UNITED NATIONS: The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Israel to quickly open its nuclear program for inspection and backing a high-level conference to ban nuclear weapons from the Middle East which was just cancelled, reported AP.
All Arab nations and Iran planned to attend the conference in mid-December in Helsinki, Finland, but the U.S. announced on Nov. 23 that it wouldn't take place, citing political turmoil in the region and Iran's defiant stance on non-proliferation. Iran and some Arab nations countered that the real reason for the cancellation was Israel's refusal to attend.
The resolution, approved Monday by a vote of 174-6 with 6 abstentions, calls on Israel to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty "without further delay" and open its nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. (QNA)
