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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Saturday as Washington tries to manage tensions with regional allies following Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and its new settlement push in the West Bank, Reuters reported.

Rubio reaffirmed US support for Israel but warned the strike risked undermining hostage talks and ceasefire efforts mediated by Qatar. He said securing the release of 48 hostages held by Hamas remains a priority, alongside planning for Gaza’s reconstruction.

The visit comes ahead of President Trump’s trip to London and the UN, where France and Britain are expected to back Palestinian statehood — a move opposed by Washington, which fears it could strengthen Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s settlement expansion plan has also unsettled Gulf partners, particularly the UAE, raising questions about the future of the Abraham Accords.

Israel’s two-year war in Gaza has left more than 64,000 Palestinians dead, fueling accusations of genocide and deepening the humanitarian crisis, according to Reuters.

Australia will allow US nuclear-powered submarines to use a new shipyard in Western Australia as part of the AUKUS defence pact.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said Canberra will invest A$12bn to expand the Henderson shipyard near Perth into a major hub for building landing craft, frigates, and servicing submarines. The project is expected to create about 10,000 jobs, according to Reuters.

Marles noted that since the facility is developed under the AUKUS framework, US submarines will have access to its dry docks once complete. The site has already received an initial A$127m upgrade.

Qatar has announced it will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Sunday, September 15, following Israel’s airstrike on Doha earlier this week, Xinhua reported.

Foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic nations are set to meet ahead of the summit to draft a joint statement. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said the gathering reflects regional solidarity with Qatar against what he called Israeli “aggression” that targeted the residences of Hamas leaders in the capital.

Israel’s strike on Tuesday hit a building where Hamas officials were meeting on a US-brokered ceasefire proposal, killing five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. The attack sparked swift condemnation from Qatar and several international governments, according to Xinhua.

The Gen-Z protests that took place on September 8 and 9 not only caused significant human losses and physical damage but has also negatively affected the country's international image and thereby the tourism sector. 

The major tourist season was about to begin when the protests and subsequent arson and violence. This has slowed down tourism with several tourist infrastructures damaged in the process.

As result, some percentage of the bookings by foreign tourists for the upcoming tourist season has been canceled. The tourism sector hit severely by the earthquake, blockade, and the Corona Virus epidemic was gradually returning to its old rhythm. But the latest setbacks have again shaken the tourism sector. 

However, experts and stakeholders still believe that the tourism sector will gradually become dynamic as the situation is not like that of past disasters.

Economist Dr Samir Khatiwada said that despite the damage to some tourism infrastructure the tourism sector is still an area with potential. Although there is a fear that some tourists will be discouraged due to problems at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the entry point for foreign tourists flying into the country, the government needs to promote it positively in the international community.

Likewise, Nepal Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Deepak Raj Joshi shared that a draft plan has been prepared after discussing with leading organizations in the sector on how to make tourism revival effective and that it will be made public soon. "Tourism will definitely revive. Based on past experience and with the support of international organizations associated with tourism, Nepal's tourism will revive soon," CEO Joshi said.

According to him, there are currently around 15,000 foreign tourists in Nepal. Most of them are at their destinations, while some are waiting to return home after completing their tours. Priority has been given to tourists currently in Nepal so that no negative perception is formed. He said that the NTB has also taken forward the work of studying the damage caused to the hotel and tourism sector during the Gen-Z demonstration.

Meanwhile, Hotel Association Nepal Chair Binayak Shah stressed the need for all stakeholders to unite and advance the process of tourism revival. “As the tourist season is about to begin, it is important to send a positive message from Nepal,” he said. “The tourism sector had revived quickly even in past disasters."

An environment must be created to safely send tourists to their destinations in Nepal and to facilitate the return of those who are going back home. “Tourism is an important sector that can bring economic prosperity to the country, hence should be prioritized", he said.

General Secretary of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter, Narendra Dev Bhatta, expressed confidence that Nepal's tourism will recover soon. "The adverse situation created during the tourist season has had a negative impact on tourism, but let's hope that normalcy will return soon and the tourism sector will recover." 

The Mountaineering Association of Nepal and the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) have issued a joint statement, emphasizing that all efforts should be made to make to revive the tourism sector. They have appealed to create a tourism-friendly environment and ensuring law and order in the country.

Preliminary study by HAN shows that major damage has been caused to about two dozen hotels during the Gen-Z protests. The hotels in Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Jhapa, Biratnagar, Dhangadhi, Mahottari, Dang Tulsipur faced the wrath of vandalism, arson, and looting that occurred in popular hotel establishments, including both domestic and foreign brands.

The Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu alone is estimated to have suffered losses of more than 8 billion rupees. Initial estimates show that the tourism sector has suffered economic losses worth more than 25 billion rupees in two days of violence that gripped the country, as part of the Gen-z protests against corruption and bad governance. (RSS)

US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it ordered the mass dismissal of about 25,000 probationary federal employees in February, Reuters reported.

Judge William Alsup said the Office of Personnel Management had overstepped its authority, but he stopped short of reinstating the workers, pointing to limits set by the Supreme Court on judicial power over executive hiring and firing.

Instead, he ordered 19 agencies — including Defense, Veterans Affairs, Treasury and Agriculture — to correct affected employees’ records by November 14 and barred them from carrying out similar directives in the future.

According to Reuters, the case was brought by unions, nonprofits and the state of Washington, who argued the terminations caused lasting harm. The White House and plaintiffs’ representatives declined to comment on the ruling.

New French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has dropped his predecessor’s proposal to abolish two public holidays aimed at reducing the national deficit.

Lecornu, who took office on September 10, said he wants to focus on stability and dialogue with opposition parties rather than divisive measures, Reuters reported.

He now faces the challenge of forming a government, preparing the 2026 budget, and steering through a fractured parliament after France’s credit rating was downgraded to A+. Lecornu pledged a pragmatic approach, stressing that his priority is “neither instability nor stagnation.”

More than 100,000 people marched through central London on Saturday in one of the UK’s largest right-wing demonstrations in recent years, led by anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson under the banner Unite the Kingdom, Reuters reported.

Police estimated about 110,000 joined the march, while a nearby counter-rally by Stand Up to Racism drew around 5,000 participants. Officers reported clashes as Robinson’s supporters attempted to breach cordons and reach opposing groups, with several police assaulted. Reinforcements, including mounted units, were deployed.

The march capped a tense summer marked by protests outside migrant housing. Demonstrators waved Union Jacks, St George’s Crosses, and some US and Israeli flags, with a number wearing MAGA hats. Many carried placards targeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer and demanding deportations, according to Reuters.

At least 18 people, mostly teenagers, were killed when Myanmar’s military bombed two private schools in Kyauktaw township of Rakhine state, western Myanmar, according to local media and the Arakan Army (AA).

The AA said a fighter jet dropped two bombs on the schools while students were inside. More than 20 others were injured, several critically, and nearby homes were also damaged, Al Jazeera reported.

UNICEF condemned the “brutal attack”, warning of rising violence against children and families in Rakhine.

Myanmar has been in conflict since the 2021 military coup, with air strikes intensifying as resistance groups, including the AA, gain ground. Rakhine, bordering Bangladesh along the Bay of Bengal, was also the scene of the 2017 military crackdown that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee, according to Al Jazeera.