Look: Nepal supporters of former king demand restoration of monarchy
Thousands of supporters of Nepal's former king rallied in the capital Kathmandu on Thursday, calling for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy that was abolished 17 years ago, amid rising unhappiness with successive elected governments.
Flag-waving protesters marched into the city centre from different directions shouting: 'Our king is dearer than lives ... king come back and save the country,' as riot police stood guard but did not intervene.
At a similar rally in March, two people were killed and several injured.
The 239-year-old monarchy was voted out in 2008 following weeks of bloody street protests. The last king of the Himalayan nation, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu as a commoner since being toppled.
He has not commented on Thursday's demonstration but expressed sorrow at the violence that killed two people in March.
Demonstrators are also calling for the country of 30 million people, wedged between China and India, to become a Hindu state again, a status it lost with the monarchy.
'Governments formed in the last 17 years have failed to deliver on their promises of development, creation of jobs and improvement of the living conditions of people,' said 35-year-old street vendor Rajendra Tamang.
'Thousands of young people are forced to leave the country in search of work as they see no hope here,' he said.
Millions of young Nepalis are working in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia, mainly at construction sites, and the money they send home is a key source of income for Nepal.
Supporters of the government staged a separate but smaller rally nearby in support of the republican system that replaced the monarchy.
The three major political parties that jointly control nearly 200 of the 275 seats in parliament say the monarchy was consigned to history and cannot be restored.
All three jointly campaigned against the monarchy and voted it out in 2008 and say their faith in the republican system was unshakeable.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which is campaigning for the monarchy, holds only 13 seats in parliament.
A two-thirds majority or 184 lawmakers is needed to change the constitution, which was adopted in 2015, turning Nepal into a federal democratic republic.
The royalists say their protests will continue until the monarchy is restored.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan: 13 soldiers killed, 29 wounded as suicide bomber rams military convoy
A suicide attack killed 13 soldiers and wounded 29, including civilians, in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, local government officials and police officers told AFP. "A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy. The blast killed 13 soldiers, injured 10 army personnel and 19 civilians," said a local government official in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. "The explosion also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children," a police officer posted in the district told AFP.
The National
16 hours ago
- The National
Rare earths and real risk: Why the global supply chain needs a rethink
They are buried in our smartphones, embedded in EV motors, and essential to jet engines and wind turbines. Yet most people could not name a single rare earth element. This quiet invisibility belies their strategic importance. As the world accelerates towards a more digital and electrified future, rare earths have become indispensable – and increasingly, a source of geopolitical friction. The global supply chain behind these elements is under pressure. China currently produces nearly 70 per cent of rare earth ores and holds more than 95 per cent of global refining and separation capacity. For heavy rare earths, that number is closer to total control. This concentration gives China significant influence over price, availability and access to materials that power the energy transition and advanced defence technologies. In short, it is not just an economic advantage. It is a position of systemic control. But the challenges do not end with geographic concentration. The industry also struggles with what is known as the 'balance problem'. Not all rare earths are created equal. High-demand elements like neodymium and praseodymium, crucial for permanent magnets in electric vehicles and wind turbines, are co-mined with lower-demand elements such as cerium and lanthanum. Producers must extract and process everything, regardless of market demand. That creates inefficiencies, price distortions and sustainability concerns. This imbalance has strategic consequences. Without careful co-ordination, demand for magnet rare earths could outpace supply within the next decade. That does not mean catastrophe, but it does mean rising costs, tighter margins, and a squeeze on industries that depend on long-term stability. Momentum is finally shifting. As the urgency to diversify supply chains intensifies, ion adsorption clay (IAC) deposits have come into focus – and not just in China and Myanmar, where they have long been tapped. Exploration efforts are under way in countries like Brazil, Uganda and South-east Asia, offering new access to heavy rare earths. Unlike traditional hard-rock mines, IAC operations can reach production in just four to seven years, giving them a distinct strategic and commercial advantage. Refining is the next major hurdle. Mining rare earths without the ability to refine them only shifts the bottleneck, it does not solve it. Today, the vast majority of REE concentrates – even those mined outside China – are still sent back for processing. But that is beginning to change. Companies like Lynas in Malaysia, MP Materials in the US, and Neo Performance Materials in Estonia are building local refining capacity. These efforts mark early steps towards a more regionally balanced and secure supply chain. Innovation is also reshaping what's possible across the value chain. Manufacturing techniques like grain boundary diffusion allow for the reduction of dysprosium and terbium usage without compromising performance – a potential game changer given their sensitivity to supply shocks. Meanwhile, magnet recycling and by-product recovery from sources like phosphogypsum offer alternative streams of material with lower environmental impact. A co-ordinated, multinational response is essential. The US, Japan and Australia have launched public-private initiatives to diversify rare earth supply chains and strengthen refining capabilities. It is not just about securing raw materials. It is about ensuring that economic resilience and national security are not tied to a single point of failure. For those deeply involved in the rare earth ecosystem, from miners and refiners to end users and policymakers, the issues at stake go well beyond geology or engineering. They are a test of foresight and preparedness. The companies and countries that invest, innovate, and collaborate today will be the ones best positioned to thrive in the next era of industrial transformation. The 20th century was powered by oil. The 21st will be driven by rare earths. Those who recognise this early and act decisively will shape the future.
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Sharjah: Man helps extinguish fire with own crane, honoured for heroic act
An Asian resident of Sharjah has been awarded for his heroic act of assisting in extinguishing a vehicle fire. Brigadier Yousef Obaid Al Shamsi, Director General of Sharjah Civil Defence Authority, honoured the man after he volunteered to use his private vehicle — a crane — to help extinguish the fire. The fire erupted in a waste transportation company's vehicle in one of the industrial areas of the emirate. As soon as he saw the blaze, he volunteered his own crane to be used with Civil Defence vehicles. His act helped reduce the chances of the fire spreading and facilitated the firefighters' task of controlling the fire in record time with no casualties. Brigadier Al Shamsi praised the resident's courage and quick action, stressing that his efforts reflect a societal awareness that contributes to supporting Civil Defence efforts and reducing losses.
