The cabinet for the forthcoming Palestinian unity government was announced on Thursday morning and is expected to be voted on by the Palestinian Legislative Council on Saturday.

A statement released by the Palestinian National Initiative today in Arabic condemned the kidnapping of BBC journalist, Alan Johnston, in the Gaza Strip yesterday. The statement cited PNI General Secretary, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, who called for Johnston’s immediate release unharmed, and for the Palestinian authorities to take immediate action to bring his kidnappers to justice.