South Asia

Adults and children swim in water near a large, white building in the background and birds flying overhead

In Karachi, planting dense urban forests could save the city from extreme heat

Extreme heat often hovers over Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. But each time Shahzad Qureshi transforms a barren patch of land into a dense, urban forest, he helps his city adapt to extreme urban heat.

In Karachi, planting dense urban forests could save the city from extreme heat
American and Manipuri players particpate in the woman's polo tournament in Manipuri in January 2016. They're riding the native Manipuri ponies.

How a polo tour in India is helping to protect a rare breed of ponies

How a polo tour in India is helping to protect a rare breed of ponies
Team USA on the kabaddi mat at the World Cup in October

The ancient sport that mixes tag, wrestling, rugby and chanting

The ancient sport that mixes tag, wrestling, rugby and chanting
Two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetization of 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes, residents of south Delhi continue to line up in front of ATMs in hopes of withdrawing cash.

India's crisis over bank notes hits women especially hard

India's crisis over bank notes hits women especially hard
Ram Advani in his bookshop, Ram Advani Booksellers. He ran it for more than a half century.

My friend, the bookseller of Lucknow

My friend, the bookseller of Lucknow
Sabina family

The face of Target (and others) in Bangladesh, at 400 pieces an hour

A "Made in Bangladesh" tag on clothing typically also means "made by women," because they make up 80 percent of the country's garment-factory workforce. Many of them send the money they earn back to villages in the countryside.

The face of Target (and others) in Bangladesh, at 400 pieces an hour
A surfer showers off on the beach in Cardiff, California.

I forgot the art of showering in cold water

When Deepak Singh was growing up in India, he always bathed in cold water. Quickly. Now that he lives in the US, he's come to appreciate a hot shower. And luxuriate. When he went home for a visit to India recently, he realized that he'd gone soft.

I forgot the art of showering in cold water
Deepak Singh's mother, Nirmala. He says it would be almost insulting to send her a Mother's Day card.

I've never sent my mother a Mother's Day card

How do you thank someone who's given you everything? Indian-American writer Deepak Singh says you don't do it by sending your mom a Mother's Day card.

I've never sent my mother a Mother's Day card
The band OK Go sitting atop the Honda made UNI-CUBs, a rolling personal transportation chair.

The wait for OK Go's latest viral video was well worth it

What do you do after you've danced on treadmills and filmed with huge contraptions to create viral hits? Bust out a drone and some unicycles and make another one. That's what Chicago band OK Go did, and the results are stunning.

The wait for OK Go's latest viral video was well worth it
"Mandolin" Srinivas performs a live show in Pune, India, in 2009. The musician introduced his electric mandolin into India's ancient Carnatic music.

Remembering the man who reinvented an ancient Indian musical style

Carnatic music is an ancient Indian style that relies on compositions hundreds of years old. But Uppalapu "Mandolin" Srinivas was the first man in history to introduce a Western instrument to the genre, earning him adoration from artists and fans. Srinivas died earlier this month after a liver transplant.

Remembering the man who reinvented an ancient Indian musical style
Michael Muhammed Knight

This American man very nearly joined the jihad in Chechnya in the 1990s

Michael Muhammad Knight thinks he knows why young American men are joining groups like ISIS. He was one of them.

This American man very nearly joined the jihad in Chechnya in the 1990s

How India's subsidized farms have created a water crisis

While India is known for it's monsoons more than its droughts, the country's Punjab region is suffering through a water crisis due to poor government planning.

How India's subsidized farms have created a water crisis
A billboard calling for the release of US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, held for nearly five years by the Taliban after being captured in Afghanistan, is shown in this picture taken near Spokane, Washington on February 25, 2014. Bergdahl has been released

Like Sergeant Bergdahl, reporter David Rohde knows about being a prisoner of the Taliban

Journalist David Rohde says his experience as a prisoner of the Taliban in 2008 was easier than what US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl must have gone through during five years.

Like Sergeant Bergdahl, reporter David Rohde knows about being a prisoner of the Taliban

Many Sherpas are going home to give Mount Everest 'a rest'

There's a debate on the mountain this week, as Sherpas decide whether to continue climbing or leave for their homes after last week's avalanche. PRI's The World talks with the son of one of the most famous Sherpa mountaineers.

Many Sherpas are going home to give Mount Everest 'a rest'
Anti-government protesters sleep in Kiev's Mikhailovsky Monastery last week.

How a monastery became a symbol of Ukraine's uprising

A jittery quiet returned to Ukraine's capital Kiev Tuesday, in the wake of the ouster of president Viktor Yanukovych. Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov says the city's monastery played a critical role in sheltering protestors.

How a monastery became a symbol of Ukraine's uprising