AFP Asia

India’s Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan will battle for javelin gold in Tokyo next week, the latest chapter in a brotherly rivalry which has soured since a deadly military conflict between their countries.The Tokyo Olympic champion, Chopra, and his successor in Paris, Nadeem, will line up at the athletics world championships for their first encounter since the nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in a four-day conflict in May, their worst since 1999.Chopra, who took Olympic silver behind his great rival a year ago, had often spoken about his friendly relations with Nadeem despite the tensions between their countries.After Nadeem won gold and Chopra stood alongside him on the podium in Paris, Nadeem’s mother Raziah Parveen said: “Winning and losing is part of sport, but they are like brothers.”Chopra’s mother Saroj said she took some solace in Nadeem beating her son because the Pakistani “is also our boy”.But publicly at least that changed after the conflict, with high-profile figures from both countries under pressure to distance themselves from the other side. The 27-year-old Chopra, who will defend his world title in Tokyo, said that they were “never really close friends”.Nadeem, 28, also played down any friendship with Chopra.”When he won, I congratulated him, and when I won the gold, he returned the same courtesy,” Nadeem told AFP by telephone en route to Tokyo.”(Just as) in wrestling, one wrestler wins and the other loses — it’s part of the game.”- Invitation withdrawn -Nadeem, who is returning to competition after calf surgery in July, hails from a farming village. He became an overnight sensation when he gave Pakistan their first Olympic gold in 40 years with a Games-record throw of 92.97m.Nadeem has competed only once since Paris, winning the Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea in May when Chopra did not participate.The last time the pair clashed was at the Paris Olympics.In April, the Indian star invited Nadeem to India for his ‘Neeraj Chopra Classic’ javelin event but the Pakistani declined, saying it clashed with his training schedule.Chopra then withdrew the invitation after an attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied.In the conflict that followed more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides.”I want to clarify that I don’t have a particularly strong relationship with Nadeem, we were never really close friends,” Chopra said afterwards.”But because of the current situation, things will not be as they were. That said, if someone speaks to me with respect, I always respond in kind.”- Fine form -Chopra became a national hero in India after his Tokyo gold, earning million-dollar endorsement deals with his boyish charm, changing hairstyles and infectious smile.He won the world title in Budapest in 2023 and has been in fine form since joining Czech javelin great Jan Zelezny’s coaching group ahead of the 2025 season.He went past 90m for the first time when he threw 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League meeting in May, but finished second to German Julian Weber.At the Zurich Diamond League last month, Weber once again stood on top of the podium, with a throw of 91.51m. Chopra was second with 85.01m.Along with Weber, also in Tokyo will be two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada.The world championships start on Saturday, with the men’s javelin final on September 18.

Nepal’s army took back control of Kathmandu on Wednesday after the worst violence in two decades ousted the prime minister and left the parliament ablaze, enforcing a curfew and starting talks with protest leaders.Soldiers patrolled the streets of the capital seeking to end the deadly protests this week, chaos during which police said more than 13,500 prisoners escaped jail countrywide.Armoured personnel carriers rumbled past the carcasses of burnt vehicles and buildings on the largely quiet streets, with officers issuing orders via loudspeakers calling for calm during the political vacuum.Nepali Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel held “consultations with related stakeholders and held a meeting with representatives of Gen Z,” Rajaram Basnet said, referring to the loose umbrella title of the young protesters, but without giving further details.Shushila Karki, 73, a former Supreme Court chief justice who many see as a potential interim leader, said the dialogue between parties was critical.”Experts need to come together to figure out the way forward”, Karki told AFP. “The parliament still stands.”- ‘Wrong fight’ -Demonstrations began Monday in the capital against the government’s ban on social media and over corruption, driven by angry young protesters who dubbed themselves the “Gen Z” movement.But they escalated into an outpouring of rage nationwide with government buildings set on fire after at least 19 people were killed in a deadly crackdown.The rapid descent into chaos shocked many, and Nepal’s military warned against “activities that could lead the country into unrest and instability”.Two policemen were killed on Tuesday, as well as the mass jailbreak, police spokesman Binod Ghimire said.On the fire-blackened wall of Nepal’s parliament building, protesters had daubed an obscene farewell message to the toppled government, telling them that they had picked “the wrong fight” — and signed it “Gen Z”.Kathmandu’s airport resumed operations on Wednesday, the civil aviation authority said.- ‘Bad deeds’ -Gangs on Tuesday had attacked and set fire to the house of KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party.He later quit to allow “steps towards a political solution”. His whereabouts are not known.Retired police officer Dev Kumar Khatiwada, 60, chatting with friends at a tea stall said the ousted government had only itself to blame.”This is the result of our leaders’ bad deeds,” he said, but adding he condemned the wanton destruction that saw major buildings set on fire.”Vandalism was never a proper way out of this problem.”The International Crisis Group called it a “major inflection point in the country’s uneasy experience with democratic rule”.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged “restraint to avoid a further escalation of violence”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.What happens next is unclear.”The protesters, leaders who are trusted by them and the army, should come together to pave the way for a caretaker government,” constitutional lawyer Dipendra Jha told AFP. Crisis Group analyst Ashish Pradhan echoed that, saying a “transitional arrangement will now need to be charted out swiftly and include figures who still retain credibility with Nepalis, especially the country’s youth”.More than a fifth of people aged 15-24 are unemployed in Nepal, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita just $1,447.Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked on Friday, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms, before they were restored.Videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.

