World

Two days after terrorists destroyed its Baghdad headquarters, the Red Cross announced it will remain in Iraq because of its commitment "to helping the people." But it said the number of non-Iraqis on its staff - about 30 - would be cut and other measures would be taken with a view to increasing security. Medecins Sans Frontiéres (Doctors Without Borders), winner of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, also said it would speed up the rotation of its non-Iraqi staff "because of events."

Most of the confidence-building measures proposed by India's government last week were accepted by rival Pakistan. But the latter's foreign ministry said it would agree to reopening the vital road between the capitals of Indian- and Pakistani- controlled Kashmir only if UN personnel guarded it. And it chided Indian leaders for refusing to discuss new negotiations on disputed Kashmir until after "cross-border terrorism" stops.

Concerns grew in Russia that President Vladimir Putin was becoming more autocratic amid reports that the Kremlin's chief of staff had resigned, apparently because of ties to jailed oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Khodorkovsky was arrested at gunpoint Saturday and charged with fraud and tax evasion, but he's also perceived as a potential challenger to Putin in next year's presidential election. Analysts said his arrest, and the departure of powerful Kremlin operative Alexander Voloshin, send a message to business leaders not to meddle in political affairs.

All but two of the 13 miners trapped for most of the past week in a flooded coal seam in southern Russia were rescued in good physical condition. Another was found dead; emergency crews were still hunting for the remaining miner, who reportedly left the group to try to find his own way out.

Embattled President Alvaro Uribe scheduled an address to the nation in Colombia Wednesday as his entire cabinet offered to quit over the apparent failure of last weekend's referendum on reforms. With ballot- counting still incomplete, many of Uribe's proposals in the referendum stood little prospect of passage because of a too-low voter turnout. He had promoted the referendum as a show of confidence in his campaigns against corruption and terrorism. Meanwhile, members of the Senate dealt him another blow, rejecting legislation that would have allowed presidents to seek a second consecutive term.