Palestine short ‘just one vote for UN bid’

THE Palestinians have secured eight Security Council “yes” votes for their UN membership bid, just one short of the nine they need, the Palestinian foreign minister said.

Speaking to reporters in Ramallah, Riyad al-Malki said he had received assurances from two additional nations — Nigeria and Gabon — that they would vote in favour of the Palestinian bid for full state membership at the UN.

“We have eight states that will vote for Palestine in the Security Council,” he said. “We are working hard to have a ninth and a tenth.”