Asia

Abdullah Kurdi, holds the body of his 3-year-old son, Aylan Kurdi, during the burial of the boy, his brother Friday and his mother at a funeral in Kobane, Syria.

World News

For Family Of Drowned Syrian Boy, 'There Was No Other Hope,' Uncle Says

6:24am October 20, 2015

by NPR Staff

Rocco Logozzo talks about his nephew, Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up on a Turkish beach after a failed voyage from Turkey to Greece, and about the regret he and his wife feel for funding the trip.

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How The Desperate Norwegian Salmon Industry Created A Sushi Staple

6:14am October 20, 2015

by Jess Jiang

Salmon is a staple of sushi now, but it used to be unheard of in Japan to eat raw salmon. The story of how Norway convinced Japan to love salmon sushi.

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Luliang is in recession, but developers continue to build apartment blocks even though demand for real estate is drying up.

A 'Sense Of Crisis' Now In A Chinese Boomtown Gone Bust

6:10am October 20, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

The city of Luliang, in China's coalfields, was to become home to a $5 billion business district. But corruption, reckless pursuit of growth and overcapacity led to a crash in its industrial economy.

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On Thailand's Samui Island, a macaque picks coconuts from a tree top. Captive monkeys are trained to help harvest coconuts on the island's plantations.

What's Funny About The Business of Monkeys Picking Coconuts?

11:01pm October 19, 2015

by Eliza Barclay

Animal advocates were outraged after discovering videos of leashed monkeys picking coconuts in Thailand. But monkey trainers and scientists say it's common practice, and doesn't count as abuse.

It's a basement bar in Tokyo, but patrons of Little Texas say the place feels like it's part of the Lone Star State.

World News

Finding A Little Texas ... In The Heart Of Tokyo

4:45pm October 19, 2015

by Elise Hu

In a basement in Tokyo, line dancers and country music crooners help transport bargoers from Japan's capital to the Lone Star State.

Jockeys ride wooden plows in the traditional sport of buffalo racing in Bali.

The Richness Of 'Poor' Places, From National Geographic's Photo Contest

1:41pm October 19, 2015

by Malaka Gharib

The pictures capture racing buffalo in Bali, climbing kids in Burkina Faso and high-wire electricians in Bangladesh.

"When I was in New York, I wanted to hang out with all these amazing musicians that I really admired," says nightclub D-22 owner Michael Pettis. "But I wasn't cool enough. So I figured, well, if I create a club and they all play there, then I get to hang

As China Cracks Down On Cultural Fringe, Indie Rock Finds A Home In Beijing

7:15pm October 18, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

U.S. economist Michael Pettis, an expert on China's economy and professor at Beijing University, is also a key figure nurturing a distinct American sound in Beijing's avant-garde music scene.

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Two men stand near the port in Gwadar, Pakistan. NPR's Phil Reeves unexpectedly ended up a VIP there — and it wasn't a good feeling.

World News

The Shame Of Being A VIP In Pakistan

9:12am October 18, 2015

by Philip Reeves

Have you ever felt bad about something, and wanted to get it off your chest? That's how our correspondent Philip Reeves feels right now — which is why he sent this essay from Pakistan.

Kamala in front of her menstruation shed.

A Girl Gets Her Period And Is Banished To The Shed: #15Girls

8:25pm October 17, 2015

When a teenage girl in rural Nepal gets her period, an ancient tradition may drive her to sleep outdoors. But one 15-year-old is trying to break the taboos around menstruation.

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Obama Hosts South Korean President At The White House

5:40pm October 16, 2015

by Scott Horsley

President Obama urged calm amid the recent Israeli-Palestinian violence at a press conference with the South Korean president. He said the U.S. and Russia are at strategic odds on Syria and declined to wade far into the 2016 presidential race.