DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Nepal registers its first same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Local authorities in a village in Nepal registered the Himalayan nation’s first same-sex marriage on Wednesday, officials and activists said, five months after the Supreme Court issued an interim order clearing the way for such marriages in the largely conservative country. “We have issued the marriage registration certificate to the couple in consideration of the Supreme Court order and instructions from relevant government authorities,” said Hem Raj Kafle, chief administrative officer of the Dordi rural municipality. In June, the country’s Supreme Court issued an interim order allowing same-sex couples to register their marriages pending a final verdict. “It will open the door for them to jointly open bank accounts, own and transfer property like just any other couples.”Taiwan is the only other place to legalize same-sex marriage in Asia, where societies remain largely conservative. Hindu-majority Nepal has become increasingly progressive since a decade-long Maoist insurgency ended in 2006.

Persons: Ram Bahadur, Gurung, Surendra Pandey, ” Pandey, ”, Hem Raj Kafle, Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal’s, Pant Organizations: Reuters, Local, Blue Diamond Society, Maoists, Nepali Congress Locations: Nepal, Lumjung, Kathmandu, South Asia, Taiwan, Asia

☆ Nepal registers first same-sex marriage; 'historic', say activists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Participants take part in an annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade, in Kathmandu, Nepal June 10, 2023. "We have issued the marriage registration certificate to the couple in consideration of the Supreme Court order and instructions from relevant government authorities," said Hem Raj Kafle, chief administrative officer of the Dordi rural municipality. In June, the country's Supreme Court issued an interim order allowing same-sex couples to register their marriages pending a final verdict. "It is historic," said Pant, a former lawmaker, noting that it was the first such registration in South Asia. Taiwan is the only other country to legalise same-sex marriage in Asia, where societies remain largely conservative.

Persons: Navesh, Ram Bahadur, Gurung, Surendra Pandey, Pandey, Raj Kafle, Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal's, Pant, Gopal Sharma, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Blue Diamond Society, Maoists, Nepali Congress, Thomson Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Lumjung, South Asia, Taiwan, Asia

☆ Nepal riot police rout protesters seeking restoration of monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The "Citizens' Campaign" protesters say governments in place since the monarchy was scrapped, as part of a deal ending a Maoist insurgency, have failed to live up to commitments to develop one of the world’s poorest countries. Protesters tried to dismantle a police barricade on the outskirts of Kathmandu and march into the centre of the capital, prompting riot police to intervene and repel the crowd, witnesses said. Some police officers were injured by stones thrown by protesters, said Basnet. Durga Prasai, coordinator of the Citizens’ Campaign, said about 10 protesters were injured in the melee, two of them critically. Gyanendra, the last king of the Himalayan mountain country wedged between India and China, lives as a commoner with his family in Kathmandu.

Persons: Jitendra Basnet, Durga Prasai, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Gopal Sharma, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Pro, Police, Protesters, Citizens ’, East, Nepali Congress, Thomson Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, KATHMANDU, Malaysia, South Korea, India, China

☆ Nepal’s Dahal set to face parliamentary confidence vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KATHMANDU, March 20 (Reuters) - Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was set to face a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday after his old coalition allies pulled out of the government over the choice of a new president, one of his aides said. Paudel has since been elected as the third president of the republic of 30 million people nestled between China and India. It is mandatory for the prime minister to face a vote of confidence in parliament after any ally withdraws support. Manahari Timilsina, an aide to Dahal, said the leader had the support of 10 groups and was expected to win the vote in the 275-member parliament. Nepal has had 11 governments since it abolished its 239-year-old monarchy in 2008 and became a republic.

☆ Communist rift plunges Nepal's ruling coalition into crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Splits within Nepal's communist-dominated ruling coalition plunged the Himalayan nation into crisis on Monday as a Marxist-Leninist party said it would withdraw support after the Maoist prime minister backed an opposition candidate for the presidency. Current prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a former Maoist guerrilla leader in the mountainous nation sandwiched between China and India, has held the post three times. Last week, Prachanda infuriated the UML by pledging support for the opposition Nepali Congress party's presidential candidate, Ram Chandra Paudel. Prachanda had earlier agreed to support a UML candidate for the presidency, according to politicians in the coalition. Four ministers, including a deputy prime minister from another party, also quit the government over the weekend due to the same issue.

☆ Nepal's ruling coalition in turmoil as deputy PM and 3 other ministers quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Nepal's ruling coalition was in turmoil on Saturday after the prime minister said he planned to support a presidential candidate from an opposition party, a decision that prompted the deputy prime minister and three other ministers to resign. But they said the turmoil could lead a new coalition being formed. He did not give a reason for his decision, though the Nepali Congress party is a former ally of Prachanda's Maoist Centre party. On Saturday, Rajendra Lingden, the deputy prime minister who was also minister for energy, water resources and irrigation, resigned in protest, along with the ministers for urban development and legal matters, while a junior minister assisting Lingden also quit. Prachanda's office confirmed the four ministers had resigned but did not say whether the resignations had been accepted.

☆ Nepal's 'fierce' ex-guerrilla chief becomes new prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Prachanda, who replaces Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party, will step down in 2025, making way for the UML to take over the office, local media reported. Remaining work of distribution of key other posts and ministries is still to be worked out," Dev Gurung, the general secretary of Prachanda's Maoist Centre party told Reuters after a meeting of the new coalition. The new coalition comes to power hours after Prachanda,68, surprisingly walked out of the ruling alliance led by Deuba of the Nepali Congress party. Deuba and Prachanda had both campaigned in the November election pledging to keep the old alliance intact for several years. The Nepali Congress party will be the main opposition controlling 89 seats.

☆ Nepal's ruling party seen emerging as the single largest in elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Nepali Congress of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has won 13 of 22 results declared, with three each going to the main opposition Nepal Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party and the newly formed National Independent Party (NIP). A five-time prime minister, Deuba won his remote Dadeldhura constituency for the seventh straight time since 1991. The Maoist Centre, a dominant partner in the ruling coalition, is leading in 14 seats and has won just two seat in the parliament. But final results could be about 10 days away, as election officials need to count millions of paper ballots manually. read moreThe Nepali Congress party is seen as pro-India, while the UML is considered closer to China.

☆ Nepalis vote amid looming inflation, political stability concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There are no pre-election polls, but political analysts expect the ruling alliance to retain power. Polls close at 5 p.m. (1115 GMT), the Election Commission said. "Let us celebrate democracy by participating in voting," Deuba said. Political stability has proven elusive for the poor nation, wedged between China and India, discouraging many investors. The Election Commission has urged voters to cast their secret votes without fear of threat, intimidation and obstacle.

☆ Explainer: Key issues in Nepal's national elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KATHMANDU, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Nepal will hold national and provincial elections on Sunday, which the ruling coalition, led by the centrist Nepali Congress party, are expected to win. MAIN CONTESTANTSPrime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who leads the Nepali Congress party, has allied with the Maoist Centre party, the main group of former Maoist rebels. His Nepali Congress party is considered the closest to India. The Maoist Centre party led by supremo Prachanda could emerge as a kingmaker in case of inconclusive elections. CHINA, INDIA INTERESTNeighbouring China and India, with their strategic and economic interests, will be watching the election results.

Search resuls for: "Nepali Congress"

10 mentions found