COVER

Iran's Nukes: Now They Tell Us?

A new intelligence report says Iran has halted its nuclear-weapons program. What that revelation tells us about the U.S. spy network, the White House — and the battle between them

LIFE

Where's the Best Beef? (Food)

A quest for the perfect steak leads us far from the madding world of plastic wrap and supermarkets

Photos: The Perfect Beef (Photos)

A group of food aficionados go deep into the hills of northern Spain in search of the perfect steak

BRITAIN

Gordon Brown's Blues (Downing Street Memo)

Missteps and a scandal over party funding have tarnished the British Prime Minister's reputation for competence

Boris Johnson: The Clown Prince (Profile)

Famous in Britain for his polymathic brilliance and oddball wit, Conservative MP Boris Johnson is running for mayor of London. To win, he'll have to show his serious side

ESSAY

BOOKS

Hot Fusion: Omega Minor

Paul Verhaeghen's novel is an intoxicating brew of sex, nukes, neo-Nazis and cognitive psychology

GLOBAL ADVISER

Fashion for Hire (Style Watch)

Can't afford to buy that must-have handbag? Try renting one

The Karoo: Dazzling Desolation (TIME Traveler)

The sky is cloudless and the mountains are a sequence of blues and ambers in South Africa's Karoo desert

Design for Living (Check In)

Guests are surrounded by style icons in this Paris hotel

LETTERS