COVER

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?

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

BUSINESS

The Coconut Craze (Food)

Touted for thirst-quenching, skin-soothing goodness, this tropical-fruit star is straining the supply chain

LETTERS

WORLD

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

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

Confessions of a Sniper (Syria)

A rebel gunman in Syria talks about his disillusionment with the cause — and one soul-shattering decision

THE CULTURE