Civil rights leaders invoked the same demands he made from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial two and a half generations ago: that the fight for equality remains unfinished

International News via Reuters:

More than six decades after Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and declared his dream for a more just America, thousands gathered in Washington on Friday to warn that voting rights and other freedoms he fought and died for are once again under threat.

Civil rights leaders invoked the same demands he made from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial two and a half generations ago: that the fight for equality remains unfinished.

The event, called “March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote,” drew several thousand people to the National Mall, including union members, students, members of Black Greek-letter organizations, and attendees of all ages who traveled from across the country.

The march comes after the Supreme Court weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act this year, setting off a string of redistricting battles across the South, with Republican-led statehouses moving quickly, in some cases within days, to redraw congressional maps in time for midterm elections in November.

“We know in this fight we’re fighting powerful forces, but this is why we rally today,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the civil rights organization National Urban League. “This is why we seek to bring Americans together of goodwill from all races, from all sections of the country to push back as forcefully as we can.”

The gathering was organized by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King’s Drum Major Institute, alongside more than 90 community partner organizations, including the NAACP and National Urban League.

“Defending the vote means defending the foundation of our democracy,” said King III in a statement. “Sixty-three years after my father stood at the Lincoln Memorial, we are called to march again, not only in remembrance, but in action.”

According to the organizers, the march aims to “confront the systemic rollback of civil rights at this critical moment,” referring to President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb mail-in voting, weaken anti-discrimination protections across the federal government and fundamentally shift what civil rights are. 

“We stand on the same ground because the work is not finished,” Sharpton wrote in a letter to supporters. “The right to vote, the very foundation of our power, is being chipped away in statehouse after statehouse. When the vote is weakened, every other right grows fragile with it.”

The program began at 9 a.m. ET with confirmed speakers U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“Black unemployment is up, Black homeownership is down and Black political representation is under assault with Jim Crow white tactics all throughout the South — challenging times,” Jeffries said, referring to the system of state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the American South until the 1960s.

Reporting by David Hood-Nuño; Editing by Kat Stafford, Aurora Ellis, Rod Nickel

Authorities say between 5,000 and 8,000 people remain in Ceuta after at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco on July 30 in a rush that killed 82 migrants on the Spanish side of the border, with 14 more deaths confirmed by Morocco

International News via Reuters:

Spain asked on Friday for help from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in processing migrants in the North African enclave of Ceuta almost a month after tens of thousands rushed across the border from Morocco. 

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska sent a request to Beate Gminder, the European Commission’s director general for migration and home affairs, for help from Frontex, a European Union agency, to screen migrants in the enclave illegally. 

Authorities say between 5,000 and 8,000 people remain in Ceuta after at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco on July  30 in a rush that killed 82 migrants on the Spanish side of the border, with 14 more deaths confirmed by Morocco.

Spain also asked for 10 more officers from Frontex to help with migrant screening. 

Marlaska’s request comes amid rising tensions in Ceuta after a series of protests by residents who have demanded the migrants leave. 

Tents used by migrants on Trampolin Beach, where many migrants have been camping out, have been attacked and set on fire. 

Twelve migrants were arrested on Thursday after stoning an army vehicle, injuring one soldier and four migrants. Eleven were expelled from Ceuta, the El Pais newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources from the city’s main court.   

Reporting by Graham KeeleyEditing by Rod Nickel

In a joint statement, Wegner and Berlin’s interior senator, Iris Spranger, said: “The state of Berlin will not submit to extortion,” without giving further details

International News via Reuters:

Berlin’s city government will not allow itself to be extorted following a cyberattack on its network, Mayor Kai Wegner said in a statement on Friday, less than a month before the city-state holds elections.

• In a joint statement, Wegner and Berlin’s interior senator, Iris Spranger, said: “The state of Berlin will not submit to extortion,” without giving further details.

• Broadcaster RBB reported on Thursday evening that Berlin had received ransom demands for an unspecified amount following the attack.

• Officials could not yet provide details on the content or scope of the affected data because the extent of the breach was still being examined, Wegner said at a press conference.

