1.   Human rights groups said Tuesday that President Hugo Chavez is trying to hinder their investigations into charges that soldiers and police killed suspected looters after the devastating mudslides.

2.   In an apparent change of policy, Israel has agreed to release Palestinians who killed others suspected of collaborating with Israel, a Palestinian official said Sunday.

3.   In an apparent change of policy, Israeli officials have agreed to release Palestinians who killed others suspected of collaborating with Israel, a Palestinian official said Sunday.

4.   In an apparent change of policy, Israeli officials have offered to release Palestinians who killed others suspected of collaborating with Israel, a Palestinian official said Sunday.

5.   In Chechnya, troops have continued to broadly torture and kill people suspected of having rebel links.

6.   Israel on Friday resealed the West Bank after suspected Palestinian militants killed two Israelis and critically wounded a third in a drive-by shooting near this farming village.

7.   Some residents worried that if the peace talks should fail, the dreaded paramilitaries would swarm into the zone and kill anyone suspected of collaborating with the rebels.

8.   The military says it is impartial, but troops have stood by as militiamen killed civilians suspected of separatist activities on at least two occasions in recent weeks.