The UN Security Council on Thursday authorised an intervention brigade to be deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The brigade will be part of the already existent UN peacekeeping operation in th DRC and will carry out offensive operations targeted against armed groups 'that threaten peace in the eastern part of the DRC'.

 See the UN News Agency for full report.

The Burmese government is "systematically restricting humanitarian aid and imposing discriminatory policies" against the Rohingya Muslims in the state of Arakan, asserted Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Meanwhile the governmennt spokesperson for Arakan State, Win Myaing, has accused the Rohingya Muslims of deliberately inflating the numbers of IDPs in order to receive more aid. Maing said: 

“Now, when we are making a list in the camp over here, then people from [another camp] will come,”

“Frankly, [the Rohingya] are just attempting to make the list bigger so that they can get more aid.”

HRW's deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson said:

"Burmese government restrictions on aid to Rohingya Muslims are creating a humanitarian crisis that will become a disaster when the rainy season arrives."

“Instead of addressing the problem, Burma’s leaders seem intent on keeping the Rohingya segregated in camps rather than planning for them to return to their homes.”

Judges in the Hague on Wednesday sentenced two former Bosnian Serb police officers to 22 years imprisonment for their role in war crimes and crimes against humanity during the break-up of Yugoslavia more than 20 years ago.

The leader of the Syrian opposition's National Coalition, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, formally assumed the Syrian seat at the Arab League Summit on Tuesday, hailing it as "part of the restoration of legitimacy" that the Syiran people had "long been robbed of".

Incidentally, Khatib formally resigned as leader two days ago, however his resignation has been rejected by the National Coalition.

The Assad regime responded by accusing the League of allowing "bandits and thugs" assume the seat.

The European Union will gain its 28th member on 1 July, once all members ratify the agreement.

19 members have already agreed to Croatia’s membership to the union and the European Commission said that Croatia is ready to join.

"We are confident that Croatia will be ready to join the EU on 1 July 2013," EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said after talks in Zagreb on Tuesday.

"This report is a clean bill of health."

A Swedish scientist has been appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to head a probe into allegations of chemical weapon usage in Syria.

A spokesperson for the UN said that the terms for the mission were being finalised but that work was under way for the mission to be dispatched quickly.

South Korea has signed an agreement with the US to respond together in the eventuality of North Korean “provocations”.

The military plan provides for US assistance should North Korea fulfil its recent threats.

"This allows both nations to jointly respond to the North's local provocations, with the South taking the lead and the US in support," South Korean defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said on Monday.

"It will have the effect of preventing the North from daring to provoke us."