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When she left a bad marriage, Sania Khan said some members of her South Asian Muslim community made her feel like she had "failed at life". Through TikTok, she found support and comfort in strangers - until her ex returned and murdered her, BBC reported.

This story contains details that may be upsetting to some readers.

Her bags were packed. She was ready to be free.

The 21st of July was to be the day Sania Khan, 29, left Chicago, Illinois - and the trauma of a relationship gone wrong - to begin a new solo chapter in her native Chattanooga.

Instead, that day, she returned home to Tennessee in a casket.

Three days earlier, officers had found Khan unresponsive near the front door of the Chicago condominium she had once shared with her estranged husband, Raheel Ahmad, 36. She had a gunshot wound to the back of her head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Upon arrival of the police, Ahmad had turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. 

According to police reports shared with the Chicago Sun-Times, the pair were "going through a divorce", and Ahmad, who had gone to live in a different state while separated from Khan, had travelled some 700 miles back to their former home "to salvage the marriage".

The grisly murder-suicide was the tragic final chapter in the life of Khan, a young Pakistani-American photographer who had recently found recognition on the social-media platform TikTok as a voice for women fighting marriage trauma and divorce stigma in the South Asian community.

Her death has left her friends shaken, and has reverberated with her online followers and other South Asian women who say they have felt the pressure to stay in unhealthy relationships for the sake of appearances.

"She said 29 is going to be her year and it's going to be a new beginning," said BriAnna Williams, a university friend. "She was so excited."

To her friends, Khan was a joy to be around - authentic, positive and selfless almost to a fault.

"She was someone who would give you the shirt off her back," said Mehru Sheikh, 31, who called Khan her best friend.

"Even when she was going through some really tough times in her life, she would be the first to call you and ask you how your day is going."

On Instagram, where she first built a public platform, she described her passion for photography with a biographic line that read: "I help people fall in love with themselves and with each other in front of the camera."

Khan photographed weddings, maternity shoots, baby showers and other milestones, often for big-paying clients but also for many of her friends.

"Behind the camera is where she came alive," said Ms Sheikh. "She had a knack for making people comfortable in front of the camera, for capturing raw emotion and joy."

Meanwhile she sought the same kind of joy in her own life. After dating Ahmad for about five years, she married him in June 2021 and they moved to Chicago together, according to BBC.

"They had a fabulous, big, fat Pakistani wedding,"a childhood friend recalled. "But the marriage was built on a foundation of lies and manipulation."

Khan's friends claim Ahmad had long-standing mental health issues. The couple had been mostly in a long distance relationship before marrying, which her friends say likely obscured the extent of their incompatibility.

The problems came to a head last December when, her friend said, Khan told her that Ahmad had a mental-health crisis and she felt unsafe. The BBC was unable to reach the Ahmad family for comment.

Members of the Khan family declined, through Khan's friends, to comment for this story.

About a dozen murder-suicides take place in the US every week, about two-thirds of which involve intimate partners, according to the Violence Policy Center.

Mental illness and relationship troubles are often identified among the top risk factors for women facing abuse by their partners. Domestic violence experts say women are most at risk of being killed by an intimate partner when they are leaving the relationship. 

The December episode convinced Khan - who had until then kept details of the relationship private - to open up about her unhappy marriage, friends said.

They said Khan discussed the struggles in her marriage, telling them that her husband wasn't sleeping and often acted strangely, that he was refusing her pleas to seek help or go to therapy, and that she felt his mental health struggles had become her burden.

But friends allege that, while they told Khan to leave the marriage, others counselled her to stay in it.

Ms Williams, 26, said her old friend broke down when they last met in Chicago in May.

"She told me that divorce was considered shameful and she was extremely lonely," she told the BBC - recounting how Khan used the phrase "what will people say", more commonly known in Urdu and Hindi as log kya kahenge.

Herself a child of divorce, Khan said she had witnessed first-hand the stigma some South Asian communities attach to women who leave their marriages.

"There's a lot of cultural pressure around the impacted family and how it looks to the outside world," said Neha Gill, executive director of Apna Ghar, a Chicago-based organisation that offers culturally sensitive services to predominantly South Asian women facing intimate partner abuse.

Many South Asian communities continue to see women as inferior and needing to be controlled, Ms Gill said, adding: "The cultures are very communal, so it's about prioritising family or community over a person's safety and well-being".

But with the support of her friends, Khan filed for divorce and secured an August hearing to finalise the split, BBC reported.

She also filed a restraining order and changed the locks on her doors, friends said.

And she began sharing her story on TikTok, describing herself as "the black sheep" in her community.

One post reads: "Going through a divorce as a South Asian woman feels like you failed at life sometimes."

"My family members told me if I left my husband I would be letting Shaytan [the devil in Arabic] 'win', that I dress like a prostitute and if I move back to my hometown they'll kill themselves," says another.

Another university friend, Naty, 28, who asked that her surname not be published, vividly remembers the first time Khan went viral on the platform.

"She was blowing up my phone and she said this is what I'm meant to do: To spread the word about my relationship and be a leader for women leaving their toxic marriages."

With each post, Khan found solace and strength, even as she "received backlash" for airing out the breakdown of her marriage, according to Naty.

At the time of her death, more than 20,000 people were following Khan on TikTok.

Bisma Parvez, 35, a fellow Pakistani-American Muslim woman, was one of them.

"I remember, [after] the first video that I saw of hers, I just prayed for her," she said.

"Women in these situations are told to have 'sabr' [patience in Arabic] and, in an abusive relationship, patience is not the answer."

She lamented Khan's death in a TikTok video of her own that has been among many shared across the platform.

The conversation has only swelled since then.

Apna Ghar, the Chicago domestic violence organisation, said it plans to hold a virtual panel discussion to commemorate Khan's one-month death anniversary later this month.

And amid the outpouring of love from friends and followers on social media, former classmates at Khan's high school - the Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences - established a memorial scholarship in her name.

"Everyone's hush-hush, but social media helps you realise what a worldwide problem this is," said Ms Parvez, according to BBC.

"We're always telling women to protect themselves, but it's important to also raise sons who respect women. That training starts at home and each household has to make that change."

Former US President Donald Trump has declined to answer questions as part of a New York state investigation into his family's business practices, BBC reported.

Mr Trump had sued in an effort to block the interview at the New York attorney general's office on Wednesday.

State officials accuse the Trump Organization of misleading authorities about the value of its assets in order to get favourable loans and tax breaks.

Mr Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the civil probe a witch hunt.

An hour after he was pictured arriving at the Manhattan office where he was questioned under oath, Mr Trump released a statement in which he criticised New York Attorney General Letitia James and the broader investigation.

"Years of work and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this long simmering saga, and to no avail," he said. "I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution."

Ms James' office confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday and that "Mr Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination".

"Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead," the statement added. "Our investigation continues."

His deposition comes just days after the FBI executed an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation that is reportedly linked to his handling of classified material. 

While the attorney general's investigation is a civil one, a parallel investigation is being carried out by the Manhattan District Attorney's office which could result in criminal charges, according to BBC.

Legal analysts suggest Mr Trump may have declined to answer questions on Wednesday because his answers could have been used against him in that criminal investigation. The former president invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to be a witness against themselves in a criminal case.

The questioning lasted around four hours, and included lengthy breaks, his lawyer Ronald Fischetti told US media.

Mr Trump began by reading a statement into the record condemning the attorney general and her investigation and invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.

He proceeded to say "same answer" to every question he was asked.

Ms James' office has said that the depositions - a legal term that means testimony not given in court - were among the last remaining investigative procedures to be carried out.

Once the investigation concludes, the state attorney general could decide to bring a lawsuit seeking financial penalties against Mr Trump or his company. 

Ms James had sought Mr Trump's deposition - and that of two of his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr - for more than six months while the family resisted subpoenas through the New York court system. 

Lawyers for Mr Trump had also attempted to sue Ms James in a bid to prevent her from questioning the former president and his children.

But in February, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that all three must sit for depositions. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr were questioned earlier this month, BBC reported.

The judge said the investigation had uncovered "copious evidence of possible financial fraud" giving the attorney general a "clear right" to question under oath the former president and two of his children involved in the business.

Ms James hailed the judge's decision as a victory, saying that "justice has prevailed".

The investigation, which was first opened in 2019, seeks to prove that Mr Trump and the Trump Organization misrepresented the value of assets in order to obtain favourable loans and tax breaks. The alleged fraud is said to have taken place before Mr Trump took office, according to BBC.

Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka’s China trip was viewed through two distinct lenses in the country. For some it was a part of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's ‘fig leaf’ diplomacy with China. In this reading, by sending his foreign minister to China before his own long-desired US trip, Deuba wanted to show that he is keenly aware of Nepal’s need to carefully balance the big powers. But, in reality, he wants to help the Americans fulfill their interests, a suspicion which has been bolstered by the recent appointment of his China-baiting foreign policy advisor.

In the other reading, the trip will really help bolster Nepal-China ties. This will be partly out of compulsion: many of Deuba’s coalition partners are staunchly in favor of a close partnership with China, even at the cost of alienating other powers. On the eve of upcoming elections, this visit will show the government is not beholden to India or the US. Critics point to the government’s recent handover of vital hydro projects to India, often in contravention of established norms. The prime minister’s wife openly hobnobs with the BJP honchos in New Delhi. Deuba has also been traditionally known as the American darling, an image that has only been solidified by his successful pushing of the MCC compact in the parliament (which, by the way, this newspaper endorsed). The same could be said of Deuba’s supposed backing of the Special Partnership Program (SPP)—no, we have not heard the last on this.  

These are delicate times. The Russia-Ukraine war shows no sign of abating. The situation on the Taiwan Strait continues to be tense, something that Nepal says it is ‘closely watching’. Whatever the case, as elections have been announced, the government should not sign any agreement with far-reaching consequences for the country with any outside power. Yet the opposite is true: Nepal’s relations with big powers unfortunately become a matter of election-time political grandstanding. That is risky business in these fraught times that call for carefully navigating the tricky geopolitical landscape.

Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Tapas Adhikari and Romina Khursid Alam, Member of National Assembly and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister/Minister of State Convener Parliamentary Task Force on SDG held a meeting at the Embassy on Wednesday, Islamabad Post reported.

During the meeting, they discussed Nepal-Pakistan relations,  SAARC and SDGs and ways to further strengthening it.

Both sides also discussed the historical relations between Nepal and Lahore and Gujranwala.

Nepal recorded 868 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 3, 614 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 496 returned positive. Likewise, 3,091 people underwent antigen tests, of which 372 tested positive.

As of today, there are 5, 885 active cases in the country.

Three members of a family were found dead at Raru in Bungal Municipality-9 of Bajhang district on Wednesday.

Police said the trio (mother, son and daughter), who had left the house on Tuesday evening, were found hanging from a tree nearby their house this morning.

The deceased have been identified as Gita Parki (22), her five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, Inspector Ramesh Awasti said.

Police said that the Gita’s husband Pushkar Parki had returned from India on Tuesday.

A police team from Chainpur has been heading towards the incident site for investigation.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 5. 91 points to close at 2,056.88 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 1.  68 points to close at 395. 75 points.

A total of 4,640,844 units of the shares of 218 companies were traded for Rs 1. 93 billion.

Meanwhile, Himalayan Hydropower Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 97 percent. Likewise, Himalayan Everest Insurance Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 9. 99 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 93 trillion.

Chinese navy ships remained active off both Taiwan’s east and west coasts on Wednesday morning, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters, as Beijing kept up military drills in protest against last week’s visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

A furious China has extended its largest-ever exercises around the self-ruled island it claims as its own beyond the originally scheduled four days. The drills last week have included ballistic missile launches, some of which flew over the island’s capital Taipei, and simulated sea and air attacks in the skies and waters around Taiwan.

Video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday showed Chinese fighter jets scrambling and refuelling mid-air, as well as navy ships on what it said were drills around Taiwan.

The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said the drills were focused on blockades and resupply logistics, “under a complex electromagnetic environment to refine joint containment and control capabilities”, according to CCTV.

About 20 Chinese navy and Taiwan navy ships remained close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer separating the two sides, as of Wednesday morning, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Several other Chinese ships continued to conduct missions off Taiwan’s eastern coast, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Andrew Hsia, deputy chairman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party, flew to China on Wednesday for what his party said was a pre-arranged trip to meet Taiwanese businesspeople.

Hsia told reporters he was not going to Beijing and did not have any official meetings arranged.

However, Taiwan’s government expressed “regret” at the trip coming amid the Chinese drills.

“At this moment, the Kuomintang still insisted on going to China, disappointing our people,” said Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

Taiwan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that China was using the military drills as a game-plan to prepare for an invasion of the self-ruled island.

“It is conducting large-scale military exercises and missile launches, as well as cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic coercion, in an attempt to weaken public morale in Taiwan,” Joseph Wu said on Tuesday, without providing evidence or offering a timetable.

“After the drills conclude, China may try to routinise its action in an attempt to wreck the long-term status quo across the Taiwan Strait.”

Pelosi, a long-time China critic and a political ally of President Joe Biden, visited Taiwan last week on the highest-level visit to the island by an American official in decades, despite Chinese warnings. She said her visit showed unwavering U.S. commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy.