ISIS Confirms Leader Killed In Clashes In Syria, Announces Next-In-Line

The Islamic State group announced on Thursday the death of its leader Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, who it said was killed in clashes in northwestern Syria.

The leader "was killed after direct clashes" with jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib province, an IS spokesman said in a recorded message on its channels on the Telegram messaging app, without specifying when he was killed.

The spokesman announced the group's new leader -- its fifth -- as Abi Hafsan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

After a meteoric rise in Iraq and Syria in 2014 that saw it conquer vast swathes of territory, IS saw its self-proclaimed "caliphate" collapse under a wave of offensives.

The Sunni Muslim extremist group's austere and terror-ridden rule was marked by beheadings and mass shootings.

It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, but sleeper cells still carry out attacks in both countries.

In November last year, IS said its previous leader, Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, had been killed.

His predecessor, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, was killed in February last year in a US raid in Idlib province.

The group's first "caliph", Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed, also in Idlib, in October 2019.

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French News Agency AFP Sues Elon Musk's X Over Copyright

AFP news agency launched a copyright case in France on Wednesday against social media giant Twitter, recently rebranded X, part of a global struggle to get tech firms to pay for news.

Media groups have long argued that their stories and images bring value to platforms like X, Facebook and Google, meaning they should get a slice of the profits.

Their cause was boosted by a 2019 EU law that allowed for payments for sharing content under a regime called "neighbouring rights", and Google and Facebook eventually agreed to pay some French media outlets.

But AFP has accused X, owned by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk, of a "clear refusal" to engage in discussions on neighbouring rights.

AFP said in a statement it had lodged a case with a judge in Paris to force the platform to hand over data that would allow the French news agency to estimate a fair level of compensation.

"As a leading advocate for the adoption of neighbouring rights for the press, AFP remains unwavering in its commitment to the cause," the statement said.

"The Agency will continue to employ the appropriate legal means with each relevant platform to ensure the fair distribution of the value generated by the sharing of news content."

Although media groups in France have won some victories, big tech firms have pushed back hard in other regions.

Meta blocked users of Facebook and Instagram in Canada from seeing posts from news organisations this week over a law that mandates compensation for the content.

Google has threatened to take similar action.

Meta and Google also opposed similar proposals in Australia.

The two firms dominate online advertising and stand accused of draining cash away from traditional news organisations while using their content for free.

X, as a much smaller platform, has not faced the same level of scrutiny.

 

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Minister Announces Release Of Rs 400 Crore For Restoration Work in Himachal

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced the release of Rs 400 crore under the CRIF for the repair and restoration work in flood-hit Himachal Pradesh.

Terming the damage in the recent floods as colossal and unprecedented, Mr Gadkari assured all possible help for restoration works. 

Besides restoration of four-lane roads and national highways, expenditure on restoration of damaged link roads and bridges on 1-km stretches would be borne by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the Union minister said.

The restoration work would also be covered under the Setu Bandhan programme under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), according to the minister. Under the CRIF, the Union ministry allocates funds for the development and maintenance of state roads.

On Tuesday, Mr Gadkari visited flood and landslide ravaged sites in Kullu and Manali, and interacted with victims of the floods. A large number of affected people also submitted their representation to him. He also did an aerial survey of the damage.

He was accompanied by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and state Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh.

Addressing media persons, Mr Gadkari also said that technical aspects of the damage caused, including the course of rivers, and landslides, would be studied by teams of experts for finding immediate and long-term solutions to curb the recurrence of such a tragedy in future.

The chief minister has demanded Rs 220 crore for restoration of damaged roads and the immediate release of Rs 80 crore, Gadkari added.

"Due to piling up of muck in the river bed, the level of river rises and it changes its course. Adaptive measures will have to be taken for the channelisation of rivers by constructing strong concrete and stone walls by digging two to three metres deep," Gadkari said. It would help in flood control and control damage along the banks by swollen rivers. he added.

Landslides are a perpetual occurrence in Himachal Pradesh as the mountains are fragile, Gadkari said.

"To address the issue, a comprehensive study would be conducted and thereafter recommendations would be shared with the state government," he said.

Mr Gadkari said the under-construction Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway, on which expenditure of about Rs 8,000 crore has been incurred, would be restored and inaugurated within next three or four months.

He also announced that Rs 250 crore has been sanctioned for the Bijli Mahadev Ropeway and added that construction would be completed before this Independence Day.

