Officials said up to 10 tigers had been poached from Sariska in the past two years - the news greatly alarmed conservationists and the Indian government which has since set up a task force to protect the tiger.

BBC: NEWS | South Asia | India to probe wildlife poacher

Separatist Tamil Tiger rebels had audaciously attacked the airport and the neighbouring air-force base.

ECONOMIST: The separatists strike close to home

Areas as far north as Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, and as far south as Batticaloa were bombed from the air, to prevent Tiger reinforcements reaching the area, and to cripple their fledgling air force.

ECONOMIST: Sri Lanka at war

The next day, as General Fonseka flew back to Colombo, the president took a helicopter to previously Tiger-controlled areas and told soldiers that the salaries of all security-force personnel would be raised with immediate effect.

ECONOMIST: Politics and the war in Sri Lanka

For example, in Mauritius - southern Africa's "little tiger" which has full employment and where women's entry into the labour force has played a crucial role in economic growth - men are the source of 92 % of the economic news.

UNESCO: Communication and Information