Why aren't we investing in high-speed rail?
Thai protesters march in bid to oust PM, take aim at U.S. →
On December 9, when Yingluck called the election, about 160,000 protesters had massed around her office complex, and before that some had occupied ministries and other state buildings, but police say no more than 2,000 people are now camped out at the main protest sites in Bangkok's historic quarter.
Syrians set to become world's largest refugee population →
I'd like to see these graphed over time:
More than 2.3 million Syrians have already fled the civil war in their homeland but, with 100,000 new refugees registering every month, Syria will soon outstrip Afghanistan as the biggest source of refugees.
Syria [was] home to ~22 million people.
Putin Says He Will Pardon Jailed Tycoon Khodorkovsky →
Mr. Putin is also gearing up to free other high-profile prisoners, including Greenpeace activists and the punk group Pussy Riot, using recently passed amnesty legislation.
Madagascar battles the Black Death →
...despite being wiped out across much of the globe, it's still very much a reality in parts of Madagascar, where one of the worst outbreaks in recent memory has left dozens dead.
NSA review panel recommends an end to bulk collection of phone records →
The president's NSA review panel has recommended an end to bulk data collection, according to a report by The Washington Post. Among other changes, the panel recommends the agency no longer be allowed to maintain its database of phone records, which was revealed this summer to include data on nearly all American phones.
South Sudan opposition head Riek Machar denies coup bid →
Mr Kiir's government said its forces were in control of all cities, but he has offered to talk to Mr Machar.
...
Mr Kiir said a group of soldiers supporting Mr Machar had tried to take power by force on Sunday night but were defeated.
He said the clashes began when uniformed personnel opened fire at a meeting of the governing party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).
But Mr Machar told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme on Wednesday: "There was no attempted coup."
Two Veteran Members Quit Vietnamese Communist Party →
Bear with me. I'm finally catching up on a couple weeks' worth of Instapapered news stories.