UNITED NATIONS Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in Tunisia, said the Palestinians would never give up their quest for U.N. membership. "This does not mean it is a failure," he said of the council divisions. "We will continue our efforts and hope to succeed next time." Abbas said the Palestinians were ready to resume negotiations with Israel "because we believe that outstanding issues can be resolved through negotiation," according to a report of the Associated Press. Abbas called on the U.S. administration to "change its attitude and engage in more serious mediation." "We have close relations with the United States on both the diplomatic level and aid they give us, but we want them to put pressure on the offending party," he said. --MORE 11:28 LOCAL TIME 08:28 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/942682