Soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday, amid indefinite curfew in Nepal's capital following two days of deadly anti-graft protests that prompted Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.
The worst upheaval in decades in the poor Himalayan nation was sparked by a social media ban unveiled last week but rolled back after 19 people died on Monday as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds. At least a 100 people were injured.
"We are trying to normalise the situation first," army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet said on Wednesday. "We are committed to protect the life and property of people."
No protests were reported in the capital, but media said about 25 people trying to "create trouble" on the outskirts of Kathmandu had been taken into custody. Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.
Several government buildings, from the supreme court and parliament to ministers' homes, including Oli's private residence, were set ablaze in Tuesday's protests, with the unrest subsiding only after the resignation.
"There are no protesters here," Ram Kumar Shrestha, a resident of Maharajgunj in the capital, told Reuters. "Only a few people are walking in the street. It is peaceful here."
Media said preparations were being made for authorities and protesters to hold talks, but did not specify details. Reuters could not independently confirm the information.
Most of the protesters were young people who voiced frustration with what they called the failure of the government to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities.
For years a lack of jobs has driven millions to seek work in countries such as Malaysia, the Middle East and South Korea, mainly on construction sites, so as to send money home.
Wedged between India and China, Nepal has struggled with political and economic instability since protests led to the abolition of its monarchy in 2008.
India's security cabinet also met late on Tuesday to discuss the situation in its neighbour.
"Nepal's stability, peace, and prosperity are of utmost importance," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X later. "I humbly appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Nepal to maintain peace and order."
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Pakistan has joined a Saudi-led multinational maritime coalition to help protect key shipping routes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as attacks ...
Thousands of people spent the night on beaches, waiting by fences or wading through the sea in the hope of reaching Europe, as an estimated 49,000 mig...
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting local authorities to call for a national emergency and military deployment.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture has risen to 30, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday, as water and power shortages left survivors exposed to extreme summer heat.
Thousands of people spent the night on beaches, waiting by fences or wading through the sea in the hope of reaching Europe, as an estimated 49,000 migrants crossed into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
Carlos Cordeiro, senior adviser to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has resigned with immediate effect in protest over proposals to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, calling the plan "a bad deal for football."
Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, and an oil refinery overnight, while Moscow said its forces struck a ship carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 31st of July, covering the latest developments.
At least 18 coal miners have been killed and 14 others remain trapped after a powerful methane gas explosion caused part of a mining complex to collapse in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment