The FBI admitted lying about its actions in the Waco disaster. After six years of denials, the agency confessed it had aimed "pyrotechnic" tear gas at the Branch Davidian compound. "We continue to believe that law enforcement did not start the fire," said the bureau. Janet Reno commissioned an investigation and vowed to "get to the bottom" of the misrepresentations. She admitted, "I don't think it's very good for my credibility."

The Bank ofNew York may have laundered money for the Russian mafia. Investigators are examining whether mobsters diverted funds--including foreign aid--out of the country through an offshore network built by a former International Monetary Fund official. According to the Washington Post, Steve Forbes and George W. Bush are criticizing Al Gore for naively accepting Russian pledges of economic reform.

SprinterMichael Johnson broke the world record for the 400-meter dash. The Associated Press tallied his long list of medals and called him "the most dominating track and field athlete of the 1990s." "I can do better," Johnson commented.

The U.N.war crimes tribunal caught a suspected Bosnian war criminal. Gen. Momir Talic, the highest-ranking Serbian official to be arrested so far, was seized in Vienna. The WashingtonPost predicts that the arrest will remind other suspected war criminals not to travel abroad.

The FederalReserve raised short-term interest rates. The hike was widely expected, but Fed officials surprised analysts by hinting that they may raise rates again in October. The stock market, which had rallied in anticipation of the move, remained stable, and bond prices inched up. The New York Times warned Congress not to sabotage the Fed's actions by passing tax cuts.

American Airlines employees were caught smuggling drugs to the United States. They stashed cocaine and marijuana in food trays and used their security clearances to transport the contraband.

China will prosecute the leaders of Falun Gong. A government order excused most followers saying they had been brainwashed into joining a subversive political organization.

Samuel Sheinbein will serve a murder sentence in Israel. The American teen-ager had fled to Israel after allegedly committing murder in Maryland. The Israeli Supreme Court refused to let him be extradited back to the States. Under a plea bargain, he will serve 24 years in prison. Prosecutors from both countries decried the way he manipulated the discrepancies between the two legal systems.

Cleveland's school voucher program was ruled unconstitutional. A Federal judge ruled that the program's publicly financed scholarships to parochial schools violate the separation of church and state. City officials wondered what to do with the 3,800 students who were scheduled to begin private school classes today. Critics and supporters of vouchers wondered whether the Supreme Court will finally address the issue.

An earthquake in Turkey killed at least 18,000 and possibly as many as 45,000. The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet in effect charged construction authorities with murder, and international papers roundly condemned their shoddy building standards. The London Independent noted that while the Turks "could assault the [Kurdish] PKK with US attack helicopters, they could not even set up soup kitchens for Turkish civilians 24 hours after the earthquake." David Plotz explains why the Turks need not rush to bury their dead. " International Papers" reports that the grassroots relief effort could strengthen Turkish democracy.