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The government of Nepal has decided to ban TikTok, citing concerns about its impact on social harmony.

The decision was reached during a Cabinet meeting held today at the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar, Rekha Sharma, Minister for Communications and Information Technology and the government's spokesperson, said.

According to Sharma, TikTok is consistently disseminating propaganda that disrupts family structures and social relations, prompting the government to take temporary measures to regain control. "We have decided to halt TikTok for the time being to address this issue," she stated.

The Cabinet meeting instructed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to oversee the technical aspects of this decision.

Sharma explained, "The decision to ban TikTok was made today, and relevant authorities are currently addressing the technical details. The Communication Ministry and the Nepal Telecommunication Authority have already initiated preparations. It is likely that the decision will be implemented as early as today."

The United States is hosting the annual APEC summit of world leaders this week for the first time since 2011. Leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group will gather in San Francisco to talk about how to better spur trade and economic growth across the Pacific region.

But the main summit event will actually be on the sidelines: A face-to-face meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This year's conference is happening against the backdrop of the frosty relationship between China and the U.S. and global turmoil from the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A look at what APEC is and how it works:

WHAT IS APEC?

APEC stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. It's a forum to promote trade, investment and economic development among nations around the Pacific Ocean.

The group started with 12 members in 1989, but has since grown to 21 including China, Russia, Japan, the U.S. and Australia. Those member nations pack a lot of punch, accounting for nearly 40% of the global population and almost half the world’s trade.

The annual leaders' conference brings together heads of nations and other top economic and diplomatic leaders. (Don't expect much of a presence from Russia this year; it's a pariah as Russian President Vladimir Putin presses his country's invasion of Ukraine and will have lower-level representation.)

White House aides say the goal for this year's summit is to try to make APEC economies more resilient, particularly in the face of growing climate issues and following a global pandemic that killed millions of people and strained supply chains.

THE MAIN EVENT

The main event of this summit is unfolding on the sidelines: a meeting between Biden and Xi. The two leaders haven't spoken in person since they met last November during the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. A lot has happened since then to ratchet up tensions between the superpowers.

The Biden administration shot down a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental U.S. earlier this year. The Chinese government hacked the emails of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The U.S. government restricted the export of advanced computer chips to China, and has pushed to provide development aid to other nations to counter China's influence.

The differences also have been exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s increasing assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait. But representatives from the U.S. and China have been meeting with increasing frequency lately, working to thaw relations. Still, the Biden-Xi meeting isn't expected to substantially alter the trajectory of U.S.-China relations.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS APEC?

The forum has limited scope. It is centered on trade and the economy. There is no military component and it wasn't forged by a world-altering event like a war.

It technically has member “economies” rather than countries. That allows room for participation by both China-ruled Hong Kong and self-ruled Taiwan.

APEC's strength lies in its ability to get countries to work together on big initiatives and to ease business relations without binding agreements. Economists point to how APEC contributed to a reduction of tariffs and other barriers to trade.

But the trade landscape is different now than when APEC began in a period of increased globalization. The U.S. strategy has been focused on economic competition with China rather than cooperation, even as U.S. leaders continue to stress the importance of cooperation. Biden is seeking partnerships with other nations in the region to develop alternatives to Chinese manufacturing imports such as electronic equipment, machinery, furniture, textiles and other goods.

Biden also is trying to highlight progress on the new Indo-Pacific trade deal, started last year after President Donald Trump withdrew from the more popular Trans-Pacific Partnership.

FRICTION

The conference has had its challenges and moments of drama in recent years.

The group met virtually in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders did gather in Bangkok last year, but Biden skipped the summit because his granddaughter was getting married and he sent Vice President Kamala Harris in his place. That decision was regarded as a snub by some APEC leaders. Then, delegates from the United States and four other nations walked out to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the Russian representative to the conference began to speak.

Chile withdrew as APEC host in 2019 due to mass protests. Last year, when Thailand hosted the summit in Bangkok, pro-democracy protesters challenged the legitimacy of the Thai prime minister, prompting police to fire at the crowd with rubber bullets that injured several protesters and a Reuters journalist.

This year may give rise to friction over the Israel-Hamas war. The variety of nations involved in the summit have strong views on both sides of the conflict. Typically at the close of a summit there is some kind of joint statement by all the nations, but that's not a given this year, in part because of those differences.

There is also some participation intrigue: Taiwan will once again be represented at the summit by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. founder Morris Chang. The 92-year-old’s lack of a domestic political role allows him to meet with world leaders without fear of repercussions from China.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, will be represented by Financial Secretary Paul Chan. Chief executive John Lee, who is under U.S. sanctions for his role in a political crackdown in Hong Kong, opted out of the summit, citing scheduling issues.

A potential U.S. government shutdown also could loom over the conference: The government will run out of money on Friday without a funding agreement between Congress and the president. It's a persistent reminder of U.S. political dysfunction just as as Biden seeks to project American reliability. The credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the U.S. government’s debt on Friday to “negative,” citing rising interest rates and political polarization in Congress.

FORUM FASHION

At the end of APEC summits, the leaders typically pose together for a “family photo.” At the first leader-level meeting three decades ago, President Bill Clinton, hosting in Seattle, handed out matching leather bomber jackets similar to those worn by American fighter pilots. He apparently wanted his fellow VIPs to feel relaxed, and a tradition was launched.

Since then, the APEC leaders have posed together in batik shirts (Malaysia, 1998), Chinese jackets (Shanghai, 2001), flowing ponchos (Chile, 2004) and "ao dai” tunics (Vietnam, 2006.) The Philippines’ barong tagalog, a partially see-through, embroidered shirt sewn from pineapple fiber and silk, was featured in the 1996 summit and again in 2015.

