The World

By Alex Altman, Aryn Baker, Harriet Barovick, Gilbert Cruz, Kate Pickert, Tiffany Sharples, M.J. Stephey, Claire Suddath

1 | Tokyo A Fatal Rampage

"I will kill people in Akihabara," wrote factory worker Tomohiro Kato, 25, in a message posted via cell phone to an online bulletin board on June 8. Then he apparently did just that. Dressed in a pale suit, he drove about 60 miles (95 km) from his home to the popular shopping district and plowed his rented truck into a crowd before leaping out of the vehicle and frantically stabbing innocent bystanders. Seven people were killed in the incident, which followed a disquieting series of random stabbings in recent months in a nation where violent crime is comparatively rare. A Cabinet spokesman said the government would look into tightening restrictions on knives in the wake of the attack.

2 | Egypt Lost Pyramid Unearthed

Egyptian archaeologists uncovered the remains of a hidden pyramid believed to house the tomb of the obscure Pharaoh Menkauhor, who briefly ruled more than 4,000 years ago. Known as the Headless Pyramid because of its missing top, the structure was discovered by a German archaeologist in the 19th century but later obscured by the desert sand. Authorities hope further digs at the site will yield more discoveries.

3 | New Hampshire Going to the Chapel

On June 7, the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, whose 2003 election as the first openly gay Episcopal bishop sparked death threats, entered into a civil union with his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew. Robinson said he wanted the security and "protections ... offered to me in a civil union."

4 | Pakistan The Lawyers' "Long March"

Hundreds of lawyers launched a nationwide, two-day protest to demand the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, whose dismissal of 60 senior judges last year prompted earlier lawyer-led rioting. The "long march" to Islamabad is the first large-scale protest against the new, democratically elected government, which had pledged to reinstate the judges but has yet to do so.

5 | Indiana

WATERLOGGED FIELDS Because of heavy spring rains, many Midwest cornfields are too soggy for planting, and some seedlings that have sprouted are drowning, driving corn futures to record highs. The Department of Agriculture said 14% of the crop in Illinois and Indiana, above, was in poor or very poor condition as of June 8. Nationwide, 1 in 10 corn plants had not yet emerged from the ground, indicating a worrisome late harvest for a crop that can wither easily in the summer heat. Overall, U.S. food prices are expected to rise 5% this year.

6 | Seoul

TAKING TO THE STREETS More than 100,000 people protested in the South Korean capital on June 10 amid an escalating backlash against President Lee Myung Bak's move to end a ban on imported American beef. Lee's April decision sparked the protests, which have grown in scope to include his broader policies toward Washington and prompted his Cabinet members to offer their resignations.

7 | Washington Safer Skies

The Transportation Security Administration, in a major security upgrade, is installing 38 full-body scanners at 10 U.S. airports that will allow agents to see through clothing. In response to privacy (and decency) concerns, the TSA says the device will blur subjects' faces and delete the images once they are checked.

8 | Hawaii Seal Species Confirmed Extinct

Endangered since 1967, the Caribbean monk seal is the first seal species to have been driven to extinction by humans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Its fate portends a bleak future for other endangered monk-seal species.

9 | Washington Crime Falls (in Most Places)

After two years of increases in violent crime, the fbi reported a 1.4% drop nationwide in its preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2007. Violent and property crimes fell in every region of the country except the South, which saw 0.7% and 1.1% increases, respectively.

Percentage change in murder rates [This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine.] NORTHEAST -8.6 NEW YORK CITY -17 MIDWEST -3.8 DETROIT -9 WEST -6.7 SAN FRANCISCO +14 SOUTH +2.9 NEW ORLEANS +29

SOURCE: PRELIMINARY ANNUAL UNIFORM CRIME REPORT FOR 2007

10 | Caracas Chavez Changes His Tune

Has Venezuela's maverick President begun to mellow? On June 8, Hugo Chavez urged the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to end its violent campaign against the Colombian government, six months after calling for the rebels to be taken off the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Some analysts suggest that the President may be toning down his rhetoric to soften his image in the run-up to Venezuela's state and local elections in November--and possibly to avoid giving ammunition to anti-Chavez Republican candidates in the U.S. this fall.