Asia

Books
Arts

'Five Star Billionaire' Shows The Human Cost Of Progress

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by Ellah Allfrey

Tash Aw's Five Star Billionaire, set in Shanghai, explores the dynamic tumult of that city. Reviewer Ellah Allfrey says that Aw, with gentle compassion and keen understanding, shows his characters succumb to the lure of a city where everything seems possible.

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A waiter delivers glasses of wine to guests at a luxury hotel bar near the Bund in Shanghai, on Sept. 8, 2012.

World News

Gatsby-Like Extravagance And Wealth ... In Communist China

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

The recent movie remake of The Great Gatsby hasn't opened in China yet. But the Chinese are no strangers to its themes of wealth, ambition and corruption. In fact, many Chinese argue that the excesses of America in the Roaring '20s mirror those in China today.

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World News

SoftBank Moves Closer To 78 Percent Stake In Sprint

9:48am July 04, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

SoftBank's acquisition of a majority stake in Sprint Nextel appears to have cleared a final hurdle. The FCC reportedly approved the deal on Wednesday. Regulatory approval is the last step before the mega deal can be completed.

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Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been under fire for working with the government on a number of issues. Here, she meets in March with protesters who oppose a copper mine backed by Chinese investors. She supports the mining project.

World News

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi Walks Fine Line In Her New Role

10:26pm July 03, 2013

by Anthony Kuhn

The Myanmar opposition leader is being criticized for cooperating with the former military rulers who kept her under house arrest for nearly two decades. But supporters say she is trying to show she has what it takes to lead the nation.

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World News

Hopes And Fears For The Future Of The World, With Ted Koppel

10:49am June 28, 2013

The conflict in Syria rages on, the United States' relationship with Iran remains strained, and China is taking hold as an emerging superpower. As part of TOTN's "Looking Ahead" series, NPR commentator Ted Koppel looks to the future of international relations.

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A steamroller tries to flatten tusks, without much luck.

World News

Philippines Pulverizes Ivory To Discourage Traffickers

6:18pm June 22, 2013

The Philippines is a stopover for dealers trying to unload illegal ivory into the Asian black market. On Friday, the government destroyed 5 pounds of confiscated ivory.

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World News

India Revives An Ancient University

10:59am June 22, 2013

At one time, Nalanda University was a prestigious center of learning that attracted scholars from all over Asia. But after it was destroyed in the late 1100s, it languished. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Nobel economist Amartya Sen about plans to revive the ancient university as a collaborative school between several Asian nations.

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Men pass through a busy market of Saidpur village in Islamabad, where the locals buy their daily produce.

World News

Pakistani Photographers Take A Personal Picture Of Home

10:35am June 20, 2013

Last year, National Geographic offered a photo camp for emerging Pakistani photographers to explore the tribal areas of their country.

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A woman tries on a jacket at a Zara store in Madrid. Zara's parent company, Inditex, was among Spanish companies to sign fire and building safety agreements for their factories in Bangladesh following a deadly factory collapse in April, though Inditex was

Fashion's Victims: An Artist's Focus On Garment Workers

2:35pm June 19, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

More than 1,000 people were killed in the factory collapse in Bangladesh in April. Spanish companies were among those whose clothes were made at the facility. But there's a clash between the allure of low-cost fast fashion and consumer awareness of working conditions. A Spanish artist is doing her bit: She's drawing attention to workers' plight.

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World News

A Superpower And An Emerging Rival: A Look Ahead At China

4:19pm June 13, 2013

U.S.-China relations have deteriorated in recent years, amid growing concerns about cybersecurity and human rights. As part of TOTN's "Looking Ahead" series, The Economist's China editor Rob Gifford talks about the future relations between the world's two biggest economies.

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