It's not clear if the matching outfits will be back this year. The last time the U.S. hosted the conference, in Hawaii in 2011, President Barack Obama nixed the idea. A reporter asked whether it was scrapped because the tradition felt too light-hearted amid ongoing concerns about the economy.

No. Obama just thought they looked embarrassing.

AP

Gai or Cow Puja is being observed throughout the country today on the third day of the five-day-long Tihar festival celebrated by the Hindus in the country.

The cow is worshiped as per the religious belief that we get love from her like a mother. The day today is also locally called Gai Tihar. The cow is garlanded and fed various delicacies.

Worshiping cows as sacred is a tradition since ancient Vedic times. Cows are revered as cow mothers because the milk given by cows is as nutritious as the milk given by human mothers.

Modern science has also proved that cows are important because the energy of the local breed of cow is taken from the sun and moon and gives strength to humans through milk.

In some parts of Nepal and some communities, there is a tradition of worshiping cow on the day of Kartik Krishna Aunsi, but there is a classical belief that cows should be worshiped at the end of Aunsi and at the beginning of Pratipada, said Nepal Calendar Determination Committee Member Prof Dr Ram Chandra Gautam.

There is also a religious belief that if the Rakshabandhan tied on the right hand is tied to the cow's tail after cow worship, the cow will help cross the river Vaitarani to go to heaven after death.

Goldstar, a shoe manufacturing company based in Nepal, has donated over 10,000 pairs of shoes and sandals to the Jajarkot earthquake victims.

The donated shoes and flip-flops were worth more than Rs 3.5 million, according to a statement issued by the company.

The company is committed to additionally assisting the quake victims of Jajarkot and Rukum West, said the company Executive Director Bidushi Rana.

Six persons died when a jeep met with an accident in Nawalpur on Sunday.

The four-wheeler (Lu 1 Ja 3270) was heading towards Manjhdanda of Baudikali Rural Municipality, Nawalpur when the tragedy occurred at Goreghumti in Devchuli Municipality.

Police said that six persons died on the spot and one was injured in the incident.

Further details of the incident are awaited.

The November 3 earthquake-stricken Rukum West received a shipment of 2,632 tents on Saturday. Assistant Chief District Officer of Rukum West, Prabesh Badhuwal, confirmed this.

He said the government has issued directives stressing on the prioritization of temporary shelter management for the survivors.

The District Disaster Management Committee has been asked to promptly gear up for the reconstruction of the damaged houses. As of now, the immediate need for food in the affected areas has been addressed.

The Committee is coordinating the dispatchment of emergency assistance based on the specific needs of the affected areas, it is said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has issued an emergency appeal for augmenting the relief and response initiatives for the victims of the recent earthquake in Jajarkot.

The IFRC has issued an appeal for emergency assistance of 5 million Swiss Francs for the Jajarkot disaster survivors. IFRC had issued an emergency appeal for assistance to the 2015 April Gorkha earthquake and provided humanitarian support.

The international humanitarian organization has been carrying out works like providing shelter and non-food materials – cash distribution, emergency shelter, tarpaulin, mattresses, blankets, medical treatment, psycho-social counseling, sanitary materials and livelihood and essentials - in an integrated way.

The IFRC Office in Kathmandu has stated that it will provide financial assistance to the hard-hit families for construction of temporary shelters, buying essentials and building toilets.

On November 3, an earthquake measuring 6.4 in magnitude hit Jajarkot and Rukum West with its epicenter at Ramidanda of Jajarkot. More than 150 people lost their lives and around 200 people were injured in the quake. At least 30,000 houses, both public and private, were destroyed while more than 38,000 families have been affected.

"Following the quake, the IFRC and its partners and the related parties including the Nepal Red Cross have been providing immediate humanitarian services. The search, rescue and relief distribution is promptly taking place through skilled volunteers of the Red Cross. Immediate assistance such as first aid, psychosocial support, blood transfusion and ambulance service and non-food items are being provided," according to the statement.

IFRC provided Rs 100 million in immediate assistance to those affected by the Jajarkot quake.

The headquarters of IFRC in Geneva, Switzerland provided the amount to the Nepal Red Cross through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund.

Despite a decrease in leprosy cases compared to previous years, Banke and Bardiya districts in the Lumbini Province continue to report new cases of this chronic infectious disease, posing challenges to its elimination.

During the fiscal year 2079-80 BS (2022-23), Shinning Hospital in Janaki Rural Municipality, Banke, identified 126 cases of leprosy. Hospital Chief Mangal Bahadur Tharu said that, of the cases detected last year, 55 were from Banke, 37 from Bardiya, and the remaining from other districts in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudur Paschim provinces.

Operated by the NGO INF Nepal, the hospital had identified 157 leprosy cases in the fiscal year 2078-79 BS (2021-22). According to Tharu, regular camps are being conducted in various locations to find out hidden cases of the disease.

Ram Bahadur Chand, the health division chief of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis, acknowledged challenges in leprosy prevention and underlined the need for more actions including leprosy camps to identify hidden cases.

Jeevan Rajaure, the leprosy focal person at the District Health Office in Bardiya, said the social perception towards leprosy patients has not yet completely changed and the people with the issue face stigma in the society. "It has hindered their access to medical care."

Gyanendra Kumar Chaudhary, Chief of the District Coordination Committee in Banke, commended INF's role in promoting public awareness against leprosy, identifying undiagnosed cases, and contributing to prevention efforts in the area. He pledged to facilitate among the three-tier government to allocate the budget to the district for leprosy elimination initiatives in the district.