Waigel loses Bavaria bid

Theo Waigel, the German Finance Minister, has failed in his attempt to become premier of his native Bavaria and will stay in Bonn, according to officials from his Christian Social Union, Reuter reports from Munich.

After a secret meeting of party leaders, the officials said the state Interior Minister, Edmund Stoiber, had been chosen for the succession in Munich. The Finance Ministry declined to confirm the reports, and CSU leaders said only that Mr Waigel and Mr Stoiber were well on the way to agreement.