“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.

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".

“support and cooperate positively with Mr Brahimi's efforts at political mediation,"

US President, Barack Obama, has signed a new piece of legislation that intends to encourage the observation of human rights in North Korea.

The law, that extends until 2017, is aimed at putting pressure on North Korea to respect the issues of human rights, democracy refugee protection and freedom of information. It provides legal ground for the US government to financially support radio stations broadcasting into North Korea and the appointment of a special envoy regarding the North’s human rights issues.

The act also urges the US government to demand that China halts its forcible repatriation of North Koreans, who it describes as “genuine refugees” that “face severe punishments upon their forcible return”.

According to the UN peacekeeping chief, the Syrian government and rebels have “chosen the path of war”.

The recent rise in all out conflict has left military observers on the ground with no peace to monitor on the ground. As a result of the transition of the situation into a full blown war, UN officials have stated that the last of the few dozen remaining team members would quit Damascus by 24th August.

After weeks of the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange taking refuge on sovereign Ecuadorian soil at the embassy in London, the British government has announced that the embassy may not be so immune from the Metropolitian police after all.

The Foreign Office spokesperson said on Wednesday:

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government.

Assange has been stuck in the embassy of Ecuador in London, since he took refuge there two months ago, to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces trial for sexual assault.

A foreign office spokesperson warned on Wednesday that they may be forced to lift diplomatic immunity on the premises and enter the embassy to arrest Assange.

The foreign minister Ricardo Patiño announced the decision to applause at a press conference in Quito.

“unconditionally and immediately release all Bahrainis being held for crimes related to freedom of expression.”

“The Bahraini judicial system has been used as a tool to harass democracy activists”.