New Nepal interim ministers sworn in after protests

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KATHMANDU: Nepal's new interim prime minister unveiled her first ministers on Monday (Sep 15), as the Himalayan nation seeks to restore order after deadly youth-led anti-corruption protests that ousted the previous government.

Under an outdoor awning and against the backdrop of the fire-damaged presidential office, President Ram Chandra Paudel gave the oath of office to three key ministers in a ceremony broadcast on television.

Protests, sparked by a ban on social media and feeding into long-standing economic woes, began on Sep 8 and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze.

It was the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

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At least 72 people were killed in two days of protests, with 191 still recovering in hospital, according to government figures.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with addressing protesters' demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in March.

Om Prakash Aryal, an advocate known for his cases tackling corruption, governance and human rights, takes the critical home minister post, as well as law, justice and parliamentary affairs.

Kulman Ghising, the former director of the Nepal Electricity Authority - who is widely credited with ending the country's long-standing load-shedding problem - has the energy, infrastructure, transport and urban development portfolios.

Rameshwor Khanal, a former finance secretary and a respected economist, was handed the key finance post, a challenging task to tackle the unemployment woes that drove the uprising.

A fifth of people in Nepal aged 15 to 24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with gross domestic product per capita standing at just US$1,447.

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