The world at a glance . . . International

Nazran, Russia

Silencing the critics: Parents of children who were killed in the siege of an elementary school in 2004 went on trial this week on charges of slandering President Putin. More than 300 people, half of them children, were killed when government forces stormed the Beslan school to end a siege by Islamist militants. Since the tragedy, victims’ relatives have blamed Putin and the Kremlin for the botched rescue attempt, saying most of the kids died in explosions set by the storming troops. This week, prosecutors charged Voice of Beslan, a survivors’ group, with “extremism,” which could bring a ban on the group and prison terms if members continue to meet. In 2006, Russia expanded the definition of extremist activity to include public slander of a government official.

Beirut

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U.S. Embassy car blown up: Four Lebanese were killed this week when a bomb targeted a U.S. Embassy armored car in northern Beirut. One local embassy employee in the car was injured, but no Americans were hurt; the four dead were passers-by not affiliated with the embassy. “We are going to take a look at what implications, if any, there are for our security posture in Beirut,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. Most of the explosions and assassinations in Lebanon over the past few years have targeted anti-Syrian politicians and journalists.

Nairobi, Kenya

Politics resumes: Kenya’s presidential rivals met peacefully in parliament this week, in an effort to settle their nation’s violent dispute over last month’s election results. President Mwai Kibaki, who was declared the winner in the flawed poll, and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who claims that fraud cheated him of a win, were both sworn in as legislators. The early advantage went to Odinga when a member of his party, Kenneth Marende, was elected parliament speaker. The political standoff will continue, though, as much of the parliament refuses to recognize Kibaki as president. But at least the violence has abated. Clashes after the election left some 700 people dead and 250,000 displaced.

Islamabad, Pakistan

How safe are the nukes? U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei said this week that he was “worried” that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists, given the uncertainty over that country’s upcoming elections. An outraged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf responded that the nukes are secure and that al Qaida has effectively been contained in tribal areas. But two former Pakistani military intelligence officials, quoted this week in The New York Times, said Musharraf does not have control of the militants. According to the unnamed former officials, Pakistani intelligence has lost influence over the Islamist militants that it propped up during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Several top military intelligence officials, they said, are sympathetic to the Islamists. (See Briefing, Page 11.)

Melbourne

Party of the year: A Melbourne teenager was on the run this week after throwing a wild party that caused thousands of dollars in damages and took 30 police officers, a helicopter, and the canine squad to break up. Police said they would bill Corey Delaney, 16, about $20,000 for damages to police cars and other property. Delaney, who is camping on a beach near his home, said that in the few days since his party and its aftermath made international headlines, he has fielded several job offers to work as a party planner. “He’s a bigger party animal than all the girls put together: Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Britney Spears,” said celebrity agent Max Markson. “He could easily earn $50,000 to $60,000 in the next fortnight.” At the time of the party, Delaney’s parents were out of town.

Taipei, Taiwan

Turning toward China: Opposition Nationalists, who favor closer ties with China, trounced the ruling party in Taiwan’s elections this week, winning 81 seats in the 113-seat legislature. It was the worst defeat for the ruling Democratic Progressives in the party’s 20-year history. Analysts said voters blamed an economic slump on the Progressives’ policies of discouraging Taiwanese investment on the mainland and banning mainland investment in Taiwan. In the last 18 months, three of the 26 countries that had recognized Taiwan switched to China instead, presumably because China offers greater potential for trade. Taiwan was founded by fleeing Nationalists after China went communist in 1949; China does not recognize its independence.