RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The main Palestinian political rivals on Monday took a major step toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, head of the Islamic militant Hamas, said they would move forward without delay, though it appears unlikely elections can be held in May, as initially envisioned. Monday’s agreement, brokered by Qatar,... Read more

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The main Palestinian political rivals on Monday took a major step toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, head of the Islamic militant Hamas, said they would move forward without delay, though it appears unlikely elections can be held in May, as initially envisioned. Monday’s agreement, brokered by Qatar,... Read more

ATLANTA (AP) — A megachurch leader is apologizing to a Jewish group that criticized him for taking part in a ceremony in which he was wrapped in a religious scroll and exalted as a “king.” Bishop Eddie Long of Georgia said in a letter to the Anti-Defamation League that he didn’t mean to offend the Jewish community by taking part in the ceremony. A video shows Rabbi Ralph Messer, a Messianic preacher, wrapping Long in a large scroll that is... Read more

DENVER (AP) — Note to Republican presidential contenders: Colorado’s political terrain is as rocky as its mountains. Once solidly Republican, the state turned just as solidly Democratic in the 2000s as the population swelled with people moving into the state. Colorado’s traditional bases of conservatism — evangelical Christians and Western individualists — became less influential. Democrats rolled up big victories statewide and, in 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat in two decades to carry Colorado’s nine electoral votes. Today,... Read more

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia megachurch leader is apologizing to a Jewish group that criticized him for taking part in a ceremony in which he was wrapped in a religious scroll and exalted as a “king.” Bishop Eddie Long said in a letter to the Anti-Defamation League that he didn’t mean to offend the Jewish community by taking part in the ceremony. A video shows Rabbi Ralph Messer, a Messianic preacher, wrapping Long in a large scroll that is purported... Read more

ISTANBUL (AP) — For adversaries in a long-distance spat, they made an odd couple. Turkey’s leader, a brash visionary who propelled his country to regional prominence, tangled with an American author who dwells on the existential in his work. The skirmish began when Paul Auster told a Turkish newspaper that he would not visit Turkey because it has jailed dozens of journalists, drawing a caustic retort from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Who cares?” was the essence. In the swagger... Read more

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwait’s caretaker prime minister has stepped down to clear the way for a new government after parliamentary elections dominated by hard-line Islamists and other opposition groups. The official Kuwait News Agency says the Gulf nation’s emir accepted the resignation Sunday of Sheik Jaber Al Hamad Al Sabah, a former defense chief who was appointed in November amid intense political turmoil that forced elections. The emir will appoint the new government, and is expected to keep key... Read more

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s military rulers were facing mounting pressure on two fronts Sunday, with a fourth day of violent street protests spearheading calls to speed up the transfer of power to a civilian administration and the U.S. threatening to cut more than a billion dollars in badly needed aid. The protests, which were sparked by anger at the authorities inability to prevent a riot after a soccer match last week left 74 people dead, have morphed from a demonstration... Read more

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Angry Ron Paul supporters overtook a special caucus Saturday night for religious voters who honor the Sabbath, prompting long lines, frantic GOP officials and voter fraud complaints. The Las Vegas caucus was supposed to start hours after the rest of the state concluded its Republican presidential caucuses. But party officials were still frantically trying to sign in voters an hour after it was scheduled to start, further delaying election results from Nevada’s most populous county. Part... Read more

Preliminary results of an entrance poll show Mitt Romney coasted to victory in Nevada on the strength of improved margins among conservatives, tea partiers and senior citizens combined with a big boost from the state’s large contingent of Mormons. ECONOMY TOPS FOR MOST: Nevadans face one of the toughest economies in the country, and a majority of participants in today’s caucuses said the economy was the issue that made the most difference in their vote. But the issue was cited... Read more