Today's other world stories in brief
Recount confirms Royal's loss
PARIS - Martine Aubry won a disputed Socialist leadership ballot by a bigger margin than reported, a party commission said yesterday, dealing a blow to Segolene Royal's hopes of heading the French opposition.
Royal, the Socialist candidate in last year's presidential election, has refused to recognise the result of Friday's poll of the party's 233,000 members after Aubry was named victor by just 42 votes. A Socialist commission was set up to look into allegations of irregularities, but after two days it announced that Aubry had won by 102 votes. The Socialists' top council last night ratified the result. - (Reuters)
Congo leader will not meet rebel
KINSHASA - Congo's government ruled out direct talks with Tutsi rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, saying yesterday any meeting was "impossible" outside the framework of a January peace deal the rebels have already rejected.
UN mediator Olusegun Obasanjo, a former Nigerian president, urged Congolese president Joseph Kabila on Monday to talk to Nkunda. - (Reuters)
Jesus chocolates 'tasteless'
BERLIN - Germany's churches have criticised a businessman for selling thousands of Jesus chocolates.
Frank Oynhausen set up his "Sweet Lord" chocolate Jesus-making business saying he wanted to restore traditional religious values to Christmas .
But the German Protestant Church criticised the idea as "tasteless" and the Roman Catholic Church was not amused. - (Reuters)