Briefly

AFGHANISTAN

Eid marked as truce pauses deadly violence

A three-day cease-fire agreed by the warring Taliban and Afghan government came into force on Thursday as the country celebrated Eid al-Fitr, after weeks of intense clashes. Proposed by the militants and matched by President Ashraf Ghani, the truce will grant respite for Afghans as they mark the Muslim festival with friends and family. Violence has intensified in the country since the United States missed a May 1 deadline, agreed with the Taliban last year, to withdraw all of its troops. If the ceasefire holds, it will be only the fourth pause in fighting in nearly 20 years of conflict. Security personnel were deployed at several prominent mosques in the capital Kabul.

UNITED STATES

Talk show giant Ellen DeGeneres calls it quits

Ellen DeGeneres, a star of daytime talk show culture, said on Wednesday she plans to call it quits after 19 seasons anchoring a TV staple that has become tainted by toxic workplace allegations. The 63-year-old host, writer, producer, actress and comedian has won dozens of Emmy awards for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. On Wednesday, she insisted that her decision to bring the curtain down on her afternoon show after a final season ending in 2022 had nothing to do with allegations in the past year of a workplace environment rife with bullying, racial discrimination and sexual harassment.

Agencies Via Xinhua