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Fifty-seven political parties have filed their candidacies in the parliamentary election slated for November 20 under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) category. These political parties have fielded 1,433 men and 150 women candidates for the HoR election. As per the data published by the Election Commission, a total of 943 candidates—858 men and 85 women - have registered their candidacies as independents. A total of 2,526 people—2,291 men and 235 women—have filed their nominations under the FPTP category. As many as 548 candidates have registered their nominations in province 1 under FPTP category. Of them, 493 are men and 55 women candidates, according to the EC. Thirty political parties and independent candidates have filed their candidacies. Similarly, 1,055 candidates have filed their nominations under FPTP category in Madhes Province. Of them, 978 are men, 76 women and one from other group. A total of 37 political parties and independent candidates have filed their nominations in Madhes Province. Likewise, altogether 701 candidates from 32 political parties and independent candidates have registered their candidacies in Bagmati Province. Of them, 619 are men and 82 are women candidates. A total of 217 candidacies have been registered in Gandaki Province. Twenty-three political parties and independent candidates have filed their nominations. Of them, 237 are men and 34 are women. According to the EC, 25 political parties and independent candidates have registered their nominations under FPTP in Lumbini Province.  Altogether 532 candidacies have been filed in Lumbini Province. Of them, 500 are men and 32 women. Similarly, 143 nominations have been filed in Karnali province. Of them, 139 are men and four women candidates. A total of 16 political parties and independent candidates have filed their candidacies, added the EC. A total of 226 candidates have filed their nominations towards FPTP in Sudurpaschim Province. Twenty political parties and independent candidates have filed their candidacies. Of them, 212 are men and 14 women. The EC said the data was published on the basis of details entered in the system of EC till Monday evening.

A couple of Pattharkot, Lalbandi Municipality-12, Sarlahi district died of altitude sickness while returning from Meme Pokhari of Lamjung district. Buddhiman Yonjan (27) of Syangbo Danda of Lalbandi Municipality-12 and his wife Sharmila Tamang (26) had collapsed on October 5 while returning home after visiting Meme Pokhari. The bodies of the couple were brought to Sarlahi on Monday. Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Lamjung, Prakash Shreemal, said the couple died due to altitude sickness at the height of around 3,900 meters in Syangbo. Similarly, Karan Tamang (18) of Besisahar Municipality-10, who had also gone to Meme Pokhari with the couple, is receiving treatment at the Medical College in Bharatpur. Yonjan was found dead on Thursday while the body of Tamang was found on Saturday. It takes a three-days walk to reach Meme Pokhari from Besisahar, the district headquarters of Lamjung.

More than 8,000 households have been affected due to inundation caused by flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall in Banke district. Eight thousand seven hundred three households at eight local levels in the district have been directly affected due to flood and inundation, said Topendra Bahadur KC, Assistant Chief District Officer of Banke district. KC said the highest number of affected households is in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality. Three thousand five hundred families are affected in Rapti Sonari, 2696 families in Narainapur Rural Municipality, 1950 families in Duduwa Rural Municipality, 249 households in Khajura Rural Municipality, 220 families in Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, 50 families in Baijanath Rural Municipality, 20 in Janaki Rural Municipality and 18 families in Kohalpur Municipality. Similarly, 181 households have been completely damaged while 598 households sustained partial damages due to flood and inundation. One thousand one hundred forty-three people have been displaced in the eight local levels in Banke district. Two thousand one hundred thirty-one flood affected people have been rescued from 37 wards of the eight local levels. People living in Rapti Sonari, Narainapur and Duduwa Rural Municipalities, the settlements in the downstream of the Rapti River, have been affected the most due to the flooding and inundation. Four hundred fifty families have been displaced in Tikulipur village alone, ward chairperson Gyanendra Oli said.  

