The French arm of Basque nationalist party, Batasuna, announced the dissolution of the organisation on Thursday, putting an end to the movement long seen as the political wing of armed separatist group ETA.

Announcing the dissolution of the organisation, spokesperson Maite Goyenetxe, reiterated that the resolve for an independent homeland was still present, stating

The United Nations announced on Wednesday the death toll since the internal conflict instigated in March 2011 has left over 60,000 people killed in Syria.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said, “The number of causalities is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking.” Navi Pillay condemned the international community and the U.N. for “fiddling around” while “Syria burns”.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today warned the M23 armed movement that anyone attacking UN helicopters would face prosecution as a war criminal.

The warning from the UN Stabilising Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) comes after a UN press release noted that two utility helicopters had faced hostile fire from the M23 on boxing day.

MONUSCO reiterated that any attack against peacekeepers would amount to war crimes.

The Metropolitan police in the UK have charged a Nepalese army officer on two counts of torture committed during the country's civil war in 2005. 

The officer, Colonel Kumar Lama who is currently employed as an UN peace keeper in Sudan and visiting the UK was arrested on Thursday by Met police. 

Charged with intentionally "inflicting severe pain or suffering" whilst a public official on two separate individuals during April and May 2005 at the Gorusinghe Army Barracks in Nepal, Col Lama will face trial under a UK law that allows prosecution of alleged war criminals.

Ten police officers were injured on Thursday evening during further loyalists riots over the removal of the union flag at Belfast City Hall. 

The violence, centred mainly around East Belfast, broke out on Thursday at around 6.30pm by Albertbridge Road, Castlereagh Road and Mountpottinger Street. 

Commenting on the incident Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said: 

"It was initiated by the loyalist protesters and unfortunately for a number of weeks now we have been trying to facilitate lawful protest and we have been trying to do that in a proportionate and a graduated way."

Supporters of Fatah flocked to a mass rally held in Gaza in Friday, with the numbers reaching 'hundreds of thousands' according to a Fatah spokesperson.
 
The rally was the first to have been held by Fatah in Gaza, since Hamas won elections there in 2007 and subsequently gained control of the territory.

The move signalled closer relations between the two groups with Hamas stating the rally was a

"celebration of national unity and a success for Hamas as well as Fatah... This positive atmosphere is a step on road to restoring national unity".

Congolese rebels have threatened to walk away from this week’s peace talks following an increased presence of government troops in the east.

The rebel, March 23 Movement(M23), affirmed that they would walk away unless the government agreed to sign an official ceasefire.

Speaking to reporters the head of the rebel’s political wing, Jean-Marie Runiga, said,

“If Kinshasa continues to refuse to sign a ceasefire, M23 is going to ask its delegation to return to the DRC”

US forces have landed in Turkey to man Patriot missile stations along the Syrian border, reported Turkish state media Anadolu.

Patriot missile defense batteries were station in the region by U.S., Germany and the Netherlands in response to Syrian attacks on border villages.

Nato will be in overall control of the missiles and the soldiers, while the missiles will be operated by US troops.

Nepal’s government has summoned the UK ambassador in protest at the arrest by British police of a Nepali army officer on allegations of torture.

Col Kumar Lama, a serving member of Nepal's army who was visiting the UK, is accused of torturing a detainee in 2005 during Nepal's civil war.

British law allows prosecutors to act against people suspected of torture no matter where it took place in the world.

A 46-year old man from Nepal has been arrested by London’s Metropolitan Police, over allegations of torture, committed in 2005 during the war in Nepal.

He was held on Thursday in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex and is currently detained in a police station in neighbouring Sussex.

The BBC reported that the man is thought to be linked to the former government and was arrested due to a complaint made in the UK.