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The U.N. says more than 3,500 people have died in Syria's eight-month cycle of protests and government crackdowns. Residents of Homs, the third largest city in the country, report fierce fighting as government forces try to regain control of the city.

Nine months after the quake in Haiti, Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat is sharing the earthquake story with an audience that was largely shielded from it — children. Eight Days is a book about a boy who gets buried in the rubble and is not rescued until eight days later.

America's Memorial Day is an occasion for large ceremonies in Belgium, a country twice liberated by U.S. soldiers. But in one small town, a ceremony will celebrate the memory of Gerald Sorensen, a U.S. airman who was shot down -- and joined the resistance.

The La Jolla Playhouse presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama RUINED. The play, set in Africa, tells the stories of men and women whose lives have been scarred by the degradation of civil war. We'll speak with the director of the Playhouse production, Liesl Tommy.

The Very Light Car is the last remaining four-seat sedan vying for $5 million in the prestigious X Prize competition. It weighs just over 700 pounds -- far less than a typical compact car. But unlike most other entries in the competition, it's not an electric or a hybrid vehicle.

Spoke to a Marine the other day four days away from the end of his enlistment. Back from his second tour in Iraq & ndash; he says things are now definitely better in Western Iraq, things are definitely better now than they were in 2004 when rockets fell on him from day one. Though he conceded, there is & ldquo;real shit going on in Basra. & rdquo; & In the best soldierly sense & ndash; what concerned him most was keeping his buddies alive. The insurgents take to using children to wield AK's or lob the occasional grenade. This Marine said he hesitated after spotting a near ten year old raise his rifle & ndash; he had a hair trigger moment to take the kid out & hellip;It was just a kid. He hesitated. The kid fired, hit a platoon member and the platoon opened up on the kid. The wounded soldier survived, the kid was eliminated. The Marine took no pleasure in the story, but seemed still puzzled by the impossible situation he was in & ndash; troubled that he almost got a buddy killed. He seemed also uneasy about the fact that the kid will not be showing up on any casualty lists. The Department of Defense does not consider children battle casualties even if they are involved in hostile activity. The kid is gone, his death does not officially exist. No matter your politics, that seems a heavy load for a twenty four year old soon to be ex Marine from Washington who wants to make San Diego his home. This Marine seemed up to the task & ndash; a So Cal transplant, a nice kid, a young guy with a future and a veteran & hellip;

Cutbacks in the city's emergency-services staffing may have played a role in the death of a toddler who choked on a gumball at his Mira Mesa home, Fire Chief Javier Mainar acknowledged today.

Co-Founder of Veterans Group Not Surpised by Army Vet's Rampage

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the country's longest-serving leader since the 19th century, stepped down Friday. His 30-year rule is recalled as a time of political repression, widespread corruption and economic stagnation for all but an elite few.

NPR's Jason Beaubien has been covering the aftermath of the massive earthquake that decimated Haiti on Jan. 12. He says corpses are so common both on the street and oozing out of the wreckage, that it's the living who haunt him. For the country to be reborn, and to avoid becoming a wasteland kept alive on international aid, he says the living need to heal — and dream of a new future.