The weather will gradually start improving from today with the low pressure system developed near Nepal becoming weaker, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecasting Division said. Meteorologist at the Division Heera Bhattarai said that although the monsoon is active, the low pressure system is weak, hence there will be gradual improvement in the weather. She said the weather will fully improve across the country in the next two days. "Although the monsoon is ongoing, the rain-causing system has become weaker. Rainfall is likely at some places of Karnali and Sudurpaschim and at many places of the eastern region today. The weather will start to improve from tomorrow in Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces while it will be fair across the country beginning Thursday," Bhattarai said. The Division said that it will take a week more for the monsoon's exit. The low pressure area near Haryana, India is impacting the weather in Nepal at present. The weather will be cloudy throughout the country due to the influence of this weather system. Light rain is taking place at one or two places of Province 1, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces. It will be cloudy in the afternoon today. There are chances of light to moderate rain along with thunder and lightning at some places of Province-1, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces and at one or two places in the rest of the provinces. The minimum temperature in Kathmandu was 18 degrees Celsius and the maximum 26 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours, the Division stated.  

A total of 82 tourists- domestic and foreign combined- stranded in Manang, a mountainous district, due to adverse weather have been rescued. Chief of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Lekhnath Gautam said that the tourists were stranded because of adverse weather caused by incessant rainfall since last Tuesday. Among the total tourists, 73 are foreign and nine domestic ones. The roadways were disrupted due to landslides, so a helicopter was used for rescuing the tourists. The tourists had reached Manang district via the Annapurna trail. They also reached the Himalayan areas of Gorkha and Upper Dolpa.  

Irrespective of the advocacy for women participation in politics and state mechanism, there is no candidacy of woman for the November election to House of Representatives in Baitadi district. There is only one constituency in the district. A total of 12 persons filed their candidacies for the election to member of the House of Representatives, where there is zero-woman candidacy. Former deputy mayor of Dasharath Chand Municipality and general convention representative of Nepali Congress Mina Chand said that it reflected the classical mindset of political parties. It shows they do not want women in leadership, she added. The candidates for the HoR members are Narendra Bahadur Kunwar of the CPN (Maoist Centre) on behalf of ruling alliance, Damodar Bhandari of CPN UML, Prem Bahadur Chanda of RPP, Kimmat Chand of RPP Nepal, Krishna Bahadur Chand of People's Party, Prakash Chandra Bhatta of Rastriya Swatantra Party, Krishna Prasad Gosain of Nepal Peasants and Workers' Party, and Ansing Bhandari of Janata Samajbadi Party. Similarly, there are four independent candidates- Keshav Chand, Paramanand Chand, Man Singh Bista and Trilok Bahadur Chand. Six persons filed candidates for Provincial Assembly election (A) and five for Provincial Assembly election (B). Among them, one woman has filed candidacy in each constituency- RPP Nepal's Krishna Panta of RPP Nepal for A, and Nagarik Unmukti Party's Rewati Bohara for B.

The district has recorded 99 cases of dengue infection of late. At least 400 had undergone tests for it. Chief of Health Office in the district Shankar Babu Adhikari said that with the surge of dengue patients, there is a growing shortage of hospital beds. Rajesh Chhetri, an official at the District Hospital, said that 11 persons were tested positive last Saturday alone. Some 200 persons visit the hospital daily for dengue test. Among them, 150 have fever. High fever, severe body ache, nausea are some common symptoms of dengue. The hospital said it was urgent to raise public awareness about dengue. Similarly, Medical Superintendent Abhinandan Tiwari suggested the patients to drink adequate liquid, and use paracetamol to reduce fever.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has been infected with SARS--CoV 2 virus. The Head-of-the-State was hospitalized on September 8 after she complained of fever and flu-like symptoms. She is receiving the treatment at the Annex ward bed number 601 of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Her PCR test came positive to COVID-19, said hospital information officer Ram Bikram Adhikari. The health condition of the President is improving as per the expectation. If the recovery follows the current trend, she will be perhaps discharged by tomorrow. A medical squad led by Dr Niraj Bam is involved in her treatment.