• Spranger said the city’s election infrastructure had not been affected and that, according to security officials, no data related to the election had been compromised.

• Berlin is set to elect a new state parliament on September 20. Wegner – a conservative – said in July that he will not seek another term as mayor.

Reporting by Cian Muenster and Miranda Murray, Editing by Friederike Heine

The flood tore through areas including Rasuwa district near the Chinese border, levelling entire towns, damaging hydropower plants and killing close to 500 people

International News via Reuters:

Nepal does not need foreign assistance for search-and-rescue operations following the devastating flash flood that swept through several towns on Wednesday, its foreign ministry said, despite offers from several countries with nationals missing.

The flood tore through areas including Rasuwa district near the Chinese border, levelling entire towns, damaging hydropower plants and killing close to 500 people.

Hundreds of foreign nationals are still missing, including from South Korea, which said it has already sent a response team to Nepal and will also dispatch a disaster relief team. 

But Nepal’s foreign ministry said on Friday that it was managing the rescue efforts itself. 

“The offer for help is natural. Our security agencies are doing the search-and-rescue operation. For now we don’t require such help,” Lok Bahadur Chhetri, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said on Friday.

The Kathmandu Post reported that India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had asked the government to allow their search-and-rescue teams to assist in the operation.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said Nepal had indicated it was not yet planning to accept foreign rescue teams.

“South Korea will keep negotiating with Nepal over the matter,” the ministry added.

Seoul has pledged $1 million in humanitarian assistance through international organisations, its foreign minister said on X. Nine South Koreans working in a hydropower plant were missing and 10 were stranded, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

SENSITIVITY OF TIBET REGION 

Dinesh Bhattarai, a former Nepali ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said the government’s reluctance to accept foreign search-and-rescue teams may be linked to the location of the flood-hit Rasuwa district, which borders China’s Tibet, one of Beijing’s most sensitive territorial issues. Nepal has long walked a tightrope in diplomatic relations with its much bigger neighbour. 

“They may have thought about the locational sensitivity of the region and decided not to accept foreign teams,” Bhattarai told Reuters. 

Nepalese foreign ministry spokesperson Chhetri said the decision had nothing to do with China’s sensitivity but was because Nepal’s own rescue teams were handling the operation.

China’s No. 2 official, Premier Li Qiang, visited the disaster-stricken site in Gyirong on Thursday afternoon, state-run Xinhua reported on Friday.

“So long as there is even the slightest hope, the utmost effort must be made,” Li said, according to Xinhua.

He further directed rescue command to “strengthen coordination and communication on emergencies involving foreign nationals or foreign parties” and work with foreign authorities to determine those missing and to handle the aftermath.

The Foreign Ministry of China did not immediately respond to a request to comment on why Nepal was refusing to accept foreign search and rescue assistance. 

Chinese state media reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping extended condolences to Nepal’s president on Friday.

Reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu and Heejin Kim in Seoul; Additional reporting by Joe Cash and Xiuhao Chen in Beijing; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Anil D’Silva; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Saad Sayeed, Rick Noack and Conor Humphries

The flood tore through areas including Rasuwa district near the Chinese border, levelling entire towns, damaging hydropower plants and killing close to 500 people

International News via Reuters:

Nepal does not need foreign assistance for search-and-rescue operations following the devastating flash flood that swept through several towns on Wednesday, its foreign ministry said, despite offers from several countries with nationals missing.

The flood tore through areas including Rasuwa district near the Chinese border, levelling entire towns, damaging hydropower plants and killing close to 500 people.

Hundreds of foreign nationals are still missing, including from South Korea, which said it has already sent a response team to Nepal and will also dispatch a disaster relief team. 

But Nepal’s foreign ministry said on Friday that it was managing the rescue efforts itself. 

“The offer for help is natural. Our security agencies are doing the search-and-rescue operation. For now we don’t require such help,” Lok Bahadur Chhetri, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said on Friday.

The Kathmandu Post reported that India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had asked the government to allow their search-and-rescue teams to assist in the operation.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said Nepal had indicated it was not yet planning to accept foreign rescue teams.

