Search results for

Iraq's new interim government is announced, with Sunni leader Ghazi al-Yawer named as the country's president. Al-Yawer was previously a member of the U.S.-appointed Governing Council, which dissolved itself after the choices were made final. The new leadership, to take power on June 30, was chosen by U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in consultation with the council. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

The Army issues orders to prevent thousands of active-duty soldiers and reservists designated to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military even when their volunteer service commitment ends. Such "stop-loss" and "stop-movement" orders are not new, but the orders are broader than those previously issued. NPR's Anthony Brooks reports.

The United States mourns a president; Ronald Wilson Reagan died Saturday afternoon at his Southern California home after a long struggle with Alzheimer's. The late president's body was taken to a Santa Monica funeral home, where admirers gathered to remember him. President Reagan's body will be brought to Washington this week to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports.

The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has published the first peer-reviewed study of an abortion procedure Congress banned last year. The study has the potential to shift the debate over the law. Contrary to claims by opponents in Congress, the study finds the procedure is no more dangerous than others used in the second trimester of pregnancy. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi asks for help from the international community for resources and training for the new government's security and armed forces. He also defended the U.S. air attack on a supposed insurgent safe-house in Fallujah that killed at least 20 people. NPR's Deborah Amos reports from Baghdad.

The Senate begins debating a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. While most members of the Senate oppose gay marriage, only half of the chamber supports amending the U.S. Constitution to address the matter. A two-thirds vote is required for such an amendment; the Senate is expected to devote much of its week to debating the issue. NPR's David Welna reports.

The bustling factories in southern China, which provide goods for the country's vast and growing overseas market, can't get enough workers even in the world's most populous country. This is due largely to increased demand for labor, poor working conditions, and the fact that Chinese now have other options -- among them the tourism and computer industries. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.

A slew of recent security breaches in London is likely to have an impact on tourism. A reporter for a tabloid newspaper recently managed to bring fake bomb equipment onto the floor of Parliament without being checked. Earlier, a protestor dressed as Batman managed to scale Buckingham Palace. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and Matthew Tempest of the British newspaper The Guardian.

Two years ago, President Bush proposed a new way to aid poor countries through a multi-billion-dollar program called The Millennium Challenge. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports that the program intended to aid needy nations got off to a slow start due to the war in Iraq and other political realities.

A Silicon Valley dermatologist seeks his fortune in head lice. He claims to have found a new cure for head lice: a non-toxic lotion that suffocates them to death. When he managed to get his findings published in a respected scientific journal, one of the leading venture capitalists of Silicon Valley came calling. NPR's Snigdha Prakash reports.