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Rocket man: North Korea's Kim Jong Un gets the KAL treatment earlier in 2012. (The Economist)

Interview: For Editorial Cartoonist 'KAL,' Pen is Definitely Mightier Than the Sword

"You can judge the maturity of a society by the amount of satire it can endure," says top editorial cartoonist. more
A team of men in India balance and reach toward the sky in the documentary "The Human Tower." (Goldcrest Films International)

Interview: Filmmakers Document How Urge to Build 'Human Towers' Crosses Continents

Two filmmakers travel across India, Catalonia and Chile to document the trials and triumphs involved in building "human towers." more
Detail from "Ferdowsi encounters the court poets of Ghazna," from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, ca. 1532, attributed to Aqa Mirak (Aga Khan Trust for Culture). Featured on the cover of "The World of Persian Literary Humanism" by Hamid Dabashi (Harvard University Press, 2012).

Interview: Hamid Dabashi Navigates 1400 Years of Persian Literary Tradition

Columbia University scholar discusses the theories of "literary humanism" advanced in his new book. more
Asia Society's Orville Schell tells Asia Society members that China's government has a "leadership deficit."

China's Leadership Change: A Paradox in Transition

Asia Society's Orville Schell tells Asia Society members that China's government has a leadership "deficit." more
U.S. President Barack Obama is greeted by Aung San Suu Kyi during a stop at her private residence in Yangon on November 19, 2012. (Pete Souza/U.S. Department of State)

Audio: Expert Says Timing of Obama's Myanmar Visit 'Exactly Right'

Asia Society's Suzanne DiMaggio explains why Obama's trip to Southeast Asia is the right move at the right time. more
President Barack Obama waves during the election night rally at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, on November 6, 2012. (Kevin Gebhardt/Flickr)

Video: Obama's Asia Visit Will Be 'Closely Watched' in Beijing

Asia Society's Suzanne DiMaggio says Beijing will closely monitor Barack Obama's Asia trip to get a sense of how much the U.S. hopes to increase its influence in the region. more
Yale University historian Peter Purdue puts China's 18th Party Congress in historical perspective on November 14, 2012.

Video: Yale Historian Sees Continuity Between Qing Dynasty, 18th Party Congress

Historian Peter Perdue traces the parallels between Qing Dynasty practices and the 2012 18th Party Congress in Beijing. more
Chinese citizens on a laptop computer at a wireless cafe in Beijing in 2009. Richard H. Solomon argues that in many ways China's "totally wired" society has overtaken its political system. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Video: China's Leadership Must Deal With New Realities

Richard Solomon states that in some ways, China's society and economy have outgrown its political system. more
Delegates gather before the start of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on November 8, 2012. (Remko Tanis/Flickr)

Video: Are China's Citizens Happier Than They Were 10 Years Ago?

The greatest challenge facing China's new leaders, says J. Michael Evans of Goldman Sachs, is civil unrest spurred by income inequality in a growing economy. more
Stam, one of two eight-year-old Thai boxers profiled in Todd Kellstein's new documentary "Buffalo Girls," poses after a win. (Todd Kellstein)

Multimedia: New Film 'Buffalo Girls' Explores World of Child Boxing in Thailand

Following two young girls, filmmaker Todd Kellstein uncovers the world of underground child boxing in Thailand. more