New Hamas politburo 'remains confidential' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 16, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The results of Hamas' internal leadership re-shuffle are still confidential, party officials said Monday. Hamas officials, speaking to Ma'an on condition of anonymity, denied that there had been any clashes over the process which took place in Gaza recently. The Shura Council, a 55-member advisory body, nominates candidates to form the politburo, and those selected must accept their positions or provide acceptable reasons to refuse. Political analyst Mustafa al-Sawwaf told Ma'an current politburo chief Khalid Mashaal was likely to retain his post. » Read more

New Hamas politburo 'remains confidential' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 16, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The results of Hamas' internal leadership re-shuffle are still confidential, party officials said Monday. Hamas officials, speaking to Ma'an on condition of anonymity, denied that there had been any clashes over the process which took place in Gaza recently. The Shura Council, a 55-member advisory body, nominates candidates to form the politburo, and those selected must accept their positions or provide acceptable reasons to refuse. Political analyst Mustafa al-Sawwaf told Ma'an current politburo chief Khalid Mashaal was likely to retain his post. » Read more

Hundreds of Palestinians declare hunger strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Dalia Nammari - April 16, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel launched a hunger strike on Tuesday, officials said, protesting their conditions and demanding an end to open-ended detentions without trial as the Palestinians marked their annual day of solidarity with the inmates. Some 3,500 prisoners refused meals on "Prisoners' Day," and 1,200 of them said they would continue with an open-ended hunger strike, according to Israeli prison service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman. » Read more

Barak says Israel never ruled out attacking Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Aron Heller - April 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday his country has never promised the United States it would hold off from attacking Iran while nuclear talks were taking place. The comments, in which Barak said that a diplomatic push to reach a compromise with Iran was a waste of "precious time," further exposed a rift between Israel and the U.S. over how to deal with the Islamic Republic and its nuclear program. » Read more

Can UN observers end the cycle of violence? Interview with Hussein Ibish - Al-Jazeera English - April 14, 2012 - 12:00am As the UN security council debates a resolution to send 30 monitors into Syria to monitor the ceasefire between Syrian government forces and the opposition fighters, the shelling and gunfire continues. On the second day of the UN-backed ceasefire to end the 13-month uprising, protests continued. Both sides are believed to have breached the terms, with several deaths being reported. The violence now makes the UN's next move more important than ever. But as Ahmad Fawzi, Kofi Annan's spokesperson, points out, there is still a long way to go: » Read more