Initially, Nepalese officials said then-Crown Prince Dipendra shot his parents and the others during a dispute and turned the gun on himself. Nepal's new king, Gyanendra, ordered an investigation after saying the shooting was an accident. Meanwhile, Reuters news service says Nepal authorities this morning lifted a curfew on Kathmandu, but soldiers continue to patrol the streets to prevent further violent protests over last week's killings. The report says city was calm following the second curfew since Monday's clashes between police and demonstrators demanding a clear explanation for the royal palace massacre. Protesters say they don't believe that the popular heir to the throne would kill his family.
Protesters accuse the new king of involvement in the massacre.
The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning for Nepal, urging Americans to postpone trips there. It also advised Americans now in Katmandu to stay indoors and monitor the situation before going outdoors. Meanwhile at the United Nations in New York, flags of member states were flown at half-staff Tuesday in memory of the late King Birendra and his family. A U.N. spokesman says Secretary General Kofi Annan visited the Nepali Mission to the United Nations to sign a condolence book. Email this article to a friend.