North Africa

Mali poised for multi-sided war

With French troops fighting on the ground in Mali, jihadist militias advance on the capital, while Tuareg rebels pledge to re-establish a separatist state in the north.

North America

Somali men in new ‘terrorism’ cases

A Somali-American accused of planning a Christmas bomb attack in Oregon appears to be the latest victim of an FBI-generated bogus "terrorism" plot.

Mexico

Hezbollah link to Zapatistas? Not!

An Israeli press account plays a cynical game of connect-the-dots to link Hezbollah and the Zetas to the Zapatista rebels in Chiapas. Don't believe the hype.

Oceania

Kali Yuga in Australia

Nuclear disaster was narrowly averted in Sydney when one of the wildfires sweeping New South Wales threatened an atomic research station near the city.

East Asia

Radiation cover-up at Fukushima exposed

Japan’s Environment Ministry is investigating claims that clean-up contractors at Fukushima have illegally dumped contaminated materials in rivers and open areas.

Watching the Shadows

Chuck Hagel: revenge of the paleocons?

Leftists are ironically rallying around Chuck Hagel as Obama's apparent pick for Secretary of Defense—a conservative Republican who is wary of the neocons but close to Big Oil.

North America

Abraham Lincoln’s Dakota massacre recalled

At a ceremony in Minnesota, Dakota Indians and their supporters commemorated the 150th anniversary of the largest mass execution in US history—ordered by President Lincoln.

New York City

WHY WE FIGHT

From AP, Dec. 19: Truck Causes NY Traffic Pileup; 1 Dead, 33 HurtA tractor-trailer smashed into several vehicles on a major highway on Wednesday afternoon, setting off a chain reaction of fiery crashes, killing one person and injuring 33 others,… Read moreWHY WE FIGHT

North America

Conspiracy vultures descend on Newtown

Paranoid conspiracy theories proliferate about the Newtown massacre, adding to the noise of pro- and anti-gun control voices that all distract us from the fundamental questions.