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The U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, officials for both sides said, even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal and Iran's vow to discuss only its nuclear program, Reuters reported. 

The delicate diplomatic effort comes amid heightened tensions as the U.S. builds up forces in the Middle East and regional players seek to avoid a military confrontation that many fear could escalate into a wider war.

Differences in recent days over the scope and venue for the talks have raised doubts whether the meeting would take place, leaving open the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump could carry out his threat to strike Iran, according to Reuters. 

The Trump administration is withdrawing some 700 federal immigration enforcement agents from Minnesota, although about 2,000 agents will stay in place, White House border czar Tom Homan announced on Wednesday, a number the state's Democratic leaders say is still too high, Reuters reported. 

In an unprecedented surge, U.S. President Donald Trump has deployed thousands of armed immigration enforcement agents in and around Minneapolis this year to detain and deport migrants, resulting in weeks of feuding with the state's elected leaders, angry and sometimes violent confrontations with residents, and street protests across the nation.

Homan said the deportation campaign was in the interest of public safety. He was partially reducing the deployment because he was seeing "unprecedented" cooperation from Minnesota's elected sheriffs who run county jails, although he did not give more details, according to Reuters. 

Ryan Routh has been sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in September of 2024, BBC reported. 

Routh, 59, was found guilty last year of trying to kill Trump, then still a presidential candidate, at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. 

A US Secret Service agent in the area spotted a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes and fired at Routh, who then fled the scene. He was arrested nearby, according to BBC. 

MPs have approved the release of documents about Lord Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US, after angry Labour backbenchers forced a government climbdown over plans to withhold some material, BBC reported. 

Sir Keir Starmer told a dramatic Commons session he wanted to release the files - which could show what the government knew about Lord Mandelson's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein - but insisted he would not publish anything that could damage national security or diplomatic relations.

That position unravelled after senior Labour figures, including former deputy leader Angela Rayner, urged ministers to change course, forcing the government to agree to involve a cross-party parliamentary committee in the process, according to BBC. 

The Election Commission (EC) has issued the bank accounts operation and management work procedure, 2082, urging the political parties and candidates participating in the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) elections to make expenses for electoral poll publicity through bank accounts. 

In a statement today, EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai called for the parties and candidates to make income and expenditure for election publicity by opening and operating bank accounts as per the procedure approved by the EC's meeting on Tuesday. 

The work procedure has been uploaded in the official website of the commission, it is informed. 

Necessary directive to this effect has been issued to the licensed banks and financial institutions with A, B and C categories, the statement reads. 

The EC has drawn attention of the political parties and candidates to operate election publicity bank accounts as per the Clause 50 of the Election Commission Act, 2073 to ensure routing publicity expenses to the banking system. 

President Ram Chandra Paudel returned home today after completing his official visit to Japan.

Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Sushila Karki, ministers and the chiefs of the security bodies welcomed President Paudel at the VVIP Lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport. 

A contingent of Nepali Army accorded a guard of honour to the Head of the State.

At the invitation of the Japanese government, President Paudel left for Japan, leading a Nepali delegation to attend a special ceremony organized on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Nepal-Japan diplomatic relations on February 1. 

The President addressed the special ceremony organized in Tokyo, Japan.

He was also accompanied by his spouse, Sabita Paduel.

During his stay, President Paudel paid a courtesy call on Japanese Emperor Naruhito, while the Japanese Prime Minister and the Minister of State for Foreign Minister paid a courtesy call on President Paudel separately.

Similarly, Paudel addressed a program of the Japanese businesspersons and of the Nepali diaspora in Tokyo. He also inspected the Nepali Embassy in Japan. 

Nepal and Japan had established diplomatic ties on September 1, 1956. 

Following the establishment of diplomatic relations, Nepal set up its embassy in Tokyo in 1965, while Japan's embassy in Kathmandu in 1967.

Newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal Ruwanthi Delpitiya paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sushila Karki at the latter's office, Singha Durbar, on Wednesday.

Bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting, according to the PM's secretariat.

PM Karki congratulated the newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador Delpitiya and wished her a successful term. 

Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has informed that activities are underway in a planned manner to prevent possible misuse of technology in the upcoming elections. 

The elections to the House of Representatives are just a month away, March 5.

Addressing a program organized by the Election Commission to exchange memorandum of understanding with the representatives of TikTok on Wednesday, he mentioned that a historic agreement was signed and it would be instrumental in creating a clean digital atmosphere for HoR elections. 

Bhandari expressed the belief that the agreement would help to minimize violation of election code of conduct and curb spread of false information. 

He thanked TikTok for its free support to stop misuse of its tech platform that might take place during the elections. 

On the occasion, EC Joint-Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, and Head of Public Policy and Government Relations at TikTok, Ferdous Al Mottakin, exchanged the MoU. 

The EC believed that the initiative would help maintain impartiality of HoR elections. 

It would further contribute to EC's efforts to control misleading and harmful content that could affect the election, added EC.