The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-Moon, is set to travel to Israel in order to intensify efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Ban arrived in Cairo, Egypt amid international concern surrounding the volatility of the conflict situation. 

Following a visit to Jerusalem for talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, Ban Ki Moon will meet with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

The jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, called for an end to the 67 day hunger strike of Kurdish prisoners in Turkey, raising speculation that an agreement had been found to end the protest.

In a statement, Ocalan's brother Mehmet said,

"Today I went to see my brother Abdullah Ocalan face-to-face in Imrali prison,"

The Australian government has approved the extradition of a man accused of war crimes to Croatia, where he is wanted for questioning for charges which include murder and genocide.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare’s decision that Dragan Vasiljkovic could be extradited, could make him the first ever accused war criminal to be extradited from the country. A spokesman for the Minister said,

United Nations combat helicopters attacked Congolese M23 rebels as they advanced on the largest city in the eastern region of Congo, Goma.

US President Barack Obama has insisted that Burma still has progress to make on reforms, as he becomes the first ever sitting US President to visit the country.

Speaking from Thailand, President Obama told a press conference,

“President Thein Sein is taking steps that move us in a better direction... don’t think anybody’s under any illusion that Burma’s arrived. The country has a long way to go.”

Israeli jets have bombed government buildings in Gaza, as speculation mounted over reports that Israel was preparing for a ground invasion, with the call up of over  75,000 more reserve soldiers.

Israel reportedly bombed 200 sites overnight, including Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya's office. Gaza militants were also reported to have fired rockets into Israel, with one being aimed at Tel Aviv having been intercepted.

The violence continues as the Arab League met in Cairo and agreed to send a delegation to the Gaza strip in the next few days.

The US government has lifted a ban on the import of most Burmese goods, a few days before a historic visit by President Obama.

The sanctions, which had been in place for a decade, were lifted after rapid reforms implemented by the Burmese government in recent times.

Obama will be the first US president to visit the country and the trip shows the importance the US places on normalising relations between the countries.

Continuing its pro-active endorsement of the newly formed Syrian opposition coalition, France is set to accept an ambassador from the Syrian opposition's coalition as an envoy to France.

After meeting the coalition's leader Moaz al-Khatib, the French president Francois Hollande announced on Saturday that Mounzir Makhous would be appointed as the envoy, as a further step to "assure its [Syrian opposition coalition] legitimacy and credibility."

Three former members of the Kosovan Liberation Army have been arrested by EU police on suspicion of war crimes committed in 1999.

Blerim Krasniqi, spokesman for the EU’s rule of law mission, told Reuters that two of the three men were members of the Kosovo Security Force, which receives training by Nato.

"The suspects are charged with war crimes against the civilian population," said Krasniqi.

Meeting the new Syrian coalition and its President in London today, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was encouraged, and welcomed their wish to be a "credible, political alternative to the Assad regime".

In a statement, Hague said: