The main Palestinian political faction, Fatah, is set to pick Mahmoud Abbas as its candidate to succeed Yasser Arafat in January’s presidential poll. “We decided… to have… [Mr Abbas] as the candidate for president of the Palestinian Authority,” Social Affairs Minister Intissar al-Wazir said. The nomination will be put to the Fatah council for approval, she added. Mr Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, is seen as a moderate and he has frequently negotiated with Israel. Full Story