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Albania bans TikTok for one year after school stabbing

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Albania bans TikTok for one year after school stabbing

The government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a classmate following a social media fight.

Albania has announced a ban on TikTok for one year after the killing of a teenager last month raised concerns over the influence of social media on children.

The ban of the popular video app will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday after meeting with parents groups and teachers from across the country.

“For one year, we’ll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama said.

There was no immediate comment from TikTok.

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The Albanian government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in November by a classmate after arguments between the two boys began on social media. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing.

Rama has blamed TikTok in particular for fuelling violence among youth in and outside school.

Videos had emerged on the app of minors supporting the killing.

“The problem today is not our children. The problem today is us. The problem today is our society. The problem today is TikTok and all the others that are taking our children hostage,” Rama said.

The prime minister said Albania would see how the company and other countries react to the one-year shutdown before deciding whether to allow the company to resume operations.

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The opposition has rejected the government’s decision to ban the app.

“The dictatorial decision to close the social media platform TikTok … is a grave act against freedom of speech and democracy,” said Ina Zhupa, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party.

“It is a pure electoral act and abuse of power to suppress freedoms.”

Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have enforced restrictions on social media use for children.

In one of the world’s toughest regulations, Australia approved in November a complete social media ban for children under 16.

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TikTok has also faced accusations of espionage in the United States and is under investigation by the European Union over claims it was used to sway Romania’s presidential election in favour of a far-right candidate.

TikTok attracts young people in particular with its seemingly never-ending scroll of short videos and has more than one billion active users worldwide.

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The deadly car explosion in New Delhi is being investigated under an anti-terrorism law

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The deadly car explosion in New Delhi is being investigated under an anti-terrorism law

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police were investigating the deadly car explosion in New Delhi under an anti-terrorism law, officials said Tuesday, as forensic experts worked to determine the cause of the blast.

The explosion occurred near the historic Red Fort late Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring several others.

Senior police officials told The Associated Press that a case was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, India’s main anti-terrorism law, which allows broader powers to investigating agencies to detain suspects. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a scheduled visit to Bhutan on Tuesday, said investigators would “get to the bottom of this conspiracy.

“The conspirators won’t be spared and all those responsible will be brought to justice,” Modi said.

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Police said the explosion was believed to have originated from a Hyundai i20 car that had stopped at a traffic signal. Nearby vehicles were badly damaged, and photos showed shattered windows, twisted metal and flames engulfing several cars.

Police were trying to trace the car’s owner. There was no immediate information about the occupants, who were believed to have been killed.

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Home Minister Amit Shah said Monday that “all angles” were being investigated and that security agencies would reach a conclusion soon. He said footage from cameras in the area would play a key role in the investigation.

Major train stations, including in Mumbai and in Uttar Pradesh state, which borders New Delhi, were put on security alert. The security force responsible for guarding key installations in the capital, including New Delhi’s international airport, metro system and major government buildings, said its personnel had also been placed on security alert.

A former imperial palace, the Red Fort is a sprawling Mughal-era complex and a major tourist attraction in the Old Delhi section of the city. Located about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from Parliament, the 17th-century monument is a symbolic location where Indian prime ministers deliver their Independence Day speeches on Aug. 15 each year.

The area around Red Fort is typically crowded, serving as a main route to the bustling bazaars of the old city.

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Government shutdown reaches overseas bases as many feel the strain

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Government shutdown reaches overseas bases as many feel the strain

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Thousands of miles from the stalemate in Washington D.C., the effects of the government shutdown are being felt around the world. While President Donald Trump found a way to temporarily pay U.S. troops — others on base aren’t so lucky, including teachers and support staff.

Donna Irwin, a substitute teacher at a naval base in Italy, says the impact is deeply felt. “It has been absolutely terrible to watch and the morale at the school, I mean it’s low,” Irwin said.

LAWMAKER WARNS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS POTENTIALLY LEADING TO BIG WASTE IN THE MILITARY, IMPACTING READINESS

Some American educators abroad are not allowed to take second jobs while the government shutdown leaves military school staff unpaid overseas.

