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The head of a Muslim charity accused of funneling money to Osama bin Laden's terror network pleads guilty to a racketeering charge. Federal prosecutors drop other charges against the head of the Benevolence International Foundation in return for his cooperation. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports.

The Bush administration condemns the assassination of a top commander of the Kurdish resistance in northern Iraq. A State Department spokesman says the United States had been working closely with Gen. Shawkat Haji Mushir. Mushir's death is blamed on a Kurdish Islamist movement with al Qaeda ties. NPR's Ivan Watson report.

Germany and the Netherlands take over command of the international peacekeeping force in Kabul, Afghanistan. Britain initially commanded the force, handing over control to Turkey in June 2002. Some German critics say international missions put a strain on the country's defense budget. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

Days after announcing it will sell nearly all of its assets to International Steel Group in a $1.5-billion deal, Bethlehem Steel asks a bankruptcy court to allow it to end health and insurance benefits for its 95,000 retirees and their families by March 31. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

NPR's Anne Garrels reports from Belgrade that the French foreign minister visited the Yugoslav capital today. He told president Vojislav Kostunica that assistance to Yugoslavia's new leadership is Europe's top priority. The West has been waiting to see some positive signs from Kostunica on Kosovo. The new president today raised the issue of a possible exchange of ethnic Albanian and Serb prisoners. Ironically, Kostunica's easiest task now seems to be dealing with the West. He has yet to consolidate control over the police and governmental bodies in the Serbian republic.

NPR's Michael Sullivan reports that Sri Lankans went to the polls today to elect a new parliament, but in the city of Jaffna, residents seem disinterested in the results. They don't believe that the election will end the 17-year war between government forces and Tamil Tiger separatists, who are fighting for control of the region. The government currently has control of Jaffna, but the rebels are fighting hard to take the city, which they view as the cultural and spiritual home of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.

NPR's David Welna reports on the appearance today of CIA director George Tenet and FBI Director Robert Mueller before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Osama bin Laden tape was discussed only briefly. In their testimony, Tenet and Mueller did emphasize the threat that al Qaeda poses to Americans. Tenet warned of possible attacks this week using a "dirty bomb."

NPR's Mike Shuster reports on Israel's settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. The settlements were a key issue at last summer's Camp David peace summit, and one of the major reasons for the summit's failure. The settlements have continued to grow since the Oslo peace process began in 1993. There are now an estimated 200-thousand Israelis living in the occupied territories, and the cost of defending them in the midst of the Palestinian uprising has prompted fresh debate in Israel about the wisdom of retaining the settlements.

Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush has held conservative Christian leaders at arms length in his effort to woo moderate, swing voters. Bush's public distance, however, does not appear to have hurt him among the campaign foot soldiers who identify with the religious right. As NPR's David Molpus reports from North Carolina, questions Bush raises about Al Gore's truthfulness resonate loudly with this group, and they are working hard to get out the vote next week.

NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the inspiring life of Berlin, Ohio high school basketball coach Perry Reese, who died last week at age 44. His Hiland High team had a phenomenal 16 year record, winning 304 out of 389 games and a state championship in 1992. As a black Catholic, Reese initially seemed out of place in the white Amish and Mennonite town. But over the years, he won the hearts and friendship of hundreds of residents.