Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy
Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy/node/2602605/world
Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy
Pro-monarchy supporters take part in a rally calling for the restoration of Nepal's monarchy in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP)
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Updated 29 May 2025
AP
Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy
Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy
Updated 29 May 2025
AP
KATHMANDU: Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the abolished monarchy be restored and the former king be made the head of state of the Himalayan nation demonstrated in Nepal Thursday.
The protesters, waving flags and chanting slogans, demanded the return of the king and the restoration of Hinduism as a state religion as they marched through the main circle in the capital, Kathmandu.
Just a few hundred meters (feet) from the pro-monarchy protesters, their opponents, who are supporters of the Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, had gathered at the exhibition grounds to celebrate Republic Day.
There was fear that these two groups could likely clash and create trouble in the city. Hundreds of riot police kept the two groups apart and authorities had given them permission on different times to take out their rallies.
Nepal abolished the monarchy and turned the nation into a republic in 2008, bringing in a president as the head of the state.
âBring king back to the throne and save the country. We love our king more than our lives,â the estimated 20,000 protesters chanted with a few playing traditional drums and musical instruments.
âWe are going to continue our protests until the centuries-old monarchy is brought back and the country turned in to a Hindu stage for the interest of the country,â said Dil Nath Giri, a supporter of the former king at the rally.
The pro-monarchy supporters had announced they were restarting their protests from Thursday.
In their last big protest on March 28, two people including a television cameraman, were killed when protesters attacked buildings and set them on fire while police fired bullets and tear gas on the protesters. Several protesters arrested on that day are still in jail.
There has been growing demand in recent months for Gyanendra Shah to be reinstated as king and Hinduism to be brought back as a state religion. Royalist groups accuse the countryâs major political parties of corruption and failed governance and say people are frustrated with politicians.
Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy.
Gyanendra, who left the Royal Palace to live as commoner, has not commented on the calls for the return of monarchy. Despite growing support, the former king has little chance of immediately returning to power.
Russia has plans to test NATOâs resolve, German intelligence chief warns
Germany has pledged to step up its support further under the new government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, promising to help Ukraine develop new missiles that could strike deep into Russian territory
Updated 18 sec ago
Reuters
BERLIN: Russia is determined to test the resolve of the NATO alliance, including by extending its confrontation with the West beyond the borders of Ukraine, the Germanyâs foreign intelligence chief told the Table Media news organization.
Bruno Kahl, head of the Federal Intelligence Service, said his agency had clear intelligence indications that Russian officials believed the collective defense obligations enshrined in the NATO treaty no longer had practical force.
âWe are quite certain, and we have intelligence showing it, that Ukraine is only a step on the journey westward,â Kahl told Table Media in a podcast interview.
âThat doesnât mean we expect tank armies to roll westwards,â he added. âBut we see that NATOâs collective defense promise is to be tested.â
Germany, already the second-largest provider of armaments and financial support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, has pledged to step up its support further under the new government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, promising to help Ukraine develop new missiles that could strike deep into Russian territory.
Without detailing the nature of his intelligence sources, Kahl said Russian officials were envisaging confrontations that fell short of a full military engagement that would test whether the US would really live up to its mutual aid obligations under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
âThey donât need to dispatch armies of tanks for that,â he said. âItâs enough to send little green men to Estonia to protect supposedly oppressed Russian minorities.â
Russiaâs 2014 annexation of Crimea involved occupation of buildings and offices by Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes, who came to be known as the âlittle green menâ when Moscow initially denied their identity.
Kahl did not specify which officials in Moscow were thinking along these lines.
Merz, who visited Donald Trump in Washington last week, pushed back against the US presidentâs assertion that Ukraine and Russia were like two infants fighting, telling Trump that where Ukraine targeted Moscowâs military, Russia bombed Ukraineâs cities.
Kahl said his contacts with US counterparts had left him convinced they took the Russian threat seriously.
âThey take it as seriously as us, thank God,â he said.
US State Dept resumes processing Harvard student visas after judgeâs ruling
Under that order granted to Harvard late on Thursday, US District Judge Allison Burroughs blocked Trumpâs proclamation from taking effect pending further litigation of the matter
Updated 10 June 2025
Reuters
WASHINGTON: The US State Department directed all US missions abroad and consular sections to resume processing Harvard University student and exchange visitor visas after a federal judge in Boston last week temporarily blocked President Donald Trumpâs ban on foreign students at the Ivy-League institution.
In a diplomatic cable sent on June 6 and signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department cited parts of the judgeâs decision, saying the fresh directive was âin accordance withâ the temporary restraining order.
