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Protests against Nepal's short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent Tuesday as demonstrators set government buildings and politicians' homes on fire and attacked some leaders. The prime minister resigned amid widening criticism of the country's political elite. The resignation appeared to have little effect on the unrest. Tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets late in the day, blocking roads and storming government facilities. Army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places. A day earlier, demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the capital, and police opened fire on the crowds, killing 19 people. The ban was lifted Tuesday, but the protests continued, fueled by rage over the deaths and accusations of political corruption in the nation wedged between China and India. As the protests escalated, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli announced he was stepping down. The president accepted the resignation and appointed Oli to lead a caretaker government until a new one is in place - though it was unclear what power he would wield or even where he was. President Ram Chandra Poudel, the ceremonial head of state, appealed to the protesters to engage in discussions to find a peaceful resolution and stop further escalation. In a video message, Nepalese army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel urged protesters to stop the demonstrations to prevent further loss of lives and property and to come forward for dialogue. In a written statement that followed, the army warned that the country's security forces were committed to preserving law and order. It was not clear if the army, which so far has stayed in its barracks, would be mobilized to help after police failed to control the situation. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged restraint to avoid further violence and called for both an investigation into the events and dialogue to forge "a constructive path forward," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. "He underscored that protests must take place in a peaceful manner, respecting life and property," and called on Nepalese authorities to comply with international human rights, the spokesperson said. Focus turns to the government The demonstrations - called the protest of Gen Z - began after the government blocked platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight. But the protests spiraled to reflect broader discontent. In particular, many young people are angry that the children of political leaders - so-called nepo kids - seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work. With youth unemployment running at about 20% last year, according to the World Bank, the government estimates that more than 2,000 young people leave the country every day to seek work in the Middle East or southeast Asia. "I am here to protest about the massive corruption in our country," said Bishnu Thapa Chetri, a student. "The country has gotten so bad that for us youths, there is no grounds for us to stay." Videos shared on social media showed protesters beating up Nepali Congress party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, the current foreign minister. Both appeared to be bleeding, while one video showed the party leader being helped to safety. The party is the country's largest and is part of the governing coalition. 'See that justice is done' Local media and videos on social media also showed protesters attacking government buildings and the residences of the top political leaders throughout Tuesday. The presidential palace, the prime minister's official residence and a building that houses the offices of the prime minister and several ministries were all torched. Thick smoke rose from the prime minister's office building. Earlier, Oli's private home was set on fire, as were those of the president, the home minister and the Deubas. The home of the leader of the opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was also set ablaze. Some protesters blamed the government for the police opening fire and called for the ouster of the increasingly unpopular prime minister. "We are here to protest because our youths and friends are getting killed. We are here to see that justice is done and the present regime is ousted," said Narayan Acharya, who was among the protesters outside the battered wall of the parliament building Tuesday. "K.P. Oli should be chased away." Police fire on crowds Monday's rallies swelled to tens of thousands of people in Kathmandu and crowds surrounded the Parliament building before police opened fire on the demonstrators. "Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media," the crowds chanted, waving national flags. In addition to the 19 fatalities, scores of people were wounded. Before he resigned, Oli said he would form an investigating committee that would submit a report on the shooting in 15 days. He added that compensation would be given to the families of those who were killed, and that those who were wounded would receive free treatment. Social media ban The violence unfolded as Nepal's government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are "properly managed, responsible and accountable." The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online. The bill would require companies to appoint a liaison office or a point of contact in the country. Rights groups have called it an attempt by the government to curb freedom of expression and fundamental rights. The registration requirement applied to about two dozen social networks widely used in Nepal. Neither Google, which owns YouTube, nor Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Elon Musk's X platform also did not respond. TikTok, Viber and three other platforms have registered and operated without interruption. Nepal in 2023 banned TikTok for disrupting "social harmony, goodwill and diffusing indecent materials." The ban was lifted last year after TikTok's executives pledged to comply with local laws, including a ban on pornographic sites that was passed in 2018.

