“This is reminiscent of some of the darkest days of military rule... The legal system in this country is still used to intimidate critics of the government.”

Fire was exchanged across the border between North and South Korea on Sunday, the second time skirmishes erupted in the past 10 days.

Reports indicate that North Korean troops approached the border in response to a leafleting campaign by the South, after which southern troops opened fire.

Taliban fighters have launched deadly attacks on troops and villages in Afghanistan.

Around 500 militants launched attacks on two villages in Ghor, a province in the centre of Afghanistan. A local official told the BBC that details about casualty figures are not yet known.

At least 4 Afghan soldiers were killed when militants attacked security posts in Logar province in the east of the country.

Last week the Taliban launched attacks in the north of the country, killing at least 22 members of the Afghan security forces.

The Iraqi government has approved a deal with Australia, which will see 200 members of Australian special forces train Iraqi troops to fight against Islamic State.

Legal protection for the troops demanded by Australia caused a row between the countries and delayed the signing of the agreement, with the troops waiting in the UAE for over a month.

Clashes have erupted at the site occupied by protestors in the Hong Kong district of Mong Kok.

According to reports, police moved in after some protestors had breached their barriers, resulting in the clashes.

The protestors say the police charge was unprovoked.

Pro-democracy activists, many of them students and youths, have been out on the street in Hong Kong for over a month, calling for democratic reforms. They oppose the Chinese government's control over the candidates for the city's chief executive, demanding that the candidacy should be opened up to all.

A second massacre in as many days on the Democratic Republic of Congo, has left at least 20 people dead, taking the toll to over 46.

Both massacres took place near the town of Beni, on the Ugandan border. Most of the victims were women and children, who were killed with guns, machetes and axes.