World

Raimund Larat at a recent Sinterklaas parade in Amsterdam. He and his family object to the Black Pete tradition and believe the Christmas character should change.

World News

Santa's Black-Faced Helpers Are Under Fire In The Netherlands

6:49pm December 08, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

Since the 19th century, Christmas in the Netherlands has always included Santa's helpers, known as Black Pete. He's a Christmas tradition to some and a racist stereotype to others.

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World News

U.K. Lawmaker Apologizes For Playing 'Candy Crush Saga' At Hearing

4:06pm December 08, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

Nigel Mills said his actions "fell short of what is expected of a member of Parliament." But a colleague defended him, saying hearings were "boring" and he himself had had trouble staying awake.

Ronaldo Mouchawar, a native of Syria, is the founder of Souq.com, which is now considered the leading e-commerce site in the region. He says his company, which is based in Dubai, reflects a quiet transformation that is taking places in parts of the Arab w

A Syrian Entrepreneur Looks To Build The Amazon Of The Arab World

3:10pm December 08, 2014

by Deborah Amos

Souq.com, created by U.S.-educated Ronaldo Mouchawar, has a strong presence in the Middle East. Since the boom in cell phones in the region, "you can feel the crescendo" in its tech sector, he says.

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A Filipino man carries a dirty plastic sheet from his house after strong waves from Typhoon Hagupit battered a coastal village in Legazpi, Albay province, in the eastern Philippines, on Monday. Residents began trickling back to their homes after the local

World News

Typhoon Death Toll Rises In Philippines, Though Devastation Less Than Feared

3:08pm December 08, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

Hagupit, now a tropical storm, forced more than a million people into shelters when it hit. At least 21 people are dead. But it spared the Philippines the devastation of last year's Typhoon Haiyan.

Zoe Kiadi, 25, says neither unemployment nor the presence of Ebola has dimmed her desire to look nice. What really sets her apart is her hairstyle.

Ebola, Schmebola — You Still Have To Look Good!

2:32pm December 08, 2014

by Didrik Schanche

Liberians aren't letting a brutal epidemic put a crimp in their amazing sense of fashion. The streets are still full of stylish folks, because as the local saying goes, "Looking good is business."

With Ebola Cases Down, Officials Worry Liberians Aren't Worried Enough

2:06pm December 08, 2014

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Treatment units in Liberia stand nearly empty, but a dozen or so Ebola cases still appear each day, with clusters in Monrovia and rural areas. The CDC's chief there wants the nation to stay alert.

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Mrs. Mama Quaye has run Mrs. Quayes African Food Center on Ashmun St. in downtown Monrovia for over 20 years.

Liberian Businesses Reopen Their Doors, But Customers Are Wary

12:28pm December 08, 2014

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

The Ebola outbreak shuttered shops, cafes and offices. As the situation eases, many have now opened again — but as restaurant owner Mama Quaye can testify, business is hardly booming.

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IOC Unveils Changes Including Lower Bidding Costs, More Sports At Olympics

11:31am December 08, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

The changes adopted today at a two-day meeting in Monaco include a new Olympic channel. They are all part of biggest change in decades to the International Olympic Committee.

A Filipino typhoon victim pleads for help in the town of Taft, Samar island, Philippines, on Sunday, after Typhoon Hagupit knocked out power and flattened houses there.

World News

In The Philippines, More Than 1 Million Flee Typhoon Hagupit

9:51am December 08, 2014

The storm toppled trees and flooded neighborhoods across a swath of the island nation, but so far appears to have spared the region the deadly destruction of last year's Typhoon Haiyan.

The Apple campus in Cork, southern Ireland, employs 4,000 people — though its financial benefits are felt across the city. But Ireland's attractive tax laws — which have lured other industry leaders — are now under scrutiny.

U.S. Tech Firms See Green As They Set Up Shop In Low-Tax Ireland

8:54am December 08, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

Google, Apple and other industry leaders have global headquarters in Ireland. But the U.S. Congress and others aren't happy, and the Irish are reconsidering some of these business-friendly tax laws.

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