World Highlights

¤ Former Finance Minister Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf claimed victory yesterday in Liberia's presidential run-off and looked set to become Africa's first elected female head of state. Announcing what seemed an unbeatable lead for the Harvard-educated banker, the National Elections Commission said that with ballots tallied from nearly 90 per cent of polling stations, Ms Johnson-Sirleaf had 59.2 per cent of the votes from Tuesday's election. Her rival, millionaire football star George Weah, had 40.8 per cent.

¤ Shimon Peres was ousted as Israel's Labour Party leader yesterday by a trade union chief who vowed to quit Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's ruling coalition and usher in early elections. After a leadership contest that shook up Israel's political landscape, Amir Peretz, 53, said he would press Mr Sharon to set a date for a national ballot, advancing an election not due until November 2006. Israel Radio said talks would be held on Sunday.

¤ Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday promised to cooperate with a UN inquiry into the killing of a former Lebanese Prime Minister, but said Syria would not sacrifice its own national interests in the process. The young leader, in a defiant speech carried live on Syrian television, made clear he believed the UN mission was part of a wider international effort to force Damascus to its knees.

¤ Tony Blair set himself up yesterday for high-risk clashes with his party, refusing to compromise on future reforms despite a first parliamentary defeat that raised doubts about his ability to govern. Forty-nine lawmakers in Mr Blair's Labour Party rebelled on Wednesday against government plans to let police hold terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge.

¤ The European Court of Justice yesterday upheld Turkey's ban on women wearing headscarves in universities, in a victory for the secularist Turkish establishment over the Islamic-based ruling party. The Grand Chamber, effectively the court of last appeal, confirmed an earlier ruling against Leyla Sahin, the Turkish woman fighting the law, leaving her no further legal recourse.