Search results for

Despite "uneven" security in Iraq, conditions there are improving a year after the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein began, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says. In an interview with NPR's Eric Westervelt and NPR's Juan Williams, Rumsfeld also says it's difficult to measure success in the war on terrorism. Hear the full interview.

President George Bush appeals to U.S. allies not to withdraw support from the occupation of Iraq, saying terrorists must not be allowed to influence international policy or leadership. Spain's new prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has called Iraq a "great disaster" and vowed to bring home Spanish troops deployed there. Hear NPR's Don Gonyea.

Rock historian Ed Ward remembers Dimension Records, which showcased the demos of such songwriters as Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

Spain's new leader reiterates his pledge to withdraw troops from Iraq, saying Tomahawk missiles and bombs are not the way to defeat terrorism. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose Socialist Party defeated Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's ruling Popular Party in Sunday's elections, repeated his claim that the occupation of Iraq is a fiasco. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

With wins in 12 out of the 14 states that have voted, Sen. John Kerry is poised to grasp the Democratic nomination for president and has begun to turn his attention toward a fall campaign against George Bush. Despite a liberal voting record and an often longwinded oratory style, Kerry says he ready for the fight, and those who remember his 1996 Senate re-election campaign agree Kerry can be a steely competitor. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Cable giant Comcast faces obstacles in its quest to acquire the Walt Disney Co. Analysts say Comcast will likely need to increase its bid to convince Disney shareholders to sell the company. If that happens, Comcast will have to ease consumer concerns over media consolidation and persuade federal regulators that the takeover won't inhibit competition. NPR's Jim Zarroli 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.

President Bush's long-term plan to send humans back to the moon and on to Mars meets with skepticism in the House Science Committee. Lawmakers Thursday grilled Bush administration officials about the long-term costs of the plan. Among their concerns is that valuable science at NASA will fall victim to an agency budget crunch. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

With all the attention being heaped on the animated blockbuster Finding Nemo, you may have missed The Triplets of Belleville. The quirky Franco-Canadian-Belgian animated feature about is drawing raves from critics and is up for two Oscars, one for best animation and one for best original song.

Officials in New Jersey confirm that bird flu has been detected in poultry in their state. The latest incidents of avian flu follow the destruction in Delaware of nearly 100,000 chickens after flocks at two farms were infected. The variant of avian flu detected in the Northeast is different from the one infecting in humans in Southeast Asia. NPR's Brian Naylor reports.