UN seeks to shore up Colombia ceasefire

The UN Security Council agreed on Tuesday that a new UN mission for Colombia could continue to monitor a ceasefire despite a referendum vote rejecting the peace deal.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos last week extended a ceasefire with the country's FARC guerillas until December 31 and said he hoped to have a new agreement for peace before that date.

The council "welcomed the parties continued commitment to uphold the ceasefire," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters following a closed-door meeting.