Abbas to swear in new PA gov't at 7 p.m.

A new Palestinian Authority government will be sworn in Friday, to replace the Hamas-Fatah coalition dismantled by Chairman Mahmoud Abbas following the military takeover of Gaza by Hamas. Abbas' office said the ceremony would be held at 7 p.m. Earlier, Abbas named independent Finance Minister Salam Fayyad as the new prime minister, to replace Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.