British Foreign Secretary William Hague

British Secretary of State, William Hague, is a delight to listen to. Even more when he dismisses an uncomfortable question hurled at him.

Western nations in the U.N. Security Council have two choices on Syria: soften the wording on their resolution that asks the Syrian president to delegate his "full authority" to his deputy or face a Russian-Chinese veto.

With barely 55 days left until a referendum on independence for southern Sudan, the Security Council is pressing both sides of the country's north-south divide to ensure the vote takes place on time and civil war is averted.