Iran today warned it would pursue “illegal actions” if the UN Security Council insisted it halt uranium enrichment, an apparent reference to nuclear activities outside international regulations.

SIX world powers yesterday reached an agreement on a package of new sanctions against Iran including an embargo on arms exports and financial restrictions on more individuals and companies associated with Tehran’s nuclear and missile programmes, many linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Six world powers today reached an agreement on a package of new sanctions against Iran including an embargo on arms exports and financial restrictions on more individuals and companies associated with Tehran’s nuclear and missile programmes, many linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

The world’s major powers made progress in agreeing on possible new sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment but some differences remain, UN diplomats said.

Negotiations on an Iran sanctions resolution were postponed unexpectedly early today as Russia exploded at the US for raising the plight of a Belarusian opposition leader in the United Nations Security Council.

The US, Britain and France overcame last-minute differences with Russia and China on a UN resolution imposing punishing sanctions on North Korea, and the Security Council was expected to approve it unanimously tonight.

The UN Security Council will start discussing a resolution next week that would impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, Britain’s UN ambassador said today.

Sudan’s ruling party has rejected a US-British draft Security Council resolution to deploy United Nations peacekeepers in Darfur, saying it would violate national sovereignty, official media reported today.

The United Nations has received pledges of 3,500 troops for an expanded peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but it is unclear whether the soldiers represent the right mix of countries and units that could deploy quickly.

Suspending uranium enrichment was “not on our agenda”, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman insisted today as he declared UN Security Council intervention would be “completely illegal”.

Iran’s top UN diplomat has criticised a resolution demanding that Tehran halt uranium enrichment or face the threat of further action, charging that it is aimed at provoking confrontation rather than resolving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

UN members agreed last night on a two-year budget with a €950m (€800m) spending cap next year to step up pressure for speedy UN management reforms that are a top priority for the US and the European Union.

The UN Security Council is to hold a briefing on Burma and its ruling military junta, which detains political opponents and is accused of violating human rights.

A divided United Nations General Assembly committee has approved a resolution expressing “serious concern” at continuing reports of widespread human rights abuses in North Korea.

Britain, France and the United States expect the UN Security Council will approve a tough resolution demanding that Syria co-operate with the investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan said today he was concerned that agreement on a draft document for UN reform may not be reached in time for next week’s gathering of world leaders.

China is objecting to a US and British demand for a Security Council briefing on a United Nations report condemning Zimbabwe’s slum clearance.

Britain has bluntly criticised the US for being one of the world’s worst polluters and not doing enough to tackle global warming.

UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Kofi Annan demanded speedy prosecution of Sudanese officials and militiamen guilty of crimes against humanity in Darfur, as members of the Security Council came under renewed pressure to tackle the issue.

Northern Uganda is the world’s biggest neglected humanitarian crisis, with 20,000 kidnapped children, many of them forced to serve as combatants, says the head of UN humanitarian affairs.

Tony Blair has said that the UN should play a key role in mediating Iraq’s transition to sovereignty and curtailing the spiralling violence that has hindered the US-led occupation.

DESPITE thousands of deaths, injuries, bombings and shootings over more than 30 years, the British government has concluded there was never armed conflict in the North.

Calling Yasser Arafat the man who inspired modern "mega-terrorism", Israel's UN ambassador said his country could have assassinated the Palestinian leader at any time if it wanted to.

The UN Security Council will vote on Tuesday on a British proposal to lift sanctions against Libya, though France and Tripoli are still deadlocked on how much to pay the families of 170 people killed in an 1989 airliner bombing, diplomats said.

Libya has officially accepted responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

Nato was still deadlocked today as emergency talks went on to repair the damage of a 16-3 split over Iraq.