Libyans cast their votes on Saturday in their first election in over 40 years.

However, voting was disrupted in eastern cities such as Ajdabiya, after protesters attacked polling stations and burned voting booths. Protesters fear that the new 200-member congress will favour those from the west, around Tripoli, and give them undue influence over the constitution.

Ugandan police arrested a Rwandan genocide suspect on Thursday after following him for many months.

Thaddee Kwitonda, now a Belgium citizen, is wanted by a court in Belgium for his alleged involvement in the killings.

A spokesperson for the Ugandan police, Asuman Mugenyi told AFP,

A senior general in the Syrian Republican Guard has reportedly defected to Turkey, making General Manaf Tlas is the first of such seniority to defect.

The news was reported by the website Syria Steps, which is believed to have close links to the Syrian security forces.

The website asserted, "His escape does not mean anything."

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the UN to use the threat of sanctions to help implement change in Syria, whilst President Bashar Al-Assad suffered the setback of the defection of his most senior generals.

Addressing the Friends of Syria meeting in Paris, the US diplomat also outlined Russia and China as the main obstacles on the way to peace in Syria.

Burmese authorities detained over two dozen members of a banned political organisation, during a raid at the headquarters of a student activist group in Rangoon.

The students were preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of a major protest, by students, against the country’s former military regime.

Northern Ireland Police are to launch an inquiry into the army’s killing of 13 civilians 40 years ago, as confirmed by Chief Constable Matt Baggott.

On 30th January 1972, on what is now known as Bloody Sunday, soldiers of the British Army shot 26 unarmed protesters and bystanders at a march in Derry, Northern Ireland, against ongoing internment without trial.

Two former leaders of the junta in Argentina have been jailed for the systematic theft of babies from political prisoners.

Jorge Videla and Reynaldo Bignone were jailed for 50 years and 15 years respectively, by a court in Buenos Aires.

Over 400 babies are thought to have been taken by members of the security forces during military rule between 1976 and 1983.

The UN Human Rights Council has appointed an investigator to focus on human rights abuses in Belarus, amidst “grave concern” over torture allegations and mistreatment of prisoners.

The resolution to appoint a special rapporteur was approved based on the findings of an April report which suggested serious human rights violations since the authoritarian country’s presidential elections in December 2010.

The Kenyan energy ministry has announced it is cancelling crude oil imports from Iran following threats of sanctions.

The US embassy in Nairobi had warned the Kenyan government of the importance of cutting revenue to Iran after Kenya signed a deal to import 4 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran last month.

Libya's diaspora began casting their votes on Wednesday, ahead of the historic election for the National Congress  on 7th July.

Libyan diaspora cast votes in six countries - Canada, UK, US, UAE, Jordan and Germany.

Whilst some had recently fled, many had left Libya a long time ago, at some point during Gaddafi's 42-year rule.

Protesters clashed with police in Kiev after Russian was made a regional language in the predominantly Russian regions of Ukraine.

Many say the measure threatens Ukraine’s sovereignty after 20 years of independence from the former Soviet Union.

Uzbekistan withdrew from a defence alliance between Russia and former six former Soviet satellite states - Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CTSO) - on  Monday.

The Uzbek Foreign Ministry said the decision stemmed from their opposition to recent attempts to strengthen military cooperation within the CTSO.

A report by New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch has revealed widespread torture by the government.

HRW interviewed more than 200 former detainees, including women and children who were held in an "archipelago of torture centres".

Pakistan has ended an 11 month dispute that had strained relations between Washington and Islamabad, by agreeing to allow US forces to reopen supply lines across its border into Afghanistan.

The agreement was instigated by an apology issued by the US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton for the killing of 24 Pakistani troops in a Nato airstrike during the November.