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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Measles outbreaks in England and Wales *

Apr 26th, 2013 | Filed by

The current spread of measles is in stark contrast to a decade ago, when there were only a handful of cases. Nice job, Wakefield.… Read the rest



UK “conman” convicted of selling fake bomb detectors *

Apr 24th, 2013 | Filed by

Homeopaths next?… Read the rest



Worldwide Protests for Free Expression in Bangladesh *

Apr 23rd, 2013 | Filed by

An international coalition led by CFI, the IHEU, and American Atheists, will protest the persecution of atheist bloggers in Bangladesh with demonstrations on April 25.… Read the rest



Kansas: Brownback signs sweeping antiabortion bill into law *

Apr 23rd, 2013 | Filed by

The law violates the accepted definition of fetal viability as defined by Roe v. Wade.… Read the rest



Video: Burmese police stand by as Buddhists attack Muslims *

Apr 22nd, 2013 | Filed by

The footage, apparently shot by police officers, shows Buddhist crowds cheering when Muslims are attacked and setting fire to mosques and houses.… Read the rest



Praveen Halappanavar still wants answers *

Apr 21st, 2013 | Filed by

The only thing that could have saved Savita was a prompt termination, and by the time it was lawful to perform a termination, she was beyond saving.… Read the rest



Another gender segregated lecture at UK university *

Apr 16th, 2013 | Filed by

The University of Leicester has launched an investigation into gender segregation at a public lecture held by its student Islamic society.… Read the rest



Fazil Say convicted of blasphemy and inciting hatred *

Apr 15th, 2013 | Filed by

A Turkish court has convicted pianist and composer Fazil Say of blasphemy and inciting hatred through a series of comments he made on Twitter last year.… Read the rest



ireland: Bethany Home survivors blame State for deaths *

Apr 15th, 2013 | Filed by

‘Manslaughter of 63 children occurred’ when the State funded the Protestant institution.… Read the rest



Giving space to Andrew Wakefield on MMR isn’t balance, it’s lunacy *

Apr 13th, 2013 | Filed by

Wakefield’s research was unconvincing at the time and swiftly refuted, yet the ‘controversy’ over MMR has raged for years, fuelled by credulous idiots in the media.… Read the rest



ECHR calls on Ireland to implement abortion law *

Apr 11th, 2013 | Filed by

The committee said “the general prohibition on abortion in criminal law constitutes a significant chilling factor for women and doctors.”… Read the rest



IHEU Call to action: Defend the bloggers of Bangladesh *

Apr 10th, 2013 | Filed by

Islamist political parties have provided government with a list of 84 “atheist bloggers” and are demanding the death penalty for “insulting religion”.… Read the rest



PNG: two women suspected of “sorcery” beheaded

Apr 9th, 2013 | Filed by

Two elderly women were beheaded in Papua New Guinea after being tortured for three days. Police were outnumbered by an angry mob and could do nothing to stop the murders.… Read the rest



Kenya: Kakenya Ntaiya swapped her genitals for high school *

Apr 8th, 2013 | Filed by

When she was 12, she made a deal with her father: she would undergo the Maasai rite of passage of FGM if he would let her go to high school.… Read the rest



Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina rejects new blasphemy law *

Apr 8th, 2013 | Filed by

In a BBC interview, she said existing laws were sufficient to punish anyone who attempted to insult religion. Whew, that’s a relief!… Read the rest



Wales measles: 1,200 MMR jabs given at drop-in clinics *

Apr 7th, 2013 | Filed by

Hundreds queued at the four hospitals offering free MMR jabs aimed at curbing the measles epidemic.… Read the rest



Nepal: woman attacked as a “witch” *

Apr 7th, 2013 | Filed by

The 60-year-old woman was stripped naked and had her head shaved, force-fed excrement and badly beaten.… Read the rest



Obama comments on California AG’s looks *

Apr 5th, 2013 | Filed by

First, he said shrewdly, you have to say she’s brilliant and good at the job. But once that’s out of the way – phwoarrrrrrr, amirite?… Read the rest



Fox News host wants manlier men *

Apr 4th, 2013 | Filed by

“Are we better off as a nation now with all the P.C. and with all the wimpifying, wussificating and basically making men Chihuahuas?”… Read the rest



Malala will tell her story *

Mar 27th, 2013 | Filed by

“I hope the book will reach people around the world, so they realize how  difficult it is for some children to get access to education,” Malala said in a news release. “I want  to tell my story, but it will also be the story of 61 million children  who can’t get education.”… Read the rest