Nepal’s parliament has elected a senior Maoist leader as the country’s new prime minister. Baburam Bhattarai, a member of the United Communist Party of Nepal, won 340 votes in the 601-seat parliament Sunday after receiving the backing of the country’s smaller political parties. He defeated Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress party, who received […]
Nepal President Urges Lawmakers to Elect a Leader
Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav is urging the country’s bitterly divided parliament to select a new prime minister. Leaders of various parties have been deadlocked for days while trying to establish a coalition government. No political party has a majority in parliament. After the deadline for forming a coalition government passed Wednesday, the president told […]
Nepal Reaffirms Support for China
Nepalese leaders have reaffirmed support for China, saying the Himalayan nation will not allow anti-Chinese activities on its soil. More than 20,000 Tibetan exiles are living in Nepal, after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Nepal has prohibited demonstrations by Tibetan exiles and cracked down on such gatherings in recent years as part of […]
At Least 12 Missing after Boating Accident in Nepal
Authorities in southern Nepal are searching for at least 12 people who are missing after their boat capsized on the flooded Kamala River late Tuesday. Officials say at least 35 people were crowded onto the boat, which overturned 400 kilometers southeast of the capital, Katmandu. Nepali police tell the Associated Press the exact number of […]
Nepal Bans Smoking in Public
Nepal has instituted a new law banning smoking in public. The measure, which went into effect Sunday, makes it illegal to light up cigarettes in airports, hotels, restaurants, government offices and other public buildings. The government will issue fines ranging between $1 and $1,400 for people caught violating the ban, with the highest fines going […]
Wild Elephants Kill Refugees in Nepal
Wild elephants have attacked a refugee camp in Nepal, killing two people. Authorities say two Bhutanese men were trampled to death Wednesday when the elephants entered a United Nations camp in the Jhapa district. Officials say some of the refugees were trying to chase the elephants away from corn fields when the animals attacked village […]
Report: Nepal Police Arrest Man Linked to Mumbai Blasts
Nepal’s state-run media say police have arrested a man in connection with the July 13 triple blasts that killed 24 people in the Indian city of Mumbai. The Gorkhapatra newspaper reported Tuesday that anti-terrorism police detained the man on Saturday at his home in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Nepalese police denied the report, which said that […]
Nepal to Measure Mount Everest Amid Height Dispute
Nepal has announced it will conduct a new measurement of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, which straddles the border between Nepal and China. A spokesman for Nepal’s land reforms ministry told reporters Wednesday that the government has decided to use global-positioning satellites to help calculate the mountain’s height, which has been disputed in recent […]