Hamas elects former deputy Haniyeh as new political chief

By Nidal al-MughrabiGAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian movement Hamas on Saturday elected Ismail Haniyeh to head its political office, a leadership change that comes as the Islamist group looks to reconcile with Palestinian rivals.Haniyeh, a former deputy chief, will replace Qatar-based veteran Khaled Meshaal, who steps down at the end of his term limit just as Hamas appeared to have softened its stance toward Israel in a new policy document last week.The group maintains a sizeable armed wing in t