UN rejects United States attempts to cut dues

The United Nations General Assembly has rejected efforts by the United States to lower its contributions to the world body -- but said the matter could be reviewed next year.

The American Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, described the compromise as a positive gesture that he could present to the US Congress.

But it drew strong criticism from the European Union.

The EU is insisting that the United States' contributions cannot be renegotiated until it has made legal undertakings to pay its arrears, currently amounting to more than a billion dollars.

It said unilateral reductions would not be accepted.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service