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The Pakistani parliament passes a bill allowing President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to remain as army chief despite his promises to step down from the post. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Philip Reeves.

Afghanistan's presidential balloting has run into an immediate challenge. Rivals to interim President Hamid Karzai called for a boycott, saying ink stamped onto voters' hands in a bid to prevent fraud washed off too easily. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Fifteen candidates challenging interim leader Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan's Saturday presidential election say they will boycott the results of the vote. They candidates say there are problems with ink meant to prevent people from voting more than once. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Iraq's national assembly gives approval to a partial list of Cabinet heads submitted by Prime Minister-elect Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds are included, with the majority of positions going to Shiites. But several key leadership posts remain vacant, including the defense and oil ministries.

Iraq's National Assembly votes to extend its deadline to draft a constitution by one week. The extension was agreed to after Kurdish leaders requested more time; feverish last-minute talks failed to resolve contentious issues, from the role of Islamic law to regional autonomy.

The cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan is soaring. The Afghan and U.S. governments are working to counter the drug trade.

Officials in Pakistan now say as many as 40,000 may have been killed in Saturday's earthquake, and the toll could go higher. Neighboring India also saw an impact, with widespread damage and at least 2,000 killed. Relief from donor countries is beginning to trickle in, but more is needed.

At least 1,000 people are believe dead in Pakistan and India after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 hit early Saturday morning. The quake was centered about 60 miles north of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

In talks to frame an Iraqi constitution, a top Shiite political leader calls for autonomy for the Shiite-dominated region of southern Iraq. In the north, Kurdish leaders made similar demands. Iraq's Shiite prime minister rejected the proposals.

Under mounting pressure from U.S. officials, Iraqi politicians are struggling to meet Monday's deadline for drafting a new constitution. Divisive issues remain, including the level of regional autonomy, the role of Islam and the rights of women.