US President Barack Obama has landed in India on Sunday, embarking on a visit that he has hailed as the start of a new era of co-operation between the world’s largest democracies.

Breaking normal protocol, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, welcomed Mr Obama, as he disembarked from the plane.

Speaking ahead of his departure to India Today, Mr Obama said that, "I'd like to think the stars are aligned to finally realize the vision (of) India and America as true global partners."

His upbeat sentiment was echoed by the US ambassador in Delhi, Richard Verma, who said, "There's no question this is a defining time in the US-India relationship. Things not only feel different, they are different."

Mr Obama is set to attend India's Republic Day parade on Monday, becoming the first US President to have been invited. Accompanied by several congressional Democrats, as well as commerce and trade representatives, the issues of trade and security are thought to feature highly in bilateral talks.

Ram Madhav, a foreign-affairs adviser with India Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also emphasised the importance of the trip, saying Mr Obama is “proceeding in a very meticulous manner to place India at a totally different, higher leel in global affairs.”

Chairman of India’s National Security Advisory Board (NSA) Shyam Saran hailed the trip, saying “US-India relations have reached a new height”. “The US is an indispensable partner,” he added.

Commenting on the visit, India's finance minister Arun Jaitley also said that India would “like a much greater understanding with the United States with regards to regional issues", highlighting security issues in the region in particular.

At least 30 people were killed in rocket attacks in the city of Mariupol in the east of Ukraine, as pro-Russian rebels announced a major offensive.

The rockets are thought to have come from rebel-held areas, but Alexander Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said his forces had not carried out "active operations" against the city until Saturday.

The attacks were widely condemned, including by the EU who warned “would inevitably lead to a further grave deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia”, according to EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.

At least five Lebanese soldiers have been killed after clashes with Islamic militants on the Syrian border, said Lebanon's army.

The fighting took place in the village of Ras Baalbek, with the army saying that a "military base in the Ras Baalbek mountains was attacked by a terrorist group".

The Independent reported a military official as saying “we are targeting their gatherings and positions with artillery shells and helicopter gunships.”

Police in Kosovo fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters calling for the resignation of a minister from the Serb minority, Aleksander Jablanovic.

Approximately 10,000 ethnic Albanian protesters gathered outside a government building with dozens throwing stones and attacking police, injuring 20 police officers, reports Reuters.

A video has emerged showing the apparent execution of one of the two Japanese hostages held by Islamic State.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the video of hostage Haruna Yakuwa as "outrageous and unacceptable" and demanded for the immediate release of the second hostage.

"This act of terrorism is an outrageous and unacceptable act of violence," he said.

"I again strongly demand the immediate release of Mr Kenji Goto unharmed."

Islamic State on Tuesday released a video, showing the Japanese hostages and demanding $200mn within 72 hours. 

The funeral of two female Kachin teachers, suspected to have been raped and killed by Burmese soldiers, was held today in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state in northern Myanmar.

Maran Lu Ra and Tangbau Khawn Nan Tsin, aged 20 and 21, were in a remote village in Shan state, to teach children on behalf of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KCB), the group's spokesperson Lama Yaw told AFP news agency.

“The victims are dead and can’t point out who did it to them. But everyone in Myanmar -- not only the Kachin people -- knows the truth,” Lama Yawsaid, referring to KBC claims that soldiers were responsible.

Villagers say they were raped and beaten, and that boot prints were found outside their shared home. Activists and local media say Burmese troops were stationed near the village.

The Yemeni president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, quit on Thursday after Houthi rebels advanced upto the presidential palace, plunging the country into deeper crisis.

Mr Hadi said he could not continue in office after the rebels failed to abide by the peace deal. According to the BBC, Mr Hadi's intelligence chief, Ali Hassan al-Ahmedi has also resigned.

Whilst, the Houthi rebels are yet to officially comment on the resignation, Reuters reported that some figures within the rebel group welcomed the move and proposed the creation of a 'ruling council'.

The first set of 100 US troops have been ordered to travel to the Middle East to establish training sites for the Syrian opposition, announced the Pentagon on Friday.

The pentagon press secretary, John Kirby, said that the decision, which was authorised last week, would see a 100 troops arriving in countries outside Syria in the next few days, with several hundred other military trainers joining in upcoming weeks.