The Abe Enigma (Cover Story)
Critics dub him a dangerous nationalist. Fans hail him as a strong leader for an increasingly assertive nation. Meet Shinzo Abe, the man poised to become Japan's new Prime Minister


Lonely Power
As his country slides into chaos, President Hamid Karzai governs Afghanistan from a heavily guarded bubble. Is he still the right man for the job?

State of Denial
The escalating insurgency in southern Thailand is unraveling the last threads of legitimacy for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government

The Princess Wars (Letter from Japan)
A newborn royal heir stirs the debate over the modern Japanese woman


Time Running Out
As diplomats scramble to end the killing in Darfur, the crucial call could be Beijing's

Youth: Just Log Off
Online gaming is being called the newest scourge of Chinese society

Milestones
Events of the

Letters
How Much Risk Can We Take?

City of Nights (TIME Global Adviser)
Photographs by Gyula Halàsz, a voyeur of Paris' prewar demimonde, go up for auction in his adopted home town

Sing Inside the Box (After Dark)
London gets a taste of authentic Japanese karaoke

Packing Order (Style Watch)
Uppercase's elegant, vintage-style luggage can stand up to modern travel

City Profile: Maputo, Mozambique (City Profile)
A Musical Revival