Nepali youth, digitally savvy but bowed down by unemployment and limited opportunities, hit a breaking point this week, furious at an elderly ruling class they see as out of touch.Dissatisfaction has grown at political instability, corruption, and slow economic development in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people.That escalated into street anger on Monday, triggered by a government ban on social media — later overturned — with at least 19 people killed as police sought to crush protests.The resignation of 73-year-old Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli failed to quell the anger of protesters, who set fire to parliament and a string of other government and political party buildings.Many said that the social media ban was only the spark for protests.Here are some of the factors that toppled the government.- Economic woes -The World Bank says a “staggering” 82 percent of Nepal’s workforce is in informal employment, “far higher than global and regional averages”.Remittances are crucial for Nepal’s economy, equalling a third of the country’s GDP last year and the fourth-highest rate globally, according to the World Bank.Social media is a key tool in keeping in touch with relatives abroad.”Nepal’s reliance on remittances… has been central to the country’s growth but has not translated into quality jobs at home, reinforcing a cycle of lost opportunities and the continued departure of many Nepalis abroad in search of employment,” the World Bank said in its latest country report.The economy has picked up; real GDP grew by 4.9 percent in the first half of the 2025 financial year — from 4.3 percent in the same period in 2024, mainly due to the agricultural and industrial sectors.Nepal categorises young people as aged between 16-40, totalling more than 12 million people or nearly 43 percent overall, according to government statistics.”With around 500,000 young people joining the workforce every year in Nepal, the urgency to create jobs that lift families out of poverty and drive sustainable development has never been more critical,” said World Bank Vice President for South Asia, Johannes Zutt, after a visit last week.- Corruption -The rights group Transparency International ranks Nepal 107 out of 180 countries.Videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok.Puja Manni, a 23-year-old woman who has worked abroad, said the excesses of the ruling elite had been “exposed through social media”.Among the young, there was widespread dissatisfaction with leaders who have held power for decades.The country became a federal republic in 2008 after a decade-long civil war and a peace deal that saw the Maoists brought into government and the abolishment of the monarchy. Since then, a revolving door of ageing prime ministers and a culture of horse-trading have fuelled public perception that the government is out of touch.- Fear at loss of rights – Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission warned the social media ban undermined “the spirit of democratic governance”.Santosh Sigdel, of Digital Rights Nepal, said the ban was a “slippery slope”, while the Kathmandu Post said it “touched a raw nerve” with an angry youth.”They use these platforms to vent pent-up frustrations, connect with friends, and keep abreast with the rest of the world,” wrote the newspaper, whose offices were torched by a mob Tuesday.”They were already antsy, fed up with the country’s woeful health and education systems, and rampant corruption and nepotism — so much so that many of them saw no future in the country.” 

