KATHMANDU, Jan 31: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the incumbent government, which has attached top priority to democracy and civil rights, will always protect the freedom of expression.

KATHMANDU, May 3: Various stakeholders have called for constant vigilance against the efforts to muzzle free press and freedom of expression, including among others by framing anti-constitutional laws or flaring up attacks, harassments and intimidation.

LONDON – I had been captive in Afghanistan for about two weeks when the government of my home country, Canada, contacted those attempting to negotiate my release. They told negotiators to get me on the phone the next day, when the United States military would be flying a drone over where they thought I was being held, in order to determine my whereabouts.

KATHMANDU, April 4: A senior leader of the main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), Shekhar Koirala has asked Prime Minister KP Oli to immediately sack his IT consultant Asgar Ali as the latter has courted a serious controversy for his alleged involvement in removing of news content from a Kathmandu-based news website kathmandupress.com.

KATHMANDU, Feb 13: The 9th World Radio Day has been observed in Nepal on Thursday.

KATHMANDU, Jan 16: Nepali parliament must amend the Information Technology Bill (IT Bill) to bring into line with international standards and ensure that the law is not used to criminalize the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression, Amnesty International stated in a press release on Thursday.

The government, which has been receiving widespread criticisms over a number of flawed bills that it introduced in the parliament in recent months, has been heavily criticized again over Information Technology (IT) Bill which has been endorsed by the house committee recently, despite reservations from the members of opposition party, and which awaits endorsement from the parliament.

KATHMANDU, Jan 1: The past year was eventful in a number of ways. The year was marked by the government’s attempt to muzzle the press and curtail freedom of expression, by major scandals involving top officials, high-profile visits of foreign dignitaries, inter and intra-party political conflicts, and controversies surrounding a new political map released by India and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

Democratic governments should recognize attacks on press freedom and use measures to pressure perpetrators to uphold freedom of expression

Media deserve talk. In modern democratic dialogue, it has been customary to frequently debate over media quality, performance and related issues. Media freedom, media diversity and media equality are closely related terms in vogue. These three elements, when enhanced, add to the strength and quality of one another; they become the cornerstones not only of advanced media performance but also of a full-fledged democracy. As integral elements, they identify a democratic society in its true form. However, misunderstanding these elements will result in their misuse, with dire consequences beyond measurement.

ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE – In 2014, two years after kidnapping my son, James Wright Foley, while he was working as a freelance correspondent in Syria, the Islamic State tortured and killed him. Jim’s murder underscored the extraordinary risks journalists take to report the news in dangerous areas—and the need for stronger action to protect them.

“Hami Yestai Ta Ho Ni Bro.” When this “rap” music video first came out, I was immediately dissuaded to see it. I have never been an avid fan of the genre and particularly not of the artist, “Vten”. But when I did finally see it, after the chatter it caused on social media—I did not enjoy it, but this wasn’t new. Most of the “rap music” Nepali “rappers” produce repulse everyone. I did not, however, see a case to arrest him, on any charges that I, at the time, knew of.

Police have released Vten, who was detained by the police on charges of indecent behavior.

KATHMANDU, Sept 4: The Nepal government should revise several pieces of draft legislation that threaten to undermine the right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

Individuals in an open society should be able to voice their opinions, even if they are wrong. Larger the debate, greater the awareness among people

KATHMANDU, June 10: Meme Nepal, a popular Nepali social media page, has been courting criticism from various quarters for the past few weeks after two of its comedians were arrested.

May 3: Amnesty International Nepal (Amnesty Nepal) has urged the government to ensure press freedom both in law and practice allowing journalists an independent and autonomous working environment to practice their profession.

KATHMANDU, Feb 18: After receiving pressure from various forefronts of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on his new satirical song ‘Lutna sake lut’, popular folk singer Pashupati Sharma removed the song from YouTube on Saturday. Claiming that such ‘unethical’ action of the government is a serious act of undermining freedom of expression, the general public has taken to various platforms to vent their ire against the government move.

KATHMANDU, Feb 18: The alleged government move to force singer Pashupati Sharma to take down his latest folk song, “Lutna Sakay Loot Kanchha” from YouTube has sparked a debate: is the government trying to curtail freedom of expression and speech by resorting to “reasonable restriction”, a constitutional provision which is subject to a government’s interpretation?

KATHMANDU, Feb 6: A draft bill on Management of Advertisement Regulation should be revised to remove provisions that threaten freedom of expression, stakeholders have said and raised concern over the proposed legislation that many believe is aimed against media critical of the government.

KATHMANDU, Jan 23: The government’s move to close parody accounts on social media purportedly for maintaining social harmony has drawn flak as not only posing a threat to freedom of expression but also violating the established practice with such platforms elsewhere in the world.