Nepal King visits India

King Gyanendra of Nepal has begun a five-day visit to India, his first official trip abroad since coming to power last year.

He will hold talks with President Narayan, the prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other senior figures.

The talks are expected to include the growing problem of cross border attacks by militants -- an issue of concern for both sides.

Nepal says Maoist rebels, who are fighting to topple the monarchy, use Indian territory for shelter and training.

For its part, India says the Pakistan Intelligence Agency, or ISI has been using Nepal as a base for carrying out hostile activities against it.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service