* Beyond closing Gitmo, it's time to return Guantánamo to Cuba, where imperialism has reigned since 1901. * Gitmo's most controversial prisoners. * Rampant nuclear proliferation and trigger-happy hotspots push the Doomsday Clock ahead another minute. * The design evolution of Google Maps. * The current rush to build skyscrapers
* Violence escalates in Syria; Al-Assad blames foreign powers, Arab critics, and "60 televisions stations." * Wonkette on our new "Consumer Chief." * Switzerland's Libyan nightmare is over; Hannibal Gadhafi, terrorizer of hotels, is believed to be in Algeria. * Krugman reconsiders Japan—responding to our own
* Western sanctions are ravaging Iran's currency and economy, though the next step—limiting oil exports—may backfire. * Ahmadinejad's Latin American excursion appears fruitless—few allies remain, Chávez's usefulness has waned. * Ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Rio tries to wrangle control
* Round-up of Michele Bachmann's foreign-policy greatest hits. * Trillin has Romney introducing himself to foreign leaders. * Tiny explanations of politics to watch in Zimbabwe, Angola, Madagascar, South Africa. * Haitians struggle to reach Brazil; Brazil struggles to accomodate Haitians. * Italy's high-end accordion industry thrives despite
* A haunting account of one man's seven-year Gitmo imprisonment. * For those waiting anxiously for immigration reform—with no resolution in sight—Obama's proposal offers new hope. * Given months to live in 1963, Stephen Hawking has continued to survive against all medical odds. * Psychologists can'
* Iranian fisherman held hostage and asked by Somalians to go pirate, saved by U.S. Navy. * Iran responds twice: It's a humanitarian gesture, then a Hollywood dramatization. * U.S. military cuts could harm invention, innovation, and long-term economic growth. * Teen killed by drone may not have been
* Britain bashes London's financial might and excess; financiers would prefer an attitude like California's toward Silicon Valley. * Poster: Visual history of financial crises. * January is a bad month for fast-food restaurants, so deals abound, including KFC's new $11 "Weekend Bucket," with
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. 2012 is commencing with the reminder that no matter what goes down this year, hope can be strongest in dark places. Jupiter’s heart is
* The Supreme Court should defend the fundamental right of Americans to have a democracy that is for, of, and by them—not foreigners. * Rick Santorum says the West Bank belongs to Israel, which not even Israel itself would claim. * Santorum embodies how politicians become wealthy out of office—getting cash
* British Heart Foundation teaches CPR to the masses by encouraging disco-beat chest compressions. * In Israel, anyone who registers as an organ donor is eligible immediately for high priority to obtain an organ. * Chart: Libya's economy will be the fastest-growing in 2012, Sudan's the fastest-
