From NPR News in Washington, I’m Nora Raum.

 

　　Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a commencement address today to the US Military Academy at West Point. He says the volunteer army faces many challenges from within, including suicide, alcoholism and sexual abuse.

 

　　“You’ll need to not just deal with these debilitating, insidious and destructive forces, but rather you must be the generation of leaders that stop it.”

 

　　He says sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military are profound betrayal. A Pentagon report released this month estimated as many as 26,000 military service members may have been sexually assaulted last year.

 

　　Fighting continues in Syria as government forces try to recapture the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanese border. Activists say rebel-held parts of the town have been heavily bombarded by army units and fighters from Hezbollah. The BBC’s Jim Muir has more.

 

　　Activists said that from early morning the town was hit by very heavy bombardments, including two ground-to-ground missiles and an air strike as well as artillery and rocket fire. They said Hezbollah fighters, who were widely reported to have played a major role in the attack on Sunday, were trying to advance again. Syrian state media said the army launched a three-pronged offensive in the north, center and south of the town and was making big advances, killing many rebel fighters.

 

　　The BBC’s Jim Muir reporting.

 

　　After two days of intense questioning from French judges, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has avoided criminal charges related to a controversial state payout to a businessman while she was finance minister. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley reports the court simply made Lagarde a key witness.

 

　　Under French law, that status means Lagarde could still be charged later on in the case, but can have legal representation and access to court files as the probe continues, a process that could take months or even years. At issue is whether Bernard Tapie, a flamboyant tycoon and ally of President Nicolas Sarkozy, received preferential treatment in a case overseen by a private arbitration panel headed by Lagarde in 2007. Tapie received a $520 million state payout to settle a dispute with state-owned bank Credit Lyonnais over the botched sale of Adidas sportswear in the early 90s. Lagarde said she always acted in the best public interests. The deal is seen by many as an example of the cozy relationship between big money and power in France. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

 

　　French officials say a soldier was stabbed in the neck while on patrol in Paris today. They say he will survive. On Wednesday, a British soldier was publicly hacked to death with a knife and a meat cleaver on a street in London. In a video of the killing, one suspect said he did it because Muslims are dying every day. Officials say they don’t know if the two attacks are related.

 

　　This is NPR News.

 

　　Two free trains collided in southeastern Missouri this morning. The Scott County Sheriff’s Department said one train t-boned the other. That caused the second train to derail, which in turn triggered the collapse of a highway overpass. Five people in cars were injured as well as two train conductors.

 

　　Officials in Washington state are looking for a pre-fabricated bridge to take the place of a bridge that collapsed Thursday night. A truck’s payload hit the bridge. The span gave way. Two vehicles fell into a river. Three people were injured.

 

　　US automakers continue taking steps towards increasing fuel economy. This week General Motors began selling its first diesel car in more than 25 years. NPR’s Sam Sanders reports the automaker is also pushing to make electric cars more available.

 

　　GM started selling a diesel version of its Chevy Cruze compact sedan this week. It will get an average 46 miles per gallon on the highway. The company also says it will sell its newest electric car--the compact Spark--for just under $20,000. That’s after tax rebates. The Spark will lease for just $199 a month. Michelle Krebs, an auto analyst at Edmunds.com, says this news might make consumers happier than GM.

 

　　“This is good for consumers because they get more choice. It’s gonna be difficult for automakers to make money on it.”

 

　　So why would GM make a car that might not make a profit? New fuel economy standards, they require automakers’ fleets to average nearly 55 miles a gallon by 2025. Sam Sanders, NPR News.

 

　　World War II photographer Wayne Miller has died, who was perhaps best-known for his portraits of African Americans, who had moved to Chicago from the South. He was 94.

 

　　I’m Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.