Amidst the biggest challenge to his rule and a bloody crackdown that's killed thousands, Bashar Assad's wife spent more than $15,000 on furniture from Paris.

New state laws requiring voters to show identification before casting a ballot have been hotly debated during this election season. Now the civil rights group, the NAACP, is appealing to the United Nations Human Rights Council for support. Host Michel Martin talks with the group's Hillary Shelton.

In its first verdict, the International Criminal Court convicted former Congolese rebel fighter Thomas Lubanga of recruiting and enlisting child soldiers. Children were forced to fight under his command, in a brutal civil war. Host Michel Martin talks with Shelly Whitman of the Child Soldiers Initiative about the case and its effect on the region.

It's been a year since the uprising began, and as the death toll rises, some American lawmakers are calling for U.S. military intervention. Host Michel Martin explores the issue with Shaun Casey, who teaches "Just War" theory, and Abderrahim Foukara of Al Jazeera International.