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U.S. forces move closer to one of Shiite Islam's most sacred sites, the Imam Ali shrine in the city of Najaf. Militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr engage in fierce firefights in the vast cemetery surrounding the shrine with U.S. troops backed by tanks. There are reports the shrine may be damaged by the fighting. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Baghdad.

In a series of upcoming speeches -- the first scheduled Monday at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. -- President Bush will outline his Iraq policy. Washington insiders have their own views about how the president should make his case. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

In the first of several speeches attacking President Bush's national security policies, Sen. John Kerry accused the president of failing to create an adequate multinational coalition to support efforts in Iraq. But Kerry's criticisms seemed constrained to many, a fact that analysts attribute to Kerry's effort to win swing voters by avoiding a hard-line stance. Hear NPR's David Welna.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pays a one-day visit to Baghdad, visiting the Abu Ghraib prison complex where abuses of Iraqi prisoners in U.S. custody took place. While in the Iraqi capital, Rumsfeld also addressed troops at the heavily guarded American headquarters. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

Independent groups producing political advertisements hoping to influence the 2004 presidential election are now more prolific than ever. By one count, there have been more than 50 such ads so far, mostly from groups allied to the Democrats including MoveOn.org and The Media Fund. Now GOP-leaning groups are also joining the fray. NPR's John McChesney reports.

As many as 2,000 people are feared dead in the wake of flooding and mudslides that devastated the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Rescue workers are rushing food, water and medical supplies to flood victims. Hundreds of people are missing in the two countries. Hear NPR's Gerry Hadden.

American soldiers and Iraqi police raid the home of Ahmed Chalabi, the head of the Iraqi National Congress and a member of the Iraqi Governing Council. During the lead up to the Iraq war, Chalabi was a close ally of the Pentagon. But much of the information he provided has since proven faulty at best, and Chalabi has fallen out of favor with U.S. officials. Hear NPR's Madeleine Brand.

The Washington Post reports new pictures and short videos show prisoners being physically and sexually abused at Abu Ghraib last year. According to the paper, sworn statements from detainees describe a range of abuse more brutal than previously reported. Several hundred prisoners at Abu Ghraib were freed Friday. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

Despite the intensified fighting in Iraq, South Korea is committed to sending 3,000 more troops to assist the U.S.-led occupation. Meanwhile, the painful memory of 5,000 South Koreans who died fighting alongside Americans in the Vietnam War still looms. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) urges the deployment of more troops to help in rebuilding and securing Iraq. Lieberman, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has staunchly supported the Iraq war. President George Bush said Sunday that military commanders in Iraq will have the support they require. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and Lieberman.