Tag: news

PERTH, October 30, 2011 (AFP) – A Commonwealth summit bringing together world leaders from the 54-nation bloc closed Sunday agreeing on the urgent need to reform the grouping but without consensus on human rights. In a communique, they noted that a report from an “Eminent Persons Group” (EPG) set up at their last meeting to […]

PERTH, October 28, 2011 (AFP) – Queen Elizabeth II opened the 54-nation Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Friday where issues from human rights to succession to the British throne are being discussed. Leaders were greeted with a traditional indigenous cleansing ceremony at the Perth Convention Centre by elders from the Noongar Aboriginal tribe before […]

PERTH, October 27, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday sought to dismiss war crimes allegations as propaganda from its defeated rivals, as it came under further pressure ahead of a Commonwealth summit. A spokesman for Sri Lankan President Mahendra Rajapakse described the heavy focus on the issue in the lead-up to Friday’s gathering […]

PERTH, October 26, 2011 (AFP) – Australia Wednesday urged the UN rights watchdog to probe alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, ramping up pressure ahead of a meeting between the two countries’ leaders at Commonwealth talks. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the UN Human Rights Council must address accusations that Sri Lankan troops killed […]

PERTH, October 26, 2011 (AFP) – Australia on Wednesday assured Sri Lanka there were no plans to strip it of hosting rights to Commonwealth talks in 2013 over war crimes allegations, but called for a UN probe into the claims. Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the accusations in bilateral talks with President Mahendra Rajapakse in […]

PERTH, October 25, 2011 (AFP) – Australian leader Julia Gillard on Tuesday urged Sri Lanka to address claims of serious human rights violations as a man filed war crimes charges against President Mahinda Rajapakse. “Instead they caused such brutality to them, to our country, and also posed a threat to our region. ” Sri Lanka […]

October 25, 2011 (AFP) – The office of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said on Tuesday that a new war crimes charge filed in an Australian court against him was “hilarious”. “It’s hilarious to file charges against a head of state who has defeated terrorism in Sri Lanka,” Rajapakse’s spokesman Bandula Jayasekera told AFP by […]

THE HAGUE, October 21, 2011 (AFP) – Five members of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers were on Friday jailed for between two and six years for having sent millions of euros gathered illegally in the Netherlands to the rebel group. The men, all of them Dutch nationals, were convicted of having raised money mainly through illegal […]

LONDON, October 14, 2011 (AFP) – British Defence Secretary Liam Fox resigned on Friday, forced out over his links to the best man at his wedding who posed as a government adviser while foreign donors funded his trips with the minister. “I mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my government activities to […]

LONDON, October 12, 2011 (AFP) – British defence minister Liam Fox rejected calls to resign Wednesday over his links to the best man at his wedding, while facing fresh trouble over claims of a cover-up over a burglary at his house. Fox has been under pressure for days over his former flatmate Adam Werritty, who […]