A UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s government for the violence it is committing against anti-regime protestors has been vetoed by Russia and China.

The resolution called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down and a "Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system", a call first made by the Arab League.

The most senior Khmer Rouge official yet to face charges has been jailed for life.

Duch, formerly known as Kaing Guek Eav was found guilty of crimes against humanity and jailed in 2010 for 35 years.

He appealed the decision, claiming he was a junior official following orders and would have been killed if he didn’t obey the commands.

However his appeal was rejected and judges increased his sentence to a life term.

China's prime minister, Wen Jiabao, said that China would consider liaising with the International Monetary Fund, in order to help the European Union in tackling its debt crisis.

Leon Mugesera was charged with plotting genocide, incitement and distribution of arms on Thursday, for his part in the 1994 genocide.

Mugesera was recently deported, after losing his fight against deportation, which started over 16 years ago.

Speaking at court in Kigali, he said,

"I'm not ready to begin,"

Stating that the Syrian president's fall was "inevitable", the White House urged countries to consider carefully their stance on Syria, as a draft resolution was debated at the UN Security Council.

The White House's spokesperson, Jay Carney, speaking Monday, said,

The UN Security Council debated a draft resolution on Syria and the Assad regime's repression on Monday.

The resolution calls for member states to take steps to prevent the flow of arms in Syria, to demand an immediate end to all violence and to call on President Assad to hand power over to a deputy.

Commending the Arab League's proposed plan for the transfer of power as the "the best effects and efforts of Syria's neighbours to chart a way forward", the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said,

French senators have rallied against a bill that criminalises the denial of genocide of the Armenians by Turkey, forcing it to be referred to the country’s highest court.

The bill, which was passed by both houses of parliament, had not yet been signed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and will now be examined by the constitutional court. A petition against the bill was signed by 76 senators from across parties, more than the minimum 60 needed, compelling the bill to be referred to the court.

Mitt Romney, the leading candidate in the Republican race to be the next President of the United States, has released a statement vowing to hold Sudanese leaders accountable for atrocities in the region.

In a statement released to campaign group “Act for Sudan”, Romney accused Khartoum of committing war crimes and other atrocities, both directly and through the use of proxies, commenting that in Darfur they had committed a “slow motion genocide”.

He also went on to state that

The UN’s nuclear watchdog has praised ‘good’ talks with Iran during a visit to discuss its controversial nuclear programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have said the Iranians were determined to address all issues.

"But of course there is still a lot of work to be done and so we have planned another trip in the very near future," the IAEA’s deputy director, Hermann Nackaerts told reporters.

In a statement, the organisation detailed its plans for a follow up visit in late February.

The deportation of a man who is suspected of inciting genocide from Canada last week is expected to pave the way for genocide suspects to be deported to and tried in Rwanda.

Last week’s deportation of 59-year old Leon Mugesera, who has lived in Quebec for 16 years, follows from the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda handing over another suspect’s case to Rwanda to face trial there, the first time it has done so.