Construction of Shahpur-Sihunta road at Rs 52 crore and Rangas-Bagchal-Mehre at road Rs 49 crore under CRIF has also been granted, Gadkari said.

Stressing that construction of tunnels is an alternative to cutting of hills and a solution to landslides, the minister said that construction of 68 tunnels with an outlay of Rs 12,500 crore has been planned for the state. Eleven of these have been completed, 27 are under construction and 30 are upcoming, he said.

Due to the construction of tunnels on Kiratpur-Manali road, traffic flow is being managed, otherwise it would have taken a long time as the old road was badly damaged, he said. 

Mr Gadkari also said that construction of roads at a distance from the river banks was a good option but difficult topography and mountains make it difficult. He also advised people to avoid living close to the banks of the rivers.

Briefing Mr Gadkari on the flood-related damages, Chief Minister Sukhu said the state had not seen such a tragedy in the past 50 years.

Kullu and Manali districts have faced maximum damage in the recent floods. A large number of roads and bridges of NHAI and PWD have been damaged in it.

So far, the state has suffered a loss of Rs 5,692 crores, which includes losses of Rs 1,962 crore to the PWD, since the onset of monsoon on June 24 (till July 31), as per the state emergency operation centre. However, the chief minister has claimed that the loss is around Rs 8,000 crores.

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"What If Same Spoon Is Used?": Sudha Murty's 'Veg-Non Veg' Remark Divides Internet

Author and philanthropist Sudha Murty is yet again garnering attention online for her comments about her food habits. Appearing in a recent episode of YouTube series called 'Khaane Mein Kaun Hai', the wife of Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy revealed that she is a pure vegetarian and hence one of her biggest concerns is the possibility of the same spoon being used for both vegetarian and non-veg food items.

Ms Murty mentioned that while she is adventurous when it comes to her work, she is not the same regarding her food choices. "I am a pure vegetarian, I don't even eat eggs, or garlic. What I am scared of is, that the same spoon will be used for both, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. It weighs on my mind a lot!" Ms Murty admitted. She also said that when she travels abroad, she seeks out vegetarian restaurants or prepares her own meals. She carries her own bag of food and cooking items that can be easily heated in water, she said.

Ms Murty's comments have trigged various reactions online. While some internet users agreed that carrying food from home indeed is a good practice, others begged to differ.

"Many Indians pack food while travelling abroad. Food is a choice. #sudhamurthy is any elderly woman in our household who likes to chat," wrote one user. "We should not judge people based on their food preferences or other personal habits. Instead, we should focus on treating everyone with respect, regardless of their caste," said another.

"My mother , Aunt and even my wife takes food while travelling international as they are pure vegetarians. Even I prefer to eat home cooked food during travel," commented a third.

Also Read | Narayana Murthy Says Kareena Kapoor "Ignored Fans" On Flight, Video Viral

However, some users trolled the author for what they perceived as "selling" an overly simplistic lifestyle.

"Sudha Murthy's simplicity is becoming really irksome," wrote one user.

Another jokingly added, "On Foreign trips, Sudha Murthy carries her house along with her, what if the hotel room was used by another person..."

Meanwhile, in the YouTube video, Ms Murty revealed that her cooking bag comes with a "small cooker" which she uses to cook food. She even said that she would often pull her grandmother's legs for never eating outside and travelling with food items, but now, she behaves like her and carries her own food when she visits any foreign country.

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Opposition MPs, Who Visited Manipur, To Brief Floor Leaders In Parliament Tomorrow

The 21-member multi-party delegation of MPs of the Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) that returned to the national capital after assessing the situation in the strife-torn state, will meet at the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's chamber in Parliament on Monday to brief the situation of the northeastern state.

The MPs who were part of the delegation will brief floor leaders of I.N.D.I.A alliance in the Parliament building at 9:30 am on Monday.

On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, the opposition MPs visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met victims of ethnic clashes.

On Sunday, leaders met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan and handed over a memorandum to her and requested her to restore peace and harmony by taking all effective measures, "where justice should be the cornerstone".

"In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent. You are also requested to apprise the Union Government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," the memorandum reads.

The leaders returned to the national capital on Sunday vowing to take the matter further in the Parliament from Monday.

Most MPs who were part of the delegation had a similar complaint - "the pathetic condition of the relief camps" where those hit by the violence across the states are living currently.

