Nepal Highlights

About a dozen student unions affiliated to various political parties have submitted a joint memorandum to Vice Chancellor of Tribhunvan University Madhav Raj Sharma Tuesday afternoon demanding the withdrawal of recent decision to hike tuition fees by up to ten times.

The three largest ruling parties CPN (UML), Nepali Congress and Madhesi People's Rights Forum - Democratic have instructed their lawmakers not to leave the capital until further notice.

Two largest parties in Nepal's ruling coalition have decided to use any means to pass the budget even if it means having to use marshall at the parliament. The ruling alliance braced on passing the budget by force if need be as the lack of budget passage has put the government in a dire financial situation. It has not been able to pay its staff due to this.

Madhav Kumar Nepal is the Prime Minister of Nepal. A senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Nepal is considered a relatively honest leader, who has a capacity of bringing differing forces together in Nepali politics.

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has hiked the price of kerosene and deisel each by Rs 3 per litre with immediate from Tuesday. An NOC board meeting held Monday evening decided to hike the prices to synchronise it with the international market.

US President Barack Obama has named a former vice-counsel in US embassy in India and the chief of the embassy's political section in Sri Lanka as the new ambassador to Nepal. Scott H DeLisi, a career diplomat with 28 years experience in foreign affairs, will become the US ambassador to Nepal if the senate approves President Obama's nomination.

United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) chief Karen Landgren has met with Nepali Congress vice president and leader of parliamentary board Ram Chandra Poudel, Tuesday morning.

Principal of Baghbhairav Higher Secondary School Shiva Prasad Nyaupane in Thokarpa VDC of Sindhupalchok has been thrashed by his own student, reports say. Pandav Nepal, a twelfth grade student, attacked his principal in presence of the other teachers over a dispute about a maths teacher.

Girja Prasad Koirala is the oldest and most influential leader in Nepali politics. He is 84 years old, but still actively involved in most of the important decision making processes. Currently, he is the president of Nepali Congress. He has become Prime Minister six times, the highest in the history of Nepal. He has also become the president of Nepali Congress for almost two decades now.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal is probably the second most influential person in the present day Nepali politics. Some consider him to be the most influential though. Dahal, more popularly known as Prachanda, is the chairman of the Unified CPN (Maoist). He is also the supreme commander of the party's army People's Liberation Army.