Nepal gives king 15 days to quit palace

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.

Before the vote, thousands of people marched, danced and sang in the streets of Kathmandu in anticipation of the result, waving red hammer-and-sickle flags as dour King Gyanendra awaited the decision in the pink concrete palace that dominates the city’s centre.