In the first successful lawsuit against torture, an US defence contractor, Engility Holdings Inc, whose subsidiary body L-3 Services Inc. was accused in the torture of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib prison, has paid $5.28 million to the victims.

Another contractor, CACI is believed to be going to trial this summer over similiar allegations.

The lawsuit, filed in Maryland over four years ago, accused L-3 services of having “permitted scores of its employees to participate in torturing and abusing prisoners over an extended period of time throughout Iraq" and having “wilfully failed to report L-3 employees’ repeated assaults and other criminal conduct by its employees to the United States or Iraq authorities."

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Japan has summoned China’s ambassador to the country this week, after Chinese vessels entered what Japan claims to be their territorial waters for over 13 hours.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that strong protests were registered after four Chinese surveillance ships entered the area surrounding the disputed islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, said the Chinese excursion was “an extremely unusual incident and very regrettable”.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded by saying that the islands were "an inherent part of Chinese territory," and added,

"We do not accept Japan's protests and representations... Despite China's objections, Japan sent vessels and planes to the waters and airspace of the Diaoyu Islands for many times. China made representations many times, urging Japan to stop illegal acts that violated China's sovereignty".

The latest escalation in tensions comes as Japan announced that they would seek to boost military spending, with a military spokesman stating that the money was needed "to prepare for the changing security environment surrounding Japan".

See a report from the Guardian here on how drone technology may rapidly play a bigger role in the escalating dispute.

2130 opposition prisoners were released by the Syrian government in exchange for 48 Iranians abducted in Damascus, while apparently on a pilgrimage five months ago.

The swap is the first major swap of the 21-month long civil war and was brokered by a Turkish humanitarian group and the Qatari government.

Syrian opposition fighters alleged that the 48 prisoners were members of the Iranian revolutionary guard corps which was assisting Assad to crush the rebellion.

Iran denied the allegations although admitted that some of the detainees were retired guards.

See here for full report on the Guardian.

Loyalist protests in Belfast have resulted in a fifth consecutive day of rioting in the city, as a dispute over the flying of the Union Jack flag at Belfast City Hall continues.

Plastic bullets and water cannons were deployed by police, after they were attacked with weapons including hatchets and sledge hammers. There were also reports of a clash between loyalists and nationalists, early on Monday evening. 8 arrests were made, bringing the total to 104 since violence erupted.

Loyalists have been protesting in Belfast against a decision made by the council to only fly the Union Jack flag on 17 designated days a year. The first of those days this year will be Wednesday the 9th of January, marking the Duchess of Cambridge's 31st birthday.

The M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a unilateral ceasefire.

The rebels are due to hold peace talks with the government soon and expressed hope that Kinshasa will reciprocate the move.

"We've been for peace... today we're declaring that we're in a ceasefire," M23 spokesman Francois Rucogoza told reporters in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

"Even if the government refuses to sign a ceasefire agreement we'll continue with the negotiations.”

The government however said they will have to wait and see whether the rebels were being sincere.

"We don't think we can see this as a concession from people who don't tend to do what they say. We'll wait and see. We want to know why [they've made the announcement]," the government’s spokesperson Lambert Mende said according to Reuters.

The Ugandan government has returned £3.26m of aid to the Irish government, after it was transferred to unauthorised recipients within the government.

A report by the auditor general of Uganda found that the funds from Ireland had been taken by officials in Prime Minister Patrick Amama Mbabazi’s office.

Ireland, the UK, Norway and Denmark suspended aid to Kampala following the report.

The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore said that the government’s return of aid money followed "intensive high level discussions with the government of Uganda over the last two months".

"I am satisfied that this and other steps taken by the government of Uganda send a clear signal of their commitment to bring those involved to account and to improve financial control systems," he said.

"I believe that these measures will contribute to the government's efforts to tackle corruption. I have now instructed my officials to examine options for a possible programme of support for the people of Uganda during 2013,

"Looking to the future, we stand ready to continue to work with the auditor general of Uganda in his efforts to root out corruption, strengthen financial controls, and build robust and transparent systems of accountability."

The chief of internet giant Google Eric Schmidt has begun a controversial private visit to North Korea, accompanied by the former governor of the New Mexico Bill Richardson.

Whilst the purpose of the trip remains unclear, Richardson told press that he planned on attempting to meet Kenneth Bae, a detained US citizen. Richardson went on to say,

“This is not a Google trip, but I’m sure he’s interested in some of the economic issues there, the social media aspect. So this is why we are teamed up on this... We’ll meet with North Korean political leaders. We’ll meet with North Korean economic leaders, military. We’ll visit some universities. We don’t control the visit. They will let us know what the schedule is when we get there,”

The visit has drawn sharp criticism from the US, with State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland saying,

“As you know, they are private citizens. They are travelling in an unofficial capacity. They are not going to be accompanied by any U.S. officials. They are not carrying any messages from us. Frankly, we don’t think the timing of this is particularly helpful, but they are private citizens and they are making their own decisions… they’re well aware of our views… They are not going on our behalf. No American official is going with them. They are not carrying any messages from us.

Well, obviously we support internet freedom around the world. We support the right of all people to have access to the internet, and we oppose government restrictions on that wherever they are found. That said, all U.S. companies are subject to the U.S. sanctions regime with regard to the D.P.R.K.”

The Guardian reported an anonymous US official as having said,

"We are in kind of a classical provocation period with North Korea. Usually, their missile launches are followed by nuclear tests... During these periods, it's very important that the international community come together, certainly at the level of the UN security council, to demonstrate to North Korea that they pay a price for not living up to their obligations".

The highest court in Bahrain on Monday upheld the sentences of 13 leaders of the 2011 uprising.

The sentences, ranging from five years to life, were initially passed by a military court in June 2011, and later upheld by a civilian court in September last year.

