Nepal: 'Nepal's King Gyanendra has sacked the country's government and announced he is taking over direct power. He says this is because the cabinet had failed to fulfil its mandate including the restoration of peace. A state of emergency has been declared and there are armed vehicles on the street and phone lines have been cut. International flights to Kathmandu have been turned back after the airport was shut down. "The king has staged a coup and taken over the country's administration and other powers into his own hands," Sujata Koirala, of the Nepali Congress party told AFP.' (BBC)