Asia

Funeral Held For Former North Korean Prisoner Otto Warmbier

4:31pm June 22, 2017

by Ann Thompson

The American college student who died shortly after being released from a North Korean prison was laid to rest Thursday in his hometown near Cincinnati. Otto Warmbier arrived back in the U.S. last week in a coma after being held by North Korea for more than a year.

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Health & Safety

China's Doggy Debate: Dog Meat Lovers Vs. Dog Lovers

1:58pm June 22, 2017

by Anthony Kuhn

The country's changing attitudes are highlighted by the annual dog meat festival in Yulin City. The government issued a ban on dog meat sale, then promptly reversed it.

Dead Canary Islands date palms, killed by red palm weevils, line a road in La Mersa, Tunis, Tunisia.

Red Palm Weevils Wreak Havoc On Palm Plantations Across The Globe

7:00am June 22, 2017

by Maanvi Singh

Thanks to globalization and climate change, the pest has spread to 60 countries, attacking coconut, date and oil palm plantations, and costing millions of dollars in damages.

An undated aerial photo of the Olympic venues in PyeongChang, South Korea.

World News

Rural South Korean County Prepares For Role As 2018 Winter Olympics Host

5:43am June 22, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

Only a handful of tourists come to PyeongChang, usually to hike green hills dotted with Buddhist temples or visit a small nearby ski station. All that is about to change.

Pakistan's captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, gives a teammate a leaping hug defeating India in the ICC Champions Trophy final in London on Sunday.

Fans Of Pakistan's Cricket Team Arrested For Sedition In India

4:10pm June 21, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Last weekend's victory over India marked a seminal moment for the Pakistani national team. For some of the team's fans in India, however, celebrating the win spelled deep legal trouble.

A team of 14 Japanese elementary school students has set a new record for jumping rope, with 225 skips in one minute.

Jump Rope Heroes: Watch School Kids Set A One-Minute Guinness World Record

10:56am June 21, 2017

by Bill Chappell

In a blur of coordination, a team of 14 students blew away the old record for most skips through a single jump rope in one minute.

World News

Duterte Political Opponent Jailed In Philippines

5:49am June 21, 2017

by Michael Sullivan

More than 7,000 people have died after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte started a brutal war on drugs, and one prominent politician who is critical of Duterte now sits in jail.

Former New Mexico Governor Discusses His Role In Otto Warmbier Negotiations

6:15pm June 20, 2017

by Kelly McEvers

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson on the death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who returned from North Korea in a coma last week.

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Cows graze near Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia. China has replaced the United States as the second-largest foreign owner of agricultural land in Australia. (The UK is No. 1.)

Why Is China Snatching Up Australian Farmland?

4:44pm June 20, 2017

by Rob Schmitz

In the past year, Chinese investment in Australia's overall agricultural sector has skyrocketed, from $300 million to $1 billion. It's all to feed the world's largest, fastest-growing consumer class.

A China-based tour company says it will no longer take U.S. citizens to North Korea. Here, Chinese vendors sell flags of North Korea and China along the Yalu River in Dandong, northern China, along the border with North Korea.

Tour Company Used By Otto Warmbier Will Stop Taking Americans To North Korea

11:30am June 20, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Young Pioneer Tours has also updated its North Korea FAQ page, starting with its top question: "How safe is it?"