A US federal judge may hold the Trump administration in contempt for defying a court order which temporarily halted deportation flights carrying over 200 individuals to El Salvador. The administration had invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, typically reserved for wartime powers, to justify the removals. James Boasberg criticised their ‘wilful disregard’ of his ruling, saying their responses were unsatisfactory. Though the Supreme Court later affirmed Trump’s decision, Boasberg insists that does not excuse the violation of his earlier temporary restraining order. If the administration does not provide the information he has requested by 23 April, he will seek to identify the individuals who ignored the order to stop the deportations. Trump officials deny wrongdoing, asserting that the individuals deported were gang members and the flights had departed before the court's intervention: Trump has also called Boasberg a ‘troublemaker and agitator’. El Salvador agreed to take in the deportees in exchange for $6 million in aid: Trump has expressed an interest in sending more deportation flights there.

Days after its leader Tundu Lissu was arrested and charged with treason, Tanzania’s opposition party CHADEMA has been disqualified from this year’s elections. The electoral commission claims it failed to sign an election code of conduct, rendering it ineligible for the October presidential and parliamentary polls. Lissu, who survived being shot sixteen times in 2017, was elected as party president in January. He is accused of calling on the public to launch a rebellion and disrupt the election. CHADEMA had already threatened to boycott the elections unless significant reforms are made to an electoral process it says favours the ruling party: the party’s chief attorney has said, ‘No reforms, no elections’. Human rights campaigners have accused the government of an intensifying crackdown on political opponents, citing a string of unexplained abductions and killings. Serious questions persist about the state of democracy and civil rights in Tanzania.

The Safe Motherhood Programme, which has drastically reduced maternal and neonatal mortality in Nepal, is at risk due to severe funding shortages. Rs 380 million (£2 million) is urgently needed to reimburse hospitals and continue essential services. An additional Rs 600 million (£3.3 million) will be needed this fiscal year to sustain operations. Launched two decades ago, the programme offers free delivery services, antenatal checkup incentives, and transportation allowances. It helped raise institutional deliveries from 18% to 80% and cut the maternal mortality rate from 539 per 100,000 live births in 1996 to 239 by 2016. However, nearly 130 maternal deaths have already occurred in the current fiscal year. The WHO has warned that progress toward the goal of reducing maternal mortality to 75 per 100,000 by 2030 could stall without immediate investment. The report stresses that broader efforts, like ensuring girls’ education, improving family planning, and tackling health inequalities, are crucial to safeguarding maternal and newborn lives.

Former president Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, have been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for laundering $3 million from Brazilian firm Odebrecht and $200,000 from Venezuela’s former president Hugo Chavez. Humala, who served from 2011 to 2016, was taken into custody immediately after the verdict. Heredia sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy and was granted safe passage to Brazil with her youngest son. The trial, which spanned three years, centred on illegal funding for Humala’s 2011 campaign. Prosecutors allege the funds were funnelled through his Nationalist Party to defeat rival Keiko Fujimori. He is expected to serve his sentence at a facility built for former presidents; Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo are also detained there. Former president Alan Garcia killed himself in 2019 as police arrived at his home to arrest him for alleged corruption. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $788 million in bribes worldwide to secure government contracts.

New research suggests a 'quiet revival' may be underway in the UK, with church attendance rising significantly - particularly among Generation Z. A study commissioned by the Bible Society found that 12% of UK adults now attend church at least once a month, up from 8% in 2018. The biggest increase was among 18- to 24-year-old men, rising from 4% to over 20%, with similar growth seen among young women. One-third of Gen Z non-attenders said they would go to church if invited by a friend. The report also highlights increasing diversity within UK churches, with ethnic minorities now accounting for one in five regular attenders. Churchgoers were also found to report higher life satisfaction, lower anxiety, and stronger community engagement. Paul Williams, CEO of the Bible Society, said the findings challenge the narrative of church decline, revealing instead that the Church in England and Wales is growing and offering real hope. Pentecostal and Roman Catholic congregations showed especially strong growth during the study period.

