After the earthquake hit Nepal, Prem Raja Mahat spent a sleepless night at his home in the eastern US city of Baltimore, trying again and again to reach his son, who was visiting friends and family back in Mahat’s home country.

A teenage boy has been locked in mediation – allegedly without food or water - in a Nepalese jungle for six months, and thousands have flocked to see him with some believing he’s the Buddha reincarnated.

Nepal’s political parties today rejected on offer from communist rebels to help the campaign to restore democracy in the Himalayan nation, saying the guerrillas must renounce violence before the two groups can unite to challenge King Gyanendra.

A Nepalese worker who was taken hostage in Iraq earlier this week has been freed and is safe in Baghdad.