The World

Correction Appended: Nov. 12, 2009

1 | The Hague

The Missing Defendant

Foes of Radovan Karadzic must wait a little longer to see him in court. The former Bosnian Serb leader, who eluded capture for 12 years until his arrest in 2008, boycotted the start of his U.N. trial on genocide and war-crimes charges, claiming he needed more time to prepare his defense. Prosecutors allege that Karadzic, who is representing himself, carried out ethnic-cleansing campaigns in the 1990s in Bosnia. The judge has rejected Karadzic's protests and ordered that the trial continue.

On the Trail of an Elusive Man

1995

Karadzic is indicted on genocide, war-crimes charges

1996

Removed from power, he goes into hiding; is occasionally spotted visiting his wife

2004-05

Publishes a novel and a book of poems

2008

Is arrested on a bus in Belgrade in July. Karadzic was living as a New Age healer under an alias

OCT. 26, 2009

He is a no-show for his trial

OCT. 27

The case proceeds despite Karadzic's absence

2 | Baghdad

Chaos in the Capital

A Sunni rebel group claimed responsibility for the meticulously planned twin suicide bombings on Oct. 25 that killed more than 155 people, including 30 children, just outside Baghdad's Green Zone. The attack--Iraq's deadliest since April 2007--circumvented the stringent security measures in the city's heavily protected core and heightened fears that the country's fledgling government may not be ready for January's parliamentary elections and the withdrawal of U.S. troops next year. The bombings came two months after blasts near the Foreign and Finance ministries left 100 people dead.

3 | Texas

Breaking Up the Family

U.S. authorities arrested more than 300 people associated with a Mexican drug cartel in a two-day crackdown that spanned 38 U.S. cities. The arrests, part of a four-year operation known as Project Coronado, focused on the newest of Mexico's five major drug cartels, La Familia--now the dominant player in the U.S. market for Mexican methamphetamines. So far, more than 1,200 people have been arrested through the Project Coronado effort.

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

1 7:58 p.m.

Plane passes airport

2 8:14 p.m.

Communications re-established

3 9:05 p.m.

Plane lands

4 | Paris

Sentencing Scientology

The French branch of the Church of Scientology was fined close to $900,000 after being convicted of fraud for manipulating members to undergo expensive "purification courses" and thus swindling many out of thousands of dollars. Although Scientology was not banned as part of the verdict, the ruling marks the first time the controversial group has been found guilty of organized fraud in France.

5 | Minneapolis

Wayward Pilots Lose Their Wings

The FAA revoked the licenses of two distracted Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their destination by 150 miles on Oct. 21. The pilots of the San Diego--to--Minneapolis flight said they were discussing airline policy and using personal laptops in the cockpit, a breach of company rules.

6 | Pakistan

A BLOODY BLAST