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UN human rights council meeting in Geneva has rejected an American-led call for a debate on the report that accused Beijing of serious human rights abuses and possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang province.

The 47-member by 19 to 17 rejected an American-led call for a debate on the report at the next human rights council in spring. Eleven countries abstained. A simple majority was required.

China has reaffirmed that dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, urging the US side to take action, show sincerity, and create conditions for the resumption of dialogue, Global Times reported. "All parties concerned should focus on the overall situation of peace and stability on the Peninsula and prevent the situation from escalating, " Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said at Wednesday's UN council on the situation of the Peninsula. The UN members met after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Tuesday. Geng said that China has noticed North Korea's recent missile launches, and also noticed the joint military drills held by the US and other countries in the region. Geng said the recent strengthening of the US'  military alliance in the Asia-Pacific region heightened the risk of military confrontation, practiced double standards on the nuclear issue, and poisoned the regional security environment. Against this background, the situation on the Peninsula inevitably becomes tense, Geng said. "Historical experience shows that dialogue and consultation are the only correct way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue. If the dialogue progresses smoothly, the situation on the Peninsula will be relatively stable; if the dialogue stalls or even reverses, the situation on the Peninsula will escalate," Geng said. "We call on the US side to take action, show its sincerity and effectively address the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the North Korean side, in order to create the conditions for the resumption of dialogue," he said, according to Global Times. Geng also stressed that the UN Security Council should play a constructive role on the Korean Peninsula issue, and should not blindly exert force and pressure. As a close neighbor, China pays close attention to the situation on the Peninsula and will always insist on maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula, realizing the denuclearization of the Peninsula and resolving issues through dialogue and consultation.

A European lawmaker cut off her hair during a debate in the Parliament to express solidarity with Iranian women amid the ongoing protest in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Addressing the EU debate in Strasbourg, Swedish politician Abir Al Sahlani said, "We, the people and the citizens of the EU, demand an unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against men and women in Iran."  "Until the women of Iran are free, we will stand with you," Al Sahlani said as she cut off her hair using a pair of scissors in front of members of the European Parliament, according to a video she posted on her Twitter handle. More than 100 people have been killed in nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO.  Iranian schoolgirls and women have come out in huge numbers to demonstrate by removing their hijabs and staging rallies in protest over Amini's death. Many women have even cut off their hair while chanting anti-government slogans. Abir Al-Sahlani, a member of the European Parliament, pointed out that three weeks of continuous courage have been shown by the women of Iran. "They are paying the ultimate price for freedom with their lives." "Enough of the press releases now, enough of the mumbling, it's time to speak out, it's time to act. The hands of the regimes of the mullahs in Iran are stained with blood. Neither history or Allah of god almighty will forgive you for crimes against humanity that you are committing against your own people," she added.  Amini, 22, died in custody after being arrested by Iran's "morality police" in Tehran on September 13 for allegedly violating the strict dress code. She later fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention center and died three days later from a heart attack, according to authorities. Since her death, thousands have joined anti-government demonstrations throughout the country.  Security forces have responded at times with live ammunition, and many people have been killed, injured and detained in the protests. Last week, the UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was becoming "increasingly concerned" about reports of the rising death toll.  He said he had been following events closely, and he called on security forces to stop using "unnecessary or disproportionate force". Breaking his silence on the protest, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for the ongoing protest in the country. Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Khamenei said he was heartbroken at the death of the 22-year-old girl in police custody. However, he did not approve of the large-scale demonstrations following the death of Amini.  "We were heartbroken, too. But the reaction to this incident, while no investigation has been done and nothing has been certain, should not have been this that some people come and make the streets insecure, cause the people to feel unsafe, harm the security, burn the Quran, remove the hijab of a woman, burn mosques and husainiyah, and arson banks and people's cars," he was quoted as saying by news agency IRNA. (ANI)

Days after holding referendums, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws to formally take over the four regions Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson into the "Russian Federation."  "Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed four federal constitutional laws on the entry of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation," said the lower house of Russian parliament Wednesday citing government documents. "He also signed the relevant laws on ratification," it added, reported Al Jazeera. This comes after last week's developments where both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions part of Russia. Russia's annexation has sparked wide criticism from around the world. The United States announced that it will impose a "swift and severe cost" on Russia. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the "United States unequivocally rejects Russia's fraudulent attempt to change Ukraine's internationally recognized borders."  "We will continue the United States' powerful, coordinated efforts to hold Russia to account, cut Russia's military off from global commerce and severely limit its ability to sustain its aggression and project power," he added. After Putin's formal announcement of the annexation of the said four regions, western leaders condemned it, termed it "illegal" and vowed that they will "never recognize" these areas.  Earlier, Putin during the formal announcement of the annexation said that the millions of ordinary citizens, whose culture has been "destroyed", carried the "love for their historical homeland in their hearts" and in the heat of the battle, "heroically" came to the referendum and made their choice to be with Russia. (ANI)