COVER: It's How You Play the Game
In the end it didn't much matter whether France or Brazil won the World Cup. It's the game that counts. So how did the world's most popular sport fare? Despite some painful disappointments, France '98 had some first-rate football

Julian Barnes: Reflections on a month in front of the box

What We'll Remember: Red cards, yellow cards, orange shirts and a Tartan Army--all part of the blur of this year's competition. time replays some of the highs and lows

Viewpoint
Sure, Asians flamed out in France, but they'll score in 2002--on and off the field

ASIA

HONG KONG: Bumpy Takeoff
The city's new airport stumbles badly upon opening, raising questions about whether the costly complex was ready

NEPAL: Kamal Rai's Diary
A Nepalese maidservant records the traumatic abuse that she and many others have suffered in the Middle East

THE ARTS: Architecture
A vast and vital show opening in Tokyo traces a century's worth of history and design

EUROPE: Roadblock on the Peace Path
The standoff at Drumcree is putting Northern Ireland's peace agreement to a fiery test. So far, though, the signs are encouraging that this crisis is different

Viewpoint: Squall masks deeper concerns for Blair

Dangers in Moscow: Amid economic chaos, conspiracy theories and political rumors, Yeltsin woos the military

Fast-Track French: Exasperated by regulations and officialdom at home, entrepreneurs head to London

Artful Recovery: Italian police retrieve stolen treasures

Faded Magic: Reality and illusion clash at Disneyland

Cutting the Red Tape: Adapting services to the Internet age, local governments are reducing bureaucracy and costs

MIDDLE EAST: Promised Land
Yasser Arafat gets a boost from the U.N. in his quest for a nation. Will he go it alone and declare a Palestinian state?

UNITED STATES: Talk of the Town
Tina Brown leaves the New Yorker

BUSINESS: Venturing to New Heights
Europe is fast discovering that venture capital can produce high returns and high-paying jobs

A Common Stock Market: Europe's two largest exchanges announce they will merge to form a giant pan-European bourse

Bizwatch

SOUTH PACIFIC

AUSTRALIA: The Power of One Vote
A senator's change of heart breaks the native title deadlock

NEW ZEALAND: Unlocking the Market
New laws mean chaper imports, but are there hidden costs?

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