Indonesia searches for missing Australia-bound boatpeople Rescuers searched the seas off Indonesia's Java island Wednesday for possibly dozens of asylum-seekers missing after their Australia-bound boat sank, leaving at least three dead, with 157 saved.
Australia closed to boatpeople: PM Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday announced that no more boatpeople will be resettled in Australia with all unauthorised arrivals to be sent to poverty-stricken Papua New Guinea.
S. American leaders back asylum amid Snowden row South American leaders defended their right to offer asylum, venting anger at claims of US spying in the region while intelligence leaker Edward Snowden's fate hangs in the balance.
13 July 2013
Venezuelans told to 'unfriend' Facebook over US spying A government minister in Venezuela, which has offered fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden asylum, is urging her countrymen to cancel their Facebook accounts lest they be targeted by US snooping.
Venezuelan leader offers Snowden 'humanitarian asylum' Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered to give "humanitarian asylum" to US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, who is waiting in a Moscow airport for a nation to give him sanctuary.
06 July 2013
Snowden asylum requests sent to 21 countries: WikiLeaks Fugitive US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden has submitted asylum requests to 19 more nations including Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, India, China, Russia, Germany and France.
02 July 2013
Australia PM says opposition risks Indonesia ties Australia's new prime minister Kevin Rudd said Friday the conservative opposition's proposal to turn back asylum-seeker boats risked inciting conflict with Indonesia.
28 June 2013
Snowden 'stuck' in Moscow as Ecuador warns on asylum US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden spent a fourth day at a Moscow airport on Wednesday with his travel plans still a mystery as Ecuador warned it could take months to consider his asylum request.
28 June 2013
Venezuela says would consider asylum for Snowden Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday he would consider an asylum request from US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden if the country receives one.
26 June 2013
Fugitive US leaker in Moscow, seeks Ecuador asylum Washington was scrambling to stop fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden as the former IT contractor was Monday expected to head for asylum in Ecuador after arriving in Moscow.
24 June 2013
Australia defends decision to leave bodies in ocean Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday defended her government's decision to leave the bodies of drowned asylum-seekers in the ocean following criticism more would have been done had they been Australians.
11 June 2013
Swiss to vote on tightening of asylum law, againThe Swiss will vote Sunday on whether to approve an emergency tightening of the country's asylum law in a bid to stem the influx of refugees to the wealthy Alpine nation.
06 June 2013
Drownings fear after life-jackets wash up in Australia Australian police said Monday at least eight life-jackets had washed up on a beach in the Cocos Islands, sparking fears that asylum-seekers may once again have drowned en route to Australia.
28 May 2013
Fishermen rescue another 63 Rohingya off Indonesia Fishermen in western Indonesia rescued more than 60 ethnic Rohingya asylum-seekers from Myanmar found adrift in a wooden boat, police said Friday, in the second such arrival this week.
01 March 2013
WikiLeaks to release files on 'every country' in 2013: Assange WikiLeaks will release one million documents next year affecting every country in the world, founder Julian Assange said in a speech from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London on Thursday.
22 December 2012
UN rights chief warns Australia on refugees The UN's top human rights official Wednesday described a hunger strike by refugees banished by Australia to the remote Pacific as a sign of the "unbearable conditions" of their detention.