Ahead of a round of major nuclear talks, five major powers labeled North Korea and Iran as “serious challenges” to the world’s nuclear security Friday, citing their repeated defiance of international obligations.
North Korea announced Friday it was voiding non-aggression pacts with South Korea and severing a hotline with Seoul, hours after the UN Security Council adopted tough new sanctions on Pyongyang.
The U.N. Security Council was set to hold closed consultations on North Korea and non-proliferation Tuesday after U.N. diplomats said the United States and China reached agreement on a new draft sanctions resolution to punish the country for its latest nuclear test.
North Korea has awarded state medals and other honours to thousands of scientists and workers behind its recent nuclear test, state media said.
China is protesting U.S. sanctions against a leading state arms maker and other companies over alleged arms deals with North Korea, Syria, and Iran.
North Korea’s sole major ally China will decrease aid to Pyongyang if it goes ahead with a planned nuclear test, state-run media said in an unusually frank warning on Friday.
The UN Security Council on Friday slammed what it called the “heinous” attack and hostage-taking at an Algerian gas complex by Al-Qaeda linked militants.
The UN Security Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the deadly car bomb attack that rocked Beirut, killing a top Lebanese intelligence official and seven others.
Arab nations announced plans Wednesday to go to the U.N. General Assembly and seek approval of a resolution calling for a political transition and establishment of a democratic government in Syria following the Security Council’s failure to address the escalating crisis.
The U.N. Security Council delayed a vote on a new Syria resolution until Thursday in a last-minute effort to get key Western nations and Russia to agree on measures to end the dramatically escalating violence.
North Korea continues to violate U.N. sanctions by attempting to ship arms to Syria and Myanmar and illegally importing luxury goods, according to a long-awaited report by a U.N. experts panel.
France, Britain, Germany and Sweden called Monday on the United Nations to quickly draw up a comprehensive arms trade treaty that will reduce what they called “a growing threat to humanity”.
The United States warned Friday that it was ready to return to the UN Security Council for action on Syria if a peace deal fails, accusing President Bashar al-Assad of undermining the plan.
