At least 30 people were killed in rocket attacks in the city of Mariupol in the east of Ukraine, as pro-Russian rebels announced a major offensive.

The rockets are thought to have come from rebel-held areas, but Alexander Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said his forces had not carried out "active operations" against the city until Saturday.

The attacks were widely condemned, including by the EU who warned “would inevitably lead to a further grave deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia”, according to EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.

A video has emerged showing the apparent execution of one of the two Japanese hostages held by Islamic State.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the video of hostage Haruna Yakuwa as "outrageous and unacceptable" and demanded for the immediate release of the second hostage.

"This act of terrorism is an outrageous and unacceptable act of violence," he said.

"I again strongly demand the immediate release of Mr Kenji Goto unharmed."

Islamic State on Tuesday released a video, showing the Japanese hostages and demanding $200mn within 72 hours. 

At least five Lebanese soldiers have been killed after clashes with Islamic militants on the Syrian border, said Lebanon's army.

The fighting took place in the village of Ras Baalbek, with the army saying that a "military base in the Ras Baalbek mountains was attacked by a terrorist group".

The Independent reported a military official as saying “we are targeting their gatherings and positions with artillery shells and helicopter gunships.”

Police in Kosovo fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters calling for the resignation of a minister from the Serb minority, Aleksander Jablanovic.

Approximately 10,000 ethnic Albanian protesters gathered outside a government building with dozens throwing stones and attacking police, injuring 20 police officers, reports Reuters.

The first set of 100 US troops have been ordered to travel to the Middle East to establish training sites for the Syrian opposition, announced the Pentagon on Friday.

The pentagon press secretary, John Kirby, said that the decision, which was authorised last week, would see a 100 troops arriving in countries outside Syria in the next few days, with several hundred other military trainers joining in upcoming weeks.

The Yemeni president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, quit on Thursday after Houthi rebels advanced upto the presidential palace, plunging the country into deeper crisis.

Mr Hadi said he could not continue in office after the rebels failed to abide by the peace deal. According to the BBC, Mr Hadi's intelligence chief, Ali Hassan al-Ahmedi has also resigned.

Whilst, the Houthi rebels are yet to officially comment on the resignation, Reuters reported that some figures within the rebel group welcomed the move and proposed the creation of a 'ruling council'.

The funeral of two female Kachin teachers, suspected to have been raped and killed by Burmese soldiers, was held today in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state in northern Myanmar.

Maran Lu Ra and Tangbau Khawn Nan Tsin, aged 20 and 21, were in a remote village in Shan state, to teach children on behalf of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KCB), the group's spokesperson Lama Yaw told AFP news agency.

“The victims are dead and can’t point out who did it to them. But everyone in Myanmar -- not only the Kachin people -- knows the truth,” Lama Yawsaid, referring to KBC claims that soldiers were responsible.

Villagers say they were raped and beaten, and that boot prints were found outside their shared home. Activists and local media say Burmese troops were stationed near the village.

The US and Cuba commenced historic talks on Thursday, in an attempt to restore diplomatic ties after the presidents of the two nations announced a new era of engagement on December 17 last year.

Leading the American delegation, US Secretary of State, Roberta Jackson, said, “We have to overcome more than 50 years of a relationship that was not based on confidence or trust, so there are things we have to discuss before we can establish that relationship and so there will be future conversations.”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al Hussain called on Myanmar’s government to condemn Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu for the sexist insults directed at South Korea’s envoy to the country, Yanghee Lee, who had highlighted anti-Muslim sentiment.

Mr Wirathu of the notorious Buddhist nationalist 969 movement was slammed by Mr Zeid, who called the language employed by the monk as “sexist” and “incitement to hatred”.

"I call on religious and political leaders in Myanmar to unequivocally condemn all forms of incitement to hatred including this abhorrent public personal attack," Mr Zeid said in a statement.

Ms Lee had said the country’s Rohingya Muslims faced discrimination and criticised draft legislation, proposed by a coalition of nationalist Buddhist monks, which includes restrictions on interfaith marriage and religious conversions.

Last week the UN passed a resolution, calling on Myanmar to grant the Rohingya citizenship.

The monk criticised UN “interference” and attacked Ms Lee at a rally last Friday.