Nepal state of emergency

A state of emergency exists in Nepal today after the king of the mountain state sacked its government and unveiled a new cabinet less than 24 hours later. According to The Independent newspaper, King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency and sent the army on to the streets after cutting mobile and land telephone lines. The airport was closed for at least several hours yesterday though one or two flights are reported to have arrived in the country overnight. According to The Times, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is advising travellers to contact their tour operators for advice, and urging “extreme caution and vigilance, especially in Kathmandu, until the situation becomes clearer”. The British operator Explore Worldwide is reportedly keeping tourists in a secure location in the west of the country and is assessing whether to continue with its tours when the situation calms down. A spokesman is quoted as saying: “The groups are safe. Despite the state of emergency everything is calm. There is no point in bringing people back early if things are totally safe.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd