Former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, has been taken into the custody of the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, becoming the first ex-head of state to be detained in ICC custody.

"The commission is gravely concerned that crimes against humanity have been committed in different locations."

"These crimes include murder, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty.”

Torture by Syrian forces was described as “rampant”, with the commission saying it was

"particularly disturbed over the extensive reports of sexual violence, principally against men and boys, in places of detention".

The UN went on to recommend a "prompt, independent and impartial investigations under both domestic and international law to end impunity, ensure accountability and bring perpetrators to justice."

See Al Jazeera's interview with UN commission member Yakin Erturk below.

A Kenyan court has ordered the goverment to arrest Sudan's president Omar Al-Bashir "should he set foot in Kenya in future",

The ruling came after the Kenyan chapter of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) filed a suit seeking a new arrest warrant.

In response, Khartoum has taken the decision to expel Kenya's ambassador.

Around 7000 prisoners, many of them sub-Saharan African mercenaries hired by Gaddafi, are still being held in detention across Libya, the UN says.

The men are held without access to legal services as courts are not yet fully working in the country.

The Arab League has approved sanctions against Syria after its suspension from the body earlier in the month.

The 22-member body voted 19-3 for the immediate implantation of the sanctions, with Iraq and Lebanon abstaining from the vote.

Turkey, acting as an observer, has indicated it too would impose the sanctions on its southern neighbour.

Iranian MP’s have passed a bill to downgrade ties with the UK in response to sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme.

The bill would give President Ahmedinejad two weeks to expel Birtish Ambassador to Tehran, Dominick Chilcott, if approved by the Guardian Council.

"We have known for five years that the Mexican army is committing sexual abuse, executing people, torturing people and kidnapping, and there have been no sanctions"

"The violence in Mexico is bigger than the violence in Afghanistan, and bigger than the violence in Colombia"

"We want the prosecutor to tell us if war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Mexico, and if the president and other top officials are responsible".

He went on to argue the government doesn't have the will to prosecute drug war crimes saying,

"The Mexican legal system does not specifically define these crimes, so there is no way to prosecute those who commit them. Moreover, there is no political will to investigate the widespread violence"

While most cases are referred by states or the UN Security Council, the ICC can also start investigations on their own on the basis of information received from individuals or organisations.

To date they have only occurred in Africa but examinations have begun Afghanistan, Colombia, Honduras and Korea.

Richard Dicker, an international justice expert with Human Rights Watch said,

"There are a large number of boxes that the prosecutor would need to check off before he could actually open an investigation."

"It's possible ... but I think you want to be clear on what the challenges and obstacles are."

"The crimes would have to be widespread or systematic, carried out by a state or organization in attacks on a civilian population."

China has said it will carry out naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean, after last week’s announcement by President Obama that 2,500 US marines will be stationed in Australia.

The Chinese Defence Ministry said in a statement the exercises were ‘routine’ and not targeted at a specific country.

After meeting in Cairo on Thursday, the Arab League have issued an ultimatum to Syria, giving them less than 24 hours to allow monitors to enter the country or face economic sanctions.

The discovery of the bodies of two Guatemalan men by a former military base may lead to new investigations into possible war crimes, say experts.

The men were captured by security forces in 1984 during Guatemala's civil war, and were one of the 40,000 people who disappeared during that time.

A Bosnian Serb man has been charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes relating to his participation in Bosnia 1992-95 war.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh, signed an agreement on Wednesday, relinquishing power to his vice president,  Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi, with immediate effect.

The agreement, facilitated by Saudi Arabia and supported by the US, will signal the end of Saleh's 33 year rule of Yemen, following months of protests.

The agreement allows Saleh many face-saving measures, including the retention of his title and certain privileges until new elections are held in three months. It also grants him immunity from prosecution.

Many of the youth activists who led recent protests have criticised the agreement as an elitist pact. Highlighting the immunity offered, youth activists warned that the protesters, who demand adequate investigation and justice for the deaths of fellow demonstrators, would not be placated.

Last month, youth activists wrote a letter to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, demanding that Saleh be referred to the International Criminal Court for the crimes committed by his military.

The letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon said,

"We call on the UN to refer Saleh, his sons and his gang to the International Criminal Court for their crimes against peaceful protesters."

In a statement, US President Barack Obama said,

“The United States welcomes President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s decision to transfer executive powers immediately to the Vice President in accordance with the agreement.”

"The Yemeni people deserve the opportunity to determine their own future.”

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has condemned the conduct of the military in Egypt since it took over from the ousted leader, Hosni Mubarak.

In a damning report (Broken Promises: Egypt's military rulers erode human rights), released Tuesday, Amnesty asserted that Egypt's Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) had "completely failed" to live up to their promises of returning power to the people and had committed human rights abuses that exceeded that of the Mubarak regime.

Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa acting director, Philip Luther said,

"The SCAF has continued the tradition of repressive rule which the January 25 demonstrators fought so hard to get rid of."

"Those who have challenged or criticise the military council - like demonstrators, journalists, bloggers, striking workers - have been ruthlessly suppressed in an attempt at silencing their voices ... The brutal and heavy-handed response to protests in the last few days bears all the hallmarks of the Mubarak era."

"The Egyptian military cannot keep using security as an excuse to keep the same old practices that we saw under President Mubarak."

"If there is to be an effective transition to the new Egypt that protesters have been demanding, the SCAF must release their grip on freedom of expression, association and assembly, lift the state of emergency and stop trying civilians in military courts."