The British Foreign Office has listed the Israeli regime's human rights record as one "of particular concern" in its quarterly report on human rights.

Despite being one of Israel's staunch allies, Britain's change in stance on the Israeli regime suggests that Israel is set to lose its international allies.

The listing, which puts Israeli amongst the likes of human rights violators, such as  Bahrain, Zimbabwe and Iran, comes after the British government warned that Israel's settlement plans will alienate its international allies.

Russia's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, warned that President Bashar al-Assad's chances of staying in power were growing "smaller and smaller".

Speaking to CNN, Medvedev said:

"I think that with every day, every week and every month, the chances of his preservation are getting smaller and smaller,"

Malian troops are continuing their advance, with the support of the French army, against rebels in the north of the country.

Northern Mali's most populous city, Gao, was captured by Malian and French soldiers on Saturday.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Malian and French troops would arrive "near Timbuktu soon".

There has not been string resistance by the rebels, with locals in Timbuktu reporting that militants had already fled in anticipation of the French advance.

Israel's Vice Premier has threatened of military action in Syria, if chemical weapons fall into the hands of Syrian rebels, warning of a "red line" leading to Israeli strikes.

Confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting of security chiefs last week, Silvan Shalom warned that chemical weapons falling into rebel hands, or into Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas would warrant Israeli force.

Speaking to Army Radio, Shalom said,

Kachin rebels have lost a strategic base on a hill top in northern Burma after clashes with the Burmese army.

The Kachin Independence Army's base on Hka Ya hilltop is the last line of defence before Laiza, the capital of Kachin state, which has been under rebel control for 50 years.

According to the BBC, Burma's President Thein Sein had previously promised that the army will not capture Laiza, but Kachin people are sceptical.

A South African court has halted the delivery of helicopters to the Zimbabwean military, over human rights concerns.

High Court judge N B Tuchten placed a temporary halt on the delivery, saying it would be irresponsible to provide equipment to a force that was not neutral, ahead of elections later this year. A full hearing will be held on February 19.

A lawyer for AfriForum, a South African lobby group, told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that he was confident the court order would then be upheld.

Israeli are likely to boycott the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a planned session of the UN Human Rights council, in protest against the group’s stance on the Jewish state.

Despite the United States urging Israel to attend the session in Geneva, Israel are expected to refuse. The state broke away from the United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC), after the group decided to probe the state’s West Bank settlements, and described the probe as a “blatant expression of the singling out of Israel in the UNHRC and the uncandid approach that characterises the Councils dealing with Israel.”

North Korea has warned the South that it will retaliate with “physical counter-measures” if Seoul took part in sanctions by the UN.

In a statement, released a day after it announced a third nuclear test, North Korea said sanctions would mean war.

"If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the UN 'sanctions', the DPRK (North Korea) will take strong physical counter-measures against it," it said.

"'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration of war against us."

An UN official has told reporters that the body wants to send troops to intervene in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to fight rebels in the east of the country.

The official said that an intervention force of 2,500 soldiers would be added to the UN’s existing Monusco peace keeping mission in the country.

A political plan to end the violence is also set to be signed in Addis Ababa by the leaders of the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Angola, the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Tanzania and South Africa, reported the BBC.