Bay Ledger News Zonebill@blnz.comtag:www.blnz.com,2009:orgs/united_nations_human_rights_counciltag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Lanka_state_media_slams_panel_5f1a

Sri Lankan state media called Friday for the dismantling of the UN human rights chief's office after Colombo was angered by a resolution calling for a probe into alleged war crimes in the island.

2013-03-22T07:23:01ZAFP South Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/least_dead_Myanmar_riots_28d6

At least 10 people have been killed in riots in central Myanmar, an MP said Thursday, prompting international concern at the country's worst communal unrest since a wave of Buddhist-Muslim clashes last year.

2013-03-21T20:45:54ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Mali_soldier_killed_first_Timbuktu_4115

A Malian soldier died in Timbuktu's first suicide bombing as the city came under assault overnight, triggering clashes in which 10 Islamist fighters died, military officials said Thursday.

2013-03-21T20:02:06ZAFP Global Editionby Serge Danieltag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/creates_expert_mission_boost_Mali_6f1f

The United Nations will appoint an independent expert to investigate and help improve the human rights situation in war-torn Mali, the UN Human Rights Council decided Thursday.

2013-03-21T18:22:51ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Lanka_must_launch_rights_abuse_b26a

Sri Lanka must launch an in-depth probe into claims that government troops killed 40,000 civilians during a 2009 offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels that ended its three-decade civil war, the UN Human Rights Council said Thursday.

2013-03-21T17:59:07ZAFP South Asian Editionby Jonathan Fowlertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/launch_probe_into_NKorea_rights_7e02

The United Nations on Thursday said it will for the first time establish a commission of inquiry into grave human rights violations in North Korea that may amount to crimes against humanity.

2013-03-21T17:41:14ZAFP Global Editionby Nina Larsontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Myanmar_must_launch_probe_into_8604

Myanmar must launch an independent investigation into reports of widespread human rights violations, the United Nations' top human rights body said Thursday.

2013-03-21T17:34:26ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Lanka_take_back_Indian-owned_facilities_e508

Sri Lanka announced on Thursday plans to take back part of a strategic oil storage depot from a state-run Indian firm after Delhi supported international calls to probe war crimes on the island.

2013-03-21T14:35:12ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Lanka_seize_part_India_depot_dc41

Sri Lanka announced on Thursday it would repossess part of a strategic oil storage depot from a state-run Indian firm after Delhi supported international calls to probe war crimes on the island.

2013-03-21T12:27:33ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Lanka_protests_ahead_vote_crimes_82c9

Sri Lankan pro-government activists protested outside the US embassy in Colombo on Thursday as the UN Human Rights Council was set to vote on a resolution pressing for a war crimes probe against Sri Lanka.

2013-03-21T07:51:24ZAFP South Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/20/India_toughens_stand_Lanka_crimes_1d4b

India promised Wednesday to push for a "strong" UN resolution urging Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crimes, a day after the issue caused a split in the ruling coalition.

2013-03-20T12:41:28ZAFP South Asian Editionby Abhaya Srivastavatag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/19/India_government_rocked_coalition_partners_f5ca

The second-biggest party in India's ruling coalition announced Tuesday it was withdrawing from the government, heightening the risk of early elections before their scheduled date next year.

2013-03-19T13:58:19ZAFP South Asian Editionby Adam Plowrighttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/19/India_government_rocked_coalition_partner_3098

A regional party from southern India announced Tuesday that it was withdrawing from the national ruling coalition, weakening the government which was already a minority in parliament.

2013-03-19T07:24:10ZAFP South Asian Editionby Adam Plowrighttag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/19/Coalition_partner_quits_Indian_government_c312

A regional party from southern India said Tuesday that it was withdrawing from the national ruling coalition, weakening the government which was already a minority in parliament, reports said.

2013-03-19T06:27:41ZAFP South Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/experts_demand_immediate_Israeli_settlements_1f4b

Israel must immediately begin withdrawing its settlers from the Palestinian territories, UN experts told diplomats Monday, even as the new Israeli government appeared set to strengthen the hand of the Jewish settler lobby.

2013-03-18T15:37:27ZAFP Global Editionby Nina Larsontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/experts_demand_Israeli_settlements_d26a

Israel must immediately begin withdrawing its settlers from the Palestinian territories, a UN expert told diplomats Monday, even as the new Israeli government appeared set to strengthen the hand of the Jewish settler lobby.

2013-03-18T14:24:21ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/15/Arab_nations_urge_Damascus_cooperate_6046

Arab countries on Friday tabled a resolution lamenting the spiralling violence in Syria and demanding that the regime cooperate with a UN probe into rights violations in the war-torn country.

2013-03-15T20:14:42ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/14/African_nations_want_expert_boost_2686

African countries on Thursday tabled a resolution demanding that the UN appoint an expert to investigate and help improve the human rights situation in war-torn Mali.

2013-03-14T20:50:09ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/14/SKorea_China_fault_Japan_comfort_76fc

South Korea and China on Thursday told the UN's top human rights forum that Japan must face up to its World War II-era sexual enslavement of women from across occupied Asia, but Tokyo insisted it had already taken responsibility.

2013-03-14T18:30:17ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/12/rights_monitor_alarmed_Iran_media_9d4c

The United Nations' monitor for human rights in Iran sounded the alarm Tuesday over a rise in arrests of journalists, saying this was part of a pattern of increasing violations as presidential elections loom.

2013-03-12T17:48:32ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reporter