While Littlejohn admitted being present, he consistently denied being the shooter.

Both he and his accomplice, Glenn Bethany, were convicted of murder, but while Bethany received life imprisonment, Littlejohn was sentenced to death. Despite the State Board of Pardons recommending clemency in August, Governor Kevin Stitt ultimately denied the request. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated that “justice has been served for the murder of Kenny Meers.”

Meanwhile, in Alabama, 59-year-old Alan Miller was executed using nitrogen gas at the Atmore Penitentiary for a 1999 workplace shooting spree that killed three colleagues. Miller reportedly struggled against the restraints as he suffocated, with reports noting similarities to the first nitrogen hypoxia execution earlier this year. The execution method, still controversial, has been likened to torture by the United Nations.

These executions bring the total number of executions in the U.S. this year to 18, with five carried out in the past week.