Sri Lankan president talks in Paris

The Sri Lankan president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, is holding talks in Paris with President Chirac and the French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin.

No details have been released, but they're expected to concentrate on economic ties and Sri Lanka's efforts to negotiate a peace settlement with the Tamil Tiger rebels. Mrs Kumaratunga was last week in Britain, which -- along with the United States -- has declared the Tigers a terrorist organisation, denying them the right to raise funds. Mrs Kumaratunga, a fluent French speaker since her days as a student in the country, is to have dinner with the French Education Minister, Jack Laing.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service