Via the BBC: Fatah militants storm parliament

Fatah gunmen have stormed the Hamas-controlled Palestinian parliament building in Ramallah in the West Bank.

The gunmen reportedly tried to seize the Palestinian Legislative Council’s second deputy speaker, Hassan Khuraishah, but staff intervened.

Mr Khuraishah told the BBC he had been beaten up as he tried to prevent Fatah gunmen from raising their flag.

The clashes came after Fatah was ousted from Gaza by Hamas, ending a week of clashes which left more than 100 dead.

The US is overtly picking sides:

A senior Palestinian official said Mr Walles told President Abbas that the US would lift its ban on direct aid to the new Palestinian government after it was sworn in later on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported.

A spokeswoman for the US state department said it was examining ways of helping a new Palestinian government, but that no decision had been made.

Meanwhile, Abbas is about to swear in a new PM and plans to rule by decree until a new elections are held.