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The confrontation between the U.S. occupation authority and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr continues to intensify after Sadr's followers attacked U.S. and other coalition forces Sunday. Amid more violence Monday, U.S. spokesmen revealed that an arrest warrant has been issued for Sadr in connection with the murder of a rival cleric last spring. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Spanish-led troops in Iraq exchange fire with armed militiamen amid a large demonstration near Najaf, killing at least 14 and leaving more than 100 wounded. Four Salvadoran soldiers also died in the shooting. Protestors had gathered at a Spanish base to express anger over the arrest of an aide to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and NPR's Philip Reeves.

U.S. and allied forces clash with supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The worst violence was near the southern city of Najaf, where 20 Iraqis were killed when al-Sadr's supporters opened fire on a Spanish garrison near the city. There was a similar demonstration in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad. The violence flared after U.S. forces detained an associate of Sadr. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

U.S. and allied forces clash with supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The worst violence was near the southern city of Najaf, where 20 Iraqis were killed when al-Sadr's supporters opened fire on a Spanish garrison near the city. There was a similar demonstration in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad. The violence flared after U.S. forces detained an associate of Sadr. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves and NPR's Howard Berkes.

U.S. military officials say American Marines will go into Fallujah, Iraq, "sooner rather than later" in response to the deaths of four U.S. security contractors. U.S. forces are studying tapes of the televised incident to identify those responsible. NPR's Philip Reeves reports on the latest developments from Iraq.

Continued attacks by Taliban militants and a generalized lack of security forced interim President Hamid Karzai to postpone plans for presidential and parliamentary elections. The vote, originally scheduled for June, has now been set for September. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

The Afghan government dispatches several hundred troops to the western city of Herat, where factional fighting left more than 100 people dead Sunday. The clashes were between supporters of Herat's powerful warlord, Ismail Khan, and a government-appointed army commander accused of murdering Khan's son. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Pakistani officials say they believe there are about 600 al Qaeda militants along the mountainous frontier with Afghanistan. Many are Arabs and their families who first settled in the region in the 1980s, when they came to wage a Jihad against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. NPR's Philip Reeves speaks with two women of Arab origin who hid in the hills along the frontier.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is under intense pressure to modify the curriculums at religious schools known as madrassas because of Islamist extremist undertones. For Musharraf, it's an extremely sensitive political issue, and change is slow to come. NPR's Philip Reeves reports from Islamabad.

Despite their many differences, Indians and Pakistanis share a passion for cricket. Now the sport has become central to peace negotiations between the rival nuclear powers. This month, an Indian team is to begin its first full tour of Pakistan in 15 years. While diplomats hope cricket will help to mend relations, fans are only concerned with which side will win. Philip Reeves reports.