UN officials began negotiations with Syrian rebels on thursday to free a group of captured UN peacekeepers, although the rebels assured that peacekeepers' well-being, distancing  themselves from threats to hold them hostage.

The peacekeepers, who are from the Philippines, were seized on Wednesday, in the Golan Heights region between Israel and Syria, making them the first UN forces to be drawn into the Syrian war.

Israel has remained uninvolved in the situation, as a senior official from the Defence Ministry said on Israel Radio:

The retired commander of Dutch peacekeepers in Srebrenica cannot be prosecuted for his alleged involvement in the killings, ruled authorities on Thursday.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's decree calling for parliamentary elections was cancelled by an Administrative Court on Wednesday, leading the election comittee to scrap plans for the voting to begin next month.

Although Mursi barred the courts from challenging his decisions last year, he promised to respect Wednesday's ruling.

See Reuters for full report.

Britain will supply non-lethal military equipment to the Syrian opposition, announced the Foreign Secretary William Hague to parliament today. Calling the rebels a “moderate, democratic opposition”, Hague said the equipment would include body armour and armoured four-wheel drive vehicles, as well as training, search and rescue equipment, and kits to test for chemical weapons.

Around 20 observers of the UN in the Golan Heights have been detained by Syrian rebels.

The Martyrs of Yarmouk group are reported to have told the BBC that they had taken the observers to stop Syrian troops from shelling them.

The territory, on the Syrian-Israeli border has recently seen fighting between government forces and rebels.

The Free Syrian Army has condemned the capture and called for the release of the UN workers.

South Korea has warned that it would retaliate against any hostile action from North Korea.

Army General Kim Yong-hyun said there would be "resolute retaliations" should South Korean lives be under threat.

"If North Korea carries out provocations that threaten the lives and safety of South Koreans, our military will carry out strong and resolute retaliations," he told reporters.

North Korea said on Tuesday that they would end the truce in place since 1953 on March 11.

The UN Security Council unanimously voted to ease the ban on the sale of weapons on Somalia after 21 years.

The embargo will be eased for a year, opening the opportunity for the government to arm its military with light weapons, however heavy arms will still be banned.

Prosecutors in France have sought a genocide trial for a former Rwandan army captain, in what could lead to be the country's first attempt at prosecuting perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.

53-year-old Pascal Simbikangwa, who was arrested in the French island of Mayotte in 2008 may face charges of "complicity in genocide" and "complicity in crimes against humanity", if investigating magistrates decide to press charges.

The former Maldives president, Mohamed Nasheed was arrested on Tuesday by police, ten days after he left the Indian High Commission where he had fled to avoid arrest.

Police made the arrest following a court order issued after Nasheed missed a court appearance on 10th February. He has been accused of illegally detaining a judge during the final days of his presidency.

A spokesperson for the Maldives police told Reuters:

The US has tabled a resolution at the UN Security Council, calling for sanctions on North Korean officials and financial transactions.

"For the first time ever, this resolution targets the illicit activities of North Korean diplomatic personnel, North Korean banking relationships [and] illicit transfers of bulk cash," said UN ambassador Susan.