The death toll from the Nepal floods caused by the monsoon rains on Saturday reached 28 with over 16 persons still missing, officials said. Heavy monsoon rains for the past few days have left many settlements at high risk of floods and landslides in several places in Nepal. Transportation has also been disrupted in all major highways.

Many schools across the country have made it mandatory for students to learn Mandarin lured by the Chinese government's offer to cover salaries of teachers who teach the language. Principals and staff of atleast 10 renowned private schools said Mandarin was a compulsory subject in their institutions, The Himalayan Times reported. However, Chinese Embassy Spokesperson, Ji Guangli, is yet to comment on the issue.

The bodies of four-climbers who failed their Everest challenge and left little clue as to their identity have thrown up a new challenge for Nepalese authorities who control the world's tallest-peak. Worn by the wind and cold to near skeletons, the remains have been in a Kathmandu morgue since they were brought back from the slopes two weeks ago with nearly 11-tonnes of trash.