A S I A
BURMA: One Step Forward
While making small gestures to improve its image, the regime continues to drag the country toward economic ruin
• 'This government is not capable of running the economy'
Online Exclusive: Full text of TIME's interview with Aung San Suu Kyi
• 'Sincerity is needed on their side'
Online Exclusive: Full text of TIME's interview with Foreign Minister Win Aung

CHINA: Panic Button
Beijing goes all out to squash a "cult" of spiritual devotees

INDIA: Nature's Fury
The eastern state of Orissa, slammed by a massive cyclone, struggles to recover from the watery blast

HONG KONG: Fashion Forward
Esprit's Michael Ying looks to revolutionize Asian retailing

T H E   A R T S
TELEVISION: Big in Beijing
A locally produced sitcom is a hit in China, heralding a new era of (gasp!) fun for the world's biggest TV market

CINEMA: Portrait of a Land Divided
Deepa Mehta's latest film revisits a painful subject: partition

BOOKS: Divorce, Chinese-Style
A fine first novel, Waiting, revels in one man's comically thwarted quest for personal happiness

E N D   P A G E S
SPOTLIGHT

MILESTONES