COLOMBIA

A kidnapped German shepherd held for $350,000 ransom was recovered unharmed in Bogota, Colombia, after his abductors dropped him off at a veterinarian's office for a bath.

When no one returned to pick up the dog, the office called police, who identified him as the pet snatched last month from his home in a rich Bogota neighborhood while his owners were away.

The abductors had sent the family a video with a note saying, "This is how your dog cries at night."

No ransom was paid, police said. Two suspected kidnappers had been wounded Tuesday in a shootout with police, who lured them on the pretext of paying the ransom.

SYRIA

Images of bombed site are examined

United Nations experts have begun analyzing satellite imagery of the Syrian site struck last month by Israeli warplanes, looking for signs that it was a secret nuclear facility, diplomats said in Vienna.

It was unclear where the images were obtained or what they showed. A diplomat linked to the International Atomic Energy Agency said the material was commercial. Two diplomats said initial examination of the material found no evidence that the target was a nuclear installation, but said it was too early to draw definitive conclusions.

RUSSIA

Putin praises foreign spy agency

President Vladimir V. Putin described the foreign spy service as one of Russia's key institutions and said the appointment of former Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov as its head could only enhance its authority.

Putin, himself a former KGB spy, has put former colleagues in senior government posts. His critics say Russia is run by a hidden network of former and serving secret service operatives.

The foreign intelligence service "is one of the most professional and effective special services, which should continue defending Russia from outside threats," Putin said as he presented Fradkov to his staff.

From Times Wire Reports