The regime of President Bashar al-Assad crumbled in rapid fashion as rebel groups challenged his power. Assad is now in exile in Russia and the rebels have taken control of the capital, Damascus. Now displaced Syrians, some of whom have been out of the country for over a decade, are returning home. Our correspondent in Lebanon spoke to some returning Syrians.

The island nation of Palau is at the center of tensions between the U.S., China, and Taiwan. We go there to see what the competition between superpowers looks like on the ground.

In Nigeria, even two meals a day is becoming unaffordable to many. Demonstrators are protesting food inflation of more than 40 percent, and fuel costs that have tripled. And in China, live-streamers digitally clone themselves, raising questions about the future of labor in the age of A.I.

Artificial Intelligence makes it possible to resurrect deceased loved-ones in the form of a very convincing video and audio imitation. Some companies in China are beginning to provide this as a service. We hear about the practice and the ethical questions it raises

In the latest escalation of tensions between the two, China seized a fishing vessel from Taiwan while it was in Taiwanese territorial waters. This is seen as Beijing sending a message that it plans to assert more control over Taiwan, which China claims as it's own. Our correspondent travels to a small Taiwanese island near where the boat was seized and finds residents who know they would be on the front line of any future military action that could erupt between China and Taiwan.

In the landmark bipartisan foreign aid package that passed earlier this year, there was money for two allies in ongoing military conflicts: Israel and Ukraine. But there was also money for the Indo-Pacific region. So why is the U.S. interested in the region and how is Taiwan involved?

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, defense correspondent Tom Bowman, and foreign correspondent Emily Feng.

The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger. Our intern is Bria Suggs. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

A new president in Taiwan was inaugurated this week. Lai Ching-te will now lead a Taiwan that is divided politically on many issues, including on how to confront China. We'll hear from our correspondent in Taipei and from some young Taiwanese preparing for mandatory military service.

Lai Ching-te has been sworn into office with a promise to uphold democracy. Trained as a doctor, the unlikely politician has won a loyal following in southern Taiwan but remains despised in China.

The people behind the online scams you see might be the victim of a scam themselves. Tens of thousands of people have been trafficked into remote, Southeast Asian compounds and forced to scam others.

China's feared state security ministry has been more public and more powerful in its quest to suppress internal dissent and monitor foreign activity.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up a trip to China to mend bilateral ties, but Chinese citizens cared far more about what she ate — and how.

Taiwan is still working to rescue more than 700 people trapped by the massive earthquake that hit the Asian island on Wednesday.

The deadly earthquake struck Taiwan during the morning rush hour on Wednesday — collapsing buildings and triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines.

The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in neighboring countries from Japan to the Philippines. Numerous aftershocks have hit.

A powerful earthquake rocks Taiwan. The U.S. Geological Survey put the earthquake magnitude at 7.4. NPR's Emily Feng reports from Taiwan.

Chinese-funded marijuana farms are popping up across the United States. Many of them exploit workers from China. We explore the reasons behind why this is happening.

Amid tensions in the South China Sea, NPR sat down with Philippines' Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro. He has accused China of "gutter talk" and "propaganda" in its territorial claims.

Hong Kong looks set to pass sweeping additional security legislation decades in the making. Critics say the legislation is too broad and gives even more power to Hong Kong's government.

China is holding its annual legislative and political meeting and restarting an ailing economy is at top of the agenda.

China is purging the senior ranks of its financial sector as the central government attempts to stabilize a shaky economy.