1. Beheading video of U.S. hostage issued

    The Islamic State (IS) militant* group released a video on September 2 purporting* to show the beheading of a second American hostage, journalist Steven Sotloff.

    A masked figure in the video also issued a threat against a British hostage, a man the group named as David Haines, and warned governments to back off “this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State.”

    2. South Korean soldiers die in training

    Two South Korean soldiers have died after apparent suffocation* during training to withstand* capture by an enemy, a military official said on September 2.

    The two soldiers died on September 2 during endurance training* in which they spent more than an hour with hoods* over their heads and hands tied behind them, the official said. A third soldier was treated at a hospital and has regained consciousness.

    3. University reopens after 800 years

    More than 800 years after it was reduced to ashes in an invasion by a medieval* ruler, India’s Nalanda University reopened in the historic city of Rajgir in Bihar on September 1.

    Academic activities got underway at the new international university on a makeshift* campus, about 12 km away from the ruins of the famous ancient university, with classes in the School of Ecology and Environmental Studies and the School of Historical Studies

    Out of the 15 students enrolled for the inaugural* session, only nine attended classes on the inaugural day. Among them were two international students.

    4. Man loses lips, limbs to flesh-eating bug

    A British man who lost his lips and all four of his limbs* when a common cold turned into a flesh-eating virus has endured a 20-hour operation to rebuild his lips.

    Alex Lewis, 34, lost his arms, legs and parts of his face to a deadly virus, but has now had his face transformed using flesh from his shoulder.

    5. France puts warship delivery on hold

    France on September 3 suspended the delivery of the first of two Mistral-class warships to Russia “until November” after fierce criticism from its allies given the crisis in Ukraine.

    Paris agreed in 2011 to build and sell the two advanced helicopter assault ships to Russia for a total of 1.2 billion euros (US$1.58 billion), with the first scheduled for delivery in October or November and the second next year.

    6. Custody battle diverts U.S. flight

    A direct United Airlines flight from Dulles airport to Beijing turned around mid-flight on September 4 at the request of FBI agents who then arrested a passenger in connection with a possible international parental kidnapping after the plane landed, U.S. media reported.

    A U.S. official said the mother, Liu Wenjing, was arrested on September 4 under probable cause of international parental kidnapping. Her plane, which took off from Washington Dulles International Airport, landed back at the same airport at 5 p.m.

    According to court documents, she was charged with knowingly and unlawfully attempting to remove her son from the United States with intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights.

    7. N. Korea to put U.S. citizen on trial

    North Korea will put U.S. citizen Matthew Miller on trial next Sunday, state media said, shortly after he made a highly unusual televised plea for help from Washington along with two other detained Americans.

    Miller, who is being held in North Korea along with Americans Kenneth Bae and Jeffrey Fowle, was arrested in April after Pyongyang said he ripped up his visa at immigration and demanded asylum*.

    (SD-Agencies)