Under that order granted to Harvard late on Thursday, US District Judge Allison Burroughs blocked Trumpâs proclamation from taking effect pending further litigation of the matter.
Trump had cited national security concerns as justification for barring international students from entering the United States to pursue studies at Harvard.
The Trump administration has launched a multi-pronged attack on the nationâs oldest and wealthiest university, freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding and proposing to end its tax-exempt status, prompting a series of legal challenges.
Harvard argues the administration is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to demands to control the schoolâs governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the cable, the State Department added that all other guidance regarding student visas remained in effect, including enhanced social media vetting and the requirement to review the applicantsâ online presence.
Macron calls for release of Gaza activists as thousands demonstrate in French cities
Tens of thousands of people staged rallies after Israel stopped the boat, the Madleen, that was carrying 12 activists, including Greta Thunberg
In Switzerland, several hundred people blocked train stations in Geneva and Lausanne to protest Israelâs military operations in Gaza
Updated 09 June 2025
AFP
NICE: French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to quickly free activists, including Greta Thunberg, on a boat that was seized Monday as it headed for Gaza in an operation that sparked angry protests in several European cities.
Tens of thousands of people staged rallies after Israel stopped the boat, the Madleen, that was carrying 12 activists.
In France, rallies in Paris and at least five other cities were called by left wing parties. Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, called the seizure of the Gaza boat by the Israeli military âinternational piracy.â
In Switzerland, several hundred people blocked train stations in Geneva and Lausanne to protest Israelâs military operations in Gaza, media reports said.
Some 300 protesters carrying Palestinian flags occupied two tracks at Genevaâs main station for about an hour, leading to delays and cancellations, the reports said. A similar protest was staged in nearby Lausanne, where police cleared the tracks.
Macron, meanwhile, urged the immediate liberation of French nationals among the 12 activists on the vessel.
Macron had ârequested that the six French nationals be allowed to return to France as soon as possible,â his office said.
France was âvigilantâ and âstands by all its nationals when they are in danger,â he added. The French government had also called on Israel to ensure the âprotectionâ of the activists. Macron also called the humanitarian blockade of Gaza âa scandalâ and a âdisgrace.â
Israelâs foreign ministry said earlier that âall the passengers of the âselfie yachtâ are safe and unharmed,â and it expected the activists to return to their home countries.
Israel has virtually sealed off Gaza as part of its military operation in the Palestinian territory since the Hamas militant groupâs attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
LONDON: For those who want to experience the hustle and bustle of Dubai without actually booking a flight, Shawn Chidiacâs stand-up comedy show in London will offer an insight into the multicultural city that provides inspiration for his jokes and stage personas.
The UAE-based comedian will perform ââ live at the Shaw Theatre in London on June 15. He told Arab News that storytelling and sharing experiences with the audience are at the heart of his stand-up comedy.
Chidiac began sharing his humorous content on Instagram with the handle âLaughing in Arabic,â aiming to introduce Western satire and wit to the Arab region, where it is often unfathomable. He later changed his username to the more personal , which has grown to more than 645,000 followers.
The comedianâs parents are, indeed, divorced, though some people question this when they meet him. He was born in Canada to a family originally from Lebanon, which he still visits a few times a year, and he appreciates the resilience it instilled in him, which saved him from ending up âin a ditch many times,â he said.
Chidiac grew up mainly in Dubai with his mother, who at times worked two jobs and started her own business to make ends meet. In this âCity of Goldâ on the Arabian Gulf, home to 3.65 million people representing over 200 nationalities and speaking 150 different languages, Chidiac sharpened his wit, picked up various accents, and drew inspiration from stories from all walks of life.
Comedy has been the most healing part of my life so far and will continue to heal me in many different ways
Shawn Chidiac
The stand-up comedian tells astonishing stories about life in Dubai. His comedy is inspired by his experiences interacting with people, while his goal is to connect with audiences through shared similarities, or to educate them about his family upbringing, culture, and history.
âThe inspiration comes from the people I know and see, and the things I do, and my interaction with them. So, the more interaction I have, the better it is, which is hard because Iâm a massive introvert,â he told Arab News in a video call from Dubai.
His upbringing was mainly Arab, but also blends various cultures, mainly from Southeast Asia, as well as European and African countries. He discovered his talent for adopting different personas and accents at a young age when his mother heard him speaking with an Indian-English accent and asked him to perform it for her friends.
