KATMANDU: Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki expanded on Sunday her interim cabinet which was formed in the wake of 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 fueled 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 government buildings in flames.
On Sunday, officials said President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office to the new members of Karki’s government: Youth and Sports Minister Bablu Gupta, and Sudha Sharma, who was made minister of health and population.
Gupta, 28, is known for his work with a volunteer organization called 100’s Group which supports underprivileged communities through food drives and education programs.
Sharma, a doctor by profession, is also an author known for her leadership in maternal and child health policy.
Both supported the youth-led protests as they unfolded last month.
Karki’s press coordinator Ram Rawal said on Sunday that the interim prime minister had recommended two additional names for the 10-member cabinet, but that the appointments were put on hold pending consultations.
A source at the president’s office said that the cabinet expansion is still incomplete as talks continue with youth representatives.
Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, took the helm following the protests to steer the Himalayan nation until elections on March 5.
She has pledged to restore order and address calls for clean governance in the country of 30 million.
Nepal interim PM adds popular youth figures to cabinet
https://arab.news/rja2u
Nepal interim PM adds popular youth figures to cabinet
- The unrest on September 8-9 was triggered by a brief ban on social media
- Violence during the protests led to the collapse of the previous government
Ukraine president to meet European allies after Trump criticism
- Talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami ended on Saturday with no apparent breakthrough
- President Donald Trump accuses Ukrainian leader of not reading the US proposal to end the war with Russia
LONDON: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet with European allies in London on Monday, after President Donald Trump accused him of not reading the US proposal to end the war with Russia.
It comes after days of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami ended on Saturday with no apparent breakthrough, with Zelensky committing to further negotiations.
The Ukrainian president will be received in London by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with the German chancellor and French president to discuss the negotiations.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is meanwhile expected in Washington on Monday, where she will meet her American counterpart Marco Rubio.
“The UK and US will reaffirm their commitment to reaching a peace deal in Ukraine,” the Foreign Office in London said, announcing Cooper’s visit.
Moscow has meanwhile continued to strike its neighbor, wounding at least nine people overnight Sunday to Monday, according to Ukrainian officials.
‘Disappointed’
Zelensky said he joined his negotiators for a “very substantive and constructive” call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during the Miami negotiations.
“Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that the parties agreed “on the next steps and the format of the talks with America.”
But Trump criticized his Ukrainian counterpart on Sunday, telling reporters “I have to say that I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago.”
Witkoff and Kushner had met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin last week, with Moscow rejecting parts of the US proposal.
French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of Monday’s talks slammed what he called Russia’s “escalatory path.”
“We will continue these efforts with the Americans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, without which no robust and lasting peace will be possible,” Macron wrote on X.
He added: “We must continue to exert pressure on Russia to compel it to choose peace.”
Hot and cold
Washington’s initial plan to bring an end to the almost four-year war involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not been able to win on the battlefield in return for security promises that fall short of Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO.
But the nature of the security guarantees that Ukraine could get has so far been shrouded in uncertainty, beyond an initial plan saying that jets to defend Kyiv could be based in Poland.
Trump has blown hot and cold on Ukraine since returning to office in January, initially embracing Putin and chastising Zelensky for not being grateful for US support.
But he has also grown frustrated that his efforts to persuade Putin to end the war, including a summit in Alaska, have failed to produce results and he recently slapped sanctions on Russian oil firms.
