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Pub-goers in London cheer Queen Elizabeth II's announcement that Parliament will soon consider allowing pubs to stay open 24 hours. Currently, pubs must close at 11 p.m. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with London pub manager Charlotte Renick. (This story was corrected on air on Nov. 14, 2002: "It's Thursday, the day we read from your letters, and we start with a correction to yesterday's program. I said that Britain's pubs have closed early, ever since World War II. Our thanks to Charles Day in Bozeman, Montana, Marc James Small in Roanoke, Virginia and Peg Willingham in Arlington, Virginia. All pointed out that closing the pubs early was a World War I innovation, part of the Defence of the Realm Act. Mr. Day notes that the law was "affectionately known to the British' by its acronym 'DORA.' The logic of the pub closings was, he writes, 'to keep factory production levels high. Factory workers, particularly the ammunition factory workers, would be home from the pubs at a reasonable hour so that they would show up well rested on the factory floor the next morning.'"

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the missile defense system, which will be manned by U.S. service members, will arrive in Slovakia in the coming days.

At 8 years old, Emmanuel Jal was carrying an AK-47 rifle as a child soldier in the Sudan People's Liberation Army. Taken from battle and adopted by a British aid worker, he is now a rising international music star. He discusses his experiences and music. Jal's new album is titled Warchild.

Animal Collective is an experimental pop band that's cultivated an air of mystery over the past few years, as well as a passionate following. Will Hermes reviews the band's new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Meteorologists said an overheated mass of air and warm African winds are driving temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula beyond their usual highs.

The grainy, blurry portrait of Ran Blake on the cover of his album, Driftwoods, looks like spirit photography: the pianist as ghostly presence. His playing can be spooky, too. The CD radically transforms popular vocal standards from Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Quincy Jones and more.

Reading Rainbow, a program dedicated to children's literacy, aired on PBS for 23 years. LeVar Burton has won 12 Daytime Emmys and a Peabody Award for his work on the show.

Apple says its new autocorrect will use machine learning to understand users' habits and preferences, including when to leave words alone. The update is expected this fall, so get your ducks in a row.

The VISION EQXX prototype can go about 620 miles on a single charge, Mercedes says.

The Chamber Strings' Month of Sundays is wistful wounded-boy pop of the highest order. Singer Kevin Junior writes unassuming melodies that don't conform to the instant-hook template, and he sings them with the casual air of a cat stretched out on a sofa in the sun.