There is political trouble in the Indian Ocean nation of Maldives. President Mohamed Nasheed was ousted earlier this week. Novelist Hari Kunzru, a long time acquaintance of Nasheed, talks to Steve Inskeep about what Nasheed stood for.

Activists and human rights groups in Syria contend the government has now killed hundreds of civilians in just this week alone. It's hard to verify that number, but it is clear that mortars, rockets and tanks continue firing into the city of Homs. The gunfire has served as a week-long punctuation mark on the United Nation's failure to approve a resolution against Syria.

In April, the first company of U.S. Marines will deploy to northern Australia. The training facility there replaces U.S. bases in the Philippines that closed in the early 1990s. It will be one of the largest combined arms training facilities in the world.

Greek politicians on Thursday agreed on massive cuts to bring their budgets in line with what the European Union has demanded. It's the latest act in a months-long drama to bring down the Greek debt load.

In a new cookbook, food writer Elizabeth Andoh tells the story of the cuisine of Japan's Tohoku region, which was hard hit by last year's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. Andoh says it's important to document the region's cuisine now, because traditional dishes often disappear during periods of upheaval.