51.   Washington on Monday renounced its legal obligation to support the treaty that creates the international court because of flaws in its mandate that leave it unaccountable.

52.   Romanian opposition parties have also expressed discontent after having first supported the treaty but then finding themselves excluded from the signing ceremony.

53.   Thai Premier Banharn Silpa-Archa on Friday called on European nuclear powers Britain and France to support a treaty banning nuclear weapons from Southeast Asia.