THE WORLD

• Russians Insurgents Take Over School  Armed Islamic guerillas, most of them Chechen, take about 1,200 schoolchildren, parents, and teachers hostage in Belsan, in southern Russia. Standoff ends in tragedy, as about 340 people die as the militants detonate explosives inside the school and armed Russian commandos storm the building.  Russian president Vladimir Putin addresses country and admits lapses in government and security. “We have to admit that we failed to recognize the complexity and danger of the processes going on in our country and the world as a whole,” he said.  Guerrilla leader Shamil Basayev claims responsibility for the recent terrorist attacks, including the subway bombing in Moscow, the crash of two passenger jets, and the seige of the school in Beslan, and says additional attacks will follow.

• UN Reports Little Progress in Sudan : Secretary General Kofi Annan says government has failed to disarm Arab militias, called the janjaweed, or stop attacks on civilians in Darfur. UN ordered country to do so or face sanctions.

• South Korea Reports Scientist Produced Uranium : Tells International Atomic Energy Agency that in 2000, a group of rogue scientists produced small amount of weapons-grade uranium. Move a violation of several treaties.

• UN Passes Resolution on Lebanon : Security Council votes in favor of American- and French-sponsored resolution encouraging Lebanon to resist Syria's attempts to allow Lebanese president to remain in office after his term expires in November.

• Several U.S. Troops Killed in Bombing : Seven marines killed outside Falluja when a car bomb explods near a convoy of American and Iraqi soldiers. Deadliest attack on American soldiers in months.

• UN Judges Rule Milosevic Cannot Defend Himself : Two British judges to defend former Serbian president. Move follows report by cardiologists that Milosevic not fit enough to defend himself in war crimes trial.

• Car Bomb Explodes at Embassy in Indonesia : Suicide bombers attack Australian Embassy in Jakarta, killing nine people and wounded nearly 200.

• American Death Toll in Iraq Reaches Milestone : Number of casualties reaches 1,000, as violence between Mahdi Army, led by rebel cleric Moktada al-Sadr, and U.S. and Iraqi troops resumes.

• Powell Calls Situation in Sudan Genocide : U.S. secretary of state testifies that the rapes, mass killings, and destruction of property in Darfur qualifies as genocide and urges United Nations to take action.

• Governor Removed From Power in Afghanistan : President Hamid Karzai removes powerful regional warlord Ismail Khan from the governorship of Herat, a western province. Violent protests follow.

• Widespread Fighting Erupts in Iraq : Nearly 60 people killed in suicide bombings and attacks by insurgents. In Baghdad, about 25 die. Insurgents continue their violent campaign, as a suicide bomber kills nearly 50 young men lined up outside the Baghdad police headquarters to apply for jobs. Another suicide attacker strikes in Baquba.

• Putin Calls for Drastic Changes in Government : Russian president proposes replacing popular elections for 89 regional governorships with local legislative elections on president's nominees. Parliamentary seats would be selected from party rosters rather than district elections.

• UN Leader Condemns War in Iraq : UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says the war is illegal and violated the UN charter.

• Report on Iraq Finds No Illicit Weapons : Draft report by Charles Duelfer says inspectors found no evidence that Iraq had undertaken weapons production program when the U.S. began the war. Document does say Saddam Hussein had clearly intended to undertake such a program.

• Atomic Energy Agency Tells Iran to Stop Enriching Uranium : Passes resolution that requires Iran to cease all uranium-enrichment activities. Iran defies resolution, announcing it has begun—and will continue—converting tons of uranium into gas, an important step in producing fuel for a nuclear reactor or bomb.

• Chinese President Takes Control of the Military : At the annual meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, former president Jiang Zemin steps down as China's military chief, thus thus completing the transfer of power to President Hu.

• Bush Eases Restrictions on Libya: Measures include lifting trade embargo, unfreezing assets, and allowing direct flights between the U.S. and Libya.

• Indonesia Elects New President  Retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono soundly defeats incumbent president Megawati Sukarnoputri.

• U.S. Hostages Killed in Iraq : One God and Jihad, militant group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, releases video of the beheading of Eugene Armstrong, an engineer working in Baghdad.  Group claims it has also beheaded Jack Hensley, also an engineer.

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