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An Israeli air strike kills the spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, a quadriplegic, as he exited a mosque in Gaza City. Seven other people die in the attack, including bodyguards. Thousands of Palestinians take to the streets in protest. Militant Palestinian groups have vowed revenge. Hear NPR's Peter Kenyon.

A new survey of the best cities for business finds that affordability is more important than being fashionable. As a result, Inc. magazine put Riverside and San Bernardino, Calif., and the New Jersey cities of Camden and Newark high on its list. See the magazine's lists of the best and worst places for companies to thrive.

The White House denies it had advance knowledge of Israel's plan to kill Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, which has threatened to retaliate against Israel and the United States. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice points to signs of progress in the Mideast peace process, despite Yassin's killing. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

NPR's Jackie Northam continues her report on the field interviews by historians embedded with U.S. Marines leading the invasion of Iraq last year.

At the crack of dawn this Saturday, a 200-mile race across the Mojave Desert begins. The competitors are robotic vehicles taking on the form of SUVs, dune buggies and golf carts. It's a contest sponsored by the Pentagon to spur advancements in the field of robotics. NPR's Melissa Block talks with competitor Red Whittaker.

Fighting at Pakistan's Afghan border ceases as tribal elders in the region try to negotiate a resolution to end the holdout of al Qaeda fighters. The area has been under attack by Pakistani troops since Tuesday, when officials determined key Taliban figures -- possibly including Osama bin Laden deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri -- were in the area. Hear NPR's Michael Sullivan.

NPR's John Ydstie and ethicist Randy Cohen discuss the dilemma of listener Scott Williams in Palouse, Washington. Williams wants to know whether he should join the boycott of a coffee shop whose owner attends a church he finds offensive. The pastor of that church argues that the Bible justifies slavery.

NPR's Ivan Watson sees Baghdad through the eyes of a taxi driver. Ala Lefta is the driver and co-owner of one of the thousands of Korean-made mini-bus taxis that ferry passengers across the Iraqi capital. A year after the U.S. invasion, Ala wants soldiers deployed in the streets to break up the endless traffic jams and remove the danger of carjackers.

Martin Indyk, an assistant secretary of state during the Clinton administration, says Libya's decision to give up its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction was not prompted by the downfall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, as claimed by the Bush administration. Libya, he says, offered to give up the weapons five years ago. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Indyk.

Shiite militias in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra have been patrolling the streets and cracking down on the sale of music, pornography and alcohol. Many residents now fear criticizing the city's Islamic parties, and British forces occupying the area worry the militias are undermining their activities. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.