Submit your Article

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s Forecasting Division has said that due to the influence of monsoon and local winds, light to moderate rainfall is likely across all provinces.

According to the division, this afternoon the hilly regions of all provinces will remain generally cloudy, while other areas will see partial cloud cover.

Rain is expected in the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces, as well as in some Tarai areas. A few places in the Tarai may experience moderate rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Isolated heavy rainfall is also possible in some hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki provinces.

Similarly, tonight, the hilly regions of Koshi, Madhes, and Bagmati provinces will remain mostly cloudy, while other areas will see partial cloud cover. Moderate rainfall is likely in parts of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, and a few other regions. 

Hindus throughout the country are observing the eighth day of the ten-day long Bada Dasain festival as the Maha Astami festival today by worshipping Goddess Durga. On this day, people offer special worships to the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Maha Saraswati. This day of the Dasain festival is considered a special day when Goddess Durga attained power.

On the occasion, people perform religious rituals at the Dasain Ghars and armouries and offer worship to goddess at various shrines by offering sacrifices of different animals. The people also read the Durga Saptashati scriptures. Devotees throng various goddess shrines in the Kathmandu Valley from early morning today for offering worships and sacrificing goats and ducks.

Similarly, people throng the various goddess temples throughout the country today to offer worships, sacrificing goats, ducks and roosters. Special puja worship and prayer ceremonies are held at the Dasain Ghars. People also worship the weapons, vehicles and machines.

People who do not sacrifice animals offer sacrifices of various vegetables and fruits in place of animals.

Also on this day, a special Kalaratri worship is held at midnight at the Dashain Ghar of Hanumandhoka in the capital city. 

Nepal registered a thumping 90-run victory over West Indies in the second T20I on Monday night at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, sealing the three-match series 2-0 with one game still to play.

Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first, putting up a strong total of 173/6 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh starred with an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls, while Sundeep Jora smashed 63 from 39 deliveries to steady the innings after early setbacks. Mohammad Aadil Alam added a brisk 11 off five balls to push the score past 170. For the West Indies, Akeal Hosein impressed with figures of 2/21 and Kyle Mayers also took two wickets.

In reply, the West Indies struggled to build momentum and were bowled out for just 83 in 17.1 overs, falling well short of the 174-run target. Jason Holder’s quick 21 off 15 balls was the only notable contribution. Nepal’s bowlers delivered a clinical performance, with Mohammad Aadil Alam claiming 4/24, Kushal Bhurtel 3/16, and Lalit Rajbanshi and Dipendra Singh Airee taking one wicket each.

The District Attorney’s Office Kathmandu has instructed the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau to proceed with further investigation against CPN-UML leader Mahesh Basnet under the Electronic Transaction Act.

According to officials, the office on Monday sent a formal letter to the Cyber Bureau, asking it to move ahead with the case based on a complaint filed by Januka Pathak, also known as Shova Pathak.

Earlier, on Sept 16, the Cyber Bureau had written to the Attorney’s Office stating that further inquiry into the documents submitted with the complaint against Basnet appeared unnecessary and had requested permission to keep the case on hold as per the law. However, the Attorney’s Office has now directed police to continue the investigation into the allegations.

President Donald Trump was hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for critical talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza and developing a U.S. plan on post-war governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. The White House talks come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict. As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

“I am. I’m very confident,” Trump said. 

Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza. “Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,” Leavitt told reporters. “But we need this conflict to end.”

Trump and Netanyahu are first holding talks with aides in the Oval Office. A joint press conference is expected later.

The uncertainty surrounding the meeting casts it as “one of the most critical” in the yearslong relationship between the two leaders, said professor Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israeli relations at Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities. “Netanyahu might have to choose between Trump and his coalition members,” a number of whom want the war to continue, Gilboa said. A move by Netanyahu to end the war would leave him on shaky political ground at home a year before elections.

AP

Days after his defiant speech at the United Nations rejecting demands to end the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to confer with his most important supporter.

But Monday’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington comes at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict.

Hours before Netanyahu was set to meet Trump for talks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was urging both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza.

“Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House on Monday morning. “But we need this conflict to end.”

In a post Sunday on social media, the Republican president said: “We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”

Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet in the Oval Office, and a joint press conference is expected later.

The uncertainty surrounding the meeting casts it as “one of the most critical” in the yearslong relationship between the two leaders, said professor Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israeli relations at Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities.

“Netanyahu might have to choose between Trump and his coalition members,” a number of whom want the war to continue, Gilboa said. A move by Netanyahu to end the war would leave him on shaky political ground at home a year before elections.

Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, agreed Trump is likely to demand a permanent ceasefire, leaving Netanyahu with few options. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed.

If Trump puts the pressure on, the Israeli leader would probably seek to include “red lines” in any deal, Ailam said. Netanyahu, Ailam says, might demand that Hamas be dismantled. Netanyahu might also set a condition that if the militant group resumes fighting or returns to power, the Israeli military would have the right to operate freely in Gaza, he said.

Trump joined forces with Netanyahu during Israel’s brief war with Iran in June, ordering US stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he’s supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a “witch hunt.”

But the relationship has become more tense lately. Trump was frustrated by Israel’s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a US ally in the region that had been hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza.

Recent comments have hinted at growing impatience from Washington. Last week, Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank—an idea promoted by some of Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution.

Michael Doran, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, dismissed the idea Trump’s comments about the West Bank were a sign of friction. He said the remarks allowed Netanyahu to resist pressure from right-wing members of his government.

“That was a clever move by Trump,” Doran said. “It simultaneously showed responsiveness to Arab and Muslim allies while actually helping out Netanyahu.”

On Friday, Trump raised expectations for the meeting with Netanyahu, telling reporters the US was “very close to a deal on Gaza.”

AP

Trump has made similar pronouncements in the past with nothing to show for it.

Traffic along the Muglin–Narayanghat road section has resumed after a landslide near Tuin Khola bridge was cleared. Both lanes of the highway have now been reopened.

A minor landslide around 7 am had briefly halted traffic, but the situation worsened at around 12:30 pm when a larger landslide blocked both directions. Three heavy machines were deployed to remove the debris, though recurring slides made clearance efforts difficult.

Thousands of travelers, many on the move for the festival season, were stranded on the highway for hours. With the road now open, vehicles are gradually moving toward their destinations, though heavy traffic congestion remains due to the long closure.

At present, the main entry and exit points of Kathmandu are crowded with people leaving the valley. Large gatherings of passengers can be seen at Gongabu Bus Park, Kalanki, Koteshwor, and Jadibuti as they wait for buses.

Since early morning, the pressure of vehicles heading out of Kathmandu toward different destinations has made various checkpoints around the city chaotic.