Twitter Bans Neo-Nazi Handle

Twitter has blocked access to a neo-Nazi account at the request of the German government. The tweets will no longer be visible to users in Germany although the rest of the world will be able to view them.

It is the first time the social networking site has implemented its local censorship policy, which came into force in January.

That policy allows it to block content in specific countries if tweets violate local laws.

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Announcing the decision, Twitter's general counsel Alex Macgillivray said: "Never want to withhold content; good to have tools to do it narrowly and transparently."

Read details: BBC News

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Anti-Muslim film: Afghanistan bans YouTube

Afghanistan banned the YouTube website on Wednesday to stop Afghans watching a U.S.-made film insulting the Prophet Mohammad that sparked protests in North Africa and the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

"We have been told to shut down YouTube to the Afghan public until the video is taken down," Aimal Marjan, general director of Information Technology at the Ministry of Communications, told Reuters.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the film, in which Mohammad is portrayed as a philanderer and a religious fake, saying its makers had done a "devilish act" and that insulting Islam was not allowed by freedom of speech.

Read more: Chicago Tribune

Copyright © 2012, Reuters

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Apple's attempt to ban Samsung Android phones pended till December

The judge in the US Apple-Samsung case has set a December date for a hearing in which Apple will argue for the banning of eight or more Samsung Android smartphones.

Lucy Koh will hear Samsung and Apple's arguments on 6 December, she reportedly said late on Tuesday. A hearing had already been set for 20 September, but that will now be taken up by Samsung's attempt to have a ban lifted on its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

Koh granted Apple a temporary injunction against the tablet before last week's verdict, but the jury then only found Samsung's smartphones to be infringing on Apple's patents.

As for the meat of that verdict — the $1.05bn in damages that Samsung has to pay Apple for past infringements — Samsung has filed to have that put on hold while the court decides on its appeal.

Read more: ZD Net

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Saudi Olympic athlete hit by judo head scarf ban: Safety or discrimination?

One day after a female Saudi Arabian judo player arrived in London – under strict instructions from national Olympic officials to compete "wearing suitable clothing" that complies with Islamic custom – the International Judo Federation banned the wearing of head scarves Thursday. 

The move was made for safety reasons, said Nicolas Messner, a federation spokesman. Judo involves grabbing opponents' clothing and using choke holds, making the head scarf – or hijab – "dangerous," he added.

Messner told the Associated Press that negotiations are ongoing with the Saudi Arabian delegation to find a compromise. But neither the Saudis nor the athlete, Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, has yet made a statement about whether she will compete. 

Read more: The Christian Science Monitor 

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Galaxy Tab 10.1 Faces Ban in U.S.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet PC looks highly likely to be banned in the U.S. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Monday accepted part of a request from Apple for a preliminary ban on the sale of four Samsung products -- the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and three smartphone models.

The court accepted Apple's request to ban the Galaxy Tab 10.1 -- one of four tablet PCs Samsung sells in the U.S. -- and returned the case to the district court for a retrial.

But it rejected the call to ban the three smartphones.

Read more: Chosunilbo

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EU moves towards Iran crude oil ban

[ via BBC News Middle East ] 5 Jan

EU member states have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to put pressure on the country over its nuclear programme.

The move is expected to be announced formally at an EU foreign ministers' meeting at the end of January.

Iran has dismissed the threat of new sanctions and denies Western claims that it is trying to develop a nuclear weapons programme.

Iran has also denied that a record low of its currency this week was linked to punitive US measures against its banks.

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iPhone Sales Banned in Argentina - Find out Why?

[ via Chip Hazard ] 28 Dec

The iPhone sales in Argentina has been banned, not because of some lawsuit or anything but apparently the Government Of Argentina has decided that the imports of such devices is not good for the country’s economy so they should be banned.

 Manuals.ws:-

The Argentinian Government have took some measures to reduce the inflation level andВ strengthen the Pesos / US dollar currency parity. One of them was to block the sales of certainВ electronics temporary, among them iPhone and BlackBerry phones.

