A luncheon hosted by the Indian envoy to Nepal to celebrate New Year offered an opportunity to the country's warring political leaders to discuss their differences over the election of a new prime minister.Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood invited top politicians to the embassy for a lunch on Sunday where the leaders, during an informal meeting, expressed their diverse views on the current political deadlock.The gathering took place ahead of winter session of parliament.
A three-member Supreme Court bench of justices Anup Raj Sharma, Ram Prasad Shrestha and Gauri Dhakal upheld the two-year-old declaration of the House of Representatives to strip the king of all powers and bring the Nepal Army under the purview of the legislature.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will only travel to Kathmandu when he will leave on Tuesday to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Nepal, despite his wish to visit other parts of the country including Janakpur, the revered Hindu religious site.
The diplomat has been also charged with siding with the Nepali Congress opposition in supporting a threat by the Maoist party to topple Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's government, according to reports.
'The Indian government is better prepared this time and has reached out to all contenders and not putting all eggs in one basket.'
Hundreds and thousands participated in nationwide victory rallies on Tuesday. Leaders of political parties addressed public meetings assuring the people to restore peace and institutionalise democracy.
Nepal plunged into a major political crisis, hours after Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai disbanded parliament with five political parties challenging the move to hold fresh elections, as the president reviewed the legality of the step.
In an effort to forge lasting peace in Nepal, the Girija Prasad Koirala government has initiated the process of releasing jailed Maoists after the rebels agreed to hold a dialogue with it to end the decade-old insurgency in the Himalayan kingdom.
Nineteen parties in the Parliament have already confirmed that they will be voting in favour of the no-confidence motion.
The Madhes-based parties have been protesting for over four months against the seven-province model proposed in the new Constitution that divides their ancestral land.
Glimpses of the protests against the $500 million United States infrastructure grant near the Nepalese parliament in Kathmandu.
Nepal on Friday became the 147th member of the World Trade Organisation with the protocol of accession coming into force.
The sources said friends of India prevailed over those of Pakistan in the European Parliament on Wednesday.
Gyanendra said he was 'compelled to seize power as per the people's aspiration to reactivate elected bodies by maintaining law and order.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Janakpur, the revered Hindu religious site in Nepal, has not yet been officially cancelled despite reports about the trip being called off due to opposition by some political parties, the government said.
The exit of CPN-UML may not immediately affect the Prachanda-led government, which is supported by the Nepali Congress which has 89 lawmakers in the House.
The motion takes note of the UNHCR statement last month, which described the CAA as 'fundamentally discriminatory in nature', and also of other United Nations as well as the EU guidelines on human rights as it calls on the Indian government to 'repeal the discriminatory amendments'.
Thousands of people chanting slogans against King Gyanendra were warning the leaders not to make any compromise with the King and understand the feeling of the Nepalese people and go for constituent assembly.
This new government has been tasked with steering the nation into the June 20 constituent assembly polls.
The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated debate Friday on an Ethics Committee report recommending Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra's expulsion in the cash-for-query issue, with the Opposition demanding she be allowed to speak in the House, and the government contending her views were heard by the panel.
Dr Swarnim Wagle, the official behind Nepal's reconstruction strategy, speaks to Patrick Ward.
Violence in Nepal continued unabated on Tuesday as thousands of people protesting the proposed new Constitution clashed with police in which one person was killed, taking the death toll to 11 and prompting authorities to deploy army in a riot-hit district bordering India.
Along with Modi, senior BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar, all ministers in Modi 2.0 Cabinet, took oath as cabinet ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In all, 71 ministers were sworn-in along with Modi, taking the strength of the Union council to 72.
The agreement provides a 58-42 allocation for proportional and direct election systems for the 601-seat constituent assembly
Bowing to intense pressure from Hindu groups and political parties both at home and abroad, Nepal's Maoist government on Wednesday reversed its decision to replace the Indian priests at the Himalayan country's most revered Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu with the local Brahmins. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Prachanda during a special address to Parliament telecast live by the state-run television.
The Committee has asked the UPA government to stop arms supply to Nepal and not do anything to legitimise the king's "authoritarianism".
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra was expelled on Friday from the Lok Sabha after the House adopted the report of its Ethics Committee that held her guilty of accepting gifts and illegal gratification from a businessman to further his interest.
The CJI said there is an urgent need to emerge from the adjournment culture to a culture of professionalism.
British Indian think tank 1928 Institute organised a special roundtable entitled 'India and the Indo-Pacific' bringing together the High Commissioners of India, Bangladesh, Australia, Canada, Nepal, among others, ahead of the reception in the River Room of the House of Lords on Monday evening.
The prime minister's gifts to the temple are estimated to cost Rs 4.09 crores!
Modi addressed Bharatiya Janata Party's Parivartan Yatra through mobile phone from Lucknow after the Indian Air Force chopper carrying him failed to land in Bahraich due to poor visibility.
While Narendra Modi spent fewer days abroad than his predecessor -- 275 days versus Dr Singh's 306 - he has travelled more widely than any other Indian PM.
'When you come through the hassles and struggles of business life, your mind is wired differently.' 'You are more connected to reality,' Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujral tells Rahul Jacob and Archis Mohan
Thirty six years down the line, the restaurant still continues to serve people and is famous as the place where Sobhraj was arrested.
It is a question that his supporters must ask of the prime minister. It may be enjoyable for them to pass through this phase of going after other Indians. But once this has been achieved to satisfaction, then what?, questions Aakar Patel.
