"The president had announced a year ago that France must provide proof of transparency and facilitate remembrance of this period".

Bangladesh's Supreme Court rejected an appeal to scrap the death sentence handed to a senior Islamist leader, who was found guilty of genocide by a domestic war crimes tribunal.

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, assistant secretary general of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party has now lost his final appeal against the sentence, which was given last year for crimes committed during the Bangladeshi 1971 war of independence.

The decision was criticised by Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch who said, “Bangladesh’s war crimes trials have been plagued by persistent and credible allegations of fair trial violations that require impartial judicial review.”

Kenyan air force jets have targeted two al-Shabab camps in Somalia, in response to the killing of 148 people at Garissa University in Kenya last week.

"Our aerial images show that the camps were completely destroyed," said Kenyan army spokesman David Obonyo. "The bombings are part of the continued process and engagement against al-Shabab, which will go on," he added.

The government of Myanmar officially apologised to China for a cross-border bombing attack which killed 5 Chinese nationals earlier this month.

Xinhua reported Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin as saying, “on behalf of the Myanmar government and military, I officially apologise to China and express my deep sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured.”

The bombing raid in Myanmar’s northeast came as the Burmese government battled against ethnic Kokang militants. China had immediately summoned Myanmar's ambassador, Thit Linn Ohn, to complain about the bombing and warned of “decisive action” at the time.