A quiet yet courageous resistance is growing among evangelical leaders in Russia who are risking their freedom to oppose the war in Ukraine. Bishop Albert Ratkin, pastor of Word of Life Church near Moscow, has been labelled a 'foreign agent' by the Kremlin and has had his church raided. Despite the risks, Ratkin continues to speak publicly against the war, declaring that Christians must not support violence. Other pastors, such as Nikolay Romanyuk and Yuri Sipko, have faced imprisonment, persecution, or have fled the country entirely. Romanyuk is currently facing prison for urging Christians not to enlist, while Sipko fled to Germany after authorities called his sermons 'enemy propaganda’. Pastor Andre Furmanov helps church members obtain military exemptions but avoids public protests to avoid jeopardizing lives. These men represent a small group of faithful believers whose conscience, shaped by the gospel, compels them to stand for peace and truth. Despite repression and persecution, they remain committed to proclaiming Christ’s message of love and justice.

Keir Starmer has cautioned that even if the UK secures a US trade deal or lower tariffs, it will not be enough to safeguard Britain’s economic future. In response to Donald Trump’s imposition of a 10% import tax on British goods, Starmer urged the UK to adapt to a changing global landscape by strengthening cooperation with Europe and diversifying trade partnerships. Trump later announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries, though uncertainty remains. Global markets reacted with volatility, and the Bank of England warned of rising global financial risks. Despite the turmoil, Starmer reaffirmed the government's fiscal discipline. Rachel Reeves is also working to establish trade agreements, including a recent £400 million deal with India, and has planned high-level meetings in Washington and Brussels. The Government aims to boost UK growth by fostering new trade alliances while safeguarding vital interests like the NHS and digital taxation.

The Government has offered to buy the critical raw materials - particularly coking coal - needed to keep British Steel’s blast furnaces running in Scunthorpe. Without this urgent purchase, steel production could halt within weeks and may not be restartable. The offer is directed to Chinese owner Jingye, which has deemed the plant financially unsustainable. Talks continue between British Steel and government officials, with ministers preferring a commercial solution but not ruling out nationalisation. One of the two furnaces, 'Bess,' is scheduled for temporary shutdown on 14 April to conserve remaining materials. The Government hopes to buy time for further negotiations, though frustrations with Jingye’s perceived withdrawal have grown. A new long-term partner may be sought. Unions warn of an 'extreme emergency' and are calling for nationalisation to protect 2,700 jobs and preserve UK steelmaking. A final decision must be made within days to secure new coal and iron ore supplies.

The Government has announced a major new initiative to restore neighbourhood policing, aiming to rebuild public trust and enhance community safety. Under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, 13,000 additional officers will be deployed by 2029 - an increase of more than 50%. Every neighbourhood will have named, contactable officers and guaranteed police patrols during peak times, ending the postcode lottery in law enforcement standards. Each police force will also appoint an antisocial behaviour lead to respond to local issues with tailored action plans. The initiative includes new powers through the Crime and Policing Bill to address antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, and phone theft. Retailers and hospitality leaders have welcomed the measures, recognising visible policing as essential for revitalising high streets and ensuring safe neighbourhoods across the UK.

Ofcom has launched its first investigation under the new Online Safety Act into a pro-suicide forum linked to at least fifty UK deaths. The anonymous website, which cannot be named for legal reasons, hosts disturbing content promoting suicide methods and substances - some linked to Kenneth Law, a Canadian cook charged with 14 counts of murder. The forum has tens of thousands of users, including children, and was instrumental in promoting Law’s deadly poison before his 2023 arrest. Families of victims are urging Ofcom to act swiftly, noting the site remains active and continues to attract vulnerable individuals. Campaigners like Melanie Saville, whose brother-in-law Joe died after visiting the site, have spent years lobbying for its closure. Though Ofcom now has the authority to fine platforms or seek court orders for removal, enforcement could prove difficult as the site is hosted in the USA. Campaigners warn that delay may cost more lives, while the forum’s operators claim censorship and are seeking cryptocurrency donations to keep the site open.