* Syria to admit international observers, with strings; Hamas abandoning its Damascus headquarters to avoid taint. * Global study says income inequality isn't due to globalization. * Nation's moms demand Christmas lists. * Guardian series investigates psychology behind the summer 2011 English riots. * Oh, science journalism: "Creative People Cheat,
* Top-secret war plans—to invade France—stolen from British embassy in Tehran, plus a Pulp Fiction poster. * Top Twitter hashtag in 2011: #egypt. * Blatant electoral fraud may have spared United Russia an even worse drubbing. * Videos show thousands chanting "Putin is a thief!" in Moscow. * Global Witness
* Notes on Pakistan's "memo-gate," where Zardari is accused of knowing beforehand about the bin Laden raid. * Secrets of the Taliban's success: America's mistakes, Pakistan's support, unending supply of fighters. * Scientists recommend—for environmental reasons, and for better bills—a
* With Cain out of the race, Republican critics of Newt Gingrich turn silent. * Catalog of Gingrich's 156 Amazon reviews. * Early results show Putin's United Russia party clinging to majority. * Catalog of snooping tools available to governments obtained from attendees of recent surveillance conference. * Obama offers "
* Never before has the world been as close to war with Iran. * Insurgency will continue in Afghanistan, but by muddling through, there's optimism and growth. * Introducing the Muslim Brotherhood's deeply theocratic Tea Party-like offshoot. * Copenhagen plans to open government-run marijuana shops to combat gangs.
* Anders Breivik was cold and calculating, but calling him insane lets him off easy. * On Africa's real chance to follow in Asia's footsteps. * Change in Libyan leadership doesn't mean 200-year-old remains of American sailors closer to returning home. * Ambien and its generic
* U.S. unemployment rate falls to 8.6%, lowest since March 2009 * Men commuting to work with women's legs. * Germany's Merkel rules out rapid fix to Europe's debt crisis. * Yet another wealthy person asks to be taxed in order to reward true job creators.
* After 18 months of no government, Belgium appears ready to appoint a French-speaking socialist as PM. * Nearly half of a German city evacuates for the defusing of a WWII-era bomb. * Comedy theorist claims "sense of humor is the lure that keeps our brains alert for the gaps
* White House decides Obama will offer no formal condolences to Pakistan. * Study finds racial animus cost Obama three to five percentage points in the national popular vote in the 2008 election. * Britons will be worse off in 2015 than they were in 2002. * Story of the blind CIA agent—also
* As recently as 1996, a political candidate's sexual affairs weren't mainstream news fodder. * Print news has come full circle now that the "future of news" is print. * Richmond Tea Party prepares for an audit after complaining about paying for a park used freely by
