Asia

The South Korean government has banned a music video praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un [kim jawng Un]. The video has been a surprising global hit, going viral on TikTok and other platforms.

Iran laid the body of President Ebrahim Raisi to rest, after he died in a helicopter crash. Though thousands attended funeral ceremonies, we hear from Iranians who say he won't be remembered fondly.

And in South Korea, a propaganda video from North Korea is banned after it goes viral on TikTok.

Welcome to the "Epic of Marcos." In this tale of a family that's larger than life, Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator of the Philippines, is at the center. But the figures that surround him are just as important: Imelda, his wife and muse; Bongbong, his heir; and the United States, his faithful sidekick. The story of the Marcos family is a blueprint for authoritarianism, laying out clearly how melodrama, paranoia, love, betrayal and a hunger for power collide to create a myth capable of propelling a nation. Today on the show, the rise, fall, and resurrection of a dynasty — and what that means for democracy worldwide.

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A new president in Taiwan was inaugurated this week. Lai Ching-te will now lead a Taiwan that is divided politically on many issues, including on how to confront China. We'll hear from our correspondent in Taipei and from some young Taiwanese preparing for mandatory military service.

Visitors named the spot in Fujikawaguchiko "Mt. Fuji Lawson" after the store's name. The town, however, put up black netting to block the view after residents complained tourists would break laws.

To Lam, who oversaw police and intelligence operations at a time when rights groups say basic freedoms had been suppressed, was confirmed amid a major reshuffle of the country's top leadership.

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with filmmaker Vinay Shukla and journalist Ravish Kumar about the new documentary While We Watched.