Pre-trial Judge Daniel Fransen is mulling whether to make the entire indictment in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s murder case public or keep parts of it confidential, Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef has unveiled.
Youssef told MTV on Monday that Fransen is still thinking about the issue. He has till August 11 when the 30-day period given to Lebanon to serve out the arrest warrants against four Hizbullah members ends.
Full StoryIran announced Tuesday it is installing new centrifuges with "better quality and speed" to enrich uranium in its nuclear facilities, defying international demands it halt its atomic activities.
"The installation of new centrifuges with better quality and speed is ongoing. We have announced it and the agency (U.N. atomic watchdog) has full supervision on them," Iranian foreign minister spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters at his weekly press briefing.
Full StoryU.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams announced on Monday that he will bring up the issue of Lebanon’s demarcation of its maritime border at the United Nations on Thursday.
He said after holding talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour: “Lebanon must have access to its natural resources and must benefit from them and I want to see there is a law on exploration and exploitation fully implemented and foreign oil companies coming to Lebanon.”
Full StoryRussia on Monday refused to recognize the rebel National Transitional Council as Libya's official authority but said it would view it as a formal negotiating partner.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week's recognition by Western and regional powers of the opposition government at the expense of Moammar Gadhafi's regime was tantamount to picking sides in a civil war.
Full StoryThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported to U.N. Security Council members on Syria's suspected nuclear activities Thursday during a closed-door meeting.
"Council members were briefed by the IAEA, who provided the technical details that led to its conclusion of the violation by Syria of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations," said a French source.
Full StoryLibyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has a "suicidal plan" to blow up the capital Tripoli if it is taken by rebels, the Kremlin's special envoy to Libya told a Russian newspaper Thursday.
"The Libyan premier told me: if the rebels seize the city, we will cover it with missiles and blow it up," Kremlin envoy Mikhail Margelov said in an interview with the the Izvestia daily.
Full StoryU.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Syrian leader Bashar Assad has missed a series of chances for reform, as he also denounced an attack on the U.S. embassy in Damascus.
Assad, Obama told CBS television, has "missed opportunity after opportunity to present a genuine reform agenda.
Full StoryThe U.N. Security Council on Tuesday issued a statement condemning "in the strongest terms" the attacks against the U.S. and French embassies in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
The statement which was approved by all 15 council members said the attacks damaged the embassies and injured diplomatic personnel.
Full StoryFrance renewed its demand that the United Nations Security Council take a stance on the crisis in Syria on Tuesday, after mobs backing President Bashar Assad attacked the U.S. and French embassies.
"France and other European countries have submitted a proposed resolution to the U.N. Security Council, which has been blocked by Russia and China," Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Europe 1 radio.
Full StoryThe Israeli foreign ministry is cutting contacts with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams over a report that is highly critical of Israel, the daily Haaretz reported Wednesday.
It said the report of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, which was written by Williams, concludes that Israeli soldiers used disproportionate force against Lebanese demonstrators on Nakba Day.
Full Story