Politics

UN chief says no probe into Sri Lanka mass killings

UNITED NATIONS, April 26, 2011 (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said he cannot order an international probe into the killing of tens of thousands of civilians …

Australia to crack down on refugees after riots

SYDNEY, April 26, 2011 (AFP) - Australia moved to toughen its refugee stance Tuesday, launching a stricter character test so those convicted of crimes, …

UN rejects Sri Lanka call to hold back war crimes report

UNITED NATIONS, April 21, 2011 (AFP) - The United Nations insisted Thursday that a report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka would be released in full, …

UN heads for rights confrontation with Sri Lanka

UNITED NATIONS, April 22, 2011 (AFP) - The United Nations hurtled toward a high-profile confrontation with the Sri Lankan government Friday over international …

Sri Lanka asks UN not to publish war crimes report

April 21, 2011 (AFP) - Sri Lanka asked the United Nations on Thursday not to publish a forthcoming report on alleged war crimes during the island's ethnic war, …

Sri Lanka opposition demands probe over UN report

April 20, 2011 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's main opposition party on Wednesday urged the government to respond to United Nations allegations of war crimes by launching …

UN warns Sri Lanka to protect staff against protests

UNITED NATIONS, April 18, 2011 (AFP) - The United Nations on Monday warned the Sri Lankan government that it must protect UN staff, after the country's …

Sri Lankan Tamil party hails UN war crimes report

April 18, 2011 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's main Tamil political party on Monday hailed a leaked UN report which called for an international war crimes probe into the …

Sri Lanka leader urges protests against UN report

April 17, 2011 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's president has called for mass protests against a UN report which urged a probe into alleged war crimes committed during the …

Leaked UN report urges Sri Lanka war crimes probe

April 16, 2011 (AFP) - A UN panel has called for an independent inquiry into "credible" allegations that Sri Lanka committed war crimes and crimes against …

Sri Lanka rejects ‘flawed’ UN war crimes report

April 13, 2011 (AFP) - Sri Lanka on Wednesday rejected as "flawed" and "biased" a UN-commissioned report into alleged war crimes committed during the final …

Sri Lanka rights report given to UN chief

UNITED NATIONS, April 12, 2011 (AFP) - A panel of UN experts on Tuesday handed over a report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka against Tamil separatists to UN …

UN leader under pressure over Sri Lanka war report

UNITED NATIONS, April 13, 2011 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is studying an expert report into thousands of deaths during Sri Lanka's 2009 military …

Sri Lanka court grants bail for detained editor

April 7, 2011 (AFP) - The editor of a pro-opposition Sri Lankan news website was released on bail Thursday, a week after his arrest sparked protests from …

Sri Lanka ties held back by rights concerns, US says

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2011 (AFP) - The United States said Tuesday that future cooperation with Sri Lanka depended on improvements in its human rights record and …

Sri Lanka editor release demanded by rights groups

April 1, 2011 (AFP) - International media rights groups Friday asked Sri Lanka's government to release the editor of a pro-opposition news website, a day after …

Asian states pledge to tackle people smuggling

NUSA DUA, March 30, 2011 (AFP) - Asian countries pledged Wednesday to take a collective approach to people smuggling and asylum seekers including a possible …

Maldives reject World Cup terror plot theory

March 30, 2011 (AFP) - A Maldivian man arrested with the help of Interpol and initially linked to an alleged terror plot against the ongoing cricket World Cup …

Maldives releases cricket WCup terror suspect

March 27, 2011 (AFP) - Maldives police said Sunday they had released a man suspected of plotting an attack on the cricket World Cup taking place in South Asia. …

Australia to scale down riot-hit immigration camp

SYDNEY, March 21, 2011 (AFP) - Australia said Monday it would reduce the number of asylum seekers at an overcrowded detention centre on Christmas Island but …