Afghan Taliban choose new leader

Afghan Taliban choose new leader

KABUL, Afghanistan

The Taliban confirmed the death of longtime leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and appointed his successor Thursday, as a new round of peace talks was indefinitely postponed amid concerns over how committed the new leadership is to ending the militant group’s 14-year insurgency.

The Afghan Taliban Shura, or Supreme Council, chose Mullah Omar’s deputy, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, as its new leader, two Taliban figures told The Associated Press, saying the seven-member council had met in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

Mansoor is considered close to Pakistani authorities who hosted peace talks earlier this month, and his election could widen an internal split between fighters who favor negotiations with the Afghan government and those who want to continue an insurgency that has gained speed after the end of the international combat mission last year.

Congress passes highway legislation

WASHINGTON

Congress sent President Barack Obama a three-month bill to keep highway and transit money flowing to states Thursday, one day before the deadline for a cutoff of funds.

Earlier in the day, the Senate passed a sweeping, long-term transportation bill, setting up discussions with the House this fall on what the future course of transportation policy should be and how to pay for programs.

The Senate approved the short-term bill by a vote of 91 to 4. The House passed the same bill a day earlier, and then left for its August recess.

Surfer seriously hurt in shark attack

SYDNEY

A surfer was seriously injured as he fought a shark off the Australian east coast today, less than a week after a fatal attack, police said.

The 52-year-old man suffered significant wounds to his left leg and hand in the dawn attack at Evans Head, 340 miles north of Sydney, Detective Inspector Cameron Lindsay said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was taken by ambulance to Lismore Base Hospital in serious but stable condition, police said.

CVS overcharged for generics, suit claims

SAN FRANCISCO

CVS deliberately overcharged some pharmacy customers for generic drugs by submitting claims to their insurance companies at inflated prices, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco.

The suit says those inflated prices led to higher co-pays for customers that exceeded what they would have paid for the drugs if they had no insurance and participated in a CVS discount program.

The lawsuit seeks class- action status, a court order prohibiting CVS from engaging in the behavior and unspecified damages.

Band song made fun of Holocaust victims

COLUMBUS

An unofficial marching band song that made fun of Holocaust victims is the type of thing Ohio State University has pledged to eradicate from the band program, the university said Thursday.

The lyrics were contained in a 2012 version of an unofficial band songbook, according to an article by The Wall Street Journal. Other versions of the songbook had circulated privately among band members over the years, including 2006 and 2010 versions.

An independent investigation of the marching band revealed the existence of the song last year but not the lyrics.

Associated Press