Four protesters shot dead by Nepal security forces

SECURITY forces fired on thousands of pro-democracy protesters in southeastern Nepal yesterday, killing at least four, and the government reimposed a curfew in the capital to prevent a massive rally urging the king to loosen his grip on power.

Two weeks of bloody opposition protests and a general strike against the rule of King Gyanendra have paralysed Nepal, leaving the country at its most volatile since the monarch seized power 14 months ago. At least 10 people have been killed during the demonstrations.

Officials claimed security forces in Chandragadi, about 310 miles south-east of Kathmandu, opened fire after being shot at by protesters, who hurled bricks and debris.