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Nepal is currently experiencing the influence of western winds and a low-pressure system formed in the Arabian Sea.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division stated that the Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces will generally be cloudy, while the remaining provinces will have partly cloud cover.

This afternoon, a few places in Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces, some places in Koshi and Madhesh Provinces, and one or two places in Karnali Province are likely to receive light rain.

The Division has indicated that a few places in the high hill and mountainous areas of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces may receive moderate snowfall, and one or two places in the high hill and mountainous areas of Karnali Province may experience light snowfall.

Tonight, Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces will generally be cloudy, while the remaining provinces will have partly cloudy skies.

A few places in the hilly and mountainous areas of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces are likely to experience light rain or snowfall.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has called for support and cooperation from all sides to make the election scheduled for March 5 a success.

Prime Minister Karki held a discussion with the editors of several media at the PM residence, Baluwatar, on Friday regarding the country's contemporary political affairs, elections preparation, and government's performance, the PM secretariat informed.

Sharing that the government has put all-out efforts to create atmosphere for the election, and its positive results are on anvil, PM Karki informed that consultations were held with Gen Z groups and political parties in the meantime to that end.

Prime Minister Karki stated that she intended to ensure the success of the elections by gaining massive trust and hand over the new government before her exit.

Highlighting the government's prime objective to maintain good governance and conduct elections, the Head of the Government said the March 5 elections would be accomplished, and executive power would be transferred by encouraging the political parties to enthusiastically participate in elections rather than restricting them.

She took the leadership of the government in a challenging situation, Prime Minister Karki said, adding she would, however, not be scared of criticism.

Finance Minister Rameshwor Prasad Khanal, Minister for Energy, Water Resources, Irrigation, Kulman Ghising, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Law Minister Anil Kumar Sinha and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel attended the meeting.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 2, 700 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 239, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 236, 300 per tola on Thursday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 30 and is being traded at Rs 3, 600 per tola today.

Torrential rain since Thursday has obstructed the Ilam-Rajduwali road section along the Mechi Highway.

Chief District Officer Sunita Nepal said that vehicular movement has been prohibited on the section due to road breakdown at various locations.

Vehicles are completely banned on the road until further notice, she said.

The Tilkeni-Simalgola-Shilpur road, an alternative route to the Mechi Highway, is also blocked due to rain and landslides.

The Mechi Corridor (Kechana-Kanchenjunga road) has been closed since early October last year after its concrete bridge at Maikhola in Belase collapsed.

With all roads connecting Ilam headquarters to Jhapa blocked, road connectivity between Ilam and Jhapa has been severed.

Meanwhile, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the cyclone 'Montha' developed in the Bay of Bengal is expected to affect the weather in various areas, including Ilam in Koshi Province from October 30 to November 1.

The Narayangadh-Muglin road section has been obstructed due to a landslide near Tuin Khola in Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-5.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at the District Police Office, Rabindra Khanal informed that the landslide occurred due to continuous rain since Thursday.

Vehicles have been stranded on the road with the traffic disruption.

He said that efforts are underway to clear off the landslide deposition and reopen the road soon.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has requested German Ambassador to Nepal, Udo Volz, to prod the German company contracted by Nepal government in printing passports before the deadline. 

She believed that Germany would cooperate in Nepal's bid to provide prompt service to Nepalis. 

PM Karki made such a request during a courtesy call German Ambassador Volz made to her on Thursday. In response, the Ambassador assured the concerned company to intensify the printing. 

Issues of Nepal-German relations and mutual assistance were discussed during the meeting held at the PM's office in Singha Durbar.  

The Ambassador congratulated PM Karki and extended best wishes for her successful term.  Volz further informed that Germany was ready to extend support to Nepal based on the latter's needs and priorities.  

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gagdish Kharel, PM's chief advisor Ajay Bhadra Khanal, foreign secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and the diplomatic officials.

The Government of Japan has decided to provide grant assistance of Rs 2. 6 billion to Nepal for "Emergency Rehabilitation of Sindhuli Road Affected by Floods”.

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Finance Minister Rameshwor Prasad Khanal and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal today.

Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, Maeda Toru, and Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, signed the Exchange of Notes for the grant, according to a press release issued by the Embassy of Japan.

The Sindhuli Road is 160km long and links the mid and eastern Tarai with Kathmandu. Its construction had been supported by Japanese grant assistance (25.8 billion yen) from 1995 to 2015, and the road has contributed to the economic growth of Nepal.

Unfortunately, the road was seriously damaged by floods, which was caused by continuous heavy rains in September, 2024. More than 10km of the road was flushed and it has had a severe impact on the local economy and people’s lives as well as Nepali whole economy including trading and transportation.

The Government of Japan supports promoting road restoration and recovery through grant assistance. This road will continue to serve as an essential route, symbolizing friendship between Japan and Nepal.

The Embassy of Japan believes that this project will be instrumental for Nepal in achieving sustainable economic development and further deepening the cordial relationship between Japan and Nepal.

The movement of vehicles along the BP Highway and the Mid-Hill Highway has been restricted at night due to the increased risk of floods and landslides amidst continuous rains. The restriction will be in effect tonight and tomorrow night, according to the District Administration Office (DAO), Sindhuli.

In a public notice issued today, the DAO urged all stakeholders to follow the instruction, which restricts vehicular movement from Sindhuli to Kathmandu from 5 pm to 5 am for two days.

Assistant Chief District Officer Anuj Bhandari urged everyone to refrain from traveling during this period except in emergencies. He added that if heavy rains occur during the day, vehicular movement may be halted at any location at any time. At night, vehicles will be stopped at Khurkot Bazar.

The measure has been taken to ensure the safe travel of passengers and prevent any untoward incidents or loss of life, it is said.