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Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran on Sunday and Iran responded with more missile barrages, a day after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pitched the Middle East and the global economy into deepening uncertainty, Reuters reported. 

U.S. and Israeli strikes - and Iranian retaliation - sent shockwaves worldwide through sectors from shipping to air travel to oil, amid warnings of rising energy costs and disruption to business in the Gulf region.

The Israeli military said it had intercepted projectiles that were launched from Lebanon early Monday morning, in what could be the first sign of Lebanon's Shi'ite Muslim armed group Hezbollah, long one of Tehran's principal allies in the Middle East, entering the conflict, according to Reuters. 

The U.S. military announced on Sunday the first American casualties of President Donald Trump's intensifying attack on Iran, as a new poll showed only one in four Americans supported strikes against the Middle Eastern country, Reuters reported. 

As the conflict entered its second day, Trump said 48 Iranian leaders had been killed and that the U.S. military had started sinking Iran's Navy, destroying nine Iranian warships so far and "going after the rest."

U.S. aircraft and warships have struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since Trump ordered the start to major combat operations on Saturday, the U.S. military said. The strikes include B-2 stealth bombers dropping 2,000-lb bombs on hardened, underground Iranian missile facilities, according to Reuters. 

Airlines are continuing to cancel and divert flights in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, BBC reported. 

Flights in and out of airports in Tel Aviv, Dubai, Doha and other international hubs in the region have been suspended. 

The UK Foreign Office is warning British citizens against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Those already there have been advised to shelter.

Iran has launched attacks on the Gulf states as part its retaliation to US and Israeli strikes which began early on Saturday. Long-haul travel is being affected more widely, with Heathrow urging travellers to check with their airlines, according to BBC. 

Voter education program conducted by the Election Commission across the country with the objective of educating the importance of elections and the voting process and reducing invalid votes has been completed.

The Commission had conducted the voter education program in all 6,743 wards across the country. 

The voter education program which began on February 15 was completed on Sunday in all wards of 753 local levels across the country. 

Voter education volunteers were mobilized in every ward for the voter education program.

Election Commissioner Dr Janaki Kumari Tuladhar said that the program was completed through volunteers reaching out to voters at their doorsteps. 

She also praised the contribution of female community health volunteers, who made the targeted program successful.

Health volunteers have been given the responsibility to provide voter education since the 2079 BS general elections. 

For the purpose of the voter education program, the commission had also appointed the focal points at the local level, who served as monitors of the election voter education program and conducted orientation.

Holi, one of the major festivals observed in Nepal, is being celebrated in the hilly parts of the country today.

The festival of goodwill and harmony will be celebrated in Tarai tomorrow.

Also called Phagu Poornima, people celebrate this festival by smearing colorful powders and throwing colored water at each other while dancing and singing.

People of all ages, old and young as well as children participate in the festival.

Since age-old times, the Holi festival has been observed as a celebration of the victory of truth over falsehood.

As it is celebrated by one and all, the Holi festival has contributed to minimizing inequality and discrimination in the society.

Meanwhile, President Ram Chandra Paudel has wished that the Holi festival provides further inspiration to eradicate various types of distortions, anomalies and evil customs existing in the society, to protect and promote the indigenous culture and to maintain mutual harmony in the country.

President Paudel said that the Holi festival, which is celebrated with joy and happiness to celebrate the victory of truth over falsehood, justice over injustice, virtue over vice, and religion over unrighteousness, has a tradition of renouncing enmity and expressing goodwill and having fun with relatives and friends by applying colors and paints to each other with love and intimacy.

Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, and other leaders have, in separate statements, also extended their best wishes to all those celebrating the festival today and tomorrow.

Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki has emphasized that police personnel should view the House of Representatives (HoR) election as a national commitment and fulfill their responsibilities with a collective sense of duty to guarantee a peaceful election. 

While addressing police staff today through audio-visual means about the security measures to be implemented before, during, and after the election, as well as current issues, he urged them to remember their obligations to the nation. 

Furthermore, he instructed them to be stationed in their designated areas with strategies developed from an analysis of security concerns.

 Inspector General of Police Karki highlighted the necessity for dependable security plans and the importance of ongoing coordination and collaboration with other security agencies.

In view of the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives, security protocols have been enhanced throughout Madhes Province. 

Madhes Province Police Office in Janakpurdham has stated that election preparations are being executed systematically to avert any breaches of the election code of conduct and to ensure a fair and peaceful atmosphere. 

Security measures have been escalated in the border regions between Nepal and India that are linked to the province. Checkpoints have been set up, and special surveillance is being implemented. 

The office has reported that oversight and evaluations concerning the security of polling centers across all eight districts have already been carried out.

According to the office, out of 2,160 polling stations in Madhesh Province, 1,246 polling stations fall under the highly sensitive category. Most of the polling stations connected to the Indian border in the province are highly sensitive. 

The monitoring and security measures are being carried out in a planned manner, said Kamal Thapa, spokesperson of the Madhesh Province Police Office. He stated that, according to the study of the security committees of all districts in the province, they have classified the stations as highly sensitive.

It has been reported that out of 32 constituencies for the House of Representatives elections in Madhes Province, 1,246 polling stations have been designated as extremely sensitive, 755 polling stations as sensitive, and 159 polling stations as normal, in terms of security sensitivity.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 885. 32 points to close at 1769. 60 points on Sunday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 199. 68 points to close at 256. 82 points.

A total of 13,193,462-unit shares of 342 companies were traded for Rs 945. 64 billion. 

Meanwhile, Barahi Hydropower Public Limited (BHPL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 6. 74 percent.

Likewise,  Unilever Nepal Limited (UNL), Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) Limited (BNL), Bottlers Nepal (Terai) Limited (BNT), Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) and Upakar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ULBSL) were the top losers as their price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 97 trillion.