Asia

Children aboard this World Airways DC-8 jet were evacuated from Vietnam on April 2, 1975, shortly before the fall of Saigon and just two days before the first official Operation Babylift flight. Among the children was Thanh Jeff Ghar (center, lying by a w

Flight Attendant On Saigon Evacuation: You Wanted 'To Help Every Child'

6:44am April 29, 2015

by Patricia Murphy

Days before the fall of Saigon, a plane left Vietnam with 57 children on board. The program intended to bring orphans to the U.S. was controversial, but two who were there say it was right.

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Displaced family members with their children in a field opposite the airport in Kathmandu on April 27.

World News

What You Need To Know Before Donating To Earthquake Relief For Nepal

1:04am April 29, 2015

by Diane Cole

The earlier you give, the better. In the days after a disaster, outside help is critical. But you need to be careful. For example, you might think twice if a charity hasn't worked in Nepal till now.

A composite image of file photos shows Australians Myuran Sukumaran (left) and Andrew Chan in Denpasar district court in Bali. Indonesia executed the two men, along with six others, early Wednesday.

World News

Australia To Recall Envoy To Indonesia Over Execution Of 'Bali 9' Pair

8:30pm April 28, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were the ringleaders of a group that sought to smuggle heroin out of Bali in 2005. Their families said the men had turned their lives around since then.

World News

Earthquake In Nepal Sheds Light On Its Volatile Political History

7:53pm April 28, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Jonah Blank, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, about the economics, politics and culture of the Himalayan country.

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A man stands near collapsed houses in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on April 27, two days after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal. Aftershocks tend to get less frequent with time, scientists say, but not necessarily gentler.

Big Aftershocks In Nepal Could Persist For Years

6:20pm April 28, 2015

by Richard Harris

Saturday's magnitude-7.8 quake released stress that was building for 150 years, scientists say, and it reshuffled tension to nearby faults.

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World News

Nepal Earthquake Victims Are Desperate For Help

5:15pm April 28, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

International aid groups have yet to reach the remote mountain villages where the expectation is that many may have been wiped off the map. In Kathmandu, there's anger that aid is too slow in coming.

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Journalist Donatella Lorch broke her no-motorcycle rule so she and her 10-year-old son, Lucas, could survey earthquake damage.

World News

A 10-Year-Old's View Of The Nepal Earthquake

3:13pm April 28, 2015

by Donatella Lorch

"It would be so much more convenient if the earthquake would send us an email in advance with all the details of its arrival," a fearful Lucas told his mother, a journalist.

Best-selling author Liu Cixin's science fiction books are breaking new ground in China's literary world.

Cultural Revolution-Meets-Aliens: Chinese Writer Takes On Sci-Fi

2:31pm April 28, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

Liu Cixin's science-packed, futuristic best-sellers explore the cosmos and offer commentary on current events. The first book in his trilogy has been translated into English.

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World News

Indonesia Notifies Convicted Drug Dealers Of Imminent Execution

2:28pm April 28, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Alice Budisatrijo, a BBC producer in Southeast Asia, about the impending executions of nine drug traffickers in Indonesia, most of them foreigners. The Indonesian attorney general's office says the death row inmates were given the required 72 hours notice of execution on Saturday.

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U.S., Japan Announce Updated Defense Guidelines

2:28pm April 28, 2015

by Jackie Northam

The updated 18-year-old guidelines reflect concern over China's growing influence and North Korea's nuclear capability. They also call for Japan to take a more active role in the Asia Pacific region.

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