Ex-rebel leader claims vote fraud

A former rebel leader-turned presidential candidate alleged massive fraud in Congo’s historic elections, but pledged Tuesday that his protest would remain peaceful as preliminary results began to trickle in.

Official, final results from Sunday’s elections were not expected for weeks. But a sample of results announced by U.N. radio suggested that sitting President Joseph Kabila and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba had emerged as leading contenders for the presidency.

BANGKOK, Thailand

Bomb along tracks kills 3 law officers

A bomb planted along a railroad in southern Thailand exploded early Wednesday and killed three policemen, a day after suspected Muslim separatists carried out dozens of attacks, officials said.

Another officer was injured in the attack in the Chana district of Songkhla province, which was believed to have targeted police who conduct daily inspections of tracks before the departure of morning trains, said police Lt. Col Sompien Eksomya.

More than 1,500 people have been killed in Thailand’s three Muslim-dominated provinces – Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat – since a resurgence of a violent Islamic separatist movement in January 2004. Songkhla’s Chana district is adjacent to Pattani province.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka

Civil warfare fiercest in years

Tamil rebels fired mortars at Sri Lankan army positions around the northeastern port of Trincomalee early today as air force jets retaliated by bombing guerrilla artillery, the military said, in the country’s fiercest fighting in years.

Four government soldiers were killed, a pro-rebel spokesman reported, while at least one civilian was killed by rebel shelling, bringing the death toll in recent days to 88.

The government appealed to end the fighting and salvage a 4-year-old cease-fire deal that one commander of the Tamil Tiger rebels has described as over.