The World

10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

By Harriet Barovick, Ishaan Tharoor, Alexandra Silver, Claire Suddath, Frances Romero, Kayla Webley and Josh Sanburn Monday, Oct. 18, 2010

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    Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose country has waited seven months for a government after parliamentary elections in March, received a boost with the support of the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sadr's hard-line Shi'ite faction decided to back Maliki, bringing the Prime Minister one step closer to another term. But the alliance has raised questions about the roles Sunnis and Kurds would play in such an administration. In the elections, Maliki's coalition trailed a more secular bloc; neither won a clear majority.

    * What They're Recognizing in the U.K.: Next year's summer-solstice celebration at Stonehenge just got a little more interesting. For the first time, the ancient pagan tradition of Druidry--whose adherents worship natural, animist forces--has been recognized as an official religion. The Charity Commission for England and Wales granted the Druid Network, a 350-member group, charitable status, so it can now receive exemptions from taxes on donations, just like other clerical groups. The U.K. has about 10,000 Druids.

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