The international aid agency Oxfam criticised Britain's policy of selling arms to Saudi Arabia, and described ministers as being in "denial and disarray".

Oxfam accused Britain of going from being an "enthusiastic backer" of the Arms Trade Treaty to "one of the most significant violators" and is expected to raise the issue of sales to Saudi Arabia at the second conference of states party to the treaty in Geneva today.

The Islamist extremist accused of destroying the historic site in Timbuktu pleaded guilty as his trial at the International Criminal Court began on Monday. 

The trial is the first such ICC war crimes trial over the destruction of a site of historic or cultural signifcance. 

Ahmad Al Faqi al-Mahdi, who was a member of a group close to Al Qaeda, told the trial that he entered a guilty plea "with deep regret and great pain". 

The ICC's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said that Mr Mahdi was “who identified the sites to be destroyed and who provided the means”. 

Hundreds took to the streets in Hong Kong on Sunday to protest against the ban on pro-independence candidates standing in the upcoming Legislative Council election on September 4. 

Six candidates, who have openly expressed views in favour of independence, were barred from standing in the election, the South China Morning Post reported. 

A curfew continues to be enforced in Indian-administered Kashmir for the 43rd day, as clashes between security forces and protestors rumbled on.

The curfew, in place across the entire Srinagar district, Anantnag town and Pampore town, was being enforced “as a precautionary measure," a police official was quoted as saying. Telephone and internet services also remain suspended.

The United Nations said it would provide “material assisstance” to the victims of a cholera outbreak in Haiti, days after admitting its role in the spread of the diseases.

After almost 6 years of denying it had any role in the epidemic, which has killed thousands so far, the UN this week acknowledged that it bore some responsibility for the spread of the disease.

Humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) announced that it will be withdrawing staff from hospitals in northern Yemen, following yet another Saudi-coalition air strike on one of its buildings.

19 people were killed in Monday’s airstrike, marking the fourth time MSF buildings have been hit and the deadliest attack to date.

The Australian government on Wednesday agreed to close its off-shore asylum camp in Papua New Guinea after files leaked earlier this month showed over 2000 incidents of sexual abuse and assault, including against children.

No date has been set however, for the closure. Meanwhile, Australia's immigration minister stressed that no one would be settled in Australia.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces claimed to have captured several villages on the outskirt of Mosul, as they pushed to retake the last major city in Iraq under the Islamic State’s control.

In a massive offensive backed by US air strikes Kurdish and Iraqi government troops advanced towards the city on Sunday. More than 5,000 Kurdish troops are involved in the operation, said a commander to the BBC.

Doctors working in the besieged Syrian town of Aleppo warned that the use of chemical weapons is becoming the new normal in the conflict, after reports of yet another chlorine gas attack killed three people and injured dozens more.

US Secretary of State John Kerry criticised China’s restrictions and militarisation of the South China Sea at a regional meeting in Malaysia.

Accusing China of constructing facilities for military purposes on man-made islands, Mr Kerry said,

“Freedom of navigation and overflight are among the essential pillars of international maritime law. Despite assurances that these freedoms would be respected, we have seen warnings issued and restrictions attempted in recent months.”

The Chinese president is set to visit Washington next month.