"A democratic transition includes more than removing the Assad regime. It means setting Syria on the path of the rule of law and protecting the universal rights of all citizens regardless of sect, or ethnicity or gender."

"that they need to be assured that Syria will be better off under a regime of tolerance and freedom that provides opportunity and respect and dignity on the basis of the consent rather than on the whims of a dictator.”

The UN Security Council today toughened its sanctions against Eritrea after the East African country was accused of supporting militants in neighbouring Somalia.

Foreign companies involved in Eritrea’s mining operations must now ensure funds from the sector do not end up in the hands of militants.

The Security Council resolution had been watered down after objections by Russia and China.

Some European countries also expressed concern the impact sanctions would have on ordinary Eritreans.
"Eritrea is a prime source of instability for the whole region," said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

"It's a problem of attitude, of a certain clique in Asmara that has never grown up; it's a problem of lawlessness and reckless disregard for international norms."

Eritrea had denied the allegations and reacted with outrage to the sanctions.

“The peoples of Eritrea, Ethiopia and the region will undoubtedly pay the price for this continued misguided policy, but the Eritrean people will prevail, as they prevailed in the past” a statement from Eritrean Foreign Ministry stated.

The Council passed the resolution with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions from China and Russia.

Syria has been warned they will face fresh sanctions unless they agree to the Arab League proposal to let observers into the country.

League members said Syria had until Sunday to allow Arab League officials to observe the current situation in Syria.

At a meeting of the Arab League ministerial committee on Saturday, Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Jabr al-Thani said:

"We asked the Syrian minister of foreign affairs if the Syrian government will agree to sign tomorrow [Sunday] and we are still waiting for a reply.

"Aside from the deadline, we are willing to convince them that this is the right way - to sign the protocol and agree on the Arab initiative as it is."

The Arab League imposed sanction on Syria last week after its refusal to cooperate with the body over its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Former Ivory Coast President, Laurent Gbagbo, became the first ex-head of state to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, as Chief ICC Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, vowed that justice would not stop there and all those responsible for atrocities would be held to account.

In a statement, Moreno-Ocampo said,

"In the past, if you were a head of state you could commit massive atrocities and nothing would happen."

"This era is gone."

“Ivorian victims will see justice for massive crimes,”

"We have evidence that the violence did not happen by chance: widespread and systematic attacks against civilians perceived as supporting the other candidate were the result of a deliberate policy,”

He added that investigations into the violence will continue and Gbagbo was "only the first" to face justice.

Meanwhile, Gbagbo has claimed he was "deceived" into being transferred to The Hague.

Gbagbo told the court he had been told he was going to meet a judge in the north-eastern town of Korhogo when an arrest warrant was produced.

"My lawyers were not prepared for that," he said, adding that the he was only made aware of his journey to The Hague upon arrival at the airport.

Gbagbo faces four charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and rape, during violence that followed Ivory Coast's disputed presidential elections last year during 16 December 2010 and 12 April 2011.

Syria has agreed to an Arab League demand to allow in observers to monitor its crackdown on anti-government protests.

The Assad regime however placed conditions on the Arab League's protocol, namely the suspension of all sanctions placed by the Arab League last week.

Syria is also demanding the annulment of its suspension from the body.

The Arab League's secretary general Nabil al-Araby responded saying any lifting of sanctions must be agreed to by the bloc's members.

Syria held military exercises on Sunday, testing out long-range missiles and helicopters in a show of force, thought to demonstrate its capability of responding to any armed threats.

Meanwhile, reports indicate the leadership of Hamas, based in Damascus, is considering leaving Syria. Senior members and their families are thought to have already left Damascus, settling in neighbouring countries as international pressure on President Bashar al-Assad is increasing.

But the claim was denied by a member of Hamas's political bureau, Salah al-Arouri.

"The organisation's top officials are here in Damascus; our relations with the state and Syrian people are excellent," he said.

"We respect all Syrians whoever they are. We have no intention of interfering in Syria's internal affairs."

The European Union has mediated a deal between Kosovo and Serbia to jointly manage their border crossings.

"The parties reached an agreement on the EU-developed concept of integrated management for crossing points," the EU said in a statement late on Friday.

"This means that the parties will gradually set up the joint, integrated, single and secure posts at all their common crossing points."

Sporadic clashes have broken out between NATO troops and Serbs in Northern Kosovo, over who manages the border.

Serbian President Tadic Boris Tadic welcomed the deal and called on Serbs to dismantle barricades they erected in Kosovo earlier this year.

Serbia has not recognised Kosovo’s independence, which was declared in 2008.

The International Criminal Court is compiling evidence of war crimes allegedly committed by the Sudanese Defence Minister, Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussain, along the border between South and North Sudan.

Satellite images taken by the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP), organised by George Clooner in partnership with the Enough Project, by John Prendergast.

Hussein is wanted by the ICC for alleged crimes committed in Darfur from August 2003 to March 2004.

According to Time magazine, an internal ICC memo highlights Hussein, as "currently central to the commission of similar crimes", and states that satellites have captured images of bombed villages in the Abyei region from late May.

