Palestinian president says to stop agreements with Israel

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Thursday he has decided to stop implementing agreements with Israel amid worsening relations between the two sides. "We announce the leadership's decision to stop implementing the agreements signed with the Israeli side," he said in a speech in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Abbas had previously not spoken so clearly and definitively of a break in cooperation, although Palestinian officials have in the past made threats to stop implementing all accords with Israel.