Abbas to head UN delegation

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas confirmed yesterday that he would personally ask the United Nations Security Council next week to back a Palestinian state, a step that faces a US veto.

He told Palestinians before departing for New York that he would “ask the world to shoulder its responsibilities” but warned: “We don’t want to raise expectations by saying we are going to come back with full independence.” He urged supporters to refrain from violence, which would only serve to “sabotage” their cause.