KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Supporters of Nepal’s deposed royal family rallied in the capital on Sunday demanding the restoration of the monarchy ahead of March elections.
It was the first rally by supporters of ousted King Gyanendra since a wave of violent demonstrations by disgruntled youth in September installed an interim government that set fresh parliamentary elections in March.
“We love our king. Bring back the king,” the rally participants chanted around the statue of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who started the Shah dynasty in the 18th century. The last Shah king — Gyanendra — was forced to step down and the monarchy was abolished in 2008, making Nepal a republic.
“The last and only alternative for this country is king and monarchy only” said protester Samrat Thapa. “In the present context and the path country has taken after the Gen Z movement, there needs to be monarchy restored to manage the situation.”
Sunday marks the birth anniversary of Prithvi Narayan and the annual rally in the past has turned violent with clashes between demonstrators and police. Two people were killed during a pro-king rally last March. Sunday's gathering was peaceful as riot police kept a close watch on the event.
Nepal's royal family still enjoys significant support.
The interim government, headed by Nepal’s first female prime minister, Sushila Karki, a retired Supreme Court judge, took over following protests by Gen Z activists complaining of corruption, lack of opportunities, employment and poor governance. They were triggered by the previous government's short-lived ban on social media.
Karki has been criticized for dragging her feet in filing corruption cases.
Supporters of Nepal's former royal family participate in a rally demanding the restoration of the monarchy as they mark the birth anniversary of the 18th century king Prithivi Narayan Shah, founder of the Shah dynasty, in Katmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Subash Shrestha)
Supporters of Nepal's former royal family participate in a rally demanding the restoration of the monarchy as they mark the birth anniversary of the 18th century king Prithivi Narayan Shah, founder of the Shah dynasty, in Katmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Subash Shrestha)
DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.
The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.
A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.
“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”
The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”
The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”
Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.
“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.
Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.
The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.
“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”
FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
