Palestinians 'ready to govern'

Photo / Richard Robinson

The Palestinian Authority is ready to govern its own country, a United Nations report said yesterday, paving the way for the General Assembly to declare an independent state later this year.

It said the Palestinians had made significant advances in education, health and infrastructure policies and in areas of law and human rights.

However, the report said the authority was held back because of the continued Israeli occupation of much of the West Bank and a breakdown in Middle East peace talks.