UN peacekeeping troops will not take part in an offensive against FDLR rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after the Congolese government refused to dismiss two generals who stand accused of human rights violations, according to a spokesperson.

The leader of the operation to disarm the rebels, Gen Bruno Mandevu, is on a UN "red list" over 121 alleged human rights violations, including rapes and summary executions, Reuters reported.

"The U.N. Mission in the DRC has raised concerns linking two FARDC (Congolese army) generals to human rights violations, and therefore we have paused our support to FARDC on anti-FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) operations," a senior UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

The government in Myanmar withdrew temporary voting rights given to Rohingya, after widespread protests by Buddhists.

The move means the over one million strong Rohingya population in Myanmar will not be able to vote in the forthcoming constitutional referendum.

The temporary voting cards, known as white papers, were introduced in 2010 to allow ethnic minorities to vote in elections.

"White card holders are not citizens and those who are non-citizens don't have the right to vote in other countries," said Shin Thumana, a Buddhist monk who took part in the protest.

"This is just a ploy by politicians to win votes."

Buddhist monks have been at the forefront of protests against the Rohingya, including when violent clashes erupted in 2012.

“Our policy is that we believe that a full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts surrounding those terrible massacres and tragedies in 1915 is in the interest of the citizens of Turkey, it is in the interest of the citizens of Armenia and it is in the interest of the descendants of people who suffered in that period.”

The Nigerian government said it will investigate allegations of rape, child trafficking and other abuses, alleged to have happened in camps for refugees fleeing from Boko Haram.

A spokesperson for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) told the BBC an investigation team would visit every camp for the displaced.

US President Barack Obama said sending weapons to Ukraine may still be an option however added that a decision was yet to be made on the matter.

"It is true that if, in fact, diplomacy fails, what I've asked my team to do is to look at all options," said Mr Obama. "But I have not made a decision about that yet."

His remarks came at a joint press conference with German chancellor Angela Merkel, after talks at the White House on Monday. “I’ve consulted with not just Angela [Merkel] but will be consulting with other allies about this issue,” said Mr Obama. He further added,

"Can we be certain that any lethal aid that we provide Ukraine is used properly, doesn't fall into the wrong hands, does not lead to over-aggressive actions that can't be sustained by the Ukrainians? What kinds of reactions does it prompt, not simply from the separatists but from the Russians? Those are all issues that have to be considered."

At least 29 migrants have died of hypothermia, after initially being rescued alive by the Italian coastguard off the coast of Libya, according to latest reports.

Two coastguard ships were dispatched after a ship carrying over 200 migrants let off a distress call as it was battered by waves as high as 25 feet, reports the New York Times. The victims, all men, died as the coastguard attempted to take them to the nearest Italian port on the island on Lampedusa.

Italian coastguard spokesperson Cmdr. Filippo Marini, said the migrants were “devastated by the weather and sea conditions, and by the trip they had undertaken just to reach their boat.”
The deaths come following the suspension of an Italian navy-run rescue program known as Mare Nostrum, with a more limited operation by Frontex, the European border patrol agency, taking its place.

Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration said it could be argued “that this is the first consequence of the absence of Mare Nostrum.”