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The small island nation of Cyprus is drilling under the Mediterranean Sea for natural gas. It is facing opposition from Turkey, which has occupied part of the island since 1974.

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks to Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine about the New York Jets, Tim Tebow and the NBA on Christmas Day.

Diplomats in Doha, Qatar, are working late into the night to hammer out a deal in the 18th round of U.N. climate talks. Expectations are low as the talks are part of a multiyear process to make a transition from the fading Kyoto climate treaty to something that engages all nations of the world.

Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolves the lower house of Japan's parliament and calls elections; polls suggest neither of the main parties will win a parliamentary majority in Dec. 16th vote.

President Obama is in Thailand as part of a trip to Asia that will include a regional summit and the first ever visit by a sitting U.S. president to Myanmar, also known as Burma. The president's visit is seen as a sign of his commitment to focus American foreign policy on the region, but fighting in Gaza is pulling away attention. Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Scott Horsley.

President Obama was in Thailand Sunday at the start of a brief tour of Southeast Asia. The trip is supposed to show Obama's commitment to shifting U.S. focus onto Asia and the Pacific, but events in the Middle East and Washington threaten to overshadow the tour. Guy Raz Scott Horsley

Myat Thu's restaurant on the Thai side of the border with Myanmar specializes in Burmese salads. Thu has been cautiously watching Myanmar's political change, hoping to go home one day.

President Obama is in Myanmar — the first visit by a U.S. president to the country also known as Burma. The president's plan to stop there is controversial because of the continued ethnic violence in North West Myanmar. Critics say Burma's transition to democracy is far from complete.

President Obama wraps up his Asia tour in Cambodia tomorrow. His trip included a historic visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma, making him the first sitting American president to visit that country. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with freelance reporter Michael Sullivan, about the significance of the president's trip.

Renee Montagne talks with Rep. Raul Labrador, Republican from Idaho and one of the congressmen who introduced the bill that's set for a vote Friday. The STEM Jobs Act allows people who are in the U.S. legally who are getting advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math to stay and get their green cards, he says.

Republicans in the Senate on Tuesday blocked ratification of a U.N. treaty that would have helped countries protect the rights of disabled people. It was inspired by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Opponents argued, among other things, it would threaten the ability of parents in this country to home school their children.

The United Nations climate talks were seen as a stepping stone toward a new climate treaty. Instead, the countries attending have agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol through 2020.

Ukraine's parliament is the site of two days of brawling, triggered by opposition deputies who oppose some political nominations. It's not the first time this has happened.

Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling have been dropped from the 2020 Olympic games. The unexpected move by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board has angered many, who expected other less-popular sports to be cut. The IOC could reconsider its decision when it next meets in May, but few are hopeful.

At an estimated cost of $400 billion, it is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program. While ambitious in its scope, the program has had numerous stumbles.

It will take more than a week for Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which began Saturday, to cover nearly 1,000 miles. But every minute counts — and several mushers are trying out special pants that allow them to race without stopping for bathroom breaks.

Alabama's Gov. Robert Bentley has signed a sweeping education bill that gives tax credits to parents who want to transfer their children from a failing public school to another public or private school. The bill became law one day after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled a lawsuit against it was premature.

Mara Liasson joins Audie Cornish from Denver to talk about Wednesday's presidential debate and the stakes for the candidates.

A new analysis shows that the Obama campaign continues to have superiority over the Romney campaign and its allies when it comes to TV ads. The report also finds that political ads are the most negative since 2000, and that the leading advertiser in congressional races is Karl Rove's tax-exempt group Crossroads GPS.

British researcher John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka of Japan have won this year's Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology. They won for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells.