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Rescue workers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while scores of Ukrainians across the country were killed in ferocious urban attacks on a school, a hostel and other sites, Associated Press reported.

Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the southern port city of 430,000. 

More than a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With communications disrupted across the city and movement difficult because of shelling and other fighting, there were conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. 

“We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive,” Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayor’s office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes. Video and photos provided by the Ukrainian military showed that the at least three-story building had been reduced to a roofless shell, with some exterior walls collapsed.

Other officials had said earlier that some people had gotten out. Ukraine’s ombudswoman, Ludmyla Denisova, said on the Telegram messaging app that the shelter had held up, according to the Associated Press.

Satellite imagery on Monday from Maxar Technologies showed huge white letters on the pavement in front of and behind the theater spelling out “CHILDREN” in Russian — “DETI” — to alert warplanes to those inside.

Across the city, snow flurries fell around the skeletons of burned, windowless and shrapnel-scarred apartment buildings as smoke rose above the skyline.

“We are trying to survive somehow,” said one Mariupol resident, who gave only her first name, Elena. “My child is hungry. I don’t know what to give him to eat.”

She had been trying to call her mother, who was in a town 50 miles (80 kilometers) away. “I can’t tell her I am alive, you understand. There is no connection, just nothing,” she said.

Cars, some with the “Z” symbol of the Russian invasion force in their windows, drove past stacks of ammunition boxes and artillery shells in a neighborhood controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

Russia’s military denied bombing the theater or anyplace else in Mariupol on Wednesday, Associated Press reported.

The strike against the theater was part of a furious bombardment of civilian sites in multiple cities over the past few days.

In the northern city of Chernihiv, at least 53 people had been brought to morgues over the past 24 hours, killed amid heavy Russian air attacks and ground fire, the local governor, Viacheslav Chaus, told Ukrainian TV on Thursday.

Ukraine’s emergency services said a mother, father and three of their children, including 3-year-old twins, were killed when a Chernihiv hostel was shelled. Civilians were hiding in basements and shelters across the embattled city of 280,000.

“The city has never known such nightmarish, colossal losses and destruction,” Chaus said.

Ukrainian officials said 10 people were killed Wednesday while waiting in a bread line in Chernihiv. An American man was among them, his sister said on Facebook.

At least 21 people were killed when Russian artillery destroyed a school and a community center before dawn in Merefa, near the northeast city of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Veniamin Sitov. The region has seen heavy bombardment in a bid by stalled Russian forces to advance, according to the Associated Press.

In eastern Ukraine, a municipal pool complex where pregnant women and women with children were taking shelter was also hit Wednesday, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional administration. There was no word on casualties in that strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more help for his country in a video address to German lawmakers, saying thousands of people have been killed, including 108 children. He also referred to the dire situation in Mariupol, saying: “Everything is a target for them.”

The address began with a delay because of a technical problem caused by an attack close to where Zelenskyy was speaking, Bundestag deputy speaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt said.

Zelenskyy’s office said Russian airstrikes hit the Kalynivka and Brovary suburbs of the capital, Kyiv. Emergency authorities in Kyiv said a fire broke out in a 16-story apartment building hit by remnants of a downed Russian rocket, and one person was killed.

Zelenskyy said he was thankful to U.S. President Joe Biden for additional military aid, but he would not get into specifics about the new package, saying he did not want Russia to know what to expect. He said when the invasion began on Feb. 24, Russia expected to find Ukraine much as it did in 2014, when Russia seized Crimea without a fight and backed separatists as they took control of the eastern Donbas region, Associated Press.

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has urged the cadres not to expect to win the elections in the name of alliance.

He requested the cadres to make the party organization stronger in elections and to win the hearts of the people with their own strength.  

At a news conference organized by Press Organization Lumbini at Butwal on Thursday, Chair Dahal urged the people to be confident about the local level elections scheduled for May 13. 

Asking the cadres to involve in preparations with making alliance in elections as the first priority and getting maximum results in second priority, he urged not to cast doubt regarding the elections. 

Also the former Prime Minister, Daha said, "We are presently in an alliance. Hence, there is no possibility of immediate alliance with the CPN-UML." 

He shared that though some leaders of the Nepali Congress have been saying that the alliance with the Maoist would not exist, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is in favour of keeping the alliance intact. 

Similarly, senior leader Narayankaji Shrestha said that the dispute that surfaced due to MCC has already been resolved and the alliance has been moving ahead in the election campaign with unity. RSS

Dr Ishan Adhikari is a USA-board certified clinical neurologist and neurophysiologist with advanced specialization in epilepsy/seizures. After practicing in the US for 18 years, he returned to Nepal to found Medharma Clinix, a premier treatment center for epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases and autonomic disorders.  Stuti Mittal of ApEx spoke to Adhikari about Medharma and its works.

What exactly is Medharma?

Medharma is a world-class research-driven facility with a broad range of specialties for the treatment and care of neurological diseases and conditions.

Our clinic provides the highest quality of care to patients throughout Nepal and South Asia. It was founded with a mission to provide the level of care available in the US.

We have a group of US-trained doctors to provide the best care to our patients.

What motivated you to return to Nepal?

I wanted to help those people suffering from various neurological and autonomic disorders. Take epilepsy. Globally, more than five million people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year and 80 percent of them live in low- and middle-income countries. They have limited access to appropriate treatments.

According to the WHO, epilepsy affects 1 percent of every country’s population. In Nepal, this translates to nearly 350,000 people. I wanted to help these patients. Epilepsy or any other neurological disorder affects not only the patients but their families as well. Epilepsy patients need to be constantly monitored, which lowers the quality of life for both patients as well as their caretakers. This results in undue financial burden on families as it decreases their productivity.

What are your plans for Medharma in the future?

Every year Nepalis spend a large amount of money in India and abroad for the treatment of rare medical conditions due to a lack of quality health facilities and experienced doctors at home. We can prevent this by inviting specialist doctors and surgeons from the US and other developed nations. 

Besides, Medharma’s physicians are also mentoring medical students, researchers and public health professionals. The goal is to enhance their skills and knowledge by engaging them in collaborative projects established with renowned academic institutions in the US and the UK. Global Nepali Health and Research Center of Medharma has also established physician exchange programs with renowned universities in the US and the UK.

The objective of these exchange programs is to build a stronger and larger network of global health professionals to lift the health and wellbeing of low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal.

What in your view are the main challenges Nepal’s health sector faces?

First, we lack medical specialists. There are many Nepalis who have become experts in many fields of medicine, but we cannot attract them to Nepal due to limitations on the part of our health sector. Unfortunately, our country’s health facilities lack even basic medical equipment. Our survey has found that more than 70 percent of health facilities do not have an EEG machine, CT scan, or MRI.

The second challenge is the prevalent stigma and superstition. Seizure disorders are seen as a supernatural phenomenon and people have been found relying on rituals for treatment.

They do not seek medical help. A condition like epilepsy can be successfully treated in 70 percent patients and can be manageable in the remaining 30 percent. We need researched data in every field of medicine to guide experts.

How does Medharma plan on overcoming these challenges?

By relying on innovations in research and cutting-edge technologies that continue to revolutionize neurology. We are closer than ever to providing a real and lasting benefit to many patients suffering from complex and often devastating neurological disorders, especially epilepsy and neuromuscular disorders. Of course, this can only be achieved through capacity building, with training and education and enhanced community awareness programs. We have to remove the stigmas and taboos around neurological disorders.

How is Medharma unique from other health facilities?

Medharma provides comprehensive, world-class neurological clinical care. It is the first specialty clinic in the country devoted entirely to diagnosing and treating rare and uncommon nervous system disorders. Our neurological center is among the first to have a dedicated comprehensive clinical care program for epilepsy/seizure, neuromuscular and autonomic disorders in Nepal. We have advanced diagnostic technologies as well.

Through our partnership programs with Nepal League Against Epilepsy, Muscular Dystrophy Association of Nepal, Global Nepali Health and Research Center, and renowned institutions in the US and the UK, we ensure our patients the best treatment and support.

What are the core values of Medharma?

We believe in holistic treatment to improve the quality of life of our patients and their families. We are committed to exceptional patient care, training and research programs in neurology.

Nepal recorded 27 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 654 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 22 returned positive. Likewise, 3, 093 people underwent antigen tests, of which 27 tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 220 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 4, 376 active cases in the country.

Professor Dhruba Kumar, an expert in international relations and security affairs, passed away on Wednesday. He was 73.

According to a family source, he died during the course of treatment at the Dhapasi-based Grande International Hopistal last night.

It has been learnt that that Kumar had been suffering from kidney related problems for the past many years.

He was a columnist for Kantipur daily for about  nine years.

Kumar is survived by his wife and three daughters.

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the alliance has become even more stronger after the endorsement of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

Speaking at a press conference organized in Lumbini on Thursday, Chairman Dahal said that the senior leaders of the coalition are for keeping the alliance intact till the elections.

Meanwhile, he directed the party cadres to start the election campaign on their own.

"Our first priority is to win the elections on our own strength," he said.

Dahal further said that the Maoist Centre is also focusing on saving the alliance.

Saying that the House is being obstructed without any reasons, he urged the main opposition CPN-UML to end the stalemate.

Karolina Bielawska from Poland has won the 70th edition of the Miss World pageant that took place in Puerto Rico, Hindustan Times reported.

She is the Miss World 2021 winner. The coronation took place at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While Karolina is the winner of the coveted title, Shree Saini from the United States is the 1st runner-up, and Olivia Yace from Côte d'Ivoire is the 2nd runner-up.

Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica crowned Karolina Bielawska as her successor on March 17 (IST). Manasa Varanasi, who was in the Miss World race for India, went up to the Top 13 candidates but was not selected in the Top 6 winners list.

According to the Miss World Organisation, Karolina is currently studying for a Master's Degree in Management and would continue her studies with a PhD, the Hindustan Times reported.

She also works as a model, and one day she hopes to become a motivational speaker. She enjoys swimming and scuba diving and playing tennis and badminton.

In a post on their Instagram account, the Miss World Organisation wrote that Karolina is passionate about the voluntary work that she is involved in.

Her Beauty with a Purpose project, called Zupa Na Pietrynie, provides constant help to homeless people in crisis, raises awareness of this problem, and fights against social exclusion.

Every Sunday, the project aims to provide hot meals, food packages, drinks, clothing, masks, law advice and professional medical support for almost 300 people in need in Lodz, a city in Poland, Hindustan Times reported.

"Many of these people did not have access to register for a Covid-19 vaccine but the project was able to get Governmental permission for over 400 people to receive their vaccinations.

The project also built the first Social Bathroom for people in the homelessness crisis in Lodz," the Miss World page wrote.

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday night, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people. A small tsunami reached shore, but the low-risk advisory was lifted by Thursday morning, Associated Press reported.

The region is part of northern Japan that was devastated by a deadly 9.0 quake and tsunami 11 years ago that caused nuclear reactor meltdowns, spewing massive radiation that still makes some parts uninhabitable.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary session Thursday morning that four people died during the quake and the cause of their deaths are being investigated, while 97 others were injured. A man in his 60s in Soma city died after falling from the second floor of his house while trying to evacuate, and a man in his 70s panicked and suffered a heart attack, Kyodo News reported earlier.

The Japan Meteorological Agency early Thursday lifted its low-risk advisory for a tsunami along the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. Tsunami waves of 30 centimeters (11 inches) reached shore in Ishinomaki, about 390 kilometers (242 miles) northeast of Tokyo. 

The agency upgraded the magnitude of the quake to 7.4 from the initial 7.3, and the depth from 60 kilometers (36 miles) below the sea to 56 kilometers (35 miles).

NHK footage showed broken walls of a department store building fell to the ground and shards of windows scattered on the street near the main train station in the inland prefectural capital of Fukushima city. Roads were cracked and water poured out from pipes underground, according to the Associated Press.

Footage also showed furniture and appliances smashed to the floor at apartments in Fukushima. Cosmetics and other merchandise at convenience stores fell from shelves and scattered on the floor. In Yokohama, near Tokyo, an electric pole nearly fell. 

The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where the cooling systems failed after the 2011 disaster, said workers found no abnormalities at the site, which is being decommissioned.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said a fire alarm went off at the turbine building of No. 5 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi but there was no actual fire. Water pumps for the spent fuel cooling pool at two of the four reactors at Fukushima Daini briefly stopped, but later resumed operation. Fukushima Daini, which survived the 2011 tsunami, is also set for decommissioning.

More than 2.2 million homes were temporarily without electricity in 14 prefectures, including the Tokyo region, but power was restored at most places by the morning, except for about 37,000 homes in the hardest hit Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, according to the Tohoku Electric Power Co. which services the region.

The quake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings swayed violently.

East Japan Railway Co. said most of its train services were suspended for safety checks. Some local trains later resumed service, Associated Press reported.

Many people formed long lines outside of major stations while waiting for trains to resume operation late Wednesday, but trains in Tokyo operated normally Thursday morning.

A Tohoku Shinkansen express train partially derailed between Fukushima and Miyagi due to the quake, but nobody was injured, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

He told reporters that the government was assessing the extent of damage and promised to do its utmost for rescue and relief operations. 

“Please first take action to save your life,” Kishida tweeted. 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said authorities were scrambling to assess damage. “We are doing our utmost in rescue operations and putting people’s lives first,” he said. 

He urged residents in the affected areas to use extra caution for possible major aftershocks for about a week, according to the Associated Press.