“South Korea will keep negotiating with Nepal over the matter,” the ministry added.

Seoul has pledged $1 million in humanitarian assistance through international organisations, its foreign minister said on X. Nine South Koreans working in a hydropower plant were missing and 10 were stranded, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

SENSITIVITY OF TIBET REGION 

Dinesh Bhattarai, a former Nepali ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said the government’s reluctance to accept foreign search-and-rescue teams may be linked to the location of the flood-hit Rasuwa district, which borders China’s Tibet, one of Beijing’s most sensitive territorial issues. Nepal has long walked a tightrope in diplomatic relations with its much bigger neighbour. 

“They may have thought about the locational sensitivity of the region and decided not to accept foreign teams,” Bhattarai told Reuters. 

Nepalese foreign ministry spokesperson Chhetri said the decision had nothing to do with China’s sensitivity but was because Nepal’s own rescue teams were handling the operation.

China’s No. 2 official, Premier Li Qiang, visited the disaster-stricken site in Gyirong on Thursday afternoon, state-run Xinhua reported on Friday.

“So long as there is even the slightest hope, the utmost effort must be made,” Li said, according to Xinhua.

He further directed rescue command to “strengthen coordination and communication on emergencies involving foreign nationals or foreign parties” and work with foreign authorities to determine those missing and to handle the aftermath.

The Foreign Ministry of China did not immediately respond to a request to comment on why Nepal was refusing to accept foreign search and rescue assistance. 

Chinese state media reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping extended condolences to Nepal’s president on Friday.

Reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu and Heejin Kim in Seoul; Additional reporting by Joe Cash and Xiuhao Chen in Beijing; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Anil D’Silva; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Saad Sayeed, Rick Noack and Conor Humphries

Over the years, he grew into his role, becoming Crown Prince in 1991 and taking on more royal duties as his father’s health failed

International News via Reuters:

Haakon — who comes to the throne as two major scandals batter his family — struggled for years to accept his status.

“Yes, I was a royal, but I did not want to talk about it … At school it made me anxious,” he wrote in his 2023 autobiography “Haakon”, recalling his days in a state primary in the 1980s.

Over the years, he grew into his role, becoming Crown Prince in 1991 and taking on more royal duties as his father’s health failed. On Friday he took on the crown itself following the death of King Harald.

But it was a long and sometimes difficult adjustment.

MOVED AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM HOME

As a child, he preferred to stay out of sight “because that is when things went wrong. Attention, other people could have that,” he wrote.

He decided not to try to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps to England’s University of Oxford, and enrolled instead at the University of California, Berkeley.

He wanted to be “as far away as possible” from his home. Other attractions were California’s music scene – including one memorable, heavily policed concert by the Brooklyn-born rapper Nas in the middle of the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry.

And then there was the surf. “In the water, I could be myself,” he wrote.

Soon after his return to Norway in 1999 he met his future wife, Mette-Marit, at a music festival.

When the relationship became public, the media jumped on the fact that she was a commoner and a single mother who had spent a lot of time in her youth in Norway’s house music clubs.

That furore died down after King Harald — who had also married a commoner, Queen Sonja, despite his own father’s objections — publicly welcomed her into the family.

Haakon said Mette-Marit helped him come out of his shell and described her as the emotional counterweight to his analytical mind. “I am not very good socially,” he wrote. “Mette is a natural talent. She can go into a room and get along with everyone.”

They married in 2001 and had two children — Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, alongside Marius, Mette-Marit’s son from a previous relationship.

TAKING CARE OF THE FLOCK

More than two decades later, another media storm erupted when files published by the U.S. Justice Department in January included email correspondence between Mette-Marit and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mette-Marit did not respond publicly for seven weeks and Haakon released a statement saying his wife needed time to gather herself. When she did give a 20-minute interview to public broadcaster NRK in March, he was sitting by her side, saying marriage was both for “the good days and the bad”.

“Mette is caring, wise and really strong. And that’s why I will always have her on the team when something difficult happens,” the crown prince said.

At the same time the Epstein scandal was unfolding, Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby, Haakon’s stepson, was standing trial for rape and domestic violence, charges he denied.

