1. WikiLeaks Dumps Data. WikiLeaks, a website founded to expose hidden information about governments and corporations, released 250,000 diplomatic cables from the U.S. State Department. These cables include information about American policies and actions in Iran, Pakistan and Korea, as well as classified military field reports from Afghanistan and Iraq. This move is widely controversial. The military denounces it for hindering operations and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that “the U.S. strongly condemns the illegal disclosure of classified information.” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange defends the move by citing freedom and openness of information as his motives.
2. Qatar Will Host the 2022 World Cup. FIFA decided to award the hosting of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a small, oil-rich country in the Middle-East, and the 2018 World Cup to Russia. This is the first time the World Cup will take place in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe. Qatar is the smallest country yet to host a World Cup and its soccer team has not yet played in one. This move disappointed the U.S.’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup, and a British bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
3. Political Standoff in the Ivory Coast. Alassane Ouattara, the winner of last week’s presidential election, as recognized by the U.S., France and other African states, has begun to form a parallel government. Meanwhile, the incumbent and loser, Laurent Gbagbo, who is backed by the military and the bureaucracy, refuses to give up power. This development has raised political tensions and threatens to send the Ivory Coast back into a civil war. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived Sunday to attempt mediation, but neither side looks likely to be willing to compromise.
4. British Students Continue Protesting Tuition Hikes. For the past three weeks, British students around the country have taken to the streets in peaceful protest against the proposed funding cuts in education. The proposal intends to triple tuition fees and remove 80% of the government subsidy for the teaching budget at universities. A recent survey found that the proposed tuition would deter two thirds of students from poorer backgrounds from applying to university. The Parliament will vote on the proposal on Thursday.
5. Global Climate Change Conference in Cancun. The talks began Monday, with little hope for an international agreement to limit greenhouse gases that are associated with global climate change. There are still hopes that some small progress will be made. The most significant issues at stake are: how much and how fast countries can reduce their emissions, and how this can be enforced internationally. Another difficult question is whether the Kyoto Protocol, which sets different emissions requirements for developed and developing countries and was never adopted by the U.S., will be renewed. It is unlikely that any of these issues will be resolved in Cancun.

All information gathered from The New York Times Online.