The Russian government is urging Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to engage with the opposition.

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia still refuses to support calls for Assad to step down but pressed Assad to consider all options to end the conflict.

"We actively encouraged... the Syrian leadership to maximally put into action its declared readiness for dialogue with the opposition," Lavrov said to reporters on Thursday, after a meeting with Syria’s deputy foreign minister Faisal Muqdad.

Russia's invitation for peace talks has been rejected by Syria's opposition leader, dampening international hopes for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Talking on Al Jazeera TV, Moaz Alkhatib said:

"We have clearly said we will not go to Moscow. We could meet in an Arab country if there was a clear agenda,"

Swiss campaign groups have welcomed efforts by the government in attempting to track down and prosecute war criminals, with the creation of a dedicated task force earlier this year.

The director of Geneva-based ‘Track Impunity Always’ (Trial) Philip Grant hailed the move, saying,

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) warned the M23 armed movement on Friday, 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 stated that two utility helicopters had faced hostile fire from the M23 on boxing day.

The Rwandan Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga has threatened that Rwanda may have to take France to court over their failure to arrest known fugitives, accused of crimes committed during the Rwandan genocide.

The National Public Prosecution Authority says that at least 21 indicted Genocide suspects are currently in France.

The Special Chamber of the High Court of Rwanda has rejected the demands of a deported genocide suspect from Canada, asking to court to nullify his case.

Leon Mugesera, who was removed from Canada earlier this year after losing a deportation battle that lasted nearly 20 years, questioned the mandate of the court, claiming they had no jurisdiction to try his alleged crimes, which occurred in 1992.

The Central African Republic's president appeal for help in pushing back a rebel offensive has been rejected by France who have said that their troops can only protect French nationals.

President Francois Bozize made the appeal to France and the USA as rebel fighters close in just 75km away from the capital city. Bozize said,

A recently sentenced Colombian police general, serving 13 years in a U.S prison, could face a further 30 years following the unveiling of new evidence, reported local Columbian media, Colombia Reports.

The Colombian police general, Mauricio Santoya, was convicted of disclosing secret information to paramilitary groups.

However, representatives of victims of the general’s actions, claim that they have new evidence that links Santoyo to crimes against humanity that he has not been held accountable for.

The former minister of Argentina, Felisa Miceli, has been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of corruption and has been barred from public office for eight years.

The court deemed that she have covered up an illegal financial dealing, and was obstructing justice.

Speaking after the court ruling, Miceli said,

The Iranian government has stated that they have fended off a number of cyber attacks on a power plant and other industries located in the south of the country.

Speaking to the Iranian Isna news agency, head of the military unit responsible for defending against cyber attacks, the Passive Defense Organization, Ali Akbar Akhavan said,