Boycott thwarts reopening of polls in Congo

Polls opened for an extra day Monday in central Congo, but it appeared that few took advantage of the second chance to vote in what officials said was a massive boycott called by one candidate.

Electoral officials backed by riot police faced down stone-throwing boycotters to reopen polling stations in the area where many had stayed away in Sunday's election, apparently heeding the boycott call.

Authorities protected by truckloads of armed police had intended to reopen 174 of the 1,041 polling stations in central Congo on Monday. But by the end of the day, it was not clear how many stations had actually opened.

Sunday's vote was for a new president and legislature to replace Congo's transitional administration, which took power after back-to-back wars that lasted from 1996 to 2002. It was the first multiparty election in 45 years.

United Nations

Aug. 31 deadline rejected by Iran

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution Monday giving Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions.

Iran immediately rejected the council action, saying it would only make negotiations more difficult concerning a package of incentives offered in June for it to suspend enrichment.

Because of Russian and Chinese demands, the text was watered down from earlier drafts, which would have made the threat of sanctions immediate. The draft now essentially requires the council to hold more discussions before it considers sanctions.

Lima, Peru

President Garcia slashes own salary

President Alan Garcia cut government salaries, including his own, Monday, three days after announcing austerity measures in his inaugural address.

Garcia, whose 1985-1990 government was plagued by mismanagement and corruption that left Peru nearly bankrupt, blasted outgoing President Alejandro Toledo for spending lavishly.

More than half of Peruvians survive on less than $2 a day.

Garcia reduced his monthly paycheck to $5,000 — a 60 percent cut. Legislators saw their salaries reduced by nearly 40 percent to about the same level. The decree also lowered wages for regional presidents, mayors, municipal councilors and their deputies.

Ankara, Turkey

New military chief named in Turkey

Turkey named a new military chief Monday who favors a tougher line against Kurdish rebels and negotiations on the secular Muslim country joining the European Union.

The change comes as the United States is pressing Turkey to contribute to a possible peacekeeping force along the Israel-Lebanon border. Turkey, NATO's only Muslim member, had expressed a readiness to contribute troops if there were first a cease-fire and if the force were backed by a U.N. resolution.

Turkey has been insisting that Washington do more to crack down against Turkish Kurdish rebels operating out of bases in northern Iraq.

Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, head of the land forces, was appointed chief of staff by the Cabinet, replacing Gen. Hilmi Ozkok.

Shanghai, China

Church demolished despite protests

Police clashed with 3,000 Christians protesting the forced demolition of a partially built church in eastern China, leaving four people with serious injuries, a human-rights group said Monday.

Fighting broke out Saturday when 500 officers arrived in Xiaoshan, a district on the outskirts of the resort city of Hangzhou, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy reported.

A Xiaoshan police officer confirmed an "illegal building" had been torn down, but he refused to give his name or any details.

Also

Afghanistan: At least two NATO soldiers were killed in an ambush today in southern Afghanistan, a day after the alliance took control of security in the volatile region.

Colombia attacks: Suspected rebels ambushed an army patrol, exploded a car bomb in the capital and another bomb in Colombia's southwest Monday, killing at least 18 people in a wave of attacks a week before the presidential inauguration.

No Bolivia school ban: President Evo Morales has backed off a proposal to remove Roman Catholic instruction from Bolivia's schools, easing a dispute with church officials over his plan to place greater emphasis on Indian faiths.

Hermitage thefts: Russia's famed State Hermitage Museum on Monday reported the theft of more than 220 works, including jewelry and enameled objects, worth about $5 million, an incident that highlighted the poor security at Russian cultural institutions.

Compiled from The Associated Press and Reuters