From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting.

French conservatives voted Sunday in a nationwide runoff primary election, choosing François Fillon as their nominee for next year's presidential campaign.

In the first American-style primary contest for French Republicans, François Fillon handily beat his moderate opponent, Alain Juppe.

Fillon is socially conservative, a proponent of free markets. He takes a hard line on immigration and Islam and advocates friendlier ties with Russia.

France's ruling Socialist party will hold its primary elections in January.

Cubans are marking the death of dictator Fidel Castro. The Communist revolutionary died Friday at the age of 90. The cause of death has not been announced. We get more from Paul Chapman.

Nine days of mourning began in Cuba on Saturday as the body of former leader Fidel Castro was cremated.

The capital, Havana, was quiet today after the announcement of Castro's death at the age of 90 on Friday.

Flags were flying at half-mast, shows and concerts being canceled and alcohol sale suspended.

Castro's ashes will be carried around Cuba until a state funeral on December the 4th. A memorial service is due to take place in Revolution Square on November the 29th.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, wrote on Twitter that Castro was a "brutal dictator" who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, though, praised Castro for what he called his "dedication and love for the Cuban people."

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Castro "the greatest of all Latin Americans."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said "the world has lost a man who was a hero for many."

This is VOA news.

The Syrian Army says it has recaptured a second rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo. Military officials say they have taken full control of the district of Jabal Badro. It is the second residential area in eastern Aleppo to fall under government control in the past two days.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people in the city are reported to have fled to districts that are now under government control.

According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, the Turkish military thinks Islamic State forces in northern Syria may have used chemical weapons against rebels backed by Turkey.

The Turkish General Staff says 22 rebels exhibited symptoms of exposure to chemical gas after a rocket attack east of al-Rai near the Syria-Turkey border. The statement did not indicate when the attack took place.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump Sunday criticized his recent election rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, for joining an effort to recount the ballots in three closely contested states that Trump won.

Trump is calling Green Party nominee Jill Stein's bid to start recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Wisconsin a "scam" and is deriding Clinton's decision to join the effort.

Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elia acknowledged Saturday the request by Clinton's supporters prompted the campaign to start investigating whether there was any outside interference in the November 8th election results.

Elia said no actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology has been found.

There were concerns that Russian hackers may have tried to influence the election.

Election experts say there is almost no chance that the results can be overturned.

Swiss voters on Sunday rejected an effort to hasten the process of phasing out the country's nuclear power plants.

If the "yes" votes had prevailed in the referendum, Switzerland would have moved to close three of the country's five reactors next year and the remaining two by 2029.

Nuclear reactors generate 40 percent of Switzerland's electricity.

Authorities say fighting between security forces and a separatist militia has left at least 54 people dead in the Ugandan town of Kasese. The militia is believed to be loyal to a tribal king in Uganda's Rwenzori region.

The killings are an escalation of a long-running conflict between Ugandan security forces and rebels linked to the tribal king, Charles Wesley Mumbere.

The western district of Uganda, where Mumbere is based, is a hotbed of opposition to President Yoweri Museveni, who lost there in the last presidential election.

From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.