Nepal cuts off all funds for embattled king

Nepal's interim government cut off all state allowances to unpopular King Gyanendra and his family in the annual budget unveiled on Thursday.
The $2.6 billion budget presented to parliament by Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat for the financial year beginning on July 17 makes no provision for the king.
In 2006/07 the royal palace received $3.1 million in allowances.
"The status the king had last year does not remain the same under the constitution," Mahat told reporters. "I have presented the budget according to the spirit of the constitution."
Gyanendra was forced to renounce absolute rule last year as a decade-long armed revolt by anti-monarchy Maoists reached a climax amid huge popular protests in the capital.
The Maoists are now part of the interim government. An interim constitution written in January gives no role to the king.
Mahat said the 774 palace employees would have their salaries paid out of the government's miscellaneous account.
The move comes months before elections for a constituent assembly demanded by the Maoists in return for their 2006 truce. The assembly will write a new constitution and decide the fate of the monarchy. The Maoists are calling for its abolition.
Mahat has set aside $54 million for the November election.
The former guerrillas and some other political parties had insisted the government give no money to the king.
Many Nepalis considered their king an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu god of protection, but the new government has stripped the current monarch of nearly all of his powers, including control of the army.
More than 13,000 people were killed in the Maoist revolt which also hit the aid- and tourism-dependent economy.
-
IPEF a significant milestone in Washington’s Indo-Pacific engagement: NSA
Ahead of President Joe Biden's official launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in Tokyo next week, the United States on Friday said that a “wide-ranging and comprehensive” set of countries are set to join the initiative and it will represent a significant milestone in US engagement in the region. India has not made an official decision on joining the pact, but New Delhi is examining the framework “positively”.
-
China says Canada’s Huawei, ZTE 5G ban ‘groundless’
China on Friday hit out at Canada for banning Chinese telecoms giants Huawei and ZTE from Canadian 5G networks, warning of retribution and signalling a fresh bout of diplomatic tension between Beijing and Ottawa. Citing national security issues, Canada on Thursday said it plans to ban the use of China's Huawei Technologies' and ZTE Corp' 5G gear, joining the rest of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network comprising the US, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
-
British finance minister Rishi Sunak, wife Akshata Murthy in UK's Rich List
British finance minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy have been included in the 'Rich List' of the 250 wealthiest British residents, Reuters reported. The couple's reported wealth is of 730 million pounds ($911.19 million). Sunak's inclusion in the The Sunday Times UK Rich List at the 222nd slot is a result of his wife Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy and philanthropist mother Sudha Murthy.
-
Ukraine: UNHCR urges nations to not ignore other crises as war rages on
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees chief Filippo Grandi on Friday warned countries focussing on helping Ukraine to “not ignore the crises elsewhere”. The UNHCR said the global displacement crisis is also likely to worsen due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The Group of Seven (G&) countries are providing $19.8 billion in aid to bolster Ukraine's public finances. Several other countries, including Japan and Germany, are providing help to Ukraine.
-
Shanghai breaks 'zero COVID' streak, finds fresh cases outside quarantined areas
Shanghai announced its first new COVID-19 cases outside quarantined areas in five days on Friday and imposed stricter curbs in two districts, but did not signal any change to the planned end of a prolonged city-wide lockdown on June 1. Another district, Hongkou, on Friday afternoon ordered all shops to shut and residents to stay home until at least Sunday as it plans to carry out mass testing.