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Leapfrog Technology Inc recently hosted the fourth edition of its flagship design event, Design Disco, at Supper Club in Thamel, Kathmandu. The event, powered by AWS, drew over 150 attendees and featured speakers including Abhash Bikram Thapa, Director of Design at Leapfrog Technology Inc.; Jayasri Nagrale, Senior Product Designer at Microsoft; Deepshikha Yadav, Founder of World We Desire; and Bidhan Rajbhandari, Governor at Ad Club of Nepal.

This year’s theme, “The Digital Me,” focused on personalization, context-aware experiences, spatial design, and invisible interfaces, highlighting how technology is shaping user interactions. Discussions emphasized creating the Agentic Experience, where AI acts as an extension of the user, and explored ways designers can undertake complex projects without extensive coding knowledge.

Abhash Bikram Thapa, keynote speaker and event lead, said, “Design has evolved beyond screens to include experiential engagement, particularly with AI. We are pleased with this year’s attendance and the collaborative environment the event fostered.”

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using the National Guard for crime-fighting in Los Angeles. The ruling halts the deployment of 4,000 National Guard members and 700 active-duty Marines, citing legal limits on using federal troops for domestic law enforcement. The injunction is set to remain until September 12, allowing time for possible appeals, according to Reuters.

California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, argued the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act, while the administration defended it as necessary to protect federal personnel and property. The decision highlights ongoing tensions between federal authority and state sovereignty over domestic military use.

Burkina Faso’s transitional government has passed a law making homosexuality illegal, punishable by two to five years in prison and fines. Foreign nationals convicted could also face deportation, according to Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala.

The law, approved unanimously by the 71-member government in power since a 2022 military coup, is part of wider reforms to family and citizenship rules and is expected to take immediate effect. Rights groups warn it could violate human rights and restrict legal protections. Burkina Faso joins several African countries, including Mali, Uganda, and Ghana, in penalizing same-sex relations, Al Jazeera reported.

Indonesian police fired tear gas near Bandung’s Islamic University (UNISBA) and Pasundan University on Tuesday as protests over government spending and workers’ rights intensified. Students were reportedly injured, and campuses served as temporary medical hubs for demonstrators, according to Reuters.

The unrest, sparked by increased legislative perks and the death of a motorcycle taxi driver hit by a police vehicle, has spread across 32 provinces, leaving at least eight dead. Human rights groups and the UN have criticized security forces’ heavy-handed response, while the arrest of a legal aid director has fueled further controversy.

President Prabowo Subianto engaged with labor unions demanding wage reforms but warned against violence. The protests highlight growing public frustration and a test of his administration’s handling of dissent, Reuters reported.

The death toll from Sunday night’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has climbed to 1,411, officials confirmed. The 6.0-magnitude quake also left more than 3,000 people injured, with Kunar province among the hardest hit, Al Jazeera reported.

Rescue teams are racing to find survivors, but access to remote mountain villages remains difficult as roads and communications are cut off. Aid workers warn that many victims are still trapped under rubble.

Afghanistan lies in a quake-prone region, with frequent tremors in the Hindu Kush Mountains where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reaffirmed that the Federal Reserve must remain independent, even as he admitted it has made “a lot of mistakes.”

Speaking near Washington, he defended President Trump’s dismissal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook, who faces mortgage fraud allegations, insisting the move was not an attempt to take control of the central bank. Bessent said the Fed’s structure prevents any administration from “stacking the board,” adding that markets remain stable with stocks at record highs, according to Reuters.

He argued Cook should resign if the accusations are proven and urged the Senate to quickly confirm Stephen Miran as interim head of the Council of Economic Advisers following Adriana Kugler’s resignation.

Russia has agreed to boost gas supplies to China, strengthening their energy partnership as Moscow pivots away from Europe, Reuters reported.

Gazprom will raise annual deliveries through the Power of Siberia pipeline from 38 to 44bn cubic meters. In a parallel move, Russia, China, and Mongolia signed a binding pact to build the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which could add another 50 bcm of gas each year.

According to Reuters, the deal highlights deepening Moscow-Beijing cooperation under Western sanctions and Europe’s reduced reliance on Russian gas.

President Donald Trump announced he will award former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a “great patriot” and “the greatest Mayor in New York City’s history”, Al Jazeera reported.

Giuliani, 81, is widely known for his leadership during the September 11 attacks and later as Trump’s personal lawyer, where he sought to overturn the 2020 election results with false claims of voter fraud. These actions led to his disbarment and a $148m defamation judgment in Georgia.

Recently, Giuliani was hospitalized in New Hampshire after a car accident, suffering a fractured vertebra and multiple injuries, though he is expected to be discharged soon.