arrest warrant
issued against one of the bloc's leaders, Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi. Al-Hashimi is currently in northern Iraq, and the Kurdish regional government, which has been trying to
mediate
a solution to the crisis, has refused to
hand him over to
Baghdad.
Syrian activists say at least 45 civilians and opposition fighters have been killed across the country as government forces attacked centres of resistance in the suburbs of Damascus and Homs. Activists say more than 2,000 troops and a large number of tanks were
deployed
in the assault on the outskirts of Damascus. Jim Muir reports from Beirut.
In Talbisah near Homs, the limp body of Ahmed al-Hallaq is
dragged
away
, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. Activists said he was shot dead by a government
sniper
while standing in front of his house. Similar scenes of panic and horror were acted out in many parts of the country as security forces and tanks attacked centres of resistance. The fighting engulfed some of the suburbs on the eastern side of Damascus itself - the closest such hostilities have come to the heart of the capital.
The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has confirmed that he'll
unilaterally
introduce a tax of 0.1% on all financial transactions starting in August. In a lengthy television interview, Mr Sarkozy said France was introducing it on its own to create a shock and encourage other countries to