Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign for the sake of his people.

"Without spilling any more blood, without causing any more injustice, for the sake of peace for the people, the country and the region, finally step down," Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said, in his first direct call for Assad to go.

Syrian rebels have struck at the heart of Damscus, firing grenades at the ruling Ba’ath party’s headquarters.

The attack in the capital city caused little damage to the building but was a hugely symbolic blow to President Assad’s regime, in a sign that the rebel army was growing in confidence and support.

One witness said,

Burma’s democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi is going to stand in upcoming elections in the country, her spokesperson confirmed.

Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) only ended their boycott of the political system a few days ago.

The first parliamentary elections in the country for over 20 years took place last year, but were boycotted by the NLD due to a law that prevented Aung San Suu Kyi from contesting a seat.

The trial of three former Khmer Rouge leaders has begun Monday, more than 30 years after they ruled Cambodia, where they face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

In a packed courthouse the prosecution’s opening statements were read out, accusing the three former leaders of causing the death of more than 1.8 million people during the late 1970s.

Prosecutor Chea Leang gave a detailed account of the massacres, causing some of those in the courthouse to shed tears. She told the UN-backed tribunal,

"The forced evacuations of Cambodian cities, the enslavement of millions of people in forced labour camps, the smashing of hundreds of thousands of lives in notorious security centres and the killing fields, and the extermination of minorities, the countless deaths from disease, abuse and starvation – these crimes ordered and orchestrated by the accused were among the worst horrors inflicted on any nation in modern history."

Court spokesman Lars Olsen hailed the trial, saying that "many people never thought it would happen."

International co-prosecutor Andre Cayley also told reporters that the opening of this case was a milestone achievement.

“I also think it is important in the interests of international justice generally because it’s certainly part of the fight against impunity.

We are looking at crimes that are 30 years old.

I’m quite certain that at the time the leaders of the Khmer Rouge never believed they would be held to account for what happened, and here we actually have the most senior living members of the Khmer Rouge who will be standing trial."

Bangladesh called for a formal apology from Pakistan for the 'genocide and atrocities' committed by its military in 1971.

The demand was made by Bangladesh's new foreign minister, Dipu Moni, to the Pakistan's new envoy to Bangladesh, on Monday.

A statement released by the ministry read,

The United States welcomed the conviction of former Rwandan mayor, Ndahinama, by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges of genocide and urged the arrest and trial of remaining fugitive.

Spokesperson for the US State Department, Mark Toner, said,

"The United States welcomes this ruling as an important step in providing justice and accountability for the Rwandan people and the international community."

"[Ndahimana's conviction] is of particular significance, because as mayor of Kivumu he had authority over the police, and yet failed to prevent the massacre"

"Militia, police, civil and religious authorities participated in bulldozing the church, burying the refugees sheltered inside,"

"There are still nine ICTR fugitives at large and the United States urges all countries to redouble their cooperation with the ICTR so that these fugitives can be expeditiously arrested and brought to justice."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague is to meet Syrian rebel leaders in London on Monday, the BBC reports, quoting the Foreign Office.

Mr Hague will meet members of the Syrian National Council and the National Co-ordination Committee for Democratic Change.

"We have been having regular contacts with a variety of figures in the Syrian opposition for several months. We are now intensifying these," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

The Libyan transational government announced Saturday that they have captured Saif al-Islam, the fugitive son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Three months after he was last seen in public, the NTC announced that Saif was "arrested in southern Libya" sparking of celebrations in Tripoli’s Martyr Square. It is thought the he was trying to escape to Algeria or Niger and there were reports that he was seeking to surrender to the ICC.

Members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have unanimously agreed on Burma as the next chair of the regional bloc.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told the BBC, the 10 member states believed Burma had made significant progress towards democracy.

"It's not about the past, it's about the future, what leaders are doing now," he said.

"We're trying to ensure the process of change continues."