The Washington Senate Committee passed a resolution in favour of military action on Syria, whilst President Barack Obama, defied pressure from world leaders to abandon plans for air strikes against Syria, during a discussion over the crisis in the Middle-East at the G20 world summit.

Speaking at the end of the G20 discussions, British Prime Minister David Cameron, also outlined the need to act without the backing of the UN security council.

The Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that the state is liable for the deaths of three Bosnian Muslim men that were massacred in Srebrenica in 1995.

The men were working for Dutch peacekeeping forces and were sheltering in a UN compound, when it was overrun by Bosnian Serbs and the Dutch ordered them to leave.

The Dutch had said that the men were under the protection of the UN but relatives of the men argued that the Dutch were responsible for the men.

MPs in Kenya have voted for a motion withdrawing from the ICC during an emergency debate.

Opposition MPs boycotted the vote, but a bill will be introduced within the next month.

Current Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto ahve been charged by the ICC with crimes against humanity, committed during post-election violence in 2007.

Rebels from the Democratic Republic of Congo M23 movement indicated today, that they were prepared to resume peace talks with the Congolese government.

The talks, which stalled in May, resulted in a special United nations force being launched against the rebels last month. The rebels , last week declared a unilateral ceasefire, following a week of heavy fighting.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that Russia could support UN-approved military action if proof was presented that it was the Assad regime that used chemical weapons in an attack last month.

He told Associated Press that such evidence would have to be “deep and specific” and “prove beyond doubt who did it and what means were used”.

Russia has now suspended the delivery of missule parts to the Assad regime, but said it could resume if the West attack Syrian targets without UN Security Council authorisation.

The Kenyan parliament is expected to hold a session to debate ending the country’s membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, Joyce Laboso, released an order for “special sitting of the assembly”  with parliament to vote on whether the nation will continue with its membership of the ICC.