Nepal: Former rebel leader elected as prime minister

Nepal's parliament has elected former communist rebel leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the country's new prime minister. The parliament's speaker, Onsari Gharti Magar, announced Dahal received a majority of MP votes on Wednesday. Minister Khadga Prasad Oli stepped down last week ahead of a no-confidence vote in parliament, which he was expected to lose. The Nepali Congress, the biggest party in parliament, and a

number of smaller parties have said they would support Dahal. It is his second time as prime minister of the Himalayan nation. Dahal's first tenure ended in 2009 when he resigned over differences with the president about the sacking of an army chief. He led a communist rebellion against the government for a decade until 2006, when the rebels signed a UN-monitored peace agreement. More than 17,000 people were killed during the rebellion. Dahal will serve as the 24th prime minister in the 26 years since the nation adopted a multi-party democracy, and the eighth since a 239-year-old monarchy was abolished eight years ago.