Sri Lankan minister visits Bangalore

The Sri Lankan deputy minister for external affairs, Lahksman Kirella, is in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on what is described as a private visit.

It follows similar visit to Bangalore earlier this week by the Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff, General Rohan De Silva Daluwatte.

Mr Kirella's trip has fuelled speculation that he is seeking India's help in his government's war against the Tamil Tigers.

A BBC Correspondent in Bangalore says Mr Kirella is due to make an address on Sunday at the abode of the godman Sai Baba, a revered figure not only in India but in Sri Lanka and parts of Europe and the United States.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service