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1 | Singapore

A Setback on Climate Change

World leaders signaled they would not seek a legally binding agreement on greenhouse-gas emissions at next month's climate talks in Copenhagen, confirming mounting doubts that the conference would yield a landmark pact. Instead, a coalition including U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that it will aim to build political consensus, paving the way for concrete steps. The biggest challenge will be aligning the interests of developing and industrialized nations: the U.S., among others, argues that because emerging powers like China and India are among the largest emitters, any deal that excludes them--as did the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012--will be inadequate.

2 | Washington

Amnesty: The New Tax Shelter

The IRS has hailed as "historic" the response to its eight-month amnesty program for hidden offshore bank accounts. By the Oct. 15 deadline, some 14,700 Americans--twice the number officials expected--had disclosed billions of dollars held in 70 countries. Most account holders who pay taxes will avoid criminal penalties. As part of a U.S.-led crackdown on tax evasion, the Swiss bank UBS recently agreed to reveal the names of nearly 4,500 American clients with questionable accounts.

3 | New York City

A Path to Justice

Attorney General Eric Holder announced that five alleged plotters of the Sept. 11 attacks, including confessed mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will face trial next year in a New York City federal court. Holder and President Obama say they expect prosecutors to push for the death penalty. Critics slammed the decision, claiming that the defendants' presence in New York will create a media circus and put the city at risk of another attack. Experts also noted the legal issues a civilian trial will raise--including the use of evidence obtained through waterboarding, to which Mohammed was subjected 183 times, and the difficulty of finding an impartial jury in a Manhattan courtroom just blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood.

4 | Seoul

Hope and Change, on the Road

Barack Obama wrapped up the first Asia trip of his presidency after meeting with several key allies during a seven-day, four-nation tour. While critics called Obama overly deferential and said he did little to advance U.S. interests, the White House said the trip established a firm foundation for progress in the region.

Obama's crowded itinerary

NOV. 13-14: JAPAN

Draws conservative criticism for bowing to Emperor Akihito; the State Department terms it a proper show of respect

NOV. 15: SINGAPORE

In the first such meeting in 43 years, calls on Burma's Prime Minister to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi

NOV. 16-18: CHINA

Holds a town-hall forum with students in Shanghai, but few Chinese can watch: it's televised only locally

NOV. 19: SOUTH KOREA

The agenda includes a stalled trade pact and efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions

5 | Berlin

Measuring The World's Worst