UN forces fired tear gas and used batons to beat back rock-throwing supporters of a soccer-star candidate who claims his Harvard-educated female rival stole Liberia’s presidential runoff.

UN FORCES fired tear gas at angry supporters of Liberian soccer star George Weah yesterday after they stoned police and marched to the US embassy to demand a halt to counting in an election Weah says was rigged.

The football superstar turned presidential candidate called for a halt today in vote counting that had him heading for defeat in war-ravaged Liberia, but also urged his angry supporters to remain calm.

LIBERIA’S top female politician took a strong lead over her millionaire football star opponent in early returns from the war-ravaged West African nation’s presidential run-off.

Liberia’s top female politician took a strong lead over her millionaire football star opponent in early returns from the war-ravaged West African nation’s presidential runoff.

WAR-RAVAGED Liberia voted yesterday to choose its first post-war president in a heated run-off pitting an international soccer star who dropped out of school against the country’s Harvard-educated top female politician.

Liberians are today choosing between a wealthy international soccer star and a Harvard-educated female politician vying for the country’s top job in a brains-versus-brawn presidential run-off that many hope will herald a new era after a quarter century of coups and war.

A FORMER world soccer star faces off against a Harvard-educated woman in a heated brains-versus-brawn run-off tomorrow to decide Liberia’s first post-war president after a quarter century of coups and war.

A former world soccer star faces off against a Harvard-educated woman in a heated brains-versus-brawn run-off tomorrow to decide Liberia’s first post-war president after a quarter century of coups and war.

Liberian voters waited in snaking queues at churches, schools and empty, long-shuttered bank buildings, hoping presidential balloting would mark an end to a quarter century of coups, despotic rule and fighting that killed tens of thousands.

LIBERIAN voters waited in snaking queues, hoping yesterday’s presidential balloting would mark an end to a quarter century of coups, despotic rule and fighting that killed tens of thousands.

Violence from Liberia’s war spilled across borders, and today the west African nation held its first presidential elections since fighting ended.

LIBERIANS are flocking to the presidential campaign of former soccer star George Weah, who has pledged to lead his war-scarred country to peace and development after decades of despots.