UN condemns extremist takeover of parts of Iraq

The UN Security Council is condemning the offensive waged by the extremist Islamic State group and allied militants in Iraq, calling it "a major threat" to the country's future.
The council stressed in a resolution adopted unanimously today extending the UN political mission in Iraq that the only way to address the threat is for political leadership "to make decisions that will unite the country."
Council members called on all political groups to overcome divisions and urged Iraq's leaders to quickly form a government reflecting all segments of the population "that would contribute to finding a viable and sustainable solution to the country's current challenges."

The Islamic State group now controls a vast swath of eastern Syria and western Iraq, including Iraq's second-largest city Mosul.