Sri Lanka were struggling at 161 for six when early tea was taken due to rain on day one of the first Test against South Africa in Galle on Thursday.
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne was batting on 80 off 132 balls after the hosts lost four quick wickets against an inspired South African bowling attack in the second session of play.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada claimed three wickets and left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamshi took two after Sri Lanka elected to bat first at the start of the two-match series.

Sri Lanka 161-6 at tea in first South Africa Test

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US President Donald Trump said today that he sees his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as a "competitor" but not an "enemy", days before they meet for a high-stakes summit.
"He's not my enemy... ultimately he's a competitor, he's representing Russia, I'm representing the United States," Trump told reporters at a NATO summit.

Putin is a 'competitor', not an 'enemy': Trump

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday led South Africa in congratulating Kevin Anderson after he sensationally knocked Roger Federer out of Wimbledon to become the first South African to reach the semi-finals in 35 years.
The 32-year old Anderson defeated defending champion Federer in a five-set thriller that lasted slightly more than four hours.
"Congratulations to Kevin Anderson for reaching the men's singles semi-finals," Ramaphosa tweeted on Thursday.
Anderson became the first South African in the Wimbledon semi-finals since Kevin Curren in 1983 and just the sixth in history.
"We have always considered him an ambassador and he continues to wave the flag. We are very excited," Mickey Modisane, the sports ministry spokesman, told AFP.
"From a social cohesion and nation-building perspective, it's a great achievement for South Africa." "Over 3 hours these two men gave their all to stay alive. Fight, determination, hunger... you name it they showed it all," tweeted South African ...

S.Africa hails Anderson's shock defeat of Federer

A devastating earthquake that struck central Mexico last September gave way to a fascinating discovery: remnants of a rain god temple within an Aztec pyramid.
The temple, dedicated to a deity called Tlaloc and located within the Teopanzolco pyramid in Cuernavaca, Morelos state, belonged to the region's Tlahuica culture.
As a result of the earthquake, "the pyramid suffered considerable rearrangement of the core of its structure," said archaeologist Barbara Koniecza of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The greatest damage was at the top, where two temples had already been discovered -- one dedicated to the Mesoamerican god of the sun and war, Huitzilopochtli, and another to Tlaloc.
"The floor of both shrines sank and bent, which also put their stability in danger," Koniecza said.
When the INAH carried out studies with  radar to examine the pyramid's structure, they found traces of the newly discovered Tlaloc temple.
The structure is believed to date back to ...

Mexico earthquake unearths ancient temple

Rising global oil supply, driven by crude giants Saudi Arabia and Russia, may come under pressure as key producers face disruptions, the International Energy Agency said today.
The IEA welcomed in its July report last month's agreement between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia to open the taps in order to bring prices down from multi-year highs.
But it pointed to supply disruptions in Libya after a string of attacks on infrastructure.
It also highlighted continuing unrest in Venezuela and a drop in Iranian exports after President Donald Trump announced he was pulling the United States out of the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015.
"The large number of disruptions reminds us of the pressure on global oil supply," the IEA said.
"This will become an even bigger issue as rising production from Middle East Gulf countries and Russia, welcome though it is, comes at the expense of the world's spare capacity cushion, which might be stretched to the ...

World oil supply risks being 'stretched to limit': IEA

At least 10 people were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed in northeastern Afghanistan after melting snow triggered a landslide, officials said today.
A mountain lake in Panjshir, a province known for its snowcapped peaks north of Kabul, overflowed and caused a landslide, Omar Mohammadi, spokesman for the disaster management ministry, told AFP.

10 dead, hundreds of houses destroyed in Afghan landslide: Officials

Under the blazing tropical sun, Indonesia's traditional ship builders hammer, drill and carve timber from nearby forests into intricate two-mast vessels that have plied the archipelago's waters for centuries.
Sulawesi island is the heart of the country's industry creating the iconic schooners, known as Pinisi. It has earned a reputation as home to master craftsmen and some of the best sailors around.
Their tools may have changed over the years, but builders still reach into the past by performing rituals and prayers key to the building process which takes place on Sulawesi's palm-fringed beaches.
Once the vessel is ready to be pushed into the water, a goat or cow is slaughtered in a final purification ceremony.
"The process to build a Pinisi boat could take months or even years depending on its size," boat builder Muhammad Bahri Jafar told AFP at his workshop in Tana Beru, about 175 kilometres from Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi.
Builders carry long pieces of wood over their ...

