The World

By Alex Altman, Harriet Barovick, Gilbert Cruz, Randy James, Kate Pickert, Tiffany Sharples, M.J. Stephey

1 | Texas The Long Journey Home On June 2, a district judge ordered the return of nearly 460 children to a polygamist sect's care after a state supreme court ruled in its favor. But Child Protective Services and the Attorney General will continue investigations into alleged sexual abuse on the sect's Yearning for Zion ranch. Though no charges have been filed, families cannot leave the state.

2 | Utah Breaking the Beer Barrier Amid a national economic slowdown, Utah is quietly attracting residents and tourists with such growing industries as biotech and outdoor recreation. To make the state more "user friendly," Governor Jon Huntsman wants to relax the laws that prohibit serving liquor or high-alcohol beer outside private clubs or eateries. Public hearings begin this month.

18% Increase in Utah's population from 2000 to 2007

23% Percentage of residents who came from other states or countries

20 MILLION Number of tourists who visited Utah in 2007

3 | Washington Cutting Out Carbon The U.S. Senate began debating legislation that would establish a cap-and-trade system aimed at slashing greenhouse-gas emissions nearly 70% by 2050. The bill has slim chances of passing; critics say it would bruise the faltering U.S. economy by hindering manufacturers and saddling consumers with energy cost increases. But advocates hope the bipartisan measure will establish a blueprint for attempts to curb emissions under the next Administration, while leaving its opponents susceptible to the wrath of pro-environment voters in November.

4 | Switzerland A Defeat for the Far Right Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected a June 1 initiative that would have stiffened the country's already rigid naturalization process and have allowed townspeople to vote by secret ballot on whether to grant citizenship to their neighbors. The failure is a blow to the right-wing Swiss People's Party, which rode a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment to a plurality in parliament. About 22% of Swiss residents are foreigners--one of the highest rates in Europe--and the party exploited rising xenophobia in its referendum campaign with ads depicting dark hands snatching Swiss passports.

5 | Zimbabwe Crackdown Tensions are rising as Zimbabwe's June 27 runoff elections approach. On June 4, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was detained by police, just a day after foreign-aid agencies that help feed thousands of people were shut down for allegedly supporting him--ironically, while President Robert Mugabe was in Rome for a U.N. food-crisis summit.

6 | Seoul A BELLYACHE OVER U.S. BEEF South Korea's government delayed a plan to lift its ban on U.S. beef imports after thousands of protesters clashed with police in Seoul. The ban had been instituted following a 2003 outbreak of mad-cow disease. Koreans accuse newly elected President Lee Myung Bak of caving to Washington after Congress linked a $29 billion free-trade agreement to the reopening of the Korean market, formerly the third largest worldwide for U.S. beef.

7 | Pakistan EMBASSY ATTACKED A car bomb killed at least six people outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad on June 2. The attack was believed to be linked to the recent decision by Danish newspapers to reprint a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad that had ignited worldwide protests when it first appeared in 2005. In March, Osama bin Laden warned of "severe" retaliation for reprinting the cartoon. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Danish authorities pointed to al-Qaeda.

8 | Iraq U.S. Death Toll Hits Wartime Low Nineteen U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq in May, the lowest one-month count since the war began. The drop was attributed to a cease-fire between U.S. forces and Muqtada al-Sadr's militia as well as the troop surge that put 30,000 extra soldiers on the ground in the spring of 2007. Meanwhile, the decline in American casualties comes as Iraqi security forces take on a greater combat role. Coalition forces say 98 Iraqi security personnel were killed in May, along with 553 civilians. "This progress is fragile," a military spokesman warned.

9 | Washington Straphanger Nation Stratospheric gas prices are driving commuters out of their cars and onto buses and trains, as the number of Americans using mass transportation reached record levels in the first quarter of this year, up 3% to 2.6 billion trips. If fuel costs remain high, transport officials see 2008 ridership exceeding last year's total of 10.3 billion, the highest mark in 50 years.

10 | Cuba Justice, Gitmo Style With hearings beginning June 5 in the trials of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-conspirators, as much attention is being paid to Guantanamo Bay's controversial military-commission system as to the crimes themselves. Critics dismiss the tribunals as too secretive, arguing that evidence obtained through methods like waterboarding should be inadmissible. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule this month on the rights of Gitmo prisoners.

+ 1 | China Olympics Dos and Don'ts ... ... for foreigners, according to the Beijing Olympic Games organizing committee:

o Visitors staying with residents must register at a police station.

o In order to "maintain public hygiene," no sleeping outdoors.

o Just because you have an Olympic ticket doesn't mean you automatically get a visa.

o No displays of political or religious banners at events.

o Do not burn or damage the Chinese flag or any other national emblems.

o No terrorists, please, or anyone with "mental diseases."

o Tibet? Totally off-limits.