The World

10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

By Harriet Barovick, Laura Fitzpatrick, Alexandra Silver, Claire Suddath, Frances Romero, Kristi Oloffson and Kayla Webley Monday, June 21, 2010

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    Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, both U.S. citizens, were arrested at New York City's JFK Airport en route to Somalia to join Al Shabab, a terrorist group thought to have ties to al-Qaeda. The men were charged with conspiring to kill, maim and kidnap people outside the U.S. Their arrest was the result of a four-year investigation.

    6 | Beijing

    North Korea Blamed for Deaths

    China issued a rare formal protest against North Korea on June 8 over the deadly shooting of three Chinese citizens near the border between the two nations; the three were suspected of smuggling copper wire out of North Korea. China's public criticism comes as pressure mounts for Beijing to condemn Pyongyang for its role in the March sinking of a South Korean ship.

    7 | India

    BHOPAL VERDICT

    Eight men deemed responsible for the worst industrial disaster in history were found guilty of criminal negligence related to the catastrophic leak of 40 tons of a toxic gas at a chemical plant in Bhopal that killed some 15,000 people in 1984. The seven surviving defendants were sentenced to two years in jail and $2,100 in fines. The verdict, seen as a disappointment after a quarter-century-long fight for justice, sparked outrage and disbelief nationwide.

    Bhopal: Decades of despair

    1982

    Despite a study that warns of factory hazards, no plan is put in place to evacuate locals

    1984

    On Dec. 3, 40 tons of poisonous gas escapes from the factory; thousands die instantly

    1985

    Indian government files a $3.3 billion claim in U.S. court against Union Carbide

    1989

    The case is settled for $470 million--less than $1,000 for each of the half-million people affected

    2010

    Eight former Union Carbide employees are convicted of "death by negligence"

    8 | Washington

    New Intel Chief Nominated

    President Obama announced on June 5 that Lieut. General James Clapper, U.S. Air Force (ret.), is his choice for Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The position, created in the wake of 9/11 by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, has been open since the Obama Administration forced the resignation of DNI Dennis Blair last month. If confirmed by the Senate, Clapper--currently the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence--will be responsible for overseeing the nation's 16 intelligence agencies. Although he left the Air Force in 1995, some critics, weary of undue military influence, would prefer that the post be held by a civilian without such a background.

    9 | Iraq

    Army Leak Suspect Arrested

    Army intelligence analyst Specialist Bradley Manning of Potomac, Md., was arrested for allegedly leaking a classified video of an American helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007 that left 12 dead, including two employees of the Reuters news agency. Wikileaks.org posted the video in April.

    10 | North Korea

    Dear Leader Reshuffles Government Deck

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