Indonesia's traditional boat builders reach into the past

Rescuers who pulled a young Thai football team from deep inside a flooded cave were dismantling their worksite today, as plans emerged to turn the spot into a museum in tribute to the daring operation.
At least one film production house was already working on a scheme to make a Hollywood treatment out of the heroics of divers, cavers and medics who risked their lives to free the "Wild Boars".
Stunning footage of that rescue was released yesterday showing the youngsters - aged 11 to 16 - being stretchered to safety.
They were also seen sitting cheerfully in their hospital beds, where they are being kept in isolation until doctors are sure they did not pick up any nasty diseases during more than two weeks in the dark.
Workers were today packing up the industrial water pumps, heavy-grade machinery and construction equipment at the mouth of the Tham Luang cave, which had been a high-tech command centre during the 18-day ordeal.
Rescue chief Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters the site ..

Thai cave rescue site to become a museum

World welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse saluted Manny Pacquiao on Thursday but vowed to beat the Filipino boxing legend when they square off on Sunday.
"He is a great champion but he still hasn't faced 'The Machine'," Argentina's Matthysse told reporters at a packed press conference in Kuala Lumpur ahead of their WBA title clash.
"If he decides to retire after I beat him then that is his decision, I am here to defend my title."
Veteran Pacquiao, who is chasing a 60th win of his long career, will turn 40 in December and has not fought since losing his WBO welterweight belt to Australia's Jeff Horn in Brisbane a year ago.
Knock-out specialist Matthysse has finished 36 of his 39 wins inside the distance and won the vacant WBA belt after an eighth-round stoppage of Thailand's Teerachai Sithmorseng in January.
His action-packed style, said Pacquiao, was one of the reasons the fight attracted him.
"When I saw his fight against Teerachai it was a good fight," said the Filipino, who has ..

Pacquiao beware! I'm going home with my belt says Matthysse

Semi-conductor giant Broadcom, which recently failed in a bid to buy US rival Qualcomm, announced a cash deal to buy software and services firm CA Technologies for USD 18.9 billion.
Broadcom described CA as a major provider of information technology management software, in an acquisition that would help the chip maker diversify its offerings.
"This transaction represents an important building block as we create one of the world's leading infrastructure technology companies," Broadcom chief executive Hock Tan said in a release.
The deal was approved by the boards of both companies.
Broadcom will pay UD 44.50 per share of CA stock; about 20 per cent over the closing price for common shares at the end of formal market trading yesterday, according to the company.
"We are excited to have reached this definitive agreement with Broadcom," CA Technologies chief Mike Gregoire said in the joint release.
"This combination aligns our expertise in software with  Broadcom's leadership in the ...

Broadcom buys business software firm CA for USD 18.9 bn

Donald Trump arrives in Britain today for his first visit as US president, flying into a whirlwind of protests against him and political turmoil over Brexit.
The four-day trip, which will include talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, tea with Queen Elizabeth II and a private weekend in Scotland, is set to be greeted by a leftist-organised mass protest in London tomorrow.
Despite a series of diplomatic spats between Britain and Trump, the British government is hoping for a quick trade deal with the US after it leaves the European Union.
"When we leave the European Union we will begin to chart a new course for Britain in the world and our global alliances will be stronger than ever," May said ahead of Trump's visit.
"There is no stronger alliance than that of our special relationship with the US and there will be no alliance more important in the years ahead," the British leader said.
US ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, has said a deal will be "a major priority" for Trump, calling .

