The World

10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

By Harriet Barovick, Ishaan Tharoor, Alexandra Silver, Claire Suddath, Frances Romero, Kayla Webley and Josh Sanburn Monday, Oct. 25, 2010

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    6 | California

    DADT Halted

    A federal judge issued an injunction Oct. 12 to stop enforcement of the Pentagon policy commonly referred to as "Don't ask, don't tell," which bars openly gay men and women from serving in the military. The order--which could be appealed--comes a month after the same judge, Virginia Phillips, ruled the policy unconstitutional in a suit brought by the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay-rights organization.

    7 | Hungary

    NO JUSTICE

    Reeling from the Oct. 4 toxic-sludge spill that has killed nine and injured 150, residents of affected towns in western Hungary were offered temporary justice when aluminum company MAL was taken under state control and CEO Zoltan Bakonyi detained for questioning. (He was later released without charge.) Some of the 180 million gal. of the toxic by-product of aluminum production has reached the Danube River, and even more sludge threatened to break through a cracked reservoir wall at the plant. Still, officials announced that production would resume Oct. 17.

    Global gender-gap index

    How close countries are to reaching equality, by the World Economic Forum's measure

    5 BEST COUNTRIES

    85% Iceland

    84% Norway

    83% Finland

    80% Sweden

    78% New Zealand

    5 WORST COUNTRIES

    57% Ivory Coast

    57% Mali

    55% Pakistan

    53% Chad

    46% Yemen

    8 | Geneva

    Gender Equality Around the World

    The World Economic Forum released its fifth annual report on world gender inequality, ranking 134 countries on a percentage-based metric that calculates how much they have closed their gender gaps in education, politics, health and economic opportunity. The U.S. jumped 12 spots, to No. 19, indicating increased parity between the sexes, while France fell from No. 18 to No. 46, largely because several women left Nicolas Sarkozy's government in the past year. At No. 94, Japan--where women earn an estimated 53% of what men do--has one of the lowest scores for a high-income nation. Iceland and three other Scandinavian countries top the list.

    9 | Paris

    Rwandan Rebel Leader Arrested

    A leader of the notorious Rwandan rebel group FDLR--allegedly responsible for the mass raping and killing of thousands of civilians in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo--was arrested Oct. 11 in his Paris home. Callixte Mbarushimana is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for acts committed by his group in 2009, which he has denied.

    10 | Vietnam

    Let's All Calm Down Now

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