This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

It’s been a tumultuous week, headlined by violent protests in Nepal, an Israeli airstrike on Doha, Russia’s drone incursion into Poland, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk in the United States.

It all started on Monday as Gen-Z protests erupted in Nepal’s Kathmandu and spread to other parts of the country, triggered by a social media ban. Even after the restrictions were lifted, the Nepali youth continued to demonstrate. The protests turned violent, resulting in more than 50 deaths; the parliament was set on fire, and leaders were assaulted. The raging stir forced KP Sharma Oli to step down as prime minister.

On Tuesday evening (September 9), the Nepal army took charge of security and restored law and order. Now the country is trying to pick up the pieces, with former Chief Justice Sushila Karki taking over as its interim PM.

In yet another shocking move, Israel launched airstrikes on Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday. The IDF was targeting a meeting of senior Hamas leaders. While six were killed in the attack, the top leadership survived. However, the attack has left the Jewish nation more isolated, with even Donald Trump distancing himself.

Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine conflict took another unexpected turn. Poland saw an unprecedented incursion into its airspace – three Russian drones were shot down on early Wednesday, leading to Nato strengthening its defences to secure its eastern flank.

And in a ghastly case of political violence in the US, Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. The manhunt for the shooter continued for nearly two days, leading to the arrest of Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old student.

We talk about all this and more in our weekly roundup for world news.

1. When the Nepal government banned social media, little did it expect that the decision would upturn its fortunes. On Monday (September 8), Gen-Z protesters went on a rampage in the country. However, they were not angry about the ban alone. They were seething about nepotism, corruption, and lack of jobs. Even after the social media restrictions were lifted, the protests continued – in fact, they took a rather ugly turn – the parliament, government buildings and residences of politicians were set on fire; leaders were assaulted. Finally, it ended with KP Sharma Oli resigning as prime minister. Here’s how it all went down.

2. The protests, which hoped to usher in a change, spiralled. At least 50 people have died, including an Indian woman. With several buildings burnt to the ground and public property vandalised, the losses are expected to be insurmountable. Trade and tourism have also been hit. An interim government has been formed after much debate, but it will be a task to steer the country out of political instability. Here’s how the unrest has brought the nation to its knees.

3. Israel once again finds itself under fire from neighbours and allies alike. On Tuesday, it launched an airstrike once again, this time on Doha. It hit a meeting of senior Hamas leaders, who reportedly survived. However, six others were killed. This is the first time Israel has attacked Qatar, which has played a key role in negotiating with Hamas since the October 7, 2023 masscare. While the Jewish nation has justified the strikes, the West, including the US, and the Gulf Arab nations, have condemned it. What could be the fallout of Israel’s decision on the Gaza war? We analyse.

4. From one conflict, we move on to another. On Wednesday (September 10), Poland became the first Nato country to engage in a skirmish since the Ukraine war began in February 2022. It had no choice but to shoot down Russian drones that entered its airspace. Even as Warsaw called an emergency session of the UNSC on Friday (September 12), Trump said that the incursion could have been a mistake. But was it?

5. The biggest story from the US this week was the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The rightwing conservative, who was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University, was only 31. He was reportedly talking about guns when a single bullet fired from a nearby roof hit him in the neck. He started bleeding profusely. Here’s how the outrageous killing unfolded.

6. Kirk was an ally of President Trump. He was known for his divisive views – he criticised Indian immigrants in the US, dubbed Covid as a “China virus”, and said gun deaths were “worth it”. A look at his most controversial takes.

7. America, in many ways, seems to be shutting its doors to the world. After cracking down on immigrants, its leaders are now targeting outsourcing jobs. A new bill was introduced in the Senate that targets how global companies run their operations. It is called the Halting International Relocation of Employment (HIRE) Act, and it could hurt the India IT sector.

8. Amid the doom and the gloom, our last story is about hope. Russia has recently claimed that its cancer vaccine is ready for use. Enteromix has reportedly achieved 100 per cent efficacy in clinical trials. How does it work?

That’s all from us this week. Hope you enjoy our recommendations, and you can find more such explainers here.