After UK-US spats, Trump flies in to turmoil in Britain

Interior ministers from 28 European nations will meet today as they face intensifying pressure to introduce new policies to stem migrant arrivals, in their first meeting after Austria took the EU helm with promises of a tough response to the issue.
The meeting in Innsbruck will focus in particular on coming up with a common migration plan, with Austria expected to push to change the EU's migration policy so it is no longer possible to make asylum requests on European soil.
Although the number of migrants fleeing war and poverty has fallen sharply since a 2015 peak the issue is a thorny one in Europe and a key topic for the six-month presidency of Austria, where a conservative-far right coalition took power last December.
Austria's hardline interior minister Herbert Kickl, of the far-right FPOE party, told journalists earlier this week that he would propose asylum requests be made in refugee camps outside Europe to "a sort of mobile commission".
Only exiles from countries that directly 

EU interior ministers meet as nations tussle over migrant response

Adult film star Stormy Daniels, locked in a court battle with President Donald Trump over their alleged affair, has been arrested while performing at a strip club in what her lawyer described as a "politically motivated" setup.
Daniels was arrested at a club in Columbus, Ohio yesterday while performing an act she has done at nearly 100 strip clubs across America, Michael Avenatti wrote on Twitter.
He said Daniels was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her in a non-sexual way while on stage.
"This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges," Avenatti wrote.
"They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities!!!," he added.
Avenatti said in a later tweet that he expects Daniels to be released on bail "shortly" and charged with a misdemeanor for "touching." "We will vehemently contest all charges," he wrote.
Daniels - real name Stephanie Clifford - is suing ...

Lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels says she was arrested

British Prime Minister Theresa May will publish details of her long-awaited Brexit plan today to restart talks with the EU, after facing down a revolt by eurosceptic ministers that could still unseat her.
In a policy paper, the government will outline proposals to allow Britain to maintain close economic and security ties with the European Union even after it leaves the bloc in March.
"It is a vision that respects the result of the referendum (vote to leave), and delivers a principled and practical Brexit," Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said in the foreword.
But the plan has caused outrage among eurosceptic members of May's Conservative party, and Raab's predecessor David Davis and foreign minister Boris Johnson dramatically quit this week in protest.
Their departures, followed by a clutch of junior aides, destabilised May's government and revived talk of a leadership challenge against her.
The prime minister is also likely to face some opposition in Brussels, where officials have ...

UK set to publish Brexit plan that sparked rebellion

Captain Dinesh Chandimal and two top Sri Lankan cricket officials have agreed to sit out the Test series against South Africa pending sanctions, the International Cricket Council said today.
Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusingha and manager Asanka Gurusinha had pleaded guilty to violating the spirit of the game last month during Sri Lanka's second Test against the West Indies.
The ICC said a judicial commission hearing ended overnight, hours before the first Test against the visiting South Africans was due to start at Galle today but a decision would be announced "in due course".
"In the interim, Chandimal, Hathurusingha and Gurusinha, who have pleaded guilty, have agreed not to participate in both Tests v SA," cricket's governing body said on Twitter.
"This will be credited against sanction imposed by commissioner." The trio were charged by ICC chief executive David Richardson for their involvement in the Sri Lankan team's refusal to take the field in St. Lucia on the third day of .

Sri Lanka skipper, officials out of South Africa Tests

An initial wave of elation turned to heartbreak as 30,000 beer-soaked fans in London's Hyde Park on Wednesday watched England lose an early lead in the World Cup semi-final against Croatia and come up short once again.
"I'm really, really sad," said a tearful Laura Russon, 31, clutching an empty bottle of cider.
"But I'm still 100 per cent proud of them."
Crowds of glum-looking fans swiftly streamed out of the venue, as some stayed behind to applaud the young team's surprising success in Russia.
Early on in the game, optimism had ruled.
Under the clear blue skies of a beautiful summer's evening, beer rained down as fans celebrated an early England goal in their first semi-final appearance in 28 years - a prospect which had seemed virtually impossible at the tournament's outset.
"This is the first time in my life England have made it anywhere near this far," said 23-year-old Murad Huseynov, draped in a red and white St George's flag.
"It feels like history."
Over half the current squad 

