Four Blackwater Worldwide guards have been sentenced to jail for their roles in the murder of 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007.

A life sentence was handed down to one of the men, whilst the other three were imprisoned for 30 years for their part in the massacre, which also injured 17 Iraqis.

“What happened on September 16, 2007, was nothing short of an atrocity,” said T Patrick Martin, a federal prosecutor. “The United States has shown that regardless of the nationality of the victims, it values justice for all… Even when that means that the American who committed the crime must serve time.”

A US government sentencing memorandum which was filed to the court, said the defendants had “shown no remorse for their actions” adding,

“The crimes here were so horrendous – the massacre and maiming of innocents so heinous – that they outweigh any factors that the defendants may argue form a basis for leniency.”

The Colombian attorney general has announced he is investigating 22 generals for their alleged role in the killing of civilians as part of the country’s “false positives” scandal.

Hundreds of men were allegedly extra-judicially murdered by the Colombian armed forces, which would then pass of their bodies as those of Farc militants or other opposition groups.

Attorney general Eduardo Montealegre announced on Saturday that 22 generals would also be under investigation, with some 800 members of the security forces having been jailed so far. More than 5,000 members of the security forces were implicated in the scandal added Mr Montealegre.

Russia has lifted its ban on the sale of the S-300 air defence missile system, which would enhance Tehran's capability to defend itself from air strikes.

Russia' president Vladimir Putin gave the go-ahead for the sale, after it was suspended in 2010 when the UN imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

At least 14 people have been killed in two bomb attacks in the Sinai peninsula, according to Egyptian security forces.

A roadside bomb targeting an armoured vehicle killed at least 6 Egyptian soldiers in the town of Sheikh Zuweid, whilst as many as 8 people were killed in a bomb reportedly targeting a police station in El-Arish.

The leaders of Islamic State (IS) are unlikely to face war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.

China has rejected Taiwan's application to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a Chinese-led development bank, with over 30 international members, with a similar remit as the World Bank.

The Chinese government said it will not allow Taiwan to join under its current name, but that it would be welcome in the future under a different name.

The Turkish government has summoned the Vatican envoy in Ankara after Pope Francis described the mass killings perpetrated by Ottomans against Armenians during World War One as a genocide.

At a mass conducted in the Armenian Catholic rite at Peter's Basilica, the pope said humanity had lived through "three massive and unprecedented tragedies" in the last century.

"The first, which is widely considered 'the first genocide of the 20th Century', struck your own Armenian people," he said.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) are to jointly launch a search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean to help migrants who risk their lives to flee conflicts and reach Europe.

Using the ship MY Phoenix from May to October, the service will attempt to rescue some of the thousands who are predicted to attempt to cross the Mediterranean by boat. An estimated 3,400 people have died so far this year attempting to reach Europe.

Arjan Hehenkamp, MSF's general director, told the BBC the situation was "dire", especially since the Italian navy's search and rescue mission, Mare Nostrum, ended last November.

“Europe has turned its back on people fleeing some of the worst humanitarian crises of our time,” continued Mr Hehenkamp. “The decision to close doors and build fences means that men, women and children are forced to risk their lives and take a desperate journey across the sea. Ignoring this situation will not make it go away. Europe has both the resources and the responsibility to prevent more deaths on its doorstep and must act in order to do so.”