Nepal palace 'turned into museum'

Nepal's former Maoist rebels have declared the ancestral home of the former royal family to be a museum.

Maoist leader Prachanda made the announcement on a visit to the palace in the town of Gorkha, west of the capital Kathmandu, on Sunday.

Last week Nepal's constituent assembly declared the country a republic, after 240 years of royal rule.

The government has told the former king, Gyanendra, to leave the main royal palace within two weeks.