Nepal targets crimes against state

The Nepalese government has set up a special court to deal with crimes against the state.

The court has been authorised to handle trials of people accused of trafficking in women, drugs or illegal currency.

But the BBC correspondent in Kathmandu says there's a widespread belief that the main function of the court will be to speed up the trials of suspected Maoist rebels.

Several hundred Maoist rebels, who have been conducting a violent campaign to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and establish a communist republic, are currently awaiting trial.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service