The official who steered the U.N.'s diplomacy in Syria for nearly seven turbulent years is resigning, expressing hope that the country's new leaders can turn the page on a long period of war and strife.

Geir Pedersen, who has held diplomatic posts for decades for the world body and his native Norway, told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that he would leave his position in the "near future" but did not say when.

The United States once again vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution Thursday that had demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, saying that the effort did not go far enough in condemning Hamas.

The 14 other members of the United Nations' most powerful body voted in favor of the resolution, which described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic" and called on Israel to lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid to the 2.1 million Palestinians in the territory.

Iran decided at the last minute Thursday to withdraw a resolution prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities that it had put forward along with China, Russia and other countries for a vote before an annual gathering of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's member nations.

Western diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the U.S. has been heavily lobbying behind the scenes to prevent the resolution from being adopted. The U.S. has raised the possibility of reducing funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency if the resolution was adopted and if the body moved to curtail Israel's rights within the agency, the diplomats said.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution Friday on whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, as European officials warn Tehran that time is running out to come to a diplomatic resolution ahead of next week's annual United Nations gathering of world leaders.

A major cycling race in Spain was disrupted by protests against an Israeli team. A basketball game in Poland was preceded by fans booing the Israeli national anthem. And several European countries are threatening to boycott a signature entertainment event if Israel takes part.

There is "absolutely no evidence" that Russia's President Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine, the head of Britain's foreign intelligence agency said Friday in an outgoing speech.

Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6 as it is more commonly known, said Putin was "stringing us along."

Pakistan's defense minister says his nation's nuclear program "will be made available" to Saudi Arabia if needed under the countries' new defense pact, marking the first specific acknowledgment that Islamabad had put the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella.

The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) was awarded the Gold Initiative Certificate – Star of Excellence in Patient Experience, receiving a prestigious five-star ranking from the Arab Hospitals Federation. The announcement was made during the official ceremony held at the Conrad Abu Dhabi – Etihad Towers, under the High Patronage and in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence of the United Arab Emirates.

Among all winners, AUBMC stood out as the only hospital to achieve an unprecedented performance of six platinum recognitions and three gold recognitions across the nine categories evaluated, setting it apart as a regional leader in patient-centered excellence.

Critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoos found an unexpected sanctuary among Hong Kong 's towering skyscrapers, but like their human neighbors they now face trouble finding a place to call home.

Native to Indonesia and East Timor, the snow-white birds, their crests flashing like yellow crowns, squawk through the urban parks of the Asian financial hub. They make up roughly 10% of the species' global wild population, which numbers only up to 2,000 mature birds.

Bayern Munich is purring in the Bundesliga after a perfect start to the season.