Kathmandu, Nepal
Crowds of demonstrators defied nationwide daytime curfews this week to demand that Nepal’s King Gyanendra restore democracy. More than 800 protestors have been arrested over the past week as police tried to break up the demonstrations using batons and rubber bullets. At least three demonstrators were killed. The king seized absolute power in a coup last year, claiming that only his direct rule could crush a Maoist insurgency. But many fear that the king’s current wave of repression will play into the hands of the rebels. The U.S. State Department called for Gyanendra to restore the parliament, saying that would be “the best way to deal with the Maoist insurgency and to return peace and prosperity to Nepal.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘Autarky and nostalgia aren’t cure-alls’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Japan’s Princess Aiko is a national star. Her fans want even more.IN THE SPOTLIGHT Fresh off her first solo state visit to Laos, Princess Aiko has become the face of a Japanese royal family facing 21st-century obsolescence
-
Australia’s teen social media ban takes effectSpeed Read Kids under age 16 are now barred from platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Reddit
