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British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Iraq's new prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, in Baghdad. British officials say the leaders spoke about the eventual departure of foreign forces from Iraq. Maliki has said his top priority is halting insurgent attacks and stemming sectarian violence that has wracked the country.

A few miles from the Turkish border, in the former mining town of Vale, stands the House of Culture. Once the heart of the community, the huge structure is now a monument to post-Soviet decline. One flamboyant resident of Vale, known by locals as "Uncle Gocha," has worked without pay for 15 years to keep what's left from collapsing.

Puzzle master Will Shortz quizzes one of our listeners, and has a challenge for everyone at home. (This week's winner is Judy Williams of Tucson, Ariz. She listens to Weekend Edition on member station KUAZ in Tucson.)

Israeli forces block Lebanon's ports and put its international airport out of commission, while extending a search for two captured Israeli soldiers near the border. The conflict has sparked two days of heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon.

Israeli airstrikes target southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, on the fourth day of fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces. Lebanon's diverse communities are divided over Hezbollah's actions and the Israeli response.

Israeli politicians and commentators, for the moment at least, clearly support the country's military operations in Lebanon. But the goals -- and the final result -- of that operation are less clear.

Many of the downed live oaks left by Katrina are now safely in storage at the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. The wood is invaluable for ship restoration, and the whaler Charles W. Morgan, built in 1841, will be the immediate beneficiary.

The leaders of Hamas will be forced to take more moderate positions if the Palestinian Authority's financial crisis continues to worsen, says the head of the Palestinian Monetary Authority. Employees of the new Hamas-led Palestinian Authority haven't been paid in more than two months.

The United Nations Security Council is delaying its formal response to North Korea's July 5 missile tests, as diplomats give China time to persuade its longtime ally to cooperate. The tests are challenging China's credibility as an effective diplomatic broker.

Film critic David Edelstein reviews Edmond, a thriller starring William H. Macy and Julia Stiles, with screenplay by David Mamet.