More time for Ayodhya dig

Archaeologists excavating a disputed religious site in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya have asked for a two week extension to complete the work.

The excavation, which was ordered by a court to find whether a Hindu temple once stood on the site, was due to finish on Sunday.

A recent interim report said the dig had produced no evidence of such a temple.

The site has been the centre of bitter controversy for more than a decade.

A 16th Century mosque at Ayodhya was torn down by Hindus in 1992, an act that led to clashes in which around three thousand Hindus and Muslims were killed.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service