A curt in Slovakia has reduced a death sentence that was previously handed down to a 98-year-old war criminal to life imprisonment, as legal battles continue.

The suspect, Laszlo Csatary, is accused of ‘unlawful torture of human beings' during World War II, where he allegedly whipped and tortured Jews before sending them to Auschwitz, as chief of an internment camp at Kosice (now part of Slovakia).

The Democratic Republic of Congo has welcomed the creation of a special force by the UN, which will be deployed to attack rebels in the country’s east.

Lambert Mende, a spokesperson for the government told the BBC that around 2,000 soldiers would form the force and would "bring some hope of peace".

Rebels who seized power in the Central African Republic last weekend have said they will review mining contracts signed by the ousted president with Chinese and South African companies.

The rebel leader Michel Djotodia said that any unfair deal would be reviewed.

The president Francois Bozize has sought asylum in Benin after fleeing from the rebels last week.

The US Assistant Secretary for International Organisation Affairs Tori Holt discussed the prevention of atrocities and genocide with the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng.

Dieng thanked the US for Obama’s establishment of the Atrocities Prevention Board (APB) and briefed the Assistant Secretary on his international work.

The UN Security Council on Thursday authorised an intervention brigade to be deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The brigade will be part of the already existent UN peacekeeping operation in th DRC and will carry out offensive operations targeted against armed groups 'that threaten peace in the eastern part of the DRC'.

The Burmese government is "systematically restricting humanitarian aid and imposing discriminatory policies" against the Rohingya Muslims in the state of Arakan, asserted Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Meanwhile the governmennt spokesperson for Arakan State, Win Myaing, has accused the Rohingya Muslims of deliberately inflating the numbers of IDPs in order to receive more aid. Maing said: 

“Now, when we are making a list in the camp over here, then people from [another camp] will come,”

“Frankly, [the Rohingya] are just attempting to make the list bigger so that they can get more aid.”

HRW's deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson said:

"Burmese government restrictions on aid to Rohingya Muslims are creating a humanitarian crisis that will become a disaster when the rainy season arrives."

“Instead of addressing the problem, Burma’s leaders seem intent on keeping the Rohingya segregated in camps rather than planning for them to return to their homes.”

Judges in the Hague on Wednesday sentenced two former Bosnian Serb police officers to 22 years imprisonment for their role in war crimes and crimes agai

The leader of the Syrian opposition's National Coalition, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, formally assumed the Syrian seat at the Arab League Summit on Tuesday, hailing it as "part of the restoration of legitimacy" that the Syiran people had "long been robbed of".

Incidentally, Khatib formally resigned as leader two days ago, however his resignation has been rejected by the National Coalition.

The European Union will gain its 28th member on 1 July, once all members ratify the agreement.

19 members have already agreed to Croatia’s membership to the union and the European Commission said that Croatia is ready to join.

A Swedish scientist has been appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to head a probe into allegations of chemical weapon usage in Syria.

South Korea has signed an agreement with the US to respond together in the eventuality of North Korean “provocations”.

The military plan provides for US assistance should North Korea fulfil its recent threats.