The deaths of 211 civilians in South Sudan at the hands of paramilitary groups from North Sudan were also highlighted.

"In light of the manifest failure of the Syrian authorities to protect their citizens, the international community needs to take urgent and effective measures to protect the Syrian people."

“that the Assad regime is now more isolated and under greater international pressure than ever before."

"It is clear that the Syrian government is willing to do anything to strangle the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people."

"We've set the stage in a very substantive way for strong action by the U.N. if other entities choose to take the opportunity."

"Absolutely, including the ICC if the Security Council chooses to refer this matter."

"The overwhelming use of force has been taken by Assad and his regime. So there's no kind of equanimity here."

"The time has come for the Security Council to follow the lead of the Arab League and Turkey and impose sanctions. It should put in place an arms embargo as well as an asset freeze and travel ban on Syrian officials responsible for the abuses, and refer the case to the International Criminal Court."

A British soldier has been jailed for 18 months and dismissed from the army for stabbing a 10-year old Afghan boy for “no reason”, the Guardian has revealed.

The soldier, Grenadier Guardsman Daniel Crook, was hung-over after consuming a bottle of vodka the night before the attack and could not explain the reason behind it, a military tribunal was told in June.

The Guardian reported details of the case after piecing together  an account from the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA), an independent body conducting prosecutions against military personnel, and the wounded boy’s father.

The conviction is the latest in a series of cases mounting against British soldiers, with six members of the British Army having been, or in the process of being, prosecuted since March 2010. Amongst those being prosecuted by the SPA is a Corporal, who allegedly assaulted an Afghan in March last year.

So far, four convictions have been made, but a further 99 cases of UK forces injuring or killing Afghan civilians from January 2005 and March 2011 are still under investigation.

Myanmar's president, Thein Sein, approved a bill to allow citizens to protest peacefully if granted permission on Saturday.

Protesters will be required to inform authorities of the location, timing and reason for protest, five days in advance.

Protesting without permission carries a sentence of upto one year in jail, while disturbing a peaceful gathering carries a penalty of two years' imprisonment.

The move comes in the wake of a visit by Hiliary Clinton, US Secretary of State - the first senior US official to visit Myanmar in over 50 years.

During her visit, Clinton stated in response to some reformist measures, the United States would ease some restictions on international financial assistance and development programs.

In a letter, US president, Barack Obama, said,

“For decades, the choices of this country’s leaders kept it apart from the global economy and the community of nations.”

“Today, the United States is prepared to respond to reforms with measured steps to lessen its isolation and improve the lives of citizens.”

See Clinton touches down in Burma (30 Nov 2011)

The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of the Sudanese defence minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussain.

Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has requested the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur from 2003 to 2004.

In a statement released on Friday, Mr Ocampo’s office said Mr Hussein was one of the individuals to "bear greatest criminal responsibility" for atrocities in Darfur.

Mr Hussain was Minster for the Interior at the time, with all responsibilities and powers of President Bashir.

Some of his responsibilities at the time were delegated to Minister of the State for the Interior, Ahmed Harun, who already has an ICC arrest warrant outstanding.

“[...] the evidence shows that directly and through Mr. Harun, Mr. Hussein played a central role in coordinating the crimes, including in recruiting, mobilizing, funding, arming, training and the deployment of the Militia/Janjaweed as part of the Government of the Sudan forces, with the knowledge that these forces would commit the crimes,” said the Prosecutor.

According to the statement the attacks on villages and towns in West Darfur followed a common pattern:

“The Government of Sudan forces surrounded the villages, the Air Force dropped bombs indiscriminately and foot soldiers, including Militia/Janjaweed, killed, raped and looted the entire village, forcing the displacement of 4 million inhabitants.

"Currently, 2.5 million remain in camps for Internally Displaced Persons.”

The UN estimates up to 300,000 civilians have died in the conflict.

Several arrest warrants have been issued against Sudanese officials by the ICC, including a warrant against President Omar Al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, but no arrests have yet been made.

Gambian lawyer, Fatou Bensouda, has emerged as the consensus canditate for the International Criminal Court's next Chief Prosecutor.

Bensouda, who has been the Deputy Prosecutor of the ICC since 2004 and a former minister of justice in Gambia, also served at the UN tribunal on Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

In a statement, Bensouda said,

"I am deeply grateful for the nomination and remain committed to the goals of the court to end impunity for those responsible for the gravest offences, bring justice to their victims and prevent future crimes."

“Those who are trying to bring unspeakable atrocities, suffering to civilians anywhere in the world will be held accountable.”

Bensouda received worldwide support from ICC member countries who, given the extensive ICC work focussed on Africa were keen for an African to hold the title. She is certain to be formally elected by ICC member countries on 12th December.

Human Rights Watch's, senior international justice counsel, Param Preet Singh, said,

"The challenge of being chief prosecutor will test her mettle,"

"What's most important is the strength of the new prosecutor. That she's an African is also important because it helps to universalize the work of the ICC."

Her appointment would make her the ICC's second chief prosecutor, succeeding Argentinian, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, whose nine-year term expires in mid-2012.