U.N. votes against U.S. embargo on Cuba for 16th year

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to urge the United States to lift its four-decade-old embargo against Cuba in a resolution adopted for the 16th consecutive year.

The resolution, entitled "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba," was passed with 184 votes in favor, four against and one abstention.

Voting "no" with the United States were Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands. Micronesia abstained.

U.S. President George W. Bush last week rejected any easing of sanctions without a transition to democracy on the Caribbean island and said doing so would only bolster the communist government's grip on power.

The measure is nonbinding and such moves in the past have had no impact on U.S. policy.