Tamil Tiger negotiator taken ill

Efforts to get the Sri Lankan peace process back on course have been temporarily interrupted by the illness of the chief negotiator for the Tamil Tiger rebels, Anton Balasingham.

Norwegian mediators say Mr Balsingham, a diabetic who has had a kidney transplant, is returning to his base in London for urgent medical treatment.

However, they say that talks next week between Tamil Tiger leaders and the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, will go ahead as planned.

Norway and Japan have been trying to persuade the Tigers to resume direct negotiations with the Sri Lankan government and attend an international donors' conference in Tokyo next month.

They pulled out of the negotiations last month after accusing the government of reneging on promises.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service