A report by Human Rights Watch released earlier on Wednesday found that Myanmar troops shot at Muslims, committed rape and failed to protect Muslims from mobs during deadly ethnic clashes in June.

Labelling the figure of around 80 dead from the violence as “grossly underestimated”, the New York-based human rights organisation also concluded that the forces "unleashed a campaign of violence and mass roundups against the Rohingya".

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran’s energy sector and some financial companies.

President Obama said the existing sanctions had been made more difficult to evade “by making sanctionable the purchase or acquisition of Iranian petrochemical products".

Iran has been trying to get around sanctions, including by using gold instead of cash as payment.

Mr Obama added that the US remains committed to find a diplomatic solution but that it is Iran’s responsibility to meet international obligations.

South Sudan and Sudan are unlikely to reach an agreement before the UN deadline ends on Thursday.

Despite recent talks, the two states failed to find common ground on key issues such as security and oil.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Sabir Hassan, head of Sudan's economic negotiating team said,

Amnesty International held the Syrian government responsible for crimes against humanity in the largest city, Allepo and surrounding areas, in a report - ‘All-Out Repression’ - released on Wednesday.

Despite the obstacles imposed by the Syrian authorities the report outlined that Amnesty had been able to independently investigate the allegations of human rights violations on the ground in Syria and had established that, “the Syrian government is responsible for widespread, as well as systematic violations amounting to crimes against humanity.” 

The report concluded: “it is manifestly evident that the Syrian government has no intention of ending, let alone investigating, these crimes.”

A criminal court in Switzerland has ruled that former Algerian military chief Khaled Nezzar cannot claim immunity and can be tried outside Algeria for war crimes committed while he was in power in the early 90s.

A high court in Kenya has lifted the ban on the Mombassa Republican Council (MRC) - a group fighting for independence from Nairobi, and autonomy for Mombassa along with a strip of coastline - prompting celebrations along the streets of the city.

Stating there was no evidence of criminal activity, Justice Francis Tuiyot ordered that the group register as a political party, and ensure they do not incite violence or hatred.

The UN secretary-general Ban-Ki Moon confirmed that Syrian tanks attacked a convoy carrying the head of the UN observer mission.  Although there were no injuries, a dozen armoured vehicles used as part of the observer mission have been destroyed by blasts and shelling.

Speaking to reporters, Ban Ki-Moon said,

The most senior Syrian diplomat to the UK has resigned in protest against his government’s “violent and oppressive acts”.

Khaled al-Ayoubi was the Charge d’Affaires and the highest ranking Syrian official in the UK after Bashar al-Assad withdrew the Syrian ambassador in March this year.

He has not defected to the opposition and is said to be in a safe location in the UK, according to the Foreign Office.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: