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The iconic villain Darth Vader has it all: heavy breathing; theme music; brute physical and mental power; and that impenetrable mask. In Vader's case, the mask shields his humanity, making him appear gothic and machine-like.

Pakistanis vote in a parliamentary election Monday, ending a campaign that has been overshadowed by violence — including the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. The vote could empower a new civilian government. But many say they believe the country's army will not go away quietly.

The gunman in Thursday's shooting at Northern Illinois University had stopped taking his medication and became erratic before opening fire inside a lecture hall, police say. Five people were killed before Stephen Kazmierczack killed himself.

Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday threatened Israel with open war after accusing Israelis of killing one of its top commanders. "Zionists, if you want this type of open war then let the whole world hear: let it be an open war," Nasrallah told mourners at the funeral of Imad Mughniyeh.

Since 1986, Ted Kooser has written an annual Valentine's Day poem and sent it to an ever-growing list of women. Now, he's collected those poems in a new book, Valentines.

East Africa correspondent Gwen Thompkins has spent the last year covering the news of the Continent, traveling from her base in Nairobi, Kenya to Somalia, Sudan and South Africa. Thompkins talks about her reporting and an upcoming visit by President Bush to the Continent.

Across the country, only one-third of kids eat the recommended daily servings of vegetables. In one school district, a dietitian is turning that around. Ivy Marx has installed salad bars in 60 Los Angeles public schools, and she says kids are giving fresh veggies the thumbs up.

What's Valentine's Day without chocolate — or better yet, rich, moist chocolate cake? Food writer Nigella Lawson and Steve Inskeep discuss the keys to the perfect chocolate cake and the secrets to chocolate's allure.

Writer Jeffrey Eugenides, who edited the new anthology, My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead, takes an unorthodox look at love. He explains how the stories in this collection revolve around voyeuristic longing or disenchanted entanglement.

After reaching a deal with the Union Auto Workers Union, General Motors says it will offer buyout packages to 74,000 of its unionized hourly workers. It's the biggest buyout offer since 2006.