Sri Lanka will become the newest member of the Africa-Asia Rural Development Organization (AARDO), which is an autonomous inter-governmental organization comprising 15 African countries and 14 Asian nations as its members.

The Cabinet of ministers granted approval to a proposal put forward by the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to obtain membership of AARDO.

Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) says that it has become customary for whispers and speculation of impending elections to be followed up by brutal onslaughts on what remains of the country's free press.

Head of the UNP's Communications Unit, parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera issuing a statement said that it is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate the media into silence ahead of crucial polls about the crimes and lapses of a completely corrupt incumbency.

Jyoti Sinha, a former research and analysis wing official, played an important role in increasing India's influence in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during the NDA regime (1999-2004). He is also considered the architect of Indian influence in Sri Lanka from 2001-2004. The former IPS official spoke to TOI on the Tamil issue during his recent visit to Bangalore for a lecture on 'Latest developments in Sri Lanka: India's Interest and Concerns'. Excerpts from an exclusive intervi

Reporters Without Borders and its partner organization, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), firmly condemn a pre-dawn armed attack on the Tamil-language daily Uthayan’s headquarters in the northern city of Jaffna on 13 April, just 10 days after a similar attack on Uthayan’s distribution office in the town of Kilinochchi.

In the 13 April attack, three gunmen threatened Uthayan security guards and staff members and forced their way into the printing department, where they opened fire on equipment and then s

A 15 year old school boy had sent the SMS warning Muslims not to go to Nuwara Eliya during the festive season, police investigations have found.

The police said that the boy from a private school in Colombo had sent out the SMS without knowing the impact it would cause.

Investigations revealed that the teenager had sent the SMS to another boy who had in turn sent it out to so many others.

Over 100 people had been arrested during search operations conducted in Jaffna last week, the Jaffna police said today.

Jaffna SSP Mohomad Jiffrey said that the suspects were arrested in connection with various crimes.

Addressing the media in Jaffna today the SSP said that 123 people were arrested in the Jaffna and KKS police divisions.

The Australian immigration department has been accused of denying 38 failed Sri Lankan asylum seekers access to legal advice before sending them back to their homeland.

Australian Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs said she was profoundly concerned that Australia had employed an “enhanced screening process” in recent months for Sri Lankan boat arrivals.

The latest group of returnees included 38 men, women and children who arrived last week on a boat that reached Geraldton in Western Austral

I am saying it should be the spirit. I am not asking anyone to shed away or denounce their ethnicity or religion. We all love the way we are and what we believe in or not believe in. In this small Island of ours we should live like brothers and sisters with equal rights and also equal responsibilities, without rancour or violence. Although I am not there bodily now, my ‘spirit’ appears to be haunting this Island all the time, day and night. I admit that it may be easy for a so-called Sinhalese like me to say it, but difficult

A Buddhist priest from Thailand has been taken into custody as he was attempting to illegally leave for Sri Lanka via Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu police said.

B J Emurai, who came to India recently to pursue his P.hD, had arrived at this coastal town yesterday and planned to go to Dhanushkodi en route to Sri Lanka when he was arrested.

Police said he was being questioned to ascertain his reason to visit Sri Lanka and this town. - PTI

The University Grants Commission (UGC) would call applications for university admissions, based on the 2012 GCE (Advanced Level) examination, during next month, a senior UGC official said yesterday.

UGC Additional Secretary (Admissions) Dr. Priyantha Premakumara told The Island that the admissions based on 2011 examination would be completed by end of this month.

"A delay in enrolling the previous intake due to a Court case was the cause of this year’s delay," he said, adding but the UGC would work d