World Highlights

¤ Millions of Congolese flocked to vote in their first free elections in four decades, hoping to end years of war, corruption and chaos that have brought the mineral-rich African giant to its knees. Protected by the biggest peacekeeping operation in the world, the polls in the Democratic Republic of Congo were the most complex and expensive ever organised by the United Nations at a cost of $460 million.

¤ Sri Lankan troops began their first deliberate advance on Tamil Tiger rebels since a 2002 ceasefire, moving to secure a rebel-held water supply and using air strikes to hold off rebel reinforcements. More than 800 people have been killed so far this year, and the rebels' closing of a water channel from a rebel-held area to government-held farms prompted a surge in violence in recent days including air and artillery strikes.

¤ Four US marines have been killed in action in restive Anbar province, the US military said. The marines, assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7, died on Saturday. No further details were available.

¤ Venezuela will cut its oil exports to the United States if Washington takes a hostile stance towards Caracas, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency. The website of the US Energy Information Administration says 11.8 per cent of US oil imports came from Venezuela in 2004. The United States is the main buyer of Venezuelan oil.

¤ The Doha round of WTO trade talks cannot be allowed to fail and negotiations must resume to ensure a global agreement is reached, South African President Thabo Mbeki said. "Our view is that... those negotiations must be restarted, that what happened last week is not the final word on this matter," Mr Mbeki told reporters after an extended cabinet meeting.