Iran has one of the most successful population control programs in the Middle East. But now Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is calling for the country to nearly double its population. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with BBC's Frances Harrison in Teheran.

The World's Jason Margolis tells us about Riverbend, a blogger who describes herself as a 27-year-old Iraqi woman living in Baghdad. Riverbend's postings offer a vivid description of life in the Iraqi capital, amid rising violence and plummeting hope.

The two most senior American officials in Iraq insisted today that success there can be achieved -- as the Bush administration redoubles its efforts to convince the electorate at home. Anchor Lisa Mullins gets Iraqi reaction from the BBC's Andrew North in Baghdad.

The World's Marco Werman reports on Iranian spike fiddle player Kayhan Kalhor and his collaboration with a Turkish lute player. Kalhor says his goal is to transcend Iran's politics, and relate to people in other countries through music.

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Today's answer is Pakistan, the home country of this year's winner of New York's Vendy Award. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Sean Bizensky, director of the Street Vendor Project in New York City.

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Immigration and border security top the agenda in the race for an open Congressional seat in southern Arizona. The contest could tell us something about how the nation views these issues. Rene Gutel of station KJZZ reports.

Today we're looking for the country of origin of the winner of this year's Vendy Award, an honor that goes to the best street food vendor in New York City.

The World's Matthew Bell takes us on a hummus tour in and around Jerusalem. It turns out people in the Middle East take their hummus very seriously.

The World's Aaron Schachter reports on the infighting among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and US support for efforts to beef up the Palestinian Presidential Guard.