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Nepal finalized a framework agreement with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, opening the door to collaboration on projects, Reuters reported on Dec. 4.

Nepal, China: Governments Sign Belt and Road Initiative Agreement

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, chief of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), was sworn in as prime minister, ushering in a new coalition government led by his party and its rival Nepali Congress party, The Kathmandu Post reported on July 15.

Nepal: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli Appointed Prime Minister Again as New Government Forms

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was ousted after 19 months in power following a vote of no confidence in which 194 lawmakers voted against him and only 63 lawmakers voted to support him, The Kathmandu Post reported on July 12.

Nepal: Prime Minister Ousted Following No-Confidence Vote

The Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), one of the seven coalition partners in the government, threatened to withdraw support after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal backed an opposition candidate for the presidency, Reuters reported Feb. 27.

Nepal: Shifting Alliances Endanger Ruling Coalition 

Nepal's National Independent Party (NIP), the third-largest party in the ruling coalition, quit the government after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's administration refused to reinstate NIP chief Rabi Lamichhane as deputy prime minister and home minister, The Kathmandu Post reported Feb. 6.

Nepal: Coalition Partner Quits Government, Highlighting Political Volatility

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), was confirmed in his post after he secured a vote of confidence in parliament, Reuters reported Jan. 10.

Nepal: Prime Minister Dahal Secures Vote of Confidence

The leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was sworn in as the country’s prime minister on Dec. 26 and will head the government for half of a five-year term in an alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and other groups, the Washington Post has reported.

Nepal: Former Guerilla Leader Sworn in as Prime Minister

Nepal's Nov. 20 general election delivered a hung parliament, as no party or major alliance could secure the necessary majority to form a government, Reuters reported Dec. 7.

Nepal: No Party or Alliance Secures Majority in General Elections

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Nepal's election outcome will shape its relations with India and China.

Essential Geopolitics: Nepal's Geopolitical Dilemma

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A Scottish flag painted on the Union Jack. The British Supreme Court on Nov. 23 will rule on whether the Scottish Parliament has the power to pass a law organizing an independence referendum.

Military & Security

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Nepal, the U.K. Supreme Court Rules on a Scottish Independence Referendum

An aerial view of the Nepalese national flag formed by more than 35,000 people Aug. 23, 2014, in central Kathmandu, Nepal.

While voters might sometimes resent the two larger countries, Nepal has only a limited ability to maneuver between China and India.

After Its Elections, Nepal's Balancing Act Between China and India Will Continue

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Maldives

Sri Lanka

India is beating a path to its neighbors in an effort to ensure China doesn't muscle in on New Delhi's backyard.

The New Silk Road

India's Own Worst Enemy

Shoring up New Delhi's influence around South Asia is top on Narendra Modi's to-do list. Achieving success, however, will depend on fending off China and its Belt and Road Initiative.

Wary of China, Modi Courts India's Neighbors

Pakistan

With China ready to open the purse strings, the days when India could dominate South Asia exclusively are long gone.

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

New Delhi is eager to maintain its dominance over the smaller states of the subcontinent, but it'll have a hard time competing with Chinese money.

Why the Belt and Road Fuels India's Fears of Encirclement

Mauritius

Seychelles

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, will be preoccupied with elections in 2019 and Chinese President Xi Jinping with the United States, but each will continue his country's competition for advantage across South Asia and the Indian Ocean.

China in Transition

Beijing's economic and military expansion into South Asia challenges New Delhi's ability to maintain its influence over its neighbors.

India Guards Against China's Encroaching Shadow

Global Perspectives

Contributor Perspectives

For much of its history, Nepal marked the far edge of South Asia. But as China has reasserted itself as a global power, the country's remote location has become an advantage.

Globalization

The country is benefiting from a steady stream of foreign interest and investment -- not from the West, but from China.

In Nepal, Globalization Finds a New Venue

India fears that Chinese projects -- an international airport in Pokhara, nine roads and railways, two special economic zones and three hydropower facilities -- could ensnare Nepal in a debt trap like the one that entangled Sri Lanka.

