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The fate of three Japanese civilians held hostage in Iraq hangs in the balance. Government officials say they will not comply with a demand to withdraw a small contingent of Japanese troops engaged in reconstruction work in Iraq. The Arabic news network Al-Jazeera is reporting the hostages may be released soon. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and NPR's Rob Gifford.

Fierce street fighting breaks out in a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad. And battles continue around Fallujah, even as U.S. occupation authorities dispatch an Iraqi delegation to negotiate a cease-fire there. There are reports that insurgents may agree to a truce beginning Sunday. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and Anthony Shadid of The Washington Post.

Letterboxing is a British hobby recently imported to the United States. It entails using clues -- now posted on the World Wide Web -- to find secret boxes hidden in odd places on city streets. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer and Thomas Johnston, an enthusiast in Washington, D.C.

Brooke Gladstone, co-host of NPR's On the Media, explores the booming business of "chick lit" -- all those trashy beach reads with the pastel-colored covers. They've become so popular, there are sub-categories now: African-American chick lit, Christian chick-lit, and now even a more "manly" version known as "lad lit." Can a gal spend an evening reading chick lit and still respect herself in the morning? And will lad lit be an economic success?

WCBU and WGLT partnered with local organizations to cover a forum between the six Democrats vying for the 17th Congressional seat.

After two months of the Bush campaign's television advertising blitz, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry is airing commercials that aim to make him better known to the American electorate, explain his position on Iraq, shed light on his national priorities and counter the Bush campaign's anti-Kerry message. NPR's John McChesney reports.

NPR's Bob Edwards talks to NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts about President Bush's and Vice President Dick Cheney's upcoming testimony before the Sept. 11 commission and how it could affect the 2004 elections.

Under pressure from an independent panel investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the White House Saturday declassified the President's Daily Brief document from August 6, 2001. The briefing, titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.," has been mentioned often in testimony before the panel. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and New York Times correspondent David Sanger.

A huge explosion partially destroys a building in Baghdad, moments after U.S. soldiers entered it in an apparent search for chemical weapons. Officials say two soldiers died in the blast and five others were wounded. Elsewhere in Iraq, fighting broke out in Fallujah and Najaf. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

The late French musician Serge Gainsbourg's landmark double album Aux Armes et Caetera, originally issued in 1979, is being reissued accompanied with new versions of the original reggae-style songs. Gainsbourg, known both for his provocative lyrics and world-weary delivery, died in 1991. Music critic Michelle Mercer has a review.