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Before his own rise up the music charts, Kanye West spent his time producing hits for other top rappers, including Jay-Z. Convinced of the need to display his own unique skills, he released the hugely successful disc College Dropout in 2004.

Secretary of State of Condoleezza Rice is making her first trip to Iraq as the nation's top diplomat. NPR's Peter Kenyon is in Baghdad, and he talks to host Liane Hansen about Rice's visit and the United States' efforts to combat insurgents along the Syrian border.

Senate hearings cast light on systemic problems within the U.S. military structure that may have contributed to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Testimony from top U.S. officials and military commanders suggests a lack of defined leadership, poor communication within the chain of command and confusion over rules for interrogating prisoners. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

Camp Alpha, a U.S. military base in Iraq, was built directly on top of the ancient temple area of Babylon. The base's location was chosen to protect the archeological site from looters. Instead, the base has resulted in damage that some antiquities experts characterize as "horrifying." Hear NPR's Renee Montagne and archeologist John Russell.

Leaders of the world's top economic democracies meet in Sea Island, Ga., for the annual Group of Eight summit on global economic and political issues. Leaders from Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq's new interim government are also attending the event. Issues surrounding Iraq's future and democratic reform in the Mideast are expected to fill the agenda. Hear NPR's Jim Zarroli.

In Erie, Pa., firefighters rescued a cat and the woman who tired to get it out of a tree. Stuck in the top branches was Tara Dennis, according to the Erie Times-News.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's Instagram account includes images of his smiling first lady. It makes no mention of the country's civil war. Instead, it show his wife helping out in a soup kitchen, and congratulating top achieving students.

The large wooden horns which are traditional in the Alps can be more than 10 feet in length. Over the weekend, professionals serenaded the German city of Dresden from the top of an apartment building.

A driver in Sydney spotted a man riding on top of a motorized suitcase. A video shows the man and his suitcase moving very slowly. Video of the unusual mode of transportation has gone viral.

The grocery store Sainsbury's showed a photo with a fruit scone smothered in cream and jam. The problem: the photo showed jam on top of the cream. Customers in Cornwall argued the jam must go first.