Mist and fog in Tarai to clear by noon
Mist and fog observed at some places over the Tarai region is likely to gradually improve by noon today.
The weather is expected to remain partly cloudy over the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces, while it will be mainly fair in the rest of the country, according to the 8 am bulletin by the Meteorological Forecasting Division.
Later tonight, mist is likely to occur at some places over the Tarai region, while partly cloudy conditions are expected over the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces. The weather will remain mainly fair in the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, the meteorological analysis by the Division says that there is partial influence of westerly winds throughout the country.
NC Special General Convention: Election for new leadership today
The schedule for election of a new leadership of the Nepali Congress party has been announced at the Special General Convention of the party underway in the federal capital.
The election committee formed under the Nepali Congress Special General Convention has set the time for candidate nominations until 9:15 am today. Remaining election procedures will come into effect immediately, shared coordinator of the election committee, senior advocate Sitaram KC.
In the election to be held as per the party's prevailing statute, voting will be held for the posts of one president, two vice presidents, two general secretaries, eight joint general secretaries and 121 central members.
The election committee was formed under the coordination of senior advocate KC as per the provision of a five-member election committee in the working procedures made by the special general convention.
There are currently 4,635 general convention delegates eligible to vote for a new leadership of the party.
The Special General Convention being held at the joint initiative of General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Biswaprakash Sharma is underway since January 11.
Originally scheduled to be held for two days, it was extended to basically allow time for negotiations with the establishment faction of the party, which was opposed to the special general convention called by more than the required 50 per cent of the general convention delegates.
175 PR candidates withdraw ahead of March 5 HoR elections
A total of 175 candidates have withdrawn their names from the closed list of the proportional representation under the House of Representatives (HoR) member elections to be held on March 5.
According to the list published by the Election Commission (EC), candidates with 17 election symbols (including single) withdrew their names. The candidates were given until January 12 (Monday) to withdraw their names, if needed.
Assistant Spokesperson of the EC Kul Bahadur GC informed that a total of 175 candidates of 17 election symbols have withdrawn their names during the period. Among those withdrawing their names also include candidates from the political parties submitting their names in the closed list from a single election symbol.
Assistant Spokesperson GC stated that the highest number of candidates withdrawing their names include 110 from the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP). It has been reported that this party has withdrawn the names of 110 candidates from the closed list as it has forged an election alliance with other parties.
Similarly, the Election Commission stated that 20 candidates from Janamat Party, 12 from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), six from Janadesh Party Nepal, and five from CPN (UML) have withdrawn their names.
Four candidates each from Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) and Rashtranirman Dal Nepal have also withdrawn their names.
Likewise, two candidates each from Nepali Congress, Unnat Loktantrik Party, Nepali Communist Party and Rastriya Swatantra Party have withdrawn their candidacy.
One candidate each from the United Democratic National Forum, United Citizens Party, Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal and Janata Samajwadi Party under the single election symbol 'Janto (grinder)' have withdrawn their names from the closed list. Similarly, one candidate each from Gatishil Loktantrik Party, Nepal Janata Party, and Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party have withdrawn their names.
The political parties had submitted their names in the closed list towards the proportional electoral system on December 28-29.
The general elections will elect 165 members through the direct election system and 110 members through the proportional election system in the total 275-member House of Representatives.
Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting, saying 'help is on its way'
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran's clerical establishment pressed its crackdown against the biggest demonstrations in years, Reuters reported.
Iran in turn accused Trump of encouraging political destabilization and inciting violence.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without saying what that help might be, according to Reuters.
Last year was Ukraine's deadliest for civilians since 2022, UN says
2025 was the deadliest year for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, according to the United Nations (UN), BBC reported.
Conflict-related violence killed at least 2,514 civilians last year, the UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said, compared with 2,088 in 2024 and 1,974 in 2023. The number of injured civilians also increased sharply each year.
The year's deadliest attack killed at least 38 civilians in the western city of Ternopil in November, it reported, including eight children, according to BBC.
Prosecutors seek death penalty for ex-South Korean president Yoon
Prosecutors have asked for South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol to be handed a death sentence if he is found guilty over his botched attempt to impose martial law, BBC reported.
A court in Seoul heard closing arguments in Yoon's trial, in which he was accused of being the "ringleader of an insurrection".
The charge stems from Yoon's attempt in December 2024 to impose military rule in South Korea - an act that lasted just hours but plunged the country into political turmoil. He was later impeached by parliament and detained to face trial, according to BBC.
More than 2,000 people reported killed at Iran protests as Trump says 'help is on its way'
More than 2,000 people have been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said, as President Trump promised Iranians that help was "on its way", BBC reported.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had so far confirmed the killing of 1,850 protesters, 135 people affiliated with the government and nine uninvolved civilians as well as nine children over the last 17 days despite an internet blackout.
An Iranian official also told Reuters that 2,000 people had been killed but that "terrorists" were to blame, according to BBC.
Gen Z protests in Nepal were a planned conspiracy, says Oli
Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that the Gen Z protests that led to the ouster of Nepal’s government in September 2025 were unusual and organized in a planned way.
In an interview with RT, a Russian Media Outlet, the former PM said Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had warned that the protests that happened in these countries could happen in Nepal as well.
“That was not a simple and usual thing. That was unusual, and it couldn’t have taken place all of a sudden. It was organized in a planned way, it seems even at that time and later on,” Oli said in an exclusive interview on Monday.
“Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were telling us… Leaders were talking that such things would happen, and things happened. It was an attack on our democracy to send back them to poverty,” Oli said.
