BBC News with David Auston

The UN tribunal investigating the murder of the former Lebanon prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005 has delivered a sealed indictment to the Lebanese authorities. The suspects have not been named, but Lebanese officials say several of them are members of the sheer organization Hezbollah. The group has strongly denied any involvement in the attack. A member of Saad Hariri's future movement party xxx welcome the action taken by the UN tribunal.

We consider the release of the (indictment) today is part of our Martis right. And this indictment is the first step toward establishing the truth and achieving justice in order to bring stability to Lebanon.

One of the two hostages set free on Wednsday by the Taliban in Afghanistan has told BBC he believed that a deal had been arranged in exchange for their liberty and that of their Afghan interpreter. The Taliban rebels said earlier that several of their members had been released from jail. The Afghan government in Karbul denied that any prison exchanges are taking place. France earlier denied any ransom was paid for its journalists. The former hostage Television reporter Elvie Gesgiel told the BBC why he'd come to this conclusion.

I don't have any proof. You know (officially) there is no ransom. But of course it's not for chocolates. You mean you are freed for a reason? For money and for at least two prisoners' release.

Members of the Greek Parliament have passed a second austerity bill securing continuing financial support from international creditors. A Majority of MPs have approved the measures that include an introduction of income tax for low-paid workers and pay cuts for civil (servants). The EU said Greece has now met the conditions to receive the latest charge of last year's bail-out loan and paved the way for a second assistance package.

The meeting of the African Union has started in EG with a speech by the head of AU commission, saying the problems of African youth are one of the cause for the recent uprisings in north African countries. The Libian issue is dominating the conference with a host President Obian Egama strongly criticizing Western interference. Thoma Phesi had this report.

The African Union Commission chief Jean Ping said in his openning speech that the liberations of the living crisis was the most anticipated at the summit. He said the committee set up to this constant conflict was considering all possible options in favor of political solution. According to Mr. Ping, the living demonstrations which then became civil war revealed a number of (challenges) such as the African governments's inability to understand people's legitimate aspirations. Concrete measures he said must be taken to better take care the young people's needs. Thomas Phesi reporting.

World news from the BBC

20 civilians in Afghanistan have been killed when a bus they were travelling in hit a land mine. Women and children are among the victims. It's not known yet how many people were on aboard. The (explosion) happened on the main road linking the city of Kandaha to the southernwest province of Nimoros.

French police has detained a man who had grabbed President Sarkozy and nearly knocked him to the ground when he was shaking hands in the crowd. The incidence happened in a town of Brax in the Southwest of France. Report says the attacker, a local care taker and receptionist was not armed. Mr. Sarkozy's approval ratings have been low in recent months, and he has been hackled on several occasions. But this is the first time he's been physically attacked.

Official figures show that Britain has experienced its highest rate of population growth in almost half a century. The population rose to 62 and a quarter million last year, up almost a half million on 2009. The rise has been caused by increase in the birth rate and greater longevity. Mark Easten has the details.

The official for National Statistics says the main reason population's rising faster than any time since Howard Wilson was prime minister is the sheer number of babies being born and additional 370 extra everyday compared to 8 years before. Some are hailing this as a good news, a way of defusing the demographic time bomb of a shrinking young working (population) and a rapidly increasing eldly population. And with the global population predicted to hit 7 billion in the near future, they are those who link rising birth rates to potential disaster for the xx.

The newly married British prince William and his wife Kate have arrived in Canada at the start of their first official overseas visit. They are at the capital Ottawa where they aggrieved the national war memorial before greeting thousands of cheering well-wishers. The couple will also visit other Canadian provinces before travelling south to California. That's the BBC news.