New Delhi finds that the costs of arm-twisting can outweigh the benefits after voters in Nepal pick a candidate willing to work with China.


For India, Another Day, Another Geopolitical Snag

Snapshots

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Pakistan is trying to increase its influence in three South Asian states, as power in the region shifts away from India.

 Pakistan: Islamabad Takes Advantage of Resentment of India

Nepal has taken an important step toward establishing democracy in the country with recent elections that suggest the country's foreign policy will become a major issue for voters.

Nepal: New Elections Mark a New Direction

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A rail link in China's New Silk Road

Supply Chains

Energy

The Politics of Pipelines

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

Instability in Central Asia

Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has earned comparisons to the Marshall Plan for its ambitious, multinational scope. But the program is as much about developing the country's interior as it is forging ties beyond its borders.

China Paves the Way for a New Silk Road

China's Belt and Road Initiative

Nepal's Identity Politics Conquer Its Prime Minister

If Oli's replacements do not succeed where he failed, the political crises that have long stood in the way of Nepal's prosperity will persist.

Nestled against the Himalayas, landlocked Nepal lies between India and China, south of Tibet.    Nepal is divided into three geographic subregions: a mountainous northern border region, a central hilly area and the Terai, a fertile, low-lying marshy plain. The Terai is irrigated by tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and supports over 90 percent of Nepal's 27 million people. Only 17 percent of the population lives in urban areas, the largest being the capital in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal's core.    Following decades of civil strife, Nepal transformed from a monarchy into a modern republic in 2006. The territory of modern Nepal was unified under ethnic Gurkha rule in the mid-18th century. Colonial Britain relied on the military support of elite Gurkha mercenaries to maintain influence on the subcontinent.    After centuries of isolation, Nepal's geographic challenge is its struggle to remain independent and maintain a distinct identity from surrounding global powers. This is complicated by Nepal's dependence on Indian ports and constant Chinese attention on its northern border with Tibet.    Nepal has transitioned from an isolated agrarian society toward greater economic integration with its neighbors, especially India. While agriculture still plays a large role, it is matched by the services sector fueled by foreign tourism to religious sites and Mt. Everest.              Although the geography and inhospitable climate of the northern border prevent any large-scale military posturing by outside powers, Nepal's location along the Tibetan plateau can serve as a launch pad for greater Indian influence northward or an expansion of Chinese influence, denying New Delhi inroads into Tibet.    Following decades of civil strife, Nepal transformed from a monarchy into a modern republic in 2006. The territory of modern Nepal was unified under ethnic Gurkha rule in the mid-18th century. Colonial Britain relied on the military support of elite Gurkha mercenaries to maintain influence on the subcontinent.    After centuries of isolation, Nepal's geographic challenge is its struggle to remain independent and maintain a distinct identity from surrounding global powers. This is complicated by Nepal's dependence on Indian ports and constant Chinese attention on its northern border with Tibet.    Nepal has transitioned from an isolated agrarian society toward greater economic integration with its neighbors, especially India. While agriculture still plays a large role, it is matched by the services sector fueled by foreign tourism to religious sites and Mt. Everest.              Although the geography and inhospitable climate of the northern border prevent any large-scale military posturing by outside powers, Nepal's location along the Tibetan plateau can serve as a launch pad for greater Indian influence northward or an expansion of Chinese influence, denying New Delhi inroads into Tibet.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Nepal, China: Governments Sign Belt and Road Initiative Agreement

Nepal: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli Appointed Prime Minister Again as New Government Forms

Nepal: Prime Minister Ousted Following No-Confidence Vote

Nepal: Shifting Alliances Endanger Ruling Coalition

Nepal: Coalition Partner Quits Government, Highlighting Political Volatility

Nepal: Prime Minister Dahal Secures Vote of Confidence

Nepal: Former Guerilla Leader Sworn in as Prime Minister

Nepal: No Party or Alliance Secures Majority in General Elections

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