Iran has sent the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, to Damascus in a show of support for Bashar al-Assad and his rule.

Aiding Assad’s survival, Iran has been providing the regime with funds, arms and expertise in its campaign to crush Syria’s expanding rebellion.

Referring to the Middle East’s anti-Western powers – Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas – as the “axis of resistance” Jalili said:

Burmese authorities have lifted suspensions that were placed on two weekly magazines, after journalists protested for greater press freedom.

As a result of the protests, the editors of two magazines were beckoned to the country’s media censorship bureau, also known as the Press Scrutiny board and informed that publishing could be resumed from the 18th of august.

The magazines were initially ordered to suspend publication indefinitely due to the violation of unspecified regulations.

The United States have set a bounty of upto $5 million on each of the nine fugitive suspected perpetrators of the genocide in Rwanda.

The US Ambassador for War Crimes, Stephen Rapp, confirmed during a visit to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), that the bounty would be paid to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of the suspects, including Felicien Kabuga, suspected chief financier of the genocide, Protais Mpiranya, former commandant of the infamous Presidential Guard, and former defence minister Augustin Bizimana.

The Reuters news agency said one of its Twitter accounts - @ReutersTech - was hacked on Sunday, and false tweets regarding the Syria conflict were posted.

Twenty-two false tweets were sent, with some including false reports of rebel losses at the hands of government forces.

A spokesperson for Reuters said,

Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab has defected from President Bashar al-Assad's government, the BBC reports. He had been appointed two months ago.

"I announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution," ran the statement read by his spokesman.

The former spy chief of the Gaddafi regime in Libya will not be extradited from Mauritania, said the president of the West African nation.

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said that Abdullah al-Senussi must face charges for illegal entry into Mauritania, before being extradited to Libya.

Al-Senussi is wanted by Libya, France and the International Criminal Court for crimes committed while he was the spy chief for Colonel Gaddafi.

Protests in Vietnam over Chinese 'bullying' have continued to grow this week, after China declared a city, which Vietnam claims, it's newest municipality.

Protesters were seen marching through Hanoi brandishing posters which read, "China! Hands off Vietnam!" and "Shame on you, bastard neighbour", as frustration with Beijing's aggression grew.

The protests come as the state-backed China National Offshore Oil Corporation also sought bids for oil exploration in waters that Vietnam claim, and the arrest of Vietnamese fishermen near the disputed islands earlier this year.

A Palestinian conference regarding the nation's bid for recognition as a state at the UN next month, was abandoned on Sunday, after four envoys were prohibited by Israel from reaching Ramallah in the West Bank.

The four envoys, from Malaysia, Indonesia, Cuba and Bangladesh, were barred on the grounds that the four states do not recognise Israel.

The envoys were due to sign a declaration backing the Palestinians' campaign.

The US government has made it possible for Americans to donate money to help arm the Syrian rebels whilst upholding its official refusal to arm the forces opposing Bashar Al-Assad.

The United Nations Human rights envoy to Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, called for an urgent investigation into the Rakhine state conflict that has left at least 78 dead and tens of thousands homeless.

Speaking at the end of a six day visit to Burma, Quintanta expressed his concerns about allegations of murder, torture and mass arrests by security forces ‘restoring order’ in the state.