Thousands of troops fanned out across the Nepalese capital Katmandu today to enforce a curfew aimed at derailing opposition plans for a massive rally to protest the king’s seizure of absolute power nearly a year ago.

Nepal’s royal government today charged a prominent student leader with sedition for leading street protests against King Gyanendra.

Student leaders today denounced King Gyanendra’s seizure of power, called for the restoration of democracy and urged their colleagues to join banned street protests despite a strict government crackdown.

NEPAL’S Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa quit yesterday — brought down by weeks of pro-democracy protests in the kingdom that has been wracked by political instability and a bloody Maoist insurgency.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa quit today, apparently forced out of office by mass street protests in the Himalayan kingdom.