Forlorn but proud, fans applaud England despite defeat

Tears and cries of joy, hugs and chants, firecrackers and flares -- Croatia was on fire late Wednesday after their victory against England set up a first ever appearance in a World Cup final.
"Croatia in World Cup finals! It is so beautiful! Miracle of all miracles in Russia!" the state-run HRT television commentator Drago Cosic shouted ecstatically.
Croatia beat England 2-1 in extra-time thanks to a Mario Mandzukic goal in the second period of extra-time to book a date with France in Moscow on Sunday.
Thousands of fans gathered at the country's largest fan zone in Zagreb's main square, braving intermittent rain to cheer on the "Fiery Ones" (Vatreni) on a giant screen.
"We can be proud and happy ... we don't want to stop here," Croatia's star player Luka Modric told HRT - 'Like lions -
"Only great teams can be so courageous and make a comeback afer trailing 1-0 against England," Mandzukic said.
"We were losing and we returned, we were like lions." Local media praised the players as ...

Croatia on fire after World Cup 'miracle'

England captain Harry Kane could not hide his desperate disappointment after his side's 2-1 extra-time defeat against Croatia in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Moscow on Wednesday.
"We're gutted. It hurts, it hurts a lot," Kane said after the match at the Luzhniki Stadium.
"It's going to hurt for a while of course. We can hold our heads up high. It's been a fantastic journey, we got further than anyone else thought we would have," he added.
Playing in their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, England took a fifth-minute lead through Kieran Trippier's superb free-kick.
But Croatia summoned the strength to come back in the second half, equalising through Ivan Perisic before Mario Mandzukic got the winner in the 109th minute.
"It's been great to get to this stage and we know we've done everyone proud but we wanted to go on and win it," Kane added.
"We thought we were just good enough, we thought we could have done that. But we've fallen just a bit short. It hurts. I don't know ...

Kane 'gutted' as England's World Cup dream dies

Ivan Perisic said his equaliser that helped Croatia come from behind to beat England 2-1 after extra time and reach the World Cup final was a goal that "he could only dream of" as a child.
The Inter Milan winger poked home a cross from Sime Vrsaljko to haul Croatia level midway through the second half having fallen behind to an early Kieran Trippier free-kick.
Mario Mandzukic completed the turnaround around with the winner on 109 minutes to send his country through to Sunday's final against France.
"It was a very difficult game. We all know what was at stake and how important a semi-final is for a small country like Croatia," said Perisic.
"We started slowly, but we showed our character just as in the previous two knockout games when we were a goal down. We didn't used to be that resilient."
With a population of just over four million, Croatia are the smallest nation to reach the final match of a World Cup since Uruguay lifted the title in 1950.
"I would like to thank everyone who ...

Perisic hails 'dream' goal as Croatia reach final

Ecstatic Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic is confident tiredness will not be an issue for his side when they face France in the World Cup final despite once again coming through extra time to beat England on Wednesday.
Croatia came from behind to win 2-1 in the semi-final clash in Moscow, with Mario Mandzukic claiming the winner in the 109th minute after Ivan Perisic had earlier cancelled out Kieran Trippier's free-kick opener.
Dalic's side were clearly exhausted, but they managed to fight on to the end of two hours of gripping football to take the country of just over four million people into the final for the first time.
However, the biggest concern looking ahead to Sunday's game is bound to be fatigue, with Croatia having also required extra time and penalties to come through ties against Denmark and hosts Russia in the past two weeks.
France will have had 24 hours longer to prepare for the game after edging out Belgium 1-0 in 90 minutes in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.
"This is ...

Croatia will be ready for France in World Cup final, says coach Dalic

Manager Gareth Southgate said England "left everything out there" after falling to an extra-time defeat by Croatia in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
England were hoping to reach a first World Cup final since 1966, but let an early lead slip to lose 2-1.
"I think in the first half we were really good and maybe we could have got another goal," Southgate told ITV.
"I can't ask for more from the players. I think knockout football is about fine margins and when you have good spells against fine sides you need to take your chances.
"Tonight we weren't quite there but we will learn from that. We left everything out there."
Southgate said the players were deeply disappointed, but that his young team could achieve great things in the years to come, with the European Championship just two years away.
"It's impossible to say anything to make the players feel better at this moment in time," he said.
"We have to be proud of what we've achieved. I don't think anyone could have given any ...

AFP

AFP

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