Nepal hosts International Taekwondo Championship
The 4th Mt. Everest Int’l Championships 2026 WT G-1 was inaugurated on 16 Feb 2026 in Kathmandu. The opening ceremony was attended by South Korean Ambassador Park Tae-young, which praised the event as a symbol of international friendship. He emphasized Taekwondo’s role in building discipline and respect while strengthening the bilateral cultural ties between Korea and Nepal.
The event will feature participation from 23 countries with a total of 1,200 players (Sr. player Poomsae 100 athletes, Kyorugi 247 athletes, Jr. Kyorugi-653 athletes and Jr. Poomsae 200 athletes). Participating nations include India, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia, among others. The South Korean Embassy actively supported sports exchange programs to promote social development and lasting international partnerships.
Iran foreign minister meets IAEA chief ahead of nuclear talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Monday ahead of high-stakes talks with Washington in Geneva today, coinciding with Tehran’s military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
The negotiations aim to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program as tensions remain at a boiling point following a wave of US and Israeli air strikes on Iran in June, with few clear signs of compromise despite Washington joining Israel in the earlier aerial campaign.
Adding to the friction, the US has bolstered its presence in the region with warships and aircraft. In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard began a drill named “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” on Monday to test the readiness of naval units in the vital international waterway, according to Reuters.
Trump says he will be 'indirectly' involved in Iran nuclear talks
Donald Trump has said he will be "indirectly" involved in the talks between Iran and the United States which are due to begin in Geneva later on Tuesday, BBC reported.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the US president added that he believed Iran wanted to make a deal over its nuclear programme.
The second round of talks in Switzerland follows repeated military threats against Iran over the country's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests and the ongoing dispute over its nuclear programme, according to BBC.
Two held with 955 kg of marijuana
Two persons were arrested with 955 kg of marijuana from Bardanda of Dharan Sub-metropolis-20 on Monday.
The suspects have been identified as Sandip Kumar Majhi of Kolhabi Municipality-8, Bara district and Nagendra Raj Shrestha of Chandragiri Municipality-8.
Such a quantity of marijuana was recovered from two vehicles (Bagmati province-01-027 Cha 1143) and (BAC 3236) during the regular police check, DSP Bhishan Babu Rai said.
Police confiscated 495 kilograms of marijuana from the vehicle (Bagmati province 01-027 Cha 1143) Majhi was driving and 460 kilograms of marijuana from the vehicle (BAC 3236) Shrestha was driving. Both the vehicles were heading towards Bishnupaduka of Dharan from Dhankuta.
Further investigation into the case is underway, said police.
