Wikinews Shorts: July 14, 2007

A compilation of brief news reports for Saturday, July 14, 2007.


Bounty for Osama bin Laden doubled

 
Osama bin Laden

The United States Senate has voted to double the bounty placed on the capture or death of alleged al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.

The Senate approved the bounty increase, which now sits at US$50 million, by an 87-1 vote on Friday.

It follows a series of reports which suggest that the group of terrorists behind the September 11 that hit New York and Washington were rebuilding its capacity to execute terrorist plots.

Sources


UN: New leads in Hariri murder investigation

 
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri at the Pentagon on April 25, 2001.

A United Nations report has indicated that investigations into the death of former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq Hariri, have identified a number of possible suspects.

Hariri was assassinated on February 14, 2005. Explosives equivalent to approximately 300 kg of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove past the St George Hotel in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The UN team, which is headed by Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, also said in its' report that the deteriorating political situation in Lebanon is likely to adversly effect the investigation as safety and other issues require extra attention.

Sources