Anger over corruption and nepotism fuel Nepal’s deadly protests over social media ban

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s government responded to escalating violent protests over a ban on popular social media platforms with deadly force. The public outrage over the ban and the deaths of 19 protesters on Monday led to the resignation of the prime minister and exposed deep discontent over corruption.

Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli also rolled backed the short-lived ban after protesters turned their anger on politicians by setting fire to homes of some of the country’s top leaders.

Led by mostly teenagers and young adults, the protests revealed a broader resentment in Nepal, where many people have increasingly become angry with the government over a range of issues, mostly to do with corruption and frustration over nepotism in the country’s politics.

“Protests over the social media ban were just a catalyst. Frustrations over how the country is being run have long been simmering under the surface. People are very angry and Nepal finds itself in a very precarious situation,” said Prateek Pradhan, editor of Baahrakhari, a Nepalese independent news website.

Demonstrations in Nepal have been called the protest of Gen Z, which generally refers to people born between 1995 and 2010. They were largely in response to the ban that went into effect last week and government’s larger attempt to regulate social media through a bill that requires platforms to register and submit to local oversight and regulations.

The bill, which has not yet been fully debated in parliament, has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and punishing opponents who voice their protests online. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and violate fundamental rights.

At the same time, the protests were also a tipping point of a longstanding sentiment against politicians, their families and concerns over corruption.

In the weeks before the ban, a social media campaign — particularly on video-sharing platform TikTok — spotlighted the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children, highlighting disparities between Nepal’s rich and poor. Protesters criticized them of flaunting their luxury possessions in a country where the per capita income is $1,400 a year.

Widespread criticism over government’s failure to pursue some major corruption cases and create more economic opportunities for the youth also added to the anger. The youth unemployment rate in Nepal was 20% last year, according to the World Bank.

“All these issues have made the youth of Nepal dissatisfied. They saw no other option but to take to the streets,” said Pradhan.

The unrest is the worst in decades in the Himalayan nation that is wedged between India and China. It is also far violent than the one in 2006, when an uprising forced Nepal’s former king to give up his authoritarian rule. At least 18 people were killed in the violence. Two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy.

Over the years, many Nepalis have grown frustrated with the republic, saying it has failed to bring about political stability.

Earlier in March, two people were killed when supporters of Nepal's former king clashed with police during a rally in Kathmandu to demand the restoration of the monarchy.

Even though Oli resigned on Tuesday, it is unclear if the protesters would stop, as many of them have also been calling for the government to dissolve. Such a move could create further instability in Nepal, which has had 13 governments since 2008.

“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,” said Ashish Pradhan, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group.

The security forces’ violent response appears to have further exacerbated tensions. On Tuesday, protests spread to other parts of Nepal, including suburbs of Kathmandu.

Protester Nima Tendi Sherpa, 19, was shot in the arm by police on Monday. He said the protests began peacefully but turned violent when security forces started firing at the protesters who were trying to break the police barricades.

“I don’t have any harsh feelings toward the policemen. They were just doing their duty by following orders. But I am angry and enraged at the ones who gave those orders,” Sherpa said. “Now that the fire has already started, I believe it must continue until we achieve true freedom.”

Pradhan, the news editor, said the latest protests seem to have a larger purpose and are mirroring youth-led uprisings in neighboring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that toppled both the governments.

“It appears people are just done with how things have been going on. They want a change,” he said.

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Saaliq reported from New Delhi.

Protesters celebrate at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices, after burning it down during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Protesters burn a photograph of Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A protester wearing flak jacket and carrying a shield snatched from a policeman shouts slogans at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Protesters burn vehicles and tires during protests against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A motorcyclist drives past a burning police station during protests against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A protester shouts slogans after burning Nepalese congress party central office during protests against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A protester shouts slogans carrying national flag after burning down a police station during protests against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media that the U.S. Coast Guard had boarded the Motor Tanker Veronica early Thursday. She said the ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, it was partially filled with crude.

The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Galileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for moving cargoes of illicit Russian oil.

As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear that they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)