Japan's Butter Shortage Whips Its Cake Makers Into A Frenzy
For the Japanese, Christmastime means sponge cake. But a nationwide butter shortage has led to mandatory butter rationing, forcing cake bakers to seek out substitutes.
Asia
Pakistan Keeps On Vaccinating Despite Tough Terrain And Terror Threat
Just getting a measles vaccine to a child in Pakistan was once an impossible dream. Despite many obstacles, health workers have made great progress in stopping infectious diseases.
The U.S. Says North Korea Ordered The Sony Hack. How Do We Respond?
The cyberattack successfully achieved its unusually public goals. The question, reporter David Sanger says, is how the United States can punish what already is the world's most-sanctioned nation.
Is 'Womenomics' The Answer To Japan's Economic Woes?
The government has set up a female lumberjacks program, part of a wider effort to fuel growth after long-term stagnation. But critics say it does little to tackle fundamental problems.
Pakistan Observes 3 Days Of Mourning After School Attack
Author Ahmed Rashid talks to Steve Inskeep about how Pakistan's political climate helped to foster Tuesday's horrific attack on a school in Peshawar. More than 140 people were killed.
India's New Comic Book Hero Fights Rape, Rides On The Back Of A Tiger
Her name is Priya and she is the star of a new graphic novel in India. After she is gang-raped, her family and neighbors shun her — but then a Hindu goddess grants her special powers.
Japan May Be In A Post-Growth Era, With Or Without Abe
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to win snap elections this weekend. But successive Japanese governments have been unable to reverse economic stagnation.
Taliban Gunmen Storm School, Kill Dozens In Pakistan
Officials said at least 140 were killed, more than half of them students. The school is run by the military and the Taliban said they were retaliating for a recent military offensive.
Dozens Killed As Taliban Gunmen Storm Pakistani School
Officials in Pakistan say Taliban gunmen stormed a military school in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Steve Inskeep talks to Katherine Houreld, a reporter with Reuters.
Chinese Man Cleared Of Rape, Murder 18 Years After His Execution
Chinese authorities offered a rare apology to the family of the 18-year-old from Inner Mongolia. Another man had confessed to the crime after his arrest in 2005.