Germany to host Afghan meet

Germany has announced that it is to host an international conference next month to assess progress in rebuilding Afghanistan.

The conference will be held in Petersberg near Bonn, which hosted the talks which put the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, at the head of an interim government a year ago.

The German foreign minister, Joska Fischer, is planning to invite Afghan leaders to the event, along with representatives of neighbouring countries and the United Nations.

Mr Fischer will visit the Afghan capital next week to prepare for the gathering.

Donor countries last year pledged almost five billion dollars in aid to Afghanistan, but the foreign minister said this month that twice as much will be needed.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service