Ruling Fatah party picks Abbas as presidential candidate

The ruling Fatah movement chose interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as its candidate for January’s presidential election last night, but Fatah rebels said they would challenge the decision.

Some members of Fatah’s young guard are pushing for Marwan Barghouti, an uprising leader jailed by Israel, as the movement’s candidate to replace Yasser Arafat, arguing that the popular Barghouti has a better chance to win.