When just a slice of Prince Charles, Diana’s wedding cake sold for over $2000

A royal fan bought a slice of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding cake for 1,850 pounds ($2,565) at auction last year, more than 40 years after the couple tied the knot in 1981. Read more: £1 billion estate passes to Prince William with Duke of Cornwall title: Report The cake which was given to a royal staffer, Moya Smith, was preserved by her and dated July 29,1981.

Trump indicted over porn star hush money, a first for a US ex-president

Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury following an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. He is the first former US president to face criminal charges. The charges, led by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, have not been announced, but could reshape the 2024 presidential race. Trump previously said he would continue campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination if charged with a crime. Bragg's office and a lawyer representing Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

US court sanctions Google in data privacy case: 'Alphabet took too long to…'

A US judge has sanctioned Google after a class action alleged the firm unlawfully tracked users in private browsing mode on its Chrome browser. The ruling from US Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen in San Jose, California, followed a similar decision from US District Judge James Donato in California. Donato said Google failed to preserve employees' "chat" records as evidence in antitrust litigation. Google is challenging the claims in both cases. In the data privacy case, Google has said its Chrome browser users consented to the company's data collection. 

Florida passes bill allowing people to carry concealed guns without permit

Florida's legislature has passed a bill allowing residents to carry concealed guns without a permit. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has said the issue is one of his priorities, is expected to sign it into law. The legislation, divided along partisan lines, has been criticised by Democrats, who say the state will become more dangerous. The bill will mean training and background checks are not required for people to carry concealed guns in public. However, background checks and a three-day waiting period will still be required to buy a gun from a licensed dealer.

At least 6 Russian missiles hit Ukraine's Kharkiv: Regional governor

Six Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv late on Thursday night, according to regional governor Oleh Sinegubov.

China slams US debt trap accusation as 'irresponsible'

China has criticised US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for "irresponsible" and "unreasonable" comments about its lending activities. Yellen had expressed concern that China's global lending was leaving developing countries "trapped in debt". China has lent hundreds of billions of dollars to build infrastructure in developing countries, but lending has tailed off since 2016 as many projects have failed to pay expected financial dividends. China says it has followed international rules and carried out investment and financing cooperation with developing countries with openness and transparency.

International Court of Justice rejects Iran's bid to free assets frozen by US authorities

The International Court of Justice has rejected Iran's legal claim to access $2bn held in frozen assets by the US Central Bank, as compensation for victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran. The bank had argued that the asset freeze was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, which the US terminated in 2018 in response to an order by the International Court of Justice to lift sanctions against Iran. The court did, however, find that some US moves to seize Iranian assets breached the treaty and said they should negotiate compensation.

Biden urges US regulators to restore strict rules on midsize banks

President Joe Biden has urged US banking regulators to reintroduce tougher rules on midsized banks to prevent future failures such as that of Silicon Valley Bank. Biden criticised his predecessor Donald Trump for easing regulations for banks with $100bn to $250bn in assets. The president called on regulators at the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to reinstate rules, a move that would not require congressional support.

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes offshore central Chile town

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Maule, Chile, at a depth of 15 km, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

US must offer full support to India in case of conflict with China: Report

A report by the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) has called for the US to support India more assertively in its ongoing border dispute with China. The report calls on the US to offer India sophisticated military technology, strengthen its military and naval capacity, and be prepared to offer full support in the event of another border crisis. The report also recommends that the US should elevate India’s territorial dispute with China to the same level as China’s assertiveness against other allies and partners, and speak up against China’s “efforts at land-grabbing” in all multilateral platforms including the United Nations.

Prince William on Harry, Meghan's Africa trip: 'She's your fourth girl…'

Prince William was unimpressed when Prince Harry told him that he and Meghan Markle went to Africa, according to royal author Tina Brown. Brown claimed that William's response to Harry was, "This is the fourth girl you've taken to Botswana." Despite William's concerns, Harry and Markle became engaged in 2017 and married in 2018. In a Netflix docuseries, Harry and Markle talked about their first trip together to Botswana.

Schengen visa procedure to be digitised: What would change?

The European Union (EU) member states' ambassadors have agreed to a proposal to digitalise the Schengen visa process. The changes will allow applicants to apply for visas online, replacing the current visa sticker with a digital version. The move is expected to improve visa application efficiency in the Schengen area, while also reducing the risk of falsification and theft of the visa sticker. All applications will be made through a new visa application platform, with in-person appearances at consulates only required for first-time applicants or those with invalid biometric data.

Pakistan court strikes down colonial-era ‘sedition’ law: Report

Pakistan's Lahore High Court has struck down a colonial-era sedition law that criminalised criticism of the federal and provincial governments, stating it was inconsistent with the country's constitution. Justice Shahid Karim annulled Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, dealing with sedition, after hearing several identical petitions seeking to annul the law. The sedition law was used to suppress dissent and free speech and has seen various politicians, journalists and activists booked under it over recent years. 

Who is Evan Gershkovich, Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia?

Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, has been arrested in Russia on espionage charges. A fluent Russian speaker who was born to Soviet emigres and raised in New Jersey, Gershkovich has reported on Russia for various outlets for six years. He moved to Moscow in late 2017 to join the English-language Moscow Times, before working for the Agence France-Presse. He was arrested this week by Russia's Federal Security Service while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains.

North Korea seeks ‘volunteers’ to join Russian army amid Ukraine war: Report

North Korea is planning to send 500,000 troops to support Russia's invasion in Ukraine, according to a report by The Eurasian Times. The report cited Russian state media journalist Aleksander Sladkov as saying that North Korea is supporting Russia in the conflict and is willing to send soldiers to participate. The journalist claimed that the country has issued a call for volunteers and that around 800,000 individuals have expressed their eagerness to participate. Both North Korea and Russia have denied allegations that Russia is procuring weapons and ammunition from North Korea.

Prince Harry says stories about his fondness for William, Kate ‘rubbish'

Prince Harry has slammed media stories about his reaction to his brother's wedding in 2011 as "absolute rubbish". In his memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex said that newspapers published "florid stories" about his appreciation of the depth of his brother Prince William's love for Kate Middleton and his subsequent decision to gift William the ring he had inherited from his mother, the sapphire. Harry's comments came as he and other high-profile figures took Associated Newspapers to court over alleged phone hacking.