Asia

Looking Back On 100 Years Of China's Communist Party

5:16am July 15, 2021

by John Ruwitch

Chinese propaganda paints the U.S. as a big, bad foreign power out to hold China down. This kind of rhetoric is as old as China's Communist Party, as it celebrates its 100th birthday this month.

Guo Gangtang, right, embraces his son Guo Xinzhen during a reunion after 24 years in Liaocheng, in Central China's Shandong province.

World News

These Parents Were Reunited With Their Son After He Was Abducted 24 Years Ago

3:55pm July 14, 2021

by The Associated Press

Guo Xinzhen was abducted as a toddler outside their home. Abductions of children for sale are reported regularly in China, though how often it happens is unclear.

Southeast Asia Struggles With Record Cases Of New COVID-19 Infections

6:14am July 14, 2021

by Michael Sullivan

Thailand posts the highest deaths to date. Indonesia is also posting daily records. Vietnam is locking down Ho Chi Minh City for two weeks. And Cambodia is quietly posting its biggest numbers yet.

In his new book for young teenagers, Charles Kenny points out signs of global progress, including the growing number of kids in school. Above: The Oloo Education Center aims to provide an education to kids in Kibera, a poor community in Nairobi, Kenya. Wh

Two 14-Year-Olds Grill An Author About The Future Of Humanity

2:11pm July 13, 2021

by Malaka Gharib

In his new book for Gen Z readers, Charles Kenny explains why despite all the gloom and doom, the world is getting better for billions. NPR turned to two Gen Zers to help ask him the tough questions.

People exercise at a gym in Seoul on July 13, 2021 as South Korea announced implementation of level 4 social distancing measures amid concerns of a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

No Fast Music Or Fast Running: COVID Rules In Seoul Force Gym-Goers To Slow Down

12:17pm July 13, 2021

by Sharon Pruitt-Young

Officials are hoping the new rules will cut COVID case numbers. Gyms in the Seoul area are not allowed to play music faster than 120 beats per minute.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers prepare equipment as they search for survivors at a collapsed hotel in Suzhou in eastern China's Jiangsu Province on Monday.

World News

At Least 8 People Are Dead After A Hotel Collapsed In Eastern China

2:58am July 13, 2021

by The Associated Press

At least 23 people were trapped when the Siji Kaiyuan Hotel in Suzhou collapsed Monday afternoon.

World News

China Removed Didi From App Stores, Accused The Company Of Violating Security Rules

4:25pm July 12, 2021

by John Ruwitch

Just days after Chinese ride-hailing company Didi's $4 billion market debut in June, the Chinese government removed it from app stores and accused the company of violating data security rules.

Revenge, Red Smoke And Rubber Trees: A Vietnam Ghost Story

4:25pm July 12, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Violet Kupersmith about Build Your House Around My Body. It's the story of a woman's disappearance in Vietnam, populated by vengeful — but not always scary — ghosts.

Afghan soldiers stand guard after the American military left the Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, on July 5. While the U.S. military is now largely gone from Afghanistan, the CIA is still monitoring the Taliban and developments in the country, though unde

With The U.S. Military Gone, The CIA Faces Tough Challenges In Afghanistan

9:44am July 12, 2021

by Greg Myre

The CIA and the military depend on each other in war zones like Afghanistan. Now that U.S. forces have pulled out almost entirely, the spy agency will have a harder time keeping tabs on the Taliban.

We asked NPR readers to share the items they can't live without in the pandemic. From left to right: Kenji Hall with his traditional Japanese pot, Trish Kandik with her foster dog Penelope and Lauren Morton with a takeout container of Indian food.

PHOTOS: What Item Is Giving You Joy In A Pandemic? Your Beautiful And Quirky Answers

7:44am July 11, 2021

by Suzette Lohmeyer

We asked NPR readers to share photos of the objects they can't live without during the pandemic. Their responses are funny, surprising — and some might make you tear up.