"There is only one sentence for this crime and that is life in prison"

The Burmese government has abolished pre-publication checks of the country’s media, according to the information ministry.

The Press Scrutiny and Registration Department (PSRD) announced that reporters are not required to submit material to state censors before publication.

"Censorship began on 6 August 1964 and ended 48 years and two weeks later," Tint Swe, head of the PSRD, told AFP news agency on Monday.

"Any publication inside the country will not have to get prior permission from us before they are published.

"From now on, our department will just carry out registering publications for keeping them at the national archives and issuing a license to printers and publishers," he said.

“If necessary, we could make the Diaoyu Islands a target range for China’s air force and plant mines around them.”

Confirming what has long been suspected, a Syrian opposition official, disclosed that British intelligence was enabling rebels to launch attacks against Assad forces, reported The Sunday Times.

The Official said that Britain "know about and approve 100%" signals intelligence, using bases in Cyprus that are then passed through Turkey to the Free Syrian Army.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the official said,

“British intelligence is observing things closely from Cyprus. It’s very useful because they find out a great deal,”

“The British are giving the information to the Turks and the Americans and we are getting it from the Turks.”

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) unamimously adopted a resolution endorsing Ecuador's right to grant asylum to Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange.

Foreign ministers of the 12 nations met in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and agreed seven key points, highlighting the right of any sovereign country to grant asylum, the "inviolability of embassies" and the importance of protecting human rights.

Burma has set up a commission to investigate violence in the Rakhine state, where dozens have died and thousands remain displaced.

The announcement follows Burma’s recent refusal to allow an independent inquiry into the state violence.

The UN have welcomed the inquiry, acknowledging the possible contributions the commission could have in restoring peace in the state.

Nabeel Rajab, an opposition activist and head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, has been sentenced for three years in prison for taking part in an illegal protest against the ruling family on Thursday.

As the sentence was read out in court, Rajab was heard to shout, "three years or 30, you cannot stop me".

He is also due to face charges of defamation for Twitter posts calling for the resignation of Bahrain's prime minister, Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa.

The hearing has been condemned by Amnesty International who described it as "a dark day for justice in Bahrain".