Abbas appoints new Palestinian PM
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Hamas fighters have taken over many Fatah strongholds
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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has appointed a new prime minister, a day after dissolving the Hamas-led unity coalition, officials say.
Former Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, an independent, has been asked to take over and form an emergency government.
The move comes amid political upheaval in Gaza, where Hamas has taken control after routing Fatah rivals.
But Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, says he is still prime minister and has vowed to disregard Mr Abbas's decisions.
A former World Bank executive, Mr Fayyad is a well-respected figure internationally.
In recent months, foreign governments have chosen to deal with him directly as a means of bypassing Hamas, but Hamas has already rejected the appointment, saying it views the entire interim administration as illegal.
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk 
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