Nepal clamps new curfew on capital amid fresh protests

KATHMANDU: A new curfew and orders to shoot-on-sight were imposed on Saturday in Kathmandu, now into its third week of pro-democracy protests, state-run television said.

The curfew was imposed from midday Saturday (0645 GMT) to 8:00 pm (1445 GMT), Nepal Television said ahead of a meeting of the country's seven-party opposition alliance to plot the next step in their pro-democracy campaign.

Late on Friday, King Gyanendra asked the opposition to name a new prime minister after two weeks of bitter demonstrations demanding the restoration of multi-party democracy in the Himalayan nation.

The three main parties in the alliance immediately said that was not enough and vowed the protests would go on.The curfew announcement came as protesters gathered at the edge of Kathmandu where felled trees blocked the city's ring road.

A thousands of people massed at Gongabu on the northern edge of the capital, where they threw stones, burnt tyres and kept security forces from the centre of the suburb. 

Several hundred also massed in the Kathmandu suburb of Kalimati, chanting: “We don't believe the king's proclamation. Our movement goes on.”