Asia

Former Prime Minister of Nepal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has dismissed rumours that he plans to flee the country, accusing the current government of trying to strip him of his security and official privileges, Dhaka Tribune reported.Speaking at a gathering of the party's youth wing, Yuwa Sangh Nepal, in Gundu, Bhaktapur, Oli made it clear he intends to stay and fight politically. "Do you think we will flee by handing over the nation to this groundless government?" he asked supporters. Oli said he was determined to "restore peace, good governance and constitutional order."Oli recently vacated the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on September 9 after weeks of Gen Z-led protests culminated in the fall of his government. Since then, he has relocated to a rented...

n the morning of September 6th, a black S.U.V. carrying a provincial minister from Nepal’s ruling party ran over an eleven-year-old girl, Usha Magar Sunuwar, outside her school in the city of Lalitpur. Rather than stop to help the injured victim, the occupants of the vehicle sped away. Many of the powerful in Nepal, like their brethren across South Asia, believe themselves to be exempt from accountability. And Sunuwar, who miraculously survived, became, in the eyes of the public, another casualty of the governing élite’s contempt for ordinary Nepalis. When K. P. Sharma Oli, the country’s seventy-three-year-old Prime Minister, was questioned by the press about the incident, he shrugged it off as a “normal accident.” Oli, a Communist who began his political career as a tribune of the op

Nepal has become the third country in India's immediate neighbourhood to see a violent uprising topple its government in recent years. 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. 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. For many, the scenes in Kathmandu were reminiscent of the turmoil that gripped Bangladesh last year, and Sri Lanka in 2022. Though Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also India's close neighbours in South Asia, Delhi's relationship with Kathmandu is special because of historic people-to-people, eco...

The unrest began Monday as a self-styled “Gen Z protest” against corruption, nepotism and restrictions on social media. It quickly escalated after security forces opened fire on the crowds. By Tuesday, protesters had stormed and torched parliament, the Supreme Court and multiple government offices, including Singha Durbar – the central administrative complex. Homes of political leaders were attacked, police stations overrun, and Tribhuvan International Airport briefly closed. In addition, media outlets and schools were set on fire, while the Ministry of Health and Population was also destroyed, including the National Health Emergency Operation Centre. UN chief urges dialogue UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply saddened by

Balen Shah, Kathmandu's mayor and former rapper, has emerged as a trusted leader for Nepal's Gen Z, earning admiration for supporting the agitation against corruption and social media ban. Gen Zers, who forced out KP Sharma Oli from power, are batting for Shah to take over. Shah's 2022 victory symbolised a generational shift in Nepali politics. "All those who protect the country are fools. All leaders are thieves, looting the country and eating it up". These are the lyrics from a song by once rapper and now Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balen Shah. Shah's rise in Nepal's politics inspired many in the youth to contest elections to make a change. Now, after the Gen Z protests have forced the Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, the youth are asking the 35-year-old ...