BBC news with Jerry Smit.

The international tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is due to deliver its final verdict against Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian-served military commander in the 1990s. He has denied charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, including responsibility for the Srebrenica massacre.

Zimbabwe's former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa is returning home from South Africa late today, just over 2 weeks after being sacked by Robert Mugabe, an event that triggered the momentous events in Zimbabwe, comminating his Boss's resignation on Tuesday. Reports say he could be sworn in as the new president within hours.

Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri is expected to clarify shortly whether he can withdraw his surprised resignation or re-affirm it. Mr. Hariri is taking part in Lebanese independence day celebrations, days after returning to Beirut. During the military parade, he sat next to president Michel Aoun who has so far refused to accept his resignation.

President Rodrigo Duterte has held a peace talks with communist rebels, waging a long-running insurgency in the southern Philippine, arguing he was ready to go to war if the rebels wanted that. The government has already withdrawn from two rounds of talks with the New People's army, blaming it for the ongoing violence.

U.S force in South Korea say the North violated the armless agreement when its service personnel pursued a soldier who defected to the South over a week ago. Video footage shows the defector coming under North Korea fire as he rushed towards the border. One North korean soldier bravely crossed the demarcation line before stepping back.

The World's largest wild seed bank based in Britain has sent more than 70,000 seeds to a facility in Lebanon to increase food security. It will replace a store destroyed during fighting in the Syrian city Aleppo.

BBC news.