EghtesadOnline: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was appointed to a new five-year term as head of the ruling Fatah party at the opening of a convention that may provide clues about who will ultimately succeed him as the prospect of peacemaking efforts with Israel fades.

EghtesadOnline: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab states are piling pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resolve divisions in his Fatah party and with the rival Hamas movement, amid growing concerns about whether Palestinian democracy is under threat.