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Iran is reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war in the Gulf but has no intention of holding talks to end the ‌widening Middle East conflict, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. 

The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi suggested some willingness by Tehran to negotiate an end to the war if its demands were met, despite an initial response that was negative as Iranian officials publicly poured scorn on the prospect of any negotiations with the U.S.

The exchange of messages through mediators "does not mean negotiations with the U.S.," Araqchi said on state television, according to Reuters. 

Iranian officials denied any talks had taken place. One military spokesperson even mocked the claim, saying Americans had been "negotiating with themselves".

The gap is clear. Washington talks about progress; Tehran rejects it outright. But this is not just a disagreement; it reflects deep mistrust, BBC reported. 

That mistrust comes from recent events. 

Over the past year, talks between the two sides have twice raised hopes of easing tensions, with the last round said by their Omani host to have addressed key US concerns about Iran's nuclear programme. 

A Los Angeles jury has handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who sued Meta and YouTube over her childhood addiction to social media, BBC reported. 

Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old's mental health.

The woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $6m (£4.5m) in damages, a result likely to have implications for hundreds of similar cases now winding their way through US courts.

Meta and Google said separately that they disagreed with the verdict and would both appeal. Meta said: "Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app, according to BBC. 

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has increased the price of petroleum products. 

According to NOC, the price of petrol, kerosene  and diesel has been increased by Rs 15 per liter effective from midnight.

Earlier, the price of petroleum products was adjusted on March 15. 

With the latest increase, the price of petrol under the first category has reached Rs 184.50 per liter, Rs 186 under the second category and Rs 187 under the third category.

Similarly, under the first category, diesel and kerosene oil would be traded at Rs 164.50 per liter, Rs 166 per liter under second category and Rs 167 per liter under third category.

The first category includes Charali, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Amalekhgunj, Bhalbari, Nepalgunj and Birgunj. 

Similarly, Surkhet and Dang are in the second category while Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dipayal are in third category.

The NOC clarified that it had to increase the price of petroleum products in the domestic market following the increase in the price of petroleum products in the international market.

The Pentagon said on ​Wednesday it had reached ‌framework agreements with BAE (BAES.L), opens new tab, Lockheed (LMT.N), opens new tab and Honeywell(HON.O), opens new tab to boost production of ​defense systems and munitions as ​part of its shift to "wartime ⁠footing."

Under the deals, Honeywell ​Aerospace will "surge production of critical ​components for America's munitions stockpile," as part of a $500 million multi-year ​investment, the Pentagon said, Reuters reported. 

BAE ​Systems and Lockheed Martin will also quadruple ‌production ⁠of seekers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor, while a new ​framework agreement ​with ⁠Lockheed will accelerate production of its Precision ​Strike Missile, the Pentagon ​added.

Pakistan has delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkey could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, Reuters reported. 

The ​comments, on condition of anonymity, were among rare signs that Tehran might consider diplomatic proposals, despite insisting in public that no talks were under way and it would make no deal with ‌the administration of President Donald Trump.

The Iranian source did not disclose details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan, or whether it was the same as a 15-point U.S. framework previously reported by news outlets including Reuters. The source said Turkey had also "helped to end the war and either Turkey or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks".

The cabinet led by Sushila Karki appears hesitant to release the report submitted by the inquiry panel headed by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which was formed to investigate the violent protests of September 8–9. However, portions of the report have been leaked by several media outlets, including Janaastha Weekly.

According to the leaked conclusion cited by Janaastha, security agencies that were relatively active on September 8 became ineffective the following day, a lapse believed to have significantly increased the scale of damage.

The commission has raised serious concerns about the role of the Nepal Army, stating that despite having clear intelligence about the sensitivity and escalation of the situation, it was not effectively deployed when requested by the district administration. The report also recommends action against senior army officials responsible for safeguarding vital installations.

Responding to the findings, Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel said security agencies had anticipated that the protests could intensify. However, due to the absence of a formal meeting of the National Security Council, no concrete strategic decisions could be made in time.

The commission found that highly flammable materials were used in coordinated attacks on key state institutions, including Singha Durbar, the Federal Parliament building, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace. Attackers deliberately targeted locations housing critical documents.

Field investigations revealed a consistent pattern in the attacks: CCTV systems were destroyed first, followed by the disabling of water tanks, destruction of data centers, and attacks on computer rooms. Documents were then burned, valuables looted, and finally, buildings were set ablaze using gas cylinders.

In several high-profile locations, including Singha Durbar and the Supreme Court, attackers used chemicals and petrol bombs (Molotov cocktails), indicating a planned and systematic approach.

The report also reveals that President Ram Chandra Paudel was evacuated from Shital Niwas by the Nepal Army shortly after accepting the resignation of then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Furthermore, the commission has recommended up to 10 years of punishment against KP Sharma Oli, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and Police Chief Chandrakuber Khapung, accusing them of negligence that led to the deaths of adolescents during the unrest.

The panel has also called for further investigation into the arson and looting of historical heritage sites, as well as government, private, and commercial properties on September 9, citing insufficient evidence to reach definitive conclusions.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that the mandate expressed by the people through the March 5 election to the House of Representatives had placed a great responsibility on the shoulders of elected representatives.

Speaking at a reception organized by the Election Commission at Bahadur Bhawan today, President Paudel emphasized the need for unity in advancing freedom, social justice, good-governance and national prosperity. 

Paudel viewed that the public mandate had obliged elected representatives to work in unison towards the shared vision of nation-building. "In a democracy, opinions may differ but I believe that all Nepalis will share a common goal of nation-building," he expressed. 

On the occasion, the Head of the State appealed to everyone to join efforts in uplifting people's living standards and achieving prosperity as envisioned by the Federal Democratic Republic.

He noted that the enthusiastic participation of the Nepali citizens in exercising their democratic right to elect their representatives had reaffirmed their unwavering faith in the democratic system. "The mandate expressed by voters by reaching polling centers has helped shape the country's future," he remarked.

The Head of the State acknowledged the Commission's notable efforts in increasing voter turnout, ensuring transparency and frugality, effectively enforcing code of conduct and promoting the concept of green election.

According to him, such steps had contributed in making elections less expensive, fair, impartial and environmentally friendly. 

President Paudel remarked, "It occurs to me that the successful conduct of the election has succeeded in earning appreciation and accolades from the international community."

Terming the election as the 'backbone of democracy', the President used the occasion to express his gratitude to the government, the Election Commission, civil employees, and security personnel for their pivotal role in conducting the election peacefully.

Furthermore, he recognized the crucial roles of all stakeholders and citizens in making the election successful despite the challenging times.