World

UN inspectors said on their departure for Iraq that they intended to look for banned weapons of mass destruction and would not take "no" for an answer from the Baghdad government. But in Baghdad, Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz cautioned that "when you go to a site, the site has a gate [and] who opens the gate should know who is coming." The inspection team leaders are due in Baghdad Monday, with chief Hans Blix saying any "denial of access or delayed access" would be "very serious."

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was under intense pressure from hard-line members of his government for a tough and sustained response to the shooting deaths of 12 security personnel at the hands of Palestinians Friday. The attack, for which Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, took place in the West Bank city of Hebron as worshippers were returning from Sabbath prayers. It was the largest loss of Jewish life since the current intifada began more than two years ago.

North Korea not only has a program to develop nuclear weapons but also has admitted for the first time that such devices already are in its arsenal, the BBC reported. Last month, the Pyongyang government confessed to a program for producing highly enriched uranium, a key component in nuclear weapons, but said only that it was "entitled" to have them. At the time, US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld speculated that "one or two" nuclear weapons might already be in North Korea's arsenal.

Protesting students claimed victory in Iran after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the courts to back down on their death sentence against a popular professor accused of insulting Islam. A student leader said there was no further need for his followers to continue their demonstrations at the sentencing of Hashem Aghajari and that they'd return to classes Tuesday.

Under both domestic and international pressure, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma fired his entire government and replaced its chief with a loyal ally. Kuchma said Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh had failed to deal effectively with social problems. Kuchma himself has been beset by massive street protests demanding that he, too, step down. He also is accused by the US of personally approving the sale of an early-warning radar system to Iraq.

Tanks and other Army vehicles were patroling Venezuela's capital after a weekend gunfight between rival factions of its police force. The incident followed a government takeover of the 9,000-man force by the military despite the protests of Mayor Alfredo Peña, a leading opponent of President Hugo Chávez. Peña called it a "coup," but the government justified it on grounds that the police had frequently clashed with Chávez supporters.