At least 10 protesters were killed Monday after Nepal police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in Kathmandu demanding the government lift its ban on social media 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.

“Until now, 10 protesters have died and 87 are injured,” Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP.

“The crowds are still in the streets”.

Many of the injured were being treated at the nearby Civil Hospital, according to its information officer Ranjana Nepal.

READ ALSO:Generation Z Protests In Nepal Over Social Media Ban, Corruption

“I have never seen such a disturbing situation at the hospital,” she told AFP.

“Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work”.

Waving national flags, young demonstrators in the capital Kathmandu started the protest with the national anthem before unleashing chants against the social media prohibitions and corruption.

The crowd swelled as it crossed into a restricted area close to the parliament and pushed through barbed wire.

Violence erupted in the streets as police baton-charged protesters, some of whom climbed over the wall into the parliament premises.

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The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president’s residence, and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister’s office.

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 want to see change’ –

“We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal.”

Another student, Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government.

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“We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she told AFP.

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 (the government) are afraid that might happen here as well,” said protester Bhumika Bharati.

The cabinet decided last month to give the affected companies seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact, and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer.

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The decision came after a Supreme Court order in September last year.

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.

AFP

France’s parliament on Monday ousted the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after just nine months in office, leaving President Emmanuel Macron scrambling to find a successor and plunging the country into a new political crisis.

Bayrou, who has been in the job for just nine months, had blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a lengthy standoff over his austerity budget, which foresees almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France’s debt pile.

Bayrou, the first premier in the history of modern France to be ousted in a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence vote, will submit his resignation on Tuesday morning, according to a person close to him who asked not to be named.

In the vote in the National Assembly, 364 deputies voted that they had no confidence in the government, while just 194 gave it their confidence. “In line with Article 50 of the constitution, the prime minister must submit the resignation of his government,” said Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.

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Bayrou is the sixth prime minister under Macron since his 2017 election, but the fifth since 2022. Bayrou’s ousting leaves the French head of state with a new domestic headache at a time when he is leading diplomatic efforts on the Ukraine war.

But defending his decision to call the high-risk confidence vote, Bayrou told the National Assembly, “The biggest risk was not to take one, to let things continue without anything changing… and have business as usual.”

Describing the debt pile as “life-threatening” for France, Bayrou said his government had put forward a plan so that the country could “in a few years’ time escape the inexorable tide of debt that is submerging it.”

“You have the power to overthrow the government,” but not “to erase reality,” Bayrou told the MPs in a doomed final bid to save his government before the vote.

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Unpopular president

Macron now faces one of the most critical decisions of his presidency—appoint a seventh prime minister to try to thrash out a compromise, or call snap elections in a bid to have a more accommodating parliament.

There is no guarantee an election would result in any improvement in the fortunes of Macron’s centre-right bloc in parliament.

And although the Socialist Party (PS) has expressed readiness to lead a new government, it is far from clear whether such an administration could survive.

Heavyweight right-wing cabinet ministers, such as Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, are trusted by Macron but risk being voted out by the left.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: French Prime Minister Removed In No-confidence Vote

According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone for Le Figaro newspaper, 64 per cent of the French want Macron to resign rather than name a new prime minister, a move he has ruled out.

He is forbidden from standing for a third term in 2027.

Around 77 per cent of people do not approve of his work, Macron’s worst-ever such rating, according to an Ifop poll for the Ouest-France daily.

Le Pen ruling

Alongside political upheaval, France is also facing social tensions.

A left-wing collective named “Block Everything” is calling for a day of action on Wednesday, and trade unions have urged workers to strike on September 18.

The 2027 presidential election, meanwhile, remains wide open, with analysts predicting the French far right will have its best-ever chance of winning.

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Three-time presidential candidate for the National Rally (RN), Marine Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.

Le Pen was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, two of which were suspended, and a fine of 100,000 euros ($117,000).

The ruling also banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 vote unless overturned on appeal.

But a Paris court said Monday her appeal would be heard from January 13 to February 12, 2026, well before the election—potentially resurrecting her presidential hopes.

Cheered by her MPs, Le Pen urged Macron to call snap legislative elections, saying holding the polls is “not an option but an obligation” and describing Bayrou’s administration as a “phantom government.”

Six African Nations In Abuja To Study Nigeria’s Data Protection Model

Six African nations in Abuja to study Nigeria’s data protection model
, including Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and The Gambia, are currently in Abuja for a Data Governance Study Trip hosted by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

This study trip forms part of a broader effort to strengthen data governance frameworks across the African continent.

The NDPC was officially established in 2023, following the enactment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

This legislation, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, supersedes the previous Nigeria Data Protection Regulation of 2019 and the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau established in 2022.

The NDPC now serves as the independent regulatory authority overseeing data protection and privacy matters in Nigeria.

During his opening remarks at the opening ceremony of a five-day data governance study visit for Data Protection Authorities in Abuja on Monday, the National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, shared insights from Nigeria’s journey in data protection.

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He highlighted the importance of developing a unified governance framework that respects the unique socio-political and economic contexts of each country, while aligning with continental standards.

Olatunji emphasised the need for African countries to design national data protection policies that reflect their own realities.

The study trip, which is more than just a learning exercise, has been described as a platform for fostering collaboration, sharing experiences, and establishing long-term partnerships among African nations.

Olatunji further stressed the importance of continuing these conversations beyond the event to strengthen the role of Data Protection Authorities in securing digital rights and promoting inclusive digital economies.

He also pointed out that, although 36 African countries had enacted data protection laws, only 26 had established dedicated data protection authorities.

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He stressed that the establishment of such authorities must be accompanied by strong implementation and cross-border cooperation.

With Africa’s population of over 1.4 billion people, Olatunji noted that the continent presents significant opportunities for a thriving digital economy.

“This potential can only be realised if the continent develops a single digital market that is supported by free, responsible flow of data and proper governance structure”, he said.

The NDPC boss also said that the country has generated over $1.5 million in registration fees and trained over 23,000 Data Protection Officers in the past three years.

“Data is the new oil, but unlike crude oil, it cannot be exported raw. It must be refined through governance, compliance, and innovation to create value. That is exactly what we are trying to build in Nigeria,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT & Cybersecurity, Salisu Afolabi, highlighted the progress lawmakers had made in drafting the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, which aims to eliminate legal uncertainties surrounding electronic transactions.

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He also noted that lawmakers were collaborating with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to ensure the law aligns with global best practices.

The Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo de Luca, representing the European Union, emphasised that while emerging technologies can drive efficiency, their success hinges on strong data governance frameworks.

He further emphasised that data protection authorities not only safeguard citizens’ privacy but also attract investment and facilitate data flows for regional prosperity.

Political Counsellor at the German Embassy, Felix Reinhold, urged African countries to ensure their data remains protected within the continent.

He stressed the importance of protecting citizens’ privacy and ensuring that data contributes to local innovation and sustainable development.

He also warned against data monopolies, advocating for an equitable and trusted digital future for Africa.