Recent American and Arab pledges to provide Syrian opposition groups with financial and technical assistance aren’t undercutting UN envoy Kofi Annan’s efforts to broker a peace deal between President Bashar Al Assad’s government and rebels, says U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice. At a “Friends of Syria” conference with opposition groups last…

After eight months of deadlock, the UN Security Council finally agreed to a statement urging President Bashar Al Assad and opposition groups to cooperate with Kofi Annan’s efforts to mediate the Syrian crisis. (UN Photo/Fabrice Arlot)

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Moscow on Monday to contest Vladimir Putin’s election victory, but observers say the protests won’t have much impact on the country’s politics. (UN Photo/Joshua Kristal)

The international community has overwhelmingly backed an Arab League initiative at the UN General Assembly that sets the framework for a political transition in Syria.

Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Tuesday warned there would be consequences to Western diplomats “ very exaggerated, emotional, sometimes rude” reactions to Moscow’s veto of a resolution on Syria. “People when they chose there words, they have to calculate the consequences.” Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told a press conference….

Western diplomats slammed Russia and China for blocking an Arab League plan to end the crisis in Syria Saturday, after a week of intense negotiations yet again failed to produce a resolution condemning the Assad government’s 11 month long crackdown against opposition groups.

United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan don’t have enough resources to prevent acts of violence against the country’s civilian population, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said at a press conference Wednesday outlining a plan of action during his second term as head of the world body. Ban said the…