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The political clout of the militant Islamist group Hamas is rising. The group's candidates are expected to do well in next week's Palestinian parliamentary elections, with current polls showing Hamas winning at least one-third of the seats. That scenario presents a challenge for Israel.

Envoys from the United States, Russia, the U.N. and the European Union consider halting aid to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas renounces violence and recognizes Israel's right to exist. The militant Islamist group is likely to lead the next government after its success in last week's polls.

Renee Montagne speaks with reporter Alex Kleimenov in Kiev, Ukraine, about ceremonies taking place to mark 20 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

The oldest known copy of Archimedes’ work lies hidden under the pages of a 13th century prayer book. For years, scientists and scholars tried to decipher what ancient script they could. Now, new technology is allowing them to look past the prayer book to the wealth of knowledge underneath.

Polls open Sunday in Congo for that nation's first democratic elections in more than 40 years. Many hope the vote will help turn the page after decades of dictatorship and civil war.

Venezuela, led by fiery, leftist president Hugo Chavez, is at the forefront of a political swing to the left that is sweeping much of Latin America. With its vast oil revenues, Venezuela carries a lot of clout in the region, and it has made alliances with nations that are most at odds with the United States.

President Biden has met the leaders of Australia, India and Japan. The White House said they would pledge to work together on global health, the climate, infrastructure, technology and other areas.

Professor Jon Levy went viral for wearing a mask during a Zoom call alone in his office. He has some thoughts about why.

In a long awaited speech, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called China the most serious long term challenge to the international order and a test for U.S. diplomacy.

North Korea says it's experiencing its first COVID outbreak. Experts are skeptical, but they are also wondering if this means the country will accept outside help or if it can handle it alone.

Bernard Ebbers, the former CEO of Worldcom, is sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in what authorities call the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history. Ebbers, 63, was found guilty on charges of securities and reporting fraud. He is expected to appeal.

Cousin to The Great British Baking Show, this pottery competition almost dares you to make fun of its aggressively earnest approach.

From the start of the war in Ukraine, food policy experts have worried that a hunger crisis could be in the making, given how important Ukraine and Russia are to global food supply.

Russia has long planned on expanding its oil drilling in the Arctic. But that relies on help from Western companies that are now pulling back because of the war in Ukraine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data this week showing drug overdoses killed more than 107,000 people last year.

Robert Siegel talks with Charles Snee, senior editor at Linn's Stamp News, about the recently rediscovered "Ice House" envelope, believed to be lost for 38 years and recently rediscovered in Chicago. It has the only known cover of an 1869 Abraham Lincoln 90-cent stamp.

The Biden administration is working to address the shortage of baby formula in the U.S. as it faces pressure in Congress to do more.

Many members of Congress had a personal stake in the past week's debate over federal funding for stem-cell research: someone near or dear is affected by a disease which such research might help cure.

The Base Closure and Realignment Commission this week will hold its first public hearing (in Rapid City, S.D.) since releasing its base closure list. Communities and congressional members that are facing changes are preparing to make their cases.

After Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her plans to retire, many legal experts began predicting who President Bush might choose to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. Legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg reports on the names some expected to see on President Bush's list.

Stung by criticism that they reacted too slowly to Katrina, federal officials say they're working hard to avoid making the same mistakes twice. Already, President Bush has declared Hurricane Rita an "incident of national significance" -- which helps rally federal resources.

New York City's transit union called a strike Tuesday after failing to reach a deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The strike left more than 7 million people in and around the city looking for alternative ways to get around. Beth Fertig of member station WNYC reports.

Turkey hosts the longest stretch of a new transnational pipeline that will carry oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. Construction is nearly a year behind schedule and financial disagreements over the project may cause further delays.

Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges. Wednesday, Abramoff will appear in a Miami court and is to enter a guilty plea there on separate charges of fraud and conspiracy.

Madeleine Brand speaks with Slate military affairs contributor Fred Kaplan about how Hurricane Katrina could affect prospects for restructuring the bureaucracy in the Department of Homeland Security. That department oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), widely blamed for confusion in post-storm relief efforts.