International
Polls Close In Nepal’s General Election Amid Calls For Political Change
Polling stations across Nepal closed on Thursday as the Himalayan nation concluded voting in a crucial general election expected to determine the country’s political direction following months of unrest and the resignation of former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli.
Vote counting is expected to begin shortly after the polls closed at 5 p.m. local time, with early trends likely to emerge by Friday, according to the Election Commission of Nepal. However, officials said final results could take up to a week to be fully compiled.
At least half of the country’s 19 million eligible voters had cast their ballots by mid-afternoon, election authorities said, with turnout expected to approach the 61 percent recorded in the 2022 election.
The election comes nearly six months after violent youth-led protests that resulted in the deaths of 77 people during a security crackdown. The unrest forced the resignation of then prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli and triggered calls for sweeping political reforms.
Nepal, a nation of about 30 million people located between China and India, has struggled with decades of political instability, high unemployment, and widespread corruption—issues that dominated this year’s election campaign.
Voters turned out early at polling units set up in schools, temples and historic courtyards across the country, including in the capital Kathmandu. Authorities deployed more than 300,000 security personnel, including members of the military, to maintain order at over 23,000 polling stations nationwide.
“This election has to reinstate democracy in the country. Political anarchy, lawlessness and violence need to be controlled,” K. P. Sharma Oli told reporters after casting his vote in Balkot, Bhaktapur.
Oli, who leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), is among more than 3,400 candidates contesting seats in the 275-member parliament across 65 political parties.
Other key contenders include the Nepali Congress led by Gagan Thapa and the Nepal Communist Party, which includes former Maoist insurgents who later joined mainstream politics.
However, much of the public attention has been focused on the rising influence of the three-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party, whose prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah has gained strong backing from young voters.
The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician and former mayor of Kathmandu has attracted large crowds both online and at campaign rallies, presenting himself as a reformist alternative to Nepal’s traditional political establishment.
Nepal’s political landscape has been dominated for decades by a handful of parties, with the country witnessing 32 government changes in the past 35 years.
For many voters, economic hardship and unemployment remain the most pressing concerns.
In Jhapa district, 70-year-old voter Menuka Chauhan said she was worried about her son working abroad in Qatar as a security guard.
“I can’t sleep at night. I worry all the time. My son tells me bombs keep dropping there. I wish there were employment opportunities here,” she said.
Analysts say the election outcome will largely depend on whether political leaders can respond to demands raised during the youth protests last September.
“The election is critical to address the aspirations of the youths expressed during the Gen Z protests,” political analyst Puranjan Acharya said.
Under Nepal’s electoral system, voters elect 275 members of parliament through a mixed system comprising 165 seats decided through direct first-past-the-post voting and 110 seats allocated through proportional representation.
A coalition of two dozen U.S. states has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over a newly imposed 10 percent tariff on imports from around the world, escalating the legal battle over the administration’s aggressive trade policies.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, was spearheaded by Democratic attorneys general from Oregon, New York, California and Arizona.
In their court filing, the states argued that the president overstepped his constitutional authority by imposing the sweeping tariff, which they described as an unlawful tax on global imports.
According to the lawsuit, the states contend that Trump lacked the legal power to introduce the measure and attempted to bypass the authority of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The legal challenge follows a major setback for the administration last month when the Supreme Court struck down an earlier set of sweeping tariffs introduced by the president as part of his broader trade crackdown.
The new case is expected to reignite the legal dispute over the scope of presidential powers in trade policy and the legality of the administration’s ongoing tariff-driven trade strategy.
United States President Donald Trump has announced the replacement of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security after more than a year in the role.
Trump disclosed the decision on Thursday through a social media post, stating that Noem would be succeeded by Markwayne Mullin.
Noem had overseen several controversial initiatives during her tenure, including the administration’s aggressive push to remove undocumented immigrants from the United States. She was also involved in efforts aimed at dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The president did not immediately provide detailed reasons for the leadership change but confirmed that Mullin, a Republican senator representing Oklahoma, would take over the position.
U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing forward with a sweeping redesign of the White House and parts of Washington, D.C., a move that has sparked both support and criticism across the United States.
The plan includes the construction of a massive ballroom on the White House grounds, replacing the historic East Wing that was demolished in 2025. The new structure, estimated to cost about $400 million, is expected to cover roughly 90,000 square feet and host large state events and receptions.
According to reports, the project forms part of one of the most extensive physical changes to the presidential residence in decades. The ballroom would significantly expand the White House’s capacity for official gatherings, something the administration says is necessary for hosting foreign leaders and major diplomatic events.
Beyond the ballroom project, Trump has also introduced several changes inside the White House itself. The Oval Office has been redesigned with additional gold accents, while the historic Rose Garden lawn has been replaced with a paved stone patio similar to one at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
In Washington, more broadly, the administration is pursuing ambitious architectural projects aimed at reshaping the capital’s landscape. One proposal includes a 250-foot triumphal arch known as the Independence Arch to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.
Trump has also pushed for major renovations at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, placing allies in leadership positions and proposing significant upgrades to the cultural complex.
Supporters say the projects will modernize the White House and strengthen the symbolic image of the American presidency. Critics, however, argue that some of the changes could damage historic architecture and alter the character of the nation’s capital. Public opinion has also been divided, with preservation groups warning that historic structures and traditions could be lost.
Despite the controversy, construction and planning for several of the projects are already underway, marking a bold effort by the Trump administration to leave a lasting architectural legacy in Washington.