UN security council to meet Monday on Palestinian bid

The UN Security Council will take up on Monday the Palestinian bid for full statehood and UN membership, an unusually fast development compared to the normal tempo of the United Nations. Council president Nawaf Salam of Lebanon told reporters on Friday that the 15-member council would begin discussions on Monday to take up the application submitted earlier Friday by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Ban passed the document hours later to the council, whose approval is needed for UN membership and full recognition of statehood. Under the UN Charter, the Secretary General receives such applications and passes them to the Security Council. The 193-member General Assembly has the final say on statehood and new membership