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A long-planned visit by a US team to New Delhi for trade negotiations has likely been cancelled, according to an official. The delegation, led by Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, was due to arrive on 25 August for the sixth round of discussions on a proposed bilateral trade agreement. “No new date is decided yet,” said the official, The Economic Times reported.

Five rounds of talks have been completed so far. The sixth was expected to be crucial, coming just as additional US tariffs were set to come into force.

The negotiations were scheduled from August 25-29. "This visit is likely to be rescheduled," the official, who did not wish to be named, said, according to Economic Times.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the construction of the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel has neared completion. 

The PM took to social media today to share information about this with the public. 

He said that the project reports 93 percent physical progress, hoping that it would come into operation soon, causing a great convenience to the public movement. 

Earlier, the Council of Ministers on August 11 determined the charges for vehicles to pass through the 2.688 kilometers long infrastructure once it comes into operation. 

The charge is Rs 65 for a car and van while coming to Kathmandu and Rs 60 as an exit fees, it is Rs 115 and Rs 80, respectively, for minibus and truck, Rs 260 and Rs 200 for bus and truck, respectively, and Rs 600 and Rs 200 respectively for heavy vehicles.  

Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri arrived in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit to Nepal on Sunday.

Secretary Misri, who is here at the cordial invitation of Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, will hold discussions with his Nepali counterpart on various aspects of the Nepal-India partnership, with a focus on connectivity, development cooperation and other matters of mutual interest, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Indian Foreign Secretary is also scheduled to call on high-level dignitaries of Nepal. 

He is scheduled to leave Kathmandu tomorrow.

Donald Trump has said he would prefer a permanent peace agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war over a temporary ceasefire, BBC reported.

Writing on Truth Social after leaving a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska without reaching any deal, the US president said that ceasefires "often times do not hold up".

Trump had earlier said that "great progress" was made during the meeting but "we didn't get there" when it came to a deal.

On his flight back to Washington, he held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who later said he would travel to Washington DC on Monday, according to BBC.