Asia

Simon Clements, left, and Steve Williams with their 6-month-old daughter, Sophie, in London. The two British men began the process of finding a surrogate mother more than two years ago. While legal in the U.K., the practice of surrogacy is tightly restric

Surrogate Parenting: A Worldwide Industry, Lacking Global Rules

8:58am June 12, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

In the U.S., surrogacy is a widely accepted practice, though it's governed by a patchwork of state laws. It's barred in some European countries, but widely practiced and largely unregulated in India.

Queue Listen Now

Vikram is the first child to wear a Khushi Baby necklace, which will keep track of his immunizations. He's at a vaccine clinic in Rajasthan, India.

Baby's Necklace Could End Up Being A Lifesaver

8:30pm June 11, 2015

by Nsikan Akpan

In countries like India, where vaccine records are kept on paper, kids often miss a dose — with potentially fatal results. Now some Yale students have come up with a high-tech (and cheap) solution.

Relatives of convicted murderer Aftab Bahadur mourn beside his body after his execution in Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday. Bahadur was just 15 when he was accused of a 1992 murder. Pakistan has executed more than 150 people since lifting a moratorium on t

World News

Pakistan Executes Man Who Was 15 When Charged With Murder

3:36pm June 11, 2015

by Philip Reeves

Aftab Bahadur had been jailed for more than two decades before he was put to death. Pakistan has executed more than 150 people since lifting a moratorium on the death penalty last December.

Queue Listen Now

Pakistani Journalists Divided Over Whether Government Perks Cloud Their Autonomy

6:46pm June 10, 2015

by Philip Reeves

Pakistan's journalists have a proud history of standing up to power at great personal sacrifice. Yet most are also happy to accept massively discounted plots of prime real estate from the government.

Queue Listen Now

A woman smokes a cigarette in a Beijing shopping market, even though the practice is now banned inside public spaces.

How Does A City Stop 4 Million Smokers From Lighting Up?

2:30pm June 10, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

A few years ago, smoking was so common in Beijing that doctors, nurses and patients would even puff away in hospital hallways. Now the city is trying — again — to ban smoking indoors. It isn't easy.

Queue Listen Now

Robert Fortune was a 19th-century Scottish botanist who helped the East India Trading Company swipe the secrets of tea production from China.

Tea Tuesdays: The Scottish Spy Who Stole China's Tea Empire

11:05am June 10, 2015

by NPR Staff

In the mid-1800s, Britain was a global superpower with a big weakness for tea, all of which came from China. But a botanist with a talent for espionage helped Britain swipe the secrets of tea.

World News

Praise For Indian PM's Diplomacy, Then A Backlash For His Undiplomatic Remark

5:47pm June 09, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

He may have thought it was a compliment to say his Bangladeshi counterpart has done well "despite being a woman." Yes, it's now a hashtag.

Bush Talks Tough Against Russia In First Foreign Address

5:19pm June 09, 2015

by Jessica Taylor

The likely 2016 GOP presidential contender also pushed for increased U.S. trade relations in the region.

South Korea Scrambles To Contain MERS Virus

2:14pm June 09, 2015

by Elise Hu

Middle East respiratory syndrome has killed seven people and infected nearly 100 others in South Korea. The World Health Organization is out with new findings about the science behind this outbreak.

Queue Listen Now

Japanese Author Builds Monument To Honor Dead Insects

8:08am June 09, 2015

It shows a man with his head bent, bowing to a massive beetle crawling over a rock. Takeshi Yoro tells the Kyodo News agency, he hopes the monument will console the souls of the insects he has killed.

Queue Listen Now