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One Big Obstacle To Japan's Recovery? Trash

In Kesennuma, garbage covers much of the city, particularly in the harbor. Some baseball fields and parks nearby have been converted into areas where cranes can sort through the debris. Yuki Noguchi/NPR hide caption

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Yuki Noguchi/NPR

Rebuilding Japan

One Big Obstacle To Japan's Recovery? Trash

The March earthquake and tsunami in Japan made junkyards of entire cities and created the equivalent of 16 years' worth of waste. With both the national and local governments struggling to handle cleanup, corps of volunteers in places like the seaside city of Kesennuma are starting to tackle the daunting task on their own.

Rebuilding A Soy Sauce Company, From The Barrel Up

Michihiro Kono is the ninth-generation chief executive of soy sauce maker Yagisawa Co. in Rikuzentakata, Japan. His factory, storeroom, customer records and two of his employees were washed away in the tsunami. But he's determined to rebuild. Chie Kobayashi for NPR hide caption

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Chie Kobayashi for NPR

Rebuilding Japan

Rebuilding A Soy Sauce Company, From The Barrel Up

Michihiro Kono lost his factory, storeroom, customer records and two of his employees in the tsunami. But the ninth-generation CEO of Yagisawa Co. is determined to rebuild his soy sauce business, despite the odds.

Is The Dalai Lama Playing A Dangerous Game?

The Dalai Lama gives a religious talk at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, on March 15. Ashwini Bhatia/AP hide caption

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Ashwini Bhatia/AP

Is The Dalai Lama Playing A Dangerous Game?

The Dalai Lama shocked the world of Buddhism when he announced that he was giving up his political powers as head of the Tibetan government in exile. Some analysts say the aging leader is beginning a risky strategy to preserve the spiritual leadership of Tibetan Buddhism in the event of his death.

Chinese Truck Drivers Block Port Over Gas Prices

Trucks left parked on a road near a Shanghai port Friday. Truck drivers protested for a third day over rising fuel costs and fees, disrupting the flow of goods. Eugene Hoshiko/AP hide caption

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Eugene Hoshiko/AP

Chinese Truck Drivers Block Port Over Gas Prices

Thousands of truck drivers in the Chinese city of Shanghai staged a third day of protest Friday over rising fuel prices they say are crippling their businesses. The protests come amid a government crackdown on intellectual and political dissent of any sort.

Japan Struggles With How To Heal 'Children's Hearts'

Newly minted second-graders in Rikuzentakata, Japan, begin their school year more than two weeks late after a tsunami wiped out most of the town. Yuki Noguchi/NPR hide caption

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Yuki Noguchi/NPR

Rebuilding Japan

Japan Struggles With How To Heal 'Children's Hearts'

As students return to school in areas affected by the tsunami, there's a lot of talk of "kodomo no kokoro no care" — or "care for children's hearts." Psychologists are training teachers, and schools are trying to hire more counselors. But figuring out how to care for young survivors is a challenge.

Pakistan Frees All But 1 Accused In Gang Rape

Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of five of the six men accused of gang-raping Mukhtar Mai, seen here at a shelter in the southern Punjab village of Meerwala in February. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan Frees All But 1 Accused In Gang Rape

The Supreme Court's ruling Thursday came five years after a lower court found that Mukhtar Mai had been raped by a half-dozen men. The Pakistani woman had refused to remain silent about the crime committed in 2002 and won international acclaim for her courage.

In Egypt, Revolution Moves Into The Factories

Kamil Khalil with the newly formed Workers Democratic Party comes from Cairo to join the sit-in at the Shebin factory. Deborah Amos/NPR hide caption

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Deborah Amos/NPR

Middle East

In Egypt, Revolution Moves Into The Factories

Under Hosni Mubarak's regime, many of Egypt's industries were privatized. Government-owned factories were often sold for bargain basement prices to government loyalists or foreign buyers with the right connections. Many of them got rich by cutting wages and benefits. With the fall of the old regime, the workers are fighting back.