The closest he lived to Europe was Sharjah, an emirate just 10 minutes from Dubai, he said. In addition to working in a software company in the UAE, Chidiac also worked for two months in Amsterdam. In 2023, he decided to quit his 9-5 job and become a full-time content creator and stand-up comedian.
Last summer, he performed for the first time in London at Cadogan Hall alongside a group of stand-up comedians, and he recently had two performances at Dubai Opera and in Bahrain.
Shawn Chidiac performing during a show at Dubai Opera, May 2, 2025. (Courtesy: S&S)
In mid-June, he will visit London for the second time to perform his first solo show. The audience can expect to see and hear various Dubai characters and their distinct accents, such as an Egyptian salesman in a supermarket, a caring Indian father with his son, a Filipino flight attendant ensuring that seat belts are fastened, and possibly a Persian prince wearing a golden necklace secured by a golden lock.
âIâm connecting as many people as possible through (comedy stories about) my upbringing. Whoever has lived in the Gulf will have a similar story or narrative in their minds⊠The London audience will be experiencing it live, but in their own way and through their own lenses,â Chidiac said.
He said that UK audiences are spoiled for choice when it comes to stand-up comedy shows, and their âpalateâ is different from those in Dubai, where most of his audience are first-timers. Nevertheless, he said that it matters to him that they find his show âfunny, whether theyâre black, white, Asian, or Arab.â
Iâm connecting as many people as possible through (comedy stories about) my upbringing. Whoever has lived in the Gulf will have a similar story or narrative in their minds
Shawn Chidiac
Dubai is a popular destination for British expats, with an estimated 240,000 living there and many more visiting the city or using it as a transfer hub. Chidiac is working on his British accents, including one similar to the documentary-maker David Attenboroughâs and a thick Cockney version from Londonâs East End.
In Dubai, he operates âComedy Kitchen,â a community project that hosts open-mic nights to support other stand-up comedians, and he plans to launch a school to train and teach media skills.
Chidiac said that being a full-time content creator and comedian during the past two years âhad its ups and downs.â Still, this has provided him with a solid platform on which to thrive and give back to his family.
âItâs a very scary place to call home, but it has changed my life for the better for sure. I never, never look back with any regrets at all.
âComedy has been the most healing part of my life so far and will continue to heal me in many different ways,â he said.
* by Shawn Chidiac at the Shaw Theatre, London; 8pm, Sunday 15 June 2025
NATO chief calls for âquantum leapâ in defense and says Russia could attack in 5 years
Rutte said Russia is outpacing the far bigger NATO in producing ammunition
Updated 09 June 2025
AP
LONDON: NATO members need to increase their air and missile defenses by 400 percent to counter the threat from Russia, the head of the military alliance said Monday, warning that Moscow could be ready to attack it within five years.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte said during a visit to London that he expects the 32 NATO members to agree to a big hike in military spending at a summit in the Netherlands this month.
Speaking at the Chatham House think tank, Rutte said Russia is outpacing the far bigger NATO in producing ammunition, and the alliance must take a âquantum leapâ in collective defense.
âWishful thinking will not keep us safe,â Rutte said. âWe cannot dream away the danger. Hope is not a strategy. So NATO has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.â
Rutte has proposed a target of 3.5 percent of economic output on military spending and another 1.5 percent on âdefense-related expenditureâ such as roads, bridges, airfields and sea ports. He said he is confident the alliance will agree to the target at its summit in The Hague on June 24-25.
At the moment, 22 of the 32 members meet or exceed NATOâs current 2 percent target, which was set in 2014. Rutte said he expects all to reach 2 percent by the end of this year.
The new target would meet a demand by US President Donald Trump that member states spend 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the US provides security to European countries that donât contribute enough.
Rutte said he agreed that âAmerica has carried too much of the burden for too long.â
Rutte said NATO needs thousands more armored vehicles and millions more artillery shells, as well as a 400 percent increase in air and missile defense.
âWe see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,â he said.
âRussia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years,â Rutte added. âWe are all on the eastern flank now.â
Rutte also held talks Monday with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and praised the UKâs commitment to increase defense spending as âvery good stuff.â Starmer has pledged to boost military spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2027 and to 3 percent by 2034.
Like other NATO members, the UK has been reassessing its defense spending since Russiaâs full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European NATO members, led by the UK and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defense posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine.
Last week the UK government said it would build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, prepare its army to fight a war in Europe and become âa battle-ready, armor-clad nation.â The plans represent the most sweeping changes to British defenses since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago.