Nepali police clash with protesters opposed to U.S. aid grant

Demonstrators gather as they try to break through the barricades during a protest against the $500 million U.S. infrastructure grant under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) near the parliament in Kathmandu, Nepal, February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

KATHMANDU (Reuters) -Nepal's parliament on Thursday postponed debate on $500 million in U.S. aid that critics say undermines sovereignty as protesters opposed to the proposed funds clashed with police outside the assembly, officials and witnesses said.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide the aid in a grant to fund an electricity transmission line and road improvement project.