This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS.

　　Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and his new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, have agreed on a new cabinet for the governing Palestinian Authority. The agreement was announced Wednesday at Mister Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah.

　　A compromise was reached after an intense dispute between the Palestinian leader and his new reformist prime minister. They disagreed on how much power to share and who would be in the new cabinet. And they could not agree on who would be head of security. Mister Abbas wanted former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan in the position. Mister Arafat did not.

　　European and Arab leaders pressured Mister Arafat to accept Mohammed Dahlan’s appointment. The Palestinian leader refused.

　　Mister Dahlan is former security chief in Gaza. Mister Arafat dismissed him last year. Some say his political base threatens Mister Arafat’s political control.