Weather to remain partly to generally cloudy

The weather today will remain partly to generally cloudy in the hilly areas of the country including Koshi and Madhes Provinces and clear to partly cloudy in the rest of the country. 

There is a possibility of light rain with thunder and lightning in some places in the hilly areas of the country including Madhes Province and one or two places in the rest of the country. There is also a possibility of light rain and snowfall in some places in the mountainous areas of the country.

This is due to the influence of westerly winds coupled with local winds. In addition, the water vapor-rich air entering from the Bay of Bengal is also having an effect, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division.

Similarly, tonight, the weather will remain partly to generally cloudy in the hilly areas including Koshi Province and clear to partly cloudy in the remaining parts of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at some places in the hilly parts of Koshi, Madhesh  and Gandaki provinces, and at one or two places in the hilly parts of Bagmati and Karnali provinces. 

There is a possibility of light rain and snowfall at one or two places in the mountainous parts of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali provinces.

 

Matatirtha Aunsi being celebrated today (With photos)

Matatirtha Aunsi or Mother's Day is being celebrated in honour of mothers with devotion across the country today.

This festival is considered a day of devotion, respect and recognition of the mothers, who are considered greater than the priests and fathers in the religious scriptures, and a day to seek blessings from her. It is customary for children to get up early this morning, take a bath, dress their mother in beautiful clothes, and feed her with sweet and savory foods to seek her blessings and recognize her contribution and very important role in the family and society. 

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Those who have already lost their mother remember them and the great and difficult deeds she accomplished by making offerings to her soul and offering food to the needy in her remembrance.

Ancient Vedic scriptures highlight the importance of mother and the motherland in the noble saying, ‘Janani Janmabhoomischa Swargadapi Gariyasi’, meaning that the mother who gives birth and the motherland are greater and more loving than heaven, says Theologist and member of the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee, Prof. Dr Devmani Bhattarai.

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He says that it is mentioned in the scriptures that the importance of a mother is a thousand times greater than that of a father. Because of such importance, the living mother is honoured and served with sweet delicacies and gifts while offerings are made in the name of the deceased mother with devotion. 

On this occasion, a fair is held today at Mata Tirtha in Chandragiri Municipality of Kathmandu while many visit temples and gather at river confluences and banks to pray for eternal peace for their late mothers. Those with a living mother, visit her with various gifts while seeking her blessings.

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Russia claims it has regained full control of Kursk from Ukraine

Russia's military says it has regained full control of the country's western Kursk region - a claim denied by Ukraine, BBC reported.

Top Russian commander Valery Gerasimov said the last village held by Ukrainian troops had now been recaptured - eight months after Kyiv's surprise incursion.

He also praised the "heroism" of North Korean troops during a Russian counter-offensive, in what is the first time Russia has publicly acknowledged their involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin described Ukraine's efforts in Kursk as a complete failure, according to BBC.

Ukraine says its troops are still conducting operations in the Russian border region, with the military describing Moscow's claims as "propaganda tricks".

Iran ‘extremely cautious’ about success of nuclear talks with the US

Iran and the United States have agreed to continue nuclear talks next week, both sides said, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was “extremely cautious” about the potential success of the negotiations aimed at resolving a decades-long nuclear standoff, Aljazeera reported.

US President Donald Trump has signalled confidence in clinching a new pact with the Islamic republic that would block Tehran’s path to a nuclear bomb.

On Saturday, Araghchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held a third round of indirect talks in Oman’s capital Muscat through Omani mediators for about six hours, a week after a second round in Rome that both sides described as constructive.

“The negotiations are extremely serious and technical … there are still differences, both on major issues and on details,” Araghchi told Iranian state TV, according to Aljazeera.

“There is seriousness and determination on both sides … However, our optimism about success of the talks remains extremely cautious.”

Only about half of Republicans say Trump has focused on the right priorities, AP-NORC poll finds

Many Americans do not agree with President Trump’s aggressive efforts to quickly enact his agenda, a new poll finds, and even Republicans are not overwhelmingly convinced that his attention has been in the right place, Associated Press reported.

Americans are nearly twice as likely to say Trump has been mostly focusing on the wrong priorities as to say he has been focusing on the right ones, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

Further, about 4 in 10 Americans say Trump has been a “terrible” president in his second term, and about 1 in 10 say he has been “poor.” In contrast, about 3 in 10 say he has been “great or ”good,” while just under 2 in 10 say he has been “average," according to Associated Press.

Newcastle climb to third as Ipswich relegated, Chelsea win

Newcastle United got a boost in their quest for Champions League football next season with a 3-0 Premier League win that saw Ipswich Town relegated on Saturday, while Chelsea got back into contention for a top-five finish with a 1-0 win over Everton, Reuters reported.

Fulham beat bottom side Southampton 2-1 while Brighton & Hove Albion struck two late goals in a thrilling 3-2 victory over West Ham United in the chase for European places.

Wolverhampton Wanderers extended their winning run to six league games with a 3-0 victory over relegated Leicester City.

Newcastle climbed to third place on 62 points, while Ipswich have 21 points after a defeat that saw them reduced to 10 men when Ben Johnson was sent off for two yellow cards, according to Reuters.

Newcastle took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Alexander Isak scored from the spot after Julio Enciso was penalised for pulling down Jacob Murphy.

Barcelona sink Real Madrid in extra time to win Copa del Rey title

A Jules Kounde goal in the dying minutes of extra time handed Barcelona a dramatic 3-2 win over fierce rivals Real Madrid in an enthralling Copa del Rey final on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Barca won a record extending 32nd Spanish Cup title thanks to a stunning strike from the French defender, who slotted in a low drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards in the 116th minute.

However, Real took control in the second half as Kylian Mbappe, who was absent from the starting XI as he has yet to regain full fitness from an ankle injury, came off the bench to score the equaliser from a free kick in the 70th minute.

Aurelien Tchouameni gave Real Madrid the lead seven minutes later with a towering header from a corner before Ferran Torres found the equaliser in a counter attack in the 84th minute that took the game to extra time, according to Reuters.

Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, Nepali Ambassador to India Sharma hold talks

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Nepali Ambassador to India Dr Shankar Sharma held a meeting in New Delhi on Friday.

During the meeting, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar expressed sadness over the death of a Nepali citizen in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.

Taking to X, he paid tribute to Sudip Neupane and extended condolences to his family and relatives.

On the occasion, issues of mutual interest between the two countries were also discussed.