Washington, D.C.: Meta, the social media conglomerate led by Mark Zuckerberg, has agreed to pay former U.S. President Donald Trump $25 million (approximately ₹216 crore) as part of a lawsuit settlement.
Trump had sued Meta after his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended in 2021 following his incendiary remarks and false claims related to the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots. The lawsuit argued that the ban was unjust and violated his rights.
Zuckerberg, who initially distanced himself from Trump, has since engaged more with him. Reports indicate that Meta has also cut back on its fact-checking mechanisms, replacing them with a system similar to X’s community notes, a move seen as an effort to align with Trump’s interests.
Meanwhile, Meta’s stock performed well despite a broader market decline. On Wednesday, while major indices like Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 closed in red following the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates, Meta’s shares ended the day at $676.49, marking a 0.32% gain.
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Hyderabad: A 15-year-old girl, Aliya Begum, lost her life after being attacked with stones while trying to protect her father from a mob lynching. The incident took place in Antarum village, Zaheerabad, Telangana. Police have arrested two accused in connection with the case.
What happened?
Muhammad Ismail, a resident of Antarum village in Zaheerabad, was allegedly urinating near the house of Veera Reddy and Vijay Reddy. This led to an altercation between them, after which Veera Reddy, Vijay Reddy, and around 40 others attacked Ismail.
Seeing her father being assaulted, Aliya intervened to protect him. However, the attackers pelted stones at her as well. Aliya sustained severe injuries and was hospitalised. After fighting for her life for three days, she succumbed to her injuries on February 15.
Initially, Aliya's parents had not filed a complaint. However, lawyers Afsar Jahan and Sujat approached the Superintendent of Police (SP) and provided details of the incident, following which a case was registered against the accused.
What did the police say?
Zaheerabad DSP P. Satthayya stated that the attack took place on February 11 when a verbal altercation over Muhammad Ismail urinating near a house escalated into a physical assault. Vijay Reddy and Veera Reddy, along with others, attacked Ismail. When Aliya intervened to save her father, the mob pelted stones at her.
Aliya was also suffering from cancer, which was discovered during the investigation. Her family had not informed hospital staff about the attack. Villagers later reported the incident to the police. Following a post-mortem, Aliya’s body was handed over to her family. Two accused have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
Demand for strict action against the accused
The incident has left the entire village in shock, with many demanding strict and immediate action against the accused.
Local MLA Kausar Mohiuddin, who visited the victim's family, stated that this brutal attack was not just on Aliya and her father but on the entire community. Amjadullah Khan of the ‘Majlis Bachao Tehreek’ demanded a judicial inquiry under a High Court judge, the arrest of all accused, ₹25 lakh compensation for the victim’s family, a government job for a family member, and housing under the Indiramma Housing Scheme.