Page 4 - Nepal

From Protests to choosing its leader: How social media is shaping Nepal

From mobilising the protests to choosing the interim prime minister - Discord, Bitchat became virtual control rooms

Nepal to hold parliamentary elections on March 5: President's Office

Nepal's next parliamentary elections will be held on March 5, President Ramchandra Paudel's office has announced, following a week of violent protests that led to the resignation of K P Sharma Oli and Sushila Karki taking over as the country's first woman prime minister. President Paudel, while dissolving the House of Representatives on the recommendation of the newly-appointed prime minister on Friday, said the next parliamentary election would be held on March 5. Former Chief Justice Karki, 73, was sworn-in as the country's first woman prime minister, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Oli this week following wide-spread anti-government protests against a ban on social media and alleged corruption. Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday's protests. The prime minister will form a small Cabinet on Sunday, two days after h

PM Modi congratulates Sushila Karki on becoming Nepal's interim PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Sushila Karki on taking oath as the prime minister of an interim government in Nepal, and underscored India's commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of the people of the neighbouring country. Modi posted the message on X, a day after former chief justice Karki took oath as Nepal's first woman prime minister to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli following widespread protests. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office to Karki, 73, at the President's Office.

'Unconstitutional': Nepal parties, lawyers slam Parliament dissolution

Nepal's major political parties and apex lawyers' body have strongly criticised the president's decision to dissolve parliament, describing the move as "unconstitutional", "arbitrary" and a serious blow to democracy. The criticism followed Friday's recommendation by the first cabinet meeting chaired by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki to dissolve the House of Representatives, a proposal that President Ram Chandra Paudel promptly approved. The house was dissolved with effect from 11 pm on September 12, 2025, according to a notice issued by the President's Office. The president also fixed March 21, 2026, as the date for holding fresh parliamentary elections, it said. Political parties across the spectrum slammed the dissolution move. Disapproving of the move, Nepali Congress (NC), the largest political party of the country, warned that any action violating the Constitution would be unacceptable. The Central Executive Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress held on Saturday ...

Important judicial records nearly destroyed in Gen Z protests: Nepal SC

Nepal's Supreme Court has said that important documents forming part of the country's judicial history were nearly destroyed in the recent student-led anti-government protests, even as it pledged to resume operations at the earliest. We remain steadfast and determined on the path of justice under all circumstances, Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut said in a statement on Thursday. We pledge to resume court operations at the earliest to address citizens' expectations of justice, he was quoted as saying by MyRepublica news portal on Saturday. The Chief Justice expressed grief over the damage caused to court buildings due to arson, stone-pelting, vandalism and looting during the Gen-Z movement that swept across the country. Important documents integral to Nepal's judicial history nearly destroyed in the violence, he said. Raut also expressed sorrow over the deaths of Nepali citizens in the violence and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families, while wishing a speedy recovery t

Nepal lifts curfew from Kathmandu Valley as daily life returns to normal

Authorities on Saturday lifted the curfew and restrictive orders imposed in Kathmandu Valley and other parts of Nepal, allowing daily life to gradually return to normal. The development came a day after former Chief Justice Sushila Karki on Friday became Nepal's first woman prime minister to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the K P Sharma Oli dispensation was forced to quit in the face of a nationwide agitation triggered by a social media ban. There are no restrictive orders or curfew on Saturday, a Nepal Army spokesperson said. Shops, grocery stores, vegetable markets and shopping malls reopened after days of closure, while traffic began to flow back on the streets. Cleaning drives were launched at several places, including key government buildings that were vandalised and set on fire by agitators during the recent wave of violent protests. Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation fo

Nepal dissolves Parl, sets elections for March 2026 under interim PM Karki

Announcing the decision, the President's Office said the dissolution was approved in the first cabinet meeting convened by Karki at 11 pm, marking the start of a six-month transitional government

Best of BS Opinion: Is the US still a reliable ally to its friends?

Today's wrap of the Opinion Page straddles borders and ideas, as always; from the reliability of the US, to institutional strength in democracies, to Las Vegas' shimmering lights, it's all here

Datanomics: Internet blocks rare in Nepal, not sole cause of Gen Z unrest

Globally, internet shutdowns have risen in the past decade, rising to 296 in 2024. India topped the list from 2016 to 2023

Regimes collapse because of weak institutions, not leaders or ideologies

To be truly functional and durable, even eternal, a state doesn't just need a leader, a party, or an ideology. It needs functional and robust institutions

Nepal's Gen Z know who they are against; but who are they fighting for?

