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Canada will soon respond to new tariffs on imported vehicles announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and could impose retaliatory measures against the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Carney said Trump's move was "a direct attack" and told reporters he would be convening a high-level cabinet meeting on Thursday to decide on a response.

"We will defend our workers, we will defend our companies, we will defend our country, and we will defend it together," he said in Kitchener, Ontario.

The tariffs look set to damage the highly integrated North American auto industry.

Canada has already announced a package of retaliatory tariffs totaling C$155 billion that it said would be imposed in stages depending on what Trump did, according to Reuters.

The White House reacted furiously on Wednesday after The Atlantic magazine published messages between national security officials in a Signal group chat in their entirety, BBC reported.

President Donald Trump called the reporting "all a witch hunt" and declared the publication a "failed magazine".

Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist who was inadvertently included in the chat among senior cabinet leaders, shared texts in which US defence secretary Pete Hegseth provided sensitive information such as detailed timetables and unit information ahead of a US strike in Yemen, according to BBC.

Goldberg said he decided to publish the information after the Trump administration accused him of lying that classified information was shared.

US President Donald Trump has announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts coming into the US in a move that threatens to widen the global trade war, BBC reported.

Trump said the latest tariffs would come into effect on 2 April, with charges on businesses importing vehicles starting the next day. Charges on parts are set to start in May or later.

The president claimed the measure would lead to "tremendous growth" for the car industry, promising it would spur jobs and investment in the US.

But analysts have said the move is likely to lead to the temporary shutdown of significant car production in the US, increase prices, and strain relations with allies, according to BBC.

There is now a partial influence of westerly winds and local winds in country's weather 

The weather, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, will be partly cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki provinces and fair in the rest of the provinces. 

In the afternoon, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly region while the rest of the country will see partly cloudy to fair weather. 

Light rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki provinces. Also, there are chances of light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi and Gandaki provinces. 

Similarly, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali provinces tonight. Light snowfall is likely to occur at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali provinces. 

In the next 24 hours, light rain accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki provinces. 

In view of possible light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali provinces, the Division has cautioned about partial impact on daily life, agriculture, health, road and aviation sector. 

The country's economic growth rate has been estimated to stand at 5.1 percent in the second quarter of the current fiscal year 2081/82 BS (2024/25 AD).  

Making public the forecasts of preliminary gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter on Wednesday, the National Statistical Office said that there has been a slight growth in GDP despite improvement in some sectors, including transportation. 

However, the growth rate has not reflected adjustment of weather impacts.  

The office informed that the GDP growth rate after adjusting weather impact in the second quarter was 2.2 percent. 

"Improvement in transportation, construction sector, agriculture, electricity generation and distribution along with increase in total value addition of financial intermediation are the main factors contributing to the positive economic growth in the second quarter", the office said. 

"The growth rate is expected to remain modest, especially due to sluggish progress in education, housing, food and other service sectors during the reporting period", the forecast stated. 

Based on weather impact adjusted data, negative growth is projected in two out of 18 industrial areas. The electricity and gas sector witnessed a negative growth of 4.8 per cent and housing and food sectors saw a negative growth of 2.7 per cent. 

According to the data, transportation and storage activities have the highest growth rate of 14.2 per cent, while mining and quarrying sector is the second highest growing industrial sector with 9.5 per cent growth rate.

Similarly, with the rise in import of construction materials and domestic production, the total value added growth rate of the construction sector is estimated to be 9.1 percent. 

The growth rate of the financial and insurance sector is estimated to be 6.6 percent due to the growth rate of manufacturing industries at 7.4 percent and the increase in deposits and loans. 

According to the preliminary estimate, the growth rate of the trade sector is 6.1 percent and the information and technology sector is 4.9 percent. 

The agriculture sector, which contributes the most to the country's economy, has grown at 3.2 percent. 

"The increase in the production of rice, vegetables, ginger, winter fruits and livestock products has had a positive impact on the total value addition in the sector", it is said. 

An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale jolted Humla district and vicinity at 7:44 pm today. 

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, Lainchaur, the epicenter of the earthquake was at Kalika in the district.

Earlier this evening, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurred around Tingri county of China at 6: 27 pm today. 

At least people died and 15 others were injured in a bus accident at Bhuwanpata of Shitaganga Municipality-2 in Arghakhanchi district this evening. 

Police Inspector of District Police Office, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, said three people died on the spot after a bus (Lu 2 Kha 303) met with an accident.   

Police said that seven injured ones have been sent to Lubmini Provincial Hospital and eight others at a primary health care center. 

Police Inspector Paudel shared that the rescue operation is ongoing.

Details of the road mishap are awaited. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that no one has the power to usurp the rights achieved through the struggles of Nepali people.

Addressing the National Volunteers Gathering organized by the National Youth Federation Nepal here today, PM and CPN-UML Chair Oli said that if the people have not assessed the strength with the Youth Federation, it should demonstrate its capability for the country and the people even by taking on the regressive forces if need be. 

"No one has the power to take away the rights we fought for. The youths can tell this better. If anyone tries to trouble the country, the Youth Federation will pounce like a tiger," he said, adding that this activity of volunteerism is a good beginning. The PM urged the Federation to mobilize this power in an organized and dignified manner like the previous Youth Force.

"Let it be an unarmed permanent team; if any regressive force comes to fight head on or if the anti-development force obstructs our work, then let us strongly resist that,” he exhorted the youth volunteers on the occasion.

Prime Minister Oli said that some people are making a hue and cry when the government removed an employee and clarified that the Prime Minister need not give an explanation about it. 

"The Prime Minister has already replied. An employee was removed and another was appointed in his place. It's over. This is the reply. It is not our job to appoint whoever they want and who is of service to them," the PM said.

Prime Minister Oli expressed concern over the opposition parties obstructing the House to stop the passage of the bill to replace the ordinances by March 31.

UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, Chief of People's Organization Coordination Mechanism Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Politburo member Mahesh Basnet, Federation Chair Kshitij Thebe, among others, expressed their views on the need for the National Volunteer Campaign.