Asia

IMF Prepares To Add China's Yuan To List Of Reserve Currencies

7:21pm November 30, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

The International Monetary Fund says it is preparing to add China's currency, the yuan, to its list of reserve currencies. The move could help China's economy in the long run, but it would also require China to become more transparent about its monetary policies.

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Record Breaking Smog In China, India Underlines Climate Summit In Paris

6:11pm November 30, 2015

India and China's capitals suffer from record breaking smog as the summit to limit greenhouse gas emissions kicks off in Paris Monday.

This photo illustration shows a Chinese 100-yuan note.

China's Renminbi Gets A Stamp Of Approval From The IMF

4:55pm November 30, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The IMF's decision to add the renminbi, also called the yuan, to its basket of reserve currencies is a new mark of prestige for the world's second-largest economy.

Dr. Raju Rao, in glasses, during his volunteer stint in India.

Treating The Poor In India Made Him A Better Cancer Doc In The U.S.

12:22pm November 29, 2015

by Ankita Rao

Journalist Ankita Rao asked her father, a doctor, to spend time with her in India, volunteering at a medical clinic. Then she interviewed him about the experience.

On the road to Buddhist monkhood, young novices chant mantras and collect alms on a street in Yangon, Myanmar.

You'll Never Guess The Most Charitable Nation In The World

6:16am November 28, 2015

by Diane Cole

Hint: It's not the United States. (We're number 2). And it's definitely not a country from the Western world.

Coal fires burn early in the morning in January 2014 at a privately owned coal mine in India's Jharkand state, making the air dense with noxious smoke and dust. Forty percent of India's mineral wealth lies in Jharkhand.

India's Quandary: Climate Change And Coal

5:14am November 27, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

Coal is king in India. Some say there's little alternative. So how can this country, the world's third-largest polluter, provide energy and lift millions from poverty while trying to become "greener"?

Beijing's chronic high pollution has forced residents to adjust to living with the haze. China is the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, but until recently, the government treated air pollution and climate change as separate issues, saying climate ch

China's Greenhouse Gases Don't Seem To Trouble Most Of Its Citizens

5:03pm November 24, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

The Chinese tend to ignore the dangers of global warming even though the country already suffers the consequences of pollution today and faces serious potential threats in the longer term.

The Beijing Environment Exchange, one of seven emissions trading pilot programs in China, may be part of a nationwide carbon market by as early as 2017.

China Plans To Create A Nationwide Carbon Market By 2017

3:50pm November 24, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

China is building what could be the world's largest carbon market. Pilot programs are helping to lower emissions. But this is mostly due to slowing growth and the shift away from manufacturing.

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A camel gives a lift to the Arktek cooler, designed to give vaccines the cold comfort they need to remain effective.

How Do You Keep Vaccines Cool? Try Spacecraft Insulation

5:28pm November 23, 2015

by Sophie Cousins

Typically, if a vaccine is not kept cold, it doesn't work. And that's a big problem in hot spots. A new cooler seems to do the trick — without electricity!

Buddhism Is Waning In Japan

7:37am November 22, 2015

Thousands of Japan's historic Buddhist temples are expected to shut down. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Ian Reader, an expert on Japanese culture, on how Buddhism is changing in the country.