Asia

World News

Powerful 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Nepal

7:22pm May 12, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block talks to Kathmandu-based freelance writer Donatella Lorch about the most recent earthquake in Nepal, which came just three weeks after a major quake killed more than 8,000 people.

Queue Listen Now

Senators Deny Obama Authority To Expedite Pacific Trade Deal

7:22pm May 12, 2015

by Ailsa Chang

The U.S. Senate blocked a measure that would give President Obama fast-track trade authority to complete a massive Pacific trade deal. Most of Obama's opponents on trade come from his own party.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Malaysia Says It Will Turn Back Migrant Boats

5:29pm May 12, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

It comes a day after more than 1,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshis landed in the waters of Malaysia's Langkawi island, and after Indonesia said it would also turn back the migrants.

Secular activists protest the killing of Bangladeshi blogger Ananta Bijoy Das in Bangladesh on Tuesday.

World News

Blogger Is Hacked To Death In Bangladesh After Promoting Secular Thought

12:35pm May 12, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The writer Ananta Bijoy Das was killed by men wielding machetes. He wrote for the same blog founded by Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-American who died in a similar attack in February.

On Sunday, about 70 marchers gathered at Seoul's City Hall Square to raise attention for South Korea's single moms. The annual event is in its fifth year.

South Korea's Single Moms Struggle To Remove A Social Stigma

10:40am May 12, 2015

by Elise Hu

Women who choose to raise their children out of wedlock are so rare in South Korean society that they face social ostracization, job losses and active encouragement to adopt out their kids.

Queue Listen Now

The twisting Shanghai Tower (right) is the world's second-tallest building and opens soon.

World News

Shanghai Tower: A Crown For The City's Futuristic Skyline

10:40am May 12, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

The 2,073-foot-tall Shanghai Tower, the world's second-tallest building, opens this year. More than just a skyscraper, it's a symbol of Shanghai's — and China's — soaring ambitions.

Queue Listen Now

Hong Kong Shoppers Watch A Pig Fly — Or, Rather, Fall From Above

10:19am May 12, 2015

A wild boar got into the ceiling of a clothing store in Hong Kong. As the boar kicked a hole in that ceiling, the excited crowd below looked on as the ceiling appeared to give birth to a boar.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Teen Blogger In Singapore On Trial For Sedition

9:51pm May 11, 2015

In Singapore, political discourse is highly controlled. And a 16-year-old blogger named Amos Yee has pushed those limits. A verdict in the case is expected on Tuesday.

Queue Listen Now

A food market in Singapore in 2012. The U.S. government says that American farmers can help "fill the void" being created by rising demand for meat in countries like Singapore through the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

No One's Talking About What The Pacific Trade Deal Means For Diets

7:23pm May 11, 2015

by Tracie McMillan

Trade deals like NAFTA can have vast long-term impacts on diet and health. Experts say they're concerned that the U.S. isn't addressing these implications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

International Adoptees Create A New Sense Of Community Together

4:11pm May 11, 2015

by Kaomi Goetz

Americans began adopting children from South Korea more than 50 years ago. Now adults, some of these adoptees gather regularly in New York to help and support each other.

Queue Listen Now