Asia

World News

During 2nd Term, Obama To Pivot To Asia

10:01am January 21, 2013

by Julie McCarthy

Both India and the U.S. seem disappointed with each other after the high expectations raised by President Obama's election in 2007. India is concerned about the uncertainty in U.S. policy toward China and Afghanistan.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Japan Grounds All Boeing Dreamliners

6:04am January 16, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

The move came just hours after an All Nippon Airlines 787 was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot detected an apparent problem with the planes electrical system.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Amid Newspaper Standoff, China Keeps Tight Grip On Media

3:33pm January 11, 2013

by Louisa Lim

After China's new leadership came in, some thought Communist Party control might be relaxed. But fallout from a newspaper's weeklong standoff over censorship and the resulting widespread protests seem to signal the opposite.

Queue Listen Now

World News

China Investigates Foxconn For Bribery Allegations

3:04pm January 10, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

Taiwan technology giant Foxconn said it is under investigation by Chinese authorities. It is also conducting its own probe into allegations that some of its managers had solicited bribes from suppliers.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Editorial Ignites Freedom Of Press Debate In China

7:47am January 08, 2013

A dispute over an editorial in a Chinese newspaper has widened into calls for more freedom of expression. Hundreds of people protested Monday calling for an open news media.

Queue Listen Now

Chinese Dad Wants Gamer Son To Get A Job

7:23am January 08, 2013

A Chinese man worried his son spent too much playing online video games. He was especially concerned because the 23 year old was out of work. So the father went online and hired virtual assassins to kill the son's avatar.

Queue Listen Now

Ren Jianyu poses for a photograph at a restaurant in Chongqing, China, on Nov. 19, 2012, after being freed from a labor camp. The village official was sentenced to a "re-education through labor" camp after he criticized the government.

World News

China Pledges Reforms To Labor Camps, But Offers Few Details

8:23pm January 07, 2013

by Louisa Lim

China has indicated that it will stop handing down sentences to its "re-education through labor" camps, which allow detention without trial for up to four years. Many questions remain about what will happen to those currently detained and what might become of these labor camps.

Queue Listen Now

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will meet with President Obama and other senior U.S. officials in Washington this week. Many analysts remain skeptical about the prospects for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. He's shown here speaking in Kabul last month.

World News

As Karzai Visits U.S., What Are The Prospects For Afghan Peace?

7:16pm January 07, 2013

by Sean Carberry

France recently hosted discussions between Afghan and Taliban officials. The meetings again raised the possibility of negotiations to end the fighting in Afghanistan, though many analysts remain deeply skeptical.

Queue Listen Now

South Korean men play games at a downtown park in Seoul on Nov. 1. Recent data suggest that South Korea is now the fastest-aging country on Earth.

South Korea Prepares The Young For A Rapidly Aging Population

1:43pm January 07, 2013

by Anthony Kuhn

South Korea now appears to be the fastest-aging country in the world. The government has launched a series of creative programs, including a network of community centers for dementia patients and training for young people that simulates the physical and mental effects of old age.

Queue Listen Now

Outrage Continues In India On Gang-Rape Case

5:10pm January 05, 2013

NPR's Julie McCarthy updates Weekends on All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden on the national outrage in India over the gang rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old student as well as the charges against those accused.

Queue Listen Now