Sri Lanka withdraws controversial film

A private television station in Sri Lanka says it cancelled a screening of an Indian Tamil-language film on the grounds that it could spread religious hatred.

The Swarnawahini television channel said it withdrew the film "Bombay" by the director, Maniratnam, following a request from the cultural ministry.

The film was due to be shown on Friday night with Sinhala sub-titles.

It tells the story of a romance between a Hindu man and a Muslim woman against a background of sectarian riots in Bombay in 1993.

Muslim groups in Sri Lanka made complaints against the film to the government.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service