Palestinians may broker end to deadlock

Palestinian prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas arrived at Yasser Arafat’s West Bank headquarters this afternoon – signalling a possible end to a deadlock over the composition of the Palestinian Cabinet.

Abbas was accompanied by a mediator, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. Also arriving at Arafat’s compound was Mohammed Dahlan, a former Gaza strongman, who has been tapped by Abbas for a key security post.