Islamist rebels in Northern Mali have claimed to have executed an Algerian diplomat that was kidnapped five months ago, claiming that their demands were not being met.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that they will be investigating the rebels claim to have killed one of the seven diplomats who were captured by the rebels, after the Algerian consulate in northern Mali, was stormed by the militants in April.

See report from the AP here.

The former police chief of Guatemala has been arrested in Geneva on Friday for murders committed between 2004 and 2007.

Erwin Sperisen will be questioned over eight murders in prisons in Guatemala.

"He was head of the national police force during two campaigns to execute detainees and we will be looking into those murders," prosecutor Olivier Jornot told Reuters.

The US administration is undecided on whether the Haqqani network, based in Pakistan, should be designated as a terrorist organisation, the Washington Times reports. It adds that some officials are concerned such a move could complicate relations with Pakistan, and efforts for peace talks with the Taliban.

Despite the military pushing for such a designation, the move has been resisted by some the White House, and some in the State Department, the Washington Post reported.

 

The Syrian rebels have seized one of the military's air defence bases in the east of the country, a UK based monitoring group reported.

The attack took place on Saturday in Deir al-Zor province, with the rebels also seizing a number of anti-aircraft rockets, and 16 captives.

See here and here.

A BJP MLA and former aide to Gujarati Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for her role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which killed over a thousand Muslims.

Maya Kodnani was convicted of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy.

Judge Jyotsna Yagnik said Ms Kodnani was a “kingpin of riots”.

A three-member team from the International Criminal Court arrived in Mali on Friday to investigate reports of war crimes committed by Islamists in the country’s north.

ICC mission chief Amady Ba told journalists,

"We're in Mali to pick up elements, listen to various people and take a comparative look" 

"This is a time of analysis... We shall be taking our findings back and the (ICC) prosecutor (Fatou Bensouda) will judge if there is a need for inquiries before taking legal action,"

Following criticism from human rights groups and pro-democracy activists, Sudan has withdrawn its application for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, reports the Associated Press.

Sudan’s UN Mission said in a letter on Friday that "it is no longer interested in taking up one of the vacancies available in the Human Rights Council" although a reason for withdrawal was not cited.

The nation was effectively guaranteed a seat as it was only one of five African candidates to fill five African seats, despite accusations of genocide, war crimes and various other human rights violations against President Omar al-Bashir.

China has completed a deal with a German business delegation, headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, to buy 50 planes, worth $3.5 billion, from Europe’s Airbus.

Germany has dispatched its biggest trade delegation ever to visit China and signed ten other agreements according to Xinhua news agency.

The delegation includes seven cabinet ministers and the heads of leading German companies, including Siemens, SAP, Volkswagen and ThyssenKrupp.

A vessel carrying over 150 asylum seekers sank on route to Australia yesterday, approximately 45 nautical miles from Indonesia.

At 4.20am and 5am yesterday a distress call was put out by the vessel to Australian officials, stating that there were 155 people on board including women and children.

Speaking to reporters on the sinking of an asylum seekers' boat en route to Australia yesterday, the Australian Home Affairs Minister, Jason Clare, offered his take on the events:

"More than 300 people have died in the last three months and it appears more people have died in the last 24 hours."