US official in Nepal for talks

The American assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, is visiting Nepal on the second leg of a three-nation regional tour.

Ms Rocca is due to hold talks on improving bilateral relations during her three-day stay.

A Nepali foreign ministry official said there was no specific agenda for the talks, but a BBC correspondent in Kathmandu says the discussions are expected to include the long-running Maoist insurgency in the country.

Ms Rocca arrived in Nepal from India, and she is due to go to Pakistan on Saturday.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service