Search results for

More than half of the cases of SARS reported so far have occurred in China, where officials say 115 people have died and more than 2,600 are infected. NPR's Melissa Block talks with Chen Min, a Beijing teacher, about life with SARS; and with Shannon McEwan about the situation in Wuhan, in Central China, where she teaches English at a private school.

President Bush says he is confident weapons of mass destruction will be found in Iraq, and suggests ordinary Iraqi citizens may provide key information. Meanwhile, about 1,000 weapons and intelligence experts, including former U.N. weapons inspectors, prepare to head to Iraq. Hear Terrence Taylor, a former U.N. weapons inspector.

The U.S. administrator for Iraq, Jay Garner, says he believes an interim governing council to replace the regime of Saddam Hussein will be in place by mid-May. Garner said the council will be comprised of returned exiles and local Iraqi leaders. In Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, U.S. forces stage raids against armed groups that still support the former Iraqi leader. Hear NPR's Scott Simon.

New Hampshire's famous landmark, the Old Man of the Mountain, collapses in a landslide. The series of granite ledges resembled a human face in profile. The image was used on state road signs and even the back of the New Hampshire quarter. Hear NPR's Lynn Neary and museum volunteer Cathy Nelson.

Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Damascus, Syria. He's expected to press Syrian leaders to drop support for for Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups that the Bush administration views as terrorist organizations. NPR's Kate Seelye reports.

Puzzle master Will Shortz quizzes one of our listeners, and has a challenge for everyone at home. (This week's winner is Sten Crissey from Seattle. He listens to Weekend Edition on member stations KUOW and KUOP in Seattle.)

From the deck of a homebound aircraft carrier, President Bush terms the defeat of Saddam Hussein "one victory" in a continuing war on terrorism. Bush says major combat operations in Iraq have ended, but U.S. efforts to install a democracy require more time. Hear an NPR News report.

Once one of the most advanced mental institutions in the region, Baghdad's Al-Rashad Mental Hospital is now struggling to care for its rapidly deteriorating patients. Looters have left the facility without beds, food, anti-psychotic drugs and other critical supplies. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

Actor John Malkovich is making his directorial debut with the new film The Dancer Upstairs. Malkovich has been nominated twice for an Academy Award for his work in the films In the Line of Fire and Places in the Heart. His other films include Heart of Darkness, Being John Malkovich, Shadow of the Vampire, Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog and Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. Malkovich is also a founding member of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

The State Department confirms reports that Saddam Hussein and his family seized about $1 billion from the Iraqi central bank hours before the start of the U.S.-led invasion. U.S. officials say they are trying to trace the missing cash, which may have helped fund an escape by the Hussein family. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.