Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats.
The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others, according to Reuters.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action.
Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, US officials say
President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday.
"Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do we're not even talking about going after the political leadership," said one of the sources, a senior U.S. administration official.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said top U.S. officials have been in constant communications with Israeli officials in the days since Israel launched a massive attack on Iran in a bid to halt its nuclear program, according to Reuters.
Iran rejects ceasefire negotiations while under Israeli attack, official says
Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday, as the two foes launched fresh attacks and raised fears of a wider conflict, Reuters reported .
"The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed its response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conflict.
Iran made "clear that it will not negotiate while under attack," the official said.
Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Friday morning that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will continue to escalate in coming days, according to Reuters.
Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation in what has emerged as the biggest ever confrontation between the longstanding enemies.
Israel-Iran battle escalates, will be high on agenda as world leaders meet
Israel and Iran kept up their attacks, killing and wounding civilians and raising concern among world leaders at a G7 meeting in Canada this week that the biggest battle between the two old enemies could lead to a broader regional conflict, Reuters reported.
The Iranian death toll in four days of Israeli strikes, carried out with the declared aim of wiping out Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, had reached at least 224, with 90% of the casualties reported to be civilians, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said.
Early on Monday, the Israeli military said it had detected more missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.
"At this time, the (Israeli Air Force) is operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat," the Israeli Defence Forces said. Live video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and Reuters witnesses said explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem, according to Reuters.
At least 10 people in Israel, including children, have been killed so far, according to authorities there.
MI6 appoints first female chief in 116-year history
MI6 will be led by a woman for the first time in the foreign intelligence service's 116-year history, BBC reported.
Blaise Metreweli, who joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, will become the 18th chief of the organisation and take over from Sir Richard Moore later this year.
She is currently responsible for technology and innovation at the service and said she was "proud and honoured" to have been asked to lead.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the appointment "historic" at a time "when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital," according to BBC.
MI6 is tasked with gathering intelligence overseas to improve the UK's security, with its core aims being to stop terrorism, disrupt the activities of hostile states and bolster cyber-security.
House meeting scheduled for today
The House of Representatives (HoR) is scheduled to meet at 11 am on Monday.
In the meeting to be held at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneswor, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel is scheduled to present two bills related to the budget.
According to the Federal Parliament Secretariat, the Finance Minister will present the 'Appropriation Bill, 2082' and the 'Bill to Raise National Debt, 2082'.
Similarly, Finance Minister Paudel will respond to the queries raised by the parliamentarians regarding the annual estimates of revenue and expenditure for the fiscal year 2082/83.
Additionally, a bill related to the 'Constitutional Council Functions, Duties, Powers and Procedures (First Amendment) Bill, 2079' will be tabled in today's meeting along with a message received from the National Assembly.
Weather to remain partly to generally cloudy today
There is currently the influence of monsoon winds in some parts of the Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces and in a few parts of the eastern region of the Lumbini Province.
Likewise, the western belt of the country is experiencing partial effects of western and local winds, the Meteorological Forecasting Division.
The weather across the country will be partly to generally cloudy this afternoon.
Light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in some places of Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Sudurpashchim Provinces, as well as in some other regions.
There is also a possibility of heavy rainfall in one or two places in Koshi, Madhes, and Bagmati Provinces.
In some places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki provinces and one or two places of other high hilly and mountainous regions, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall.
The weather across the country tonight will remain partly to generally cloudy, the weather bulletin of the forecasting division stated.
There is a likelihood of light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning in some areas of Koshi, Madhes, Gandaki, and Sudurpashchim Provinces, as well as in some other regions.
There is also a chance of heavy rainfall in one or two places in Koshi, Madhes, Gandaki, and Sudurpashchim Provinces.
According to the division, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall in some areas of the high hills and mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces.
Israel and Iran bombard each other; Trump says he can 'easily' end conflict
Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, killing scores and raising fears of a wider conflict, as U.S. President Donald Trump said it could be ended easily while warning Tehran not to strike any U.S. targets, Reuters reported.
Israeli rescue teams combed through rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13.
Sirens rang out across Israel after 4 p.m. on Sunday in the first such daylight alert, and fresh explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv.
In Iran, images from the capital showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against Iran's oil and gas sector - raising the stakes for the global economy and the functioning of the Iranian state, according to Reuters.