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National Security Adviser Donilon Resigns; Rice To Take Over

The White House announced Wednesday that Tom Donilon is resigning as President Obama's national security adviser. He will be replaced by Susan Rice, the current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Syrian army's soldiers walk in a street left in ruins on Wednesday in the city of Qusair in Syria's central Homs province.

Syrian Government Seizes Control Of The Key City Of Qusair

The town, near the border with Lebanon, had been under rebel control for more than a year. The fight for the town was especially fierce, because Hezbollah sent its fighters from Lebanon.

Syrian soldiers stand in the main square of the western city of Qusair. Government troops recaptured the town on Wednesday after rebels had held it for more than a year. It's seen as a significant victory for President Bashar Assad's government.

A Small Farming Town Becomes Ground Zero In Syria's War

Syria's army has retaken the key crossroads town of Qusair after heavy fighting with rebels. NPR's Rima Marrouch, who was a regular visitor before the war, explains how the Christian-Muslim town became a sectarian battleground.

Firefighters and rescue workers at the site of Wednesday's building collapse in Philadelphia.

Death Toll In Philadelphia Building Collapse Rises to 6

A building crumpled at mid-morning Wednesday. An adjacent thrift store was heavily damaged. At least 13 people were injured.

Tartit performs at the Festival au Desert.

Festival Au Desert: Music Of Peace Not Silenced By War

For a dozen years, a music festival that highlights the music of Africa has been held near Timbuktu, Mali. This year, a nationalist uprising and ongoing battles made the Festival au Desert impossible. A new recording from the most recent event helps fans continue to celebrate the music.

The metal in an Egyptian iron bead dating from around 3,300 BC has been found to have originated from space, according to analysis. Here, the bead is seen in (clockwise from top left) a photograph, a CT cross-section view, a model of nickel oxides, and a model in which blue areas represent the rich presence of nickel inside the bead.

Smelted In Space? Ancient Iron Beads Linked To Meteorite

Since its discovery in 1911, an Egyptian iron bead has sparked debate over how it was produced — made around 3,300 BC, it predates the region's first known iron smelting by thousands of years. Now researchers say the iron was made in space, and delivered to Earth via meteorite.

Priest, Author And Critic Rev. Andrew Greeley Dies

He thought of himself as a priest first and foremost. But Greeley was famous for his sometimes steamy novels that also cast a critical eye at his church. Greeley was 85 and had been in poor health since suffering a brain injury in 2008.

The gray line in the upper left comes from an aerial view of Afghanistan's crucial Highway 1, the main route between Kabul and Kandahar, the two biggest cities. U.S. forces are still working to secure the route which runs through lush farm valleys and the high desert terrain.

As The Clock Ticks, U.S. Forces Scale Back Afghan Goals

The 12-year U.S. military effort in Afghanistan has sought to drive out extremists and help Afghans rebuild their country. As the American forces prepare to withdraw, the focus is on practical security measures and those ambitious nation-building goals seem to be fading away.

Abdul-Baki Todashev, father of Ibragim Todashev, shows pictures he says are of his son's bullet-riddled body, at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.

Father Of Chechen Killed In Florida Says His Son Was Executed

Abdul-Baki Todashev says Ibragim Todashev, who was being questioned about his ties to one of the Boston bombing suspects, was "100 percent unarmed" and that the FBI killed him execution-style.

2 Years Added To Expected Life Of Medicare Trust Fund

Trustees now expect the program's fund will be depleted in 2026. Meanwhile, Social Security's trust fund is still expected to go dry in 2033. Both programs' finances need to be reformed, experts agree.

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