Paris - The French Socialists just spent two days voting for a new leader, and the big winner was - President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The conservative Sarkozy is certain to be strenghened by the bad blood and infighting that marked the Socialist campaign and the bitter dispute accompanying the results announced early Saturday.

The official vote count of Friday's second round of the election showed Lille Mayor Martine Aubry edging out former presidential candidate Segolene Royal by 42 votes out of 137,000 cast, a victory margin of only 0.04 per cent.

Johannesburg - Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, former US president Jimmy Carter and Mozambican activist Graca Machel had to call off a trip to Zimbabwe after President Robert Mugabe refused them entry, they announced in Johannesburg Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, the three, who were due to travel to Zimbabwe Saturday on behalf of The Elders grouping of leading statesmen and women, said they were disappointed that they had been denied an opportunity to shine a light on the humanitarian crisis in the country.

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and ex-president Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks, had intervened on their behalf with Mugabe, but to no avail, they said.

Yangon - Myanmar's opposition party Saturday called for the immediate release of thousands of political prisoners to mark Myanmar's 88th National Day, while the ruling junta called for unity in moving towards democracy with "flourishing discipline."

The National League for Democracy, Myanmar's main opposition group, demanded the release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi and student activists during celebrations at their headquarters in Yangon.

The party also demanded authorities allow all political parties which were dissolved in 1990 to re-register to contest the upcoming
2010 polls.

Islamabad, Nov 22: Pakistani women parliamentarians’ have formed a caucus with the objective of safeguarding women’s rights and promoting women empowerment.

Women members of the National Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution regarding this.

Spelling out the objectives of the “Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus,” National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza said the caucus was constituted with an aim of attaining a broad-based consensus among women members of parliament on an agreed agenda for women development, their empowerment and emancipation.

Paris - Aides to former French presidential candidate Segolene Royal said Saturday that she would not accept the results of Friday's election that showed her losing the race to head the French Socialist Party by a handful of votes.

French radio reported that former party spokesman Julien Dray said Royal was disputing the result because of apparent irregularities in some regions.

Johannesburg - Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, former US president Jimmy Carter and Mozambican activist Graca Machel have had to call off a trip to Zimbabwe after President Robert Mugabe refused them entry, they announced in Johannesburg Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, the three, who were due to travel to Zimbabwe Saturday on behalf of The Elders grouping of leading statesmen and women, said they were disappointed that they had been denied an opportunity to shine a light on the humanitarian crisis in the country.