World News

On Sunday, Ireland became the first country to formally exit the bailout program funded by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.

Ireland Exits Bailout Program, But Economy Still On The Mend

8:24am December 16, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Ireland has big budget deficits, low growth rates and high unemployment. But the country is ready to take a big step toward getting back to normal. On Sunday, it became the first country to exit the bailout program put in place by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.

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Boulevard Brewing's lineup includes seven year-round beers, five seasonal beers and 13 beers in its Smokestack series.

When Craft Beer Goes Global: A Kansas City Brewery's Tale

8:07am December 16, 2013

by Frank Morris

Boulevard Brewing has become a Kansas City staple since its founding in the 1980s. It has many loyal local fans — and soon, a new international owner, Duvel. The deal says a lot about how the world now values a product made with a firm sense of place.

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World News

Germany's Merkel To Be Sworn In Again As Chancellor

6:46am December 16, 2013

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Weeks of post-election political limbo have ended in Germany. The country's main center-left party has voted to join the coalition government of Angela Merkel. The move clears the way for her to start her third term as chancellor.

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Since recording in the 1970s and '80s, Nigerian William Onyeabor has dropped off the music map.

Nine Months In Nigeria, One Brilliant, Difficult Funk Musician

6:07pm December 15, 2013

by NPR Staff

Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor has been a mystery for years. Since recording in the 1970s and '80s, he has completely dropped off the music map. When Luaka Bop Records wanted to assemble some of his work, the road to securing a signed contract took on its own twists.

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Science Becomes 'Sexy' With Fast Cars And Gangsta Physics

6:19pm December 14, 2013

Can science be cool? This week, Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells NPR about a gangster-turned-astrophysicist and a race car driver working to making science "sexy" again. Plus, a look at the changing landscape of African art — no tribal masks allowed.

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A South African boy stands in front of a mural of Nelson Mandela in Soweto, South Africa, earlier this month.

World News

South Africans Reflect On Mandela's 'Rainbow Nation'

7:39pm December 13, 2013

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Equality for all South Africans, regardless of race or color, was at the core of the struggle against apartheid. Nineteen years after Nelson Mandela was sworn in as the first black president in the country's first democratic elections, what is the status of race relations?

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The creators of 1979 Revolution interviewed fellow Iranians to create accurate scenes of Iran.

World News

Game Director Shifts From 'Grand Theft Auto' To Iranian Revolution

6:56pm December 13, 2013

by Alan Yu

A blockbuster video game director is working on a game where you don't shoot back. It puts the player inside the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and it's a financial and personal risk to the game makers.

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U.S. Reassesses Relationship With Rebel Groups In Syria

6:56pm December 13, 2013

by Tom Gjelten

In Syria, the moderate rebel groups supported by the United States have largely been marginalized, as more radical Islamists have moved to the fore. The new developments are forcing the U.S. to reassess its options and to consider reaching out to Islamist groups from whom it had previously kept its distance. The new criterion for U.S. support may simply be a willingness to oppose al-Qaida in Syria.

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The Virgencita Plis character from Distroller in Mexico.

World News

Mexico's Patron Saint Is Also Its Hello Kitty

8:52pm December 12, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

As many as 6 million pilgrims have made their way to the Mexican capital to pay homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe on Thursday. One woman has turned the country's most revered religious icon into a cartoon characterization, using it to build a multimillion-dollar company.

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World News

Radical Islamists In Northern Syria Spill Over Turkish Border

6:44pm December 12, 2013

by Deborah Amos

As radical Islamists take control of Syrian border towns, the spill-over is evident in southern Turkey. Small shops cater to radicals, selling black head bands with Koranic slogans. In Killis, on the Turkish border, cafes offer "jihadi tea" for a clientele with long beards and an alarming agenda. Many analysts say Turkey turned a blind eye to international jihadists crossing the border to overthrow the Assad regime. The bill has come due as Washington expresses extreme concern, young Turks join the jihad in Syria, and international extremists flock to the Turkish border on the way to the jihad.

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