A request by the Palestinian Authority to join the United Nations Universal Postal Union has been denied.
The UPU co-ordinates postal policies among UN members to organise and improve global deliveries. The PA requested to join in November when it also applied to join 10 international protocols and conventions as part of efforts to gain international recognition for Palestinians.
For UN member states, joining the UPU is automatic, and adding a non-member state requires the support of two-thirds of member countries. At the weekend, the application was rejected after failing to obtain the support required for its approval.
According to Israeli media, 56 countries supported the request, seven states objected, and 23 answered with an abstention, while another 106 countries did not respond so were counted as abstentions.
In January, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki said the PA would launch a bid to become a full member of the UN by lobbying members of the UN Security Council.
The United States said it would veto Palestine's membership plans.
The Palestinians previously presented a request for UN membership in 2011, but the application never came before the UNSC for a vote. Since then, the country has joined more than 50 international organisations and agreements, including the International Criminal Court and UN heritage body Unesco.
In 2017, Interpol approved the Palestinian Authority's membership bid, despite strong Israeli opposition.
Later this month, the UPU will meet in Geneva, Switzerland, with the US's continued membership uncertain.
President Donald Trump has argued that the organisation, which was established in 1874, benefits China and other countries at the expense of US businesses by making it cheaper to ship packages from Beijing to New York than from San Francisco to the US East coast.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Meghan%20podcast
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Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
