In the sprawling wildlife sanctuaries of southern India, a team of commandos has been deployed to protect tigers from poaching in the first ever initiative by India driven by a dramatic decline in the big cat's population recent decades.
After three months of training in jungle survival and weapons use, a 54-member “Special Tiger Protection Force” has begun patrolling two major tiger reserves, Bandipur and Nagarhole, which straddle the border of southern Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states.
The force will counter hunters...
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Indian authorities say the devastating cyclone that struck the country's southeastern coast Friday killed at least 42 people and damaged hundreds of homes.
Cyclone Thane lashed the coast between Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu state and the territory of Pondicherry with winds up to 135 kilometers per hour, before gradually weakening.
Officials say at least 26 of the deaths were in the Cuddalore district. They say most of the deaths were caused by wall collapses and electrocution.
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A cyclone has brought heavy rains and gale-force winds to India's southeastern coast, killing at least 11 people.
Cyclone Thane made landfall near the former French colonial town of Pondicherry early Friday with winds up to 135 kilometers per hour, before gradually decreasing.
The cyclone has disrupted power supplies and communication networks, and has uprooted trees.
Authorities say the deaths in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu state were caused mostly by wall collapses...
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Human rights groups have called for an international investigation and more accountability following the release of a Sri Lankan report clearing its military of targeting civilians in the final stages of the country's civil war.
Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) said it was "satisfied" security forces had taken precautions to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. The 440-page report was presented to parliament on Friday.
Brad Adams, Human Right's Watch's Asia director, said...
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Sri Lanka on Tuesday said it was "true friends" with China due to military assistance provided during the island's bloody civil war, underlining growing links with Beijing.
China's influence in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and other surrounding countries is a sensitive subject with neighbouring India, which itself has emerged as a strong regional player in Asia as its economy has boomed.
Army chief Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya thanked China for its "unfailing support" in helping to train the Sri Lankan...
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In India, opposition parties and political allies of the government are demanding a rollback of a recent decision to further open up the country's retail business to foreign super stores.
The measure is seen as a mark of the government’s determination to put economic reforms back on track.
Two brothers, Rajesh and Rakesh Talwar, own a small shop where they sell eggs and bread in New Delhi’s Lodhi Road market.
They worry that large foreign retailers could drive them out of...
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Those of you poor souls without a Hot Tamil Wife (HTW) may not have heard of this one, so here's a heads up:
A Tamil "nonsense" song by a debut artist has become a global sensation on Youtube....
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[Emirates 24/7] Sri Lanka's former army chief was sentenced on Friday to three more years in prison for reportedly implicating the defence secretary in war crimes at the end of the country's civil war
On Easter Sunday in 402, General Stilicho defeated Alaric, King of the Visigoths, at the Battle of Pollentia, capturing his camp and his wife. This battle was the last victory celebrated in a triumphal march in Rome. In 403 at Verona, Stilicho again bested Alaric,...
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Sri Lankan authorities are facing strong criticism for restricting media freedom after blocking several websites and requiring all news websites to register with the government. The government is defending its actions, saying it is not targeting freedom of expression.
The government says it blocked the websites because some of the reports they carried had damaged the character of the president, ministers and other senior officials.
Information and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told VOA that they had received...
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Commonwealth leaders meeting in Australia are divided over the appointment of an independent commissioner for the rule of law and human rights across the group of former British colonies. An internal review has recommended that the organization appoint an impartial monitor to help members deal with issues of human rights, but the proposal is not likely to be adopted.
Commonwealth leaders meeting in western Australia agreed to give foreign ministers more power to intervene if member states deprive their citizens of...
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