Nepal: First woman PM takes charge, calm returns to streets

Daily life seemed to come back to Nepal's capital of Kathmandu on Saturday, as an interim prime minister took office following days of deadly anti-corruption protests which rocked the Himalayan nation.

A curfew was eased in the city along with a cutback in the presence of troops on the streets.

Blazing youth-led, anti-government demonstrations - dubbed as the "GenZ" protests - erupted across Nepal earlier this week, toppling the previous administration led by Khadga Prasad Oli, leaving the parliament in flames and the army in control.

On Friday, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki took the oath as the interim prime minister, becoming the first woman to head the South Asian country.

President Ram Chandra Poudel dissolved parliament and fixed March 5 as the date for elections based on the recommendation of the new prime minister, a statement from the president's office said.

73-year-old Karki is known for her stand against graft in the government during her term as chief justice.

Her appointment came after intense negotiations between the army, the president and "Gen Z" representatives.

A social media ban by Oli's government had led to the violent protests that left at least 51 people dead.

The ban was withdrawn, but the unrest raged on over broader issues concerning Nepal's prolonged economic woes.

Subsequently, thousands of young protesters used social media and chat platform Discord to install Karki as their next leader.

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