Asia

Passersby watch share prices spike in Tokyo on April 4, the day Japan's central bank announced a massive purchase of government bonds. The bank hopes the scale of the effort will boost Japan's slow-moving economy.

Japan's Big Stimulus Move Shocks Globe's Market Watchers

5:49pm April 11, 2013

by John Ydstie

Few expected the Bank of Japan's program to buy up government bonds to dwarf the Federal Reserve's similar effort in the U.S. Japan's stock market has soared and the yen's value tumbled. Thus far, the move is boosting exports, but is also making Asian competitors nervous.

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World News

What's At Stake In Elections In Venezuela And Pakistan

2:16pm April 11, 2013

Presidential elections are on the horizon for Venezuela and Pakistan, and with them could come big changes. Venezuelans vote Sunday, their second time at the polls in the last year, and Pakistan's general election will be held on May 11.

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Carrying on as usual: Shoppers in central Seoul on Monday.

World News

A View From South Korea: The North Is 'A Playground Bully'

7:34pm April 09, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

"It's like a joke," one retiree in Seoul says of the North's daily provocations. His view is shared by many South Koreans, who believe leaders in the North are trying to extort more aid from other nations and are trying to bolster their own positions.

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North Korea's Threats: Predicable Pattern Or Provocation?

4:05pm April 08, 2013

The North Korean government officially suspended operations at the Kaesong industrial complex, withdrawing all of its more than 50,000 workers. Many see the complex as the last remaining symbol of North and South Korean unity and fear that tensions may be nearing a dangerous tipping point.

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A man counts yuan to fill red envelopes in Beijing. Many families celebrate the Lunar New Year by exchanging small envelopes filled with money.

World News

Show Me The Money In Your Lunar New Year Envelope

8:06pm April 07, 2013

by Hansi Lo Wang

Envelopes filled with money are traditionally given to children for the Lunar New Year in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian immigrant families. The married adults who usually give them out face a perennial question: How much money should I give?

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North Korea Advises Evacuation Of Embassies

11:08am April 07, 2013

The torrent of threats from North Korea continued this week. On Friday, the North Korean government advised Russia and other countries to consider evacuating their embassies in Pyongyang amid rising tension there. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Louisa Lim with the latest.

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The Extraordinary Lives Of Ordinary North Koreans

4:55pm April 06, 2013

Amid a cascade of headline news from North Korea, often forgotten are the 24 million average citizens living under the most authoritarian regime in the world. Host Jacki Lyden speaks with Barbara Demick of the Los Angeles Times on the lives of ordinary North Koreans.

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Sriv Keng (right) and her husband, Vet Vong, dish up bowls of rice for customers at her roadside food stall, which is situated in a garment manufacturing district.

World News

New Mortgage Program Helps Cambodia's Poor Find Better Homes

8:20pm April 04, 2013

by Daniel Zwerdling

An innovative new loan program in Cambodia targeting low-income residents is a throwback to the days when bankers got to know their customers — and trusted them.

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World News

On India's Trains, Seeking Safety In The Women's Compartment

8:26pm March 28, 2013

by Julie McCarthy

Like some other big cities around the world, New Delhi has train cars reserved for women only. The female riders say it offers them a secure way to commute, but they argue that the larger problem is male attitudes.

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Lost Camera In Hawaii Turns Up On Taiwanese Beach

9:18am March 28, 2013

In 2007, a young woman lost her camera scuba diving off Hawaii. It was found last week by a China Airlines employee thousands of miles away on a beach in Taiwan. China Airlines offered the owner a free ticket to come pick up the camera — the memory card still has pictures on it.

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