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The new U.S. civilian administrator for Iraq arrives in Basra, accompanied by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers. A longtime State Department official, Paul Bremer replaces retired Gen. Jay Garner in overseeing Iraq's reconstruction. Bremer's arrival comes a day after Barbara Bodine, in charge of governing central Iraq, leaves her post. Hear NPR's Guy Raz.

U.S. troops find of boxes of suspicious white powder, a nerve agent antidote, and documents on chemical warfare at an industrial site south of Baghdad, according to a brigade commander of the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division. But U.S. forces have not yet found definitive proof that Saddam Hussein's regime has biological and chemical weapons. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns Syria and Iran to stay out of the war in neighboring Iraq. Rumsfeld accuses Syria of shipping military gear to Iraqi forces, an allegation Syria's foreign ministry called "unfounded." Rumsfeld also warns Iraqi exiles entering the country from Iran that they will be treated as "combatants" if they join the fighting. Hear NPR's Scott Horsley.

Seven American prisoners of war rescued by U.S. Marines Sunday will be debriefed and interviewed, in part to see if they can provide information that could help in finding any other missing U.S. soldiers. A military spokesman says decisions on sending them elsewhere before they fly home will be made on a "case-by-case basis." Meanwhile, families of the troops celebrate. Hear NPR's Greg Allen.

Saddam Hussein's government has fallen, but for many Muslims the war is now about the United States vs. Islam. That's a sentiment heard in Egypt, where a Muslim cleric has given his blessing to anyone who wished to aid Iraq. The cleric said the war in Iraq really amounted to an attack against all Muslim nations. NPR's Michael Sullivan reports.

President Bush is pleased with the U.S. military's progress in Baghdad and believes the "historical moment" is a "powerful testament to mankind's desire to live free," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says. But the White House also warns that dangers for U.S. troops could still lie ahead. Hear NPR's Brian Naylor.

The United States plans to present the U.N. Security Council with a draft resolution Friday calling for the immediate end to sanctions on Iraq. U.S. officials hope to transfer the administration of Iraq's oil contracts from the United Nations to an international advisory board. Concerns over U.N. weapons inspections could stall the process. NPR's Vicky O'Hara reports.

The last of the 20,000 troops of the 1st Marine Division pull out of Baghdad and head south as the Army moves in to take charge of the Iraqi capital. The handover comes as tensions rise between the Marines and Baghdad residents, who express frustration with lawlessness and lack of electricity. Hear NPR's John Burnett.

Conducting airstrikes and artillery assaults, U.S. forces clash with Iraqi troops in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. U.S. military planners had expected remnants of the Iraqi army and Baath party may mount a last stand there, but reports suggest that many soldiers have fled and that defenses in the city are seriously weakened. Hear Michael Ware of Time magazine.

David Ho, a medical researcher best known for helping to create a "cocktail" treatment for AIDS patients, says there are promising results from tests on the SARS virus. Ho says the SARS virus, which has killed at least 500 and infected more than 7,000 worldwide, may attack people's cells in a manner similar to the AIDS virus. Hear NPR's Joe Palca.