Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he would abide by a judge's ruling that opposition leader Carlos Fernandez be placed under house arrest and not imprisoned. Chavez has accused Fernandez of rebellion and treason for his role in Venezuela's opposition strike. (BBC)

Government officials said Saudi Arabia had approved the country's first journalists' association, intended to "boost the role of the press." (ABC News)

Ariel Sharon gained control over 61 of 120 seats in the Israeli parliament after reaching agreements with Israel's Shinui party and its National Religious Party (NRP). The NRP opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. (CNN/AP, Ha'aretz)

Civilian deputies from Pakistan's four regional assemblies completed their vote to elect a new national Senate. President Pervez Musharraf had disbanded Pakistan's Senate after seizing power in 1999. (BBC)

The White House said President Bush didn't believe Saddam Hussein would respond to diplomatic efforts to convince him to disarm. (Reuters)

A large earthquke in north-western China destroyed buildings, injured at least 1,000 victims and caused 250 confirmed deaths. Earthquake measurements varied between magnitude 6.3 and 6.8. (BBC)

The White House said President Bush didn't believe Saddam Hussein would respond to diplomatic efforts to convince him to disarm. (Reuters)

VaxGen Inc. reported that an AIDS vaccine it had tested did not protect most subjects from infection, but that some African-American and Asian-American volunteers did appear to be protected. The vaccine was the first to ever be tested on people. (Reuters)

The White House said President Bush didn't believe Saddam Hussein would respond to diplomatic efforts to convince him to disarm. (Reuters)