The head of the Syrian National Congress (SNC), Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, has resigned from the opposition movement, according to a statement on his Facebook page.

Al-Khatib said he resigned because he wanted to work without the constraints that being part of an institution placed on him.

"I announce my resignation from the National Coalition, so that I can work with a freedom that cannot possibly be had in an official institution," he said in the statement.

The Free Syrian Army announced on Sunday that it does not recognize the opposition coalition's choice of provisional prime minister, reports Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologised to Turkey for the deaths caused by a commando raid on an aid flotilla, which attempted to breach the blockade on Gaza, and agreed to compensate the relatives of the deceased.

"The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life," a statement by Netanyahu’s office said.

The suspected war criminal General Bosco Ntaganda has arrived at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, after surrendering at the US embassy in Rwanda.

Gen Ntaganda has been charged by the ICC with 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"This is a good day for victims in the DRC and for international justice," ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme

The resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has been accepted by President Michel Suleiman.

Mikati's resignation is said to have sparked clashes in the northern port city of Tripoli, where reports claim heavy weaponry such as mortar bombs were involved.

Mikati resigned after a ministerial meeting on Friday was deadlocked by a dispute with Hezbollah.

US President Barack Oabama paid a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial site in Israel, as part of his 3 day visit to the country.

The President  with Israeli prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres, lit the 'Eternal Flame' and took part in a 10-minute ceremony, which concluded with a prayer for the souls of martyrs.

Speaking at the memorial in Jerusalem, President Obama stated,

“Nothing equals the wrenching power of this sacred place".

The leader of the PKK Abdullah Ocalan has called for an immediate ceasefire with Turkey, in a significant step in the peace process between Kurds and Turkey.

A statement by Ocalan was read out to hundreds of thousands of people in the Kurdish capital Diyarbakir, during the Kurdish New Year Newroz celebrations. The statement was also broadcast live on Turkish television, an unprecedented move as all displays of PKK symbols are banned.

The Italian government has agreed to send back the marines accused of murdering two Indian fishermen.

Delhi had allowed the men to return to Italy last month to vote in the country’s election, however they failed to return, sparking a diplomatic row which saw the Italian ambassador to India barred from leaving the country.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s office announced it has received ample assurances about the men’s human rights and treatment while in custody. "The marines agreed to this decision," the statement added.

The US has been working with Kigali and the ICC to transfer Bosco Ntaganda to the The Hague “as quickly as possible”.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnny Carson, said Rwanda was cooperating and would not interfere with the transfer of the man, also known as “The Terminator”.

"The timeline is uncertain but the need for rapid and quick action is clear," Mr Carson said, according to AFP.

US President Barack Obama is reportedly set to receive a cold reception when he visits the West Bank on Thursday.

Obama has angered Palestinians by significantly diluting his ambitions with regards to resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict, as he told news reporters: