'Think of this as a tip sheet for a scary new year, a deeply reported look at where the world is heading' (FORECAST 2003)
TIME peers into the political, economic and social trends that will shape the new year


Forecast 2003: In The Line Of Fire (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)
Look for war in Iraq, student revolts in Iran and maybe disarmament in North Korea

Living With Fear (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)
What will al-Qaeda think of next?

A Tough Act to Follow (FORECAST 2003 | GEOPOLITICS)
China's new leader will find the path to reform blocked by his old boss

Asia's Nightmare
Can the spread of AIDS in Asia be stopped?

Hate Takes Aim In India (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)

Conventional Wisdom
A constitution for the European Union is due in the spring

Balancing Act for Lula
Brazil's President-elect has a tough job ahead

A Man With A Mandate (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)
Times have brought changes of fortune for George W Bush

New Name, Old Worries (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)
What will follow the Yugloslav Federation?

What If They Say No? (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)

Peace In The Balance (FORECAST | GEOPOLITICS)

Elections To Watch (FORECAST 2003 | GEOPOLITICS)


Great Mall of China (FORECAST | BUSINESS & FINANCE)
China opens up to foreign trade

That Old Empty Feeling (BUSINESS & FINANCE)
Terrorism and war could empty resorts, hike oil prices, and rattle the world economy

Hong Kong's Long Fall (FORECAST | BUSINESS & FINANCE)
Still no end in sight for Hong Kong's economic woes

So Near, and Yet So Far
China is pushing to open up direct flights to Taiwan

On Trial
Will corporate reform in 2003 help us learn to love CEOs again?

Look Who's Growing Fastest (FORECAST | BUSINESS & FINANCE)
One of the world's poorest regions is coming up faster than ever before

A Little Less Privacy, Please (FORECAST | BUSINESS & FINANCE)
Selling off state industries is losing its shine

Fraying at the Edges (FORECAST | BUSINESS & FINANCE)
Swiss bank reform doesn't seem such a cuckoo idea?

New Friends For the Euro (FORECAST | BUSINESS & FINANCE)
Brits lead the sceptics, but in Sweden feeling may be on the turn


Fly Away (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Seeking pleasure whereever possible as a means to avoiding the perceived grim reality

Dressy Droids (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Robotic mannequin reacts to the presence of a human by moving to show of clothes in the best way

Rock Revival (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Rock music may be set to return to a less produced format with some new bands showing the way

Web Mania (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Korea gets an expensive net habit

Next-Gen Liposuction (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Bargain basement prices for plastic surgery

Page Turners (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
5 books for your reading list

21st Century Pope (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Who will succeed the pope

Art Returns To Sculpture (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Gary Webb, a name to watch for the Turner Prize

The Sequel Syndrome (FORECAST | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Hollywood banks on sequels

Aussie Arrival (FORECAST 2003 | SOCIETY & CULTURE)

Hit Back at High Street (FORECAST 2003 | SOCIETY & CULTURE)
Exclusivity is the latest weapon in the fashion house armories

Let's Give Schumacher A Brake (FORECAST 2003 | SOCIETY & CULTURE)

Taming The Machine
Work is underway to make technology more friendly and usable

Targeting The Big C
New cancer treatments hope to kill or inhibit the destructive cancer without harming the rest of the body

Precision Incisions
3D mapping software linked to robotics gives surgeons more control than ever before

Mobiles Take Charge (FORECAST | TECHNOLOGY)
Alternatives to the traditional battery and more cool designs keep mobile phones a hot item

The Soluz System (FORECAST | TECHNOLOGY)
Solar power may be cost effective for third world countries

Find Safety In Numbers (FORECAST | TECHNOLOGY)
Low cost security that relies on math more than hardware


The Many Faces Of Islam
An inside look at how Europe's Muslims adapt to secular society — and vice-versa

Banking On Faith
Muslims are mixing business with religious law

A Place at the Table
Europe must invite Muslims in


Get Us Out Of Here
A faltering economy and Schröder's policies have companies fleeing Germany

A Happy Marriage of Convenience
Paris and Berlin find common cause in pursuing their own agendas in the E.U.

With Friends of Friends Like These
A con man makes No. 10 look bad — and Cherie Blair look worse


The Fires That Will Not Die
The devastation of German cities under Allied bombing recalled


Meet the New Boss
The Kenyan President may step down — but not give up power


An Artful Dodge
Colorful crooks aren't just in it for the money


Mighty Medici (ART)
A splendid show surveys the legacy of the rulers of Renaissance Florence

The Bulldog Barks On (BOOKS)
Historian David Cannadine salutes Churchill


Simple But Superb
Andrew Pern bucks the trend of menu inflation

Last Call for Last Call
Britain's tight rules on drinking hours set to be scrapped


Little General Gets Big (CIMEMA)
Napoleon is in the spotlight again


The Tax Man Kills a Christmas Turkey
Santa's little helpers look for the next gift idea


A Traveling Man
Author Bill Bryson puts his prose to charitable use


Staying In Style (STYLEWATCH)
Bulgari hopes it has the future of luxury hotels


World Watch
The week's news in review