A blue bundle huddles in the dirt, a man shoots her five times at close range with an automatic rifle, to cheers of jubilation from the 150 or so men watching.
Category: Latest News
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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
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Texas Republicans say No to critical thinking in schools
“Higher Order Thinking Skills focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.”
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Ohio Supreme Court agrees to hear creationist appeal
A teacher was fired for teaching creationism in science class, has appealed on First Amendment grounds.
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Pakistan lynching a reminder of danger in blasphemy laws
Amnesty International today demanded that members of a mob who lynched a man accused of breaching Pakistan’s blasphemy laws be brought to justice as a matter of urgency.
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Helen Lewis on online harassment of women
There is for instance the interactive “game” inviting players to “beat up Anita Sarkeesian.” As you click the screen, her face is turned to pulp.
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Protests at South Korea’s plan to hunt whales
The World Wildlife Fund said there was no evidence for claims by South Korean fishermen that whales were depleting coastal fish stocks.
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Jezebel on “guy on the internet”
If you tell Guy On The Internet you’ve got a cool party going, he’s totally on board. He’s a tool like that. That is what we’re seeing with these newest waves of misogynist mumbling.
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Vatican and USCCB get more reactionary every day
In April the Vatican accused the Leadership Conference of Women Religious of “radical feminism.” Strange bedfellows.
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PNG: women still held back by traditional attitudes
It’s not a level playing field.
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Report on women’s rights in Indonesia
A report on the implementation of CEDAW in Indonesia, 2007- 2011.
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Pakistan: man beaten by mob two days ago
He was accused of “blasphemy” so a rage-mob beat him up.
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Pakistan: mob burns a man alive for burning a Koran
They poured petrol on him and set him on fire.
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The barmaid gave up on reading the Koran
Mo says she can’t tell how crappy it is until she’s read the whole thing.
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Ireland: student newspaper examines Youth Defence
Many have questioned how Youth Defence, an organisation that purports to be funded by Irish supporters, can afford to fund large-scale publicity campaigns.
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More on the bad science of Ireland’s ‘Youth Defence’
There are hundreds of young Irish people outraged at Youth defence, from all walks of life, making their voices heard. There is hope for Ireland.
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Iran: programmer sentenced to death for random reason
He was sentenced after one of his web programs was used to post pornographic images without his knowledge.
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Kenya: 15 people killed in attacks on churches
Witnesses told AFP that bodies lay scattered in the blood-spattered churches as scores of wounded were rushed to hospital.
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Iraqi women face court-ordered virginity tests
Because a woman is required to be a virgin at marriage, and if she’s not her male relatives might kill her.
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Khalid Mohd torched wife 1 to make space for wife 2
Rema Jamel asked him to help extend her visa; he said no, and told her she couldn’t take her children back to Jordan, then doused her with lighter fluid and set her on fire.
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Deutsche Welle on destruction of Timbuktu sites
Timbuktu is home to three historic mosques as well as 16 cemeteries and mausoleums recognized by UNESCO, watchdog for some of history’s most threatened cultural exhibits.