BBC News with Jerry Smit.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have urged all their citizens in
Lebanon to leave (immediately). It follows a threat from a Lebanese Shia clan to kidnap
people from those countries. The al-Meqdad clan has abducted a number of Syrians in
Lebanon who it says are connected to the rebels in Syria. It says it's retaliating for
the capture by Syrian rebels of a family member in Damascus. Kevin Connolly is in
Beirut.
The al-Meqdads, who are thought to be heavily involved in (smuggling), have been
described as a family with its own military wing. To force the release of the man held
in Syria, it now has taken at least 30 Sunni Muslim hostages in Lebanon – most of them
Syrian. They've made it clear they hold governments of mainly Sunni states like Turkey,
Saudi Arabia and Qatar responsible for the rebels' actions – a view which prompted the
Saudi government to warn its citizens to get out of Lebanon. If the affair isn't
resolved, it has the capacity to bring the growing sectarian bitterness of Syria into
Lebanon, which has a similar patchwork of ethnic and religious groupings.
In their latest report on the conflict in Syria, United Nations human rights
investigators say war crimes have been committed by both government forces and
opposition groups. The report says systematic violations, including torture, murder and
rape have been committed by the government side; war crimes have been committed by the
rebels too, the report adds, but not to the same (extent).
Here in Britain, Queen Elizabeth's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been admitted to
hospital for the second time this year. Buckingham Palace has said he's suffered a
(recurrence) of bladder infection which he had in June. Our royal correspondent Peter
Hunt reports.
At 91, despite insisting last year he was sort of winding down, Prince Philip has
maintained a busy schedule in recent months. Last week, he was in a jovial mood at a
garden party on the grounds of the Queen's 50,000-acre Scottish state, Balmoral; and at
the start of this week, he attended the Cowes Regatta on the Isle of Wight. It was after
he returned to the Highlands that the prince began to feel unwell. He was taken by
ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He's likely to receive retreatment on a ward of
the infirmary for the next few days.
India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has confirmed his country's plans to send an
unmanned spacecraft to orbit the Mars. He made the announcement in a speech to mark
Independence Day. With more, here's our South Asia editor Jill McGivering.
Mr Singh described the mission to Mars as a huge step forward for India in science and
technology. The total cost of the mission is expected to exceed $100m. This is the
latest phase in a space program which is a matter of great national pride, but it's
already proving controversial – most of the prime minister's speech focused on India's
need for more jobs, more electricity and more health services. (Critics) of the space
program say the millions might be better spent on development.
World News from the BBC
Judicial authorities in the United States have issued subpoenas to seven prominent
international banks in connection with investigations into rigging a key interest rate.
The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut have asked Barclays, Citigroup,
Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS to give information
to the investigations. They face legal action if they refuse. Last month, Barclays was
fined $451m.
The Brazilian government has unveiled a major public investment plan to boost its
slowing economy. Brazilian business leaders welcomed the announcement. Paulo Cabral
reports from Brazil.
Private companies will be (granted) concessions for almost 8,000km off roads in exchange
for a private investment of almost $20bn over the next five years. The plan also
includes public and private investments for either revamping or building another 8,000km
of railways. In this first part of the plan, the government has only announced
investments in roads and railways, but new projects are expected over the next few weeks
involving ports and airports.
One of the top clubs in English football, Manchester United, has agreed to buy the
striker Robin van Persie from rivals Arsenal for more than $37m. The Dutchman was the
Premier League's leading scorer last season with 30 goals to his name. Van Persie still
has to agree personal terms and complete a medical examination ahead of the move.
A Polish windsurfer, who won a bronze medal of the London Olympics, says she plans to
auction it to raise money for her sick neighbor. Zofia Noceti-Klepacka says the money
will go towards the treatment of five-year-old Zuzanna Bobinska, who has cystic
fibrosis. Before the Games, Ms Noceti-Klepacka vowed to win a medal for the girl. Cystic
fibrosis can drastically reduce life expectancy.