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Domitilia, 57, is a diabetic patient in the Dominican Republic who contracted tuberculosis. She's now cured of TB after two years of treatment. Javier Galeano/The Union hide caption

itoggle caption Javier Galeano/The Union

Unlikely Marriage Of Diseases: TB And Diabetes Form A 'Co-Epidemic'

October 30, 2014 • The risk of developing tuberculosis soars when someone has diabetes. The threat of a double pandemic is a challenge for the medical profession, where different docs typically treat each disease.

North Korean Officials Reportedly Executed For Watching Soap Operas

October 29, 2014 • At least 10 people have been put to death recently for viewing the daytime dramas smuggled in from South Korea, according to sources.

These scuba divers are among the 2 million tourists who visit the Great Barrier Reef each year. They contribute about $5.6 billion to Australia's economy, according to the Queensland government. Steve Dorsey for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Steve Dorsey for NPR

Parallels

As Great Barrier Reef Ails, Australia Scrambles To Save It

October 28, 2014 • One Australian report estimated the reef had lost more than half its coral since 1985. The government is considering a new 35-year plan to rescue the reef, but some say it falls short.

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The Two-Way

Thieves Tunnel Into Indian Bank Vault — From Across The Street

October 28, 2014 • When a bank in northern India opened for business Monday, the staff was surprised to find the strongroom breached from underground. Local media say the crime resembles a movie plot.

Police officers stand guard in front of the Hefei City Intermediate People's Court in China's Anhui Province. Andy Wong/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Andy Wong/AP

The Two-Way

China May Drop 9 Crimes From List Of Death Penalty Offenses

October 28, 2014 • The move appears to be part of a trend to reduce the use of the death penalty in a country that still executes more people than any other.

The captain of the sunken ferry Sewol, Lee Joon-Seok (left) arrives on the second day of his trial at the Gwangju District Court in Gwanju, southwestern South Korea, in June. Kim Hee-chul/EPA/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Kim Hee-chul/EPA/Landov

The Two-Way

Death Penalty Reportedly Sought For Captain In Korean Ferry Disaster

October 27, 2014 • Lee Joon-seok, master of the Sewol, is accused of abandoning his passengers when the vessel went down in April. More than 300 people died.

The author's mother, Reba Roy (far left), dancing on stage in a sari as a young woman. Courtesy of Sandip Roy hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Sandip Roy

Parallels

Love Is Saying 'Sari': The Quest To Save A South Asian Tradition

October 27, 2014 • Commentator Sandip Roy says the traditional sari has been falling out of fashion in the new India, but designers are turning to pop art prints and other changes to boost its appeal.

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Bilbahadur Tamang, right, and Umesh Lama load up for a trek on the popular Annapurna Circuit. Donatella Lorch for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Donatella Lorch for NPR

Goats and Soda

Blizzard In Nepal Deals A Blow To Porters As Well As Trekkers

October 23, 2014 • Working as a porter in the mountains is a way out of poverty. But it's a job with great risk. After this month's killer storm, the government is calling for regulations to protect visitors and locals.

In a photo released by Tsinghua University in Beijing, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks with students there on Wednesday. AP hide caption

itoggle caption AP

All Tech Considered

Mark Zuckerberg Shows Off His Mandarin Chinese Skills

October 23, 2014 • The Facebook co-founder and CEO spoke at Tsinghua University in Beijing for about 30 minutes. In Mandarin. His audience liked it.

Hong Kong Protests Pull Attention From China's Self-Reflection

October 23, 2014 • China's ruling Communist Party is wrapping up a meeting that it claims will advance the rule of law. But leaders are facing an urgent distraction in Hong Kong. The protests there raise difficult questions about China's future political direction at a time when its leaders seem least prepared to answer them.

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After deleting tweets from a Hong Kong protest site, Kenny G said he was "not trying to defy government orders." Tomasz Gzell/EPA/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Tomasz Gzell/EPA/Landov

The Two-Way

Tweets In Hong Kong Put Kenny G In Jam With Communist Party

October 23, 2014 • The saxophone superstar, hugely popular in mainland China, walked into a minefield in Hong Kong. Selfies with demonstrators sparked a response from the government — and Kenny G took down the tweets.

