The German government has admitted it provided training and equipment worth over €50,000 to the Belarusian security forces.

The interior ministry said it supplied surveillance equipment including digital cameras and computers and three Volkswagen police vans between 2008 and 2010, but could not confirm reports that batons and other riot combat equipment were also delivered during the period.

"Ultimately, the archbishop is of the view that Mr. Blair's decision to support the United States' military invasion of Iraq, on the basis of unproven allegations of the existence in Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, was morally indefensible."

"The Discovery Invest Leadership Summit has leadership as its theme. Morality and leadership are indivisible."

"In this context, it would be inappropriate and untenable for the archbishop to share a platform with Mr Blair."

The Colombian government and Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) are to hold exploratory talks towards peace, the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday.

Addressing state TV, Santos said,

"Since the first day of my government I have completed my constitutional obligation to find peace. With that aim, we have had exploratory conversations with the FARC to seek an end to the conflict,"

The talks are understood to take place later this year in Norway or Cuba.

Santos added that the Colombian military would continue to act "throughout every centimetre" of the country whilst the talks took place.

According to Reuters, Santos has agreed that Farc rebels would not be extradited to any other country to face convictions.

Six soldiers and three marines have escaped criminal prosecution and received administrative punishments for burning the Quran and urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters.

The actions by the soldiers triggered widespread rioting and led to retaliatory killings of at least four US military personnel and the deaths of over 30 Afghans.

“We believe this could be the start of a much larger influx. Some of those who have crossed in recent days — especially Friday — report being bombed by aircraft. There are also reports of shelling, mortars and other weapons fire.”

“Refugees say many thousands more are waiting to cross amid violence around Dara’a”

Burmese courts have given two United Nations workers prison sentences for involvement in promoting hatred between the ethnic communities and participating in arson attacks.

A UN spokesman confirmed that one of those sentenced was an UN refugee agency employee and the other was a member of the UN World Food Programme.

A US military spokesperson has denied making a deal was made with the militant Haqqani network in Afghanistan.

The French president Francoise Hollande has urged the Syrian opposition to form a provisional government and said France would officially recognise it once it was formed.

“France asks the Syrian opposition to form a provisional government — inclusive and representative — that can become the legitimate representative of the new Syria,” Mr. Hollande was quoted as saying during a speech to French diplomats.

“France will recognise the provisional government of Syria once it is formed.”

However the US said that the opposition first needed to coordinate with Syrian citizens and set a democratic path.

"So that's the first order of business -- for them to all agree on what a transition ought to look like. Obviously, it's a matter for them to decide if and when they may be prepared to start naming folks," said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

Activists have accused the Syrian government of killing over 300 people in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus.

Government forces have seized control of the area after 5 days of intense battles against opposition fighters but local activists have reported dozens of summary executions.

“Your visit will grant legitimacy to a regime that is the greatest threat to world peace and security.”

“We think that Iran is going to try to use the event for propaganda purposes and to try to cover up the extreme isolation Iran is feeling politically and economically.”

“That said, if people choose to participate, we believe they should take the opportunity of any meetings that they have with Iran’s leaders to press them to comply with their international obligations without further delay.”

"You never know their names, you never talk with them, they always cry, shit in their pants … There are those annoying moments when you're on an arrest mission, and there's no room in the police station, so you just take the kid back with you, blindfold him, put him in a room and wait for the police to come and pick him up in the morning. He sits there like a dog …"

"Sadly enough this is the moral consequence of prolonged occupation of the Palestinian people,"

“I think that in Israel, in view of … our common history and some similar elements and moments, you will hardly find people who will deny the genocide, who will say, like we unfortunately hear, that all this is fabrications and lies.”

“So I think that unfortunately — I stress, unfortunately — in this area our peoples have quite a lot in common, quite a lot for mutual understanding”.

“Nobody in Israel denies the fact of Armenian Genocide.”