Palestinian PM quits after spat with Abbas

The Palestinians were on Sunday mulling the prospect of a new prime minister after Salam Fayyad resigned following months of tension with president Mahmud Abbas.

The Palestinians were on Sunday mulling the prospect of a new prime minister after Salam Fayyad resigned following months of tension with president Mahmud Abbas.

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The resignation of the US-educated economist, who won international acclaim for his state-building efforts, came despite US efforts to head off the crisis, with Secretary of State John Kerry making a personal intervention late on Friday.

It also came just days after Kerry made a fresh push to revive long-dormant peace talks with moves to revive the West Bank economy.

Speaking in Tokyo, Kerry expressed regret over Fayyad’s resignation on Saturday night and urged Abbas to find the right person to take on the tough job and work with Washington.