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Researchers download images after a drone flight in Sabah, Malaysia. Courtesy of Trends in Parasitology, Fornace et al hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Trends in Parasitology, Fornace et al

Goats and Soda

Drones Are Taking Pictures That Could Demystify A Malaria Surge

October 22, 2014 • How is a rare strain of malaria spreading near cities in Southeast Asia? That's the question that's been puzzling a team of scientists. And they're using drones to find the answer.

Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua with her baby Gammy, who was born with Down Syndrome. An Australian couple who'd arranged for Pattaramon to serve as their surrogate rejected the child. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Surrogacy Storm In Thailand: A Rejected Baby, A Busy Babymaker

October 22, 2014 • Two controversial cases have put a spotlight on surrogacy in Thailand. Now the government is drafting new laws to stop abuse.

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A customer sets up her new iPhone 6 at an Apple store in Beijing on Friday. A group says the Chinese government backed an attack against users of Apple's iCloud service, but the government denies the claim. Feng Li/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Feng Li/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Cloud Data Security Concerns Raised After Reported Attack In China

October 22, 2014 • A group says the Chinese government backed an attack against users of Apple's iCloud service. Experts worry attacks that target weaknesses in the transfer of data on the cloud will become more common.

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Pro-democracy protesters carrying portraits of Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying march to his residence in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Bobby Yip/Reuters/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Bobby Yip/Reuters/Landov

The Two-Way

Hong Kong Students March On Chief Executive's Residence

October 22, 2014 • About 200 pro-democracy activists held signs and shouted slogans in front of the home of Leung Chun-ying a day after student leaders met with government officials in an effort to defuse the crisis.

This undated employee photo provided by the city of Moraine, Ohio, shows Jeffrey Edward Fowle, who was released by North Korea on Tuesday after a six-month detention. AP hide caption

itoggle caption AP

The Two-Way

American Freed By North Korea Arrives Home

October 22, 2014 • Jeffrey Fowle, 56, who was arrested in North Korea in May after allegedly leaving a bible in a club for foreign sailors, arrived at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base this morning.

cover crop Crown hide caption

itoggle caption Crown

Author Interviews

Among The Young And Privileged In North Korea

October 22, 2014 • American journalist Suki Kim spent six months teaching English at a North Korean University that serves the sons of the elite. She chronicles her experience in a new book, Without You, There Is No Us.

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Abdul Sattar Edhi, 86, is an iconic figure in Pakistan who founded and runs the country's best-known charitable group. The Edhi Foundation was robbed of more than $1 million on Sunday, a crime that has provoked outrage. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

The Crime That Has Shocked Pakistan

October 22, 2014 • Abdul Sattar Edhi and his foundation are synonymous with humanitarian work in Pakistan. But that didn't keep the foundation from being robbed of more than $1 million, provoking widespread outrage.

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North Korea Allows Detained American To Leave

October 21, 2014 • An American held by North Korea since June was freed on Tuesday. The U.S. State Department confirmed that Jeffrey Fowle was released following negotiations.

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Adi Asulin stands in the kitchen of her family's remodeled apartment north of Tel Aviv. She saved thousands of dollars by flying to China to buy furnishings and flooring directly from manufacturers. Emily Harris/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Emily Harris/NPR

Parallels

Israeli Homes, Decorated With A Shopping Spree In China

October 21, 2014 • Some Israelis are flying to China to buy most everything they need to furnish a home. They say it's cheaper than buying in Israel, though there are also cautionary tales of shopping trips gone wrong.

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A scrap-wood sculpture of a man holding an umbrella is the contemporary equivalent of the "Goddess of Democracy." The umbrella became a symbol of the democracy demonstrations after protesters used them to block police pepper spray and tear gas attacks late last month.

Frank Langfitt/NPR

Parallels

A Hong Kong Protest Camp Spawns Its Own Art

October 21, 2014 • Pro-democracy street art inspired by sources ranging from Les Miserables to John Lennon fill an open-air museum of sorts that has cropped up in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Federation of Students council members attend a meeting with senior Hong Kong government officials in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Tyrone Siu/Reuters/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Tyrone Siu/Reuters/Landov