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The Badgers surely derailed a lot of brackets in the second round of the men's tournament on Saturday, after defeating the top-seeded Wildcats, 65-62.

A cafe in Bourges, France, thought it won a top rating for its food. Great news — except the star was meant for a restaurant with the same name 100 miles away.

The dating site Cupid.com has released a survey rating regional accents. The most attractive accent in North America is the Southern drawl. The New York accent came in second. Rounding out the top 5: the New Jersey, Boston and Western accents.

U.S. officials disclose they're holding a man they believe to be al Qaeda's top operative in the Persian Gulf region. Authorities say Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is suspected of planning the U.S.S. Cole attack in Yemen, was arrested "in recent weeks" and is being held at an undisclosed location. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

Pianist Chuck Leavell made a name for himself as a rock 'n' roll musician and pianist-for-hire for top bands like the Rolling Stones and Blues Traveler. When he's not on tour, Leavell tends to his other passion -- he's an award-winning tree farmer. Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks with Leavell about how this rock musician became interested in tree farming.

The hostility that has characterized the China-Taiwan relationship for the past year seems to have abated. NPR's Rob Gifford tells Noah Adams that this week Taiwan allowed the first legal direct shipping from Taiwanese-held islands to mainland China. And Taiwan's top policymaker indicated China might be more flexible than in the past on the issue of one China. China always has insisted that Taiwan accept the concept of one China, including Taiwan, with Beijing as the capital. But in an interview yesterday, a high-level official indicated Beijing might consider a broader definition of what constitutes one China.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from Davos, Switzerland, that the annual World Economic Forum got under way today amid concern over a downturn in the U.S. economy. This year's event did not draw as many top leaders to Davos as last year's 30th anniversary meeting. The Bush administration -- in the midst of confirmation hearings -- sent no senior official to Davos. Swiss police have mounted a huge security operation to prevent the kind of "anti-globalization" protests that have surrounded recent meetings of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization.

NPR's Barbara Bradley reports that, while financier Marc Rich's pardon didn't go through the usual channels at the Justice Department, one top official, Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, was informed. Another issue about Rich's citizenship has also arisen. At one time he renounced his citizenship, but the State Department maintains he is still a U.S. citizen. If so, the multimillionaire could owe U.S. income taxes on earnings during 17-years of exile in Switzerland. That could sway his decision on whether to return to the U.S.

The fate of financially troubled Amtrak could depend on the success of Acela Express, its new high-speed train. NPR's Jack Speer reports that the long-delayed train took a group of VIPs on an inaugural run today from Washington to Boston. The train reaches a top speed of 150 miles per hour, but it's still slower than bullet trains in Europe and Japan. Acela tickets aren't cheap, and Amtrak faces a major challenge in persuading people who travel between major citieis by car or air shuttle, to opt for the train.

Babu Chhiri Sherpa, a guide well known to climbers of Mount Everest has fallen to his death. Noah Adams talks with Heidi Howkins, a mountaineer and author of the book K2: One Woman's Quest for the Summit. Howkins was on a climb with Babu Chhiri when he broke the record for the longest stay at the top of Mt. Everest without bottled oxygen. Babu Chhiri also set a record for the fastest climb of Mount Everest -- 16 hours and 56 minutes. (4:00) K2: One Woman's Quest for the Summit, by Heidi Howkins, is published by National Geographic Adventure Press.