The world’s last Hindu kingdom became its newest secular republic as Nepal’s MPs, led by former Communist rebels, abolished the monarchy that had reigned over the Himalayan land for 239 years.

NEPAL’S lawmakers abolished the monarchy and declared the country a republic yesterday, ending 239 years of royal rule in the Himalayan nation.

Nepal opened the first session of a newly elected parliament today with a resolution to abolish the monarchy and declare a republic, ending 239 years of royal rule.

Nepalese officials say protests around King Gyanendra’s palace and house have been banned ahead of his removal by a special assembly later this week.

POLICE in Nepal have shot dead seven Maoists, the party said yesterday, in the worst outbreak of violence ahead of a high-stakes and tense vote on the Himalayan nation’s political future.

Nepal celebrated the end of a bloody 10-year insurgency by declaring a public holiday today, as the international community hailed the deal under which communist rebels will join an interim government.

Nepal’s government and communist rebels signed a peace deal today to end a decade-long insurgency, paving the way for the guerrillas to join the country’s interim government.

A Nepalese government commission has found King Gyanendra responsible for a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in April that left at least 19 dead and several hundred injured, officials said today.

Nepal could rewrite its constitution within 18 months to meet a key demand of communist rebels who joined the political opposition in a campaign that forced King Gyanendra to relinquish power, the new deputy prime minister said.

NEPAL’S new prime minister announced a seven-member Cabinet yesterday, designating a communist as his deputy and foreign minister.

Nepal’s new prime minister announced a cabinet today that includes a communist party leader as his deputy, and he faces the daunting tasks of negotiating peace with Maoist rebels and cementing the return of democracy.

Nepal’s new prime minister conferred with top political leaders today to decide on a cabinet that will have the key task of negotiating peace with the country’s communist rebels, party officials said.

THE newly-recalled Nepalese Parliament called yesterday for a ceasefire with communist rebels and elections for an assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Nepal’s Parliament reconvened today for the first time in four years, after weeks of often-bloody protests forced the king to give up absolute power and return the country to democratic rule.

Communist rebels withdrew a blockade of Nepal’s highways today but gave the country’s political parties a two-day deadline to begin the process of rewriting the constitution, their leader said.

TENS of thousands of people celebrated in the streets of Nepal yesterday as weeks of pro-democracy protests were called off after the king gave in to a key demand to reinstate parliament.

Nepal’s opposition alliance called off weeks of devastating pro-democracy protests today after King Gyanendra gave in to a demand to reinstate Parliament, but Maoist insurgents quickly rejected the royal announcement.

NEPAL’S embattled king last night reinstated the lower house of parliament that was dissolved in 2002, meeting a key demand of the seven-party alliance leading weeks of pro-democracy protests that have pushed the Himalayan country to the brink of chaos.

Nepal’s embattled King Gyanendra tonight reinstated the lower house of parliament, which was dissolved in 2002, and offered his solace for those killed in weeks of pro-democracy protests.

Nepalese security forces fought back a communist rebel attack today, as foreign diplomats sought to halt the country’s political crisis and officials placed the capital, Kathmandu under curfew for the fifth day due to anti-monarchy protests.

Nepal’s capital began its fifth consecutive day under curfew today, as opposition parties planned a massive rally to demand an end to King Gyanendra’s rule and a new constitution.

NEPALESE police were last night struggling to enforce a curfew imposed to keep persistent thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators off the streets as the Himalayan country’s political crisis deepened.

Police fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters on the eastern edge of the Nepalese capital today, injuring at least three, news reports said.

Nepal’s government imposed a daytime curfew in Katmandu and surrounding areas today, a day after tens of thousands of demonstrators swept through the capital and clashed repeatedly with security forces.

A visibly uncomfortable king promised to restore democracy in Nepal, in a bid to end a bloody political crisis that has engulfed the Himalayan nation.

NEPALESE King Gyanendra’s vow to return multiparty democracy to his Himalayan nation after weeks of bloody protests was immediately rejected by the opposition yesterday.

Nepal’s King Gyanendra today vowed to bring multiparty democracy back to his Himalayan nation, 14 months after he seized control and set off a bloody political crisis that has engulfed the country.

Tens of thousands of protesters marched on the outskirts of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu today, again defying a government-imposed curfew a day after security forces opened fire on demonstrators.

NEPALESE police opened fire yesterday on tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters who defied a curfew and marched toward the capital, killing at least three and wounding dozens more.

Nepalese police opened fire today on tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters who defied a curfew and marched toward the capital, killing at least three and wounding dozens more, witnesses and hospital officials said.

Nepalese police opened fire today as thousands of protesters marched toward the capital Kathmandu in defiance of a government-imposed curfew, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more.

Soldiers and police patrolled Nepal’s capital today as thousands of protesters from surrounding areas marched toward the city limits, where troops had orders to shoot on sight anyone breaking a curfew.

Soldiers and police patrolled Nepal’s capital Kathmandu today to enforce a shoot-on-sight curfew aimed to keep anti-monarchy protesters off the streets, but opposition leaders said they would still hold a planned rally.

Nepalese police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of pro-democracy protesters on the outskirts of the capital today, wounding at least six demonstrators.

Baton-wielding police beat journalists who were protesting against a media clampdown in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu today, as a general strike called by the opposition to demand the king’s departure shut down the Himalayan nation.

POLICE fired rubber bullets and tear gas on lawyers protesting against the king’s rule yesterday in Nepal’s capital, wounding three of them, as demonstrations and an opposition general strike continued for an eighth day.

Police fired on stone-throwing protesters in the Nepalese resort town of Pokhara today, wounding two people just kilometres from where King Gyanendra was on holiday, police said.

Police in Nepal fought frenzied street battles today with activists during their four-day general strike against the king’s rule, and 150 people were reported arrested in a crackdown that has sparked international condemnation.

The latest violence in Nepal killed at least 23 communist rebels and 10 police today.

Nepal’s king could end up being executed or exiled because of his refusal to relinquish power and restore democracy, the reclusive leader of the Himalayan kingdom’s communist rebels said today, 10 years after the insurgency began.

ROYALIST candidates who dominated local elections called by Nepal’s king duly cleaned up in the violence-plagued poll, according to official partial results.

A REBEL attack and an army shooting of protesters marred Nepal’s first elections in seven years, as few voters turned out yesterday at schools, shrines and temples for municipal balloting seen as a referendum on the king. At least six people were killed.

Nepali authorities have asked election candidates to move into police compounds to protect them from Maoist rebels suspected of killing at least one candidate in their efforts to disrupt the municipal polls.

NEPAL’S royal government vowed yesterday to hold municipal elections next month despite a boycott by major parties, street protests, a candidate’s assassination and rebel violence that killed 26 over the weekend.