Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas opened the Gaza-Egypt border in a festive ceremony Friday — a milestone for the Palestinians who for the first time took control of a frontier crossing without Israeli veto powers and gained some freedom of movement. The opening was seen as a step toward Palestinian independence and a boost to Abbas as he faces a fierce challenge by the Islamic militant group Hamas in Jan. 25 parliamentary elections. “This is a great day. It is a day of happiness … because it means an enormous step forward toward the freedom of the Palestinian people,” Marc Otte, the European Union representative in the Middle East, told 1,200 guests attending the ribbon-cutting.Full Story