The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding that Israel comply with a world court decision and tear down the barrier it is building to seal off the West Bank.

Facing global opposition fuelled by the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, Washington has dropped a contentious UN resolution that sought to renew an exemption shielding US troops from international prosecution for war crimes.

Facing strong opposition, the United States has announced it is dropping a UN resolution seeking a new exemption for American peacekeepers from international prosecution for war crimes.

Over half of north Belfast off-licences targeted by undercover police sold alcohol to youths as young as 13, it emerged today.

The United States and Britain have released a revised resolution on post-occupation Iraq that would give the new interim government control over the Iraqi army and police and end the mandate for the multi-national force by January 2006 at the latest.

The United Nations General Assembly demanded today that Israel halt building work on a barrier jutting deep into the West Bank and pull down the section already built.

The Irish cricket squad for the ECC Indoor Championships in Denmark in February has been announced.

The UN Security Council today approved a compromise resolution on the Middle East crisis, demanding that Israel cease actions around Yasser Arafat’s West Bank compound while condemning terrorist attacks.

The UN chief weapons inspector says there is no evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction or is trying to build them.

UN Security Council members have been trying to resolve a stand-off with the US over its demand for immunity for it troops from the new UN war crimes tribunal.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged Israel to stop its assault on Yasser Arafat’s headquarters, saying destroying it will not bring peace.

Britain and the United States are proposing that most controls on Iraqi imports be lifted, except for specific military-related items, to ease the suffering of civilians and strengthen the effectiveness of weapons-related sanctions, diplomats said today.

The United States has lost the seat it has held for more than half a century on the UN Human Rights Commission.

The United States has vetoed a resolution backing a United Nations observer force to help protect Palestinians.

The UN Security Council is struggling to take an official position on Israeli-Palestinian violence in the face of US opposition.