The Ministry of Defence has said it will investigate claims by the Sunday Times that arms firms call on retired senior military officers to lobby the government for multi-million pound arms deals.

The investigation by the paper saw a fictitious lobbying company contact the “generals for hire”, and secretly filmed them as they boasted about their ability to influence senior figures inside the government, including the prime minister.

New evidence has surfaced that indicates that the Syrian air force has used cluster bombs, reported Human Rights Watch.

Videos posted online by Syrian activists displayed the remnants of cluster munitions.

The Human Rights Watch arms director, Steve Goose, condemned Syria’s actions, proclaiming,

“Syria’s disregard for its civilian population is all too evident in its air campaign  which now apparently includes dropping these deadly cluster bombs into populated areas.”

An United Nations-backed panel discussion at Rutgers University in the US state of New Jersey, has explored the role of genocide and war crimes prosecution in Cambodia and how accountability has helped ‘reconcile’ the country.

Speaking at the event, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Stephen Mathias stated,

A resolution adopted by the UN Security Council paves the way for military intervention in Mali's north, where Islamist rebels have taken control of the area after overthrowing the president in March.

The resolution urges "detailed and actionable recommendations" to be drawn up by African organisations to be presented to the Security Council within 45 days, and calls on UN member states to provide "co-ordinated assistance, expertise, training and capacity-building support" to Mali's armed forces.

Syria announced on Saturday that it will no longer allow Turkish civilian planes to fly over its territory, just days after Turkey intercepted a Syrian flight allegedly carrying Russian munitions to the Syrian army.

According to Syria’s foreign ministry, the ban is a response to a similar move from Ankara, although Turkey has not announced such a ban.

The Scottish government has struck a deal with Westminster that will allow an independence referendum to take place in the near future.

The “Section 30” order, due to be formally announced on Monday, will transfer power from Westminster to Holyrood, Scotland, and will include an agreement for a single ‘yes or ‘no’ question on independence to take place before 2014.

Deputy Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, applauded the constructive approach that took place during the negotiations and went on to say,

For the first time in ten years, a British envoy will meet with the BJP's Narendra Modi, under the instructions of the British foreign minister for India, Hugo Swire.

In a statement, Swire said: "this will allow us to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest and to explore opportunities for closer cooperation,"

Seven Royal Marines have been arrested after information emerged that an insurgent was murdered.

A fellow soldier claimed that the insurgent was killed by British troops in a way that broke the army’s strict rules of engagement.

The seven marines were arrested by the Royal Military Police on Thursday and the Ministry of Defence will lead an inquiry into the killing, which is said to have happened last year.

The United States has criticised the Russian government as “morally bankrupt” after a plane travelling to Syria was seized by Turkish authorities, who claimed Russian military equipment was on board en route to the Syrian regime.

Speaking to reporters State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland stated that the US had “grave concerns” that material was being supplied by Russia to aid besieged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to help quell rebels in the country.