Asia

A man watches a television screen showing a news broadcast with a picture of North Korea's latest satellite-carrying rocket launch, at a railway station in Seoul on Nov. 22.

World News

What North Korea's shift toward Russia means for its global strategy

5:00am December 07, 2023

by Anthony Kuhn

Since the collapse of nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington in 2019, analysts see a major shift in North Korea's foreign relations. It has turned increasingly to Moscow.

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A pedestrian walks along the roadside amid heavy smoggy conditions in New Delhi. Delhi is considered the world's most polluted megacity, with a melange of factory and vehicle emissions exacerbated by seasonal agricultural fires.

Can anything stop the toxic smog of New Delhi?

4:03pm December 05, 2023

It's, considered the world's most polluted megacity. The air is so bad that a new report estimates that on average each resident loses 12 years of life. Here's what they're doing about it.

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President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after meeting in November.

The U.S. supports China's growth if it 'plays by the rules,' commerce secretary says

9:10am December 05, 2023

China's president says success for the U.S. and China can be mutually beneficial. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says that the reality is a bit more complicated than that.

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A salvo of rockets is fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza toward Israel on Oct. 10. Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel started Oct. 7. A senior Hamas official told NPR that its planning was kept a close secret.

World News

These were NPR.org's biggest international stories in 2023

5:08am December 05, 2023

by John Helton

Hamas' attack in Israel and the war that followed and the stalemate in Ukraine were our biggest international stories in 2023, but we also found some wonder around the world.

Members of the Japanese Coast Guard carry debris believed to be from the crashed U.S. military Osprey aircraft at a port in Yakushima, southern Japan, on Monday.

Divers find wreckage and remains from Osprey aircraft that crashed off Japan

8:05am December 04, 2023

by The Associated Press

The CV-22 Osprey carrying eight American personnel crashed last Wednesday off Yakushima island during a training mission.

Motorists ride past by as Mount Marapi spews volcanic materials during its eruption in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023.

World News

11 bodies recovered after Indonesia volcanic eruption as 12 climbers remain missing

4:33am December 04, 2023

by The Associated Press

About 75 climbers had started their way up the nearly 9,480-foot mountain on Saturday and became stranded before Marapi spewed thick columns of ash on Sunday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets party worker during celebrations following Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the state elections at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023.

World News

India's ruling party wins 3 of 4 states in elections in a boost for prime minister

2:01am December 04, 2023

by The Associated Press

India's ruling Hindu nationalist party won in three of four state elections in a vote that pitted the main opposition against that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before national polls next year.

In this handout photo provided by the Provincial Government of Lanao Del Sur - Public Information Office, law enforcers conduct an investigation at the site of an explosion in Marawi city, southern Philippines on Sunday Dec. 3, 2023.

World News

Philippine president says 'foreign terrorists' behind bomb that killed 4 during mass

7:35am December 03, 2023

by The Associated Press

The Philippine president blamed "foreign terrorists" for a bomb blast that killed four people Sunday and wounded dozens of other Catholic worshippers in the south.

World News

7.6 magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines, triggering tsunami warnings

1:46pm December 02, 2023

by The Associated Press

The powerful quake prompted many villagers to flee their homes in panic. Japanese authorities issued evacuation orders in parts of Okinawa. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

In this image from video provided by SpaceX, South Korea launches its first military spy satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday.

World News

South Korea launches its first spy satellite after rival North Korea does the same

12:49am December 02, 2023

by The Associated Press

South Korea had no military reconnaissance satellites of its own in space and has partially resorted to the United States' spy satellites to monitor moves by North Korea.