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Pope Benedict XVI's comments about the prophet Muhammad, made in an academic speech earlier this week, continue to inflame the Muslim world. Islamist leaders have demanded an apology and the pontiff has expressed his regrets -- but also his confusion over the uproar.

Americans Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering "RNA interference," a way organisms turn off individual genes. The discovery is considered by many scientists to be a breakthrough in modern biology.

The new detainee-rights legislation passed by the Senate gives the President new authority in dealing with detainees suspected in the war on terrorism.

President Bush defended his diplomatic strategy with North Korea at a news conference Wednesday, saying bilateral talks with the nation during the Clinton administration just didn't work to curb its nuclear ambitions.

Homeland Security's inspector general criticizes a database of places designated by states as being vulnerable to terrorist attack. The list includes such apparently frivolous entries as an insect zoo and a popcorn factory. Indiana is listed as having 50 percent more critical assets than New York.

The U.S. offensive against Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah continues, as the insurgency launches attacks elsewhere in the country. U.S. commanders say they control 80 percent of the city, and troops are pushing southward through the city amid frequent firefights. NPR's Anne Garrels reports.

Seven Marines and one sailor have been charged with murder in connection with the April death of an Iraqi civilian, the Marine Corps says. The case revolves around the search for a suspected insurgent on April 26. Investigators say the U.S. group killed an innocent man and portrayed him as an insurgent.

U.S. officials maintained Friday that Ukraine has provided written assurances to minimize civilian casualties with the use of the controversial munitions.

The announcement that Fidel Castro has temporarily handed power to his brother Raul has set off waves of speculation about Cuba's future. In Miami, Cuban exiles took to the streets to celebrate the news.

Raul Castro, 75, now holds power in Cuba as older brother Fidel Castro recovers from surgery. The development has intensified power struggles in Havana between two sets of loyalists: Fidelistas and Raulistas.