UN chief pleads for arms pact, Palestinians demand seat
By REUTERS
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pleaded on Tuesday for a binding pact to regulate the more than $60 billion global weapons market, while delegates at a treaty drafting conference worked to defuse a dispute over Palestinian participation."We do not have a multilateral treaty of global scope dealing with conventional arms," Ban told delegates to the conference, which runs through July 27. "This is a disgrace.""Poorly regulated international arms transfers are fueling civil conflicts, destabilizing regions, and empowering terrorists and criminal networks," he said.
Israel accuses Hamas of stonewalling talks, threatens to hit Rafah soon