Read more: Chip Hazard

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Liverpool striker Luis Suarez decimated by eight-match FA ban

[ via Digital Journal ] 21 Dec

Liverpool's Luis Suarez has been handed an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine by the FA (Football Association) after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Suarez has vehemently denied the allegations, he will be given two weeks (14 days) to appeal against the decision. Liverpool manger, Kenny Daglish is said to be very disappointed and had always backed the player throughout. He also admitted to be "very surprised and disappointed". 

Read more at Digital Journal

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Pakistan to keep Nato convoy ban

[ BBC Asia ] 11 Dec

Pakistan may continue its blocking of Nato convoys into Afghanistan for several weeks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has told the BBC.

Pakistan stopped the convoys in protest at US air strikes which killed 24 of its troops at two checkpoints on the Afghan border last month.

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Australia court lifts Samsung Galaxy Tab sales ban

[ Reuters ] 8 Dec

Samsung finally wins against Apple in Australia.

An Australian court lifted a ban on the sale of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy tablet computer in the country, adding to a U.S. legal victory for the South Korean technology firm in its bruising battle with Apple Inc.

The latest move by the High Court allows Samsung to offer the device Australian shoppers in time for the busy Christmas shopping season.

Read full story for details

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"Ban Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Sales in U.S" Request by Apple Denied

[ Chip Hazard ] 3 Dec

After its failure to block Apple's onslaught against its Galaxy Tab in Australia, Samsung will finally be able to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 and smarphones in US peacefully as a result of denial faced by Apple which attempted to ban the Korean giant’s tablet device in US.

Chip Hazard reports quoting Reuters:

Apple failed to convince a U.S. judge to block Samsung Electronics from selling Galaxy smartphones and tablets in the U.S. market, depriving the iPhone and iPad maker of crucial leverage in a global patent battle between the two companies.

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Apple Gets Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 Ban Extended in Australia

[ Chip Hazard / Wahaab JB ] 2 Dec

As earlier reported about Samsung winning a court decision against banning its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, Apple has rebounded and has the ban extended for one more week to prepare its case against Samsung.

Bloomberg reports :-

High Court Justice John Dyson Heydon today extended the ban on the release of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 to Dec. 9. On that day, the country’s top court will consider Apple’s request for permission to appeal a lower court’s order issued earlier this week, which lifted a ban on the product that has been in place since mid-October.

Now Australians can keep their finger crossed till Dec 9 for the fate of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 

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Syria Bans iPhone to Halt Regime’s Crackdown Coverage [REPORT]

[ Chip Hazard ] 2 Dec

Syria officially bans iPhone in the country in attempts to halt video and photo sharing coverage of regime’s brutal crackdown with the rest of the world, reports Chip Hazard.

The Customs department of Syrian Finance Ministry has issued a notice that declares usage of iPhone as illegal throughout the country. A single line notice (depicted in the picture) states:

 Syrian authorities banned the use of “IPHONE” because of the features prohibited and issued by the regulatory body for communications under penalty of confiscation and prosecution.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Ban Lifted In Australia: Apple to Appeal on Friday

Chip Hazard 30 Nov

An Australian court has lifted the ban from the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, reversing heir previous decision which had banned the tablet’s sales in Australia.

Sydney Morning Herald reports :-

The full bench of the Federal Court – Justices John Dowsett, Lindsay Foster and David Yates – today unanimously reversed a Federal Court judge’s ruling last month that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 be banned from sale in Australia.

“Samsung will be permitted to launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia provided it keeps accounts of all transactions involving that device in Australia,” the judges wrote in their judgment.

However, Apple has been able to extend the ban until tomorrow (Friday) at 4pm while it prepares fro an appeal to the High Court which might turn around the tables. 

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China bans TV advertisements during dramas

Full Story: BBC China 29 Nov

Much to the delight and comfort of the TV viewers, tired of long spells of advertisements when watching dramas on TV, China has ordered a ban on advertisements during TV dramas as part of its reform of cultural activities.

Adverts will not be allowed in the middle of programmes lasting for 45 minutes from 1 January 2012.

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