KATHMANDU // Police in Nepal denied thay had been targeting people with long hair as part of a drive against "hooliganism" in the capital that has seen more than 1,000 people arrested in the last week.
"We based our arrests on complaints from local people about youth loitering and making noise," Kathmandu police spokesman Chakra Bahadur Singh told AFP. "It turned out that most of them had long hair."
He admitted that police had given haircuts to some of the detainees but only those "whose parents requested it".
The drive, which was launched early last week with the arrest of 711 people across Kathmandu on its first day, has ignited outrage on social media and in local newspapers.
Singh said a total of 1,200 people had been detained under the draconian Public Offence Act since the campaign began, with three of them charged with possession of drugs.
The rest were released without charge a day after their arrests, he said.
"My hair is two feet long. I sport earrings. Am I a criminal in the eyes of Nepal police?" tweeted Nepali journalist Keshav Koirala.
Rights groups say the law, which permits detention without charge for up to 25 days, is used to arrest protesters and target minorities such as transgender people and Tibetans.
"The Act is outdated," said Hari Phuyal, a prominent lawyer in Kathmandu. "It was originally created by autocratic leaders to suppress political opponents, and now it is used whenever the police need an excuse for arbitrary arrests, including those they accuse of being hooligans," he said.
Long hair is fashionable among young people in Kathmandu and the country's most popular film actor, Rajesh Hamal, is known for his shoulder-length locks.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets