Global News

Pope Francis is responding to rightwing American critics who claim his recent teaching is Marxist.  He says that’s just not true, but that even Marxists can be good people.  And he knows that because he’s known a few Marxists in his day.

When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had his uncle dragged out of a government meeting, tried, and executed within 24 hours, international observers took it as a sign that Kim would do anything to consolidate power.  But Kim’s aunt is alive and well and apparently still in the ruling circle.

The great actor Peter O’Toole died Saturday in London at age 81 after a lengthy illness.  The son of an Irish bookmaker was almost as famous for his partying and debauchery as he was for starring in epic blockbusters.

Even as hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters overflowed Kiev’s Independence Square demanding the government step down for backing away from a deal with the European Union, an agreement between Brussels and Ukraine slipped further away.

Chilean Socialist Michelle Bachelet has easily won the runoff election for President, beating her conservative opponent Evelyn Matthei by beter than a two-to-one margin.  She promises to bring major reforms to her second term in office to deal with economic inequality and education issues.

Nelson Mandela will be buried today, and one of his closest allies will be there after a attempted snub – Iran sends a simian into orbit while China hops onto the moon – North Korea pulls yet another ominous move – And why have one Santa Claus when you can have thousands?

North Korea’s purge is causing concern with its only friend – Iceland wants kill more whales – A European country is about to grant certain children the right to commit suicide.

The head of Thailand's armed forces has dealt a blow to the ebbing right-wing protest movement in Bangkok’s streets, and refused to meet with protest leaders who had asked police and military chiefs to choose sides in the crisis.

And by "unmerry" we mean "evil".  It seems incredible that this sort of thing could still happen in Europe, but it did.  There is growing outrage at Romania’s state television network for broadcasting a disgusting, anti-Semitic Christmas carol in programming targeted for rural areas.

Chemical weapons were used in five out of seven sites in Syria, according to a United Nations Investigation.  But the study is not saying whether it was rebel fighters or forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad that had used the weapons.

China pretends its smog isn’t a problem – Europe’s newest nation could be founded next year – South Africa’s magnificently incompetent sign language claims he was suffering from schizophrenic hallucinations while standing inches away from world leaders.

An American man being held in Iran for some seven years was a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent on a rogue intelligence operation, not a private citizen as previously claimed.  Spy agency officials had previously disavowed former Robert Levinson, and said he did not go to Iran for the CIA.

If North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s uncle was on your Christmas card list, better scratch him off.  The hermit kingdom’s official news agency has announced that the “Traitor Jang Song Thaek” has been executed.  Until a few days ago, he was believed to be the second most powerful person in North Korea.

Thailand’s anti-Democracy movement is now hoping for the military to step in and help them depose Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and install an unelected ruling council made up of “good people”.  Maybe it’s a warning shot, but a former prime minister has been arrested and indicted for murder in the crackdown three years ago on supporters of the current government.

Ukrainian opposition leaders quickly rejected an offer to meet with the President they say has to step down after favoring ties with Russia over the European Union.  They’re rebuilding protest camps outside government buildings in Kiev after cops tried to dismantle them overnight.

The High Court says freedom and equality are against the law – Deaf viewers say a sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial was a fraud – Mexico’s radioactive nightmare is finally cleaned up.

The United States and the United Kingdom have stopped all non-lethal assistance to rebel groups in northern Syria after al Qaeda-linked factions seized the headquarters and warehouses belonging to the opposition's Supreme Military Council.

Argentina’s chief cabinet secretary is ordering an end to police strikes after at least 12 people were killed in looting on streets earlier abandoned by the cops.  The chaos resulted in hundreds of injuries and almost A$100 Million in damage and business losses.

In a major and unexpected blow to LGBT rights, India’s supreme court took a step back into the 19^th century, overturning a lower court ruling that scrapped the country’s colonial-era that banned gay sex.  It means that a same-sex relationship is once again an “unnatural offence” and punishable by a 10-year jail term.

An official with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is worried that Canada Post’s plans to end door to door mail delivery will hurt seniors and the disabled, not to mention 8,000 postal workers who will lose their jobs in the name of cost-cutting.