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What's the best way to pick a sport's ultimate champion? Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Mike Pesca about the fickle nature of competitions, from the World Cup to the NFL playoffs to college football playoffs.

It has been National Day of Prayer and reflection in South Africa as the nation pays tribute to the late Nelson Mandela. Host Arun Rath speaks with NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton about the day, and how white South Africans are reacting to the death of Mandela.

This week, Hassan al-Laqis, a senior commander of Hezbollah, was assassinated in Beirut, Lebanon. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the killing, but Israel has denied that it had any involvement. Host Arun Rath speaks with Mitchell Prothero, who reports from Beirut for McClatchy, and Matthew Levitt, author of Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Army of God, about who al-Laqis was, and what the assassination means.

The esteemed UK songwriter says the idea of making a holiday record seemed laughable at first. He tells NPR's Arun Rath how he came around, and performs a few songs from the new Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family.

One group of voters that the GOP has traditionally been able to count on are those over 65. But a new survey of battleground congressional districts show some cracks in that foundation, possibly enough to swing some closely contested seats.

While the world remembers Nelson Mandela as the great reconciler, some ordinary South Africans are remembering him in their own way — as a powerful figure of resistance. And they're looking toward the country's future with both hope and uncertainty.

Also: Defense Secretary Hagel arrives in Pakistan for critical talks; Thailand's prime minister dissolves government for new elections; former San Diego mayor Bob Filner to be sentenced on assault convictions; and a 21-foot gingerbread house with edible panels sets a world record.

Tensions are high in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as huge crowds of protesters vent their anger at President Viktor Yanukovych. He has rejected a plan to strengthen ties between Ukraine and the European Union. The demonstrators fear that Yanukovych will instead strengthen ties with Russia and some former Soviet republics. There have been angry face-offs between protesters and police. In one incident on Monday, a line of demonstrators pushed right up against the shields of a line of police. Tempers were flaring until a group of parliamentarians walked between the two lines and separated them.

The world has joined South Africans in mourning and memorializing Nelson Mandela, who died Thursday at age 95. The life of the man known as the '"father of the nation" — the anti-apartheid hero, Nobel Laureate laureate and South Africa's first black president — will be celebrated on Tuesday in Johannesburg, a ceremony that will be attended by many world leaders.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel returned to the Mideast on Monday after a weekend tour of Afghanistan and a stop in Pakistan. The trip focused on a planned security deal with Afghanistan and concerns among Gulf allies about a nuclear deal with Iran.

North Carolina is expected to host one of the nation's toughest U.S. Senate races next year. First-term Democrat Kay Hagan is seeking re-election, but recent polls show that even though her GOP opponent won't be known until the spring, her support for President Obama and the Affordable Care Act have already hurt her standing with state voters. She's also being targeted by outside groups, who are spending millions of dollars in hopes of unseating her.

US Airways and American Airlines officially merged Monday to create the world’s largest airline. Charlotte’s airport, a current US Airways hub, will…

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced the government lost $10.7 billion on the deal but saved an estimated 1.5 million jobs in the industry.

Under the agreement, Jordan would build a desalination plant and a pipeline would be built from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Dead Sea.

Canada's wish list this year might not please Santa. It's preparing to ask the U.N. to extend its nautical borders farther into the Arctic — far enough to include the North Pole, which is home to vast deposits of oil and gas.

In Soweto, South Africa, NPR's Gregory Warner speaks with people attending Nelson Mandela's memorial service — some who are too young to remember the late leader's years as president.

The Stanley Parable is an exploration game, as well as a narrative storytelling experiment, that puts into question the tried and true rules of video games and challenges the player's notions of choice and free will.

Bank of America remains in last place among big banks in a widely watched measure of customer satisfaction, and is the only one that has yet to return to…

The family had gone to an abandoned mining town in northern Nevada to play in the snow and didn't return. They faced subzero temperatures.

Sure, you can flip up a short stack of syrupy pancakes and bacon and delight everyone at the dinner table. But why stop there? Why not serve, say, eggs baked in a seasoned sauce, with crusty bread for dipping? Or use a waffle iron to press perfectly crisp hash browns.