Nepal’s newly elected president takes oath of office

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s newly elected president has taken took the oath of office in Kathmandu. Ram Chandra Poudel, senior opposition leader, is the Himalayan country’s third president since it abolished its centuries-old monarchy in 2008 and became a republic. Poudel was elected Thursday by members of the national parliament and provincial assemblies. Outgoing President Bidhya Devi Bhandari passed the position on immediately after the swearing-in ceremony attended by the nation’s top leaders. The president is largely a figurehead with little political power. But the election triggered a feud among partners in the governing alliance headed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who took office in December.