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After 2 Years Of Rule, King Of Thailand Finally Set To Be Crowned

7:57am May 04, 2019

by Michael Sullivan

More than two years after Thailand's king died, his crown prince son is having his coronation in Bangkok. The new monarch is a 66-year-old former military pilot who is already asserting his authority.

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Crowds of people evacuated eastern India ahead of a major cyclone packing strong winds and torrential rains.

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Cyclone Fani Slams Indian Coast, Forcing Millions To Evacuate

10:07pm May 03, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

Authorities predicted "total destruction" of many homes. The cyclone made landfall early Friday morning, and at least two people have reportedly been killed by the powerful storm.

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Suicide Bombings In Sri Lanka Revive Painful Notoriety For The Island Nation

7:26pm May 03, 2019

by Michael Sullivan

The suicide bombings in Sri Lanka killed more than 250 people. Experts look at what is known about the bombers, their links to ISIS and what this new militancy means for the country.

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At a Feb. 21, 2018, Philippine Senate hearing in Manila on deaths linked to the dengue vaccine, families brought photos of children who had been vaccinated.

Premature Vaccine Launch Has Deadly Repercussions

5:54pm May 03, 2019

by Michaeleen Doucleff

A dengue vaccine put thousands of kids at risk for a deadly condition. Some scientists say the manufacturer and health officials did too little to warn parents in the Philippines.

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Members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, stand at attention and salute a saffron-orange flag at a morning shakha, or drill session, in a park in suburban Mumbai, India.

The Powerful Group Shaping The Rise Of Hindu Nationalism In India

10:39am May 03, 2019

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds an outsize influence on national policy. Its goal: to redefine India according to the Hindu faith.

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China Detains Hundreds Of Thousands Of Muslims In 'Training Centers'

6:55am May 03, 2019

by Rob Schmitz

Some of the Muslims held in vocational camps in a northwest Chinese province tell NPR that they are being held for "extremist thoughts," and don't know when they'll be allowed to go home.

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Japan's New Emperor Naruhito Ascends Throne, But His Wife Wasn't Allowed In The Room

6:57pm May 01, 2019

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Motoko Rich, Tokyo bureau chief for The New York Times, about why Japan's Empress Masako wasn't allowed in the room when her husband was enthroned as emperor.

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A group of Afghan National Army soldiers watch others participate in a live fire exercise at the Afghan Military Academy last October in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The U.S. Public Will No Longer Have A Key Data Point About Afghanistan War

4:40pm May 01, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

A watchdog report says the U.S. military is no longer collecting — and therefore no longer releasing — one of the most concrete measures of the war's progress.

Japan's Emperor Akihito, with Empress Michiko, waves to well-wishers in the central Japanese prefecture of Mie on April 18. Emperor Akihito takes part in a series of rituals ahead of his abdication.

World News

Emperor Akihito, Japan's 'Surprising Pacifist,' Steps Down After 30 Years

2:03pm April 30, 2019

by Anthony Kuhn

Japan's defeat in World War II "produced in him strong feelings against war and its chaos," says a childhood friend. Akihito has expressed deep remorse at home and abroad for Japan's wartime actions.

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Japan's Emperor Akihito (right) leaves after a ritual to report his abdication to the throne at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday.

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Japanese Emperor Akihito Abdicates Throne; New Crown Prince To Ascend

9:29am April 30, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The 85-year-old emperor is the first to retire in more than 200 years. His son, the Crown Prince Naruhito, will become emperor on Wednesday.