NEW DELHI: BBC World Service is taking its flagship news and current affairs programme, The World Today for South Asia, to Delhi, where it will be co-presented by Political Editor of The Asian Age newspaper, Seema Mustafa.

The special editions of The World Today on 2 and 3 December, will establish tie-ups between Delhi and Islamabad and air discussions between prominent Kashmiris on both sides as well as the customary up-to-the minute coverage of the main news stories around the region and across the world, according to a press release from BBC World.

There will be a special report from the mountain kingdom of Bhutan about the pace of social and political change there. The World Today will also be "testing the temperature" in Gujarat's election campaign, review the day's newspapers, bring the latest sport and business news and include,a full range of items - from lifestyle issues, to music and the arts, as well as politics and diplomacy.

Editor of The World Today, Andrew Whitehead said he is delighted that one of India's top journalists is to host the programme from the Delhi studio: "Seema Mustafa will bring enormous authority and expertise. As a breakfast programme, we aim both to sum-up what's happened overnight, and signal the main news themes of the day ahead. Having Seema on board will enable us to fulfil those goals that much better."

Seema Mustafa, who will be joining regular presenter, George Arney, in London, added that she is excited about her new role: "Although I have contributed to The World Today earlier, I see the chance to co-present the programme from here as an exciting challenge to focus on issues of great interest to the listeners in the region."