The World

1 | Iraq

Bad Days Back in Baghdad

In one of the fiercest assaults on Baghdad since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, more than a dozen bombs exploded across the city on Nov. 2. The coordinated attacks struck a crowded restaurant, public squares, a Sunni mosque and the Shi’ite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing at least 76 people and wounding more than 230. The bombings came just two days after militants affiliated with al-Qaeda seized a Baghdad church full of worshippers. Fifty-eight people died as police stormed the church to rescue the hostages. The bloody events have exacerbated fears over security in the Iraqi capital since Aug. 31, when the U.S. declared an end to combat operations. A political stalemate following March elections has fanned sectarian tensions.

2 | Greece

They’re Going Postal

Authorities in Greece suspended international mailing after numerous parcel bombs were dispatched to embassies in Athens and offices of European leaders–including at least one to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Bombs exploded at the Swiss and Russian embassies, while others were addressed to the missions of Bulgaria, Chile and Belgium as well as French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Only one person suffered injuries. Police suspect leftist extremists angry over austerity measures after Greece’s catastrophic financial collapse this summer. Greece has a long history of radical activism and anarchist violence.

3 | Turkey

Bomb on the Bosporus

The very day a two-month cease-fire declared by the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) expired, a suicide blast ripped through Istanbul’s busiest square, wounding 32. Though the PKK denied responsibility, Turkish officials claim the bomber was a member of the outlawed separatist group, which has fought for a Kurdish homeland since 1984. After the bombing, the PKK extended its cease-fire, meant to clear the way for peace talks.

4 | Afghanistan

Return of the Old Invader

The most surprising element of a recent drug raid in Afghanistan wasn’t the discovery of four opium-refining laboratories or the confiscation of more than 2,000 lb. of heroin but the participation of four Russian narcotics agents. They joined with Afghan and U.S. forces, a sign of Moscow’s increased concern over Afghan drugs and a willingness to help NATO stabilize the region. Russia has kept its distance since U.S.-backed Afghan fighters defeated the Soviet military in 1989.

5 | Ivory Coast

Back to the Ballot Box

Ivory Coast headed toward a second round of presidential elections after the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, held only a narrow lead over his nearest opponent. But the uncertainty surrounding the election, the first in 10 years, fueled fears of violence in a country whose bruising civil war ended in 2007. Turnout, however, was 80%, one of the highest ever recorded in Africa.

6 | London

Teaming Up in Tough Times

Stressing that doing so posed no threat to the sovereignty of either nation, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy (below right) signed historic defense treaties. The two powers will create a joint expeditionary force, put their aircraft carriers at each other’s disposal and share nuclear-weapons testing and research facilities. The countries, which have a history of mutual suspicion, are both under pressure to cut costs.

7 | Texas

DeLayed Trial Under Way

The trial of former House majority leader Tom DeLay finally began, with prosecutors accusing the Republican politician of illegally funneling corporate money into political campaigns for the Texas state legislature. Before resigning in disgrace in 2006 amid allegations of corruption and money laundering, DeLay had been one of Washington’s top power brokers.

8 | Uganda

Tabloid Outs Gays

A judge in Uganda ordered a tabloid newspaper to stop publishing the names and addresses of gay citizens after an advocacy group filed a lawsuit on behalf of those listed, some of whom were attacked. Homosexuality is outlawed in Uganda. Some U.S. Evangelical groups are backing a bill, currently under review in parliament, that would make homosexuality punishable by death.

9 | Moscow

Japan Pulls Ambassador

Fresh from a territorial dispute with China over one set of islands, Japan got into a spat with Russia over another. Tokyo recalled its ambassador after Russian President Dmitri Medvedev visited Kunashir, one of the disputed Kuril Islands in the North Pacific. Moscow has controlled these slivers of land since World War II, but Tokyo still considers the southern four, which it calls the Northern Territories, its own.

10 | Indonesia

VOLCANO RUMBLES ON

Evacuations started up again as Java’s Mount Merapi continued a series of eruptions that began Oct. 26. The volcano–among the world’s most active–erupted with greater force than before, sending ash miles into the air and causing authorities to expand the danger zone. Indonesia is still recovering from a deadly tsunami that hit a day before the first volcanic blast. The disasters have claimed some 470 lives so far.

* | What They’re Upgrading In Nepal:

Those who dare to climb Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, can now surf the Internet and make video calls. Nepalese telecom firm Ncell has installed eight 3G stations at Everest’s base camp. The highest, at 17,000 ft., is expected to provide coverage to the summit, which is more than 12,000 ft. higher up. Ncell’s parent company also plans to boost its network in Nepal’s valleys and plains, where coverage is spotty.