December 10, 1990 | Vol. 136 No. 25

A Case of Biting Irony

Accused of nipping a cop's ear, twins claim mistaken identity

A Long Hallucination of War

As TV broadcasts battle preparations, Americans ponder the moral case for war

Basketball: A Draw for Tark the Shark (American Notes)

A Draw for Tark the Shark

Hunting: The Buck Starts Here (American Notes)

The Buck Starts Here

Prisons: Crime Does Pay (American Notes)

Crime Does Pay

Trials: Play It Again, Ted (American Notes)

Play It Again, Ted

Washington: My State Is Falling Apart ! (American Notes)

"My State Is Falling Apart" !

Baby, It's Cold Inside Award (Grapevine)

Deadline: Jan. 15

Donald Trump Literary Prize (Grapevine)

Kuwait: If War Begins

A fight to liberate Kuwait would pit lasers against razor wire in a battle that would be short, phenomenally violent and, all too probably, bloody

Last Order of Lenin (Grapevine)

Maybe This Man Needs an Audit (Grapevine)

Ollie North's Latest Laugh

A new ruling batters the case against Iran-contra defendants, raising doubts about congressional immunity

Secrets For Sale? (Grapevine)

Strains on The Coalition

The Germs of War

Two Is Better Than One (Grapevine)

Watch Your Back, George (Grapevine)

Wealth of Nations Citation (Grapevine)

When Will Saddam Get the Bomb?

Not nearly so soon as the Bush Administration claims

Who Owns U.S.? (Grapevine)

Life Begins at 65

Wrapped In Cotton Wool

Faced with shortages and squabbling reformers, the mayor of Leningrad discovers the difficulty of getting things done

America Abroad: The General Secretary in His Labyrinth

The General Secretary in His Labyrinth

Britain A Victory of Major Proportions

Thatcherism is alive and well as the Tories pick Maggie's favorite to succeed her, but the new Prime Minister is likely to go his own way on Europe

Germany To the Victors Belong the Bills

Integrating the long-divided land will cost the new Bonn government $220 billion over the next four years

Lost In Translation

Poland A Stranger Calls

In his bid to become President, Lech Walesa must defeat a mysterious newcomer who is surprisingly popular with the voter

South Africa Angst in Afrikanerdom

The descendants of the founders of South Africa's apartheid state debate their role in a black-ruled society

Soviet Union Donations Gladly Accepted

As Germany begins ferrying food to the Soviets, the U.S. worries about how to ensure that its aid will reach the hungriest

Bangladesh: Forecast: More Turbulence (World Notes)

Forecast: More Turbulence

Brazil: Wounding the Emperor (World Notes)

Wounding the "Emperor"

Bulgaria: Champagne And Tears (World Notes)

Champagne And Tears

Switzerland: Into the 20th Century (World Notes)

Into the 20th Century

Space: Roots of The Hubble's Troubles (Space)

NASA could have spotted the telescope's flaw before the launch

Food: A Golden Age for Grapes (Food)

California's talented young winemakers are having their best of times, even as they worry about worse days that may lie ahead

Food: Chateau Bubba Grows Up (Food)

Health: Perils Of Being Born Black (Health)

Life expectancy for African Americans is sinking

Cimarron, New Mexico Bears, Bucks And Boy Scouts (American Scene)

At New Mexico's Philmont Scout Ranch, troops hit the wilderness trail, with a few modern twists

Living: The Long and Short of It (Living)

Male ponytails hang in there as a style for all seasons

Living: Time for The Teeny Tinies? (Living)

Microcars are taking the hassle out of French city driving

Design: Creating Grand Illusions (Design)

Muralist Richard Haas evokes the Baroque on blank city walls

Time Magazine Contents Page: Dec.10, 1990 (Contents)

Vol. 136, No. 25 DECEMBER 10, 1990

Time Magazine Masthead: Dec.10, 1990 (Masthead)

Vol. 136, No. 25 DECEMBER 10, 1990