The World

1 | Tehran

A Secret Site Unearthed?

In the run-up to its Oct. 1 summit with Western powers, Russia and China, Iran added fuel to the incendiary debate over its nuclear ambitions by revealing the existence of a new uranium-enrichment facility outside the holy city of Qum. News of the plant, the second of its kind in Iran, drew sharp criticism from Western leaders, including President Obama, who condemned Tehran for “breaking rules” and demanded that the country “cooperate fully and comprehensively” with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, insisted that plans for the plant were never secret and reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and focused on civilian energy needs rather than on developing weapons.

2 | Honduras

A Standoff Drags On

Nearly two weeks after stealthily returning to the country, ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya remained bunkered in the Brazilian embassy with dozens of supporters. Honduras’ de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti, gave Brazil’s President 10 days to decide what to do with Zelaya but backed off a plan to limit news broadcasts and restrict public meetings after lawmakers objected. The U.S. and other nations have condemned the June 28 coup that forced Zelaya from office, though a U.S. diplomat blasted Zelaya’s “irresponsible and foolish” return from exile before a deal was struck to resolve the crisis.

3 | Washington

U.S. Poverty on the Rise

According to new U.S. Census data, the recession has hit middle- and low-income families hardest, widening the gulf between them and the rich. Lower incomes boosted poverty rates in 31 states and Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2008, compared with increases in just 10 states the year before. Overall, the U.S. rate hit an 11-year high of 13.2%, while the number of Americans receiving food stamps rose 13%.

Poverty rates

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

U.S.

CONNECTICUT

FLORIDA

HAWAII

CALIFORNIA

INDIANA

• 2007

• 2008

SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

4 | Guinea

After Coup, an Ugly Crackdown

Government soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians in the Guinean capital, Conakry, killing at least 157 people and wounding some 1,200, in addition to raping women, witnesses say. The U.N. called for an independent probe into the massacre, which came as protesters denounced military leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in a 2008 coup.

5 | Indonesia

Earthquake Shakes Sumatra

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Padang, a city of 900,000 on the northwest island of Sumatra, cutting power and telephone lines and trapping thousands of people underneath collapsed buildings. The initial death toll of 75 is expected to rise as victims are pulled from the rubble. Aftershocks triggered landslides and were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore. Hours earlier, a quake in the Pacific had sent a tsunami crashing into Samoa and American Samoa, killing at least 100.

6 | Brussels

He Started It

A much anticipated E.U. report on last year’s five-day war between Russia and Georgia held Tbilisi responsible for triggering the conflict but blamed Russia for creating conditions that helped spark it. Both sides claimed vindication from the 1,000-page document, which also found that Russian allies committed ethnic cleansing against Georgian civilians.

7 | Manila

AFTER THE FLOOD

Torrential rains brought on by Typhoon Ketsana ravaged the Philippine capital, causing flooding that killed at least 250 people, displaced thousands and submerged buildings beneath up to 20 ft. (6 m) of water. Several countries pledged aid, and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo opened her palace to those left homeless. But critics, who note that the city of 12 million has long been considered flood-prone and lacking in proper drainage systems, blamed the government for not doing more to head off the disaster.

8 | Chicago

Death After School

Four Chicago teens have been arrested in the murder of Derrion Albert, a 16-year-old who was beaten to death on Sept. 24 after he stumbled onto a brawl between rival gangs on his way home from school. The attack, captured by a cell-phone camera, has ignited outrage in a city that witnessed the murders of 34 public-school students last year.

9 | Berlin

A Win for Merkel, a Loss for the Left

Despite the pain of recent economic turmoil, German voters resoundingly reiterated their faith in the free market during the country’s Sept. 27 national elections. A victory by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union puts the party on track to form a new center-right coalition with the smaller Free Democratic Party, whose leader, Guido Westerwelle, is likely to be tapped as Vice Chancellor. Merkel’s previous coalition partner, the left-leaning Social Democratic Party, suffered its worst election loss since World War II. Merkel and Westerwelle are expected to cut taxes, promote business and strengthen Germany’s political partnership with the U.S.

Germany’s election results

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

Social Democratic Party 34% 23%

Christian Democratic Union 35% 34%

Free Democratic Party 10% 15%

Other 21% 28%

• 2005

• 2009

Source: DER SPIEGEL

10 | Washington

New Justice, New Term

The U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term on Oct. 5–its first with Obama-appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the bench–and legal observers are watching this session closely to see if conservative Justices move more forcefully to override their liberal counterparts. Arguments will be heard on cases involving corporate political donations, antitrust complaints brought against the NFL, and First Amendment issues concerning the sale of videos depicting animal cruelty.

What’s on the court’s docket

OCT. 7, 2009

SALAZAR V. BUONO

Ninth Circuit

Will consider whether a cross erected in California’s Mojave National Preserve violates separation of church and state

NOV. 9, 2009

GRAHAM V. FLORIDA

Ninth Circuit

Will decide whether sentencing a juvenile to life in prison without parole is cruel and unusual punishment

NOV. 9, 2009

BILSKI V. KAPPOS

Florida Supreme Court

Will determine whether a financial process can be patented; current laws grant patents only for a concrete “machine or apparatus”

UNSCHEDULED

MCDONALD V. CITY OF CHICAGO

Seventh Circuit

Examines whether state and local gun laws must align with the constitutional right to bear arms

* | What They’re Celebrating in Beijing:

The eight days of festivities marking the 60th anniversary of China’s communist revolution on Oct. 1 include tanks, soldiers on parade, fireworks and a display of 40 million potted plants. But some things aren’t happening: pigeons have been grounded in the capital out of fear they’d endanger jet flyovers, one city has banned divorces, and China Mobile customers aren’t keeping their ring-back tones–the government-run carrier has switched them to a patriotic song.