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Smoke from Canadian wildfires is drifting south and making it difficult for Americans to enjoy summer, six members of Congress have said in a letter to Canada's embassy, BBC reported.

"We write to you today on behalf of our constituents who have had to deal with suffocating Canadian wildfire smoke filling the air to begin the summer," they wrote to Ambassador Kirsten Hillman.

It was signed by Tom Tiffany and Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin and Michelle Fischbach, Brad Finstad, Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer of Minnesota. The Canadian embassy told the BBC that Canada takes wildfire prevention "very seriously". 

Two Canadians have died in this year's wildfires and tens of thousands of others have evacuated, according to BBC.

Ukraine's capital Kyiv is again under a massive overnight Russian drone attack, local officials say, with at least 10 people reported injured and fires burning across the city, BBC reported.

Authorities in Kyiv say drone wreckage has hit the roof of a residential building in the central Shevchenkivskyi district.

Footage on social media, as yet unverified by the BBC, shows explosions in the night sky, as air defence units begin repelling the attack. Ukraine's military has also warned of a threat of a ballistic missile attack.

Last night, Ukraine reported the biggest ever aerial attack from Russia, after 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles struck cities around the country in multiple waves, according to BBC.

The Trump administration is imposing sanctions on the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, an outspoken critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, BBC reported.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the move to her support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), some of whose judges have already been sanctioned by the US.

Rubio said the US was sanctioning Albanese for directly engaging with the ICC in its efforts to prosecute American or Israeli nationals, accusing her of being unfit for service as a UN Special Rapporteur. 

The sanctions are likely to prevent Albanese from travelling to the US and would block any assets she has in the country, according to BBC.

US President Donald Trump said he was planning to impose a 50% tax on goods made in Brazil, escalating his fight with the South American country, BBC reported.

He announced the plan in his latest tariff letter, which was shared on social media. 

In it, Trump accuses Brazil of "attacks" on US tech companies and of conducting a "witch hunt" against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution over his alleged role in a plot to overturn the 2022 election.

Responding in a social media post, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said an increase in tariffs on Brazil would be reciprocated, and he warned against any interference in the nation's judicial system, according to BBC.

French Ambassador to Nepal Virginie Corteval paid a courtesy call on Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav today.

During the meeting held at the Vice President’s Office, the two discussed the matters relating to Nepal-France relations, various dimensions of partnership, and potential areas for future cooperation.

Recalling the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1949, the Vice President stated, "Our relations are founded on mutual respect and cooperation."

Praising France for its adherence to the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the Vice President said that these principles had served as an inspiration for Nepal’s political struggles and transformations.

Acknowledging the support Nepal has received from France, particularly through the European Union (EU) in the area of infrastructure development, Vice President  Yadav expressed hope that people-to-people ties between the two countries would further strengthen in the days to come.

On the occasion of the upcoming National Day of France, the Vice President extended his best wishes to the French President and the citizens of France, wishing them peace, happiness, and prosperity.

In response, Ambassador Corteval said that France-Nepal relations are rooted in fraternal love, shared goals, and mutual understanding. “During my tenure, I will continue to work towards taking our bilateral friendship to new heights,” she said.

The Special Court has been granted the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification in recognition of the court’s ability in advancing accountability, sustainability, and administrative reform within the judiciary. 

According to Special Court Chairman Tek Narayan Kunwar, the Court is effortful to ensure an impartial justice delivery based on openness, transparency, professional training, technology and well-documented judicial procedures. 

The Court officially unveiled the ISO 9001:2015 certificate it obtained amidst a program at the Court itself today. 

On the occasion, Chairman Kunwar said that the Court has succeeded in achieving the certificate due to its continuous efforts in maintaining the highest level of integrity, accountability, and public trust in judicial and administrative procedures. 

"The Special Court is the first Court in the country to obtain ISO certification," he said, adding that the Court is required to re-justify its position in coming years.

Newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the Tribhuvan University Prof Dr Deepak Aryal took oath of office and secrecy before Prime Minister and TU Chancellor KP Sharma Oli today.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aryal took the oath of office and secrecy amidst a program organized at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology Raghuji Panta among others were present on the occasion. 

Chancellor Oli had appointed Dr Aryal to the post today. 

The Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE), a Kathmandu-based foreign policy think-tank on Wednesday organized a high-level seminar on “Terrorism in South Asia: Challenges to Regional Peace and Security” in Kathmandu. 

Sunil Bahadur Thapa, advisor to the President of Nepal and former Minister of Industry, said that that Groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which are UN-designated terrorist organizations, have historical ties to Al-Qaida and operate in Pakistan, posing risks to India and potentially using Nepal as a transit point.

Minendra Rijal, Former Defense Minister of Nepal, stressed that a terrorist attack on India will have spillover effects on Nepal. He called for global unity—similar to the solidarity seen after the September 11 attacks in the United States—to combat terrorism effectively.

Chanda Chaudhary, Member of Parliament and former Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, highlighted the importance of curbing money laundering as a means to prevent cross-border terrorism.

Dinesh Bhattarai, former Diplomat and Advisor to Former Prime of Nepal shared Pahalgam attack was the deadliest attack in recent years, because the victims were brutally killed after asked them to disclose their religion and shot in their head. 

NP Saud, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Irrigation, stated that Nepal and regional powers should develop a clear mechanism to control terrorism, warning that terrorism affects everyone indiscriminately. 

On the occasion, Sumitra Karki, Director of NIICE and Pramod Jaiswal, Research Director at NIICE spoke about the wide-range of issues related to terrorism.