The court's judgment demonstrates to Taylor's victims that impunity can and will be challenged

A British aid worker has been released almost three months after being kidnapped by an armed gang in Sudan.

Everyone should listen to Kofi Annan's claims that the massacre in Houla is a "tipping point" in the crisis in Syria, a United Nations human rights spokesman said today.

Never mind that Robert Mugabe is under a travel ban for his cruel stewardship of Zimbabwe since independence. The United Nations, in its wisdom, has designated him a "leader for tourism" and chosen the Victoria Falls, shared with Zambia, as the venue for a holiday industry conference next year.

Angelina Jolie was greeted in Whitehall by the Foreign Secretary William Hague yesterday as she offered Hollywood backing to the Government's global campaign against sexual violence.

Europe and US ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Assad's pariah state

A drunk passenger who hurled racist abuse at fellow Tube travellers in a tirade that became an internet sensation has been jailed for 21 weeks.

German, Italian and Spanish foreign ministries announced today that Syrian ambassadors are being expelled - following similar moves by Britain, France, Australia and Canada after a massacre in which the United Nations says families were shot at close range in their homes.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad met peace envoy Kofi Annan on Tuesday, the state news agency SANA said, amid an outcry over a massacre of civilians that UN observers attributed at least partly to the army but the government blamed on Islamist militants.

Australia has expelled two Syrian diplomats in response to last week's massacre in Syria in which more than 100 people, mostly women and children, were killed.

Britain is to set up dedicated teams to investigate rape in conflict zones. The specialist "flying squads" will provide a range of services, from gathering evidence against perpetrators to provide counselling for the victims of sexual offences, under an initiative due to be announced by the Government today.

Moscow backing of Assad leaves hopes for united front in tatters

David Cameron and William Hague were today involved in high-level international talks to ratchet up pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad in the wake of the massacre of more than 100 people, including women and small children.

Russia further backed away from its support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, saying his government bears the main responsibility for the violence in the country and calling for a full investigation into its role in the deaths of more than 100 civilians in Houla.