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In its first year on the red planet, the six-wheeled rover has driven a little bit more than a mile, drilled into rocks and performed chemical and mineral analysis. Its next journey is a 5-mile trek to the foothills of Mount Sharp to help study Mars' watery past.

The world's soil is in trouble. Ecologists say without dramatic changes to how we manage land, vast swathes of grassland are at risk of turning into hard-packed desert. To make sure that doesn't happen, researchers are testing out innovative ways to keep moisture in the soil.

The BBC has chosen the 12th actor to star in Doctor Who, the show about a traveler in time and space. Veteran actor Peter Capaldi is taking over from Matt Smith, who will take his leave in the Christmas special. For more on the show, Linda Wertheimer talks to BBC arts and entertainment correspondent Tim Masters.

Over the weekend, the western Kentucky town of Fancy Farm was the site of the first meeting between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his likely Democratic opponent, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes. National Democrats promise to make defeating McConnell the top priority as they head into a mid-term election that offers Republicans a good chance of taking control of the Senate.

Nineteen American diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa will remain closed all week. That after U.S. intelligence picked up a threat of terrorist attacks by al Qaida and its affiliates. Over the weekend, the State Department issued a travel alert to Americans warning of planned attacks.

Major League Baseball is expected to hand down suspensions to several players implicated in performance enhancing drug use. New York Yankees all star Alex Rodriguez is the most prominent name on the list, and he also faces the longest suspension.

Gay pride celebrations are held loudly each summer in New York, Paris and Berlin. But when Uganda held its version of the event this weekend, it was done very privately. It came as the Ugandan parliament considers a piece of extremely anti-gay legislation, and as discrimination against gays is widespread

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry won a major victory over the British 200 years ago at the Battle of Lake Erie. On Wednesday the citizens of Erie, Pa., will honor him the best way they know how — with a sideburns contest. Judges are looking for sideburns that resemble Commodore Perry's famous mutton chops.

The mayor of Dorset, Minn., is now four years old. Bobby Tufts' named was pulled out of a hat last year, making him mayor of the town of 20 people. Dorset doesn't have a formal government. On Sunday, his name was drawn again.

After weeks of talk about whether National Security Agency surveillance programs should be curbed, voices are now praising the programs' effectiveness. Meanwhile, many embassies across North Africa and the Middle East remain closed.