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In the worst attack in Iraq since August, 56 people died Sunday and more than 200 wounded in twin suicide bombings. The near simultaneous explosions took place in the northern city of Irbil, inside the separate headquarters of Iraq's two leading Kurdish political parties. The offices were crowded with guests invited to celebrate a Muslim holy day. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

As 10 states prepare to hold Democratic contests March 2, Sen. John Edwards concentrates his efforts in Ohio, New York and Georgia -- areas especially hard hit by job losses in manufacturing. Edwards hopes his own working-class background and tough stance against free-trade agreements will help win over blue-collar voters. Hear NPR's Adam Hochberg.

The AFL-CIO is expected to endorse Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign Wednesday. The support of the 13-million-member labor organization is a major milestone for Kerry, who at first had trouble attracting union endorsements. It also gives him an advantage over rival Sen. John Edwards, who has courted union support aggressively. NPR's Robert Smith reports.

U.N. inspectors in Iran discover equipment capable of producing enriched uranium, according to U.S. and U.N. officials. The components -- more advanced than Iran has previously acknowledged -- could reportedly be used as either nuclear fuel or in making an atomic bomb. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Joe Cirincione, director of the Non-Proliferation Project with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In what many see as the launch of his re-election campaign, President Bush aggressively defends his policies in a speech before the Republican Governors Association. Bush takes aim at Democratic frontrunner Sen. John Kerry, suggesting Kerry would raise taxes and offer unsteady leadership in the face of terrorist threats. Hear NPR's Don Gonyea.

An internal Army report details "sadistic, blatant and wanton abuses" of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. The report, completed two months ago, came to light following the dissemination last week of images of U.S. military personnel humiliating inmates at the prison. Seven U.S. soldiers have been reprimanded for the abuses. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

A suicide car bombing at a checkpoint in central Baghdad kills Izzadine Saleem, also known as Abdel-Zahraa Othman, head of Iraq's governing council and a prominent Shiite leader. Saleem's death comes six weeks before the planned transfer of political power to Iraqis and is a blow to U.S. stabilization efforts. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Peter Kenyon.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before Congress Friday about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in U.S. custody, one day after the U.S. House passed a resolution condemning the incidents. Rumsfeld's failure to inform Congress of the abuse before it was reported in the media has angered many lawmakers. Democrats intensify calls for him to resign. Hear NPR's Andrea Seabrook.

A new Department of Defense report criticizes the way the military handles internal cases of sexual assault. A task force examined how the military cares for sexual assault victims, and investigated cases in which troops are accused of attacking their colleagues. The report calls for a wide range of improvements including rape prevention, criminal investigation and victim counseling. NPR's John Burnett reports.

The Russian-backed president of Chechnya and at least five others were killed Sunday in an explosion in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Among the dozens of wounded was Russia's senior military commander in the region. The bomb went off in a stadium where President Ahmed Kadyrov was attending celebrations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and Kim Murphy of The Los Angeles Times.