Palestinian envoy confident of strong support for UN bid

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour said Tuesday he is confident that there is strong support for Palestine's bid for non-member observer state status in the United Nations General Assembly. A vote Thursday in the 193-member assembly will determine whether the bid is successful. The resolution requires the support of two-thirds of member states to be successful. Mansour said the resolution, which was circulated to member states Monday, currently has about 60 co-sponsors, and he expects more to sign on before Thursday, which is also the day the United Nations commemorates the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Mansour also noted that earlier Tuesday an announcement was made in Paris that France will support the Palestinian bid, and Mansour said he is confident that more European support is forthcoming.