World News

World News

Rising From The Ocean Floor, Developers Create New City In Nigeria

4:18pm December 24, 2015

by Nick Schifrin

The number of people living in Nigeria's most populous city, Lagos, is set to double in coming years. Developers are creating a new city on what was until recently the ocean. It will cater to the super rich, which critics say will only exacerbate an already severe wealth gap.

U.S. Launches Airstrikes In Support Of Afghan Operation In Sangin

4:18pm December 24, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Sune Engel Rasmussen, who covers Afghanistan for the Guardian, about the latest on the siege of Sangin in southern Afghanistan, which the Taliban attempted to overrun. U.S. aircraft have carried out two attacks there in support of Afghan government forces fighting to push the Taliban back.

Encore: Among Santa And Mistletoe, A British Christmas Includes Comedy

4:18pm December 24, 2015

by Ari Shapiro

For many people in the United Kingdom, the Christmas season includes a visit to a pantomime or a silly comedy musical. This story originally aired on Dec. 25, 2014 on All Things Considered.

Each time a different natural dye is added to the fabric for a Good Earth pillow or quilt, it's rinsed, then laid to dry in the sun.

From Indian Villages To West Elm Shelves: Handmade Crafts Go High-End

3:36pm December 24, 2015

by Esha Chhabra

That $2,300 rug with a faded floral pattern at West Elm? The $50 picture frame made of bone at Bloomingdale's? Both handcrafted by artisans in India.

Michael Cashel, a local butcher who has been in Crickhowell for 40 years, is a fierce defender of the town's independent businesses.

World News

A Cheeky Welsh Town Goes 'Offshore' To Avoid British Taxes

2:45pm December 24, 2015

by Peter Kenyon

Frustrated with large multinational corporations that escape British taxes, the town of Crickhowell has decided to make a point by doing exactly the same thing.

A child laughs as he receives presents from a man dressed as Santa Claus during a Christmas party for children affected by Down Syndrome, organized by the Angels Down Friends association in Bucharest, Romania, on Friday, Dec. 18.

World News

PHOTOS: In Romania, Santa Steps In To Help Fight Stigma Of Down Syndrome

1:17pm December 24, 2015

by Camila Domonoske

Children with Down syndrome often face prejudice in Romania, where there are few services available for them, the AP reports. One group held a Christmas event last week to try to shift attitudes.

Across India, several Christian communities prepare sweet homemade wines for the festive season from a rich array of local fruit, roots and grain. Above, a glass of golden pineapple wine.

From Beetroot To Pineapple, Homemade Wines Sweeten Christmas In India

11:21am December 24, 2015

by Nina Martyris

Across India, Christian communities make sweet homemade wines for the festive season from an array of local fruit, roots and grain. But the know-how behind this ancient tradition may be disappearing.

Ivan Day shapes his mince pies using traditional patterns from hundreds of years ago.

Big, Bold, Wild: We Re-Create Christmas Dinners Of Centuries Past

10:09am December 24, 2015

by Robert Smith

Same Christmas dinner as last year? You're doing it wrong. In 17th-century Britain, Christmas dinner was a lavish, experimental, 12-day drunken affair. Think Mardi Gras with snow.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Britain Inches Closer To Referendum On Whether To Leave EU

7:00am December 24, 2015

The United Kingdom has been part of the European economic bloc since the 1970s. Britons will vote in a referendum, likely next year, about whether they want to stay in the European Union.

Queue Listen Now

As Christians Flee, Governments Pressured To Declare ISIS Guilty Of Genocide

6:17am December 24, 2015

by Tom Gjelten

The Christian population is dropping in areas where Islamic State fighters are targeting religious minorities. At least a thousand Christians have been killed. Hundreds of thousands have fled.