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The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates 161 schools in 11 countries, seven states and two territories across 10 time zones. Nearly 900,000 military-connected children live worldwide, 67,000 of whom are enrolled in DoDEA schools and served by more than 14,000 employees.

In a statement, DoDEA’s communications operations chief Jessica Tackaberry told Fox News that they remain “committed to providing a world-class education” and that they “understand the difficulties this situation may create for our dedicated educators and staff who are working without pay. DoDEA is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide guidance and support to employees as needed.”

Athletics and co-curricular activities are also considered excepted activities at this time.

The Department of Defense Education Activity acknowledges the challenges faced by educators and staff working without pay during the government shutdown.

Irwin considers herself lucky that her husband is still getting a paycheck as a sailor, but with half their income on hold, they’re cutting back. She says that even when the government reopens, repayment can still take a while.

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HOUSE CONSERVATIVE LEADER GIVES BLESSING TO SENATE SHUTDOWN DEAL, WITH ‘ONE CAVEAT’

“Especially out here, you feel forgotten because we are here to support that mission — as DoD contractors, as spouses and family members of the service members,. You know, these bases, these installations — they really don’t function without us, without our vital jobs and our support,” she said.

It’s a unique situation for Americans living abroad. For many, taking a second job off base isn’t allowed under their contract agreements. Living an ocean away from family who could help adds to the stress. Some are simply trying to explain to European landlords that their employer isn’t sending a paycheck, and they can’t afford rent or utility bills.

Some teachers at military bases abroad pay out of pocket for snacks and school supplies for their students as they work without compensation during the government shutdown. (John Moore/Getty Images)

“We oftentimes forget about all those little auto-pay things we have — everything from streaming services to healthcare needs — and they’re having to do these deep dives into their bank accounts and cancel all of these, you know, car insurance, your vehicle,” Irwin said.

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Despite the shutdown, educators say their students still come first and that the mission continues — even if it means footing the bill themselves for snacks and school supplies. Irwin works in a special education classroom, teaching essential life skills such as cooking and cleaning.

“I have no budget for any of that in my current classroom, so I’ve been having to go to the commissary myself and make do, trying to buy things that I can’t afford right now for these students who desperately need those life skills,” Irwin said. “I think the saddest thing for me is watching my students come in, and they don’t fully understand everything that’s happening with the government and with politics and to see them worried, to see them worry about, ‘Am I going to have a meal tomorrow, am I going to have a meal today?’”

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US Senate passes bill to end longest ever government shutdown

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US Senate passes bill to end longest ever government shutdown

The measure still needs to be approved by the House and signed by US President Donald Trump.

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The United States is moving closer to ending its record-breaking government shutdown after the Senate took a critical step forward to end its five-week impasse.

The Senate on Monday night approved a spending package by a vote of 60 to 40 to fund the US government through January 30, and reinstate pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

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The spending bill next moves to the House of Representatives for approval and then on to President Donald Trump for a sign-off before the shutdown can finally end.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.

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The vote in the Senate follows negotiations this weekend that saw seven Democrats and one Independent agree to vote in favour of the updated spending package to end the shutdown, which enters its 42nd day on Tuesday.

Also included in the deal are three-year funding appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, military construction projects, veterans affairs and congressional operations.

The bill does not, however, resolve one of the most central issues in the shutdown – extending healthcare subsidies. Senate Republicans have agreed to vote on the issue as a separate measure in December.

US legislators have been under growing pressure to end the government shutdown, which enters its forty-second day on Tuesday, as their constituents feel the impact of funding lapses for programmes like food stamps.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or required to work without pay since the shutdown began on October 1, while Trump has separately threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext to slash the federal workforce.

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Voters have also felt the impact of the shutdown at airports across the US after the Federal Aviation Administration last week announced a 10 percent cut in air traffic due to absences from air traffic controllers.

The cuts have created chaos for US air travel just as the country is heading into its busiest travel season of the year.

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