15 January 2014 Last updated at 08:20 GMT
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in an attack in Beirut almost nine years ago. Twenty-two bodyguards and passersby also lost their lives in the explosion. Six-and-a-half years ago, the United Nations decided to investigate the murder and established the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, also known as the STL. In the intervening years, the tribunal, which is funded by 28 countries, Germany included, has spent more than a quarter-billion dollars in its quest for truth.
Syria says West talks to Damascus about Islamist rebels
Western intelligence agencies have visited Damascus for talks on combating radical Islamist groups, Syria's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC.
Faisal Mekdad said there was a schism between Western security officials and politicians who are pressing President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
The growth of jihadist groups among rebels fighting President Assad has caused international concern.
Syrian government officials are due to attend peace talks in Geneva next week.
However, the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, has still not decided whether or not to take part.
Danish tourist gangraped in Delhi
Police say 51-year-old was attacked after asking for directions as sexual violence against women in India gets more attention
A Danish tourist was gang-raped near a popular central shopping area in Delhi after she lost her way and asked for directions back to her hotel, according to police.
The attack on Tuesday is the latest case to focus international attention on rape and violence against women in India.
The 51-year-old woman was also robbed and beaten in the attack, which happened in the afternoon near Connaught Place, said police spokesman Rajan Bhagat. The woman managed to reach her hotel in the evening and the owner called police. No arrests have been made.
"When she came, it was miserable," said Amit Bahl, owner of the Amax hotel. He said the woman was crying and "not in good shape".
"I am really ashamed that this happened," said Bahl.
Justice or Peace? Hariri Trial Could Spark Further Unrest in Lebanon
Proceedings in the case of murdered ex-Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are set to being in the Netherlands this week. The trial could cause further unrest in a country that is already on the verge of chaos.
Rarely has there been a case like this one. The crime was both dramatic and brutal, the investigation was plagued by shocking errors and surprising twists. And rarely has a criminal case had such geopolitical significance. On Thursday, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will begin hearing the case in an unimposing building in the Dutch town of Leidschendam near The Hague. The outcome is uncertain.
Kabul appoints its first female police chief
January 15, 2014 - 12:19PM
Rob Crilly
Islamabad: Afghanistan has appointed its first female police chief in a move intended to pave the way for more women to rise through the ranks.
Officials in Kabul said on Tuesday that Colonel Jamila Bayaz, an officer with 25 years' experience, would run one of the city's most important police stations.
Colonel Bayaz will move from the interior ministry to take over the capital's first police district, making her the most senior female officer in the country.
"I think my assignment to this post will persuade others to join the police force," she told the Afghan television news channel Tolo News.
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Government officials say they hope to appoint a woman as a provincial police chief before long.
Nigeria's anti-gay law 'a licence to violence'
Gay activists, LGBT community members and the UN have warned that a Bill banning same-sex unions could legitimise homophobic violence in Nigeria.
Gay activists on Tuesday vowed to fight the Nigerian government after the country outlawed same-sex unions, warning the act legitimised homophobic violence and increased fears of persecution.
The United Nations also attacked the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill 2013, accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of trampling over a raft of basic human rights and threatening vital healthcare plans.
Nigeria's presidency has dismissed international concerns about the law, which threatens up to 14 years in jail for anyone in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership, saying it reflects public opinion.
The country's newspapers largely ignored the development, while there was wide support on social media, reflecting deeply held religious views across the West African nation.
By Mick Krever, CNN
A 32-year-old Libyan militia leader, sitting since July on billions of dollars of oil in the eastern part of the country, was defiant in an exclusive interview Tuesday with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
“This government has allowed Libya to become one of the most corrupted five states in the world,” Ibrahim Jadran said. “The government is not able to defend itself.”
Perhaps no single person better illustrates the post-war woes of Libya than Jadran.
In 2012, he was entrusted by the government to guard Libya's crucial eastern oil ports.
But last July he went rogue, seizing the ports – blocking oil exports – and demanding more autonomy and shared revenues for his eastern region, which he calls by its ancient Roman name, Cyrenaica.
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