Abbas refuses changes to 'prisoner's initiative'

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday said he would not accept any changes to a proposal calling for a two-state solution with Israel, raising the stakes in a dispute with the Hamas ahead of the critical 10-day deadline he set. Abbas has given Hamas until Tuesday to accept the proposal or face a national referendum on the issue. Hamas has rejected the deadline and demanded changes in the plan. "If anyone wants to amend this document, then we will not reach any results," Abbas told reporters after meeting with European Union official Javier Solana.