Abbas heads to Austria to discuss UN bid

Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas left to Austria on Sunday to discuss efforts to obtain a full membership in the United Nations, a Palestinian official said. Abbas will meet Chancellor Werner Faymann and other Austrian officials, and they will talk about stalled peace talks with Israel and the Palestinians' UN bid that the United States and Israel oppose, said Saeb Erekat, a peace negotiator. Abbas will also thank Austria for voting in favor of Palestine last month to become a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The Palestinians submitted their state application to the UN Security Council in September, but they failed to secure the support of nine of the council's 15 members. Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, said Sunday that the Palestinians will continue efforts to become a member in the world body through its Security Council.