The GenZ violence that engulfed Nepal is not only against nepo-babies - its anger is broader and riddled with contradictions, making the task ahead for interim PM Sushila Karki a tough one

Former-Chief Justice Sushila Karki takes oath as Nepal's interim PM

Karki, 73, is the only woman to have served as Chief Justice of Nepal's Supreme Court and has now become the first woman to hold the post of Prime Minister in the Himalayan nation

From judiciary to executive: Nepal's new PM Sushila Karki scripts history

When she completed her Masters in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University 50 years ago, Sushila Karki may not have thought she would go on to create a record in Nepal's politics. The first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Karki, 73, is now set to take oath as the first woman prime minister on Friday. Jurist Karki emerged as a popular choice to lead an interim government during deliberations between the Gen Z group, which led violent protests in Nepal leading to the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday, President Ramchandra Paudel and the Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel. Karki was appointed as the 24th Chief Justice of Nepal in July 2016 becoming the first and the only woman as of date to occupy the post. She remained in the post for around 11 months. She has made a reputation of a bold and fair justice with zero tolerance to corruption, remarked Dinesh Tripathi, Senior Advocate. As a bold and determined justice, she has stood strong against ...

Ex-Chief Justice Sushila Karki named Nepal's interim leader amid turmoil

At least 51 people died and more than 1,300 were injured in the violence on Monday and Tuesday

Andhra govt rescues over 150 Telugu people stranded in violence-hit Nepal

More than 150 Telugu people stranded in Nepal were rescued and brought back to Andhra Pradesh, with many thanking the state government for its efforts, the ruling TDP party said on Friday. Several evacuees narrated their ordeal on arrival in video clips shared with journalists, claiming that the hotel in Pokhara where they were staying was allegedly set on fire. Our hotel in Pokhara was allegedly burnt, but Andhra Pradesh officials guided us to safety and brought us back home, K Murthy, one of the passengers, said in the video byte. Another evacuee, P Srinivas, said his group of 10 was stranded in Pokhara when unrest broke out. The government of Andhra Pradesh helped us reach Vizag safely, he said. Prabhakar Reddy, who returned with his wife and 81 others, recalled, I saw people pelting stones and burning buildings in Kathmandu. It was worse than a nightmare. Many of the evacuees were Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) employees who had travelled on a planned tour. After th

Nepal unrest: Bus carrying Indians 'attacked' near Kathmandu; many injured

An Indian tourist bus returning from the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu was allegedly attacked by protesters amid the ongoing unrest in Nepal, leaving several passengers injured, the bus driver has claimed. The alleged incident took place on September 9 near Sonauli on the India-Nepal border, when the agitators targeted the bus carrying 49 Indians. Stones were reportedly pelted, shattering windows and injuring passengers, including women and the aged, the driver claimed. According to reports, the local authorities admitted the injured to a hospital in Kathmandu, while the remaining passengers were flown back to India on a special plane arranged by the Indian Embassy with the help of the Nepalese government. Talking to reporters in Sonauli here, bus driver Ramu Nishad said: "We were returning after having darshan (at the Pashupatinath temple), when suddenly a mob surrounded our bus and attacked without reason. There were women and elderly people among the passengers, but the ...

Nepal eases visa, exit rules for stranded foreign nationals amid unrest

Nepal authorities have announced temporary measures to facilitate foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the ongoing curfew in the Kathmandu Valley. According to Immigration officials, international travellers whose visas were valid through September 8 can now obtain exit permits and regularise their visas without paying additional fees, The Himalayan Times reported on Friday. The facility will be available both at immigration offices and at departure points. Authorities have also put in place arrangements for visa transfers in cases where visitors lost their passports during the disturbances. Travellers carrying emergency passports or other travel documents issued by their respective embassies will have their visas transferred to the new documents under existing rules, ensuring a smooth departure from Nepal, the officials said. A prohibitory order is in place in Kathmandu from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. A curfew order will come into effect from 7:00 pm Friday to 6:00 am Satur

Nepal Gen Z protests: Toll rises to 34; high-level crisis meet at 2 pm

Earlier on Thursday, the leaders of the Gen-Z protest in a press conference also collectively endorsed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as their nominee for interim Prime Minister

Ex-chief justice Sushila Karki likely to head caretaker govt in Nepal

Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki is likely to be appointed as the head of a caretaker government in Nepal, which would conduct fresh elections, addressing the demands of the agitating group, according to sources. Talks among various stakeholders, including representatives of the Gen Z group -- which spearheaded the anti-government protests -- the Army chief, and President Ramchandra Paudel, ended inconclusively at Thursday midnight. However, the youth-led Gen Z group proposed Karki's name for the post of new prime minister, multiple sources said. President Paudel is expected to appoint Karki as the first female prime minister of Nepal on Friday morning. The president is currently holding consultations with various political leaders as well as constitutional experts to find a way out of the current political impasse, according to sources close to the president. Two options were considered for forming the new government: dissolving Parliament or retaining it. However, the agitatin

News Highlights: AAP leader Sanjay Singh hits out at J-K 'house arrest'

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