The ruckus and war of words between the Treasury and Opposition benches over the prevailing situation in violence-hit Manipur may stall proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament, as they reconvene for the eighth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session on Monday.

Members of the grand Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, have been adamant on the demand that all listed businesses in both Houses be set aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

The Opposition parties have been pressing for their demand since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20. The government has said that it is ready for debate on the issue but the opposition has insisted on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both the Houses of the Parliament.

The monsoon session of Parliament has seen disruptions since its beginning on July 20 with opposition members pressing their demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur and a statement from the Prime Minister.

The 21-member delegation included Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sushil Gupta, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, NK Premchandran from Revolutionary Socialist Party, Jayant Chaudhry from RLD, Kanimozhi from DMK, Thol Thirumavalavan from VCK among others.

Phulo Devi Netam from Congress, Sandosh Kumar from CPI, Javed Ali Khan from Samajwadi Party, PP Mohammad Faizal from NCP, Aneel Prasad Hedge from JD (U), Sushil Gupta from AAP, Mahua Maji from JJM and Jayant Singh from RLD are also the members of the team.

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10 Cops Injured After Violence Erupted During Muharram Procession In Delhi

A section of people taking out Muharram processions clashed with police and pelted stones at them, injuring around 10 cops and damaging several vehicles, after they were stopped from changing the designated route in west Delhi's Nangloi on Saturday, officials said.

The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the "unruly crowd", they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Harendra Singh said, "Several 'tazia' processions were being carried out in Nagloi area and around eight to ten thousand people participated in them. One or two organisers became unruly and tried to divert their procession route which was earlier decided." "When police objected to it, they started pelting stones at police personnel. In order to control them, police resorted to a mild lathicharge and dispersed them from the area," Singh said.

According to the police, around 10 personnel received minor injuries and some police vehicles were damaged in the stone pelting.

The situation in the area is under control, the police said.

Some purported videos of the incident were circulated on social media.

In the videos, some people in the area are seen pelting stones causing damage to public vehicles, including buses, and private cars.

In one of the videos, police are seen resorting to lathicharge.

Muslims take out "tazia" processions on Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. "Tazia" is a miniature replica of the tomb of Imam Hussain. 

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Nothing Will Happen By Changing Name: Amit Shah Slams Opposition Front

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed the Congress and its allies, including the DMK, saying nothing would happen by changing the name of their alliance to INDIA.

He was addressing a rally here, ahead of kick-starting Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai's state-wide 'En Mann, En Makkal (My Land, My People)' padayatra.

"When Congress and its allies, including the DMK, go to the people seeking votes, the public would remember the corruption, including the 2G scam and CommonWealth Games scam during the UPA regime, " he said.

"Congress-DMK and allies opposed the removal of Art 370; is Kashmir ours or not," he asked.

Taking forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Tamil pitch, he said PM Modi honoured Tamil culture by installing the 'sengol' in the new parliament building.

The senior BJP leader hit out at the DMK regime, calling it the most corrupt in the nation and said the BJP's yatra is an attempt to usher in politics of development and good governance in Tamil Nadu.

Mr Shah named Congress and its allies one by one, including the DMK, Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), and accused them all of trying to empower their families and not the nation.

"Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son Rahul the Prime Minister, M K Stalin wants to make his son Udhayanidhi the Chief Minister." 

The BJP top leader also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray as leaders who desired to see their heirs in leadership positions.

"However, PM Modi is the only leader who is working for the nation's development," he said.

Mr Shah also raised the issue of an accused person who is in jail continuing as a minister in Tamil Nadu. "Stalin should be ashamed of retaining V Senthil Balaji, arrested in an Enforcement Directorate case and in jail, in the cabinet," the union minister said.

"Can a person in jail continue as a minister," he asked. "Should Senthil Balaji not have resigned? Even if Senthil Balaji resigns, Stalin will not accept it because he is afraid that all secrets will be disclosed." Mr Shah said a single tweet of BJP state chief Annamalai has rattled the DMK regime, a reference to the state BJP leader's allegations of corruption vis-a-vis the 'DMK Files'.

"Imagine what will happen when Annamalai takes the yatra across the state," he asked.

Mr Shah later flagged off the 'En Mann, En Makkal' padayatra alongside state BJP president K Annamalai. The yatra, which will go on for six months, marks the start of BJP's poll campaign ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The yatra will cover all 234 assembly constituencies in the State.

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