The case of the Western Sahara is a clear proof of failure of the international system that is governed by few powerful states: the five members of the Security Council who have turned the UN into the biggest non-democratic organisation in the world.

Rwanda has suspended and put under house arrest four of its top military officers, an army spokesperson says.They are being investigated over 'acts of indiscipline' concerning alleged business dealings in mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo. One of those arrested is the military intelligence chief, who has also advised President Paul Kagame on security issues.

A rising proportion of abortions worldwide are putting women's health at risk, researchers say. The World Health Organization study suggests global abortion rates are steady, at 28 per 1,000 women a year. However, the proportion of the total carried out without trained clinical help rose from 44 per cent in 1995 to 49 per cent in 2008.

The sweep of arrests followed a protest by journalists after Somaliland police raided the offices of a private TV station on 14 January and forced all the workers to leave and suspended the station.