Australia asylum: Court given 72-hour warning pledge

Australia's High Court is to hear an application to prevent the government from returning asylum seekers intercepted at sea to Sri Lanka. 

The application concerns 153 people believed to have been located as they sailed to Australia. 

The government has not confirmed their whereabouts. 

A court issued an interim order blocking their return. 

The order came as Australia confirmed it had transferred 41 asylum seekers to Sri Lankan navy personnel at sea. 

The government said all those transferred underwent a screening process at sea. 

The move has however attracted strong criticism from human rights representatives and the UN.

BBC