Foreign
How Organ Harvesters Deceived Villagers To Sell Their Kidneys
In Hoske, a remote village in Nepal, some residents have been tempted into selling their kidneys under the false belief that the organs would grow back.
The village is notorious as being the “Kidney Valley” or the “village with a single kidney” in the world because someone from almost every household has sold a kidney.
Kidney trafficking involves the illicit trade of humans and/or their organs. Brokers would often visit villages such as Hokse, and recruit individuals through deception and are uninformed about the reality of the procedure and the impact of kidney removal.
In Hokse, locals feel duped and exploited with some claiming they were tricked into selling their kidney with the promise that it would regrow. They also claimed some died due to the process.
Narrating their ordeal with SkyNews, Kanchha and Ram, in their 40s lifted their shirts to show their scar, recounted how financial depseration pushed them into selling one of their kidneys. Kanchha revealed he’s still in pain and unable to work because of the side effects from the surgery.
“It’s impossible to count how many have done it. Everywhere, this village, that village, so many people have sold their kidneys.”
The situation in Hokse has become critical, with a growing number of young migrant men returning to the village with kidney failure, urgently requiring kidney transplants.
Some scientists attribute this phenomenon to the harsh working conditions abroad due to exposure to extreme heat and severe dehydration.
31-year-old Suman revealed he had no option than travelling to India to sell his kidney for £3,000 after being financially and emotionally broken pushed him to almost ending his life.
“I felt weak and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, it was really hurting. Now I can’t work and I try to tell anyone I can, not to sell their kidney.”
Kachan who also sold his kidney in India revealed that he did that with a ‘fake sister.’ Indian laws states that “donors must be related and they must present the relevant paperwork.” He also alleged that the doctors are also a part of the trafficking ring.
“The agents made fake documents in Kathmandu, including Indian ID cards. My kidney was given to a fake sister. I think the doctor in India knew I’d sold it.”
A pioneering and renowned surgeon at the Human Organ Transplant Center in Nepal, Dr Pukar Shresth, stated that young men who leave the country to work extreme heat consitions, with little water, often return to the country with, “completely failed kidneys”.
“It is very grave because about one third of all transplants are these labour migrant workers who have come from abroad,” he says.
“This has caused a huge burden to our health resources health facility because they account for more than 30% of the total transplant number in our country.”
While locals in Nepal claim that the sales have stopped, some residents are still taking desperate risks in the hope of improving their lives.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic announced his resignation on Sunday, seven months before his tenure was originally scheduled to expire.
56-year-old Vucic ended his second and final five-year term amid campaigning for the October 25 snap parliamentary vote to elect 250 members of the National Assembly.
His departure sets the stage for early presidential elections and allows him to be appointed Prime Minister if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) retains majority control of government.
“I have faithfully served you and my fatherland, Serbia. I am proud of what we have done together,” he told supporters at the Presidency building in Belgrade.
The populist politician, who previously served as Minister of Defence, said the first round of presidential elections will be held by the end of December.
Serbia’s constitution stipulates that the presidential election must be completed within 90 days, with the campaign lasting between 30 and 60 days.
Outgoing parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will serve as acting President until her successor is elected. She was the Prime Minister from 2017 until 2024.
Factor Plus polling places public support for Vucic’s United Serbia, led by the SNS, at 49%. The youth-backed opposition challenger, known as the Student List, has about 37% popularity.
The movement stemmed from the “Students in Blockade” group after the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024, which sparked anti-corruption protests.
The group, which comprises academics, public figures, and professionals, gathered nearly 70,000 signatures and was proclaimed as number 3 on the ballot by the Electoral Commission.
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, triggering a police manhunt for the attackers.
The shootings occurred within hours of each other, adding to growing concern over gun violence and organised crime in the country.
In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols stormed a tavern in Wedela township, about 80 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Police said the attackers opened fire on patrons drinking outside before moving into the tavern and continuing the shooting.
Seventeen people — 13 men and four women — were killed, while 15 others sustained gunshot injuries.
The suspects reportedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two vehicles, which they later set ablaze. No arrests had been made as of Sunday, according to police.
The motive for the Wedela attack remained unclear. However, police said preliminary information suggested it could have been linked to an earlier incident at the same tavern.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said investigators had obtained images of the suspects and were confident they would eventually be identified and arrested.
The shooting occurred in an area where authorities have been intensifying operations against illegal mining and criminal networks operating around abandoned mine shafts.
Second attack near Cape Town
Hours later, another mass shooting was reported in Lwandle township, near Cape Town.
