Latest Kathmandu Stories

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's King Gyanendra said on Friday after weeks of violent anti-monarchy protests he would restore political power to the people but the largest party said he had not gone far enough and vowed more demonstrations. At least 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in police action against protesters since a seven-party alliance launched a campaign on April 6 to demand restoration of multi-party democracy. King Gyanendra sought to ease the...

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's King Gyanendra, facing sweeping anti-monarchy protests, said on Friday he was restoring political power to the people, but the country's largest party said that was not enough. "Executive power of the kingdom of Nepal, which was in our safekeeping, shall from this day be returned to the people," King Gyanendra said in an address to the nation in the Nepali language. "We ask the seven-party alliance to recommend the name for the post of...

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's King Gyanendra, facing sweeping anti-monarchy protests, said on Friday he was handing over political power to the people and asked a seven-party alliance to choose a new prime minister. There was no immediate reaction from the parties which have spearheaded more than two weeks of violent protests to force the restoration of democracy. But the king appeared to rule out any change of the constitution to curb his powers, which has been one of...

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's King Gyanendra said on Friday he was handing over power to political parties and asked them to recommend a new prime minister. "Executive power of the kingdom of Nepal, which was in our safekeeping, shall from this day be returned to the people," he said in Nepali in an address to the nation. "We ask the seven-party alliance to recommend the name for the post of prime minister at the earliest."

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's King Gyanendra will address the nation at 7 p.m. (9:15 a.m. EDT) on Friday, state television said, amid widespread speculation that he would hand over political power to an all-party government. After more than two weeks of violent street protests demanding he restore democracy, the embattled monarch has come under tremendous international pressure to relent. At least 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the pro-democracy...

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Anti-monarchy protesters in Nepal burned Tires and threw logs and barbed wire across the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Friday as a curfew imposed to prevent a march on King Gyanendra's palace came into force. Black smoke rose from several places in the city of 1.5 million people as protesters, angry at the king's sacking of the government last year, tried to block the movement of police and troops. The protests started two weeks ago but an...

Please read in first paragraph ... Kathmandu on Friday ... instead of ... Kathmandu on Thursday By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Anti-monarchy protesters in Nepal burned tires and threw logs and barbed wire across the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Friday ahead of a curfew imposed to prevent a march on King Gyanendra's palace. Black smoke rose in the air from several places in the city of 1.5 million people as protesters tried to block the movement of police and troops...

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Anti-monarchy protesters in Nepal burned tires and threw logs and barbed wire across the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Thursday ahead of a curfew imposed to prevent a march on King Gyanendra's palace. Black smoke rose in the air from several places in the city of 1.5 million people as protesters tried to block the movement of police and troops before the 11-hour curfew came into force at 9 a.m. (0315 GMT). On Thursday, police opened fired on...

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's government re-imposed a curfew in the capital Kathmandu on Friday after political parties announced they would hold fresh anti-monarchy protests and try to march on King Gyanendra's palace. At least three people were killed and up to 100 injured in protests which swept the city on Thursday. Over 100,000 people gathered on the outskirts of Kathmandu and were beaten back by armed police and troops when they tried to enter city limits in violation of the...

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali police opened fire to block tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters marching into Kathmandu on Thursday to confront King Gyanendra, killing at least three people and wounding up to 100. But there were signs the embattled monarch was looking for a way to end the showdown with a seven-party alliance spearheading a campaign against his rule, said an Indian envoy who visited him to urge a speedy reconciliation. "Now the ball is squarely in...