Iran cannot participate in World Cup, minister says
Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the U.S. launched airstrikes alongside Israel, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The attacks killed the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali ‌Khamenei and triggered a region-wide conflict.
"Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup," the minister told state television, according to Reuters.
Representation of marginalized groups in HoR weakens
The results of the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives have been made public of both the first-past-the-post (FPTP) and proportional representation (PR) system.
Accordingly, the Rastriya Swatantra Party came first, the Nepali Congress came second, the CPN-UML third, and the Nepali Communist Party came fourth.
The results so far show a very weak representation of the marginalized groups, with only 14 people of 165 (8.48 percent) directly elected. There are 26 indigenous (15.76 percent), 28 Madhesi (16.97 percent), five Tharu (3.3 percent), four Muslim (2.42 percent), and one Dalit (0.61 percent) elected through the FPTP system.
Looking at Dalit representation in this election, the Nepali Congress had fielded only one candidate from the Dalit community as Joint General Secretary Prakash Rasaili from Bajhang. The UML had fielded Chakra Snehi as a candidate from Dadeldhura and Bimala BK as a candidate from Bardiya-2.
Similarly, the Nepali Communist Party had fielded Padam Bishwakarma from Syangja-2 and Man Bahadur Sunar from Kanchanpur-3.
The RSP had given tickets to Khagendra Sunar from Banke-3. Of them, only Khagendra Sunar has won.
Light rainfall likely today
The weather will be generally cloudy in Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces, as well as in the hilly regions of Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces. It will be partly cloudy in the remaining areas.
According to the Weather Forecasting Division, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall with thunder and lightning at some places in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi Province, as well as Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces; at a few places in Madhes Province; and at one or two places in the hilly and mountainous regions of Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim Provinces, as well as in the Tarai regions of Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces.
The Meteorological Analysis by the Division shows that at present Nepal is under the partial influence of westerly winds, a high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere, and a low-pressure area in the lower atmosphere near the eastern region of Nepal.
Pakistani PM congratulates RSP President Lamichhane, senior leader Shah
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated President of Rastriya Swatantra Party Rabi Lamichhane and its senior leader Balendra Shah on their remarkable victory in the 2026 elections in Nepal.
In a congratulatory message, Prime Minister Sharif said the strong mandate reflects the trust and confidence of the Nepali people in new and dynamic leadership.
He also expressed Pakistan’s willingness to work closely with the newly elected Government of Nepal to further strengthen the historic friendship and cooperation between the two countries, according to the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu.
US to release 172 million barrels of oil from strategic petroleum reserve
The U.S. will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic ‌petroleum reserve in a bid to reduce oil prices that have soared due to supply shocks from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Wright said the release is part of a broader release of 400 million barrels of oil agreed to by the 32-nation International Energy Agency earlier in the day.
Wright said the release will begin next week and will take about 120 days to deliver, according to Reuters.
Iran tells world to get ready for oil at $200 a barrel as it fires on merchant ships
Iran said the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel as its forces hit merchant ships on Wednesday and the International Energy Agency recommended a massive release of strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the 1970s, Reuters reported.
The war unleashed with joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes nearly two weeks ago has so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as it has spread into Lebanon and thrown global energy ‌markets and transport into chaos.
Despite what the Pentagon has described as the most intense airstrikes since the start of the war, Iran also fired at Israel and targets across the Middle East on Wednesday, demonstrating it can still fight back, according to Reuters.
Three brothers arrested after explosion at US embassy in Oslo
Three brothers have been arrested in Norway linked to an explosion outside the US embassy in the capital, Oslo, on Sunday, BBC reported.
The authorities believe the blast was caused by an improvised device that was placed at the building's entrance. It caused minor damage and no injuries were reported.
The brothers, all in their 20s, are Norwegian citizens with links to Iraq, Norway's police attorney Christian Hatlo told a press conference on Wednesday, according to BBC.
US launches probe into major trading partners after tariffs struck down
The US has launched a new investigation into some of its biggest trading partners after the Supreme Court struck down a key part of President Donald Trump's tariffs policies last month, BBC reported.
On Wednesday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Section 301 unfair trade practices probe could lead to new tariffs against countries including China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico by this summer.
The probe could allow the US to impose tariffs on goods from any of the countries found to have engaged in unfair trade practices, according to BBC.
