Sri Lanka

At least 67 people, including Sri Lankan navy sailors and some civilians, were killed when an explosives-laden truck driven by a suspected Tamil Tiger rebel rammed into their convoy on Monday. The attack near the town of Habarana, about 190km north-east of the capital Colombo was one of the worst suicide bombings in the troubled Indian Ocean island.

A year ago, Sri Lankan cricket was in crisis with their young players hampered by fragile confidence, dressing room disunity, selection squabbles and political problems within the national board. However, their fortunes have been revived under new captain Mahela Jayawardene, who has led from the front in recent months with a glut of runs and moulded the team into a united force.

A Sri Lankan woman sprinter denied on Monday taking performance-enhancing drugs during the South Asian Games in Colombo last month, investigators said. Jani Chathurangani de Silva, a double medallist at the games, tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone and was summoned before an official inquiry committee.

Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels hacked 10 Muslim labourers to death and badly wounded another in eastern Sri Lanka at the weekend, the army said on Monday, the latest in a string of mass killings and abuses. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam blamed the killings, near the island’s Yala National Park, on the military.

Dozens of schoolgirls killed by the air force, Muslims massacred by Tamil Tiger rebels, civilians targeted by both sides. But with occasional fighting still erupting, physically finding the corpses is hard enough. Local populations have fled and finding witnesses is harder than at any stage during the four year truce.

Bomb-squad officers defused explosives strapped to a vegetable-laden pushbike at a market in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, on Tuesday, just hours after officials in the United States said they had arrested suspected rebel arms procurers. The bomb squad said suspected Tamil Tiger rebels had packed 15kg of explosives around a Claymore fragmentation mine.

The peace agency of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels said on Saturday that at least 141 ethnic Tamil civilians have been killed by government bombs and shelling since August 8, in what it called the deadliest period since a 2002 ceasefire was signed. The agency said the civilians were killed in air-force strikes and shelling in the north and east.

Sri Lanka’s cricket chiefs and media slammed South Africa on Thursday for pulling out of the tri-series as India looked forward to playing three matches against the hosts. The Proteas abandoned the tri-series on Wednesday, saying ”the current risk to the team is at an unacceptable level” following a blast near their hotel on Monday.

Sri Lanka cricket officials announced on Tuesday that the first one-day international of the triangular series with South Africa and India has been postponed. South Africa are on the verge of pulling out of the series over heightened security fears following a bomb blast in Colombo on Monday.

South Africa’s cricket team on Sunday ridiculed suggestions they had nicknamed Muslim teammate Hashim Amla a ”terrorist”, a jibe that cost Dean Jones his television job. Jones, a former Australian Test star, was sacked as a commentator last week after being heard on air saying ”the terrorist has got another wicket”.

South Africa hope several of their key players recover from injuries before the triangular series with Sri Lanka and India begins next Monday. The South Africans, keen to make amends after their 2-0 Test series defeat by Sri Lanka, have concerns over the fitness of pace bowler Makhaya Ntini, all-rounder Shaun Pollock and captain Mark Boucher.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene stroked a superb 123 to guide his team to a dramatic one-wicket victory against South Africa on the final day of the second Test on Tuesday, taking the series 2-0. Sri Lanka, resuming the day on 262-5 and needing 90 more runs, appeared to be on the brink of victory at lunch needing just 19.

Sri Lanka’s captain Mahela Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 117 to leave the hosts on the doorstep of victory in the second and final cricket Test against South Africa in Colombo on Tuesday. Sri Lanka, facing a stiff victory target of 352, reached 333-6 by lunch on the final day, needing just 19 runs more with four wickets in hand.

Muttiah Muralitharan equalled his own world record of four consecutive 10-wicket hauls as Sri Lanka were set 352 to win the second cricket Test against South Africa in Colombo on Monday. The prolific off-spinner, who claimed five wickets in the first innings, finished with 7-97 in the second as South Africa were bowled out for 311 in the first hour of the fourth day’s play at the Sara Oval.

South Africa opener Herschelle Gibbs scored 92 to put his team in a commanding position against Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test on Sunday. South Africa, who hit 361 in the first innings and bowled Sri Lanka out for 321, reached tea on 161-4 to pad their lead to 201 runs.

South Africa’s pace spearhead Makhaya Ntini destroyed Sri Lanka’s top order with a four-wicket haul on the second morning of the second cricket Test in Colombo on Saturday. Sri Lanka, who bowled South Africa out for 361 off the penultimate over of the first day, went to lunch on the second day at the Sara Oval struggling at 98-5.

Stand-in captain Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers scored undefeated fifties to guide South Africa to a healthy 231 for four wickets at tea on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Friday. Coming together with their side in trouble on 70-4, the pair dominated the afternoon with an aggressive unbroken 161-run partnership.

Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga starred with the new ball as South Africa struggled to 113 for four at lunch on the opening day of the second Test on Friday. Malinga dismissed opener Andrew Hall for a duck and left-hander Jacques Rudolph (13) during a fiery seven-over burst with the new ball at P Saravanamuttu Oval.