Afghan opposition leader winds up Asian tour

At the end of his regional tour, the ousted President of Afhganistan, Burhanuddin Rabbani, has met the Tajik President, Imomali Rakhmanov, for talks on ways to resolve the Afghan conflict and other bilateral issues.

The BBC correspondent in Dushanbe says it's likely that the two leaders discussed the possibility of further opening up cross-border routes which form a vital link between areas of Afghanistan controlled by the anti-Taleban alliance, centred around Mr Rabbani, and the outside world.

She says Mr Rabbani's tour has boosted his status as a diplomatic figure and he plans to visit other central Asian states soon.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service