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Nigeria lifts ban on Twitter after seven months
The BBC reported that Nigeria has lifted its ban on Twitter - seven months after clamping down on the social networking site.
Nigeria's government suspended Twitter last June after the company deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari about punishing regional secessionists.
Authorities accused the social media firm of siding with the secessionists.
But the government said it was reversing the ban after Twitter agreed to conditions including opening a local office in Nigeria.
The move allows millions of people in Africa's most populous nation to use the platform again.
Some users had continued to access the site after the suspension using virtual private networks (VPNs), but the government vowed to clamp down on those still tweeting - including media organisations.
The move last year by Nigeria's government sparked international outcry over freedom of speech.
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The social media company's decision to register itself in the country showed it was committed to Nigeria, the country's information technology development agency said.
Twitter has not yet commented on Nigeria's decision to lift the ban.
The government had ordered internet providers to block Twitter, alleging it was being used to undermine "Nigeria's corporate existence" through the spreading of fake news that could potentially have "violent consequences".
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It came after Twitter removed President Buhari's post referring to the 1967-70 Nigerian Civil War and to treating "those misbehaving today" in "the language they will understand".
Twitter is popular with many Nigerians, and the platform has been used as a mobilising tool. Activists used it to rally support during protests against police brutality under the hashtag #EndSars, which gained global attention.
Source: BBC
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- November 7, 2024
Amid growing anxiety among several European countries participating in NATO over Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated he looks forward to sitting down with Trump.
Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.
On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.
It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.
Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.
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