A militia leader, accused of horrific war crimes by UN investigators is to stand in Congo’s parliamentary elections.

Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka is alleged to have been involved in mass rapes committed by his troops, the Mai Mai militia in 2010.

Although Congolese prosecutors issued a warrant for Sheka’s arrest in January, he can claim immunity from prosecution, if elected as a member of parliament.

The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has stated that pro-Gaddafi forces, the NTC and NATO will all be investigated in an independent war crimes inquiry in Libya.

Speaking to the UN Security Council, Moreno-Ocampo said,

A member of the Serbian Jackals (Šakali) paramilitary group was reported to have been arrested in a Belgrade suburb, after spending years on the run.

The former fighter, Sinisa Misic, was wanted for the killing of 11 ethnic Albanians, during the infamous Cuska massacre in May 1999.

Expressing concern regarding threats to media freedom, governance, human rights abuses and the “shrinking political space”, the UN resident representative in Malawi, Richard Dictus, said,

"[Malawi] definitely have to brace ourselves for a difficult period ahead.

“You [Malawi] need to follow a new line, go back to a number of policy tenets that made Malawi very successful between 2004 and 2009.

Families of those killed during anti-Sikh riots in 1984, held vigils on Tuesday, demanding justice for the victims.

Over 5000 Sikhs were killed during riots, following the assassination of then Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi, by her Sikh bodyguard on 31st October 1984.

Vigils of remembrance were held at India Gate, in New Delhi, and outisde the Canadian Parliament, where diaspora Sikh families remembered those who had been killed.

The call for justice has been endorsed by numerous human rights organisations including Lok Raj Sangathan, Sikh Forum, People's Union for Democratic Rights and the People's Union for Civil Liberties.

Still on the run, Saif al-Islam is reported to be heading towards Niger with the help of heavily armed Tuareg tribesmen, leaving the West African nation with the possibility of facing local anger if they were to hand him over to the International Criminal Court.

Muammar Gaddafi hosted talks between Niger, Mali and Tuareg rebels resulting in a shaky peace deal in the decades-long insurgency. The Niger government are now faced with the prospect of more violence if they were to hand Saif to the ICC.

The former Interior Minister of Croatia, Josip Boljkovac, has been arrested over his involvement in war crimes committed during and after the Second World War.

Croatian Police arrested the 89 year old in the central town of Karlovac on Wednesday.

89 year old Boljkovac fought alongside communist partisan resistance fighters, when the country was ruled by the pro-Nazi Ustasha movement.

The United States have cut funding to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as Palestine was awarded a seat in the 194 member body.

A vote at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris saw 107 member states supporting the resolution admitting Palestine to the organisation, despite strong protest by the US and Israel.

In an apparent reaction to Palestine gaining a seat at UNESCO, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the construction of 2,000 new housing units for Israelis, in occupied areas of East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

1,650 new units, which are deemed illegal under international law, would be built in East Jerusalem, an area the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state.

In addition, Israel has decided to withhold the transfer of tax revenues that it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and a decision is pending on whether this will become permanent.