Police said gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue selling grilled meat at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday, killing 10 people and injuring 11 others.
Five victims died at the scene, while five others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities.
Police said detectives were searching for the perpetrators, with no arrests reported in connection with the attack.
Videos circulating on social media showed people drinking and dancing before gunfire erupted, sending revellers scrambling for safety.
Ramaphosa vows action
The two attacks came just days after another mass shooting near Durban in which 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party.
South Africa has long struggled with high levels of violent crime, with shootings frequently linked to gangs, organised criminal groups and disputes involving local businesses.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the latest attacks and said security agencies would continue efforts to reduce violent crime.
“This cannot go on like this,” Ramaphosa said, stressing that people should not be able to pick up firearms and randomly shoot others.
South Africa has repeatedly deployed soldiers to support police operations in areas affected by serious violence and organised crime.
Despite those efforts, shootings remain a persistent security challenge.
The latest attacks have renewed questions about the availability of firearms, organised crime and the ability of security agencies to prevent repeated mass-casualty shootings.
Police investigations into both incidents are ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information about the attackers to come forward.
TikTok on Friday agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and enact time limits and other restrictions for teen users, avoiding trial with a settlement modelled on Instagram-owner Meta’s recent agreement with US states.
A trial had been set to begin Monday in the southern US state over claims by Alabama that TikTok misled parents about tools meant to shield children from harmful content.
Attorney General Steve Marshall hailed the settlement as “a great day for Alabama parents.”
“Tonight, they can rest easier knowing real protections are in place to shield their children from the dangers of social media addiction,” he said.
Under the settlement, TikTok will send $100 million to Alabama and could possibly pay up to $300 million in total if other states accept similar agreements.
Alabama’s suit was the latest in a wave of litigation targeting social media companies across the United States over the harm their apps allegedly cause young users.
In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle a sweeping lawsuit brought by US states accusing it of designing Instagram and Facebook to get children addicted.
TikTok’s settlement with Alabama mirrors safety provisions agreed by Meta, including a two-hour daily time limit for teens, restricted access from midnight to 6:00 am, and suspending notifications during school hours.
It will also strengthen age verification, ban beauty filters for teenagers, and offer young users a non-personalised content feed.
In addition, it includes a conditional restriction that Meta also agreed to: expanding the nighttime shutdown period to 10:00 pm to 7:00 am, if other platforms also commit to do the same.
– More suits pending –
“TikTok’s priority has always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative, discover what they love, and connect with their community,” a company spokesperson told AFP.
“This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens,” the spokesperson added.
More than a dozen other states, including California and New York, still have active suits against TikTok.
The company has previously settled cases against it that were headed for trial, including a Los Angeles lawsuit brought by a young woman and a suit from a Kentucky school district.
Meta, by contrast, has taken its chances in court — with bruising results.
In March, a jury in New Mexico ordered the Facebook and Instagram owner to pay $375 million after finding it had misled the public about the safety of its platforms for children.
That same month, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google’s YouTube negligent in the case of a 20-year-old woman who said she became hooked on social media as a child, awarding her $6 million.
Going to trial would have exposed TikTok to unprecedented public scrutiny of how it handles safety internally, with company documents and executive testimony potentially aired in open court.
Alabama originally sued TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance in April 2025, alleging the app was engineered to hook young users “just like a sophisticated gambling machine.”
The state later narrowed its case to claims under Alabama’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, focusing on whether TikTok misrepresented the effectiveness of features such as “Restricted Mode” and “Kids Mode.”
Despite TikTok’s assurances that users in that mode should not see mature themes, the accounts were quickly served videos about suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol and sex, according to the filing.
AFP
2027: Elections must never be treated as do-or-die affairs – INEC Chair, Amupitan appeals to Emir of Zazzau
Serbia’s President Vucic resigns as ruling party faces youth-backed opposition
Ekiti Tribunal Faults Action Alliance Over Delay in Presenting Witnesses
-
News23 hours agoPastor Chris Breaks Silence on Mother’s Death, Reveals Lessons She Left With Him
-
Entertainment23 hours agoTimaya vows he cannot disrespect Fela or his family
-
News23 hours agoBandit Threat Shuts School, Hospital, Orphanage in Kwara — Cleric
-
News23 hours agoEurope-bound bridegroom excretes 72 wraps of cocaine at Enugu airport(Photos)
-
News23 hours agoGroup Demands Omosehin’s Removal as NAICOM Chief Over Recapitalisation Allegations
-
News22 hours agoReforms in NNPCL under Ojulari have increased Nigerians’ trust in current administration – Centre