UNITED NATIONS

The UN Educational, Social and Cultural Organization is convinced that the Nepalese are not taking proper care of their national landmarks which feature in the agency's World Heritage Site list. It has threatened to remove 7 of the prestigious sites, including the Pashupatinath temple and the 3 durbar squares of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur from the list due to "gross neglect" by the country's archeological department. The department, however, pleads not guilty. "We are doing our best given the resource constraints", says Riddhi Baba Pradhan, a research expert working with the department.

Stop smoking... this is the message that a new World Health Organization (WHO) study conveys to women. "Half a million women die from tobacco-related diseases every year, and if the current pattern persists, the number will increase," warns the study. Smoking, says WHO, is especially dangerous for women as it can lead to premature menopause, osteoporosis and difficulties with pregnancy and can harm the offspring irrevocably; exposure can lead to asthma attacks and stunted growth in kids.