An international manhunt is now on the way as authorities attempt to apprehend the driver of a truck which was intentionally driven into Berlin's iconic Christmas market killing 12. 

Witnesses said they saw a masked man escape from the truck and run away from the scene. A suspect who was arrested following the incident was released yestereday cleared off any involvement. 

The incident, which echoed the lorry attack in France on Bastilles Day earlier this year, has been claimed by Islamic State. 

Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was shot and killed in Ankara while giving a speech at an embassy sponsored photo exhibition.

The assailant was identified as a 22 year-old off duty police officer.

After shooting the ambassador the assailant referenced Aleppo: “Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria.” "Whoever took part in this cruelty will pay the price, one by one ... Only death will take me from here," he stated in Turkish.

"We are the descendants of those who supported the Prophet Muhammad, for jihad," he said.

The Rwandan government said it was “concerned and worried” after two people convitced over their role in the 1994 genocide have been granted early releases from their prison sentences.

Ferdinand Nahimana and Emmanuel Rukundo, convicted to 30 years and 23 years respectively, have been held in prison in Mali, following their sentencing. However, the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) has reportedly allowed both men to be considered for early release as they have “demonstrated some signs of rehabilitation”.

After days of negotiations and stalled deals, a new agreement has led to the evacuations of thousands of civilians from eastern Aleppo, according to latest reports.

The BBC reported that 4,500 civilians had left the besieged region so far on Monday, as they left to other opposition held areas to the west of Aleppo. Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusogulu said that 20,000 people had been evacuated so far and that efforts were continuing.

Buses also left the Shi'ite Muslim villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, north of Idlib, which have been surrounded by opposition forces, as part of the newly brokered deal.

The head of the UN Human Rights Commission, Yasmin Sooka, warned this week that South Sudan was "on the brink of an all-out ethnic civil war" where genocide was a strong possibility. 

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Ms Sooka said a "Rwanda-like" genocide could be prevented if 4000 UN peacekeepers were deployed to protect civilians. 

UN investigators who recently visited the country said "a steady process of ethnic cleansing is already under way in some parts of the country," she added. 

The United States announced that it will block the transfer of a set of precision-guided weapons to Saudi Arabia, over concerns regarding civilian casualties in the  conflict in Yemen.

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said the United States has “long expressed some very significant concerns about the high rate of civilian casualties”.

He made the statement as the Obama administration announced the sale of about 16,000 guided munitions kits by Raytheon is to be blocked. The contract is estimated to have been worth $350 million, reports the New York Times.

A group aligned to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack in Istanbul, Turkey which killed 38 people, injuring 155. 

The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) made its claim in a statement published on its website on Sunday, which said "the latest bombings were in reprisal for ongoing violence in the south-eastern Turkey and for the continuing imprisonment of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan."

TAK has previously claimed responsibility for a number of attacks mainly in the Kurdish region of Turkey, including the Ankara attack which killed 37. 

Prosecutors at the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) called for former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic to be handed a life sentence, as they delivered their closing arguments at his genocide trial.

“The time has come for Ratko Mladic to be held accountable for each of his victims and all the communities he destroyed,” said Alan Tieger, stating that anything less would be “an insult to the victims, living and dead, and an affront to justice”.

“Nobody can even imagine the depth of suffering for which Mladic is responsible,” he added.

A French court has upheld a 25 year prison sentence for genocide and complicity in crimes against humanity to a former Rwandan intelligence agent.

Pascal Simbikangwa was originally found guilty of genocide in a 2014 trial, leading to the former presidential guard member lodging an appeal. His prosecution was the first in France over the 1994 genocide, which left around 800,000 people dead.

The Afghan Taliban has called for direct talks with the United States and recognition of its political office in Qatar, as part of a series of proposals put forward this to work towards a political solution.

Voice of America reported Qatar-based Taliban spokesman, Sohail Shaheen, as stating “there is need for America and its allies to come to the table for direct talks with the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) for negotiating an end to the occupation”.