Nepal Earthquake

Nepal has received substantial pledges from India and China for earthquake reconstruction at an international donors' conference in Kathmandu.

Pledges include $1bn (£640m) from India, $500m from China, and $600m from the Asian Development Bank.

Nepal says it needs $7bn after April and May's devastating quakes, in which nearly 9,000 people were killed.

Opening the conference, Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala promised that the relief funds would be used wisely.

Donor countries and international agencies have voiced concerns that red tape and poor planning could result in the donations being squandered.

But Mr Koirala urged delegates to "work with us, the government of Nepal" and vowed "zero tolerance toward corruption".

"I assure you that we will [leave] no stone unturned in ensuring that the support reaches the intended beneficiaries," he told the conference.

Announcing India's pledge, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the two neighbours were "joined in both their joys and sorrows" and must "help each other in the wake of such calamities".

Additional pledges of $260m from Japan, $130m from the US, and $100m from the European Union - as well as an earlier announcement of up to $500m from the World Bank - take the total assistance offered to around $3bn.

Nepal, which was hit by an earthquake on 25 April then a strong aftershock on 12 May, was one of the world's poorest countries even before the disaster.

Nearly 500,000 houses were destroyed, and thousands of people were left in need of food, clean water and shelter.