In Brief

* KILLED – The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service said that Russia’s most wanted man, Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev, was killed.

FSB head Nikolai Patrushev told President Vladimir Putin that Basayev, 41, had been killed overnight in Ingushetia. Patrushev’s meeting with Putin was shown on Russian state television.Patrushev told Putin that the Chechen rebels had hoped to “put political pressure on the Russian leadership” during the Group of Eight summit later this week, which Putin is chairing.* CONDEMNED – The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) condemned the killing of an independent Congolese journalist in the run-up to the country’s first democratic elections in four decades.* BOYCOTTED – Saddam Hussein’s lawyers said they will boycott the toppled leader’s trial until a sweeping series of demands are met, following the killing of a third member of the defence team last month.* FAKE – Zimbabwe has begun a crackdown on people using false emergency travel documents for cross-border shopping trips, a source of survival for many hit by a severe economic crisis, state media reported on Sunday.* ALERT – The British government is expected to unveil a new and simplified alert system to keep the public informed of the perceived threat of a terrorist attack.At the moment, it uses a 7-tier system which uses descriptions like “severe general” and “substantial”, but it keeps the threat level secret.* UNREST – Hardline Somali Islamic militants declared “absolute” victory over remaining warlords in the lawless capital after clashes claimed at least 21 lives, spelling an end of notorious warlord rule in the city.* MISSILE – India test fired its longest-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile for the first time, but it failed to hit its target, defence officials and sources said.* CAPTURED – Exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants would not be freed without a prisoner swap, but pledged that his life would be protected.* WARNED – Prime Minister Tony Blair warned that Britain’s mission to bring security to southern Afghanistan was going to be tough because troops were deploying in a particularly restive region for the first time.- Nampa-AFP-ReutersPatrushev’s meeting with Putin was shown on Russian state television.Patrushev told Putin that the Chechen rebels had hoped to “put political pressure on the Russian leadership” during the Group of Eight summit later this week, which Putin is chairing.* CONDEMNED – The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) condemned the killing of an independent Congolese journalist in the run-up to the country’s first democratic elections in four decades.* BOYCOTTED – Saddam Hussein’s lawyers said they will boycott the toppled leader’s trial until a sweeping series of demands are met, following the killing of a third member of the defence team last month.* FAKE – Zimbabwe has begun a crackdown on people using false emergency travel documents for cross-border shopping trips, a source of survival for many hit by a severe economic crisis, state media reported on Sunday.* ALERT – The British government is expected to unveil a new and simplified alert system to keep the public informed of the perceived threat of a terrorist attack.At the moment, it uses a 7-tier system which uses descriptions like “severe general” and “substantial”, but it keeps the threat level secret.* UNREST – Hardline Somali Islamic militants declared “absolute” victory over remaining warlords in the lawless capital after clashes claimed at least 21 lives, spelling an end of notorious warlord rule in the city.* MISSILE – India test fired its longest-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile for the first time, but it failed to hit its target, defence officials and sources said. * CAPTURED – Exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants would not be freed without a prisoner swap, but pledged that his life would be protected.* WARNED – Prime Minister Tony Blair warned that Britain’s mission to bring security to southern Afghanistan was going to be tough because troops were deploying in a particularly restive region for the first time.- Nampa-AFP-Reuters