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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized US for revoking visas for Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, barring them from the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. He said the move undermines the UN’s mission and primarily benefits Israel, urging the US to stop Israeli actions in Gaza, which Turkey has called “genocide.”

According to Reuters, US defended its decision, citing Palestinian leaders’ failure to denounce extremism and unilateral state recognition efforts. Turkey, a NATO member, has also halted trade with Israel and called for international sanctions amid rising global scrutiny of the Gaza conflict.

Shikha Academy of Kohalpur, Banke, has won the Lumbini Province-level U-15 Swimming Championship organized by Lumbini World School in Rupandehi on Sunday. According to coach Chandu Ram Chaudhary, Shikha Academy secured first place with 139 points. Fifteen swimmers from the school won a total of eight gold, 22 silver, and 15 bronze medals. It is the only school in the district with its own swimming pool providing regular training to students.

Adarsha School of Nepalgunj finished second with 45 points, supported by standout performances from Sanskar Nyaupane, who won six gold medals, and Samriddhi Nyaupane, who won three. Samriddhi was named the best female swimmer of the tournament.

The host Lumbini World School secured third place with 36 points, earning three gold, three silver, and six bronze medals in its first participation in a swimming event.

Sushant Bohora of Springdale Academy, Nepalgunj, emerged as the best male swimmer after winning seven gold medals. Springdale Academy has played a key role in promoting swimming in schools across the province and has produced many swimmers who represented Lumbini Province in national competitions.

The competition, held at Dreamland Gold Resort in Tilottama-5, Rupandehi, was supported by the Lumbini Province Swimming Association and the Provincial Sports Council. A total of 95 swimmers from 15 schools across Banke, Bardiya, Dang, and Rupandehi competed in 34 events ranging from 25 meters to 100 meters freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. Winners and participants were awarded shields, medals, certificates, and cash prizes.

The shooting of the Nepali film Kumari has officially begun. The inaugural ceremony was held on Tuesday morning at Banglamukhi Temple in Lalitpur, attended by the main cast, director, and production team.

Directed by Dinesh Raut, the filming started in the Patan area of Lalitpur, with the aim of completing it within 35 days. Abhishek Khadka and Aakriti Rajbhandari play the lead roles, alongside Ghanashyam Joshi, Sunita Shrestha, Akanksha Karki, Madhu Khadka, Sanam Shrestha, Saku Shah, Saroj Lamichhane, Manisha Sharma, and Bhupi Luhar.

The film is being produced by Mahendra Adhikari under the banner of Binish Entertainment, in collaboration with Picture Frame, with the script written by Bikash Subedi. Earlier, the film had been announced through a poster and cast reveal program featuring a live performance by singer Kehar Singh Limbu and his band Kehar and The Lunga. Limbu also makes his playback singing debut with the film’s song Kata Chhau, which has already gained attention.

The music is composed by Kehar Singh Limbu, Suman Tamang, and Prashant Sibakoti, with lyrics by Sagar Lamichhane Magar, Suman Tamang, and Yuvaraj Kafle.

Director Raut, known for romantic films such as I Am Sorry, November Rain, and Classic, as well as socially themed projects like Parva, Mahabhhoj, Prasad, Prakash, and Pujar Sarki, returns to the romance genre with Kumari.

The film’s cinematography is led by Susan Prajapati, with Kedar Bhusal as executive producer, Ashika Sharma as production designer, and Dinesh Bahadur Rawat as chief assistant director. Riya Adhikari has written an on-screen poem for the film. Other contributors include Royal Bhimsen (Trident Concept) for poster and publicity design, Supreme Parajuli for color grading, Uttam Neupane for sound design, and Kiran Thapa for choreography.

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.