就巴勒斯坦“入联”申请，联合国安理会已采取第一步官方程序，数周后安理会将投票表决，美国已表态使用否决权。Barbara Plett在联合国报道。

In a session that lasted barely two minutes, the Palestinian application was formally sent to the Security Council's membership committee. Despite American opposition and European unease, no one opposed the move. The committee will hold its first meeting on Friday. But diplomats say it will probably be at least a month before it reports back to the council. During that time, international mediators will redouble efforts to resume peace talks based on a timetable they proposed last week. It's expected that America will also pressure Palestinian allies on the council not to back the move, hoping to avoid the embarrassment of a veto. The Palestinians need majority support to bring their bid to a vote.

会议只开了两分钟，巴勒斯坦申请已被正式递交至安理会的会员国委员会。尽管美国表示反对，欧洲也为此不安，没有国家反对这一程序。委员会将于周五召开首次会议。但外交官们声称，要等到报道回复安理会，至少需要一个月的时间。在这期间，国际调停者将加倍努力，按照上周提出时间表，恢复和平会谈。

Cuba says it's allowing people to sell cars privately for the first time in 50 years. Private property has always been severely restricted in the communist-run island, and until now Cubans could only trade in cars built before the revolution in 1959. The sale of new cars will still be restricted to those holding dollars or convertible pesos. But ordinary Cubans will be able to buy post-1959 cars from foreigners and those whose jobs allowed them to import Soviet-made cars.