All together twenty uprising leaders were sentenced, but seven are in hiding, leaving the remaining 13 to file appeals.

Speaking to Reuters, one of the defence lawyers, Mohammad al-Jishi said: "This verdict is final. No more appeals are possible. It is the last stage of litigation," and the country's main opposition group condemned the decision, stating, "These judgments confirmed the rulings issued before by the military court which were condemned by the whole world. I think it is accurate to call these rulings political persecution."

The spokesperson for the US State Department, Victoria Nuland, said:

"We regret today's decision,"

 "We're concerned that this decision further restricts freedom of expression and compromises the atmosphere within Bahrain for reconciliation."

"We call on the government of Bahrain to investigate all reports of torture, including those made by the defendants in this case, as it has pledged to do, and to hold accountable any who are found responsible,"

UK Minister Alistair Burt said:

"At the time these individuals were sentenced, reports which were acknowledged by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry suggested that some had been abused in detention, denied access to legal counsel and were coerced into confessing,"

"I call on the government of Bahrain to meet all its human rights obligations and guarantee its citizens the fundamental liberties to which they are entitled."

The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered officials to use ‘State of Palestine’ on official documents, including passports, ID cards and driving licenses.

Abbas said the move would help bolster the Palestinian state "on the ground and build its institutions... and its sovereignty over the its land".

He ordered the replacement of ‘Palestinian Authority’ with the ‘State of Palestine’ for official correspondence of the foreign ministry and embassies last week.

South African government announced on Sunday that an additional 400 troops will be sent to Central African Republic (CAR). The announcement came a day after the Seleka rebels took over another town in the country and a few days prior to the peace talks that will be held in Libreville, Gabon.

In a statement, South African President Jacob Zuma said, troops are being deployed to “assist with capacity building of the CAR Defence Force and will also assist CAR with the planning and implementation of the disarmament, demobilisation and re-integration processes.”

Neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of Congo and Chad have pledged military support to the CAR government in confronting the rebels.

US and France both have declined Bozzis’s offer to intervene in its internal conflict.

Two state broadcast journalists from South Sudan were arrested on Sunday for failing to cover a presidential speech, reports Reuters.

The two senior staff, named as Louis Pasquale and Ashab Khamis, were arrested by the state government of Western Bahr El Ghazal for "administrative issues", having failed to cover a presidential visit to the town of Wau, close to the Sudan border, last month.

State information minister Derrick Alfred Uya told Reuters:

"They were arrested simply because when the president arrived here in Wau on December 22, 2012, he gave a very, very important speech,"

New York-based media watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that two had probably been arrested as part of a campaign to stop the media from investigating recent unrest in Wau when soldiers shot dead 10 protesters, triggering more violence in the town.

Persecution of journalists by security services has been a persistent concern in South Sudan since its seccession in 2011, with the country being ranked 111th out 179th in Reporters without Borders' 2011-2012 press freedom index.

A public speech by besieged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has, where he denounced his opponents as “puppets of the west”, has drawn immediate and widespread criticism, as fighting in Syria continues to rage on.

In a defiant speech on Sunday, and the first public speech in six months, Assad told cheering supporters,

"We are now in a state of war in every sense of the word…. This war targets Syria using a handful of Syrians and many foreigners. Thus, this is a war to defend the nation….There are those who seek to partition Syria and weaken it. But Syria is stronger and will remain sovereign. This is what upsets the West."

Assad went on to say,

“We do not reject political dialogue ... but with whom should we hold a dialogue? With extremists who don't believe in any language but killing and terrorism?... Should we speak to gangs recruited abroad that follow the orders of foreigners? Should we have official dialogue with a puppet made by the West, which has scripted its lines?"

Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague responded on Twitter,

"Deaths, violence and oppression engulfing Syria are his own making… Empty promises of reform fool no one."

A US State Department statement also labelled the speech as,

“yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power and does nothing to advance the Syrian people’s goal of a political transition.”

It went on to say,

“His initiative is detached from reality, undermines the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, and would only allow the regime to further perpetuate its bloody oppression of the Syrian people.

Even today, as Asad speaks of dialogue, the regime is deliberately stoking sectarian tensions... Asad has lost all legitimacy and must step aside to enable a political solution and a democratic transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people. “

The Syrian opposition also reacted to the speech, with George Sabra, vice president of the opposition National Coalition, telling Reuters,

"We should see it rather as a declaration that he will continue his war against the Syrian people... The appropriate response is to continue to resist this unacceptable regime and for the Free Syrian Army to continue its work in liberating Syria until every inch of land is free."

Reuters also quoted a Syrian analyst Rana Kabbani as saying,

"Lakhdar Brahimi must feel foolish after that Assad speech, where his diplomacy is dismissed as intolerable intervention,"

Protests by hundreds of opposition activists in Kuwait were broken up by security forces using stun grenades on Sunday.

Stating that the protest was not licensed, security forces began to disperse crowds as soon as they gathered in small groups of 200-300, and were seen to be chasing protesters into side streets.

According to a former MP, about 20 people were arrested.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry spokesperson claimed that many "instigators of unrest" had been arrested.

The French arm of Basque nationalist party, Batasuna, announced the dissolution of the organisation on Thursday, putting an end to the movement long seen as the political wing of armed separatist group ETA.

Announcing the dissolution of the organisation, spokesperson Maite Goyenetxe, reiterated that the resolve for an independent homeland was still present, stating

“We affirm that we will achieve the project of building Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) only by political means, in the face of oppressive French and Spanish states.”

Explaining the dissolution of the Batasuna, Goyenetxe explained that the movement had entered a “new political phase”.

Despite being banned by the Spanish government in 2003, the party continued to function in the Basque areas of France, working towards an independent traditional Basque