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A top official at Iraq's foreign ministry is killed in Baghdad during an ambush by unknown gunmen. Bassam Kubba, who had been a career diplomat, is the first member of Iraq's new interim government to lose his life amid continuing violence and security problems. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer and NPR's Emily Harris.

A U.N. envoy meets with Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, seeking to resolve the dispute over the cleric's call to elect a transitional assembly. U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi says he agrees with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's demand for elections but is unsure whether a vote could be held before a June 30 U.S. deadline for a power transfer. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

The Justice Department says Jose Padilla, accused of plotting to detonate a bomb containing radioactive material, had conspired with top al Qaeda leaders in his plan. Padilla, a U.S. citizen, has been designated an enemy combatant and held without charge or access to counsel for two years. Officials say he planned to detonate explosives, possibly to destroy apartment buildings in U.S. cities. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

In his new film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Reilly plays Dewey Cox, an over-the-top fictitious rock legend. It's a fake biopic that parodies Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and others. Hear an interview and songs from the movie, performed on WXPN.

Cohn's 1991 single "Walking in Memphis" made him an instant star: A sentimental Top 40 favorite and an enduring radio staple, the song was his ticket to Grammy-winning fame. Hear Cohn in an interview and in-studio performance from WXPN.

Conor J. O'Brien is the driving force behind the acoustic folk outfit Villagers, and his intensity pushed the band to the top of the charts in Ireland even before its debut had been released. In just a couple of years, Villagers has become one of the biggest musical names on the Emerald Isle and an internationally known folk group.

The shootings at Virginia Tech have prompted the postponement of a much anticipated Senate hearing with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The nation's top law enforcement official is under pressure to explain his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.

The Olympic torch has reached the top of Mount Everest, the climax of a massive publicity campaign leading up the Olympic Games. China hopes the spectacle of the flame atop the world's highest mountain will erase the memory of ugly protests. But some activists say that by taking the flame up Everst, China is trying to show its dominance over Tibetans.

KNBA Top Stories: After dozens of officers, as well as Anchorage Police and State Trooper SWAT teams were activated on Monday, a suspect in multiple shootings is in custody. Four Anchorage schools were in “stay-put” mode as a precaution during Monday’s APD shooting response. After a long delay, nine million is federal disaster relief is coming to two Cook Inlet fisheries. The Juneau Assembly sets aside more than $3 million in city money for a flood prevention engineering study.

NPR Music critics, editors and Tiny Desk producers each singled out one album they would recommend to anyone who came calling. The elite, no-skips albums of the year.