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The U.S. special envoy to Lebanon said Monday that his team would discuss the long-term cessation of hostilities with Israel, after Beirut endorsed a U.S.-backed plan for the Hezbollah militant group to disarm, Associated Press reported.

Tom Barrack, following a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, also said Washington would seek an economic proposal for post-war reconstruction in the country, after months of shuttle diplomacy between the U.S. and Lebanon.

Barrack is also set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri, who often negotiates on behalf of Hezbollah with Washington, according to Associated Press.

“I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They’ve taken the first step,” said Barrack, who is also the U.S. ambassador to Turkey. “Now what we need is for Israel to comply with that equal handshake.”

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 11. 75 points to close at 2, 772. 98 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 2. 12 points to close at 475. 80 points.

A total of 15,229,821-unit shares of 320 companies were traded for Rs 6. 17 billion.

Meanwhile, Union Hydropower Limited (UNHPL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 6. 10 percent. Likewise, Sampada Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SMPDA) was the top loser as its price fell by 4. 81 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 56 trillion.

A 52-year-old man from Patabari of Madhyabindu Municipality-1, Nawalparasi has died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne disease.

Chhabilal Subedi, Information Officer at the Province Public Health Office, Nawalparasi confirmed it. 

The incident occurred during the first month (mid July-mid-August) of the current fiscal year, which also saw four confirmed JE cases in the district. 

Among the infected, the remaining three: a 44-year-old woman, an 83-year-old woman, and a 53-year-old man successfully recovered and returned home.

In recent years, Nawalparasi district, part of Gandaki Province, has seen frequent JE cases. 

During the fiscal year 2079/80 BS, the district recorded seven infections with five fatalities. This was followed by eight infections and one death in 2080/81 BS. In the last fiscal year, two cases were reported, and both patients recovered.

JE is a transmissible disease caused by the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. 

This mosquito, medium-sized and brown with white markings on its abdomen, is active primarily after sunset and during the night. Its primary breeding grounds are stagnant water in paddy fields. The risk of infection is highest during the months of Saun, Bhadau, and Asoj (mid-July to mid-October).

Symptoms of JE include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, exhaustion, headache, fatigue, neck stiffness, and pain. In severe cases, it may lead to epilepsy, paralysis or loss of consciousness.

Worldwide, over 50,000 cases of JE are reported annually, with fatalities ranging between 10,000 and 15,000. 

Google has agreed to pay a 55 million Australian dollar ($36 million) fine for signing anticompetitive deals with Australia’s two largest telcos that banned the installation of competing search engines on some smartphones, the U.S. tech giant and Australia’s competition watchdog said, Associated Press reported.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a statement it had commenced proceedings in the Australian Federal Court on Monday against the Singapore-based Google Asia Pacific division. The court will decide whether the AU$50 million ($36 million) penalty is appropriate.

Under the anticompetitive agreements, which were in place for 15 months until March 2021, Telstra and Optus only pre-installed Google Search on Android phones sold to customers. Other search engines were excluded. In return, the telcos received a share of the advertisement revenue Google generated from those customers, according to Associated Press.

Ambassador Dr Sarmila Parajuli Dhakal, President of the International Relations and Global Diplomacy Dialogue (IRGDD), together with co-founder Bimal Dhakal, held a meeting with Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in Kathmandu on Monday.

The meeting also highlighted the scope for future collaborations between IRGDD and Indian institutions in areas of diplomacy, economic growth, technology, youth engagement, and people-to-people exchanges, underscoring the spirit of friendship that has long defined Nepal–India relations.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that all sides must fulfill the commitments made in the Paris Agreement relating to climate change and the measures to contain global temperature rise.

Inaugurating the conference of parliamentarians from Hindu Kush region today, President Paudel urged all countries- developed and developing, poor and industrial- to adhere to the Paris Agreement to contain temperature rise to 1.5 Degree Celsius since pre-industrial age.

He expressed worry over the rise of temperature above average range in the Hindu Kush Himalaya in recent years, which is further exacerbated by the fast snow melt, causing floods and erosion downstream. 

"Climate change, loss of biodiversity and air pollution are not limited to scientific reports, but become harsh realities of our lives," President Paudel lamented, adding that the conference is a historic opportunity to shape a roadmap for a common and sustainable future. 

The Head of the State further reminded, "It is also the moment to make a firm commitment towards the future of geography, mountain, forest, rivers and environment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya." 

More than two billion people are sustained by the water emanated from mountains of this region, but growing adversity downstream is a severe challenge, he said.

Paudel further shared that this region is rich in biodiversity. 

The protection of biodiversity helps enrich the eco system, otherwise causing serious impacts on food, culture and economy, he argued. 

The President also expressed gratitude to the member countries of Hindu Kush region for their continued efforts to face climate change, control air pollution and protect biodiversity. 

Nepal has also made significant initiatives like early warning relating to disaster caused by climate change, collaboration on hydropower development and use, promotion of solar power, and participatory community forest conservation, he explained in his address. 

Also featured in his statement were expansion of reserve area, monitoring of wildlife, improvement in public transport, promotion of electric vehicles and curb on industrial emission.

However, adequate efforts for climate adaptation and resilience were yet to be in place with effective policy.

The President expected that such an event would institutionalize parliamentary dialogue and foster sustainable cooperation to tackle common challenges.

Authorities in Pakistan resumed rescue and relief work on Monday in the country's northwest where flash floods have killed over 300 people after heavy rain forced them to suspend operations for several hours, a government official said, Reuters reported.

Heavy rains that started on Friday have claimed lives and spread destruction in several northern districts, with most people killed in flash floods, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

In hilly areas, the rains caused flash floods as well as mud and rock slides that washed away houses, buildings, vehicles and belongings.

Buner district was the worst hit, with over 200 deaths, according to Reuters.

India aims to slash taxes on small cars and insurance premiums as part of a sweeping reform of its goods and services tax (GST), a government source said on Monday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan sparked a rally in stock markets, Reuters reported.

Modi's administration revealed plans of the biggest tax overhaul since 2017 over the weekend, and consumer, auto and insurance companies are likely to emerge as the biggest winners when product prices drop from October, once the reform is approved.

The federal government has suggested lowering GST on small petrol and diesel cars to 18% from the current 28%, said the source who is directly involved in the matter. The GST on health and life insurance premiums may also be lowered to 5% or even zero from 18% currently, the same source said.

Indian markets climbed on Monday, with the benchmark Nifty index trading 1.3% higher, on course for its best day in three months. Auto stocks also rallied, according to Reuters.