Nepali demonstrators set parliament ablaze on Tuesday while the veteran prime minister quit, as a “Gen Z” protest movement sparked by a ban on social media overtook the Himalayan nation.At least 19 people were killed during rallies a day earlier, one of the deadliest crackdowns in years which fuelled public anger.Protesters flooded the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday, some jubilant and celebrating, others setting fire to government buildings and brandishing automatic rifles.The rapid descent into chaos shocked many, and Nepal’s military warned against “activities that could lead the country into unrest and instability” in the country of 30 million people. Protests began on Monday with demands that the government lift a ban on social media and tackle corruption, with police trying to crush the rallies — including using live ammunition, according to Amnesty International.On Tuesday, despite the government rolling back its order and the apps returning online, protests reignited, spreading from the capital to multiple cities nationwide.”The Nepal government has fallen, the youth have won the protest,” said key protest figure Sudan Gurung, in a post on newly-restored Instagram. “The future is ours.”- President calls for ‘restraint’ -Gangs on Tuesday attacked and set fire to KP Sharma Oli’s house, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party. His whereabouts are not known.Plumes of smoke also covered Nepal’s parliament as demonstrators breached the fence and “torched the main building,” Ekram Giri, spokesman for the Parliament Secretariat, told AFP. President Ramchandra Paudel, whose offices were also set on fire by mobs, pleaded for “all parties to exercise restraint, to not allow further damage”. The call was echoed by neighbouring India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the “stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us”.The United Nations rights chief, Volker Turk, said he was “appalled” by the violence and called for talks.Those appeals did not seem to be heeded.Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the headquarters of a major publisher — the Kantipur Media Group — was burning, and called on “protesters not to target journalists”.Protesters, mostly young men, were seen waving the country’s national flag as they dodged water cannons.The International Crisis Group called it a “major inflection point in the country’s uneasy experience with democratic rule”.Kathmandu’s airport remains open, but some flights were cancelled after smoke from fires affected visibility, airport spokesman Rinji Sherpa said.- ‘Gen Z movement’ -Oli in his resignation letter said that he had stepped down to allow “steps towards a political solution”. His political career stretched nearly six decades, a period that saw a decade-long civil war, with Nepal abolishing its absolute monarchy in 2008 to become a republic.First elected as prime minister in 2015, he was re-elected in 2018, reappointed briefly in 2021, and then took power in 2024 after his Communist Party forged a coalition government with the centre-left Nepali Congress in the often-volatile parliament. What happens next is unclear.”The protesters, leaders who are trusted by them and the army should come together to pave the way for a caretaker government,” constitutional lawyer Dipendra Jha told AFP. Crisis Group analyst Ashish Pradhan echoed that, saying a “transitional arrangement will now need to be charted out swiftly and include figures who still retain credibility with Nepalis, especially the country’s youth”.Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old engineer-turned-rapper who was elected as Kathmandu’s mayor in 2022, and who is seen as a popular figure in the transition ahead, used Facebook to call on people to “be restrained”.”We had made it clear: this is purely a Gen Z movement,” Shah wrote after Oli’s resignation, referring to young people aged largely in their 20s.”Your generation must take the lead in running the country. Be ready!” People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics — while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita is just $1,447, according to the World Bank.Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked on Friday, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms. Since then, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.”This frustration has been building for over two decades, fuelled by corruption,” said a 26-year-old protester, who did not want to be named.”What you see now is just a spark ignited by social media.” 

Tough-talking Nepali leader Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli spent decades in communist politics and served as prime minister four times before resigning Tuesday, after deadly youth protests triggered by a ban on social media.The 73-year-old quit shortly after angry protesters set fire to his house, writing in his resignation letter that he hoped it would help “towards a political solution and resolution of the problems”.On Monday, after at least 19 people were killed in a police crackdown on protests against his government’s ban on unregistered social media, access to the apps was restored — but the demonstrations continued.Protesters also set fire to parliament on Tuesday, and Oli’s whereabouts were not immediately clear.The often outspoken head of the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), formed a government with the backing of the centre-left Nepali Congress in 2024. Oli, often known by his first initials “KP”, carefully crafted a cult-like image as his party’s supreme leader, with life-size cutouts and banners of “KP Ba (father), we love you” seen at his rallies.- Authoritarian streak -Political journalist Binu Subedi said he had “transformed the party’s image as his own”.But an authoritarian streak emerged.Subedi said Oli had considered his word as “final”, and rarely accepted criticism or suggestions, even from his own party.Oli’s political career stretches nearly six decades, a period that saw a decade-long civil war, with Nepal abolishing its absolute monarchy in 2008 to become a republic.Drawn into underground communist politics as a teenager, he was 21 when he was arrested in 1973 for campaigning to overthrow the king. “I was sentenced to harsh imprisonment for 14 years, with four years of solitary confinement”, he wrote in a book of selected speeches. He studied and wrote poetry in detention, penning his verses on cigarette boxes when he couldn’t access paper. “My crime was that I fought against the autocratic regime,” Oli added.”But this never deterred me, instead, it emboldened me to continue the struggle.”After his release in 1987, he joined the CPN-UML and rose through the ranks, winning elections to parliament. The veteran politician was first prime minister in 2015, before being re-elected in 2018 and reappointed briefly in 2021 in Nepal’s often turbulent parliament.He previously said he recognises that “Marxism and Leninism cannot be a ready-made solution to every problem”.In the Himalayan republic of some 30 million people, overshadowed by giant neighbours India and China, Oli previously trod a fine balance between the rivals.He was cordial to both but reached out to Beijing to decrease Nepal’s dependence on New Delhi, with promises of economic growth helping him gain popularity.Oli also stoked populist rhetoric against India, which is often portrayed as acting like an overbearing “big brother” to Nepal.

