Hamas delays announcement after hosting hotel backs out

Hamas says it had to delay the presentation of its new political program after a Doha hotel withdrew consent to host a news conference by the group.

The news conference by Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas leader in exile, was to begin at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) Monday at a five-star hotel.

Shortly before the start of the event, Hamas sent a text message saying the hotel had withdrawn consent. Hamas says a news conference is now set to start at 8:45 p.m. (17:45 GMT) at a different hotel in Doha.

The new political program is meant to help the Islamic militant group break out of its international isolation. The manifesto does not formally replace the group’s fiery 1987 founding charter, but adopts more conciliatory language.

— AP