Top 10 Headlines: Afghanistan issue; Twitter India MD shunted out of India and more

Arms cache seized in Delhi before Independence Day; 55 pistols, live cartridges recovered

Right ahead of Independence Day, a large cache of arms has been recovered from Delhi. As per sources, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has recovered 55 state-of-the-art weapons and 55 pistols. 50 rounds of live cartridges have also been recovered as part of the large cache of arms, which was sent from Madhya Pradesh and Mewat to Delhi for supply to the gangsters residing in the national capital. The development comes at a time when the whole of Delhi is on high alert, owing to the elaborate functions organized all around. 

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Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari shunted out of India; to operate in new role from US

In a major development, Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari was shunted out to the United States amid the micro-blogging platform's ongoing controversies with Congress and matters related to the compliance of the new IT rules. In a written response to Republic TV on Maheshwari's new role, Twitter informed that he will now head Revenue Strategy and Operations of global emerging markets and will be based out of the US.

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Rahul Gandhi breaks silence on Twitter block, terms it ‘attack on democratic structure’

Breaking his silence over being blocked on Twitter, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday, issued a statement lashing out at the micro-blogging site. Claiming that Twitter was making it its business to define Indian politics, he said he did not like that. Stating that by blocking him Twitter had attacked the democratic structure of the country, he said that it was shutting down not just him, but his followers too. The Wayanad MP, who has 19-20 million followers has been locked out of his account for allegedly violating the site's rules.

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Kerala Court rules in Sister Lucy's favour; allows her to remain at Karakkamala Convent

In a key development, Mananthavady Munsiff Court on Friday granted Sister Lucy permission to continue her stay at the Karakkamala Convent of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC). This means that the Church now cannot evict Sister Lucy till the final dispersal of the suit, pending before the court.

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Cattle Preservation Bill passed in Assam; ban on beef sale proposed within 5 km of temples

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma just passed The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill in the legislative assembly on Friday. The passed bill replaces the existing  Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950. The CM had earlier proposed that the previous bill lacked clarity and provision to regulate slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle.

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Sonia Gandhi calls Opposition meet on August 20; here's what could be on agenda

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of like-minded Opposition parties on August 20, according to ANI sources. The meeting will be held virtually. The agenda could be discussing the opposition unity and the 2024 elections plan.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief MK Stalin, JMM Executive President Hemant Soren will participate in the meeting, the sources informed.

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Tamil Nadu's DMK govt slashes petrol rates by Rs 3, to formulate state education policy

The first-ever budget of the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has brought about a big relief for the people of Tamil Nadu in the form of a Rs 3 reduction in per litre price of petrol. Presenting the budget, Finance Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan outlined that the state would be facing a deficit of Rs 1,160 crore this year, owing to the reduction in the per litre price of petrol by Rs 3. 

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AIADMK sets up 6-member legal committee to 'protect' party men from false cases

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has constituted a six-member legal committee to fight alleged false charges against its leaders. This development comes after recent raids by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on the premises of some AIADMK office-bearers.

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Taliban tightens grip on Afghanistan, captures capital of Ghor province

Gradually circling Afghan capital Kabul, the Taliban has now captured the western province of Ghor taking half of the country’s total 34 provincial capitals in the recent days. The second and third-largest cities of Herat and Kandahar have also fallen to the insurgents. As per The Associated Press, the Taliban has completed their sweep of Afghanistan’s south on August 13. The militants captured four new provincial capitals in a devastating offensive that is slowly rounding up to Kabul. This comes just weeks before the United States is set to officially end its two-decades-old war against terrorism.

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Taliban takes control of US military assets in Afghanistan as more cities get captured

As Afghanistan continues to fall victim to the Taliban's continued mayhem in the war-torn country, the large cache of US assets that were left behind has also been seized by Taliban terrorists. The insurgent group has seized close to a hundred US Humvees and MaxxPro MRAPs at Kunduz Airport along with several US ScanEagle drones. As the Taliban moves fast in laying siege over several cities in Afghanistan, questions have been raised over the hasty withdrawal of troops by the US and NATO forces, leaving the Afghanistan Government to fend for itself.

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