The United Nations said on Tuesday that 140,000 people remained displaced in Burma’s western Rakhine state, a year after the Buddhist-Muslim clashes left 200 people dead.

The United Nations report, outlined temporary progress made in restoring the livelihoods of Rohingya Muslims in the Rahkine state, describing the quantities of temporary shelters and latrines that had been built.

The report however warned that the stateless situation of 800,000 Muslims in the Rakhine state had to be addressed, as

“consequences of statelessness for Muslims in Rakine state continue to have direct effect on fundamental human rights and the social economic development of Burma.”

Though many of the Rohingya have lived in the Rakhine state for decades they are declined citizenship, and are subject to discriminatory government policy.

The UN report said consequential restrictions of access to freedom of movement have “ severely affected employment, and health and education rights.”

In its first direct comment on reports that emerged over a week ago of US surveillance of the internet, China called on US authorities to provide the 'necessary explanation', reports Reuters.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said on Monday:

"We believe the United States should pay attention to the international community's concerns and demands and give the international community the necessary explanation." 

Asked for her comments on claims that the whistleblower Edward Snowden is a spy for China, Chunying simply said: "this is sheer nonsense".

"Of course, our opinions do not coincide. But all of us have the intention to stop the violence in Syria, to stop the growth of victims, and to solve the situation peacefully, including by bringing the parties to the negotiations table in Geneva."

"With respect to Syria, we do have differing perspectives on the problem, but we share an interest in reducing the violence; securing chemical weapons and ensuring that they're neither used nor are they subject to proliferation; and that we want to try to resolve the issue through political means, if possible."

"And this coming from the same people who always claim they liberated Turkish democracy from army intervention."

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that international pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear programme must continue, after reformist Hassan Rouhani was elected president.

"The international community should not fall into wishful thinking and be tempted to ease pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear programme,

"Iran will be judged on its actions. If it insists on continuing to develop its nuclear programme the answer needs to be clear - stopping its nuclear programme by any means."

The US has said it could engage with the new president.

"If [Rouhani] lives up to his obligations under the UN Security Council resolutions to come clean on this illicit nuclear program, he will find a partner in us," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told media in the US.

    “Those talks have to be real. They have to be based on them living up to their obligations, to include on proliferation, on nuclear weapons, on smuggling and other things,”

Hassan Rouhani, the sole reformist candidate in Iran’s presidential election, has won the presidential elections according to state-run Press TV.

The cleric and former nuclear negotiator with western powers enjoyed a surge in support the last week of campaign.

Though many view his election as the liberalisation of the Iranian public, Iranian affairs analyst, Rassol Nafisi, told the Associated Press,

“Rouhani is not an outsider and any gains by him do not mean the system is weak or that there are serious cracks. The ruling system has made sure that no one on the ballot is going to shake things up.”

At the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation on Wednesday, UN member states reiterated their support for the Saharawi's people's right to self-determination, including representatives from Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Cuba.

Xavier Lasso from Ecuador said his country supported the 'legitimate aspiration of the Saharawi people' and called for an end to the "military occupation of this non-autonomous territory".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed assertions made by the US that Syria has used chemical weapons against rebels.

Lavrov said it made "no sense" for President Assad, who also denies the claims, to use chemical weapons as "the regime has not been driven into a corner".

The US meanwhile has decided to keep Patriot missiles and F-16s in Jordan, after recent training exercises. Lavrov criticised the decision, saying that any attempt to use the F-16s to impose a no-fly zone over Syria would violate international law.

"The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, has agreed with the Libyan government that the repatriation from South Africa of Libyan funds and assets will be handled in terms of United Nations (UN) protocols."

"The decision was informed by the fact that the government of Libya established a single body in 2012 to co-ordinate the repatriation of assets to Libya,"

“This body cooperates with the Committee formed in terms of the UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) and the Panel of Experts which coordinates the orderly and transparent repatriation to Libya of assets frozen in various countries.”

The US has said it will provide arms to the Syrian opposition, after confirming that chemical weapons had been used by the regime.

"Following a deliberative review our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year," said a White House statement.

Washington will supply small arms and training to the Syrian rebels, but voices within the Senate are calling for stronger support.

Senator John McCain said that “the president of the United States had better understand that just supplying weapons is not going to change the equation on the ground [or] the balance of power. These people – the Free Syrian Army – need weapons, heavy weapons to counter tanks and aircraft, they need a no-fly zone, and Bashar al-Assad's air assets have to be taken out and neutralised. We can do that without risking a single American airplane."

David Cameron meanwhile has stressed that Britain had not made a decision on arming the rebels.

"We have made no decision to arm the opposition but it was right to lift the arms embargo,

"We will continue to support, train and assist and work with the opposition. Of course there are concerns about some of the opposition, but my argument is this: If we don't engage with elements of the opposition and encourage those that do have a positive pluralistic and democratic view about the future of Syria, we won't be able to influence the shape of that opposition."

According  to Human Rights Watch a new law passed by the Ecuadorian government seriously undermines free speech in the country.

The Communications Law that the Ecuadorian National Assembly approved on June 14 2013, includes discursive language that has a strong potential of limiting the free expression of journalists and media outlets.

Expressing concern over the new law, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said,

“This law is yet another effort by President Correa to go after the independent media. The provisions and criminal prosecutions of journalists are clear attempts to silence criticism.”

See here for a full critical analysis of the new law.