In the wake of yesterdays massive car bombings in Baghdad, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a surprise visit to Iraq today. He issued a stern warning to Iraqi leaders, demanding faster progress on political reconciliation. Anchor Lisa Mullins gets the latest from Sudarsan Raghavan, Baghdad Bureau chief for the Washington Post.

Taiwan's governing party has been forced to issue a public apology after two legislators reported a hoax hostage taking at a Taipei university to test campus security following Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with reporter Caroline Gluck who's been covering the story.

Following Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech, colleges across the globe are evaluating their student mental health programs. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Iain Guthrie, who runs Mental Health First Aid Workshops at colleges and universities in Scotland. The workshops aim to reduce stigma and provide information about resources for treatment and support.

The World's Katy Clark reports on how news organizations around the globe handle unsolicited materials sent to them. NBC News decided to broadcast video and still images mailed by Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui.

A nine-piece band from Brooklyn, the Slavic Soul Party, incorporates the traditional brass music of the Balkans in their music. Anchor Lisa Mullins has more on the story.

The answer to today's Geo Quiz is Pitcairn Island, home to the descendents of the mutineers of the Bounty

Anchor Lisa Mullins reads listeners' comments on the Virginia Tech tragedy.

In today's Geo Quiz we're looking for places on earth that are directly opposite any given point on the planet. These are called antipodes. And we're looking for the Antipode Baghdad.

Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo about the shooting death of the mayor of the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The incident has led to new calls for the Japanese government to crack down on illegal guns. Japan already has very strict gun laws.

Many South Koreans are feeling a sense of shame after police said the gunman who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech was a South Korean citizen. They're also fearing a backlash against their country. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks to the BBC's South Korea correspondent Charles Scanlon.