Queen wraps up jubilee festivities without Philip

As he was admitted to hospital with a bladder infection:

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday wraps up four days of diamond jubilee celebrations but without her husband Prince Philip after he was admitted to hospital with a bladder infection. The festivities conclude with a ceremonial carriage procession in London, a formal contrast to Monday's spectacular pop tribute staged outside Buckingham Palace.

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Pakistan needs US apology- Rabbani

To reopen supply routes for NATO:

The United States should apologize for an air raid that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers if it wants Pakistan to reopen key supply routes into Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in an interview published Monday.

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China dismisses French demand on Tiananmen prisoners

China on Tuesday dismissed France’s demand for the release of political prisoners jailed after the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen democracy protests, saying it was strongly opposed to such “interference”. France on Monday joined the United States in calling on China to release prisoners jailed 23 years ago after troops stormed central Beijing, ending six weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations.

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Iraq Christian heritage sites lie mouldering and neglected

Arab poets described one of the locations as a paradise on Earth :

A stone's throw from Iraq's Shiite holy city of Najaf's airport, the remains of the celebrated ancient Christian city of Hira lie neglected and mouldering, because funds for excavation have dried up. Three sites, discovered five years ago, are unexplored and unkempt, and officials fear the uncompleted excavation could lead to their eventual demise.

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