Is anyone actually surprised by reports that two UN soldiers were photographed saluting the coffins of Hezbollah militants?

If only the UN could honestly say this kind of behavior were rare. The fact is the UN can't even say its terrorist sympathies are rarely caught on tape. In 2004, the Israeli military snapped a photo of a terrorist loading a missile onto a UN ambulance. There is also video footage from a year later that shows terrorists using a UN ambulance to flee a gunfight.

UN soldiers and staff are not merely engaged in symbolic gestures. They're complicit as well. And the world wonders why the United States doesn't view the UN with warm and fuzzy feelings, why the presence of UN in the Middle East doesn't reassure U.S. forces so much as inspire them to look over their shoulders.

Slate asks whether cockroaches really will survive nuclear holocaust, reporting, "studies over the last half-decade, such as those conducted by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, have found that these 'other insects' are more likely to reign in the age after humans; the cockroach might, in fact, be one of the first bugs to go." Is anyone else curious why the UN would squander money studying the effect of radiation on the earth's population of insects? Then again, perhaps humanity is more likely to survive the next century if the UN is focused on the post-human future.

Never mind those pesky missiles being fired into Israel. Never mind that Hamas refuses to do anything to stop Fatah from firing them. The UN says Israel has violated the truce:

UN records 7 incidents of IDF soldiers attempting to drive Palestinian farmers away from border fence by shooting at them. Only one offence marked against Palestinians for firing on Sderot; report does not include most recent rocket fire.

Since it went into effect last week, at least eight violations of the new ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the Palestinian factions have been recorded, a UN source told Ynet on Thursday. According to the source, seven violations were committed by the IDF, while the Palestinians are responsible for just one.

However the UN report does not include the Qassam fire launched towards the Negev during the day.

Having rescued the world's people from genocide and tyranny, the UN Human Rights Council is taking on the British monarchy. Oh, Cuba and Saudi Arabia are part of the committee.

The resulting report said Britain should have a referendum on the monarchy and the need for a written constitution with a bill of rights.

The monarchy costs each adult in Britain around 62p a year but even groups representing taxpayers said there was no case for getting rid of it.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "With so many human rights abuses around the world the UN should be busy reporting on issues of starvation, execution and the denial of the vote to huge numbers of people around the world.

"Saudi Arabia and Cuba should pay a little more attention to their own human rights record."

Does Mr. Elliot really mean to suggest elections in Cuba, by which free people elected Raul Castro their president with 99.4% of the vote, is something of a ruse? I don't believe it. In any case, I would be glad to volunteer 62p a year (even at today's exchange rate) if the British agree to leave the Queen alone.

The U.N. Food Summit in Rome kowtowed to President Ahmadinejad in barring an Iranian journalist critical of the pint-sized tyrant from attending his address. After international criticism, however, the U.N. has apologized.

The United Nations apologised Wednesday to an Iranian journalist who was barred from a food summit in Rome, allegedly due to opposition from the Islamic state whose president was among participants here.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said it was sorry after the incident involving Ahmad Rafat, an Iranian who works for the Italian news agency ADN-Kronos.

"I hope Ahmad Rafat will accept the apologies of the organization and myself following this incident," said FAO communications official Nick Parsons in a statement.

Rafat was accredited for the three-day summit, but when he tried to enter Tuesday his accreditation was seized and he was told he was considered "a person not desired by Iranian authorities," his agency reported.

Rafat's crimes include publicizing the refusal of Italian officials and the Pope to meet with Ahmadinejad. Apparently the U.N. has different priorities.

After lamenting the cost imposed by overeating in the West on the world's hungry, conference-attendees at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization grappled with food shortages over a modest menu that included "puff pastries with corn and mozzarella, pasta with pumpkin and shrimp, and rolls of thinly sliced veal." They did skip dessert--you know, in solidarity with the downtrodden.

Obesity is no more likely to wane than the U.N.'s foie gras and truffle budget. Farm subsidies are a far more vulnerable target, and their evil is not limited to the starvation of the poorest people in the world. The fact is farm subsidies have probably created as much international animosity towards the United States as the War on Terror. And our supposed savior, Barack Obama, is not entitled to lecture his countrymen about rescuing our image abroad while voting in favor of legislation that doles out billions to farmers who grow crops and billions more to those who don't.

Every time Obama talks about rescuing the American brand, McCain should throw this pandering to agribusiness back in his face. Obama (like too many of his colleagues on Capitol Hill) is depriving people in Africa and poorer nations of the only livelihood they can profitably engage in, and that is one thing he must not be allowed to feel self-righteous about.