Haakon issued a statement expressing sympathy with the alleged victims and saying he would not be in court.

“We support Marius in the situation he is in. We look after the other children as well,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a royal visit. “For me, the most important thing these past few days has been to take care of the flock.”

In June, Marius was found guilty of two out of four counts of rape and one count of domestic violence and sentenced to four years in prison. Both he and the prosecution have launched appeals against the sentence.

FOURTH KING OF NORWAY IN MODERN ERA

On Friday, Haakon became Norway’s fourth king in the modern era — which started when the country voted in a referendum to become a monarchy rather than a republic on declaring full independence from Sweden in 1905.

After that plebiscite, Prince Carl of Denmark became Norway’s King Haakon VII — building numerically on the line of Norwegian kings from the Viking and medieval eras.

The namesake and great-grandson of that monarch wrote in his autobiography that he had grown to embrace his public position. “I can find meaning and joy within it, and I can try and be of help to others.” If he keeps his name, he will become King Haakon VIII of Norway, though he can still choose to change it.

As for his private life, he said he still loved the water.

“As a grown-up, I am at my happiest in the water together with my family. It provides an inner peace when the flock is gathered to do what I like best: to be among the waves. Nothing beats that feeling.”

Reporting by Nora Buli in Oslo, editing by Gwladys Fouche and Andrew Heavens

International News via Reuters:

Norway’s King Harald, a reformer who emerged from the shadow of his well-loved father over more than three decades on the throne, has died aged 89, the royal palace said on Friday.

Here are some of the reactions:

BRITAIN’S KING CHARLES

“For thirty-five years, King Harald served his people with unwavering dedication, guiding Norway through times of great change with warmth and humility.

“As Norway mourns the loss of so towering a figure, my whole family join in remembering a much-loved kinsman and friend whose kindness, compassion and deep sense of duty echoed from across the sea and across the decades.

“The Queen and I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Queen Sonja and all her family, as Britain shares in Norway’s grief at this time of such heartbreaking loss.”

JONAS GAHR STOERE, PRIME MINISTER OF NORWAY

“A whole nation is in mourning and the people of Norway are left with a deep sense of gratitude for a long life in the service of Norway. For more than three decades as monarch, Harald V demonstrated an unwavering faith in the Norwegian people. He helped us to see the best in ourselves – and in one another.

“My thoughts and deepest sympathy are with the Queen and the entire Royal Family at this difficult time.”

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

“His majesty embodied dignity, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to his country. Ukraine will always remember his steadfast support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people during the darkest days of Russia’s aggression.”

MASUD GHARAHKHANI, PRESIDENT OF THE NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENT

“We have lost our beloved king, and the entire nation is in mourning. King Harald reigned in accordance with his motto ‘Everything for Norway’.

“His reign was marked by closeness to the people, and in the grief we also carry with us gratitude and deep respect for the unifying way in which he has exercised his royal duties.”

ERLING HAALAND, NORWEGIAN FOOTBALL PLAYER

“Rest in peace, King Harald. Thank you for everything you meant to Norway. It was an honour to meet you.”

POPE LEO

“Mindful of (King Harald’s) many years of devoted service to the realm, which I hope will continue to bear fruit, I offer the assurance of my prayers for the eternal rest of the late king. Upon the Norwegian people and all who mourn his loss, I cordially invoke almighty God’s blessings of consolation and peace.”

SPAIN’S ROYAL HOUSEHOLD

“With our respect and admiration for his legacy, and with deep sadness, we express our condolences on the passing of His Majesty King Harald V, an example of responsibility, dignity, humility and tireless dedication to the service of Norway and its people, both before and during his 35 years on the throne.”

FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR

“The death of King Harald V has deeply saddened us all. Norway has lost a great figure who stood for prudence and unity. In these days of mourning, I wish the royal family and the Norwegian people much strength.”

CARL XVI GUSTAF, KING OF SWEDEN

“Throughout the years, King Harald has been a good friend to me, my family, and to Sweden. King Harald is now mourned by many in our country.

