Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.

We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.

A note about links

Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.


Republican party tries to back away from Akin *

Aug 20th, 2012 | Filed by

No money for the Senate campaign, he is told.… Read the rest



Austria Freedom Party condemned for Nazi-like cartoon *

Aug 20th, 2012 | Filed by

A caricature of a banker with a hooked nose, wearing Star of David cufflinks? Yes, that’s Nazi-like.… Read the rest



Iran bans women from 77 BA and BSc courses *

Aug 20th, 2012 | Filed by

Mullahs are concerned about the social side-effects of rising educational standards among women, including declining birth and marriage rates.… Read the rest



Cardinal stops meddling with Scottish government *

Aug 19th, 2012 | Filed by

Cardinal Keith O’Brien has turned down an invitation to discuss same-sex marriage, leaving any talks to officials, just as he ought.… Read the rest



Assange should go to Sweden to face the allegations *

Aug 19th, 2012 | Filed by

Assange is a rape suspect who skipped bail. Yet some of his supporters have made
arguments that they would never make about anybody else.… Read the rest



Pakistan: 11-year-old Xian girl accused of blasphemy *

Aug 18th, 2012 | Filed by

Reports say that she has Down syndrome and that she and her mother were beaten by a mob.… Read the rest



Russian Orthodox Church “forgives” Pussy Riot *

Aug 18th, 2012 | Filed by

“We did forgive them from the very start. But such actions should be cut short by society and authorities.”… Read the rest



Gay pride marches banned in Moscow for 100 years *

Aug 18th, 2012 | Filed by

Moscow city government claims the parade would cause public disorder and that most Muscovites do not support it.… Read the rest



The Guardian talks to E O Wilson *

Aug 18th, 2012 | Filed by

His new book takes in language and the arts in its bold attempt to demonstrate that generosity, as mandated by group selection, is humanity’s secret ingredient.… Read the rest



Pussy Riot jail terms condemned *

Aug 17th, 2012 | Filed by

The US and EU said the sentences were disproportionate. Amnesty International
said they must be overturned.… Read the rest



Pregnant Dominican teenager dies of leukemia *

Aug 17th, 2012 | Filed by

Doctors refused to give her chemo because she was 9 weeks pregnant. They waited 20 days before allowing the treatment. Too late.… Read the rest



Pussy Riot as enemies of Russia and church *

Aug 17th, 2012 | Filed by

A chance for Putin to paint his opponents as obscene, disrespectful, rabble-rousing liberal urbanites backed by the West.… Read the rest



Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison *

Aug 17th, 2012 | Filed by

“The girls’ actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the church’s
rules,” Judge Marina Syrova told the court.… Read the rest



“Almost comatose” woman forcibly married *

Aug 16th, 2012 | Filed by

Judge says the forced marriage of a Bangladeshi woman with learning difficulties should be annulled.… Read the rest



Raymond Tallis on the case for assisted dying *

Aug 16th, 2012 | Filed by

Unbearable suffering, prolonged by medical care, and  inflicted on a dying patient against their will, is an unequivocal evil.… Read the rest



UK: action plan on child abuse linked to witchcraft *

Aug 16th, 2012 | Filed by

“We must never forget this is about child cruelty not culture and we cannot afford to wait until another child is murdered before decisive action is taken.”… Read the rest



Atheist billboards target candidates’ religions *

Aug 15th, 2012 | Filed by

You get Romney’s god as a space alien in magic underwear, and Obama’s sadistic god who promotes hate and calls it love.… Read the rest



Somalia: new constitution bans FGM *

Aug 15th, 2012 | Filed by

The provisional constitution says FGM is “a cruel and degrading customary practice, and is tantamount to torture. The circumcision of girls is prohibited.”… Read the rest



Make us do the math *

Aug 14th, 2012 | Filed by

Jennifer Ouellette says why just giving up on teaching algebra is a very bad (and anti-democratic) idea.… Read the rest



Turkey: violence leading cause of death for women 15-44 *

Aug 14th, 2012 | Filed by

The number of women between 15 and 44 who lose their lives to gender-based violence outstrips deaths due to traffic accidents, malaria, cancer and war… Read the rest