World
Nearly a million children in Nepal will not be able to return to school in the wake of last month's earthquake unless urgent action is taken, says Unicef, reports the BBC.
The international charity says nine out of 10 schools have been destroyed in the worst-affected districts.
Almost 24,000 classrooms were damaged or destroyed in the disaster that hit the country 12 days ago, it adds. Unicef is attempting to set up temporary learning spaces for children.
Currently, all schools are closed in Nepal, although many of those still standing are being used as emergency shelters. They are due to reopen on Friday, 15 May.
Meanwhile, Nepalese officials believe up to 300 people may be buried. Rescuers pulled out six bodies from the Langtang village area, 60 km (40 miles) north of Kathmandu, on Wednesday, reported Reuters, but operations were being hampered by bad weather, said Gautam Rimal, assistant district administrator.
In the same area, the bodies of two Russian diplomats have been found, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Thursday, quoting the press secretary of the Russian embassy in the Himalayan nation. About 100 bodies were recovered in the area on Saturday and Sunday and Rimal had previously said about 120 more were buried. But on Thursday he said the number could be as high as 300, including 110 foreigners.
"There are body parts, broken limbs and pieces of flesh scattered in the area," he said. Nepal's government has said 7,759 people were killed in the April 25 earthquake and more than 16,000 injured. Langtang is on a trekking route popular with Westerners and had 55 guesthouses catering for visitors. The village was wiped out by the avalanche and it is not clear how many people were there at the time.
