World Round-up: UN Palestinian refugee, Boris Johnson demands, European cohesion, Benjamin Netanyahu at UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described on Thursday what he said was a secret atomic warehouse in Tehran and accused Europe of appeasing Iran as he sought to rally support for U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

At U.N., U.S. at odds with China, Russia over North Korea sanctions

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned members of the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that they must "set the example" by enforcing sanctions on North Korea as China and Russia suggested the council consider easing the tough measures. China and Russia said the council should reward Pyongyang for the "positive developments" this year with U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met in June and Kim pledging to work toward denuclearization.

U.N. Palestinian refugee agency narrows shortfall after U.S. cuts

A United Nations agency that supports Palestinian refugees received contributions of $118 million on Thursday, narrowing a budget gap for this year to $68 million as it aims to fill a shortfall left by a cut in U.S. funding. Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said the pledges were made at a meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York.

Britons would narrowly back remain in the EU: poll of polls

Britons would vote 52 to 48 percent in favor of remaining in the European Union were there to be another Brexit referendum, showing only a small change in public opinion since the 2016 vote, according to a poll of polls. But researchers cautioned that a narrow victory for those hoping to reverse the decision taken two years ago would be heavily contingent on getting those who did not vote last time to turn out.

Boris Johnson demands UK PM May scrap her Brexit proposals

Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called on Prime Minister Theresa May to rip up her Brexit proposals, ratcheting up the pressure on May as she prepares to face her divided party at its annual conference in two days time. "This is the moment to change the course of the negotiations and do justice to the ambitions and potential of Brexit," Johnson wrote in Friday's Daily Telegraph, adding a six-point alternative plan for Brexit.

European cohesion, multilateral order under threat: Merkel

Nationalism and a winner-take-all attitude are undermining the cohesion of Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected globalism and touted "America First" in a United Nations speech. Without naming Trump or his nationalist, protectionist approach, Merkel told fellow conservatives at an event of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin that the European Union and Germany were facing a watershed moment.

Palestinian president urges Trump to rescind Jerusalem, aid decisions

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called on the United States to reverse its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and cuts in aid to the Palestinians, saying these had undermined the two-state solution to the conflict. "With all of these decisions, this administration has reneged on all previous U.S. commitments, and has undermined the two-state solution," Abbas said in his address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Those responsible for Myanmar crimes could face genocide charges: U.S.

A U.S. government probe into Myanmar's campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority was not aimed at determining whether genocide or crimes against humanity had been committed, but those responsible could still be held accountable for those crimes, a top State Department official said on Thursday. The U.S. State Department report released on Monday said Myanmar's military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya.

Netanyahu, in U.N. speech, claims secret Iranian nuclear site

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described on Thursday what he said was a secret atomic warehouse in Tehran and accused Europe of appeasing Iran as he sought to rally support for U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu showed an aerial photograph of the Iranian capital marked with a red arrow and pointed to what he said was a previously secret warehouse holding nuclear-related material. He argued this showed Iran still sought to obtain nuclear weapons, despite its 2015 agreement with world powers to curb its program in exchange for a loosening of sanctions.

Kremlin on Skripal suspect identification: 'Many people look alike'

The Kremlin on Thursday cast doubt on photographs that appeared to show a suspect in the Skripal poisoning case was a Russian intelligence officer, saying that "many people look alike." British officials have released surveillance footage of two men they said flew from Russia to Britain using fake passports and then used a nerve agent hidden in a vial of perfume that poisoned Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Canada MPs, in the symbolic move, vote to strip Suu Kyi of citizenship

Canadian legislators, in a symbolic move, on Thursday voted unanimously to strip Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship in response to crimes committed against the Rohingya minority. The move by the House of Commons lower chamber has no immediate effect because honorary citizenship is conferred by a joint resolution of both the House and the upper Senate chamber and officials say it must be removed the same way. Suu Kyi received hers in 2007.