Tehreek-e-Taliban ends ceasefire, announces attacks across Pakistan: Report

Taliban flogs 12 in Afghanistan football stadium for 'moral crimes': Report Since Friday the military has been patrolling the area in an attempt to root out militants, with helicopter gunships shelling their hideouts. Faltering peace - The TTP was founded in 2007 by Pakistani jihadists who fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan in the 1990s before opposing Islamabad's support for American intervention there after 9/11.

China erodes Hong Kong’s judicial independence: US Secretary of State

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has criticised China for undermining the independence of Hong Kong's courts. The State Department has published a report condemning Beijing's crackdown on dissent in the financial centre. Blinken's comments underline criticism that the legal system, which has helped make the city a hub for multinational firms, has been damaged by efforts to quash the democracy movement of 2019. A Hong Kong government spokesman has rejected the report, saying the city's judges are "independent and impartial" and "free from any interference".

US government to appeal Obamacare ruling over insurance coverage

The US Justice Department is appealing a Texas judge's decision that blocked United States President Joe Biden's 100-day moratorium on most deportations of illegal immigrants. The judge granted a preliminary injunction on the policy last week, saying the Biden administration had failed to provide "a rational explanation" for the moratorium. The appeal will be heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Andrew Tate released from Romania jail, to be put under house arrest

Andrew Tate, the internet personality who has spent months in a Romanian jail on suspicion of organised crime and human trafficking, has won an appeal to replace his detention with house arrest, an official said Friday. Tate was initially detained in late December in Romania’s capital Bucharest, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women. All four won an appeal Friday, and will remain under house arrest until Apr. 29, Bolla said. None of the four have yet been formally indicted.

IMF approves $15.6 billion loan for Ukraine

The International Monetary Fund has approved a four-year $15.6bn financing package for Ukraine as part of a $115bn total international support package. The decision is expected to mobilise large-scale concessional financing from Ukraine's international donors and partners to help resolve the country's balance of payments problem, attain medium-term external viability, and restore debt sustainability. The new Extended Fund Facility will allow the immediate disbursement of around $2.7bn to the country.

North Korea executed pregnant woman for pointing at founder's portrait: Report

North Korea committed horrific human rights violations including the execution of a six-month pregnant woman who pointed at the portrait of Kim Il-sung, the country's founder. The report was released by South Korea's Unification Ministry which handles inter-Korean affairs. The 450-page report includes testimony collected from 2017 to 2022 from more than 500 North Koreans who fled their country. The report detailed the violent actions of the North Korean regime saying that the pregnant woman was killed after a video showed her pointing at a portrait of the late Kim Il-sung while she was dancing in her home.

11 women, children killed during stampede at Ramadan food distribution centre in Pakistan. Video

At least 11 people, including eight women and three children, have died in a stampede at a food distribution center during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan. Videos of the incident shared on social media showed a large number of people gathered near a waterlogged pathway. The incident comes a day after authorities ordered additional police deployment at Ramadan food distribution centers to avoid overcrowding. The factory owner who organised the food distribution center had not alerted the police about the plan, said a police official.

Two trains derail in seperate incidents in Switzerland; several injured

Two separate train derailments have occurred in northwestern Switzerland, north of the capital Bern. In one incident, the rear carriages of a train derailed, while the other derailment took place around 40km away. Several people have been injured in both incidents. Emergency services are currently at the scene.

Ex-Indian students facing deportation from Canada over fake documents protest

Former international students from India are protesting their potential deportation from Canada. Roughly 50 of the affected students demonstrated in front of a Federal immigration office in downtown Toronto, holding banners reading "We are victims, not culprits" and calling for justice. The majority of those affected are from Punjab, and arrived in Canada between 2017 and 2019. They face an exclusion order from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which could result in a five-year ban on entering the country. Many of the affected students were represented by an agent from EMSA Education and Migration Services Australia.

Bodies of two Romanian, Indian families trying to enter US from Canada found

The bodies of six unidentified people, including an Indian family, have been found in a marsh near the St Lawrence River on the Canada-US border. Reports suggest that the two families may have tried to illegally enter the US from Canada. One of the victims was an infant with Canadian citizenship. In April 2018, six Indian nationals were rescued from the freezing St Regis River in the same area. Four members of another Indian family died in January 2018 due to exposure to extreme winter conditions in Manitoba, near the US border.

Senegal reports outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on farm: WOAH

Senegal has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a poultry farm in the northwestern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Friday. The outbreak occurred on March 18 on a farm located in the village of Potou near the town of Louga, not far from the Langue de Barbarie National Park where an H5N1 outbreak was diagnosed on March 12. The outbreak killed 500 birds in the 11,400-strong flock, with the remaining animals culled.

Trump to face New York indictment in arraignment on Tuesday

Former US President Donald Trump is set to appear in court for arraignment after being indicted in New York City over hush money paid during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence allegations of an extramarital sexual encounter. The indictment has been kept sealed until the arraignment, with Trump denying the allegations and denouncing the investigation as a ?scam?. As no ex-president has ever been charged with a crime before, it is unclear how Trump's arrest and arraignment will be handled. Trump was asked to surrender on Friday but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to make security preparations.

Prince Harry ‘stupid’: Royal author on relationship with Prince William

Prince Harry's relationship with his brother Prince William was "ended" when he published his memoir, according to royal author Alexander Larman. The book, titled "Spare", included several allegations against Prince William and recounted an incident in which Prince William threw Prince Harry to the floor during a fight. Larman said that after the publication of the book, there was no going back for the royal family and it was unlikely that Prince Harry would return to the UK.

Woman arrested for calling France's Macron ‘garbage’: ‘Making an example'

A French woman has been arrested for publicly insulting President Emmanuel Macron after she posted a picture of graffiti saying "Macron Garbage" on Facebook. The woman, an activist for social justice, said she was not public enemy number one and that the arrest was unfair. She will face a criminal trial for the offence, which is punishable by a fine of ?45,000 ($49,600) and up to three years in prison.

US lawmaker under fire over Chinese app TikTok's usage. Here's why

US Representative Ilhan Omar is facing an ethics complaint over her use of the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok for both political and official purposes, according to a complaint filed by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) with the Office of Congressional Ethics. The complaint cites Omar’s alleged violation of House rules, including her use of official government resources in various TikTok posts. Concerns have been raised over China’s potential access to data belonging to the app’s 100 million US users, which has led to the app being banned on government devices.

Queen Consort Camilla may skip this coronation tradition. Reason: Prince William

Queen Consort Camilla has decided against wearing some of the royal family's traditional accessories and attire, and is considering excluding the traditional ivory sceptre at her coronation to curry favour with Prince William, according to Private Eye. Prince William is known for his opposition to poaching and the ivory trade, and may object to the sceptre's use. Camilla is also said to have decided against wearing the Kohinoor diamond, opting instead for Queen Mary's headpiece.