World News

Andre Le Notre pumped in water from the Seine River to create the Grand Canal at Chateau of Versailles.

Royal Gardener Planted The Seed Of Urban Planning At Versailles

10:45am December 10, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

Andre Le Notre helped turn an old hunting lodge into the Versailles we know today, taking his profession way beyond a trade. Experts say Le Notre's work was so groundbreaking, it continues to influence contemporary urban architecture. This year marks the 400th anniversary of Le Notre's birth.

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An 'Accidental Activist,' And England's World Cup Hope

3:47pm December 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson talks about a rising star in soccer who could turn things around for England in the 2014 World Cup, and a Bahraini woman who calls herself an "accidental activist."

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Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu raise their fists in 1990, one day after Mandela was released from jail.

World News

As We Memorialize Mandela, Remember Those Who Stood With Him

3:36pm December 08, 2013

by Scott Simon

By the time he died, Nelson Mandela was considered one of the few giants on the world stage. As NPR's Scott Simon remembers, Mandela was not alone in offering his life for freedom, so the acclaim justly heaped upon Mandela is also a credit to those who worked, served and led with him.

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Refugees warm their hands at a refugee camp in Harmanli, Bulgaria, on Nov. 27. More Syrians are turning up in Europe. Many are trying to get to northern Europe, believing that is the best place to start a new life.

World News

With The Help Of Smugglers, Syrian Refugees Sneak Into Europe

9:57pm December 07, 2013

by Deborah Amos

Many Syrians fled their country and took refuge just across the border, planning to wait out the war. But now, a growing number are working with smugglers to get to northern Europe. The Syrians say they see no end in sight to the civil war and want to start a new life.

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Bickering In Bangladesh; Curling; Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoos

3:31pm December 07, 2013

by NPR Staff

Ozy editor Eugene Robinson tells NPR's Arun Rath about two dueling divas in Bangladeshi politics, the rising popularity of an obscure winter sport, and tattoos that you can wear to work.

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LA's Filipinos Grieve For Loved Ones Abroad By Taking Action

12:31pm December 07, 2013

by Sam Sanders

In Southern California, the largest Filipino community in the U.S. has mobilized relief efforts to aid the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. They are praying in solidarity, donating money and supplies, and volunteering their services while they wait for news of family and friends.

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World News

Egyptians Poised To Vote On Controversial New Constitution

9:07pm December 06, 2013

Egyptians are preparing to vote on a new constitution, again. When the last constitution was approved, President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was in power. He was ousted in July. The latest constitution was drafted by the military-backed government that ousted Morsi. Nathan Brown, who studies constitutionalism and rule of law in the Arab world, talks to Robert Siegel about what's at stake in the process, and the criticism the draft constitution has received. Brown is a professor at George Washington University and a scholar with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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Seleka fighters pose for a photograph in Bossangoa, Central African Republic, on Nov. 25. The landlocked country has been gripped by violence since the mainly Muslim rebels seized power in the majority Christian country in March.

World News

Violence Escalates In Central African Republic; U.N. OKs Troops

7:35pm December 06, 2013

by Hannah McNeish

Amid growing fears of a potential genocide, the U.N. has approved military intervention in the former French colony. Muslim fighters staged a coup in March in the majority Christian nation. The fighting has displaced an estimated 400,000 people.

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World News

Mexican Lawmakers Hope Private Investment Will Boost Oil Industry

7:35pm December 06, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico's congress is set to pass a controversial plan to open up the country's vast and sluggish oil industry to private investment. The move requires a constitutional amendment since Mexico forbids foreign involvement in the oil industry. Opponents of the plan say the president is selling out the country, but many experts say that without foreign investment, Mexico won't be able to tap all its oil and won't modernize.

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Chinese naval soldiers stand guard on China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning as it travels toward a military base in Sanya, Hainan province, in this undated picture made available on Nov. 30.

China's Military Buildup Reignites Worries In Asia, Beyond

12:18pm December 06, 2013

by Tom Bowman

China's leaders hope to be able to fight and win two regional conflicts by 2020, according to the Pentagon in a report that highlights the East China Sea, site of recent tensions with the U.S. and Japan. The showdown over air space is the latest example of what the Pentagon sees as a resurgent Chinese military.

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