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The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumers' Protection has been active in market monitoring in view of rising complaints related to food and beverages. 

The complaints of black marketing of goods are on rise in the wake of intensified election preparation.

In this connection, the Department inspected JS General Store at Kuleshwor, Kathmandu and fined Rs 10,000 for its failure to maintain standard. The Store was taken action as per Consumer Protection Act, 2075. 

Twenty other firms were inspected by the monitoring agency on a day alone. Nine of those were directed to improve their services and respect consumers' rights.

The monitoring was conducted also in presence of local level representatives, consumer rights defenders and other stakeholders, the Department said.

Nepal is witnessing the general impact of the lower pressure system. 

Currently, it is raining lightly in some hilly and mountainous regions of Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces. There is also a light snowfall in these places. 

It is generally cloudy in hilly and mountainous regions of the country, while the rest of the places are clear, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. 

However, some places are predicted to have foggy weather in the Tarai region this morning. It will be generally cloudy in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali Provinces, and the mountainous region of other provinces. 

Some places in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces are predicted to have light rainfall and snowfall with thunder in the hilly and mountainous belts, while similar weather is forecasted in few places of Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces later today, the weather service stated. 

All Nepal-India border points in Kanchanpur district will be sealed for the purpose of House of Representatives elections. 

Assistant Chief District Officer in Kanchanpur, Mohan Chandra Joshi, informed that Nepal's border points with India would be closed from midnight of March 2 to midnight of March 5 in a bid to ensure free and fair elections on March 5.

Operation of all vehicles except essential services like ambulance, fire engines, medical supply, electricity and hearse would be banned from movement a day earlier, March 4. 

The vehicles of diplomatic missions and those bearing permission would, however, be allowed running. 

Eight days are left to go for voting in the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled on March 5. 

The Election Commission has reminded everyone not to bar any political party or candidate from election campaigning. If they are barred from election publicity, those involved in it would face a fine of Rs 200, 000.

None is allowed to bar the political party or candidate from campaigning, and the citizens from voting, the EC said, adding that if anyone is found involved in such an act, it would be actionable as per federal law. In case of barring candidates from publicity, those behind it would be fined Rs 200, 000 or three years' jail term, or both of these. 

The EC has been conducting a monitoring of the election publicity of political parties and candidates via various mediums. It also received complaints that some political parties and candidates were barred by other parties from making publicity. Various media had reported such violations, to which the EC was concerned seriously.

The election code of conduct is already in place where the candidates, political parties, and their sister organizations are made aware of the activities they can carry out during the elections. The election programs, rallies, gathering and meetings must not be disrupted as per the code of conduct. 

Deprivation of voting rights is punishable, the EC reiterated. 

Iran is close to a deal with China to purchase anti‑ship cruise missiles, according to six people with knowledge of the negotiations, just as the United States deploys a vast naval force near the Iranian coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported. 

The deal for the Chinese‑made CM‑302 missiles is near completion, though no delivery date has been set, the people say. The supersonic missiles have a range of about 290 kilometers (180 miles) and are designed to evade shipborne defenses by flying low and fast.

Their deployment would significantly enhance Iran’s strike capabilities and pose a threat to US naval forces in the region, two weapons experts said, according to Reuters. 

Germany's chancellor has touched down in China as German businesses sound the alarm about a yawning trade imbalance, BBC reported. 

Imports into Germany from China were more than double the value of those exported back last year – according to federal statistics.

"We want a partnership with China that is balanced, reliable, regulated and fair," said Friedrich Merz, before leaving for Beijing, according to BBC. 

Four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, people across Ukraine have remembered their dead from a war which shows no sign of ending, BBC reported. 

As the conflict enters a fifth year, the Ukrainian military continues to resist being overrun by Russian forces, but military losses are mounting on both sides and Ukraine's population faces near-daily aerial attacks.

On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky said "Ukraine never chose this war", adding: "We have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood."

Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, its defence minister said, as regional tensions simmer, BBC reported. 

It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni island since it was announced in 2022.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" with it. Yonaguni is visible from Taiwan's shores on a clear day, located just 110km (68 miles) away, according to BBC.