The United Nations General Assembly has approved the appointment of Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein of Jordan as the next UN High Commissioner for Human Rights earlier this week.

Prince Zied is now set to replace the existing High Commissioner, Navi Pillay, once her term expires at the end of August 2014.

The Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has announced a proposal for a unilateral ceasefire, as part of a peace plan.

The truce would allow pro-Russian militants and separatist to lay down their arms and for Russian mercenaries to leave the country.

"The peace plan begins with my order for a unilateral ceasefire," Mr Poroshenko said earlier today.

The Libyan government has condemned a clandestine American operation to capture a key suspect in the attack on a US diplomatic building in Benghazi in 2012, which left US ambassador Chris Stevens and three others dead.

2nd lead updated 21:37

China has signed £14 billion dollars of trade deals with the United Kingdom, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with the Queen and held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron, announcing a host of trade deals.

The largest of the announced deals was a £11.8 billion BP gas supply contract with the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), set to run over 20 years, starting in 2019.

British Premier David Cameron said that he was committed to rebuilding diplomatic relations with the Iranian government.

The United States has ruled out the prospect of military co-operation with Iran, over the escalating crisis in Iraq.

Remarks by Secretary of State John Kerry, saying “I wouldn’t rule out anything that would be constructive," caused speculation over whether the two countries would work together.

The claimed execution of 1,700 prisoners by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) in the Iraqi city of Tikrit almost certainly amounts to war crimes, stated the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.

Videos and photographs have emerged on various websites linked to ISIS, showing executions of dozens up of members of the Iraqi army. ISIS claims to have executed 1,700 after capturing the city of Tikrit. It comes as the group claim to have made further territorial gains, capturing the town of Tal Afar and its commanding general, whom they will publically execute, according to reports.

Pillay said in a statement earlier today,

“Based on corroborated reports from a number of sources, it appears that hundreds of non-combatant men were summarily executed over the past five days, including surrendered or captured soldiers, military conscripts, police and others associated with the Government,”

The High Commissioner went on to add,

“Although the numbers cannot be verified yet, this apparently systematic series of cold-blooded executions, mostly conducted in various locations in the Tikrit area, almost certainly amounts to war crimes”.