Latest: US ambassador cites decisions on ancient sites as reason for withdrawl

The United States is pulling out of Unesco after repeated criticism of resolutions by the UN cultural agency that Washington sees as anti-Israel.

Update 6pm:The "extreme politicisation" of Unesco, the UN's cultural, education and scientific agency, has become "a chronic embarrassment", the US ambassador to the United Nations has said.

Nikki Haley called the agency's designation of Hebron's Old City and the Tomb of the Patriarchs as Palestinian territory the latest of many "foolish actions" that led to the United States' decision to pull out of Unesco.