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Indra Jatra, the biggest festival of Kathmandu Valley, is being observed by worshiping Indra, the God of rains, on Saturday.

In addition to Kathmandu, the festival is also observed in Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Dhulikhel and Dolakha districts.The annual traditional festival begins on the Bhadra Shukla Chaturdasi of Nepali month, Bhadra. It is an eight-day long festival.

The festival begins with the erection of a sacred wooden pole called Lingo with flags on its top at Hanuman Dhoka, the historic place of Nepal.The erected pole with the flag is called 'Indradhwojotthan'. On the bottom of the pole, Lord Bhairav is worshiped. The festival is taken as the celebration after conquering the enemies.

The wooden pole is brought by performing tantric acts from a jungle of Nala in Kavre district whereas the pole is made holy with various rituals at Bhotahiti, Kathmandu.When the pole is erected, different cultural dances including Bhakkunach, Mahakalinach, Lakhenach, Dasavatarnach and Pulukisinach are performed in the city.

During the festival, chariot processions and typical cultural songs and dances are performed.

Today, the Head of the State, the President, observes the chariot processions of Shree Kumari, Shree Ganesh and Shree Bhairav at historic Hanumandhoka. Kumari is worshiped as the Living Goddess by the President on the occasion, and prasad received.

It is believed that the Indrajatra festival began during the reign of King Pratap Malla.     

Indra, the God of rains and good harvest is worshipped today.

An Indiana lawyer named Mark S. Zuckerberg is suing Meta, claiming Facebook repeatedly suspended his account by wrongly accusing him of impersonating the platform’s founder, BBC reported.

The bankruptcy attorney, who has practiced law for nearly four decades, says his account has been disabled five times over the past eight years, costing him business and nearly $11,000 in lost advertising. He argues Meta breached its contract by removing ads he had already paid for.

Zuckerberg says he provided extensive proof of his identity, but Facebook continued to challenge his name’s authenticity. His account was restored only after he filed the lawsuit.

Meta admitted the account had been disabled in error, reinstated it, and said it was working to prevent similar mistakes. The lawyer has since launched a website documenting mix-ups caused by sharing a name with the tech billionaire, according to BBC.

Former US President Joe Biden has undergone surgery to remove skin cancer, his spokeswoman confirmed. The 82-year-old had Mohs surgery, a procedure that removes cancerous tissue layer by layer until no trace remains, BBC reported.

Biden, who was recently seen with a wound on the right side of his head, has a history of skin cancers. Last year, doctors removed a cancerous lesion from his chest, and in May he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He has also had several non-melanoma skin cancers treated in the past.

Since leaving office in January, Biden has kept a low public profile. He and his wife Jill have long championed cancer research, a cause deeply personal to them following the death of their son Beau from brain cancer in 2015, according to BBC.

Thailand’s parliament has elected business tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister, the country’s third leader in two years. His Bhumjaithai Party broke away from the Pheu Thai-led coalition and secured enough support to form a government, BBC reported.

Anutin’s rise marks a significant setback for the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics for over two decades but now faces declining influence after Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed by the Constitutional Court last week.

Known for his pragmatic style and deal-making, Anutin takes office at a time of deep political division, with Thailand still unsettled by years of court interventions, party dissolutions, and military coups. His leadership will be closely watched as the country seeks stability after another abrupt change in power, according to BBC.

Trade tensions between US and India have spilled into the consumer market, with toothpaste brands at the center of the latest battle, Reuters reported.

Indian company Dabur launched an ad urging people to pick local toothpaste over foreign ones. The campaign, echoing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent “Swadeshi” call, hinted at Colgate without naming it, using red, white, and blue designs resembling the American flag.

Colgate dominates India’s toothpaste market with 43 percent share, while Dabur holds about 17 percent. The campaign highlights growing pressure on US firms as nationalism influences buying choices.

According to Reuters, other companies are also tapping into patriotic sentiment. Amul has pushed “Made in India” messages online, while Rediff promoted itself as the nation’s own email service.

President Donald Trump plans to reinterpret the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) so that heavy attack drones like the MQ-9 Reaper are treated as aircraft rather than missile systems, Reuters reported.

The change would relax decades-old restrictions and allow US companies, including General Atomics and Anduril, to expand drone sales abroad. Saudi Arabia is expected to buy more than 100 MQ-9s under a $142bn arms package, with other interested buyers in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Pacific, and potentially Ukraine.

Supporters argue the move will strengthen US competitiveness against rivals such as Israel, China, and Turkey, while boosting jobs at home. Critics warn that loosening export limits could fuel regional conflicts and undermine arms-control efforts.

According to Reuters, the reinterpretation comes as part of Trump’s broader push to speed up foreign military sales and expand the US defense industry’s global reach.

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced tough questioning from senators over his vaccine policies, including the dismissal of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the cancellation of $500m in COVID vaccine contracts. Critics say these moves have limited public access to vaccines and undermined scientific standards, according to Reuters.

Kennedy defended his actions, claiming the CDC misled the public during the pandemic. Since Monarez’s removal, four CDC officials have resigned, citing concerns over misinformation and anti-vaccine policies. Over 1,000 health professionals and several senators have called for Kennedy’s resignation amid falling vaccination rates.

President Trump voiced support for Kennedy while noting their policy differences, highlighting the ongoing debate over the government’s public health direction, Reuters reported.

Finland has joined an international declaration supporting a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The initiative, launched at a July UN conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, aims to establish “tangible, timebound, and irreversible” steps toward two sovereign states, prioritizing an end to the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza, according to Reuters.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called it the most significant global effort in recent years for peace. While Finland supports the initiative, it has not formally recognized Palestine, reflecting divisions within its government.