The European Union (EU) has criticised the Turkish government's mass arrests in the wake of a failed coup last week, calling the moves “unacceptable”.

A statement by High Representative Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn said the whilst the EU condemned the attempted coup, it was following developments in the country “very closely and with concern”.

More than 50,000 Turkish state employees have been arrested or sacked, including members of the judiciary, media and academia, as President Erdogan rounded up those he accused of being complicit with the coup plotters.

Turkey's parliament also approved a state of emergency bill, which deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmuş said will lead his government to “derogate the European convention on human rights insofar as it does not conflict with its international obligations”.

The EU told Serbia on Monday that it must meet certain benchmarks around the prosecution of war crimes in order to work towards membership of the European Union.

In a document which laid out the terms on which further chapters in Serbia's negotiations around EU membership are set out, the EU said, "Serbia needs to engage “in meaningful regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in handling of war crimes by avoiding conflicts of jurisdictions and ensuring that war crimes are prosecuted without any discrimination."

“All outstanding issues in this regard must be fully resolved,” the document added.

Airstrikes by a US-led coalition on territory held by the Islamic State (IS) have resulted in the deaths of at least 56 civilians on Tuesday according to Syrian opposition activists.

The villages of Tokhar and Hoshariyeh in the IS stronghold of Manbij has been the subject of an offensive by Kurdish militants backed by a US-led coalition for several weeks, reports the New York Times.

Leaders from the African Union have backed plans to deploy 12,000 troops in South Sudan, after weeks of fighting in the country between rival factions.

Representatives from the African Union agreed to have troops from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda deployed in the country – a move that South Sudan has opposed.

Speaking to the BBC, South Sudan's Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth said his government was “not ready for a deployment of even a single additional soldier”. "That does not solve the problem," he continued, adding "As a sovereign state… this thing cannot be imposed on us without our consent".

Bahrain’s court dissolved the main Shi’ite opposition group al-Wefaq and liquidated the organisation’s funds reports Reuters.

Amidst a deepening environment of cracking down on decent, Bahrain’s court found the group’s political activities had deviated towards incitement to violence and the encouragement of mass protests and sit-ins that could lead to sectarian strife.

Media organisations in Bahrain reported that the group’s funds would be seized by the state treasury.

US and Kurdish officials signed a memorandum of understanding this week, which “includes provisions of military support to the Peshmerga forces," according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The US acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Elissa Slotkin met with Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and acting Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Karim Sinjari, with whom she signed the memorandum with on Tuesday.

Amongst the topics discussed in talks were “the importance and urgency of the liberation of Mosul” and the role of Peshmerga forces in the fight against Islamic State.

Authorities in Indian controlled Kashmir seized newspapers and shut down cable television in attempts to quash mobilisation which has seen protests over the killing of Kashmiri separatist commander Burhan Wani.

A Kashmir government minister, who commented remained anonymous, told Reuters that,

A military coup in Turkey appears to have failed as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to the country after attempting to seek asylum in Europe.

The army faction had announced that it was in control of the country but was met on the streets by protests and supporters of Erdogan.

The opposition, including the pro-Kurdish HDP, bitterly opposed to Erdogan, have denounced the coup attempt.