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KATMANDU: Nepal’s capital on Saturday took a step back toward normality after deadly anti-corruption protests, as daily life returned with a curfew eased and an interim prime minister sworn into office.
Soldiers scaled back their presence on the streets, where they had been deployed in large numbers since Wednesday after violent demonstrations toppled the government and left parliament in flames.
At least 51 people were killed in the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
On Friday evening, 73-year-old former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as interim leader, tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future.
Parliament was later dissolved, elections set for March 5, 2026, and work to restore the government began.
By Saturday morning, the mood on the streets was calmer, with markets opening, traffic returning and families visiting temples.

’Satisfied today’

For many Nepalis, Karki’s appointment carried both symbolic weight and the promise of change.
“Nepal has got its first woman prime minister,” said Suraj Bhattarai, 51, a social worker.
“We think that the prime minister — our former chief justice — will address Nepal’s fight against corruption and take good governance forward.”
The appointment of Karki, known for her independence, came after intense negotiations by army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Ram Chandra Paudel, including with “Gen Z” representatives, the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement.
Thousands of young activists had used the app Discord to debate the next steps — and name Karki as their choice of next leader.
The new prime minster appeared to be widely welcomed as people sought to put the unrest behind them.
“The interim government decision is good for now,” said Durga Magar, 23, who works in a Katmandu shop.
“The main issue for the people, especially young people, at this time is corruption,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is Gen Z, or anyone older in politics who tackles it — it just needs to stop,” she added.
Protests, which began Monday and escalated on Tuesday, fed into long-standing economic woes in Nepal.
A fifth of people aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447.
“We don’t know what will happen in the future now but we are satisfied today and hope it will not remain as tense ahead,” Magar added.

’Musical chairs’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered his “best wishes” to Karki, adding that New Delhi was “firmly committed to the peace, progress and prosperity of the people of Nepal.”
Huge challenges remain.
The protesters’ hope of rooting out endemic corruption is no easy task, while in terms of security, more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from jails during the chaos are on the run.
But for many, Karki’s swearing-in marks a break from the revolving door of aging prime ministers who fueled public anger with endless political horse-trading.
KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, quit as prime minister on Tuesday, ending his fourth term in the post. His whereabouts are not known.
“They were playing a game of musical chairs,” said Katmandu businessman Shikhar Bajracharya, 32.
“There was no possibility for younger people to come into power.”

WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook referred to a condominium she purchased in June 2021 as a “vacation home” in a loan estimate, a characterization that could undermine claims by the Trump administration that she committed mortgage fraud.
President Donald Trump has sought to fire Cook “for cause,” relying on allegations that Cook claimed both the condo and another property as her primary residence simultaneously, as he looks to reshape the central bank to orchestrate a steep cut to interest rates. Documents obtained by The Associated Press also showed that on a second form submitted by Cook to gain a security clearance, she described the property as a “second home.”
Cook sued the Trump administration to block her firing, the first time a president has sought to remove a member of the seven-person board of governors. Cook secured an injunction Tuesday that allows her to remain as a Fed governor.
The administration has appealed the ruling and asked for an emergency ruling by Monday, just before the Fed is set to meet and decide whether to reduce its key interest rate. Most economists expect they will cut the rate by a quarter point.
Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has accused Cook of signing separate documents in which she allegedly said that both the Atlanta property and a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, also purchased in June 2021, were both “primary residences.” Pulte submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department, which has opened an investigation.
Claiming a home as a “primary residence” can result in better down payment and mortgage terms than if one of the homes is classified as a vacation home.
The descriptions of Cook’s properties were first reported by Reuters.
Fulton County tax records show Cook has never claimed a homestead exemption on the condo, which allows someone who uses a property as their primary residence to reduce their property taxes, since buying it in 2021.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.