India briefed on Sri Lanka peace

The Sri Lankan president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, has met her Indian counterpart, KR Narayanan, in Delhi.

She also had talks with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Home Minister, Lal Krishna Advani, and Sonia Gandhi, leader of the opposition.

No details of the discussions have been released but correspondents say Mrs Kumaratunga is likely to have briefed the Indian leaders about the prospects for peace at talks between her government and Tamil rebels due to begin in June in Thailand.

Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports as to whether India has agreed to allow the chief negotiator of the Tamil Tiger rebels, Anton Balasingham, to undergo medical treatment in India.

The rebels say Mr Balsingham has left Sri Lanka for London.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service