ET Intelligence Group: Urban Company, an online marketplace offering home and beauty services, plans to raise ₹472 crore through fresh equity for new technology development, cloud infrastructure, lease payments and marketing activities. It will raise up to ₹1,428 crore through an offer for sale. Promoter stake will fall to 20.4% after IPO from 21.1%. The company's revenue increased by 34.1% to ₹1,144.5 crore annually between FY23 and FY25. However, it has just started reporting profit in FY25. Further, net profit in the June quarter dropped by 45% year-over-year and valuation looks rich. Given these factors, investors with high-risk appetite may consider the IPO.Urban Company provides services including home cleaning, pest control, plumbing, carpentry, appliance servicing and electrical repair, painting, skincare, and massage therapy among others. It also launched water purifiers and electronic door locks under the 'Native' brand in FY23 and FY24, respectively. It operates in 47 Indian cities and 4 cities across the UAE and Singapore as of June 2025. This apart, it also has a joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.123797333Net transaction value (NTV) grew 25.5% to ₹3,270.9 crore between FY23 and FY25. NTV and revenue increased 20% and 30.8% on-year to ₹1,030.6 crore and ₹367.3 crore in June 2025 quarter. It reported net profit of ₹239.8 crore in FY25 against net loss of ₹312.5 crore. Adjusted Ebitda improved to ₹12.1 crore in FY25 from an operating loss of ₹297.7 crore in FY23. The company reported net cash flows from operating activities of ₹54.6 crore compared with a cash outflow of ₹85.6 crore and ₹237.8 crore in FY24 and FY23, respectively.Considering post-IPO equity and net profit for FY25, company demands a P/E multiple of up to 62. It does not have a direct publicly listed at-home services peer. On price-sales front, Urban Company demands multiple of 12 vs P/S between seven and 16 for peers like Eternal.

Mumbai: Investors may have a reason to cheer Infosys' latest share buyback announcement. In the past, the stock has mostly risen in three- and six-month periods after the information technology bellwether announces buying back the shares.On Tuesday, Infosys shares rose 5% after the company said its board would meet on Thursday to decide on the buyback. Other stocks in the sector gained between 1% and 3% with the Nifty IT index jumping 2.8%. The benchmark Nifty gained 0.4%.This will be the fifth share buyback by the IT firm, whose shares are down over 20% so far in 2025 amid concerns over a US slowdown.123797264Data from ETIG shows that from the day of the announcement of such an offer, Infosys shares rose on three out of the four occasions over three- and six-month periods. During the one-month periods, the share performances have been mixed.Companies use share buybacks as a signal to convey to investors the management's confidence in the business. While buybacks result in a reduction in the number of outstanding shares, they also indicate how companies want to allocate the capital at that juncture.

LONDON: Oil extended gains on Tuesday, supported by the latest oil output hike from OPEC+ being smaller than anticipated, expectations that China will continue stockpiling oil and concerns over potential new sanctions on Russia.Eight members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies agreed on Sunday to raise production from October by 137,000 barrels per day, lower than the increases of about 550,000 bpd they made for September and August.Brent crude rose 53 cents, or 0.8%, to $66.55 a barrel by 1200 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 54 cents, or 0.9%, to $62.80."Prices are holding up amid speculation that production will not rise by the amount the eight members have allowed themselves, and not least the fact China according to data has been buying around 0.5 million barrels per day towards stockpiling," said Ole Hansen of Saxo Bank.China's stockpiling of oil, which has helped soak up excess production this year, is likely to continue at a similar rate in 2026, the chief strategist for commodity trading house Gunvor said on Monday.Crude is also drawing support from the reduced amount of unused production capacity in OPEC+, said Giovanni Staunovo of UBS. A drop in spare capacity limits the group's ability to cover for sudden supply shocks and tends to support prices."The realization that the October OPEC+ supply increase could be 60,000-70,000 barrels per day is one factor, the other is that OPEC+ spare capacity is much smaller than many thought," he said of the reasons for the rally.Speculation of more sanctions on Russia after the country's biggest air attack on Ukraine set fire to a government building in Kyiv also supported prices. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to move to a second phase of restrictions.Further sanctions on Russia would diminish its oil supply to global markets, which could support higher oil prices.Also in focus is the expectation that the U.S. Federal Reserve, which meets next week, will cut interest rates. Lower rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil.