1 | Afghanistan
A Double Agent Strikes
The deaths of seven CIA agents and a Jordanian intelligence officer in a Dec. 30 suicide bombing--the agency's worst such incident in more than 25 years--were shocking enough. Even more alarming were reports that the attacker, Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, 32, was a double agent who had been providing information on al-Qaeda to U.S. and Jordanian officials for at least a year. Analysts say that in addition to straining ties between intelligence communities in Washington and Amman, the incident could hinder progress in hunting down terrorists, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's No. 2. Some officials speculate that al-Balawi, a Jordanian physician, may have been recruited to help snare al-Zawahiri, who is also a doctor.
2 | Yemen
Embassies On Lockdown
Ever since the thwarted Dec. 25 attack on a Detroit-bound airliner by a suicide bomber allegedly trained in Yemen, the U.S. has ramped up its counterterrorism aid to the government in Sana'a--courting the ire of militants there. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group that claimed responsibility for the plane attack, threatened to strike against foreign officials in Yemen, prompting the U.S. and British embassies to close. The buildings reopened on Jan. 5, after successful raids by Yemeni security forces on al-Qaeda hideouts and the subsequent arrest of three suspected terrorists. Several other embassies have kept some restrictions in place.
3 | Uganda
An Anti-Gay Law's U.S. Roots
Western governments have hit a snag in their demands that Uganda drop a proposal to impose the death penalty for homosexual behavior: it may have been partly inspired by Americans. A draft of the bill was introduced in April, a month after three Evangelical Christians gave talks on "the gay agenda" to politicians and police officers. The Americans have said they had no intention of stoking hatred; one called the bill "horrible."
4 | China
Spill Threatens Yellow River
Residents were urged to find alternative sources of drinking water as authorities tried to stop 40,000 gal. (almost 151,500 L) of leaked diesel fuel from contaminating a stretch of the Yellow River--China's second longest and a source of fresh water for millions. Some 700 workers were reportedly mobilized to control the spill, which was not made public for several days.
[The following text appears within a map. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual map.]
WEI RIVER
YELLOW RIVER
SHAANXI PROVINCE
The spill happened near the Wei River, a tributary
5 | Mexico
A Rare Win in The Drug War
Just weeks after authorities gunned down Arturo Beltrán Leyva, one of Mexico's most dangerous drug lords, police arrested his brother Carlos, also a member of the infamous Beltrán Leyva cartel. The arrest comes amid rising violence: 29 people were killed in drug-related attacks in a 24-hour period in Ciudad Juárez, whose turf battles between rival cartels have made it Mexico's deadliest city.
6 | Baghdad
Fury over Blackwater