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Russian President Vladimir Putin admits making mistakes in his policy on Chechnya, and suggests he'd be willing to give the breakaway republic much greater autonomy. But he rejects criticisms that he should have negotiated with rebels in last week's deadly school siege. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution.

Gunmen release 26 women and small children held hostage at a school in southern Russia, but hundreds more remain inside. The militants have killed about a dozen people, mostly police officers, and rebuffed proposals to end the standoff. Hear NPR's Lawrence Sheets.

On the third night of the GOP convention, Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. Zell Miller, a Georgia Democrat, assail Sen. John Kerry, calling him weak on national security and accusing him of changing his stance on Iraq.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr agrees to disarm and withdraw his militia from the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, promising a possible end to two weeks of fighting. Negotiations with the cleric began several days ago. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry turn their attention to domestic issues. Kerry discussed health care in Des Moines, Iowa, while Bush talked about small business growth in Colmar, Penn. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Mara Liasson.

Fighting resumes in Najaf after a collapse in truce talks between Iraqi officials and radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Mortar shells hit Baghdad near where delegates are meeting to choose a national assembly. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and John Burns of The New York Times.

Vice President Dick Cheney will formally accept the Republican Party's nomination for a second term as President Bush's running mate Wednesday night. Over the last four years, Cheney has been Bush's most influential adviser, an emissary to conservatives and a lightning rod for critics. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez appears to have survived a recall referendum. The polling, which took place Sunday, gave Chavez an estimated 58 percent of the vote. Former President Jimmy Carter said his team of international election observers found no elements of fraud in the voting. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Martin Kaste.

Sen. John Kerry sharply critiques President Bush's policy in Iraq, saying he would protect soldiers better if he were in office. The Democratic nominee's speech to the American Legion went against the tradition of candidates taking a break during opponents' party conventions. NPR's Greg Allen reports.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Washington Post reporter Karl Vick in Najaf. An agreement to halt fighting in Najaf was reached between the Iraqi government and Muqtada al-Sadr this week. U.S. forces and militants loyal to al-Sadr battled for weeks before the deal was brokered by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.