“I wish my dear Godson Haakon, who now succeeds his father as head of state, success and good fortune in the important role that lies ahead of him, in service to our brother nation and its people.”

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

“My condolences to the people of Norway following the passing of His Majesty King Harald V. For more than three decades, he served his country with warmth, humility and an unwavering sense of duty. In moments of joy and sorrow, he brought Norwegians together. He was a true European and a lifelong servant of his people.”

ALEXANDER STUBB, PRESIDENT OF FINLAND

“King Harald V will be remembered for his long-standing and devoted service as head of state, his ability to unite Norwegians from all walks of life, and his steadfast commitment to maintaining hope and confidence in the future through all times.”

KING FREDERIK X AND QUEEN MARY OF DENMARK

“Uncle Harald, with his warm personality and rock-solid calm, could make anyone relax in his company. He was a fine man with a twinkle in his eye and a big heart. For 35 years, King Harald was a solid rallying point for the Norwegian people. He combined duty and responsibility with presence and humanity. He was loved like few others and will be missed by many.”

KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER, QUEEN MAXIMA AND PRINCESS BEATRIX OF THE NETHERLANDS

“We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. We will always carry the memory of our special friendship with him in our hearts. King Harald served his country with love, pride and dedication.”

ULF KRISTERSSON, SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER

“It is with great sorrow I’ve learned of the news of King Harald V’s passing. He was for decades a safe, respected and uniting force in both Norway and the Nordic region.

“King Harald V’s long and devoted work in the service of Norway will be remembered with warmth and respect.”

“My thoughts go to Queen Sonja, the royal family and the entire Norwegian people.”

MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL

“During his 35 years on the throne and beyond, he showed himself to be a dedicated leader. His own military roots made him a champion of the Norwegian military and a long-time friend of NATO.”

METTE FREDERIKSEN, PRIME MINISTER OF DENMARK

“(King Harald) was a unifying and highly respected figure for the Norwegian people and for the entire Nordic region. Throughout his long reign, he was a symbol of continuity and the close bond between our countries.

“He was a warm friend of Denmark, and his passing is deeply felt – here too.”

KING PHILIPPE AND QUEEN MATHILDE OF BELGIUM

“As Europe’s oldest reigning monarch, he was, above all, a King who remained close to his people. His humour, humanity and sincerity made him a truly special man, held in the highest esteem and dear to so many. Our family ties gave our relationship a dimension that went far beyond the scope of our official duties. We will cherish the memory of the moments we shared with him.”

Reporting by Terje Solsvik, Elviira Luoma, Soren Jeppesen, Niklas Pollard, Michael Holden and Anna Ringstrom;Editing by Gwladys Fouche

Wednesday’s catastrophic flood caused by a glacier collapse killed 547 people in Nepal and five in China’s Tibet, with almost 1,000 more missing in the two countries

International News via Reuters:

Nepal and China resumed rescue operations that had been suspended briefly in the flood-hit Himalayas on Friday after risks from an overflowing lake were found to be manageable, easing fears of fresh devastation.

Wednesday’s catastrophic flood caused by a glacier collapse killed 547 people in Nepal and five in China’s Tibet, with almost 1,000 more missing in the two countries.

A huge torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris cascaded through Himalayan mountain river systems after the collapse, and also led to the formation of a lake where water continued to collect and rise.

OVERFLOW SPARKS FRESH PANIC

On Friday, the lake’s reservoir had topped 2.5 million cubic metres (90 million cubic feet) of water, up from the estimated 1.5-2 million cubic metres (50-70 million cubic feet) recorded a day earlier, before overflowing into the Lhende Khola river and then into the Trishuli, authorities and witnesses in Nepal said.

The overflow sparked panic and warnings from authorities in Nepal, leading to rescue operations being suspended for about three hours. The risk of the lake bursting had prompted all Chinese rescue personnel and vehicles to withdraw on the Chinese side as well and stand by in a safe area, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Both resumed rescue operations after the threat eased.

“By noon, as the risk posed by the upstream dammed lake was deemed manageable, rescue operations for the Gyirong mudslide disaster quickly resumed and were stepped up,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.

