Egypt imposed strict anti-terror laws that could strip journalists of employment for “false” reporting on militant attacks, reports The Guardian.

At least 19 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a bomb blast at a shrine in Thailand’s capital Bangkok.

Mr Kerry described the hoisting of the US flag as a “historic moment” speaking during the ceremony in Friday.

Speaking about democracy on live Cuban Television, Mr Kerry said,

In July, the East African bloc mediating the talks (IGAD), drafted an agreement that offered compromise on power-sharing and other contentious issues that would see the deal implemented for a three-year interim period.

The US launched its first manned airstrikes against Islamic State militants from Turkey’s Incirlik airbase.

The US offensive on Wednesday comes after Turkey agreed last month to open its strategically important bases to the US led coalition.

Turkey’s policy change also saw it administer airstrikes on Islamic State and Kurdish militant targets last week.

The Syrian government’s continued aerial bombardment and siege of Eastern Ghouta, a suburb just outside of Damascus amounts to crimes against humanity warned rights group Amnesty International.

In a news release on Wednesday Amnesty said the 163,000 people in the region were in an "agonising struggle to survive" and that it had documented at least 60 aerial attacks by the government that had killed some 500 civilians in the first half of 2015 alone.

Said Boumedouha, acting director of Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme, said,

"By repeatedly bombing heavily populated areas in a series of direct, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks as well as by unlawfully besieging civilians, Syrian government forces have committed war crimes and displayed a sinister callousness towards Eastern Ghouta's civilians."

"The timing and location of these attacks appear deliberately orchestrated to maximise damage or civilian casualties in a gruesome attempt by the Syrian government forces to terrorise the population," said the acting director.

Non-governmental organisations working for the vulnerable are prevented from gaining representation at the United Nations by a committee dominated by countries with repressive regimes said a collective group of NGOs on Tuesday.

Several organisations have expressed concern with regards to the questioning and intimidation they face when dealing with the UN committee on non-governmental organisations, to seek accreditation to gain official NGO status at the United Nations.