Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky blames Russia for Sri Lanka crisis: ‘No one knows now how it'll end'

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday held Russia's “special military operation” in his country accountable for the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. READ Sri Lanka president Maldives exit deepens tensions, PM Ranil faces anger - Top 10 developments The Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Wednesday 'made substantive progress' in a high-stakes meeting in Istanbul, involving UN and Turkish officials on a deal to resume exports from Black Sea port.

IMF approves $15.6 billion loan for Ukraine

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

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.

Former 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.

‘Let him go’: Biden to Russia on detained American journalist

President Joe Biden has urged Russia to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after the country's security service arrested him on espionage charges ? allegations that the newspaper denies. Russia's Federal Security Service has accused Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, of trying to obtain classified information. It is the first time an American journalist has been detained on accusations of spying since the Cold War. Vice President Kamala Harris added that the administration was ?deeply concerned? about Gershkovich's arrest.

Trump lawyer says ex-president will not be handcuffed when he surrenders

Former US President Donald Trump will not be handcuffed when he surrenders to face criminal charges next week in New York, according to his defense attorney, Joe Tacopina. Trump is due to appear to face an indictment following a grand jury investigation of a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. Tacopina said he expected the arrest to proceed as a routine matter on Tuesday.

UK PM Rishi Sunak spent over £500,000 on private jets for foreign trips: Report

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spent over £500,000 ($683,000) on private jets for trips to Egypt, Bali, Latvia and Estonia last year, according to official figures cited by The Mirror. The cost of plane hire was £107,966, with the remainder going on Sunak's personal costs such as visas and accommodation. His five-day trip to the G20 summit in Bali cost £341,857 for hiring the jet and £11,204 on personal costs. The figures were criticised by Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat climate spokesman, who said the government was "completely out of touch".