Nepalese activists vow to fight on

Pro-democracy activists in Nepal have promised to continue their daily street protests against the rule of King Gyanendra. The announcement came a day after police opened fire on demonstrators. The European Union released a statement in which it said that it was "deeply concerned over the situation in Nepal" and condemned the King's crackdown on protesters.

The political parties leading the demonstrations announced that they would raise black flags across the country next Wednesday to mark the anniversary of King Gyanendra's seizure of power. They have also said that they would back a week-long national strike called by the Maoist rebels from 5 February.

The EU also came out against municipal elections scheduled for 8 February, saying that the vote "would be another step backwards for democracy".