In this issue
Edition: South Pacific
Edition: South Pacific
No. 5
COVER
The Weight Of The World
(United States)
How Condoleezza Rice hopes to bring peace to the Middle East--and salvage the Administration's foreign policy
ASIA
Former Thai PM Thaksin: "I'm Calling It Quits"
(Cover Story)
Interview with Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand
China's Pampered Pandas (Environment)
Pandas are thriving in captivity. But can these cosseted bears survive back in the forest?
Thailand: Thaksin's Giant Shadow (Cover Story)
Thailand's former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, says that he is done with politics. But the coupmakers who ousted him fear a comeback
BUSINESS
Investing: Taming China's Dragon Market
Local investors are rushing into China stocks, pushing share prices to record levelsand sparking fears of a bust
ARTS
King of the Power Kick
(The Arts)
Mixing ballet with techno music and robotic tech, Garry Stewart switches on a whole new audience

Cartoons of the Week
Asterix at 50: The Comic Hero Conquers the World
Photos: Silvio Berlusconi and the Politics of Sex
Pictures of the Week
Short List: TIME's Weekly Critics' Picks
Piecing Together Nabokov's Last Novel
Photos: Peru's Sacred Glacier Is Melting
New Moon Review: Team Jacob Ascending
Are You Ready? TIME.com's Holiday Gift Guide 2009
Broken Embraces: Death Becomes Almodóvar and Cruz