Asia

The last remaining street vendor in Rising Peace Lane before new year celebrations begin sells new year's decorations and calendars.

World News

As Chinese New Year Approaches, Shanghai's Bustling Streets Grow Quieter

5:01am January 27, 2017

by Rob Schmitz

The Year of the Rooster begins Saturday, and hundreds of millions have departed to celebrate with family. "All the outsiders have left for home," says 85-year-old grandmother Yuan Suizhen.

An e-waste recycling factory in Guiyu, China.

The Continent That Contributes The Most To E-Waste Is ...

8:10pm January 26, 2017

by Angus Chen

If you guessed North America, you're wrong. A new report looks at who's producing the most.

Former North Korean deputy ambassador to London Thae Yong Ho speaks during a briefing on Wednesday in Seoul.

World News

North Korean Defector: Information Flow Will Help Bring Down Kim Jong Un

5:05pm January 26, 2017

by Elise Hu

After defecting, the ex-diplomat told his sons: "You can go to the Internet, you can do Internet games whenever you like, you can read any books, watch any films." In North Korea, this was impossible.

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A police officer stands guard in Moscow's Red Square.

Journalist: Russia's Interference Is An 'Assault On The Western Liberal Order'

3:42pm January 26, 2017

Luke Harding, the former Moscow Bureau Chief for The Guardian, says that Putin "wants to turn the clock back to an age ... where strong sovereign nations didn't talk about values or human rights."

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Left: Amuvita Gamage Dayasena, 58, climbs up a kithul palm tree that he is about to tap. Tapping fishtail palm to make palm syrup is only a small part of his livelihood. He also grows tea and vegetables on his farm, seen at right.

Sri Lanka's 'Kithul' Palm Syrup: An Ancient Sweetener In Need Of Saving

7:00am January 26, 2017

by Vidya Balachander

Sri Lanka's most popular sweetener is disappearing, due to the destruction of rainforests, inconsistent yields, intensive labor and a fading workforce. And turning the tide isn't going to be easy.

World News

These Monks Have A Calling: Making Fresh Italian Cheese — In India

3:44pm January 25, 2017

by Aarthi Gunnupuri

Cheese is gaining popularity in this South Asian country, but it is mostly imported and expensive. An Indian-based monastery with Italian roots is trying to change that — by making it themselves.

President Trump, shown here in an ad for a Chinese magazine in Shanghai, continues to attack the integrity of reporters who challenge him — even as he keeps making false claims.

For Journalists Who've Worked In China, New White House Tactics Seem Familiar

1:00pm January 25, 2017

by Frank Langfitt

China tries to discredit the press and to convince citizens not to believe their own eyes. Trump's White House seems to favor similar tactics, writes Frank Langfitt, NPR's former China correspondent.

The Kunlun Red Stars, China's hockey team, warm up before a game.

Chinese Fans Are Slow To Warm Up To Ice Hockey

3:15pm January 24, 2017

by Rob Schmitz

After China won its bid to host the 2022 Olympics, President Xi Jinping vowed to encourage winter sports. But so far, the country's first professional hockey club has struggled to find fans.

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World News

India Expands Ban On What Politicians May Not Say To Attract Voters

5:06am January 24, 2017

by Julie McCarthy

India's Supreme Court has ruled on what is allowable speech by politicians to use during elections. The court says speeches by politicians must be shorn of references to religion and caste.

Artist's rendering of two individuals of Siamogale melilutra, one of them feeding on a freshwater clam.

Science

Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China

7:49pm January 23, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Six million years ago, giant otters weighing more than 100 pounds lived among birds and water lilies in the wooded wetlands of China's Yunnan province. The discovery sheds light on how otters evolved.