Japan's Ruling Party Poised For Landslide In Snap Elections
The victory is seen as a mandate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic overhaul plan, even as Japan has fallen back into recession in the second half of 2014.
Asia
Turkey Launches Crackdown On Government Critics
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has rounded up two dozen journalists, television producers and police with close ties to an exiled cleric who is fiercely critical of the government.
Hong Kong Protesters Leave The Streets, Not Their Cause
Hong Kong's final pro-democracy protest camp was removed by the police this week. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Frank Langfitt about the future of the movement and relations with mainland China.
NOAA Team Finds Shipwreck Of The 'Titanic Of The Golden Gate'
In 1901, the SS City of Rio de Janeiro went down in thick fog at the entrance to San Francisco Bay, killing 128 people — most of them immigrants from China and Japan.
Police Finish Dismantling Hong Kong Protest Sites
The main camp, which had stood for more than two months, was the center of the city's pro-democracy demonstrations.
After Nut Rumpus, Macadamia Sales Rocket
After a Korean Air executive was enraged by a steward's presentation of macadamia nuts in her first-class cabin, a large South Korean market reports an unlikely side effect.
Hong Kong Demonstrators Hope End Of Protests Not An End To The Fight
Police in Hong Kong cleared away the final pro-democracy protest campsite in the city on Thursday, ending the 75-day "occupation" of the some of the city's busiest streets.
You Don't Want To Monkey Around With Monkey Malaria
The surging and virulent strain is carried by macaques in southeast Asia. As their habitat is disrupted by development, the monkeys come in closer contact with people. And mosquitoes do the rest.
Fidel Castro Awarded China's Confucius Peace Prize
The award was set up in 2010 after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a Chinese dissident. Chinese media said the former Cuban leader was honored because he didn't use force in foreign relations.
In Hong Kong, Police Clear Final 'Occupy' Protest Site
Following months of acts of civil disobedience to demand democratic reforms, police have rousted the final bastion of what's come to be known as the Umbrella Revolution.