The World

10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

By Harriet Barovick, Ishaan Tharoor, Alexandra Silver, Claire Suddath, Frances Romero, Kayla Webley and Josh Sanburn Monday, Nov. 01, 2010

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    In a trip to drum up support for his re-election as Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki met on Oct. 18 with Iranian leaders, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and won their public backing in his bid to lead Iraq for a second term. The Iraqi PM also met with Muqtada al-Sadr, a former opponent turned ally, as part of a deal between the two brokered by Iran. As a Shi'ite theocratic state, Iran commands considerable influence in Shi'ite-majority Iraq. The U.S. now faces an increasingly Tehran-friendly government in Baghdad, though Iraqi politics remains in stasis because of the failure of al-Maliki's party to win a majority of parliamentary seats in the March election.

    6 | Russia

    A Daring Attack in Chechnya

    Posing as bodyguards for Chechen MPs, three militants took a taxi to the Russian republic's parliament and, once there, detonated explosives and fired rifles, killing at least four people before they were killed. The attack raises doubts over stability in Chechnya, which is ruled by the controversial pro-Moscow strongman Ramzan Kadyrov. There has also been increased militant activity in the neighboring North Caucasus republics of Ingushetia and Dagestan.

    7 | Pakistan

    Dozens Killed in Karachi

    Much of Pakistan's most populous city was shut down Oct. 20 as ethnic violence instigated by two of the city's dominant political factions continued for a fifth consecutive day. It was the latest spasm of bloodletting in a year that has seen some 350 people killed in targeted attacks in Karachi, a teeming metropolis riddled with crime.

    8 | The Hague

    Ex-Congolese Leader to Stand Trial

    Rejecting a last-ditch appeal, the International Criminal Court announced it would move forward with the war-crimes trial of former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba. He is accused of leading a rebel militia into neighboring Central African Republic in 2002-03 to commit attacks on civilians, including torture, rape and murder.

    9 | Germany

    Struggling to Integrate

    When Chancellor Angela Merkel declared on Oct. 16 that Germany's attempt to build a multicultural society had "utterly failed," she was echoing a growing frustration in her country and elsewhere in Europe with immigration. A recent poll found that 30% of Germans felt their nation was "overrun by foreigners." Merkel said that too many foreign residents, mainly Muslims from Turkey and the Arab world, have failed to learn the local language and adapt to German cultural norms.

    Muslims in Europe

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

    Estimated 2010 Muslim population in millions

    3.6 FRANCE 5.7%

    4.1 GERMANY 5%

    .9 NETHERLANDS 5.5%

    2.9 U.K. 4.6%

    Percentage of population that is Muslim

    SOURCE: THE PEW FORUM ON RELIGION & PUBLIC LIFE

    10 | China

    DEADLY MINE DISASTER

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