Nepali youth protesters set fire to parliament on Tuesday as the veteran prime minister obeyed furious crowds to quit, a day after one of the deadliest crackdowns in years in which at least 19 people were killed.The protests, which began on Monday with demands that the government lift a ban on social media and tackle corruption, reignited despite the apps going back online.Demonstrators on Tuesday attacked and set fire to KP Sharma Oli’s house, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party.Shortly after, chanting protesters — some wielding assault rifles, according to an AFP reporter at the site — gathered outside main government buildings.Plumes of smoke also covered Nepal’s parliament as demonstrators set the building ablaze.”Hundreds have breached the parliament area and torched the main building,” Ekram Giri, spokesman for the Parliament Secretariat, told AFP. Protesters, mostly young men, were seen waving the country’s national flag as they dodged water cannons deployed by the security forces.Other demonstrators targeted the properties of politicians and government buildings.Kathmandu’s airport remains open, but some flights were cancelled after smoke from fires affected visibility, airport spokesman Rinji Sherpa said.”I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today… in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems,” Oli said Tuesday in a statement.His political career stretched nearly six decades, a period that saw a decade-long civil war, with Nepal abolishing its absolute monarchy in 2008 to become a republic.First elected as prime minister in 2015, he was re-elected in 2018, reappointed briefly in 2021, and then took power in 2024 after his Communist Party forged a coalition government with the centre-left Nepali Congress in the often-volatile parliament.His resignation followed that of three other ministers, and came despite the government repealing the ban.Bringing social media back online “was among the Gen Z’s demands”, Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung told AFP, referring to young people aged largely in their 20s.The ban fed into existing anger at the government in a country with a youth bulge.People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics — while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita is just $1,447, according to the World Bank.- Live ammunition -Slogans demanding accountability from the authorities have been a feature at the protests.”Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state — that shows the scale of police brutality,” said 23-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari.Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked on Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms.Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters on Monday, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business. Others rely on the apps for messaging.”This isn’t just about social media — it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” The Kathmandu Post newspaper wrote.”Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal,” it added.”For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past, including to Telegram in July, citing a rise in online fraud.It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

Nepal rolled back its social media ban on Tuesday, a day after at least 19 people were killed in youth protests demanding that the government lift its restrictions and tackle corruption.All major social media apps were working, an AFP reporter in Kathmandu said, as the government ordered a probe into the violence that saw police launch one of the deadliest crackdowns on protesters for years.”The social media platforms have been opened, which was among the Gen Z’s demands,” Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung told AFP, referring to young people aged largely in their 20s.”We are open to talk with the protesters.”A curfew was imposed in several cities on Tuesday morning, but groups angry over the violence and deaths defied it.Some targeted the properties of politicians and government buildings, according to an AFP photographer and local media reports.Others burnt tyres, shouting slogans demanding accountability from the authorities.”Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state — that shows the scale of police brutality,” 23-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari said Tuesday, who took in the protests a day earlier.”The government … have to take responsibility for the lives that were lost.”Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked on Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms.The ban sparked widespread fury, especially among the younger generation who rely heavily on the apps for communication.Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters on Monday, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.One eyewitness said she had “never seen such a disturbing situation” at the hospital where dozens of the 400 injured were treated.”Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work,” said Ranjana Nepal, information officer at the Civil Hospital, speaking during the protests.- ‘Silencing an entire generation’ -Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, in a letter issued overnight, after an emergency cabinet meeting where the interior minister resigned, said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths.”The government was not in favour of stopping the use of social media and will ensure an environment for its use”, Oli wrote in a letter, ordering an investigation committee probe the violence.The ban fed into anger at the government in a country where unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita at just $1,447, according to the World Bank.Police in Kathmandu on Monday clashed with the crowds when protesters pushed through barbed wire and tried to storm into a restricted area near parliament.Seventeen people were killed in Kathmandu, police said, and two more in the eastern district of Sunsari, according to local media.Kathmandu police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said about 400 people were injured, including more than 100 police.Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.”This isn’t just about social media — it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” the Kathmandu Post newspaper wrote.”Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal,” it added.”For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past, including to Telegram in July, citing a rise in online fraud.It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

