Palestinian group to pick Abbas
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