Nepal, known best in the West as the place where heavily bundled sherpas help rich, white, dumb people climb Mt. Everest, is happy to announce that after 240 years of royal rule, they have voted the monarchy out. Former insurgent Maoist rebels (now just “Maoists”) came out the strongest party after last month’s elections and have ousted the widely-unpopular royals.

From BBC:

The approved proposal states that Nepal is “an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular and an inclusive democratic republic nation”.
Only four members of the 601-seat assembly opposed the change.
Royal privileges “will automatically come to an end”, the declaration says.
It also states that the king’s main palace must be vacated within a fortnight, to be transformed into a museum.
Several thousand people began celebrating in the streets of Kathmandu ahead of the move. “This is the people’s victory,” former Maoist rebel Kamal Dahal, 22, told Reuters news agency.
“With today’s declaration of a republic we have achieved what we fought for.”

Now, whether or not Maoist rule will ultimately benefit Nepalis remains to be seen.