Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appoints new deputy

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice president.

The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh is a major step by the ageing leader towards designating a successor.

The move does not guarantee that Mr al-Sheikh, as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), will be the next Palestinian president.

But it makes him the front-runner among long-time politicians in the dominant Fatah party who hope to succeed the 89-year-old Mr Abbas.

Mr Abbas hopes to play a major role in post-war Gaza. He has been under pressure from Western and Arab allies to rehabilitate the Palestinian Authority, which has limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The PLO is the internationally recognised representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Mr Abbas has led both entities for two decades.