Nepal rolled back its social media ban on Tuesday, a day after at least 19 people were killed in protests demanding that the government lift its restrictions and tackle corruption.All major social media apps were working, an AFP reporter in Kathmandu said, as the government ordered a probe into the violence that saw police launch a deadly crackdown on protesters.Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — were blocked on Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms.The ban sparked widespread fury, especially among the younger generation who rely heavily on the apps for communication. Many took to the streets on Monday demanding it be repealed.Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.One eyewitness said she had “never seen such a disturbing situation” at the hospital where dozens of the 400 injured were treated.”Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work,” said Ranjana Nepal, information officer at the Civil Hospital, speaking during the protests.- ‘Silencing an entire generation’ -Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, in a letter issued overnight, after an emergency cabinet meeting where the interior minister resigned, said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths.”The government was not in favour of stopping the use of social media and will ensure an environment for its use”, Oli wrote in a letter, adding that an “investigation committee will be formed to investigate and analyse” the protests.Nepal’s Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung was quoted by local media as saying that the government has withdrawn its ban.The ban fed into anger at the government in a country where unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita at just $1,447, according to the World Bank.Crowds held protests on Monday in the capital and other cities.Police in Kathmandu clashed with the crowds when protesters pushed through barbed wire and tried to storm into a restricted area near parliament.Seventeen people were killed in Kathmandu, police said, and two more in the eastern district of Sunsari, according to local media.Kathmandu police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said about 400 people were injured, including more than 100 police.Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.”This isn’t just about social media — it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” the Kathmandu Post newspaper wrote.”Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal,” it added.”For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past.The government blocked access to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok in August last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

At least 19 people were killed Monday when police dispersed young demonstrators in Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal demanding the government lift a social media ban and tackle corruption.Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube and X — have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused.Police used rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannon and batons when the demonstrators pushed through barbed wire and tried to storm into a restricted area near parliament.”Seventeen people have died,” Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP. Another two people were killed in Sunsari district in eastern Nepal, local media reported.Khanal said about 400 people were injured, including over 100 police.Following the violence, home minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned at a cabinet meeting in the evening, local media reported.”I had been there for a peaceful protest, but the government used force,” said Iman Magar, 20, who was hit in his right arm.”It was not a rubber bullet but a metallic one, and it took away a part of my hand. The doctor says I need to undergo an operation.”Sirens wailed through the city as the injured were taken to hospitals.”I have never seen such a disturbing situation at the hospital,” said Ranjana Nepal, information officer at the Civil Hospital, which received many of the wounded. “Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work,” she told AFP.- UN calls for probe -The United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe of the violence.”We are shocked by the killings and injury of protesters in Nepal today and urge a prompt and transparent investigation,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.”We have received several deeply worrying allegations of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by security forces.” Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters.The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city.Earlier, some of the demonstrators had climbed over the wall into the parliament premises, and its gate was vandalised.Similar protests were organised in other districts across the country. Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.”We were triggered by the social media ban but that is not the only reason we are gathered here,” said student Yujan Rajbhandari, 24.”We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal.”- ‘Want to see change’ -Demonstrators started their protest with the national anthem before chanting against the social media stoppage and corruption.Student Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting the “authoritarian attitude” of the government.”We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she told AFP.There have been several corruption cases reported in the last few years involving ministers, former ministers and other high-profile officials. Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which is still operating.”There have been movements abroad against corruption, and they are afraid that might happen here as well,” said protester Bhumika Bharati.Violent protests driven by discontent over inequality and lavish perks for lawmakers have rocked Indonesia in recent weeks. A year ago, a student-led popular uprising over job quotas ousted the longtime leader of Bangladesh.Nepal’s cabinet decided last month to give the affected social media firms seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact and designate resident grievance and compliance officers.In a statement on Sunday, the government said it respected freedom of thought and expression and was committed to “creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use”.Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past.The government blocked access to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok in August last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.