Asia

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Typhoon Devastates Leyte Province

8:15am November 12, 2013

For more on the damage in the Philippines, Steve Inskeep talks to Steven Rood, of The Asia Foundation, about what Leyte province was like before the storm hit. Typhoon Haiyan may have killed thousands in the province and its capital Tacloban.

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World News

Tacloban Took Brunt Of Typhoon Haiyen

8:15am November 12, 2013

The Philippine city of Tacloban has suffered the worst from the massive storm. Survivors are in great need of food, water, shelter and medical services among other things.

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Military personnel from the U.S. and the Philippines unload relief goods at the Tacloban airport, Nov. 11, 2013. Some reports estimate that 10,000 people may have died in the city of Tacloban.

Aid Groups Struggle To Reach Survivors Of Typhoon Haiyan

8:08am November 12, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

More than 600,000 have been left homeless and hungry by the devastating storm. In response, humanitarian agencies are mounting the largest relief operation since the Haitian earthquake in 2010. The biggest challenge right now is getting the basics — clean water and food — to the hardest hit areas.

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This map from the NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory shows the amount of heat energy available to Typhoon Haiyan between Oct. 28 and Nov. 3. Darker purple indicates more available energy. Typhoons gain their strength by drawing heat out of the oc

Why Typhoon Haiyan Caused So Much Damage

7:13pm November 11, 2013

by Richard Harris

Scientists say Typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest ever recorded, though limited measurements may prevent them from declaring it as the record holder. Still, the storm was devastating: "We had a triple whammy of surge, very high winds and strong rainfall," says one climate scientist.

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People wait in line at a counter for medical services at the Guanganmen Chinese medicine hospital in Beijing.

World News

In Violent Hospitals, China's Doctors Can Become Patients

8:45pm November 06, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

A triple stabbing at a Chinese hospital is the latest in a string of attacks against doctors by disgruntled patients. Policies intended to improve and expand health care have led to overcrowded facilities, overwhelmed doctors and corruption.

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Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping aboard the Tiangong-1 space module in June. China is leading what some see as a space race among Asian countries: It has worked on a lunar rover, a space station and an unmanned mission to Mars.

World News

China Sets Ambitious Agenda In 'Asian Space Race'

8:57pm November 05, 2013

by Anthony Kuhn

India launched its Mars mission on Tuesday. But China is still leading what some see as a space competition among Asian countries. It has worked on a lunar rover, a space station as well as its own unmanned mission to Mars.

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Japanese Burger Chain Finds Way To Appeal To Women

7:18am November 05, 2013

In Japan, a small mouth is considered attractive on a woman, which was a big problem for the country's biggest burger chain. It introduced a wrapper with a large triangle featuring a serene smile, which hides the real mouth chowing down on the burger. Sales to women have gone up 200 percent.

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Ricker's grilled eggplant salad with egg and dried shrimp.

How A Portland Cook Became A 'Proud Copycat' Of Thai Food

10:48am October 31, 2013

by Joel Rose

Andy Ricker spent years eating in roadside restaurants, noodle stands and home kitchens across Thailand before opening his first restaurant, Pok Pok, in Portland, Ore. But he avoids using words like "traditional" and "authentic" when talking about this food. He'd rather call it "accurate."

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A Teenage Music Phenom, Infographics, Motorcycles In Vietnam

9:45pm October 26, 2013

Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells NPR's Arun Rath about a teenage singer with a grown-up voice, two tutors turned bloggers, and Vietnam's Harley Davidson craze.

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Ava Gene's, a Roman-inspired restaurant in Portland, Ore., incorporates colatura, a modern descendant of ancient Roman fish sauce, into several of its dishes.

Fish Sauce: An Ancient Roman Condiment Rises Again

11:19am October 26, 2013

by Deena Prichep

We usually associate fish sauce with Southeast Asian cooking. But it turns out the briny condiment also has deep roots in Europe, dating back to the Roman Empire. What caused its decline? Historians say it boils down to taxes, and pirates.

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