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Elizabeth was just 25 and visiting the then-colony of Kenya, when word came her father the King had died. The royals will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee by visiting the nations that once made up the British empire.

People in Homs, Syria, say government forces are shelling the city and that at least 15 to 20 people have died so far today. The renewed attacks follow an even deadlier weekend barrage — human rights groups say government forces killed about 200 people in Homs on Saturday, making it perhaps the bloodiest day since opposition protests began last spring.

It's the season of the Polar Bear Plunge, when many Americans take a challenge to leap into icy water. If they can find cold water. In Rehoboth Beach, Del., people leaped into ocean water that was 47 degrees — the warmest on record.

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

For many chefs, winning the prize we'll talk about next is like winning the Super Bowl. But in the international contest's 26 year history, no American has ever won the Bocuse d'Or. That's D-apostrophe-O-R. The first step in deciding who represents the United States is a nation competition, which was recently held at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Karen Michel was there.

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

NPR's business news begins with possible mortgage relief.