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Nepalese King Pledges Return to Democracy

Nepal's king vows to return multiparty democracy to his Himalayan nation after weeks of bloody protests and increasing international pressure. However, King Gyanendra fell short of a key opposition demand: creating a special assembly to write a new constitution.

One of the main opposition parties has rejected his pledge as "incomplete." The king's announcement came hours after more than 100,000 pro-democracy protesters defied a government curfew to rally on the outskirts of Katmandu.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Philip Reeves is an award-winning international correspondent covering South America. Previously, he served as NPR's correspondent covering Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.