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Conflicting reports surround military action in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra. British air forces fire on a large, heavily armed tank column seen leaving the city, although its destination remains unclear. British military headquarters in Kuwait says Basra is a military objective, but there's no indication of when or if an invasion may take place. Officials also have not confirmed reports of a civilian uprising in the city. Hear the BBC's Clive Myrie.

Iraq's health minister says more than 350 civilians have been killed since the war began, including 36 in Baghdad over the past 24 hours. Most of the victims died in an attack on a commercial district in the city; Iraqi officials blame the bombing on U.S. missiles, but the Pentagon says it did not target the area. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

U.S. military officials reject reports that Iraqi resistance is stalling the drive to Baghdad, or slowing allied supplies. At a news briefing in Qatar, Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart says "there's no pause on the battlefield." In Nasiriyah, U.S. Marines defending two key bridges against Iraqi resistance shift tactics and push into the city. NPR's Mike Shuster reports.

The Supreme Court hears arguments on two related lawsuits that challenge a policy at the University of Michigan that considers race in admitting new students. The cases test whether the university is allowed to discriminate because it values diversity in its student body, or whether discrimination is only justified to reverse past racial injustice. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

Congress is expected to approve President Bush's $75-billion request to fund the war in Iraq, but the House and Senate must reconcile differences over the size of a proposed tax cut. The House passed the president's package, worth $726 billion over 10 years. But the war's growing price tag makes the Senate reluctant to sign off on the entire amount. NPR's David Welna reports.

A U.S. military official says 11 bodies -- some of them believed to be Americans -- were found with prisoner of war Pfc. Jessica Lynch when she was rescued in a U.S. commando raid on an Iraqi hospital. Lynch was one of 15 Army solders in a convoy that made a wrong turn near Nasiriyah on March 23. NPR's Alex Chadwick talks to Navy Captain Frank Thorp.

The Pentagon reports U.S. forces are rolling through key areas in Iraq with little sign of Republican Guard units. A week of heavy bombing has weakened some guard divisions, but military officials say they've seen few surrenders. The Pentagon says it's not clear what Iraq's strategy is, and warns again that the toughest fighting lies ahead. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden.

The U.S. military investigates the possibility that an American Patriot missile caused the crash of a Navy F/A-18. U.S. forces are searching near Karbala for the pilot of the downed fighter jet. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

As the siege of Baghdad nears, the city mysteriously plunges into darkness in the first widespread power outage since the war began. Streets are empty, and southern and western roads out of the city are blocked. Iraq's information ministry maintains U.S. forces aren't within 100 miles of capital. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

U.S. Army and Marine units move north after a one-week pause, signaling that the battle for Baghdad may soon begin in earnest. U.S. forces engage Republican Guard units in heavy fighting near two key cities on the way to the Iraqi capital. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.