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At least 18 persons have died due to floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in Ilam.

According to Deepak Pokharel, SSP and spokesperson at the Koshi Province Police Office, Biratnagar, five persons have died in Manebhangyang, Suryadaya Municipality-1, three in Patigaun, Mangsebung Rural Municipality-1, one in Dhare and two in Dhusune of Deumai Municipality-5.

Similarly, a person died in Ratamate, Phakphokathum Rural Municipality-4 and six in Ghosgaun, Ilam Municipality-5, police said.

SSP Pokharel said that Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army personnel have been deployed in the flood and landslide affected areas.

The administration has been preparing to send relief materials to the affected areas.

Eight major rivers in the country have crossed the danger mark following incessant rainfall.

As per the latest update from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology this morning, flood measurement centers for rivers including Bagmati, Sun Koshi, Arun, Tamor, Koshi, Budhikhola–Sunsari, and Biring Khola in Jhapa indicate that water levels have surpassed danger levels. 

Binod Parajuli, the head of the department's Flood Forecasting Division, reported that water levels in 12  rivers remain above the alert level. He noted that in Koshi Province, water levels are rising, while in Bagmati, levels are either stable or decreasing. 

Furthermore, the Flood Forecasting Division has indicated that the flow in all other rivers and streams in Koshi, Madhes, and Bagmati Provinces is nearing the alert level. 

Rainfall intensity in Bagmati and Madhesh Provinces has begun to gradually diminish, whereas moderate to heavy rainfall continues to be reported in various regions of Koshi Province. 

The department issued a notice this morning stating that this weather pattern is expected to persist for the next few hours. There is a high flood risk predicted for these rivers until this evening, with a medium risk anticipated to remain until Monday morning.

At present, due to the impact of moisture-rich winds from the Bay of Bengal (monsoon winds) across the nation, light to moderate rainfall is forecasted throughout the country.

As per the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecast Division, most areas in the Koshi and Madhesh Provinces will experience complete cloud cover, while the Bagmati and Lumbini Provinces will have predominantly cloudy skies, and the remaining regions will see partly cloudy conditions. 

The weather bulletin issued by the division indicates that numerous locations in the Koshi and Madhesh Provinces, along with certain hilly and Tarai regions in other provinces, may experience moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. Furthermore, heavy rainfall is likely in a few areas of the Koshi and Madhesh Provinces. 

According to the Meteorological Department, today, the hilly regions of the country, including Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati Provinces, will generally be overcast, while other areas will remain partly cloudy. 

There is a chance of moderate rainfall with thunderstorms in some locations within the hilly areas of Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati Provinces, as well as in a few areas of other regions.

The department has also suggested that heavy rainfall may occur in one or two locations in the hilly areas of Koshi Province.

Four people from Bhaktapur have been reported missing while trekking in Langtang. 

A group of 16 individuals from Bhaktapur had arrived in Langtang for trekking on Friday.

Rajesh Panthi, the Chief District Officer of Rasuwa, said that among them, four went missing after being swept away by the floods in Bering Khola, Gaunpalika-4 Gosainkunda. 

He reported that the missing persons include 25-year-old Sanskriti Shrestha, 25-year-old Kisan Shrestha, 25-year-old Sangita Shrestha from Thimi Municipality-3, Bhaktapur, and 23-year-old Ravi Shrestha from Bhaktapur Municipality-10.

Nearly 500 people have been arrested in central London during protests in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police has said, BBC reported.

Organisers Defend Our Juries said around 1,000 took part in demonstrations around Trafalgar Square backing Palestine Action - a group which was proscribed by the government in July making it illegal to show any support or affiliation to them.

The Met said 488 of the arrests were for supporting a proscribed organisation, with the the youngest person held being 18 and the oldest 89.

Demonstrations went ahead despite pleas from ministers and police who called for protests to be postponed following Thursday's deadly synagogue attack in Manchester, according to BBC.

Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections on Sunday since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, amid concerns over inclusivity and successive delays, BBC reported.

There will be no direct vote for the People's Assembly, which will be responsible for legislation during a transitional period.

Instead, "electoral colleges" will select representatives for two-thirds of the 210 seats. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa will appoint the rest.

Long-time former President Assad was ousted by Sharaa's forces 10 months ago after a 13-year civil war.

Authorities say they have postponed the polls for security reasons in two Kurdish- controlled provinces and a third which saw deadly fighting between government forces and Druze militias, according to BBC.

President Donald Trump has authorised the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago to address what he says is out-of-control crime, BBC reported.

The move came hours after immigration authorities said they faced off with protesters in the Democrat-run city and shot an armed woman when she and others rammed their cars into law enforcement vehicles.

State and local leaders have for weeks criticised Trump's deployment plans and called it an abuse of power. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said Trump was "attempting to manufacture a crisis".

The announcement came as a federal judge in Portland, Oregon - another liberal city - temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying 200 troops there, according to BBC.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he hopes to announce the release of hostages being held in Gaza "in the coming days".

In a televised statement, he also said "Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised – either the easy way or the hard way, but it will be achieved." 

The comments came after Hamas released a statement on Friday in which it agreed to free the hostages under a US peace plan, but did not mention disarmament and sought negotiations on other issues, BBC reported.

Hamas said on Saturday that Israel was continuing to commit "massacres", after strikes hit Gaza in the morning, and it urged global pressure on Israel.

Indirect ceasefire talks between the parties are set to start in Egypt on Monday.