Nepal became the third country in South Asia to see a violent uprising topple its government since 2022. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned after more than 20 people died in clashes with police during anti-government demonstrations triggered by a social media ban in the face of anti-corruption protests. A nationwide curfew is in place and the army is attempting to bring the situation under control after protesters stormed parliament and set fire to the homes of several politicians.

Protests began on Monday (Sep. 8) 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. At least 19 people were killed as protesters stormed the country's parliament. Despite the government rolling back its order and the apps returning online, protests reignited the next day, spreading from the capital to multiple cities nationwide. Oli's resignation followed that of the home minister, and preceded President Ramchandra Paudel's.

Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas' political leadership in Qatar as the group's top figures gathered to consider a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages. The attack angered Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf nation that has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the 23-month-old war and even before. It condemned what it referred to as a "flagrant violation of all international laws and norms" as smoke rose over its capital, Doha.

Hamas said in a statement its top leaders survived the strike but that five lower-level members were killed, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya - Hamas' leader for Gaza and its top negotiator - three bodyguards, and the head of al-Hayya's office. The United States said Israel alerted it before the strike. But American officials sought to distance the US from the attack.

Legislators toppled France's government in a confidence vote, heralding a new crisis for Europe's second-largest economy that obliged President Emmanuel Macron to search for a fourth prime minister in 12 months. François Bayrou was ousted overwhelmingly in a 364-194 vote against him. Bayrou paid the price for what appeared to be a staggering political miscalculation, gambling that lawmakers would back his view that France must slash public spending to rein in its debts.

Sébastien Lecornu, a close ally of Macron, has been appointed prime minister, tasked with consulting France's divided political parties to try to find a consensus on the budget. The 39-year-old began his political career in the traditional rightwing party of Nicolas Sarkozy before moving to Macron's centre in 2017. His promotion from defence minister shows Macron's determination to press on with a minority government that stands firmly behind his pro-business economic agenda, under which taxes on business and the wealthy have been cut and the retirement age raised.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the UK sacked Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US over his association with the disgraced late financier, Jeffrey Epstein. The Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs that Lord Mandelson had not disclosed the extent and depth of his friendship with Epstein, a convicted child sex offender, when he was appointed as the ambassador. He said No 10 had not known about emails from Mandelson to Epstein suggesting his 2008 conviction for soliciting a child for prostitution was wrongful and should be challenged.

Before Mandelson's departure was announced, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, told an event that he was "completely disgusted" by messages Mandelson sent to Epstein and that his future was "a decision for the prime minister". Government sources said Starmer took the decision during a meeting with Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, after reviewing the new material on Mandelson's defence of Epstein the previous night.