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Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has elected Edson Fachin as its next chief justice, succeeding Luis Roberto Barroso. Fachin won 10 of 11 votes in a symbolic ballot, while Alexandre de Moraes was chosen as his deputy with the same tally, in line with the tradition that justices do not vote for themselves, Xinhua reported.

Fachin, a court member since 2015, said he assumes the role with a “sense of mission” and a focus on dialogue. He will take office on Sept. 29 and also lead the National Council of Justice. Moraes, who has faced US sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, described his appointment as “an honor and a joy.”

India plans to allow private companies to mine, import, and process uranium, ending decades of state monopoly, Reuters reported. The move aims to attract investment and support the government’s goal to expand nuclear power capacity and its expansion twelvefold by 2047.

The government will still manage spent fuel reprocessing and plutonium waste. Private firms may also supply critical equipment for nuclear plants. Domestic uranium covers only about 25 percent of future demand, so imports and expanded processing are needed.

The policy, expected this fiscal year, requires changes to five laws, including mining, electricity, and foreign investment regulations. Experts call it a “major and bold” step, though legal and political challenges remain.

Several major Indian companies are already planning investments, according to Reuters.

Afghanistan’s interim government is preparing to celebrate Victory Day on August 15, marking its takeover of power in 2021 and the withdrawal of US-led troops from the country.

Main roads, including the route linking Kabul International Airport to the former US embassy, have been adorned with the administration’s white flags. Slogans such as “Afghans defeated the invaders” have been displayed on state buildings and traffic circles to commemorate the occasion, according to Xinhua.

The government has observed August 15 annually as Victory Day since the last US soldier left Afghanistan on August 31, 2021.

China has voiced support for Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their border dispute, offering assistance if both nations request it, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Yunnan, Wang urged the two countries to strengthen dialogue and rebuild mutual trust, according to Reuters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Reuters reported.

Zelenskiy, who attended a virtual meeting with Trump and European leaders on Wednesday, urged against concessions to Moscow and warned that Putin is “bluffing” about ending the war. Trump responded by threatening “severe consequences,” including possible sanctions, if Putin rejects peace terms.

Trump said the Alaska meeting aims to “set the table” for a follow-up involving both Zelenskiy and Putin. Britain, France and Germany — co-chairs of the “Coalition of the Willing” — outlined their ceasefire position after Wednesday’s talks, according to Reuters.

Paddy transplantation is gaining momentum in Madhes Province after monsoon rains finally arrived. 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, transplantation has been completed in 77 percent of paddy fields in eight districts of the province. Ministry officials say total plantation could reach 80 percent this year. They fear paddy productivity in the province will come down this year due to delayed planting.

Out of 372,645 hectares of paddy fields in the province, transplantation had been done in 285,335 hectares by August 10. The government declared eight districts of Madhes Province as disaster-hit area on July 23, as a long spell of drought created a shortage of drinking water and affected paddy production in the province. The government announced immediate relief for farmers under its Underground Irrigation Support Program. Around 22,000 farmers have applied for assistance, according to the ministry. 

Paddy transplantation has been completed in most of the paddy fields in other provinces. According to the ministry, overall progress in paddy transplantation stands at 91 percent. Out of 1,378,966 hectares of paddy fields across the country, plantation has been completed in 1,254,886 hectares as at August 10. The progress in paddy transplantation had reached 98.19 percent in the same period last year.  

Sudurpashchim leads with paddy transplanted in 99.72 percent of 176,000 hectares of paddy fields in the province. Karnali, which has 41,042 hectares of paddy fields, was next with 98.4 percent progress in paddy transplantation followed by Lumbini with 98 percent of 302,939 hectares planted, while Gandaki has completed transplanting in 92.77 percent of its 94,182 hectares. Similarly, progress in Bagmati stands at 93.57 percent with 112,173 hectares out of 120,545) planted. Koshi, another key paddy-producing region of the country, has completed transplantation in 94.42 percent of its paddy fields.

Paddy is Nepal’s most important food crop. In the last fiscal year, the country achieved a record harvest of 5.95m tons, up 4.04 percent from the previous year. The total value of this output was estimated at around Rs 213.3bn. Paddy accounts for roughly 20 percent of the agricultural GDP and about seven percent of the overall national GDP. Any disruption in its production impacts not only food security but also the broader economy.

The post of medical officer in the District Prison Parsa has remained vacant for several years. The district prison has one post for the doctor but a Health Assistant is providing the health care services at present.

The issue of the doctor's post remaining vacant for years came to the public notice only after an inmate, Rahul Sah Turaha, died on Tuesday while receiving treatment in Narayani Hospital.

The stakeholders have raised the issue of deployment of a doctor in the prison for regular health checkups of the jailbirds.

Chief of District Prison, Khimraj Bhusal, said that the Department of Prison Management has been asking for the deployment of a doctor. 

Currently, more than 1,300 jailbirds including foreign nationals are being housed in the Parsa Prison.

Russia has restricted voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, citing security concerns and the platforms’ refusal to share user data with law enforcement. The ban, announced by media regulator Roskomnadzor, affects over 185m combined users in the country. Authorities claim the services are widely used for fraud, extortion, and recruiting citizens for sabotage or terrorism, and say access will be restored once they comply with Russian laws, according to Al Jazeera.

While the restrictions officially target voice calls, users report video calls are also disrupted. The move is part of Moscow’s broader push to tighten internet control since the Ukraine war began, including plans to replace foreign messaging apps with a domestic service called Max. WhatsApp says it resists government efforts to undermine secure communication, while Telegram insists it actively removes harmful content.