Nepal’s army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet told Reuters that rescue operations had been temporarily halted after the flood alert but it was found that the rise in the water level was only by about 2 feet (0.6 m).

Wednesday’s flood ripped through villages and valleys, destroying power stations, roads and bridges along a route that links Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet and is popular with trekkers and pilgrims. Of those missing, at least 540 are foreigners, many of them Hindu pilgrims from India headed to the holy Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet.

More than 90,000 people are estimated to be affected, the Red Cross said, adding that trucks with relief supplies were blocked after the barrier lake broke its banks.

CHINA CALLS FOR STRONGER MONITORING OF GLACIER LAKES

In Beijing, China’s Politburo met on Friday to direct rescue work, state media reported.

Authorities must “scientifically formulate search-and-rescue plans, make every effort to search for missing people from China and abroad,” the meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The meeting called for stronger monitoring of glacier lakes, landslide risks and barrier lakes, emergency aid to affected areas in Nepal, and closer international disaster cooperation.

China’s Premier Li Qiang, the country’s No. 2 official, arrived in the disaster-stricken area of Gyirong on Thursday afternoon, state-run Xinhua news agency said. The visit suggested Beijing was treating the disaster as a matter of the highest national priority.

Chinese rescuers had yet to reach the worst-hit site on the Chinese side of the border, the Gyirong border crossing, by Thursday evening, state media reports indicated, as crews worked to clear debris from the key access road leading to the area.

Dramatic footage on Wednesday showed enormous torrents of muddy water and debris tearing through structures in the border crossing area within seconds and engulfing people trying to flee.

The tally of missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County was 558, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday, including 260 foreign nationals. So far, just five people have been confirmed dead on the Chinese side.

‘ALL OF OUR PEOPLE ARE GONE’

Earlier, Nepalese rescue teams used helicopters to search for survivors and drop emergency supplies to thousands cut off in towns and valleys, while emergency services – some using sniffer dogs – recovered dozens of bodies swept down into the plains.

Dibga Tamang was among the last people rescued from Rasuwa on Thursday, airlifted along with three others to an army camp in Nuwakot.

“All of our people have gone. They are dead,” Tamang said. “I have no one left waiting for me. Everything and everyone is gone. The end.”

A large number of people arrived at an army base in the area seeking information about missing and dead family members. Bodies were brought into the barracks and lists of rescued people were posted outside to help families find information.

BUILDINGS ‘WIPED OUT LIKE TOOTHPICKS’

Around the world, relatives of those missing were desperate for information about their whereabouts.

Sneha Sudhir was one of 10 women whose husbands had set out from Nepal on a trek to Tibet’s Mount Kailash when the region was struck by disaster.

The men, all from northern Virginia, are among dozens of Americans missing.

“Where are they?” Sudhir said tearfully from her home in Chantilly, Virginia, on Thursday.

Sudhir said the women were supporting each other and reaching out to officials, politicians and friends and family in the United States and India, hoping for word.

“Everybody is taking turns in shedding their tears, wiping it off and getting back to work,” she said.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. had offered support to Nepal.

“Nobody’s ever seen anything quite like that, where very powerful, strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks. It’s a terrible thing. We are sending aid and we’ve spoken to the leadership and we let them know anything they want, they’ll have.”

NEPAL DECLINES FOREIGN RESCUE HELP

While offers of assistance are pouring in, Nepal said it does not need help from other nations in search and rescue missions.

A South Korean rapid response team is already in Kathmandu but has not been deployed because the Nepali government does not have a plan to accept foreign rescue yet, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul.

The Kathmandu Post reported that India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had asked the government to allow their search-and-rescue teams to assist in the operation.

Reporting by Gopal Sharma, Sahana Bajracharya, Aftab Ahmed, Saurabh Sharma, Liz Lee, Yukun Zhang, Xiuhao Chen, Shi Bu, Sakshi Dayal, Kanjyik Ghosh, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Hritam Mukherjee, Ashley Tang and Christine Chen; Writing by Lincoln Feast and YP Rajesh; Editing by Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Conor Humphries