South Asians prepare for summit

South Asian officials are meeting in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, ahead of a regional summit which has been overshadowed by the worsening relations between India and Pakistan.

The summit of all seven members of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (Saarc) is due to begin on 4 January.

Despite both countries' pledges to attend, there remain persistent doubts that India and Pakistan will be there.

The summit was postponed two years ago, after India refused to share a platform with General Pervez Musharraf, who had come to power in Pakistan in a military coup.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service