The World

10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

By Harriet Barovick, Ishaan Tharoor, Alexandra Silver, Claire Suddath, Frances Romero, Kayla Webley and Nate Rawlings Monday, Aug. 09, 2010

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    More than three decades after the Khmer Rouge's murderous reign came to an end, its torture chief, Kaing Guek Eav (known as Duch), was found guilty by a U.N.-backed tribunal July 26 of crimes against humanity. The radical regime, which ruled Cambodia's Killing Fields from 1975 to 1979, oversaw the deaths of some 1.7 million by execution or as a result of torture, overwork and starvation. Under Duch's watch at Tuol Sleng prison, at least 14,000 people lost their lives. His 35-year sentence, which was reduced to 19 because of time served and other factors, means Duch, 67, may one day walk free--a fact that made surviving victims and their families weep with rage. Duch plans to appeal.

    6 | Pakistan

    DEADLY PLANE CRASH

    All 152 people aboard a Pakistani passenger plane were killed July 28 in the worst air disaster in the nation's history. Airblue Flight ED 202, which was traveling from Karachi to Islamabad, crashed near the end of its journey in the midst of poor weather conditions in the Margalla Hills, north of the capital. Rescue workers searching the site found no survivors. The Pakistani government declared July 29 a national day of mourning.

    7 | Serbia

    Kosovo? No

    In response to a July 22 U.N. court decision, which ruled that Kosovo is an independent state and that its 2008 secession from Serbia did not violate international law, Serbian lawmakers passed a resolution announcing that they would never recognize the former province's sovereignty. Serbia plans to send 55 envoys to foreign countries to ask for support. Currently, 69 countries, including the U.S. and most of the E.U., recognize Kosovo.

    8 | Spain

    Catalonia Exits the Bullring

    Bullfighting has long been a cornerstone of Spanish culture, but not all parts of the country still welcome matadors. On July 28, the legislature of Catalonia, based in Barcelona, voted to outlaw the sport. The ban, which is set to take effect in 2012, is a victory for animal-rights activists but is also seen as a feather in the cap of the Catalan movement for greater autonomy.

    9 | Honduras

    Nike Pays Its Dues

    A year and a half after closing two Honduran factories, Nike finally succumbed to pressure to create a $1.5 million fund for its laid-off workers. Having initially denied them severance wages, the sports-apparel company was forced to take action when the Washington-based Worker Rights Consortium persuaded U.S. colleges to threaten to cancel Nike contracts. United Students Against Sweatshops also agitated in favor of the workers.

    [The following text appears within a map. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual map.]

    Many nations vie for control of the South China Sea

    CHINA'S CLAIMED TERRITORIAL WATERS

    BOUNDARIES SUGGESTED BY A U.N. CONVENTION

    DISPUTED ISLANDS

    SOURCES: U.N. CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA; CIA

    10 | Hanoi

    A Confrontation at Sea

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