Connect with us

Foreign News

Nepal to ban TikTok as it ‘disturbs social harmony’

Published

on

Multiple countries have sought to tighten controls on TikTok for allegedly breaking data rules and for its potentially harmful impact on youth (Aljazeera)

Nepal says it will ban TikTok, adding that social harmony and goodwill are being disturbed by “misuse” of the popular video-sharing app and that there is rising demand to control it.

Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the decision to ban TikTok was taken at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

Sharma said the decision was made because TikTok was consistently used to share content that “disturbs social harmony and disrupts family structures and social relations”.  “Colleagues are working on closing it technically,” she said, without specifying what triggered the ban.

TikTok has already been either partially or completely banned by other countries, with many citing security concerns.

More than 1,600 TikTok-related cybercrime cases have been registered over the last four years in Nepal, according to local media reports.

Nepal Telecom Authority chief Purushottam Khanal said that internet service providers have been asked to close the app. “Some have already closed while others are doing it later today [Monday],” Khanal told Reuters news agency.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. It has previously said such bans are “misguided” and that they are based on “misconceptions”.

Hours after the decision was made public, videos on the ban had thousands of views on TikTok.

Opposition leaders in Nepal criticised the move, saying that it lacked “effectiveness, maturity and responsibility”.

“There are many unwanted materials in other social media also. What must be done is to regulate and not restrict them,” said Pradeep Gyawali, former foreign minister and a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

Gagan Thapa, leader of the Nepali Congress party that is part of the ruling coalition, said the government’s intention seems to be to “stifle freedom of expression”.  “Regulation is necessary to discourage those who abuse social media, but shutting down social media in the name of regulation is completely wrong,” he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The decision comes days after Nepal introduced a directive requiring social media platforms operating in the country to set up offices.

TikTok, with around a billion monthly users, is run by the Beijing-based parent company ByteDance and is the sixth most used social platform in the world, according to the We Are Social marketing agency.

Multiple countries have sought to tighten controls on the app for allegedly breaking data rules and for its potentially harmful impact on youth.

Nepal’s neighbour India banned TikTok along with dozens of other apps by Chinese developers in June 2020, saying that they could compromise national security and integrity.

Another South Asian country, Pakistan, banned the app at least four times over what the country’s government terms its “immoral and indecent” content.

Parent company ByteDance rejects critics who accuse it of being under Beijing’s direct control.

Although it lags behind the likes of Meta’s long-dominant trio of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, its growth among young people far outstrips its competitors.

(Aljazeera)



Foreign News

€5m worth of cocaine seized in Kildare

Published

on

By

Approximately 72 kilos of cocaine was discovered following a stop and search in the Allenwood area of Kildare [BBC]

Two men have been arrested following a seizure of €5m (£4m) worth of cocaine in County Kildare.

On Wednesday, gardaí (Irish police) stopped and searched a vehicle and a residential property in the Allenwood area of Kildare and approximately 72kg of cocaine was discovered.

The men, aged in their 50s and 60s, were arrested in relation to facilitating and enhancing drug distribution activities for an organised crime group.

They were subsequently charged and are due before Naas District Court on Thursday.

Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis of Organised and Serious Crime said it “is another significant seizure of cocaine destined for the Irish market”.

“An Garda Síochána and our law enforcement partners are committed to targeting those engaged in drug related organised crime that leads to harm, intimidation and violence in our communities nationwide.”

[BBC]

Continue Reading

Foreign News

Monty the giant schnauzer wins Best in Show

Published

on

By

A giant schnauzer named Monty was crowned Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday, the most prestigious dog show in the US.

After reaching the final three years in a row, Monty beat more than 2,500 canines to become the first giant schnauzer to take home the show’s top prize.

“The puppy did the damn thing,” Monty’s owner Katie Bernardin said in the event televised from New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The dog club is the oldest in the US dedicated to showing dogs, with its annual show – now in its 149th year – the second-longest sporting event held in the US after the Kentucky Derby.

The winners of each of the 200 competing breeds advance to compete for one of seven group titles, with each group winner then moving to the finals.

After two years of winning the Working Group, but failing to secure the overall prize, the five-year-old male with an all-black coat finally came out on top.

He gave the Working Group of breeds its first winner since 2004.

Judge Paula Nykiel, who is a dog breeder and owner-handler, chose Monty as Best in Show after he stood out in the preliminary events during the three-day competition.

When choosing a winner, judges also consider the breed’s ideal standard, and examine its body and mouth.

Among the more than 2,500 Monty beat from across the country, was nine-year-old Bourbon, who snapped up runner-up – or Reserve Best as they are known in the show.

The whippet came out of retirement for the event, and claimed Reserve Best for the third time.

Other finalists this year included Comet the shih tzu, Mercedes the German shepherd and Neal the bichon frise.

In 2024, a female miniature poodle won Best in Show.

[BBC]

Continue Reading

Foreign News

Israel says Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not free hostages by Saturday

Published

on

By

The Israeli military said was sending reinforcements, including reservists, to southern Israel (BBC)

Israel’s prime minister has warned Hamas it will end the ceasefire in Gaza and resume intense fighting if the Palestinian group “does not return our hostages by Saturday noon”.

Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered Israeli forces to amass inside and around Gaza in response to Hamas’s announcement that it was postponing freeing more hostages until further notice.

Netanyahu did not specify whether he was demanding the release of all 76 remaining hostages, or just the three due to be freed this Saturday – but a minister said he meant “everyone”.

On Monday, Hamas accused Israel of violating the three-week-old ceasefire deal, including by blocking vital humanitarian aid – a claim Israel has denied.

The group’s decision to delay this weekend’s scheduled release prompted US President Donald Trump to propose that Israel cancel the agreement altogether and “let hell break out” unless “all of the hostages” were returned by Saturday.

(BBC)

Continue Reading

Trending