COVER
The Lessons of Flight 253 (United States)
Missed signs, cumbersome lists and spotty screening permitted a terrorist to take a makeshift bomb on a Christmas flight to Detroit. What the U.S. should learn from a near calamity
WORLD
Angela Merkel's Moment
A trailblazer and the unchallenged leader of Europe's largest economy, Germany's Chancellor now faces an uncomfortable question, How should her country use its power?
PEOPLE
A Bold Opening for Chess Player Magnus Carlsen (Profile)
Computer trained yet deeply intuitive, Magnus Carlsen, the youngest No. 1 player in chess history, is reinvigorating the game of kings
GLOBAL BUSINESS
Outsourcers Go Global (Trade)
After cashing in on globalization's first wave, India's IT giants are discovering their continued success may depend on international expansion