Asia

China Limits Chauffeurs; Workers Struggle To Pass Driving Test

5:22pm April 01, 2015

The Xinhua news agency spoke to a driving instructor who said some mid-level officials are lousy students: "too used to doing things their own way." One official has failed the driving test 10 times.

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World News

Thailand Lifts Martial Law, But Critics Say Its Replacement Is Worse

4:56pm April 01, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The announcement goes into effect immediately. The new law, Article 44, gives coup leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha sweeping powers over the Thai government.

Malaysian pro driver Leona Chin took several driving instructors for a spin for their first day on the job.

'Girl Drifter' Race Driver Freaks Out Instructors In Prank

1:28pm April 01, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Leona Chin stalled her high-powered car in first gear and randomly turned the wipers on — before unleashing the skills she has honed as a professional driver. Havoc, and some panic, ensued.

Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei (left) speaks during the signing ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank last year in Beijing.

Dozens Of Countries Join China-Backed Bank Opposed By Washington

6:24pm March 31, 2015

by Jackie Northam

Some of Washington's closest allies have signed on to a new Asian development bank. The U.S. opposes the bank, in part, because it presents a challenge to American influence in the Asia region.

Eighteen-year-old Zahra Karimi Nooristani dangles precariously off a rock face high above Kabul.

World News

The Ascent Of Afghan Women

4:47pm March 31, 2015

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Afghanistan is a mountainous land where mountain climbing is rare among men and virtually nonexistent among women. An American is now preparing young Afghan women to scale the country's highest peak.

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Charles and his bride Xiao Fang met through a social media app where they connected by shaking their smartphones at the same time. NPR's Frank Langfitt met Charles in Shanghai and drove him 500 miles to his family's home in central China for the wedding.

World News

Modern Love in China: Shaking Your Smartphone To Find Your Soul Mate

9:35am March 31, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

Chinese romance is a mix of old and new, of social networking apps and advice from fortune tellers. NPR's Frank Langfitt drives a groom to his wedding and attends the countryside nuptials.

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Shilpi, a cousin of Bangladeshi blogger Washiqur Rahman, is seen outside a morgue at the Dhaka Medical College in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Monday. The blogger was hacked to death Monday morning by three men in the capital, police said.

World News

Bangladeshi Blogger Hacked To Death; 2 Students Arrested

5:20pm March 30, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Washiqur Rahman's killing comes a month after a deadly attack by Islamists on Bangladeshi-American blogger Avijit Roy in the country's capital.

About 30 people believed to be relatives of Chinese passengers of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that went missing a year ago, protest near the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing on Sunday.

World News

MH370 Had Expired Battery On Black Box 'Pinger,' Report Says

4:22pm March 30, 2015

by Scott Neuman

It said the battery had expired 15 months prior to the Malaysia airliner's disappearance. The report also said there was no evidence the plane's crew acted abnormally ahead of the flight.

Mourners pay their respects to Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on Friday. Lee, who died last week at age 91, led Singapore's economic transformation.

How Singapore Became One Of The Richest Places On Earth

10:33am March 29, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The founder of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, used both free-market principles and strong central planning to transform the tiny former British colony into an economic powerhouse.

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In Regulating Outdoor Dancing, China Tells Seniors How To Bust A Move

8:07pm March 27, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

China's sports bureaucracy threatened this week to standardize dancing in public squares.

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