BBC News Briefing

26 August, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a green blouse

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. More than 150 people have died in a flash flood near the Nepal-Tibet border, with the death toll likely to climb as hundreds of locals and tourists were missing. From China, we hear why teens are taking mind-numbing drugs. And finally, listen to a special tribute to Dolly Parton.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Foreign tourists among hundreds missing

An aerial view of the flooded riverside with houses and buildings partially submerged at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal's Nuwakot district

Severe flooding have been reported along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers. Credit: AFP via Getty images

Search and rescue operations are under way in Nepal in a race to save people affected by a massive flash flood and mudslide. Footage showed the scale of the disaster, which engulfed buildings, bridges, roads and vehicles in an area north of the capital Kathmandu that is popular with pilgrims and trekkers. Nepal's tourist board reported that, among those missing, there are more than 100 tourists from India, 54 from the US, and 33 from the UK, as well as more than 100 domestic visitors. Army personnel, police and power workers too were among the missing. Neighbouring Tibet also experienced a mudslide, with Chinese state media reporting three dead and 265 missing. The question of what caused the flash flood is still under investigation - an analysis of satellite images will be crucial in determining what happened.

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AT THE SCENE

Beijing, China

Teens turning to mind-numbing drugs

A teenager sits at a desk with her head down looking at a paper. She is writing on it with black pen. Stationery and a teddy bear sits on her desk. In the background are other teenagers at desks, all spaced out, in a classroom.

Competitive exams are a regular feature of teen life in China. Credit: Getty Images

Prescription drugs are becoming increasingly popular with Chinese teenagers looking for ways to ease the feeling of pressure and anxiety. We heard dozens of stories in chat rooms on various social media platforms. Young people's names have been changed to protect their identity.

laura has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is wearing a blue top

Laura Bicker, China correspondent

At 14, Xiaomei, a high-performing student from a coastal province in China, decided to overdose on cough medication. She wanted to impress an older boy who told her it would help her relax. The tablets were usually only available with a doctor's prescription, but she managed to buy them online. For two years, she took large quantities of various prescription drugs. She bought them all on the internet.

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Xiaomei says that a lot of students in her elite chemistry class were discussing ways to overdose on prescription drugs to avoid feeling like "complete losers". "In our school, the elite classes operate on an elimination system; if your academic scores drop, you get kicked out of the class. When you fail, you feel like failures, believing you have no chance in life."

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Global issue: Around the world, evidence shows that young people are turning to medications and other substances to fight off anxiety.