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The 2569th birth anniversary of Siddhartha Gautam popular around the world as Buddha, the harbinger of peace is being celebrated today.

Buddha Jayanti is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the month of Baisakh in the Lunar calendar. As Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death falls on the full moon day of Baishakh, Buddhists around the world, including in Nepal, celebrate the day with reverence and devotion to Buddha.

Likewise, Buddhist monks and religious leaders sit in chaityas, monasteries, vihars etc., and perform traditional rituals.

Special events are being held in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha and in Kapilvastu, Swayambhu and Boudha.

Siddhartha Gautam was born to King Suddhodhan and Queen Mayadevi in Lumbini of present Rupandehi district in 563 BC i.e. 2569 years ago. Born as a prince, he became worried seeing the sufferings of the people.

At the age of 29, he left the palace and went for meditation and penance.

Also today, the Ubhauli festival is being celebrated especially by the Kirant Rai community across the country.

During the festival, there is a tradition of worshiping nature before planting the crops to ensure that the land gives good output. Chandi dance is also performed on the occasion of this festival.

Sakela dance is also performed among different sects of the Kirant community.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday reported "substantial progress" in U.S. talks with China's top economic officials to de-escalate a damaging trade war, but offered no details of an agreement reached as two days of negotiations wrapped up in Geneva, Reuters reported.

Bessent told reporters that details would be announced on Monday and that U.S. President Donald Trump was fully aware of the results of the "productive talks."

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who participated in the talks with Bessent, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and two Chinese vice ministers, described the conclusion as "a deal we struck with our Chinese partners" that will help reduce the $1.2 trillion U.S. global goods trade deficit.

"And this was, as the Secretary pointed out, a very constructive two days. It's important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as maybe thought," Greer said, adding that the Chinese officials were "tough negotiators," according to Reuters.

Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a "positive sign" that Russia was considering ending the war in Ukraine after Russia offered "direct talks" this coming Thursday, BBC reported.

His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Ukraine to take part in "serious negotiations" in a late-night address.

But the Ukrainian president said: "We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire - complete, lasting and credible - starting tomorrow, 12 May, and Ukraine is ready to meet."

Western powers called for a 30-day pause in fighting to begin on Monday after European leaders spearheading the so-called "coalition of the willing" met in Kyiv on Saturday, according to BBC.

A fourth round of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme have taken place in Oman, with both sides agreeing to meet again, BBC reported.

US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff said the discussions in Muscat were encouraging, while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described them as "difficult but useful". 

The US has insisted that Iran must scrap its uranium enrichment to prevent the country developing nuclear weapons, but Tehran denies it has such an aim and on Sunday again stressed it did not intend to give up the programme.

Donald Trump pulled out of a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and five other world powers in 2018, according to BBC.

Nepali Congress has issued a whip to its lawmakers to vote in favor of the government's policies and programs.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire issued a whip to the party lawmakers to vote in favor of the government's policies and programs.

The government’s policies and programs will be presented in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

The Congress has urged its lawmakers to be present mandatorily and vote in favor of the policies and programs.

Earlier, the CPN-UML had also issued a whip to its lawmakers to vote in favor of the government's policies and programs in the House meeting.

Vehicular movement along the Narayangadh-Muglin road section has been obstructed after a truck turned turtle near Tuyinkhola in Ichhakamana Rural Municipality-5, Chitwan on Sunday.

The truck (Madhes Province 03-001 Kha 9817) was heading towards Kathmandu from Birgunj carrying coal when the incident occurred this morning.

DSP Rabindra Khanal, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Chitwan, said that efforts are going on to shift the truck from its existing position. 

Hundreds of vehicles have been stranded mid-way following the incident.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to answer the questions raised by lawmakers on government’s policies and programs in the Parliament meeting today, according to General Secretary of Federal Parliament Secretariat Padma Prasad Pandey.

The Parliament meeting is taking place at 11 am.

President Ram Chandra Paudel presented the government's policies and programs for the fiscal year 2025/26 on May 2 in the joint meeting of the Federal Parliament..

Likewise, the amendments received on the government's policies and programs would be tabled for decision. Altogether 37 amendment proposals have been registered. 

Likewise, Prime Minister Oli is also scheduled to respond to the concerns raised during the discussions on the government's policies and programs unveiled for the upcoming fiscal year in today's National Assembly meeting. 

The NA meeting is taking place at 1:15 today. 

As per the schedule, the government policies and programs for the next fiscal year will be passed today itself.

There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning in a few places in the hilly areas of the country including the Sudurpaschim Province.. 

This is due to the influence of westerly winds coupled with local winds, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. There is also partial influence of the water vapor-rich air entering from the Arabian Sea.

Hence, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in Koshi, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces and partly cloudy in the rest of the country.

There is a possibility of light rain and snowfall in one or two places in the mountainous areas of the country. There is also a possibility of windstorms in a few places in Madhes province, the Division stated.

Tonight, the weather will remain partly cloudy in the hilly areas of the country and mainly clear to partly cloudy in the rest of the country.

There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at one or two places in the hilly areas of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali Provinces  and light rain and snowfall at one or two places in the mountainous areas.