International Relations

Derecognise business body, says MEA Taking its protest over the presence of a minister from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) at a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting to the next level, India has now demanded that the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) be “derecognised” by the …

Proclamation is null and void, says seven-member Bench In a landmark case of the Sri Lankan judiciary ruling on the executive, the Supreme Court said on Thursday that President Maithripala Sirisena’s move last month, dissolving Parliament and calling for snap polls, was illegal. The seven-member Bench unanimously deemed Mr. Sirisena’s …

Group calls for clarification from govt. Anti-corruption campaigners have condemned the British Home Office’s decision to backtrack on plans to suspend a “golden visa” scheme for wealthy investors, just days after announcing the suspension. Last week, the Home Office had said it was planning to suspend the Tier-1 (investor) visa …

Hardline Brexit MPs in Conservative Party seeks change in leadership to extract a new deal from European Union leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May faced a vote of no-confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party on Wednesday evening after some pro-Brexit MPs in the party followed through on their …

French President Emmanuel Macron’s government on Tuesday defended a financial relief package to quell the “yellow vest” revolt over taxes and living standards, hoping to end protests which have spiralled into violence in Paris and other cities. Over 21 million people watched a visibly contrite Mr. Macron declare a “state …

Time magazine on Tuesday named a group of journalists, including Jamal Khashoggi and a pair of Reuters journalists imprisoned by Myanmar, as its “Person of the Year”, in a cover story headlined “The Guardians and the War on Truth.” The honour went to a series of journalists including Reuters journalists …

German leader Angela Merkel ruled out further negotiations on Brexit on Tuesday but said efforts were being made to give the U.K. reassurances after Prime Minister Theresa May abruptly pulled a vote at home because she faced defeat. With less than four months left until the United Kingdom is due …

Kremlin rejects accusations as ‘nothing but slander’ France is looking into claims that Russia-linked social media accounts are trying to stir up trouble by spreading misinformation designed to amplify the ‘yellow vest’ protests. A source close to the inquiry said that the Prime Minister’s Security and Defence Directorate was coordinating …

For Chandrani Mendis, the political crisis gripping Sri Lanka since October 26 has had a specific cost — her pension for November. “After my husband died, I had been receiving 250 rupees (roughly Rs. 100) a month as an allowance, but they stopped it last month,” said the 60-year-old, seated …

A meaningful vote on the British government’s Brexit withdrawal deal is set to be postponed till as late as January as, faced with certain defeat, British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday that she will be returning to emergency negotiations with Brussels in an attempt to wrestle new concessions. …