The World

10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

By Harriet Barovick, Ishaan Tharoor, Alexandra Silver, Claire Suddath, Frances Romero, Kayla Webley and Josh Sanburn Monday, Nov. 15, 2010

    • 1 | Iraq

    Bad Days Back in Baghdad

    In one of the fiercest assaults on Baghdad since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, more than a dozen bombs exploded across the city on Nov. 2. The coordinated attacks struck a crowded restaurant, public squares, a Sunni mosque and the Shi'ite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing at least 76 people and wounding more than 230. The bombings came just two days after militants affiliated with al-Qaeda seized a Baghdad church full of worshippers. Fifty-eight people died as police stormed the church to rescue the hostages. The bloody events have exacerbated fears over security in the Iraqi capital since Aug. 31, when the U.S. declared an end to combat operations. A political stalemate following March elections has fanned sectarian tensions.

    2 | Greece

    They're Going Postal

    Authorities in Greece suspended international mailing after numerous parcel bombs were dispatched to embassies in Athens and offices of European leaders--including at least one to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Bombs exploded at the Swiss and Russian embassies, while others were addressed to the missions of Bulgaria, Chile and Belgium as well as French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Only one person suffered injuries. Police suspect leftist extremists angry over austerity measures after Greece's catastrophic financial collapse this summer. Greece has a long history of radical activism and anarchist violence.

    3 | Turkey

    Bomb on the Bosporus

    The very day a two-month cease-fire declared by the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) expired, a suicide blast ripped through Istanbul's busiest square, wounding 32. Though the PKK denied responsibility, Turkish officials claim the bomber was a member of the outlawed separatist group, which has fought for a Kurdish homeland since 1984. After the bombing, the PKK extended its cease-fire, meant to clear the way for peace talks.

    4 | Afghanistan

    Return of the Old Invader

    The most surprising element of a recent drug raid in Afghanistan wasn't the discovery of four opium-refining laboratories or the confiscation of more than 2,000 lb. of heroin but the participation of four Russian narcotics agents. They joined with Afghan and U.S. forces, a sign of Moscow's increased concern over Afghan drugs and a willingness to help NATO stabilize the region. Russia has kept its distance since U.S.-backed Afghan fighters defeated the Soviet military in 1989.

    5 | Ivory Coast

    Back to the Ballot Box

    Ivory Coast headed toward a second round of presidential elections after the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, held only a narrow lead over his nearest opponent. But the uncertainty surrounding the election, the first in 10 years, fueled fears of violence in a country whose bruising civil war ended in 2007. Turnout, however, was 80%, one of the highest ever recorded in Africa.

    6 | London

    Teaming Up in Tough Times

    2. Previous Page
    3. 1
    4. 2