"ASIAN WOMAN Architect" was a term Minnette de Silva liked to apply to herself. It had a defiant and definitive ring about it in a male- dominated profession. The term was also used as the title of the book on her life and work which is about to be published - posthumously now, just a few weeks after her death in Sri Lanka. It has been her main interest since she retired from practice in the early 1980s.

In our series recalling memorable journeys, Fi Glover describes the surprising aftermath of a party in Clapham: a cricket match on a remote beach somewhere near Colombo

GUNMEN in Sri Lanka yesterday shot and killed the first mayor to be elected in 15 years in Jaffna, a former Tamil separatist stronghold that was recently seized by the army.

THE SANDGLASS by Romesh Gunesekera, Granta pounds 9.99

The Sandglass by Romesh Gunesekera Granta, pounds 9.99; Shena Mackay savours the spirit of a Sri Lankan saga

BEN HOLLIOAKE underlined his potential with a carefully compiled and mature 103 to give England A a vital first- innings lead on the second day of their second unofficial Test in Matara yesterday.

At least nine people were killed when a female suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to her body at a military checkpoint in Colombo yesterday, police and witnesses said.

At least nine people were killed yesterday when a female suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to her body at a military checkpoint in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, police and witnesses said.

Robbie Regan's defence of his World Boxing Organisation bantamweight championship against Colombo's Jorge Julio in Cardiff tomorrow has been called off by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Andrew Eames stayed in zany Sri Lankan hotels, discussed the merits of Michael Atherton with cricket-mad monks and went back to the future with Arthur C Clarke

Tamil "Tiger" separatists were accused of planting explosives at a power plant outside the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, yesterday, which plunged parts of the city into darkness.

Tamil rebels brought their secessionist war to the capital yesterday for the first time this year, exploding a bomb in the heart of Colombo and fighting a pitched battle in a government building. There were 15 dead and several Britons were among the 105 wounded.

A simmering row between India's players and their coach, Madan Lal, threatens to ruin their attempt to win the two-Test series against Sri Lanka which starts today.

Sri Lankan military bogged down in bid to end 14 years of ethnic slaughter