UNITED NATIONS: Russia imposed its veto to ​a US-drafted resolution that would scale back the military component of the UN ‌peacekeeping mission ‌in ​Western Sahara ‌and ⁠cement ​Morocco’s autonomy ⁠plan as the only basis for negotiating a political settlement to ⁠the half-century-old conflict.

The vote ‌followed ‌an ​unusual ‌showdown among major ‌powers on a file long considered procedurally routine at ‌the Security Council, with Russia circulating a ⁠rival ⁠resolution on Friday that would have simply extended the mission’s mandate for another year without the changes sought ​by ​Washington.