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Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ has astonished Hollywood by recording blockbuster ticket sales. The Passion remains the nation's top film for a second straight weekend, taking in $53.2 million. In the 12 days since its release, the film has earned a total of $213.9 million. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

Television season finales get dangerous this year: Seven characters from major shows will bite the dust, four will get married, and two will be institutionalized — plus, we'll have a new "Idol," and Tyra will tell us who America's next top model is. What makes a good season finale? TV critics weigh in.

An enormous work of art opens Saturday in New York's Central Park. The Gates Project is the brainchild of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The husband-and-wife team's work consists of 7,500 squared arches topped with orange flags.

In Kansas City, home to some of the nation's top sports architects, a competition is unfolding to build a new downtown sports arena. The local firms' competition comes from acclaimed California architect Frank Gehry, who's better known for designing museums. NPR's Greg Allen reports.

One of Iraq's top foreign ministry officials, Bassam Kubba, died Saturday after being shot by unknown gunmen in Baghdad. He is the first member of Iraq's two-week-old interim government to be killed. Kubba worked through the ranks of the foreign ministry under Saddam Hussein and became ambassador to China. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

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 January 2003, U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) took over as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and, as the ranking member, was briefed in February 2003 on the existence of videotapes of CIA interrogations.

Ken Khachigian, senior adviser to Fred Thompson's exploratory presidential campaign, says Thompson has caught up with top GOP candidates in fundraising. It helps that Americans have some comfort and familiarity with Thompson, he tells Michele Norris.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in China, the final stop of her first Asian tour as America's top diplomat. Rice visited Japan and South Korea in the last two days; the focus of many of her discussions has been North Korea and its nuclear research.

The war on terror has forced al Qaida to decentralize its global structure. A former FBI counterterrorism agent says al Qaida is an especially flexible organization that has changed its tactics but has the same goal: an attack in the United States. Although no attacks have occurred since Sept. 11, al Qaida is still viewed as the top threat to U.S. national security.