NEPAL’S embattled king last night reinstated the lower house of parliament that was dissolved in 2002, meeting a key demand of the seven-party alliance leading weeks of pro-democracy protests that have pushed the Himalayan country to the brink of chaos.

A visibly uncomfortable king promised to restore democracy in Nepal, in a bid to end a bloody political crisis that has engulfed the Himalayan nation.

Police clashed with pro-democracy protesters in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu today, firing tear gas and beating activists with batons just hours after authorities lifted a ban on demonstrations in the Himalayan kingdom’s capital.