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Added on the 31/05/2023 16:58:26 - Copyright : AFPTV - First images
The United States vetoes a Security Council vote on a Palestinian bid for full United Nations membership. The draft resolution, which was introduced by Algeria and "recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations," received 12 votes in favor, two abstentions and one against. IMAGES
Ukraine's foreign minister warns European Union leaders that if they fail to agree to open membership talks with Kyiv at their summit this week it will have "devastating consequences". SOUNDBITE
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says he would visit Ankara "in the near future" to push Sweden's membership bid, following the re-election of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Exactly when is not yet decided," the US-led defence alliance's Secretary General adds. SOUNDBITE
Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen hails a "big day for Finland" says as the Nordic nation becomes the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a historic shift that drew an angry warning of "countermeasures" from the Kremlin. Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine last year upended Europe's security landscape and prompted Finland -- and its neighbour Sweden -- to drop decades of military non-alignment. IMAGES
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcome Turkey's decision to push ahead with ratifying Finland's membership, and says Sweden should also be allowed to join as soon as possible. "The most important thing is that both Finland and Sweden become full members of NATO quickly, not whether they join at exactly the same time," Stoltenberg said. SOUNDBITE
U.S. President Barack Obama attends an outdoor arrival ceremony in heavy rain, as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).