Curfew lifted in Colombo

An overnight curfew has been lifted as planned in the Sril Lanka capital, Colombo, after a quiet night in the city.

It had been imposed following violent clashes between Muslim demostrators and police.

The trouble followed rioting between minority Muslims and the Sinhalese majority in the central town of Mawanella, about eight kilometres east of Colombo, on Wednesday in which two people were killed.

In Washington, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, met the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, in Washington for talks about the continuing war between Tamil rebels and the government.

A State Department spokesman said Mr Powell expressed support for efforts by Norway to bring about peace talks and had also voiced his strong backing for the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service