Israel troops wound Lebanon boy

The United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has said he is seeking to speed up verification that Israel has fully withdrawn from South Lebanon.

UN officials say they have finished marking the border between the two countries and are currently verifying whether Israel has fully withdrawn its troops so that UN peacekeepers can move in.

Mr Annan's comments came after a series of violent incidents in the border zone, including attacks on UN teams whose vehicles were stoned by protestors. During one demonstration at a former border crossing point, a six year old Palestinian boy was wounded by gunfire from Israeli soldiers. The BBC's Beiruit correspondent says both countries are unhappy with the border designated by the UN and that any delay in deploying the UN force will increase the likelihood a border clash.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service