COVER
History's Child (South Korea)
If she wins South Korea's presidential election on Dec. 19, Park Geun-hye will become her nation's first female leader. But to guide her country into the future, she must overcome the past
Imran's Game Plan (Pakistan)
Pakistan's greatest sporting hero believes he will be the next prime minister. Would he lead his country to redemption — or ruin?
A Wave of Patriotism (Japan)
As Japan goes to the polls to elect a new government, the country's mood is the most nationalistic in decades. Expect tensions in the rest of East Asia to rise
UNITED STATES
Cliff Hanger (Paul Ryan)
What Paul Ryan's vote on a fiscal-cliff deal will tell us about his political future — and the direction of the Republican Party
LETTERS
Inbox
WORLD
Confessions of a Sniper (Syria)
A rebel gunman in Syria talks about his disillusionment with the cause — and one soul-shattering decision
BUSINESS
The Coconut Craze (Food)
Touted for thirst-quenching, skin-soothing goodness, this tropical-fruit star is straining the supply chain
THE CULTURE
Seeing Green (Travel)
Tokyo makes its case for environmental urban living
10 Questions for Louise Erdrich
Half-Chippewa novelist Louise Erdrich on her crime thriller, Geronimo's name and the good ideas of Richard Nixon