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The US has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington, the White House confirmed on Saturday, BBC reported.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had been presented with "elements of a US deal" by his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi during a short visit to the Iranian capital.

It comes after a report by the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had further stepped up its production of enriched uranium, a key component in the making of nuclear weapons.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Saturday it was in Tehran's "best interest to accept" the deal, adding: "President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb," according to BBC.

Hamas responded to a US ceasefire proposal by saying it is prepared to release 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, while requesting some amendments to the plan, BBC reported.

The group repeated its demands for a permanent truce, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and guarantees for the continuous flow of humanitarian aid. None of these are in the deal on the table.

It was neither an explicit rejection nor a clear acceptance of the US terms, which Washington says Israel has accepted.

Hamas said it had submitted its response to the US draft proposed by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East," according to BBC.

The Bhotojatra festival will be observed on Sunday. 

The cultural festival includes the ritual of displaying the legendary gem-studded Bhoto or vest believed to belong to the Rato Matsyandranath, the deity of good harvest.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has, through a notice today, declared a public holiday in the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley – Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur - for Sunday on the occasion of the Bhotojatra.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 700 per tola in the domestic market on Friday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 188, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 187, 800 per tola on Thursday.

The price of silver, however, has dropped by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 1, 980 per tola today. 

The government has allocated Rs 28.82 billion for the procurement of chemical fertilizer in the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 and the volume of the chemical fertilizer would be increased to 600,000 metric tons.

Unveiling the annual budget for FY 2025/26 in the joint meeting of the Federal Parliament on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel made the announcement to allocate Rs 28.82 billion in grant for the import of chemical fertilizer.   

Likewise, necessary preparations would be advanced from the Investment Board of Nepal for establishing the chemical fertilizer factory.

Minister Paudel stated that Rs 400 million has been allocated for the Organic Agriculture Promotion Program to ensure higher agricultural productivity by maintaining the quality of soil.

As announced by the finance minister, promotion of agricultural production would be done along the Mid-Hill Highway and Madan Bhandari Highway.

Similarly, a budget has been allocated for expansion of cash crops, animal husbandry, high-end fruits, forest products, agriculture forest system and others, according to the finance minister.

The Embassy of Nepal in Abu Dhabi marked the Republic Day by organising a special event on Thursday.

On the occasion, Nepal's Ambassador to UAE Tej Bahadur Chhetri, newly-appointed Consul General in Consulate General of Nepal in Dubai Hari Prasad Odari, representatives of different social organizations based in UAE and others were present in the program..

During the event, Ambassador Chhetri said that it was the responsibility of all to maintain peace, prosperity and good-governance for sustainable development while institutionalising the republic. 

Likewise, Odari said that may this day inspire all to internalise the norms and values of the republican system.  

Representatives of different political parties, National Coordination Committee of Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA), UAE and other social organisations extended best wishes on the occasion of the Republic Day and called for making contributions for the nation's prosperity.

The recent spate of intense pre-monsoon rains has come as an alarm for a polity that has not been quite effective when it comes to protecting lives and properties during disasters, natural or otherwise. 

The rains that have been lashing different parts of the country of late may be an indication that monsoon rains might be more intense this year than in the past, resulting in increased loss of lives and properties than in previous years if the level of our disaster preparedness is not notches in comparison to the past.
Keeping a worst-case scenario in mind, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has prepared a draft Monsoon Preparedness and Response National Action Plan that estimates that monsoon disasters this year are likely to affect as many as 2m people—in a country with a population of barely 30m—from 4.5 lakh households.The action plan is reportedly based on analysis of relevant data from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and also includes suggestions coming from stakeholders. As these disasters are likely to affect all seven provinces, NDRRMA has assigned sectoral tasks to relevant sub-national authorities.     
Preparing a disaster preparedness plan is indeed a good start, it is the way to go when it comes to minimizing injuries as well as the loss of lives and properties. Obviously, its effective execution can make a difference between life and death. A plan that remains on paper is not worth the paper it is written on.  
In Nepal, the weather phenomenon generally sets in around mid-June and withdraws with the start of October.
By the way, even if the monsoon were to stick strictly to its usual dates of onset and withdrawal, that too in this day and age of erratic weather patterns, has this action plan not been a bit late in coming? If yes, what caused the delays? Should not a democratic state tasked with protecting lives and limbs not answer this question? Should not it make sure that such delays do not happen again?
Will our authorities not be running against time while making necessary arrangements for protecting lives and properties from monsoon-induced disasters like landslides, floods, inundation, etc, given chances of an early onset of monsoon? One more thing: Our action plans look great, but their poor implementation leaves much to be desired. ‘Action’ has been the missing part in most of our grandiose plans. Let’s hope that this does not happen with a plan that aims to reduce the risk of monsoon disasters and manage them better. 

US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R. Thompson launched Nepal's first-ever Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Kathmandu on Thursday.

This US government-supported initiative aims to strengthens commercial ties between the United States and Nepal by empowering women to grow their businesses and drive local economic growth.

Addressing the program, Ambassador Thompson called AWE "a movement, not just a program," highlighting the belief that when women are empowered, economies grow, communities flourish, and lasting partnerships take root, reads a statement issued by the US Embassy in Kathmandu.

The three-day residential bootcamp, led by top Nepali business leaders and members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Nepal (AmCham), will provide 30 selected women entrepreneurs with world-class training, mentorship, and resources to scale their ventures.

Powered by the globally recognized "Najafi 100 Million Learners" course, AWE provides participants with practical tools to foster innovation and job creation in their communities., according to the statement.

This program supports American and Nepali businesses by creating new opportunities for trade, collaboration, and growth, strengthening both countries' economies. It creates meaningful economic opportunities for Nepalis to build thriving ventures at home, rather than seek opportunities abroad.