Addressing the US today, President Barack Obama announced that military attacks would take place following the consultation of congress.

Reiterating the need for military action, Obama stated,

“After careful deliberation I have decided that the united States should take military action against Syrian regime targets.”

Obama also noted that he was mindful of the need for democratic backing stating that he would “seek authorisation for the use of force from the American people’s representatives in Congress.”

The M23 rebel group active in the easter Democratic Republic of Congo has announced it will stop fighting after being pounded by UN forces over the past week.

M23 official Museveni Sendugo said to the BBC that rebel forces had already withdrawn from the frontline.

A 3,000 strong UN brigade is currently in the DRC, fighting the rebels, who are thought to be backed by neighbouring Rwanda.

Rwanda accused DRC forces of bombing its territory on Thursday, a claim denied by the Congolese government.

President Barack Obama outlined the possibility of a “limited narrow act” by the US in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army, today.

Commenting after the Secretary of State, John Kerry, summarised a report that placed culpability for the attacks on the Syrian army, Obama stressed,

“We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale.”

“The world has an obligation to make sure that we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons.”

The President, further outlined that any action on Syria would not constitute to a long-term campaign or involve placing boots on the ground.

The Rwandan fovernment has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo of bombing the country, killing a woman and injuring her baby.

The DRC has denied the accusations, blaming rebels, who are purported to be backed by Rwanda, according to the DRC and the UN.

"Rwandan civilians are being targeted by DRC forces. We have remained restrained for as long as we can but this provocation can no longer be tolerated," said Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo.

"We have the capacity to determine who fired at us and will not hesitate to defend our territory."

DRC and UN forces have been attacking M23 rebel positions near the border with Rwanda, with fighting reported to have left at least 80 people dead since last week.

British parliament decided against potential military intervention in Syria following a 7 hour debate, today.

Debating  the Prime Minister’s amendment, that called for a further discussion over military intervention once the United Nations confirmed their findings in Syria, the House of Commons outlined its unwillingness to support any  British military intervention. The government amendment was defeated by 285 votes to 272.

Despite expressing discontent over the result, David Cameron pledged not to go against the will of the House of Commons, stating,

“ I strongly believe in the need for a tough response to the use of chemical weapons. But I also believe in respecting the will of the House of Commons. It is clear to me that the British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action. I get that and the Government will act accordingly.”

In light of Britain’s stance, the United States indicated that it would go ahead with military intervention without the support of Britain.

The United States National Security Council spokeswoman, said,

“President Barack Obama’s decision making will be funded by what is in the best interests of the United States. He believes that there are core interests at stake for the United States and that countries who violate international norms regarding chemical weapons need to be held accountable.”

The UK has put forward a resolution at the UN Security Council “authorising all necessary measures to protect civilians" in Syria.

There has been increasing pressure on the international community to act after chemical weapons were used, however it has not yet been conclusively proven where the weapons were fired from.

Russia has said the UN must finish its investigations before the resolution can be discussed. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also appealed for more time for the team to do its job.

Syria has denied the claims.

"Western countries, starting with the United States, are inventing fake scenarios and fictitious alibis to intervene militarily in Syria," Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said on Syrian state television.

Bosnia’s war crimes court sentenced a former Bosnian Serb police chief, Goran Saric, to 14 years in prison for his role in the killing of Muslim civilians during the 1992=-1995 conflict in Sarajevo, today.

Saric was convicted of ordering the arrest of 100 Muslims, eight of which were executed.

The Bosnian war crimes court was set up in 2005 to assist with reducing the case load on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

The US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, in an interview with the BBC, indicated that the military were ready to execute attacks on Syira, should President Obama give the go ahead.

“We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfil and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take,” Hagel said.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron also announced today that the world today would not stand “idly by” after seeing the appalling scenes caused by the chemical weapons attack.

The UK Parliament is to be recalled on Thursday to discuss possible responses to the attack.

"What we have seen in Syria are appalling scenes of death and suffering because of the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. I don't believe we can let that stand."

"We want to strongly warn against any military attack in Syria. There will definitely be perilous consequences for the region. These complications and consequences will not be restricted to Syria. It will engulf the whole region."

Mobs of Buddhists carrying swords and sticks burnt down Muslim shops and homes, after a Buddhist monk incited violence against an alleged Muslim criminal in the north-west Burma today.

Describing the violence, Aung San, a 48-year old Muslim man whose house was burned in the violence, said,

“People descended on our village with swords and spears, and sang the national anthem and began destroying shops and burned houses.”

“Police shouted at the mob to disperse, but did not take serious action.”

The US has agreed a $500mn deal to sell new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to Indonesia.

The deal includes eight helicopters, training, radar and maintenance.

"Providing Indonesia these world-class helicopters is an example of our commitment to help build Indonesia's military capability," Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, who is on a tour of Southe-East Asia, said in a statement.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned what he called the ‘undeniable’ use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government.

Addressing a news conference on the situation in the Middle East, Kerry said,

“What we say in Syria last week should shock the conscience of the world. It defies any code of morality.”

“Make no mistake. President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Kerry outlined that the Syrian government were acting like they had something to hide concluding that they were almost certainly culpable, stating,

“The Delay in allowing UN inspectors to the sites was a sign the Syrian government had something to hide. Instead it attacked the area further, shelling it and systematically destroying the evidence. That is not the behaviour of a government that has nothing to hide. The regime’s belated decision to allow access is too late and is too late to be credible.”