Ashley Westerman

On the anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the country's top diplomat in Washington says it has "no interest in global dominance or hegemony; we just want our people to have a better life."

In an interview ahead of this week's U.N. General Assembly, Mohammad Javad Zarif tells NPR that U.S. sanctions against Iran "will not be able to bring us to our knees."

Fifty years ago, the song "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single by the cartoon band would go on to be named 1969's song of the year.

Tensions between pro-independence supporters and government authorities in Indonesia's Papua and West Papua provinces have continued into a second week. The government has shut down Internet access.

"Environmental personhood" was once considered a fringe issue, but several countries have granted rivers within their borders legal person status. Bangladesh became the latest in July.

American attitudes toward space exploration and NASA's priorities have changed ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The record number headlined the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' annual "Global Trends" report published Wednesday, just a day before World Refugee Day.

Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen, was recently released from Iran's notorious Evin Prison, where he served nearly four years.

Young adult author Randy Ribay says it's tough having "a dual identity" in a world "where people want you to be one thing." His new novel explores the Philippine government's deadly war on drugs.

In a special series, Morning Edition discovers the experiences of people affected by the deepening tensions between the world's two largest economies.

The Laos government and conservationists estimate there are only about 800 elephants left in all of Laos, just half of them living in the wild.

China has taken dramatic steps to fight climate change, including shutting major coal power plants. But now it plans to build hundreds of coal plants abroad.

The more than 250-mile, $6 billion railway is set to cut through the northern part of Laos and is primarily financed and built by the Chinese. So far, the project has mostly employed Chinese workers.

Laos is known as the "Land of a Million Elephants." But after decades of loss of habitat, there are fewer than 1,000 left. Now those remaining may be endangered by a Chinese-backed rail line.

Alex Dehgan, a former State Department official who ran the Wildlife Conservation Society's Afghanistan program, argues science diplomacy can play a key role in rebuilding the country.

Maria Ressa, the CEO of the news outlet Rappler, which has been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested earlier this week and charged with violating the country's cybercrime law.

Since December, clashes between Myanmar security forces and the insurgency group have been on the rise. At least 30 have died and thousands have been displaced.

Verlon Jose, vice chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, says President Trump's proposed border wall would cut through the reservation, with negative impacts.

The Canadian television show, which centers on a Korean immigrant family in Toronto, is the country's first to have an all-Asian lead cast. Season 3 debuted Tuesday on the CBC.

Buddhist militants attacked four police posts in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state on the day the country celebrates its 1948 independence from Britain.