Iraqi court sentences Turkish widow to death for joining IS
Baghdad: An Iraqi court on Monday sentenced a Turkish woman to death and 10 other foreign women to life imprisonment for joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
"The Central Criminal Court issued a death penalty by hanging for a female Turkish citizen and issued 10 verdicts of life sentences for other females from different nationalities," a spokesman for Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council said.
All the sentences are preliminary and subject to review by the Court of Cassation, spokesman Abdul Sattar al-Biraqdar was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
In January, the court sentenced a German woman to death for joining the extremist group and providing it logistical support that helped the group to commit their criminal acts.
She was also convicted of complicity in attacking the Iraqi security forces.
Thousands of IS fighters and supporters from various nationalities had joined the IS group when it took control of large swathes of land in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
But after the Iraqi forces defeated the group in Iraq, hundreds of IS loyalists were killed or captured, while many others were still at large.
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Bengaluru: Karnataka mulls ban social media for children below 16, says Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is considering a ban on the use of social media for children below the age of 16, taking inspiration from steps taken by countries such as Australia and Finland, The New Indian Express reported.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT, Priyank Kharge, informed the Assembly on Friday that the issue is under discussion. Responding to senior BJP leader and MLA S Suresh Kumar, who expressed concern over the abuse of social media, Kharge admitted that it is a serious issue.
Finland has taken action, the UK is considering similar steps, and Australia imposed a ban two months ago. “We too in the state have launched a digital detoxification programme for responsible use of AI and social media. The IT-BT department, in collaboration with Meta, has been running it by involving over three lakh children and one lakh teachers,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Kharge said that in March 2025, the government launched the ‘Beyond Screens’ programme to help people dealing with digital addiction. The initiative was announced during the GAFX 2025 summit, along with the opening of a ‘Beyond Screens’ digital detox centre and the launch of an official website.
The detox centre serves as a dedicated hub for resources, counselling and intervention programmes for healthier digital habits.
During the Assembly session, Suresh Kumar also referred to the Economic Survey 2025-26, which was presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The survey recommended that governments consider age-based restrictions on social media use for children.
