https://www.scmp.com/rss/524626/feed The latest news and top stories on Ram Chandra Paudel, President of Nepal. He assumed office on 13 March 2023. Paudel has an extensive political background, serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction. He was elected to parliament multiple times and played a significant role in Nepal's pro-democracy movements, enduring years of imprisonment. His work includes peace negotiations and authoring books on... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year. The 35-year-old reformist and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) dominated polls this month on a platform of youth-driven political change. “I, Balendra Shah, in the name of the country and people, pledge that I will be loyal to the constitution,” Shah said, dressed all in black, including his trademark... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348119/balendra-shah-sworn-nepals-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348119/balendra-shah-sworn-nepals-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:29:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s former king Gyanendra Shah has expressed concern over the state of the country four months after a youth-led uprising toppled the previous government. At least 76 people were killed during the demonstrations last September, which saw four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli ousted and replaced by former chief justice Sushila Karki in an interim capacity until elections scheduled later this year. Shah, who was deposed in 2008 at the end of a decade-long civil war, has largely refrained from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3339506/nepals-ex-king-voices-concern-after-protests-supporters-rally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3339506/nepals-ex-king-voices-concern-after-protests-supporters-rally?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:59:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s former prime minister KP Sharma Oli gave a statement on Sunday to a government commission investigating the deadly crackdown on a youth-led uprising that toppled his government in September. Oli had previously said he would not appear before the commission, accusing it of lacking a “constitutional basis”. “He has given a statement,” commission spokesperson Bigyan Raj Sharma told reporters, adding that it happened when officials reached Oli’s residence to deliver a summons for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338694/nepals-ex-pm-questioned-over-protest-crackdown-which-led-overthrow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338694/nepals-ex-pm-questioned-over-protest-crackdown-which-led-overthrow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:12:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday expanded her interim cabinet which was formed in the wake of a youth-led uprising last month, inducting two ministers seen as popular among young people. The unrest on September 8-9 was triggered by a brief ban on social media but fuelled by long-standing frustration over economic hardship and corruption. Violence during the protests, which led to the collapse of the previous government, killed at least 73 people and left parliament, courts and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330392/nepals-karki-adds-popular-volunteer-organiser-doctor-cabinet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330392/nepals-karki-adds-popular-volunteer-organiser-doctor-cabinet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 13:22:41 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India can seize an opportunity to reset its ties with Nepal and strengthen regional stability following the leadership shake-up in Kathmandu sparked by the Gen Z-led protests, according to analysts. But they warn that any such move by India must avoid triggering perceptions of “big brother” interference – a legacy of its past interventions in South Asia that have pushed Nepal and Bangladesh closer to China. The recent unrest in Nepal led to the resignation of prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli last... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325775/can-india-reset-ties-nepal-sidestep-big-brother-perceptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325775/can-india-reset-ties-nepal-sidestep-big-brother-perceptions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 04:30:09 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China’s swift recognition of Nepal’s interim government reflects Beijing’s interest in regional stability, according to analysts who said that the political transition was unlikely to have a significant impact on relations between the two countries. Former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as the country’s interim leader on Friday after days of tumultuous protests forced prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign earlier in the week. Karki is the first woman to hold the position as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325620/nepals-political-turmoil-not-expected-have-major-impact-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325620/nepals-political-turmoil-not-expected-have-major-impact-relations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nepal’s new leader vowed on Sunday to follow protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began work as interim prime minister after “Gen Z” youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor. Sushila Karki, the 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months. Protests began on Monday, sparked by a ban on social media, which quickly escalated, with parliament and key government... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3325499/nepals-new-pm-karki-vows-end-corruption-follow-protesters-demands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3325499/nepals-new-pm-karki-vows-end-corruption-follow-protesters-demands?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:43:57 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Kathmandu awoke to a drizzle on Wednesday, but it could not wash away the smouldering wreckage left by unprecedented arson and looting a day earlier that followed anti-corruption protests in Nepal’s capital. Fires consumed public institutions, historic buildings and private businesses – including the Supreme Court, the Singha Durbar government complex, the Kantipur media house and a luxury hotel – as what began as Gen Z-led peaceful protests spiralled into attacks that observers fear may be part... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325084/nepals-gen-z-accuse-people-political-agenda-chaos-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325084/nepals-gen-z-accuse-people-political-agenda-chaos-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:14:40 +0000