The Syrian opposition are to meet officials from the US and Russia on Saturday together in order to discuss political transition reports Reuters.

Farc rebels have killed three policemen in Maicao in the north of Colombia, officials say.

Violence has escalated since the end of a unilateral ceasefire by the rebels, which was not reciprocated by the Colombian government.

Bogota claims that 6 Farc members, including senior commander Jacob Arango, were killed in army operations on Thursday.

A three member human rights panel called on Israel to halt further settlement expansion, warning that it could be subject to prosecution as potential war crimes.

Palestian officials are to commence voter registration in the Gaza strip next month, allowing for elections.

The move comes following talks brokered by Egypt, where Hamas and Fatah agreed that voter registration would be a first step towards a national unity government.

The Palestinian Central Election Commission (CEC) was previously banned from Gaza by Hamas.

Germany has reopened an inquiry into a massacre by SS soldiers in a village in France.

The troops killed 642 civilians in Oradour-sur-Glane, a village in occupied France, in June 1944.

60 soldiers stood trial in the 1950s, but all of the 20 convicted were later released.

Britain has agreed to deploy around 350 troops to West Africa to support French forces.

Up to 40 military advisers will train soldiers in Mali and another 200 will be sent to neighbouring countries to assist training there.

10 Downing Street said the UK was doing all it could to support the French intervention.

Burma has overturned a 1988 ban on public gatherings of more than 5 people in further moves to liberalise the country.

Buddhist monks held protest rallies in defiance of the law in December, after authorities cracked down on another protest in the previous month.

Rebels from the Free Syria Army have reported a discovery of over 100 executed bodies, in what appears to be one of the largest massacres of the ongoing conflict in the country.

In an unprecedented move, Israel has boycotted a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session by the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, citing unfair criticism from the Council.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Yigal Palmor, said:

A library containing thousands of manuscripts dating from as early as the 13th century, has been set fire to by rebels in Mali leaving the city of Timbuktu.

Speaking from the capital today, the Mayor Halle Ousmanem, confirmed the incident stating:

Violence between protesters and riot police continued into a fifth day in Port Said, despite the declaration of a state of emergency in three provinces. At least 56 people are believed to have been killed in this latest round of violence.

Burma has received nearly $1bn worth of credit from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

The World Bank granted Burma a $440m credit while the ADB issued £512m, to aid social and economic development in the country.