Abbas: 'Unity is frozen' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 29, 2012 - 12:00am BAGHDAD (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the reconciliation deal between his Fatah party and Hamas has broken down. "Unity is frozen," said Abbas, who is in Baghdad to attend the Arab League summit. The president said he had agreed "on many points" with Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal during their meeting in Qatar in February. "We agreed on the vision and objectives and conditions in full," Abbas said. "I confirm that Mashaal was honest and we were ready (to proceed)." But some Hamas leaders rejected the agreements reached in Doha, the president said. » Read more

Kadima Party in Israel Replaces Livni as Leader ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - March 27, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Tzipi Livni, who not long ago was a popular and leading force in Israeli politics, lost the leadership of her centrist Kadima Party on Tuesday by a large margin to an archrival, according to results of the primary election. » Read more