But extra-tight security measures kept Palestinians and Israelis alike bottled up and on edge following last week's suicide bombings in Jerusalem. Squabbling political leaders in Bosnia were given until today to agree on measures to integrate the government or face new sanctions. Currently, all ambassadors are Muslims or Croats, even though Serbs control 49 percent of Bosnia. Moderate cleric Mohammed Khatami was confirmed as Iran's new president. Khatami, who is scheduled to take the oath of office today, is expected to carry on the economic and political policies of his predecessor, Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Critics say the practice increasingly is used to remove dissidents from circulation without trial.
For the second weekend in a row, Thailand's military rejected speculation that it might seize control of the government. Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a former armed forces commander, has been unable to reverse an economic decline since his election last year. The Thai military has a history of toppling civilian administrations. Charles Taylor was sworn in as Liberia's president at a ceremony witnessed by about a dozen other African heads of state or their envoys in Monrovia, the capital. Taylor, who won more than 75 percent of the vote in last month's election, promised to set up a human-rights and reconciliation commission to mediate between former civil war rivals.