The UN General Assembly elected Cuba, China and Saudi Arabia to the new Human Rights Council, putting notorious abusers on a panel created to replace its discredited predecessor.

US Ambassador John Bolton derided the inclusion of Cuba to the council and said it proved that Washington's concerns about the new panel, which it voted against, were justified.

"What a joy," Bolton said sarcastically of Havana's election. "That simply says that the deficiencies from the previous commission may well now still be carried over, as we sadly predicted when we voted against this resolution."...